One.
Du Qi's hand was on the table, but it was covered by a large Malianpo straw hat.
It was his left hand.
No one knew why he was using the hat to cover his hand.
Of course, Du Qi had more than one hand. His right hand was holding a hard bun. His body was just like the bun, dry, cold, and hard! This was a restaurant, the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant.
There were dishes on the table, as well as wine.
But he didn't move. He didn't even drink the tea. He just slowly nibbled at the bun he had brought with him.
Du Qi was a very cautious person. He didn't want anyone to find out that he had been poisoned to death in the restaurant.
According to his own calculations, there were at least six hundred and seventy people in Jianghu who wanted to kill him, and yet he was still alive.
Dusk. Just before dusk.
There were many people on the street. Suddenly, a horse galloped by, knocking over three people, two stalls, and a wheelbarrow.
The rider had a long saber strapped to his waist, and he looked vigorous and vigorous. When he saw the signboard of the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant, he leaped from his saddle, somersaulted through the air, and shot into the restaurant like an arrow.
There was a commotion upstairs. Du Qi didn't move.
When the man with the saber saw Du Qi, all the muscles in his body seemed to stiffen. He let out a long sigh and walked over in large strides.
He didn't greet Du Qi. Instead, he bent down and lifted up the straw hat on the table. He looked inside, and his red face suddenly turned pale. "That's right, it's you," he muttered. Du Qi didn't move, didn't open his mouth.
The man with the saber flipped his hand and unsheathed his saber. The saber flashed, and he chopped down on his left hand.
Two bloody fingers fell onto the table, the little finger and the ring finger.
Cold sweat rolled down the man's pale face like rain. "Is this enough?" Du Qi didn't move, and didn't open his mouth.
The man with the saber clenched his teeth, and suddenly brandished his saber again.
His left hand fell onto the table. He chopped off his left hand. "Is that enough?" Du Qi finally looked at him and nodded. "Let's go!"
The man's face was contorted with pain, but he let out a long sigh. "Many thanks." Without another word, he staggered out of the restaurant.
This man's movements were vigorous, and his martial arts were extremely high. Why did he willingly chop off his own hand after looking into the hat? And why did he seem very grateful to Du Qi?
What was the secret of this hat?
No one knew.
Dusk. It was dusk.
Two people hurriedly walked into the restaurant. Both of them were dressed in brocade robes and looked very imposing.
Seeing them, many people in the restaurant stood up with respectful expressions on their faces and bowed in greeting.
Within eight li of here, there are not many people who do not know Golden Whip, Silver Knife and the Duan Family's Twin Heroes, and there are even fewer people who would dare to be rude to them.
The Duan brothers did not greet them, nor did they greet Du Qi. They only walked over and lifted a corner of the straw hat on the table. When they looked inside the hat, their faces suddenly turned pale.
The two brothers looked at each other. "That's right," said Duan Ying.
Duan Jie lowered his hand, bowed and said, "Welcome, what can I do for you?" Du Qi did not move, nor did he open his mouth.
He didn't move. Duan Ying and Duan Jie didn't dare to move either. They stood in front of him like idiots.
Two more people walked into the restaurant. They were "Sword of Mourning" Fang Kuan and "Invincible Iron Fist" Tie Zhongda. Just like the Duan brothers, they lifted the straw hat and looked inside. Then they bowed and asked, "What can I do for you?" There were no orders, so they just stood there and waited. If he didn't give them orders, no one would dare to leave.
These people were all powerful martial artists, so why were they so afraid of him after looking inside the hat? Why were they so respectful?
Could it be that there was some sort of terrifying magic hidden inside the hat?
Dusk. After dusk.
The lanterns in the restaurant were lit.
The light shone on the faces of Fang Kuan and the others. Sweat dripped down their faces, cold sweat.
Du Qi still hadn't given them any orders. They should have been feeling relaxed.
But looking at their expressions, it was as if a catastrophe was about to befall them at any moment.
Night had fallen, and the stars were rising.
In the darkness outside the restaurant, the strange sound of a bamboo flute could be heard. It was sharp and mournful, like the cry of a ghost.
The faces of Fang Kuan and the others changed, and their pupils shrank in fear.
Du Qi did not move.
So they still did not dare to move, and even more did not dare to leave.
At this moment, there was a sudden bang, and four large holes were smashed through the roof.
Four people landed on the ground at the same time. They were four burly men who were eight feet tall. Their upper bodies were bare, but they were wearing bright red leggings. They were wrapped by a shiny golden belt, on which were thirteen strangely shaped machetes. The hilts of the machetes were also shining with a golden light.
These four slender and burly men landed on the ground, but their bodies were as light as cotton, and as soon as they landed, they guarded the four corners of the restaurant.
They looked very nervous, and there was an indescribable fear in their eyes.
Just as everyone was paying attention to them, another person suddenly appeared in the restaurant.
This person wore a golden crown on his head, a golden embroidered robe, a golden belt around his waist, and a golden machete on the belt. His face was as white as a full moon.
The Duan Brothers and Fang Kuan were martial arts experts with keen eyesight, but they couldn't tell if this person had fallen from the roof, or if he had swept in through the window.
But they recognized this person.
