Yang Ling chuckled and said, "I've already said it, 'without a doubt, your poem is the best poem in the world'."
Cheng Qiyun and Ma Lian 'er laughed like gourds covering their mouths. Tang Bohu also thought that he was joking and couldn't help but not know whether to laugh or cry. Yang Ling saw that although this world-famous scholar's temperament was wild and unrestrained, he wasn't as unrestrained as the later generations described him to be. He laughed and said, "I was just joking with Bohu Xiong, today I was lucky to meet a scholar from Jiangnan, it must be fate. We are about to go down the mountain, would Bohu Xiong please come with us, we'll talk when we get down the mountain."
Tang Bohu happily said, "Good, good, Daren please."
The group reached the mountain gate and called for a sedan chair to carry Ma Lian 'er. Under the protection of the plain-clothed bodyguards, they walked down the mountain. On the stone steps, there was an unending stream of people going up and down the mountain, there were also peddlers selling handicrafts and snacks.
Wu Hanchao was in the crowd, his eyes looking in all directions, his ears listening in all directions. Suddenly a soft voice entered his ears, that voice mentioned the word 'Shigong'. As a Wulin person, Wu Hanchao was very sensitive to this and couldn't help but slow down his steps to look towards the source of the voice. He saw a villager in a short robe accompanying a man in embroidered clothes hurriedly going down the mountain. He said in a low voice, "Fifth Shigong, Hu Xiao Er is looking for you everywhere, asking you to preach to him tonight."
The man in embroidered clothes tightened the warrior belt on his waist and frowned, "His granny, I was thinking of going to the city tonight, why didn't you say so earlier?"
The villager in embroidered clothes smiled apologetically and said, "Fifth Shigong, the new wife's father is about to die from illness, I thought it would be inauspicious to get married during the funeral, if it's after the seventh month, we have to observe mourning and can't get married, so I arranged it at the last minute."
The two of them walked very fast and hurried down. Although their voices were soft, with Wu Hanchao's hearing ability he heard it clearly. He saw that the bodyguards were protecting him well, his legs tightened and he followed two steps. The man in embroidered clothes grunted, stroked his beard and asked, "Whose family is the new wife, is she beautiful?"
The plain-clothed villager said, "She's the daughter of Old Li's family who lives by the riverside of Ox-Head Village. She's as fresh as a flower."
The man in embroidered robes let out a lascivious laugh and quickened his pace.
Wu Hanchao's heart was moved; suddenly he remembered some Jianghu stories told by a secular Shishu, and unconsciously his suspicions were aroused. He grabbed the Zhenjiang prefectural magistrate, Xiao Hongzhu, and pointed forward, saying, "Quickly keep an eye on that person."
Class Chief Xu looked up and asked curiously, "The Ni family's martial arts dojo's master? Did he do something wrong? "
Hearing this, Wu Hanchao was relieved and asked happily, "You know this person?"
Xu nodded and said, "I do. This person has some fame. He is the owner of a martial arts school at the foot of the mountain. His surname is Ni and his name is Ke. His martial arts are decent."
Now that Wu Hanchao knew his identity, he was no longer anxious. He smiled and said, "So that's how it is. There's no need to follow him. Let's go down the mountain and talk."
The group went down the mountain and found an elegant restaurant to order some light dishes and wine. Yang Ling chatted with Tang Bohu for a while and finally understood his purpose in going to the capital.
Yang Ling thought for a moment and said, "This is easy. The imperial court is about to open sea trade and at the same time join hands with the Japanese navy to eliminate the pirates. In the future, there will be a lot of interaction between the two countries. We need a famous and knowledgeable person to travel between the two countries as an envoy.
