Early in the morning, in the small market in front of Dulonggang, in the open space in front of the inn. Among the three brothers of the Qi family, Qi Xinyi and Qi Xinhan were sparring empty-handed to prove their martial arts skills. Qi Xinyong was supervising a few bodyguards who followed him to squat in the horse stance. The waiter was herding a few chicks past him. On the other side, the gorgeously dressed Ning Yi was silently chanting "one, two, three, four, two, two, two, three, four" while doing jumping exercises. Because of his shameful movements, everyone stayed far away from him. On the road ahead, the instructor of the village was leading the villagers who had just woken up in the morning. Luan Tingyu held the Octagonal Copper Rod in his hand and glanced in this direction. His gaze lingered for a moment before he turned away.
After finishing the unique radio calisthenics, he sat at the table in front of the inn, drinking tea and thinking about things. He dipped his finger in the tea and drew on the table. When Wang Shanyue came out, she practiced a set of boxing in front of him. After she had collected her Qi, she came over and sat down.
Ning Yi sat there, leaning against the back of the chair. He was looking up in a daze like a rich young master. After Wang Shanyue poured herself a cup of tea, she asked, "Young Master Lei, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm wondering if I should go out for a walk today …"
"Hmm? Aren't we going to wait here? "
"There are still a lot of messy things to do." Ning Yi sighed and then sat up straight. His fingers tapped on the simple map drawn with water stains on the table. "But I'd better not go … Zheng Biao."
"Hmm?"
Wang Shanyue frowned and glanced at Ning Yi. Then she looked at the simple map on the table. But under such circumstances, she couldn't actually see anything. "That … Demon King Zheng?"
"He probably slaughtered another small stockade last night. Next, it should be at Wuji Mountain. If the Wu Ruiying Camp mobilized two or three thousand people, they would be able to wrap him up. But for the sake of the big picture, let's forget about it … "
"Why not?" Wang Shanyue spread out her hands. "It's necessary to let the Wu Ruiying Camp win a small battle before the big battle. Besides, this Demon King Zheng is highly skilled in martial arts. If he keeps leading people to kill around, it will only increase Liangshan's reputation."
"They were all small bandit camps of forty to fifty people, at most a hundred people. They refused to submit to Liangshan, so he destroyed them one by one. Now that he had only beaten up four of them, he reckoned that he wouldn't be able to get much out of them. It was better to wait. When he killed more people and had more money in his hands, he would have the Wu Ruiying move out to wipe him out. Otherwise, this group of soldiers would not be so enthusiastic even if they won a battle, since there was no benefit to it. On the other hand, it will let the people of Lone Dragon Gang and Wan Jialing know how cruel and merciless Liang Shan is. "Ning Yi poured himself a cup of tea and asked," But is Zheng Biao really skilled in martial arts? "
"Very powerful, right?" Wang Shanyue nodded.
"I didn't notice it before …"
"Young Master Lei knows him?"
"Oh, I've met him a few times." Ning Yi nodded. "Last year in Hangzhou, I had a small conflict with his master."
Wang Shanyue looked at him and was silent for a moment. "What happened next?"
"Later, Zheng Biao's master was killed by him."
"Yes, Bao Daoyi."
Qi Xinyi and Qi Xinhan, who were practicing martial arts, came over and sat down next to them. Wang Shanyue was speechless. Ning Yi raised his cup of tea and recalled the situation in Hangzhou. "I only know that he wanted to speak up for Old Bao and was almost killed. After that, I saw him a few times and he didn't have a good eye. He looked like a crab. After that, he was captured and sent to Jing City. I think he was rescued when he was passing through Jiangning. I don't have a deep impression of him. "
When he was in Hangzhou, most of the people around him were people like Liu Watermelon and Chen Fan. Chen Fan almost succeeded in assassinating Bao Daoyi on the street. Even Liu Tiannan, the director of Domineering Saber Manor, who was nicknamed "Universe in Sleeves," was very cool to Ning Yi. He was probably a master who could fight against Bao Daoyi. As for his disciple, Bao Daoyi, they didn't pay much attention to him. Maybe his martial arts skills were no worse than Bao Daoyi's.
Back then, when he was making trouble for Bao Daoyi, his words had infuriated Liu Dabiao. The girl had drawn her saber and slashed at him in the Golden Palace. Had it not been for Fang Baihua, Deng Yuanjue, and the others, Zheng Biao would have been slashed to death. Ning Yi had heard of this.
There was nothing to remember about such a friendship. Even if they met, they wouldn't cry. After thinking for a while, Ning Yi was curious about Wang Shanyue's martial arts skills. "I have nothing to do. If Brother Wang is free, why don't you and I have a match?" Wang Shanyue hesitated for a while and then agreed.
Then, the two of them fought. After being punched and kicked, they were more or less disappointed.