The richest man in the South Sea, the Golden Crown King of the Golden Mountain, Prince Wu Ji.
Even people who didn't recognize him would know who he was just by looking at his attire and his style.
Du Qi did not move, did not even look at him.
Prince Wu Ji walked over, bent down, and lifted up the straw hat on the table. Looking inside, he let out a sigh of relief. "That's right, it's you." His face, which had previously looked nervous, now revealed a relieved smile. He suddenly untied the golden belt around his waist, and twisted the buckle. Immediately, eighteen round, sparkling pearls rolled out from the belt.
Prince Wu Ji placed the pearls on the table, then bowed and smiled. "Is this enough?" Du Qi did not move, nor did he open his mouth.
The sound of the bamboo flute in the darkness grew more urgent, and closer.
Prince Wu Ji's smile was a bit forced. He lifted his hand and took off the golden crown on his head. The crown was inlaid with eighteen pieces of verdant green jade.
He placed the crown on the table as well. "Is this enough?"
Du Qi did not move, nor did he open his mouth.
Prince Wu Ji unsheathed his golden saber, which shone with a cold light. "Is this enough?" Du Qi did not move.
Prince Wu Ji frowned. "What else do you want?"
"I want the thumb of your right hand!" Du Qi suddenly said.
If the thumb of a right hand was severed, that hand could no longer wield a saber, much less a flying dagger.
Prince Wu Ji's face changed.
But the sound of the bamboo flute was even more urgent, even closer, and sounded like needles piercing the ears.
Prince Wu Ji gritted his teeth, raised his right hand, and stuck out his thumb. "Saber, come!" A bare-chested man standing in the corner of the room immediately brandished his saber. There was a flash of golden light, and a curved saber whistled through the air, spinning around his hand.
A bloody thumb immediately fell on the table.
The curved saber spun in midair, then whistled back.
Prince Wu Ji's face turned green. "Is this enough?"
Du Qi finally lifted his head and looked at him. "What do you want?" "I want you to kill someone."
"Who?" Du Qi asked.
Prince Wu Ji said, "Ghost King."
"Yin Tao?" Du Qi asked.
"Yes," said Prince Wu Ji.
Fang Kuan, Tie Zhongda, and the Two Heroes of the Duan Clan all turned pale with fright.
"The Ghost King," Yin Tao, that name alone was enough to shatter their souls.
Suddenly, the sound of the bamboo flute changed, becoming like the weeping of a resentful woman, or the flute of a blind man in the night.
Prince Wu Ji shouted, "Extinguish the candles!"
The restaurant was ablaze with light, and at least twenty candles were lit.
Four bare-chested men suddenly waved their hands at the same time. Golden light flashed, and the wind whistled through the air. The candles were extinguished at the same time, and all around was darkness. In the darkness, several dozen lanterns suddenly lit up on the roof of the restaurant.
The ghastly green lanterns fluttered in the wind, looking just like ghost fire.
"The Ghost King is here!" Prince Wu Ji cried out.
The ghastly green lanterns shone on the faces of the people. Everyone's faces were twisted with fear, as if they were a group of ghosts that had just been released from the depths of hell.
Suddenly, from within the mournful sound of the bamboo flute came a sinister, cold laugh. "That's right, I'm here." As soon as these words were spoken, a gust of cold wind blew past, sending a person into the restaurant.
It was a man with shoulder-length hair, a face like wax, wearing a white linen robe. His body was as thin as a bamboo pole, and it looked as if he had really been blown in by the wind, swaying as he landed on the ground.
His eyes were also ghastly green, and he stared unblinkingly at Prince Wu Ji. With a sinister laugh, he said, "I told you, you're dead!" Prince Wu Ji suddenly laughed coldly. "You're dead!"
"Me?"
"You shouldn't have come here," said Prince Wu Ji. "Now that you're here, you're dead!" "You can kill me?"
"I can't," said Prince Wu Ji.
"Who can?" asked Yin Tao.
Prince Wu Ji said, "Him!"
Du Qi still didn't move, not even his expression.
Ghost King Yin Tao's green eyes stared at him. "You can kill me?" The answer was simple. "Yes!"
Yin Tao laughed loudly. "Kill with what? With that broken straw hat of yours? "Du Qi didn't say anything else. Instead, he stretched out his right hand and slowly lifted the straw hat off the table.
What was under the hat?
There was nothing under the hat, only a hand.
A left hand.
A hand with seven fingers.
The hand was rough, like a rock that had been battered by the waves since ancient times.
Seeing this hand, Ghost King Yin Tao looked as if he himself had seen a ghost. "Seven Assassins!" Du Qi didn't move, didn't open his mouth.
"I'm not here for you," Yin Tao said. "You'd better mind your own business." "I've already done that."
"What do you want?"
"I want you to leave!"
Yin Tao stamped his foot. "Fine, you stay, I'll leave."
"Leave the head behind before you leave!"
Yin Tao's pupils constricted. "The head is right here, why don't you come and take it?" "Why don't you bring it over?"
Yin Tao laughed loudly, his laughter mournful.
Amidst the mournful laughter, he suddenly floated up like a ghost, pouncing toward Du Qi.
Before he even arrived, twelve jagged jade-green cold lights had already shot out explosively.