Brother Tang is proficient in poetry, singing, zither, chess, calligraphy and painting; he is Jiangnan's number one scholar. The Japanese people admire our Chinese culture the most. With your appearance, we will definitely be able to shake this group of fellows. Hehe, besides, you are also proficient in the Japanese language. You are the best candidate to instill our Chinese culture in Japan. Later I will present a secret imperial edict to the Emperor, granting you a special pardon and making you a maritime official. "
Tang Bohu doubtfully said, "When did this student learn the Japanese language …" He saw Cheng Qiyun giving him a meaningful glance and immediately understood. He chuckled and said, "In that case, this student thanks Daren very much. Since Daren is going to Jiangnan, this student will return to Jiangnan to wait for Daren."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Very well, I have to go to Jinling first and cannot bring Brother Tang along. After the meal, I will write a letter. Brother Tang will take it to Jiangnan and hand it over to the Jiangnan garrison eunuch Gu Daeyong. Let him first arrange a position in the maritime yamen for you to familiarize yourself with the affairs. After the Emperor's decree, I will officially confer you an official position."
After the banquet was over, Yang Ling wrote a letter and sent someone to give Tang Bohu some travel expenses. Tang Bohu took his leave and returned to Suhang. By the time Yang Ling returned to the inn, it was already dusk. Cheng Qiyun accompanied Ma Lian 'er to the rear residence. Wu Hanchao saw that there was no one else in the hall and immediately said, "Daren, on the mountain today, lowly officer saw a pair of very suspicious people passing by."
Yang Ling doubtfully said, "What pair of people? How are they suspicious? "
Wu Hanchao repeated the conversation between those two people. Yang Ling had already heard the crux of the conversation. He hesitated and said, "He is a martial arts school master. If he has disciples and grand-disciples, it would not be strange for him to call them Shige, Shigong. But why did he say 'preach the Dao'?"
Wu Hanchao praised, "Daren's suspicions are correct. Since he said 'preach the Dao', he must be a Taoist. But when he got married, what kind of Dao did he preach? When lowly officer was on the mountain, I heard a Shishu talking about some Jianghu secrets. The conversation between those two people on the mountain vaguely coincides with the doctrine of some evil cult. "
Yang Ling's eyes narrowed. "What cult?" he asked.
Wu Hanchao said, "Hong Ying Hui. This cult is a branch of the White Lotus Cult. It belongs to Shandong's Tang Sai 'er. Years ago, after Tang Sai' er was captured by the authorities but escaped from prison, she disappeared without a trace. She was probably scared out of her wits and went into hiding.
Her disciples and grand-disciples spread rumors that her divine martial arts were unequalled, that she was impervious to swords and spears, that she was impervious to fire and water, that she could enter and leave the Heavenly Prison as if she was entering a no-man 's-land. Because of this, even though the imperial court was severely cracking down on them, they were still able to gather a group of foolish men and women to continue wreaking havoc. Later on, they could no longer hold their ground in Shandong and gradually moved south. Gradually, they no longer attracted much attention. "
Wu Hanchao said, "It is said that the Hong Ying Hui does not discriminate between men, women, old or young. As long as you pay two hundred copper coins, you can be considered a disciple of the Hong Ying Hui. The Hong Ying Hui gives rice and tea to the poor people who join. When they are sick, they give medicine and medicine. In winter, they send clothes and quilts. That's why the poor people flock to them like ducks. In addition, they teach their disciples martial arts, spears and clubs every day."
Yang Ling sneered. "The Hong Ying Hui wants to help the poor people, but where does the money come from? They recruit a large number of poor people and teach them martial arts and kicks every day. No matter how you look at them, they don't look like good people. We'll stay here tonight and find out more about them. "
"Yes!" Wu Hanchao responded respectfully. At this time, the Zhenjiang prefectural magistrate, Su Hongzhu, arrived on time to pay his respects. When Yang Ling saw him, he couldn't help but smile. "Sir Xiao, you came at the right time. I have an important matter to discuss with you."
Xiao Hongzhu was overwhelmed by the favor and quickly smiled flatteringly. "Sir Imperial Envoy is too polite. If you have anything to say, please tell me. This lowly official has no reason not to comply."
Yang Ling said, "The Ni family martial arts school in Jinshan Town is most likely an evil cult hiding here with the intention of rebelling. I will send people to investigate tonight. You are the Zhenjiang prefectural magistrate, so I must inform you of this matter."
