Hsu Fengnian was chewing on a piece of licorice that he had casually wiped off with his finger. Probably because he was close to the bonfire, there was a warm smile on his face. Twelve flying swords. Black Armor Childhood Sweetheart Morning Dew Spring Water Peach Blossom Moth Eyebrow Vermilion Bird Huang Tong Wei Jin Yu Tai Ah.
These names were quite scholarly, much more elegant than the names of the maids in Wutong Garden, such as Sweet Potato and Cucumber.
His Royal Highness was just like how King Zhao Yi described him as a naughty child holding gold by the Guangling River, which attracted a large number of top figures in Jianghu. In His Royal Highness' eyes, these outstanding figures were not as good as Old Huang in terms of skills and human feelings. Only the old man with a sheepskin fur coat was close. In terms of the demeanor of a master, Wang Xianzhi from Wu Wu City flew into the East Sea like a rainbow and raised the water level of the entire coastal area by twenty feet. The so-called power to move mountains and rivers was nothing more than that. Cao Changqing also fit the image of a Confucian scholar. Only the Peach Blossom Sword God who gave him the sword made His Royal Highness feel a little regretful. Legend had it that Đồng Thái, who rode a donkey and carried a peach blossom branch, had the aura of an immortal and Buddha. However, after meeting him, he was not only plain looking but also liked to laugh. He was just a harmless middle-aged uncle, far from the Peach Blossom Sword God in his imagination.
His Royal Highness was daydreaming when Gongsun Yang sat down without saying a word and took out two leather bags of liquor. Young Wang Dashi saw that Young Master Xu did not move. He was afraid that he would annoy the Great Guest who was second only to the old Gang Leader and Xiao Qiang, so he hurriedly coughed twice.
Gongsun Yang looked at the mediocre disciple of the Fish-dragon Gang with a bitter smile. He was not in a hurry to talk to Xu Fengnian, so he took the initiative to ask Wang Dashi some trivial things about his family. Only then did Wang Dashi know that his father used to be half a registered disciple of Guest Elder Gongsun. In fact, it was Gongsun Yang who strongly recommended Wang Dashi to join the Fish-dragon Gang. No matter which sect it was, recruiting members was a big deal. There was nothing trivial about it.
Now the government was very strict with Jianghu, and all gang members had to be recorded in the household register. Therefore, there was an unwritten rule that both sides were aware of. Once, a great bandit was arrested, and the government tracked him down. The great bandit wasn't very skilled, but he had run into as many as ten gangs in his twenty years of martial arts practice. As a result, this matter was reported to the Governor of Qingzhou, and seven or eight sects that happened to be in Qingzhou were tragically implicated. This was a lesson learned by the whole Jianghu. Moreover, since the gang members worked hard for the gang, many taxes would be placed on the gang. Those behemoths with as many as seven or eight hundred or even thousands of members naturally had rich family backgrounds and all kinds of ways to make money, so they wouldn't be too tired. However, small sects like the Fish-dragon Gang were struggling to make a living, so the expenses were like a rope around their necks. Perhaps one day, they would be choked to death and be done with it.
However, Gongsun Yang had never mentioned that Wang Dashi was able to join The Fish Dragons and live a stable life without worrying about food and clothing. When Wang Dashi first joined the gang, he was not qualified to receive one and a half strings of copper coins every month. In fact, the copper coins that were equivalent to eighty to ninety percent of silver coins came from Gongsun Yang's own money bag. It was not until Wang Dashi grew up that Gongsun Yang quietly stopped subsidizing him. Xiao Qiang said that Gongsun Yang was a taciturn gourd, and it was not wrong.
Hsu Fengnian saw that Gongsun Yang had brought two wine bags, so he smiled and asked for one. He took it and smelled it. "Hey, it's really the green ants of Beiliang that are suitable for both the rich and the poor." He was in a good mood. He raised his head and drank a mouthful. Squinting his eyes, he asked with a smile, "Mr. Gongsun, did the second gang leader go to a secluded place to practice swordsmanship again?"