Du Qi waved the straw hat in his right hand, and the jade-green light suddenly disappeared. At this moment, Yin Tao arrived, a jade-green sword in his hand. He thrust the sword at Du Qi's throat.
The sword flew through the air, erratic and strange. The jade-green light swirled, but it was impossible to see where the sword was coming from.
Du Qi's hand had already reached out.
Within the pale jade-green light, a greyish white hand with seven fingers appeared, grabbing at the air again and again.
The shadow of the sword continued to swirl, and the hand continued to change shape. After grabbing seven times in a row, there was a "ding" sound, and the sword light suddenly disappeared. All that was left in Yin Tao's hand was half a broken sword.
The sword light flashed again, this time from Du Qi's hand.
Du Qi held the broken sword in his hand, and it suddenly pierced into Yin Tao's throat.
No one could describe the speed of the sword, and no one could see his hand clearly.
Everyone heard a miserable cry, and then Yin Tao collapsed.
There was no sound, no light.
The lanterns outside the building suddenly disappeared, and everything was dark again.
Deathly silence, deathly darkness.
Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
After an unknown amount of time, Prince Wu Ji's voice could be heard. "Many thanks." "You leave," said Du Qi. "Take Yin Tao with you!"
"Yes!"
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps, hurrying down the stairs.
Du Qi's voice continued: "The four of you leave as well. Leave your weapons behind and go." "Yes!" The four of them replied at the same time. The weapons were placed on the table: a whip, a saber, and a Death Gate Sword.
"Remember, next time you bring a weapon to see me, you will die!" No one dared to make a sound, and the four of them quietly made their way down the stairs.
Silence reigned in the darkness. After an unknown amount of time had passed, a light suddenly flickered on.
The light was in the hands of a person, who had been upstairs pouring wine alone. The other guests had all left, but he had not.
He looked like an ordinary, amiable middle-aged man, with a pleasing smile on his face. He looked at Du Qi and said, "Seven Assassins, you live up to your reputation!" Du Qi ignored him, and didn't even look at him. He used a gunny sack to put away the weapons and jewels on the table, then slowly rose to his feet and walked down the stairs.
The middle-aged man called out, "Please wait a moment."
Du Qi suddenly turned his head. "Who are you?"
"I am Wu Bu 'ke."
Du Qi laughed coldly. "You want to die too?"
Wu Bu 'ke said, "I have received an order to deliver a message."
"What words?" asked Du Qi.
"Someone wants to see Master Du," said Wu Bu 'ke. "He wants to invite Master Du to make a trip." "Whoever wants to see me," said Du Qi coldly, "must come himself." "But this person …"
"This person will have to come himself. Go tell him that it's best if he crawls here, otherwise he'll have to crawl back." He didn't want to say anything more, so he headed down the stairs.
Wu Bu 'ke was still smiling. "I will definitely pass on Master Qi's message to Young Master Dragon Fifth." Du Qi suddenly stopped and turned his head. His stone-like face suddenly changed. "Dragon Fifth? Dragon Fifth of Sanxiang? "Wu Bu 'ke smiled." Who else? "
"Where is he?" Du Qi asked.
"On the fifteenth of the seventh month, he will be waiting for you at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion in Hangzhou!" A strange expression appeared on Du Qi's face. "Fine, I'll go!"
Gongsun Miao ''s hands were not on the table.
He rarely took them out of his sleeves, because he didn't want others to see them.
Especially his right hand.
Gongsun Miao ''s voice was small, his appearance was ordinary, and his clothes were simple.
That was because he didn't want to attract attention.
But right now, sitting across from him was a very eye-catching person. He wore clothes made of the finest materials, handmade, and on his finger was a jade ring worth at least a thousand taels of silver. His hat was adorned with a pearl larger than a dragon's eye.
His appearance was also quite eye-catching. He was unusually thin, and his head was unusually small. But he had a particularly large, aquiline nose. That was why his friends called him Big Nosed Hu, and those who weren't his friends called him Big Nosed Dog.
His nose was like a hunting dog's, and he could always smell things that other people couldn't.
This time, what he smelled was a rare and priceless luminous pearl.
His voice was low, his mouth almost touching Gongsun Miao ''s ear. "If you haven't seen that luminous pearl, then you can't imagine how marvelous it is." Gongsun Miao''s face was blank. "I don't even think about it."
"I don't read," said Big Nosed Hu. "If I want to read, I'd rather light a lamp. Lamp oil and candles aren't expensive." Big Nosed Hu's face was bitter. "But I have to get my hands on it. If I don't, I'm dead." "That's your problem," said Gongsun Miao. "Whatever you want, you can take it at any time." With a bitter laugh, Big Nosed Hu said, "You know I can't get it. The place where the pearl is hidden is surrounded by copper and iron walls. Only you can get in, and only you can open the lock on the cabinet. Other than you, who else in the world could steal the Luminous Pearl?" "No one else," said Gongsun Miao.
"Have we been friends for twenty years?" Big Nosed Hu asked. "Yes." Gongsun Miao nodded.
"Are you willing to watch me die on the road?" "No." Gongsun Miao replied.
Big Nosed Hu said, "Then you must steal it for me."
