After escaping from the Tongguan battlefield, Lu Qian had been hiding all the way until he reached Chang 'an in the early morning. He presented Dodo's token to the local government, reported the military situation, and received several taels of silver as a reward. Within several hours he bought all the wine to drink. A few days later he heard the news that the Qing army had achieved total victory, and that they had changed the country's name. Upset, he took out the book he stole from Li Yijie and flipped through it. He quickly skimmed through several pages, but found that the style was poles apart from what he had seen before. He was puzzled. Since there was no one to talk to, he had no choice but to ignore it for the time being.
Later on he walked along the street to inquire about the heroes' assembly, but because he had been on the move for several days, his clothes were worn and tattered. All the passersby he met were either disdainful or perfunctory. Until noon he still had no results. He was feeling physically and mentally exhausted when suddenly he heard someone not far away shouting, "The Way of the Heavens has its own destiny; the price is fair, the old and the young are honest; if not, I won't take a single wen." He walked closer and saw that the speaker was a thin old man, wearing a black and white changpao and a black muslin soft hat. When he was talking, he was playing a tambourine. Next to him was a wooden table covered with a white cloth. He looked like a fortune-teller.
Lu Qian usually thought that these people were swindlers, so he secretly despised them. But now the situation was changing. He thought that since the old man had traveled extensively, he must be well-informed. Busily he stepped forward and asked, "Laozhang, can I trouble you to inquire about something?"
The old man cast a glance toward him, shook his head and said, "I can see that Shaoxia's face has an evil sign, indicating that this year is unlucky. You have just left the tiger's den, and now you are about to enter the wolf's den. I advise you to cancel your recent trip and go home to recuperate and expel the evil spirit. You might be able to escape the imminent disaster. "
Lu Qian was displeased, "You are a rotten old man," he said, "Why are you cursing me for no reason? Laozi has been having a bad time these past few days, for no reason I have given you bad luck. Do you believe I won't kill you with my saber before the bad luck hits me? Whatever I ask you, you must answer. " He thought about how important the Hero Assembly in a few days was to him. Even if he knew that it was difficult to distinguish between the truth and the lies, he still could not listen to even half a word of bad luck.
The old man sighed and said, "Young people don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. I calculated with my fingers that Shao Xia is going to a very dangerous place. But you have a stubborn temperament, and you are a stubborn person who will not turn back until you hit a wall. If you don't suffer some losses, you won't know how to repent, and you might not be willing to listen to this old man's advice. Fine, just take some money and wait for me to get rid of this disaster for you. "
Lu Qian sneered, "You're exaggerating, but it's all the same old stuff. Let's see what kind of tricks you have up your sleeve!" He put his hand into his pocket, but it was empty. Only then did he remember that he had exchanged all his money for wine. Without thinking, he took the token from his waist and slapped it heavily on the table. He said, "I'll use this as payment. You go find someone who knows the trade. It won't be difficult to exchange it for a few taels of gold."
The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at the patterns on the token. Suddenly, his expression changed greatly. He covered his eyes with his sleeve and said, "Quickly put it away! Do you want to get into trouble? No, no, I don't care about your business. I hope Shao Xia will fend for himself! "Lu Qian grabbed the old man's back and shouted," You want to leave after saying some alarmist words? You don't know what's good for you! You didn't steal it, you didn't rob it, and it's not a worthless fake. Why can't I accept it? " The old man was still submissive. From beginning to end, he kept his hands in front of his face, as if even looking at him was a sin.
This ruckus attracted a large number of people to stop and watch. Lu Qian immediately put away his stern expression and cupped his fists in all directions. He said in a clear voice, "Dear old folks, please come and comment on this. This old man said he would help me get rid of this disaster. Although I don't have any money, I won't blame him. I offered him something as payment, but he refused to accept it. Instead, he accused me of not paying and left me alone. How can there be such a rule?"
A tall and sturdy man said, "That depends on what it is. Look at your ragged clothes. What valuable thing can you take out? If it's some mud from the roadside, even a beggar wouldn't want it. " Lu Qian picked up the tablet and said, "You don't have eyes. Look carefully for me. This is the Great Qing's Prince Yu's personal bestowed command tablet, it's not a fake. Is it worth the fortune of one fortune-telling?" The man took the tablet and examined it carefully. With a suspicious look he sized up Lu Qian. "It's not a fake …" he muttered, "You are holding this tablet, so you are a Manchurian hunting dog?"