Ning Yi's martial arts skills mainly came from all kinds of tricks, the fierceness when fighting with his life, and the trap-type martial arts taught by Lu Hongti. At this time, it was a formal match, so he couldn't show much of his skills. On the other hand, the Wolftaken led by Wang Shanyue had a bad reputation in this area, but their martial arts skills were only slightly better than Ning Yi's. After the fight, they each took an egg and put it on the wounds on their faces. They must have been even more confused about each other's skills.
However, although these few days were all business exchanges and not much of a personal friendship, there were still some things that could be said between the two of them. Wang Shanyue looked confused. "Young Master Lei's martial arts … aren't that good …"
"I started practicing martial arts a little late. I didn't start from a young age. I rely on my brain to make a living. "
"I've been weak since I was a child. When I was young, my family hired a master to teach me martial arts. It was also to make my body slightly stronger. Later on, when I really started practicing, I couldn't get too strong." Wang Shanyue's expression was indifferent, but she was obviously unhappy about this.
Ning Yi said, "Then I'm curious. If that's the case, how did the Wolftaken make such a name for themselves here?"
Wang Shanyue's eyes turned cold. She stood up and prepared to leave. "Killing people depends on ruthlessness. When it comes to eating people, they will all be afraid."
Ning Yi frowned. "Do they really eat people?" Before coming here, Qin Siyuan had said that Wang Shanyue's temperament was a little extreme. After they got to know each other, he had more or less understood this. However, he was still a little confused about the rumor that the Wolftaken ate people. When he was in Hangzhou, there was no lack of vicious people in the army under Fang La's command. There were all kinds of bad rumors, but there was no one who would eat people for fun or to make a name for themselves.
Hearing him mention this, Wang Shanyue glanced at him coldly. After a moment, she turned around and left. "You will have the opportunity to find out in the future."
The private exchange within this small group had no influence on what was going to happen next. Amidst the sound of cicadas in summer, the number of merchants going to and fro in the small market had decreased. The atmosphere in the three villages of Dulonggang was tense. However, in such an era, it was not easy for ordinary people to predict what was going to happen, except for the people at the top. During the training during the day, there was a rumor that Liangshan might attack. However, everyone still hoped that it was just a momentary sensitivity.
Not only the villagers, but even the young people like Hu Cheng and Hu Sanniang hoped that it would not happen, even though they were already prepared. Only the third young master of Zhu Village, Zhu Biao, was looking forward to the arrival of the war. He was ready to teach the Liangshan bandits a lesson. From time to time, he would go to the training ground to exchange pointers with the powerful young people in the village. He had a feeling that "my big spear is thirsty". His martial arts skills were excellent. For a time, the atmosphere in Zhu Village was aroused. A group of young people rubbed their palms together and their morale was high.
In such an atmosphere, the young master who came to do business would occasionally come in. However, he was a small existence that did not match the armed defense of the three villages. For the three villages, this Young Master Lei came with the mission of his family's business. When he was lingering in Dulonggang, his subordinates were also buying all kinds of things in the surrounding area. In these two days, there were also many carts that came with all kinds of goods bought in the surrounding area.
Although he said that he did not care about business, this Young Master Lei was actually very good at doing business. As for the chivalrous and chivalrous things that he said, "Why don't a man wear a Wugou", it was pure nonsense that did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. He did not know anything about military arrangements. For the first two days, he had boldly said that there might be a war here and that he wanted to watch and intervene. However, when he saw the somber atmosphere in the village, he would sometimes ask doubtfully, "Is there really going to be a war?" Bystanders could naturally tell that this was what he was really thinking.
Each of the villages had their own defense system, which he could not come in contact with. However, most of the time, he could still watch the villagers practice at the side of the training ground with great interest. After being introduced by Zhu Chaofeng, this Young Master Lei, who was nicknamed "Mixed Element Thunderclap Hand" by the people of Jianghu, even took the initiative to challenge Instructor Luan Tingyu.
After a few rounds of fighting, he was beaten to the point of staggering. Luan Tingyu was a good person and had a sense of propriety. After a few rounds of fighting, it was enough for the other party to understand the gap between them. After a few unyielding challenges, this young master also said, "I have diarrhea today. Maybe it's because I haven't been here for a long time, so I'm not in my best condition. Instructor Luan's martial arts is really good, let's fight another day."
During such a fight, Zhu Long, Zhu Biao and the others led their horses and passed by. Hu Sanniang, who happened to pass by, also looked at him with disdain, but more of boredom and helplessness. This was because this Young Master Lei was really good at business. Recently, it was said that he had given some advice to the small workshops in the village. The manager in charge of the business was very respectful of him. Zhu Chaofeng also attached great importance to this, so he could bear with his young master's temper. Even Zhu Hu, who was one of the three brothers, was quite polite to him. Sometimes, he would tell him stories about the battles between the village and other mountain bandits.