When Xiao Hongzhu heard that there was an evil cult openly preaching in the name of a martial arts school under his jurisdiction, he was so frightened that his face turned pale. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and forced a smile. "This lowly official … This lowly official only took office last winter. Since the beginning of spring, I have been busy managing agriculture and fishing, so I haven't had the time to sort out civil affairs …"
When Yang Ling saw how frightened he was, he quickly comforted him. "Sir Xiao, there is no need to blame yourself. There are many ignorant villagers. The evil cult used some tricks to lure them. They fell for it and even tried their best to help the evil cult members hide. It was clearly right under their noses, but there are many officials who are ignorant. Sir, you have just taken office, so I am not blaming you."
Xiao Hongzhu was moved to tears. "Thank you for your understanding, Sir. This lowly official can't thank you enough."
Yang Ling nodded. "Hmm, I will send people to investigate the Ni family martial arts school. If a fight really breaks out, I will need your yamen to send people to suppress the situation."
Xiao Hongzhu did not agree and immediately agreed. The three of them discussed for a while. Wu Hanchao then selected forty men with strong martial arts skills from the inner faction and followed Xiao Hongzhu to the prefectural magistrate's yamen.
When Cheng Qiyun came out from the rear hall, she saw Wu Hanchao leaving with Magistrate Xiao. Yang Ling then told her what happened. Cheng Qiyun carefully thought it over. With this kind of preparation, to capture a few unprepared evil cult members, it was already impeccable. In reality, there was no need to agree to anything else.
When Magistrate Xiao returned to the yamen, he immediately asked the administration room to inform Imperial Magistrate Zhou to bring people to see him. Imperial Magistrate Zhou did not know what the prefectural magistrate wanted and immediately brought two patrol inspectors and eighty officials to the prefectural magistrate's yamen.
Wu Hanchao found out that the Ni family martial arts school had been operating here for eight years. He was worried that there were spies from the evil cult in the yamen so he did not dare to tell them the truth. As for the civilian archers, although they were more effective in suppressing bandits than the patrol inspectors, they had a closer relationship with the local tycoons. That was why Wu Hanchao did not allow Magistrate Xiao to gather them.
Wu Hanchao secretly instructed the foreigners that he brought with him. Seeing that it was almost time, he then asked a saber leader to lead the way. He led ten people and quietly left the prefectural magistrate's yamen.
Hu Xiao 'Er of Jinshan town was getting married today. Two streets away was the Ni family's martial arts school. Wu Hanchao secretly sneaked here to see what the so-called preaching was all about. From their ceremony, he should be able to tell if they belonged to the evil cult. He already ordered the other foreigners to bring people to the military officials in half an hour and seal off the street. Once a fight broke out here, both sides would act at the same time to capture any suspicious people.
Hu Xiao 'Er's family was not considered rich. They had a house with three rooms. There were two apricot trees in the front yard and half a mu of vegetable garden in the back. They used stones and soil to build a wall that was half a person's height. Wu Hanchao instructed a few of his trusted subordinates and then climbed over the low wall under the cover of the night. He quietly sneaked into the house.
The wedding night was over and the people who attended the wedding banquet had almost left. There were only a few close friends left in the courtyard helping to clean up the bowls and utensils. Ni Ke's face was red from drinking. He picked his teeth while looking sideways at Hu Xiao 'Er and asked, "Is everything ready?"
Hu Xiao 'Er was an 18-year-old young man. His father, Hu Shi, quickly smiled and said, "Fifth Grandmaster, the incense table and rooster are ready. Thank you for your hard work today."
Ni Ke waved his hand and said slowly, "You're my disciples. Well … preaching is my responsibility, so there's nothing to thank me for. Alright, go to sleep. Sack, Grass Carp, you two protect me and keep your spirits up."
Ma Lei and Grass Carp were his two direct disciples. Their faces were slick and they were a bit tipsy from drinking. When they heard their master's instructions, they hurriedly stood up while swaying and acknowledged his order.
Hu Xiao Er's mother died early, so there was only his father left at home. This child looked very honest, he was so wooden that he could not speak a word or two. Hu Shi hurriedly pulled him away, thanked his master, and returned to the small house on the left.
The corner of Ni Ke's mouth twitched. He threw away the wooden stick he was using to pick his teeth and got up to walk into the room. Sack and Grass Carp laughed lewdly and sat in the central room. They ate the chicken and fish and continued to drink wine.