Gongsun Miao was silent for a long time. Then, he pulled his right hand out of his sleeve. "Do you see this hand of mine?" His hand only had two fingers. His middle, pinky, and ring fingers had all been cut off.
"Do you know how I broke my little finger?" asked Gongsun Miao '. Big Nosed Hu shook his head. "Three years ago, in front of my parents and wife, I cut off my pinky, and swore that I would never steal again." Big Nosed Hu waited for him to continue.
Gongsun Miao sighed. "But one day, I saw eight horses carved from white jade, and my hands itched to steal them. That night, I stole them back." "I saw those eight jade horses," said Big Nosed Hu. "My parents and wife saw it too. They didn't say anything. The next morning, they packed up their things and moved out. They were going to ignore me for the rest of their lives." "In order to get them to go back, you cut off your ring finger?" asked Big Nosed Hu. Gongsun Miao nodded. "That time, I really did make up my mind to never steal again. But … two years later, he broke his vow again. That time, he stole a cabbage carved from a piece of jade. When he saw it, he thought about it day and night, and couldn't sleep for several days. In the end, he couldn't resist stealing it. Gongsun Miao laughed bitterly. "Stealing is a disease. If a person gets it, it's even more frightening than smallpox." Big Nosed Hu poured some wine for him.
Gongsun Miao 'sadly said, "My mother's health wasn't good, and when she found out that I had a relapse, she was so angry that she died. My wife was so angry that she bit off my middle finger and swallowed it." Big Nosed Hu said, "So now you only have two fingers on your hand." Gongsun Miao' let out a long sigh, and then hid his hand back in his sleeve.
Big Nosed Hu said, "But this two-fingered hand of yours is ten times more nimble than all the five-fingered hands in the world. If you never use it again, wouldn't that be a pity?" "We've been friends for twenty years," said Gongsun Miao. "You saved me once, and now you have a debt you can't repay. The creditor wants you to pay it back with the luminous pearl, because he knows you'll come looking for me. If you don't do this for him, he'll take your life. "He sighed." I know all that, but I still can't steal it for you. "" Have you really made up your mind? "asked Big Nosed Hu.
Gongsun Miao nodded. "Other than stealing, I'll do anything for you." Big Nosed Hu suddenly stood up. "Okay, let's go."
"Where to?" asked Gongsun Miao.
"I don't want you to steal, but we can go take a look. That shouldn't be a problem." The wall was fifteen feet high and five feet wide, with flowers and plants growing on top of it.
Very few people have ever been able to climb over it. Of course, this wasn't a problem for Gongsun Miao.
"Can you really get through?" Big Nosed Hu asked.
Gongsun Miao calmly said, "Another six feet would be no problem."
"The room where the pearl is kept is called the Iron Warehouse. Other than the guards at the door, there's no one else around, because no one can get in." Gongsun Miao couldn't help but ask, "Is that place really made of copper and iron?" Big Nosed Hu nodded. "There are ventilation windows on the wall, but they're only one foot wide and nine inches long. At most, you can stick your head in." Gongsun Miao laughed. "That's good enough."
His Bone Shrinking Technique was a secret technique of the martial world that had been lost for a long time.
Big Nosed Hu said, "After you enter, you have to open an iron cabinet to get the luminous pearl. Supposedly, the lock on the cabinet was personally made by the Seven Ingenious Boys. The only key is in the hands of the Old Master, but no one knows where he hid it." Gongsun Miao 'calmly said, "A lock made by the Seven Ingenious Boys is not impossible to open." "You've opened it before?"
"I haven't, but I'm sure there's no lock in this world that I can't open." Big Nosed Hu looked at him and then laughed.
"You don't believe me?"
Big Nosed Hu laughed. "I believe you. Very much so. Let's get out of here." Big Nosed Hu sighed. "Because if you get impulsive and try to steal it for me, but you can't get into the room, and can't open the lock, then you'll be too embarrassed to come out. Then wouldn't I be harming you?" Gongsun Miao laughed coldly. "There's no use in trying to goad me. I don't fall for that." "I'm not trying to goad you," Big Nosed Hu said, "I'm just telling you to get out of here." "Of course I'm leaving," Gongsun Miao said. He took a few steps forward, then stopped. "Wait here for me," he said. "I'll be back in an hour at most." Before he even finished speaking, he had already moved about six feet, and was now climbing up the wall like a lizard. His shadow flickered, and then he was gone.
Big Nosed Hu couldn't help but smile proudly. Old friends always know what's wrong with them.
Although he was pleased, waiting for someone else wasn't a very pleasant thing to do.
Just as Big Nosed Hu was beginning to worry, another shadow flickered up from the top of the wall. Gongsun Miao floated down like a leaf.
"Did you succeed?" Big Nosed Hu was both excited and anxious.
Gongsun Miao didn't reply. He pulled him along, making several turns until they reached an even darker and narrower alley.
Big Nosed Hu sighed. "I just knew you wouldn't succeed."
Gongsun Miao stared at him, then suddenly opened his mouth. What came out wasn't a word, but a pearl.
A luminous pearl.
Soft like moonlight, resplendent like starlight, it illuminated the entire dark alley.
Big Nosed Hu's face was flushed with excitement. He grabbed the luminous pearl and stuffed it into his clothes. The pearl's light shone through his clothes, illuminating his face.