"… The three villages have different attitudes, but for now, it can be considered a number." In the gaps where others could not see, Ning Yi would also talk to Wang Shanyue, the Qi brothers and the others about the information he had obtained. Even though they were talking about business, many things could be seen clearly.
"The Zhu Village is the leader. That Zhu Chaofeng, Zhu Village Master, is the strongest. He will definitely fight to ensure that Lone Dragon Hill is under his control, and that the Zhu Village is the strongest. When talking about business with me, he likes to hear about the future of the village under his control. Hu Taigong is more conservative. He likes to live a peaceful and happy life and see his children and grandchildren. It would be good if he could live a better life, but it is not necessarily urgent. The Hu Village and the Zhu Village have the closest relationship. If the Zhu Village fights, they will usually follow. As for that Village Master Li … "
Ning Yi frowned. "'Pouncing Sky Eagle' Li Ying, and the village's chief steward is called Du Xing, nicknamed 'Demon Face'. These two people … Cough, I heard that they were very good at fighting when they were young. But this Li Ying is the most enthusiastic about business and the general situation. He likes to talk about business and the development of the capital and other places even more. He also has various opinions and can judge the situation … Deep in his bones, he goes with the flow and plays it safe. What kind of Jianghu person is he …"
Ning Yi knew that these two people would eventually go to Liangshan. Of course, he could not say that he was a prophet at this time. But just from the characters of these people, some clues could be seen.
"Du Xing seems to be very loyal, but the Li Jia Village has connections with Liangshan. Last year, I heard that there were some conflicts with Liangshan. Yang Xiong used Du Xing's connections to get the Li Jia Village to intercede. At that time, the incident in Zengtou City had just happened, and the Zhu Village took a step back. This matter is not a big deal. Gulonggang and Liangshan are not far from each other, and both are underworld gangs. It is normal to have all kinds of conflicts, and this is not the only one. But if a fight really breaks out, the Li Village must be mentally prepared … "
Although Ning Yi had performed poorly in terms of martial arts and strategy over the past few days, he had been able to use his business skills to easily subdue the leaders of the manor. Then, he had deduced each person's temperament and standpoint. This ability of his was truly astonishing. In the atmosphere of preparation for war in Dulong Gang, Wang Shanyue saw him quickly dispel the initial vigilance in the hearts of Zhu Chaofeng and the others.
He was originally an outsider, but in the past few days, several workshops in the village had received his guidance. Secondly, he was the young master of the Lei Family. If something happened here, the Lei Family would not be able to destroy Liangshan. But if the worst happened, the Dulong Gang would not be able to hold on. If something happened here, it could be considered as a kind of revenge for Liangshan. Because of this mentality, Zhu Chaofeng and the others did not deliberately ask this Young Master Lei to leave. Instead, after arranging for someone to accompany him, he was allowed to stay here and make childish remarks about war. It was fine as long as he did not affect the defense situation at Dulong Gang.
In a sense, in Dulong Gang, which was shrouded in heat and depression, everyone was doing the most important preparation for war. And according to the information collected from various sources, there must be a similar excitement and fanaticism on Liangshan. The seventy to eighty thousand people on both sides were drawn into the grand scheme of things. This seemingly unremarkable scholar seemed to be hiding in the darkness that no one paid attention to, quietly waiting for what he wanted to wait for. After knowing that he had killed Bao Daoyi, Wang Shanyue would occasionally feel a chill run down her spine. Seeing that he was so confident, could it be that he really had a plan?
For Wang Shanyue, this was the only thing that caused him to hesitate a little. More than thirty members of the Wolf Bandits had already arrived at Dulong Gang, escorting carts full of goods. If the anticipated war began, entering the battlefield with this scholar named Ning Yi would be betting his life on it. There was no room for regret. He had been managing the Wolf Bandits for many years, and now he was not only carrying his own life on his back. With his teacher's letter and order ahead, he only hoped that the war would begin a little later, so that he could have more time to think about this situation.
However, Liangshan did not give the crowd too much time. Although many people had sensed a premonition at the beginning, when he suddenly arrived, the hearts of the participants suddenly sank.
In the summer of the tenth year of Jing Han, on the 25th of the fifth month, in the evening, when the clouds were red, a knight wearing silver armor on a white horse and carrying a steel spear and longbow on his back appeared in the setting sun. Two hundred steps away, he nocked an arrow, drew his bow, and unhurriedly shot three arrows toward the small market outside of Dulong Gang. The first two arrows shot off the hats of the manor servants guarding outside the market. The third arrow pierced through a letter of challenge and nailed into the signboard with the three words "Dulong Gang" written on it with a bang.
The knight turned his horse around and galloped away. At that time, Ning Yi was standing outside, watching the scene with great interest. He smacked his lips, clapped his hands, and turned around to return to the inn. Even though he had never seen him before, he could roughly guess the other party's identity.
Little Li Guang — Hua Rong!
Before nightfall, the news that Liangshan would attack Dulong Gang had already spread, and the small market was in chaos …
*****
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