Hu Shi and his son went into the room and soon blew out the light and went to sleep. It turned out that they had indeed joined the Red Tassel Association. The Red Tassel Association believed in Taishang Laozi and had extremely strict rules. The birth, old age, sickness, and death of their disciples, as well as their marriages, had to be reported to their grandmaster. This grandmaster was not the grandmaster of any sect in Jianghu, but a special title for the Red Tassel Association, meaning the leader.
According to the rules of the association, when welcoming the bride, the groom had to respectfully invite the Taoist Patriarch to come and bestow blessings. This Patriarch was an immortal and could not be seen by the naked eye, so the grandmaster would take his place and invite the God of Gods. The bride had to arrange an incense table, kneel down to receive the grandmaster into the bridal chamber, and perform a mystical technique. Only at dawn would the grandmaster finish performing the technique, and the bride would then bow down to send the grandmaster off.
During this process, the groom and his relatives were to stay far away and were not allowed to spy on them. Otherwise, the Patriarch would bestow disaster upon them. There were two brothers in the nearby Xiaowang Village. When the younger brother got married, he was curious because his sister-in-law had also received the blessing of the Patriarch, so he asked his sister-in-law in private. Unexpectedly, his sister-in-law only blushed and refused to tell him how she had received the blessing no matter what.
This fellow was really curious, so at night, he sneaked out of the window of the bridal chamber to peep at the grandmaster performing the technique. Unexpectedly, he was discovered by the grandmaster's disciples and was reprimanded. The next day, when he left the house, he was killed because he had gotten into a quarrel with a passerby. It was said that he had offended the Patriarch, which led to his death. From then on, no one dared to peep at the grandmaster when he performed the technique.
The grass carp drank two cups and needed to pee, so she staggered to the back of the room. At this time, Wu Hanchao had already reached the window. When he heard the faint sound of footsteps, he immediately jumped up and lightly tapped the brick wall with his toes in midair. Like a leopard cat, he flipped over the eaves.
Today, the bright moon shone down a faint silver light. Wu Hanchao heard the fellow singing a tuneless song under the back window and began to relieve himself. He looked around and gently moved to the middle of the roof. First, he took off his outer robe and covered his head. Then, he stealthily lifted a piece of roof tile and looked inside through a small gap.
He saw that the room was decorated with red lanterns, and the atmosphere was festive. Two red candles were half burned, and an incense table was placed against the wall. The martial arts school master named Ni Ke had a red belt around his waist. He had already chopped a rooster and dripped its blood into the wine. After praying for a long time, he grabbed a piece of yellow paper with a talisman drawn on it and shook it in the air. With a "chi" sound, the paper burned in his hand.
Ni Ke waved the paper in the air a few times and threw the paper talisman into the wine that had been mixed with the rooster's blood. The bride, who had already lifted her veil and was respectfully standing beside him, saw this magical scene and could not help but exclaim in surprise.
Although Wu Hanchao was not a Taoist priest, he was no stranger to the Taoist magic of igniting talismans. Seeing that the mysterious person was pretending to be magical, he could not help but smile.
Ni Ke held up the wine cup and solemnly recited, "Hong Ying was born, Yuan Venerate first created, Ajati Matriarch, Vacuum hometown, die together in times of trouble, help each other in times of trouble, respectfully invite the Ancestral Master to come to my body." As he said this, his body trembled violently. Then, he said to the bride in a dignified manner, "Drink the sacred wine."
The bride was only 16 years old and was a girl from a village family. Her skin was slightly dark, but she had curved eyebrows, handsome eyes, and a small mouth. She was indeed as beautiful as a flower. Seeing that her Grand Master seemed to be possessed by the Ancestral Master, she did not dare to decline even though she did not know how to drink. She hurriedly took the cup and drank the wine in one gulp.
The wine was Jiangnan rice wine. It was not very strong and only had chicken blood and paper ashes. Although it was a sacred wine, it did not taste very good. Lady Li choked on it and her eyes immediately became watery. Ni Ke saw this and his lust was aroused. He chuckled and said, "What is your real name?"
Lady Li stammered, "Fifth Grand Master, my surname is Li and my real name is Little Yu."