Suddenly, someone laughed. "Excellent. Gongsun Miao really is a genius without equal." A person suddenly appeared out of the darkness. It was a very amiable middle-aged man, with a pleasing smile on his face.
When Big Nosed Hu saw this person, his face changed. He immediately walked forward, holding up the luminous pearl with both hands. Forcing a smile, he said, "I've finally obtained the item. Does that mean my debt to Mister Gongsun Mister can be written off?" So this person was the creditor. But the creditor didn't seem to be in a hurry to collect his debt. He didn't even look at the luminous pearl.
Could it be that what he really wanted wasn't the luminous pearl?
What did he want?
"I am Wu Bu 'ke." He smiled as he walked toward Gongsun Miao. "I wanted to test out Mister Gongsun Miao's skill, so I came up with this plan. As for the debt, it's just a small sum. It doesn't matter. "Gongsun Miao's face darkened." What do you want? "
"There's someone who specifically asked me to come down here and ask Mister Gongsun to meet him." "Unfortunately," said Gongsun Miao coldly, "I don't want to meet anyone. I'm very shy." Wu Bu 'ke laughed. "But no one is shy when they meet Mister Dragon Fifth. He doesn't force anyone to do anything difficult, and he doesn't say anything embarrassing." Gongsun Miao was preparing to leave, when he suddenly turned his head. "Mister Dragon Fifth? Are you talking about Dragon Fifth of Sanxiang? "Wu Bu 'ke smiled." Don't tell me there's a second Dragon Fifth in the world? "A strange expression appeared on Gongsun Miao's face. Was it surprise? Excitement? Fear?
"Mister Dragon Fifth wants to see me?"
"Very much," said Wu Bu 'ke.
"But Mister Dragon Fifth is like a divine dragon from beyond the heavens. No one knows his whereabouts. How am I supposed to find him?" "You don't need to go find him. On the fifteenth of the seventh month, he'll be waiting for you at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion in Hangzhou." Gongsun Miao didn't even think about it. "Fine, I'll go!"
Shi Zhong reached out and grabbed a handful of peanuts.
Other people could only grab 30 peanuts at most, but he could grab 70 or 80 in one go.
His right hand was three times the size of other people's.
The sign on the peanut stand said, "Spiced Peanuts, two copper coins for a handful." He tossed down thirty copper coins and grabbed fifteen handfuls of peanuts. In the blink of an eye, the entire basket of peanuts had been emptied.
The young girl selling peanuts was on the verge of tears.
Shi Zhong laughed, then threw the peanuts onto the ground and strode off.
He had never liked eating peanuts, but he liked to see people on the verge of tears when he teased them.
It was as if he could come up with new tricks to make life difficult for others.
In the Mysterious Stir-Fry Temple on the mountain, there was a copper cauldron weighing a thousand pounds. Supposedly, it really did weigh a thousand pounds. Even ten burly men wouldn't be able to move it.
One morning, when everyone woke up, they suddenly found the cauldron in the middle of the street. Of course, the cauldron didn't come by itself.
If there was one person in the world who could move the cauldron from the mountain to here, it would be Shi Zhong.
Everyone ran to find Shi Zhong.
With such a large cauldron in the middle of the street, all of the carriages and horses would be blocked, and all of the businesses would be affected.
Everyone begged Shi Zhong to move it back.
Shi Zhong ignored them.
When everyone was so anxious that they were about to cry, Shi Zhong laughed and walked out. Using his extraordinarily large hand, he lifted the copper cauldron, exhaled, and shouted, "Rise!" With one hand, he lifted the thousand-jin cauldron up.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd said, "Shi Zhong, Prince Dragon Fifth is looking for you." Shi Zhong immediately dropped the cauldron and walked away. After walking a dozen steps, he turned around and asked, "Where is he?" "On the fifteenth of the seventh month, he's waiting for you at the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant in Hangzhou."
Four
On the fifteenth of the seventh month, the full moon.
The Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant in Hangzhou was the same as usual. It wasn't even time for dinner, but there were no empty seats.
But today, there was a strange thing. Today, there were dozens of tables upstairs and downstairs, and all of them were strangers from other parts of the country. The regular customers were all blocked outside the door.
Even the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant's biggest customer, Hangzhou's wealthy Boss Ma, couldn't find a table.
Boss Ma's face was red, and he was about to lose his temper. When Boss Ma loses his temper, it's no laughing matter.
The old shopkeeper of the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant immediately rushed over, bowed deeply, and apologized profusely. He first promised to immediately send a table of the best dishes and fifty hairy crabs that had just come into the market to Boss Ma's mansion. He also whispered a few words in Boss Ma's ear.
Boss Ma frowned, but didn't say a word. He turned around and left with his customers.
The shopkeeper had just breathed a sigh of relief when the Head Escort of Hangzhou's Ten Thousand Victories Escort Agency, "Golden Saber of Ten Thousand Victories," Zheng Fanggang, along with a group of escorts, arrived on horseback.
Head Escort Zheng wasn't as reasonable as Boss Ma. "Even if there aren't any tables, we still have to find one." He pushed away the well-intentioned shopkeeper and prepared to go upstairs.