Lu Qian said, "The Qing troops have already broken the city wall and entered the pass. The general situation is set. What's the use of your stubborn resistance? It's better to contribute to the public interest and earn some official position. "" Kid, "the man angrily said," Do you want to die? "Raising his hand he said," Brothers, let's kill this traitor who betrays our country for me! "
Several men rushed out from the crowd and surrounded him on all sides. Lu Qian could see that their footing was heavy and clumsy, but they were just street thugs. No matter how many people there were, he did not care. Raising his hand to grab the nearest man's neck, he twisted the man's arm in a circle and struck the man's neck with his elbow. The man's head spun and he fell down to the ground. Lu Qian's confidence was greatly boosted; he swiftly knocked down several more men. Ever since he started practicing martial art, this was the first time that the gap between him and the enemy was this wide. Immediately he felt a sense of satisfaction as if he was looking down on all living things.
While he was feeling complacent, suddenly he felt a gust of wind behind his ear. As the saying goes, by listening to the sound and distinguishing the shape, one would know that the opponent's internal energy was profound. Although he was arrogant, he did not want to make a mistake. Not daring to be careless, he rotated his heel and dodged sideways in an arc. The next moment he was face to face with the opponent. He saw an old beggar with a bamboo crutch in his hand and a sack on his back standing in front of him. His long beard trailed down to his chest, his face looked like it was covered with a flat mask. The crowd whispered, "That is the Beggar Clan's Elder Yu Shuanglin. Other than Peng Zhanglao, he can be considered the second most important person in the Clan."
Yu Shuanglin's face was cold and did not show any joy or anger. First he missed, then he attacked again, brandishing his bamboo crutch. But because his weapon was very long, Lu Qian did not dare to fight him in close combat. He could only jump up and down to evade.
That day when Peng Jinlong fought An Yesun, he wanted to take advantage of this situation. But Lu Qian's internal energy was not even a hair's breadth away from the Crippled Fiend Star's. After several moves, he was in danger. He rolled on the ground and suddenly felt something hard on his back. Only then did he remember that the Dog Beating Stick was still on his body. To the crowd of beggars, seeing the stick was like seeing the Clan Leader in person. They immediately pulled it back. With a 'dang' sound, the stick was pushed aside and turned around to strike Yu Shuanglin's side. Yu Shuanglin's face changed. He leaped back and shouted, "Stop! What a shameless thief! Where did you steal this Dog Beating Stick from? "
Lu Qian said, "A real man is open and aboveboard, how could he do such a thing? The token was given by the Prince himself. The Dog Beating Stick was also given by your Clan's Peng Zhanglao. "Yu Shuanglin was angry," Nonsense! How could Peng Zhanglao be your accomplice? "
Lu Qian said, "He is a very righteous man. Seeing that the situation was urgent, in order to protect the Beggar Clan's bloodline, he gave me the Dog Beating Stick to Clan Leader." Peng Zhanglao had led the Beggar Clan disciples to besiege the Sacrificial Shadow Cult. Logically, no matter whether the mission was successful or not, he should have sent someone to exchange information. But for a long time there had been no news. The Beggar Clan people were very worried. Now that they heard from him, another beggar quickly asked, "Where is Peng Zhanglao now?"
Lu Qian lowered his eyebrows and pretended to be sorrowful. He said, "Peng Zhanglao has sacrificed himself for the Clan. His death is unspeakable. All the Clan brothers have met with misfortune. The murderer is the 'Crippled Fiend Star', An Yesun. Therefore, our common enemy now is the Sacrificial Shadow Cult! " He spoke fervently. The beggar was uncertain. He said to Yu Shuanglin in a low voice, "Yu Zhanglao, we're eradicating evil, but we can't wrong a good person. Why don't we take him to see Clan Leader? Clan Leader is very observant. Whether or not this kid is lying, we'll know when we ask him. "
Yu Shuanglin was silent for a long time. After all, he wasn't a person who couldn't distinguish right from wrong. He was also worried that he would be impulsive and delay the important matter. He called out, "Kid, come with us."