Ni Ke said in a gentle voice, "Little Yu, I have now invited the Ancestral Master to possess my body. Quickly blow out the lamp and take off your clothes. Go lie down on the bed, I am going to cast a spell to bless you."
Li Xiaoyu was taken aback. She clutched her collar and said, "Fifth Grand Master, you … you still want to blow out the lamp and take off your clothes?"
Ni Ke stared at her and said, "How dare you! I now have the Primordial Spirit of a Daoist master in my body. Hongying Society's disciple's marriage will all be blessed like this. What are you still hesitating for? Still not obeying orders? "
Li Xiaoyu was taken aback. She remembered that there were a few sisters and sisters-in-law in the village who were blessed by the Fifth Grand Master, but she did not see them say anything. She thought that this was how the gods cast spells. She did not dare to disobey Ni Ke and quickly blew out the candle. She went to the side of the bed and took off her red coat. She shyly climbed onto the bed wearing only her underwear.
The room was dark and Wu Hanchao could not see what was going on in the room. However, he had already guessed a few things. He guessed that this swindler was using the evil sect's morality to trick the young lady's body. The young lady actually trusted him and did not have the slightest suspicion, which made Wu Hanchao feel that it was inconceivable.
Wu Hanchao had read poetry since he was young and had been in Wudang for many years. He more or less understood the literary and martial arts, the black and the white. Naturally, he could not imagine the degree of superstition that the village people had towards gods and ghosts. One must know that even today, five hundred years later, there were often villagers who were cheated by these swindlers and did not even realize it, let alone in that era.
Ni Ke hurriedly took off his clothes and climbed onto the bed. The young lady touched him and found that he was naked. She could not help but be shocked and cried out, "Fifth Grand Master, you … what are you doing? Don't touch me … "
Ni Ke said with a lewd smile, "What are you afraid of? This has always been the case when I cast my spell to bless. All the believers in the surrounding villages will be like this when they get married. Aren't you still fine now? This is our secret method, no one can tell anyone about it. Don't worry, tomorrow I will teach you a method that will not let your husband know that you have lost your virginity. "
Li Xiaoyu was frightened and scared. At the same time, she felt that her limbs were weak and her eyelids were heavy. Even her strength to struggle weakened. She did not know what was added to the wine, but she still begged bitterly, "Fifth Grand Master, let me go. How … how can there be such a blessing?"
Wu Hanchao secretly rejoiced, 'If I did not come tonight, this young lady would have been deceived and raped. She would have had to suffer this grievance in silence. For the sake of her innocence and for fear of losing her husband, she did not dare to tell anyone. Unknowingly, she would have caused more young ladies to be harmed.'
He wanted to see what other tricks this swindler had up his sleeve. Now it seemed that the next trick was not a unique skill, any man could use it. Wu Hanchao stretched out his hand and broke off a piece from the tile. Estimating Ni Ke's voice and figure, he suddenly bent his finger and flicked it.
Li Xiaoyu believed in the Founding Master without a doubt. At the same time, so many of her sisters had experienced this scene, but none of them mentioned it. This inevitably caused her to be dubious. She did not call for help in time, and even if she wanted to, her eyelids were heavy, and her limbs were weak. She could not call for help. Ni Ke was naked and was about to take off her underwear. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his buttocks. He could not help but scream and shouted, "Who is it?"
After he shouted, he was startled, "How can there be someone in this house?"
Wu Hanchao smiled. He took out a gold coin dart and flicked it toward the backyard. A long whistle was heard in the dark of the night. Outside the backyard wall, a yamen runner let out a shout, pulled out his saber and jumped over the wall, rushing in.
Wu Hanchao pulled off the cloth covering his head and a ray of moonlight shone into the room. He exerted force on his feet and with a crash, he broke the roof tiles and fell down.
Dust flew everywhere, looking like a cloud under the moonlight. Wu Hanchao laughed, "Wu Dang's Tong Wei Zhenren's seventh generation descendant is here to meet you, Hong Ying Deity."
Tong Wei Zhenren was the title given to Wu Dang's Zhang Sanfeng by Ying Zong. It was considered to be the level of a deity. When it came to the next generation, Ming Shi Zong, he would be conferred the title of Zhenren and become a deity in heaven. He saw that Ni Ke was pretending to be mysterious, so he used the founder's name. With the dust surrounding him, he really looked like a deity descending to earth.