But suddenly, two people appeared at the top of the stairs, blocking his way.
They were two young men dressed in green and white, with delicate features. Neither wore a hat, and their jet black hair was tied up with a silver ribbon.
Who would dare to block Head Escort Zheng's way?
The Ten Thousand Victories Escort Agency's number one escort, "Iron Palm," Ping, was the first to rush out. "Do you want to die?" he asked in a stern voice. The young man in green smiled. "We don't."
"If you don't want to die, then get out of the way and let the masters go up."
The young man in green smiled. "The masters can't go up."
"Do you know who the masters are?" Ping shouted.
"I don't." The young man in green was still smiling. "All I know is that today, whether it's the masters, the masters, or the young masters, it's best not to go up." "So what if the masters want to go up?"
The young man in green calmly said, "If the masters take one step up the stairs, the living masters will immediately become the dead masters." Ping roared and rushed forward, his Iron Palm striking out.
His fingers were flat, and his fingertips were bald. He had clearly practiced the Iron Sand Palm to a high level, and his attack was fast.
His palm struck out with a powerful gust of wind, as sharp as a blade.
The young man in green smiled at him, then suddenly stretched out his hand to grab Ping's wrist.
Ping's move was a feint. He had started his martial arts career at the age of sixteen, and had gone from being an escort to an escort. He had been through hundreds of battles, and was able to change his moves very quickly. His wrist lowered, and he sliced toward the young man in green's lower abdomen.
But the young man in green's moves became even faster. As soon as Ping's hand moved, the young man's two fingers were already at his throat.
There was a popping sound as the two fingers pierced into his throat like swords.
Ping's eyes popped out, and all the muscles in his body spasmed. He lost control of himself. Tears, snot, saliva, urine and feces flowed out of his mouth. He didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed.
The young man in green slowly pulled out a snow-white handkerchief and wiped the blood off the back of his hand. He didn't even look at Ping.
Everyone stared blankly, as if they were about to vomit.
They had killed before, and they had seen people killed before. But they still felt their stomachs contract, and some of them couldn't help but want to vomit.
The young man in green slowly folded up the handkerchief and said, "Why haven't you left yet?" His attacks were frightening, but if they left now, would the Ten Thousand Victories Escort Agency still be able to survive in Jianghu? Two more of the escorts were ready to charge forward.
The bowl of rice that they ate was a bowl of rice that they were prepared to risk their lives at any moment.
But Zheng Fanggang suddenly stretched out his hand and blocked their path.
He had discovered a strange thing.
Today's guests were all sorts of people, but they all had one thing in common.
None of them wore hats, and all of them wore silver ribbons in their hair.
Blood had already spilled onto the stairs, but none of the guests on the other side had even turned around to look.
Zheng Fanggang forced himself to calm down. "Friend," he said in a low voice, "may I know your name, and where are you from?" The young man in green laughed. "You don't need to know any of that. You only need to know one thing." "What is it?"
"Even if the Sect Leaders of the Seven Great Sword Sects and the Five Great Clan Leaders were all here, they could only stand outside the door. If they dared to take one step onto the stairs, they would die!" Zheng Fanggang's face fell. "Why?"
"Because someone is upstairs entertaining guests. Other than the three guests he has invited, he doesn't want to see anyone else." Zheng Fanggang couldn't help but ask, "Who is upstairs?"
"You shouldn't have asked that question. You should have guessed." Zheng Fanggang's face suddenly turned deathly pale. "Don't tell me it's him?" The young man in green nodded. "Yes, it is."
Zheng Fanggang stamped his foot, turned around, and left. The escorts had no choice but to pick up Ping and follow.
Once outside, someone couldn't help but quietly ask, "Who is he?" Zheng Fanggang didn't answer directly. Instead, he let out a long sigh. "His whereabouts are always above the clouds, and he is the number one hero in the world."
He was sitting in a large chair in a private room on the upper floor.
His face was pale, thin, and haggard, and his eyes were filled with an indescribable weariness.
Not only was he tired, he was weak. Even in this hot weather, the chair he sat on was cushioned with a colorful leopard skin, and his legs were covered with Persian felt. It was impossible to tell what kind of wool the felt was woven from, but it shone with a silvery light.
But he looked completely devoid of any radiance, as if he had been sick for a long time, and had grown weary of life. He had lost all hope and confidence in his own life.
An old man with a head full of silver hair and a red face stood behind him. He looked like a mighty god, his hands at his sides. This old man seemed to be nearing the end of his life, but his body was filled with the vigor of a lion and a fierce tiger. His eyes shone with a light that could shock the soul, and made it impossible for anyone to look up to him.
But his attitude toward this seriously ill young man was very respectful. Anyone who saw his respectful attitude would find it hard to believe that he was the same person who used to dominate the world, who looked down on Jianghu, who, with a ninety-three jin heavy iron chisel, swept through the seven southern and sixty-three northern provinces, defeated all the heroes of the martial world, met all the experts of the martial world, fought in hundreds of battles, big and small, and never lost a single battle.
There was also a middle-aged man in a green robe and white robe, with a stiff face and white hair on his temples. He was pouring tea for the seriously ill young man.