Lu Qian followed the group of beggars through the streets and alleys before entering an abandoned thatched cottage. This was indeed the best place to hide. Without the guidance of an insider, no one would pay attention to such a secluded place. In the hut, there was a tall middle-aged man with disheveled hair. He was pacing around with his hands behind his back. Yu Shuanglin went forward and called out, "Clan Leader!" He whispered a few words into the man's ear. The Clan Leader's eyes brightened. He waved to Lu Qian and said, "Nephew, come here." His tone was much more amiable than Yu Shuanglin's. Lu Qian was also a tactful person. He went forward and greeted the Clan Leader respectfully.
The Clan Leader said, "Did you see Peng Zhanglao's death with your own eyes?" Lu Qian said, "Yes. I'm a disciple of Kunlun. I accompanied my master, martial uncle, and disciples of the major sects to set up an ambush in the wilderness. We wanted to catch the Demonic Shadow Cult off guard. We didn't expect that they would be outnumbered. Afterwards, we saw two martial brothers and sister from the Huashan Sect … "
The Clan Leader was surprised, "Huashan Sect? The leader of Huashan Sect, Meng Anying, has always been a person who doesn't care about matters that concern her. She doesn't care about the code of brotherhood. I didn't hear about them taking part in the operation this time! " Lu Qian said, "It's not that Huashan Sect doesn't want to help either side. It's just that Nephew had eyes but failed to see. As soon as I saw them, I immediately went forward to grab Yan Huan's hand. The Demonic Shadow Cult is a group of people who curry favor with those in power. This time they are going to Tong Guan to help the Manchu thieves. They want to hand over our Great Ming's rivers and mountains to foreign enemies. Nephew narrowly escaped death to gain the Marshal's trust. I swindled his command tablet and escaped. "
The Clan Leader heaved a deep sigh and said, "It's true that you may know a person's face but not his heart. Originally Meng Zhanglao and I have always minded our own business. The Huashan Beggar Clan also has several hundred years of friendship. But this old man's actions are perverse. He instigated his disciples to commit crimes and create chaos. Anyone with a sense of justice cannot be forgiven! Ten days later, heroes from all walks of life will gather at the Sword Discourse Forest to hold a great assembly of heroes. We must go and dampen the Huashan Sect's prestige! "The Clan disciples were filled with righteous indignation.
Lu Qian was secretly delighted. He thought, "If I can subdue the Beggar Clan, I can train them to be my henchmen. They will be a great help to me." Just as he was about to raise his arms and shout, from inside the room came a few coughs. The Clan Leader frowned slightly and said, "Yu Zhanglao, bring some more food for him." Yu Shuanglin accepted the order and left. Seeing Lu Qian's inquisitive expression, the Sect Master smiled faintly and said, "A few days ago, a brother in the sect rescued someone. He seemed to have just fought with a powerful opponent and sustained both internal and external injuries. His injuries were not light at all. Luckily he has some internal energy. We helped him to heal his injuries. Now he is much better. "
Lu Qian said, "He has internal energy … maybe he is also a Wulin person. Can you introduce Nephew to him?" "Very well," the Clan Leader said, "If you really know him, nothing could be better. We were just worried about how to settle him down."
The coughing came from the corner of the room. A man was lying down in the dark; his face was haggard. Yu Shuanglin was feeding him a bowl of rice. This was the first time Lu Qian saw this man. The more he looked, the more familiar he was. He crouched down to support the man's drooping shoulders. Brushing the man's hair aside, he looked carefully. "Shibo?" he blurted out in alarm.
Turned out the man was the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect. Previously he failed to steal the darts and was attacked by Li Yijie and Escort Leader Cui. Although he managed to survive with the help of the Plum Blossom Darts, he was seriously injured. He wanted to go back to the monastery to recuperate and wait for a comeback, but in the end his strength was exhausted and he fainted in the corner of the street. Luckily he was rescued by the Beggar Clan disciples. Every day Yu Shuanglin took care of him and fed him.
But the Beggar Clan people only ate leftover soup and leftovers; the food they gave him was the same. Without any nourishment, his body was always weak. He was afraid he would encounter a powerful enemy in Jianghu, so he had no choice but to continue to recuperate in the dilapidated house. As the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect, he only paid attention to famous martial art masters. Naturally he did not recognize a nobody like Lu Qian. "Who are you?" he asked.
Lu Qian happily said, "Nephew Kunlun Lu Qian kowtows in salute to the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect, Shibo!" Hearing this, the Clan Leader and Yu Shuanglin stepped forward and cupped their fists in salute.
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