Ni Ke was shocked and jumped out of bed naked, but he was good at pretending to be a ghost. The martial arts of the martial arts school were far worse than Wu Hanchao's. If he was naked, his martial arts would be reduced by 30%, so how could he be Wu Hanchao's opponent? He was kicked to the ground by Wu Hanchao with just a few punches and kicks. That kick was below his ribs, and two of his bones were broken. The bone fragments pierced into his bones, and it was so painful that he couldn't stand up.
Wu Hanchao took out a match and lit a candle. He smiled and walked to the bedside. He saw Miss Xiao Yu staring at him with a pair of teary eyes, but her body could not move.
Ma Dai and Grass Fish, the two ruffians from the countryside, had drunk themselves into a drunken stupor. When they heard the crashing sound in the room, they thought that their shifu had given them too many blessings tonight. Just as they were laughing evilly, they saw more than ten big men with weapons barging into the room. Before they could understand what was going on, they were already pressed to the ground.
As soon as the fight started, the people on the street immediately notified the foreigners who were surrounding the dojo. Thirty masters from the Inner Factory and eighty patrol officers rushed in. Everyone in the dojo was asleep and without a leader, they did not know what was going on. Other than three to five people who tried to resist, they were mercilessly hacked to death by the foreigners from the Inner Factory. The rest of the people were all tied up.
When the prefectural yamen received the news, they knew that the dojo was indeed the mountain gate of the secret gang Red Tassel Association. Prefectural Magistrate Xiao immediately ordered the prefectural yamen's three groups of bailiffs, Kuaizhuang, Zao, to be mobilized. He also ordered people to gather the people. Yang Ling assigned five hundred officers to help. They began to lock down everyone related to the Ni family's dojo in the city.
Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun were waiting in the hall, drinking tea. When they saw Wu Hanchao excitedly rush back and explain what had happened, Yang Ling clapped his hands and said, "Good! Since this person is Fifth Shigong, he must have a big fish above him. Tell the prefectural yamen to get a confession as soon as possible. It would be best if we can catch the entire Red Tassel Association in one fell swoop! "
Wu Hanchao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sir. The prefectural yamen is currently interrogating the people from the Ni family's dojo. Once they find out who is related, they will be arrested and thrown into prison."
Cheng Qiyun looked on coldly from the side and suddenly said, "Sir, there is one thing that I think you should immediately give the order."
Yang Ling was delighted and said, "What did you think of? Tell me quickly!"
He knew that Cheng Qiyun was full of wisdom and was definitely not someone he could match. He thought that Cheng Qiyun had another brilliant plan, so he asked urgently.
Cheng Qiyun said softly, "Sir, can you please trouble Young Master Wu to make another trip? The Hu family's father, son, and daughter-in-law, as well as the prefectural yamen's officials investigating the case, the Red Tassel Association must have done many illegal things, so they can be used to punish them. As for the secret of preaching in the bridal room, it's best to keep it a secret if possible. "
Yang Ling stood up with an 'ah'. He felt his body was hot and his back was covered in a thin layer of sweat. He immediately shouted, "Hanchao, make a trip immediately. That Hu Shi's family, as well as the Yamachi officials in the yamen who are in the know, whoever dares to reveal the secret of preaching in the bridal room will be severely punished."
Only then did Wu Hanchao become vigilant. He quickly responded and dashed out the door. He flipped over his horse and galloped away.
Cheng Qiyun sighed faintly and said, "Hu Shi's family has also been arrested by the yamen. As long as they're intimidated, I'm sure the secret won't be spread out. However, the imperial court will have one less reason to arrest the evil cult."
Yang Ling shook his head. He slowly got up and walked to Cheng Qiyun, then he bowed deeply at her. Cheng Qiyun panicked and asked helplessly, "Sir, you … What are you doing?"
Yang Ling expressed gratefully, "Miss Qiyun, tomorrow, there will be fewer separated families, women who hang themselves, and orphans who don't have mothers in Zhenjiang and the whole of Jiangnan. It's all thanks to your words. Because of this, I'll have one less major sin to bear for life. Qiyun, I sincerely thank you! "
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