His every move was very cautious and careful, as if he was afraid of making the slightest mistake.
The tea in the teapot was still boiling hot, so he held it with both hands, testing the temperature until it was just right for drinking. Then he handed it to the young man with both hands.
The seriously ill young man took the cup and took a shallow sip.
His hands were completely pale, and his fingers were very long and delicate, as if holding a teacup was very difficult for him.
But he was none other than the number one hero in the world, Dragon Fifth.
There was no one else in the room, and no one else had come.
Dragon Fifth let out a soft sigh. "It's been five years since I've waited for anyone." "Yes," said Lan Tianmeng.
"Today, I've been waiting for them for over an hour." "Yes," said Dragon Fifth.
"Last time, I was waiting for Second Great Master Tie."
"Now, he won't let anyone else wait for him." Dragon Fifth let out another soft sigh. "He really died a miserable death." No one would wait for a dead man.
"And in the future, no one will wait for Du Qi and the others." "That's a matter for the future!"
"They can't die yet?" Lan Tianmeng asked.
"They can't."
Lan Tianmeng said, "Do they have to do that?"
Dragon Fifth nodded. It seemed that he had talked too much, and was too tired. He wasn't the type of person who liked to talk.
In fact, he didn't even want to listen. When he didn't open his mouth, everyone else shut their mouths.
The room was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers. Outside, it was very quiet. Although the twenty or so tables were filled with people, not a single word could be heard.
The door curtain, which had just been changed, was suddenly lifted. A waiter in a blue shirt walked in, head bowed, carrying a blue and white porcelain bowl.
"Leave," said Lan Tianmeng, frowning.
The waiter didn't leave. "I'm here to serve the dishes."
"Who told you to serve the dishes now?" said Lan Tianmeng angrily. "The guests aren't here yet." The waiter suddenly laughed. "I'm afraid those three guests won't be coming." Draconic Fifth's tired and lifeless eyes suddenly shone with a light sharper than the edge of a knife, staring at his face.
The waiter had a round face, and a friendly smile. There were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but his eyes were still young, and carried the innocence and innocence of a baby.
Anyone could see that he was one of those soft-hearted, good-humoured men who must be fond of friends and children.
If a woman married a man like him, she would never suffer a loss, nor would she regret it.
Dragon Fifth stared at him for a long time. "You say they won't be coming?" he asked slowly. The waiter nodded. "They definitely won't be coming."
"How do you know?"
The waiter didn't respond. Instead, he gently placed the blue and white porcelain bowl on the table and slowly lifted the lid.
Dragon Fifth's pupils constricted, and a strange smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. "This is a good dish." The waiter smiled back. "Not only is it a good dish, it's also very expensive." Dragon Fifth agreed. "It really is very expensive."
But this dish couldn't be eaten. What was in the bowl wasn't pheasant or bear paw, or shark's fin, or rat spot. It was three hands.
Three people's hands!
Three hands were neatly arranged in the blue and white porcelain bowl. One large hand, two small hands, one left hand, and two right hands.
The larger hand was at least three times the size of an ordinary person. The left hand had two extra fingers, and the right hand was missing three.
There was no bowl in the world that could contain anything more valuable than these three hands. Even if you filled the bowl with jasper and gold beads, it wouldn't be worth as much. In fact, no one could truly estimate the value of these three hands.
Dragon Fifth recognized these three hands, and couldn't help but sigh. "It seems they really won't be coming." The waiter smiled. "But I'm here."
"You?" asked Dragon Fifth.
"If they don't come, then I come.
"They're not your friends," said the waiter.
"I don't have friends," said Dragon Fifth coldly. His eyelids drooped, and he looked tired and lonely.
The waiter seemed to understand what he was feeling. "Not only do you not have friends, you probably don't even have enemies." Dragon Fifth looked at him again. "You're not stupid!"
"You called them here because you have something you want them to do." "You really aren't stupid," said Dragon Fifth.
The waiter laughed. "So it's the same for me. What they can do, I can do." "What the three of them can do, you alone can do?"
"Splitting Light Catching Shadows, One Hand Seven Kills." Dragon Fifth stared at the left hand in the bowl. "Do you know how many people this hand has killed? Do you know how fast it kills? "" I don't know. "
"Godly Thief, Everywhere Possible." Dragon Fifth's gaze moved to the right hand that was missing three fingers. "Do you know how many rare treasures this hand has stolen? Do you know how nimble this hand is? "" I don't know. "
"Giant Spirit Palm, Lifting 500 Kilograms." Dragon Fifth looked at the third hand. "Do you know how powerful this hand is?" "I don't know."
Dragon Fifth laughed coldly. "You don't know anything, and yet you think you can do what the three of them did." "I know one thing."
"Speak."
The waiter said coolly, "I know that my hand is still in the bowl, but those three's hands are in the bowl!" Dragon Fifth suddenly looked up and stared at him. "Because of you, their hands are in the bowl?" The waiter laughed. "Anyone who wants to sell something has to take out something to show me." Dragon Fifth's gaze became as sharp as a blade. "What do you want to sell?" "Me." The waiter nodded. "I'll sell it."
"Who are you?"
"My surname is Liu. Liu as in willow." It wasn't a strange surname. "My name is Liu Changjie. Chang as in long, Jie as in street." "Liu Changjie!" said Dragon Fifth. "That's a strange name."