Gongsun Yang's voice was hoarse. It was unknown whether it was because he had been blown by the wind when he was young or because he was drunk. He waved his hand and said, "I'm just a crude martial artist who relies on my strength to make a living. I don't deserve to be called Mr. Gongsun. Although I don't practice swordsmanship, I know that hard work can make up for one's lack of talent. Mr. Xiao's swordsmanship has improved over the years because of his perseverance. "
Hsu Fengnian lifted the cowhide wine bag and said with a smile, "One doesn't visit a temple without a reason. Senior Gongsun, if you have something to say, just say it."
Gongsun Yang hesitated and said with a bitter smile, "Fortunately, Young Master didn't say that I'm unaccountably solicitous. You've given me enough face."
Hsu Fengnian was a little surprised. He didn't expect this guest to have a sense of humor. His Royal Highness liked people who dared to make fun of themselves, but he didn't like people who put on airs because they were half-baked. Hsu Fengnian drank another mouthful of wine and silently waited for Gongsun Yang to continue. When Wang Dashi saw this, he wondered if he should get out of here. His butt was only half a foot off the ground when he was stopped by Gongsun Yang. "Dashi, there's no harm in listening."
Gongsun Yang sat down cross-legged and placed his wineskin on his lap. He went straight to the point and said, "To tell you the truth, Gongsun Yang has been secretly observing Young Master Xu's skill, the distance between his steps, the way he gets on and off the horse, and the way he breathes while riding. I've paid close attention to all of this. It wouldn't be strange if I could see through it, but Young Master's Qi is restrained, so Gongsun Yang couldn't sense anything. At first, I thought that Young Master was just an ordinary martial artist who had learned some military techniques from the General's Manor to train his body. However, that night at the Toppling Horse Pass Inn, Young Miss told Gongsun Yang that Young Master had taken the life of a Beiliang soldier with one strike. This really gave Gongsun Yang a fright. Although Young Miss's swordsmanship hadn't been tempered by life and death battles, she had reached a higher level in swordsmanship. After using the Leaving Hand Sword and the Liu family's unique Cannon Hammer technique, the Master cupped his hands three times and still claimed that he couldn't beat the assassin named Zhao Yingchuan. Regardless of whether Young Master took advantage of the sneak attack or not, it really wasn't easy to kill him with one strike. Before Zhao Yingchuan's body was taken away, I secretly flipped his back and saw the shape of his spine after it was crushed. Even if Gongsun Yang was at the peak of his youth, he wouldn't have been able to do so. It isn't that Gongsun Yang is boasting, but even if I face a third rank martial artist, if I don't use the Ox Horn Bow, I will still be covered in dirt and grime. However, I walk the path of an external martial art that depends on age. People fear the young, and fists fear the strong. In the past, I have barely touched the threshold of the second rank's strength. "
Wang Dashi was shocked. Second-class! For the people at the bottom of the Jianghu, this was already a master who had reached the heavens. Even Old Gang Leader Liu, who built the foundation of the Fish Dragon Gang with his own hands and cultivated both internal and external martial arts, was only close to third-class strength. However, in Lingzhou, he was already able to intimidate the heroes. The pillars of the top sects in Lingzhou were only third-class strength, and without exception, they all had no hope of reaching second-class in their lives. However, this forty-something year old guest whose feet were poisoned and could even walk with a slight limp actually claimed to be a second-class master? Wang Dashi didn't dare to doubt it, but his heart was in turmoil. When he looked at Gongsun Yang again, he was not just in awe of his guest status. For the people of the Jianghu, fourth-class was the first threshold, and second-class was the second. It was even more difficult to surpass it. How much luck did a martial artist have to be able to jump through the dragon gate twice? Only after reaching fourth-class and close to third-class could one be considered a master. This was common knowledge in the Jianghu. Poor Wang Dashi didn't even hope to reach fourth-class in his life.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