"A lot of people have asked me why I chose such a strange name," said Liu Changjie. "Why?" asked Dragon Fifth.
"Because I like long streets."
Liu Changjie smiled. "I've always thought, if I were a long street, with willows on both sides, and all sorts of shops. Every day, all sorts of people would walk past me. Young ladies, young women, little children, old women …." His eyes seemed to fill with a childish fantasy, a strange and beautiful fantasy. "Every day, I would watch all these people stroll past me, chat under the shade of the willows, and sell things in the shops. Wouldn't that be interesting? Wouldn't that be more interesting than being human?" Dragon Fifth laughed. "What do you think? What do you think?" Dragon Fifth laughed. For the first time, a happy smile appeared on his face. "You're a very interesting person," he said. As soon as the words left his mouth, the smile disappeared. "Kill this interesting person for me!" he said coldly. Lan Tianmeng had been standing behind him like a statue. As soon as the word "kill" left his mouth, Lan Tianmeng made his move!
As soon as he made his move, it was as if he had become a lion. His movements were far faster than a lion's! More nimble!
His body turned, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Liu Changjie. The fingers of his left hand curved like a tiger's claw, reaching for Liu Changjie's chest.
Anyone could see that this claw could rip Liu Changjie's chest to shreds, and even his heart and lungs would be ripped out.
Liu Changjie's body turned halfway, avoiding the claw. His evasive maneuver was very clever and very fast.
Who would have thought that Lan Tianmeng had already predicted his evasive maneuver? The fingers of his right hand closed together, and a "knife hand" chopped down, aiming for the blood vessels on the left side of Liu Changjie's neck.
This move was not only deadly, but it also left his opponent with no room for escape.
"Lion King" Lan Tianmeng had rarely used a third move to kill people after he turned forty.
Liu Changjie had already used up all of his power to evade, and could not generate any more power. Without a new source of power, he would not be able to change his movements.
Therefore, the Lion King did not need to use a third move to kill people.
Indeed, he had not used a third move. That was because he suddenly realized that Liu Changjie's hand had already reached his elbow. If his palm chopped down, his elbow would definitely strike Liu Changjie's hand first.
The elbow joint was soft and brittle, and Liu Changjie's index finger was bent like a phoenix's eye. If it struck Lan Tianmeng's joint, it would definitely shatter.
Lan Tianmeng could not take that risk. His hand suddenly stopped in midair. In that moment, Liu Changjie was already outside the door.
Lan Tianmeng did not pursue, because Dragon Fifth waved his hand to stop him. "Come in." By the time Liu Changjie entered, Lan Tianmeng was standing like a statue behind Dragon Fifth. The green-robed, white-robed middle-aged man had been standing in the corner the entire time, not moving at all.
"You say I'm an interesting person. There aren't many interesting people in the world." Liu Changjie laughed bitterly. "Why do you want to kill me?" "Sometimes I like to tell lies, but I don't like to hear lies." "Who's lying?" asked Liu Changjie.
"You!"
Liu Changjie laughed. "Sometimes I like to hear lies, but I never lie." "I've never heard of the name Liu Changjie." "I've never heard of him." "I've never heard of such a famous person." Liu Changjie laughed.
"Du Qi, Gongsun Miao ', and Shi Zhong were all famous people, but you destroyed them." "So you think I should be famous too?" "So I think you're lying." Liu Changjie nodded. Liu Changjie nodded.
Liu Changjie laughed again. "I'm only thirty this year. If I wanted to be famous, I would have been dead on the ground a long time ago." Dragon Fifth stared at him, and a smile appeared in his eyes. He understood what Liu Changjie was saying.
Seeking fame was a matter that required a lot of effort. Practicing martial arts was also a matter that required a lot of effort. There are not many people who can do both at the same time.
Liu Changjie did not seem like an extremely intelligent person, so he could only choose one.
He chose to practice martial arts, so even though he wasn't famous, he was still alive.
The meaning of this sentence was not easy to understand, but Dragon Fifth did. He lifted a finger and pointed at the chair across from him. "Sit down." There were not many people who could sit across from Dragon Fifth.
Liu Changjie didn't sit down. "You're not going to kill me?"
"There aren't many interesting people, and even fewer useful people. You're not only interesting, you're useful." "So you're going to buy me?"
"You really want to sell me?"
"I don't have a name, and I don't have anything else to sell. But when a person is thirty, it's hard not to want to enjoy life." "For someone like you, there are plenty of opportunities to sell. Why did you come looking for me?" Dragon Fifth asked. "Because I'm not stupid. Because I want a high price. Because I know you're the one who can afford it. Because …" Dragon Fifth interrupted him. "Those three reasons are enough!" "But they're not the most important." Liu Changjie nodded. "I'm not stupid," said Dragon Fifth.
"Oh," said Dragon Fifth.
"The most important thing is that I don't just want to sell myself for a lot of money, I want to do something big. Whoever wants to hire Du Qi and the others to do something big, of course." A smile appeared on Dragon Fifth's pale face. He lifted his hand and said, "Please, sit." This time, Liu Changjie sat down.
"Prepare some wine."
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