Chapter 3 Chapter Two

Five years later.Beijing.autumn night.A fast horse stepped through the heavy night, and swept across the dark long street like a gust of wind.The watchman, who was dozing lazily at the corner, looked up when he heard the sound of hoofbeats, only to see a white shadow flashing in front of him, and a graceful figure in white clothes like snow on the saddle, who disappeared at the end of the long street in the blink of an eye.The watchman annoyed her for waking up his sweet dream, spat hard, and muttered in a low voice: "In the middle of the night, galloping on horseback, are you fucking going to the funeral?"

The fast horse stopped in front of a secluded house at the end of the long street. When the rider saw the pale lanterns on both sides of the house gate and the big "Dian" character on the lantern, his heart ached and he swung his whip before the fast horse came to a complete stop. Hit the beast ring on the door and shout loudly: "Open the door! Open the door quickly!" The copper ring was driven by the horsewhip, and the door slammed loudly.The door opened with a "squeak", and an old man who looked like a family member poked his head out from behind the door and asked in surprise, "Who is the girl looking for?"

The rider didn't have time to agree, and suddenly reined and whipped the horse.The steed screamed and stood up, raised its hoof and kicked open the gate, and rushed in amidst the old man's exclamation. The steed rushed through the main gate and the second gate, and stopped snorting only in front of the Dao Nei Hall.The rider turned off his horse lightly, and several men in sackcloth and filial piety in the inner hall came out to meet someone when they heard someone barging in. Seeing that the other party was just a slender girl, she didn't look like the master who came to find fault, so they clasped their fists and asked, "Miss But are you old with the former teacher? Come to worship?"

The girl didn't bow to the crowd, and went straight in.I saw a mourning hall inside, and on the spirit tablet in the middle it was impressively written - the spirit seat of the former teacher Liu Gong's taboo of public power, and the disciple Shen Beixiong led all the disciples to stand in respect. The girl stared blankly at the spirit tablet and stood still for a while, then suddenly cried out: "Grandpa!" Then her legs gave way and she fell to the ground. "It turned out to be Miss Liu!" Several men in the mourning hall rushed forward to help them. They had heard that Master Liu had a granddaughter who was studying art in Tianxinju, but they had never seen her before. They heard the girl called "Grandpa", so they knew her. It turned out to be Master Liu's granddaughter Liu Qingmei.At this moment, she stared at the void with straight eyes and murmured, "Why did my grandfather die like a demon?"

After a long while no one answered, she turned her eyes to the crowd and asked sharply, "How did my grandpa die?" Seeing everyone bowed their heads guiltily, her eyes slowly swept across their faces, and finally fell on a middle-aged man with a rough face and a tall figure. Although she hadn't seen him for more than ten years, she still recognized him at a glance. "Uncle Shen, tell me, how did my grandfather die?" The man lowered his head guiltily: "Miss, Master Liu died of tuberculosis on the surface, but in fact, there are other reasons for his death." "What's the reason?" the girl asked urgently.

"Miss, have you heard of Young Master Qianmen?" the man asked.Seeing the girl shaking her head in a daze, the man read softly: "There is a son in Qianmen, with a wonderful and exquisite heart; turning his hands into clouds, turning his hands to determine the universe; when he is free, he leans on Bi Dai, and rises to command thousands of troops; Xiaoao winds and clouds, Across the world." The girl nodded slightly: "I've heard a few words like this along the way, but I just don't know what space means. What does this have to do with my grandfather's death?"

The man suddenly sighed softly: "Miss has been studying art in Tianxinju since she was seven years old, so she naturally knows nothing about Jianghu affairs. These few words are about an unprecedented villain in Jianghu. He used all kinds of despicable means to collect money His greed and madness are rare in the world. In order to catch him, Lord Liu once set up traps in Jinling with huge sums of money. Who knows that he not only failed to succeed, but was deceived by him. Hundreds of thousands of taels of official silver. Master Liu was blamed by King Fu and the court for this, became depressed and became ill, and eventually died." (Please see the previous story)

"Who is this person?" "He is Young Master Qianmen, named Yunxiang!" "Master Qianmen, Yunxiang!" A deceptive cold light flashed in the girl's beautiful eyes, she suddenly turned over and knelt down in front of the coffin, gnashing her teeth and said: "No matter who he is, I will arrest him for grandpa! Uncle Shen, please You Yunxiang, his background and martial arts specialties." The big man smiled wryly and said, "I'm ashamed to say that, although I, Lord Liu, have followed him for many years, I have never found out his background. I only know that he is a top figure in the Qianmen and does not know martial arts."

"Can't do martial arts?" The girl suddenly turned around with a look of surprise. "Yes, he doesn't know martial arts." The big man nodded affirmatively, and said with a wry smile, "It's really unbelievable that Mr. Qianmen doesn't know martial arts. Playing in the palm of the hand really makes us in the martial arts feel ashamed." The girl nodded thoughtfully, turned her head and knelt down to the spirit tablet and said, "I, Liu Qingmei, swear in front of Grandpa's spirit that no matter what sorcery or magic he has, I will eradicate it for Grandpa, so as to comfort Grandpa's spirit in heaven."

The big man was about to say something, but Liu Qingmei stood up, turned around and said, "Uncle Shen, Grandpa's funeral is really hard for you. Now you rest, I will watch for Grandpa." "Miss, what are you talking about?" the big man asked urgently, "I, Shen Beixiong, was pulled out by Master Liu, and I regard Master Liu as my teacher and father. Now that Master Liu has unfortunately passed away, I should wear sackcloth and filial piety for Master Liu, and watch for his funeral." Liu Qingmei nodded. "Qing Mei is completely aware of Uncle Shen's feelings for me and you. Qing Mei just wants to be alone with Grandpa for a while, so Uncle Shen must not be overwhelmed."

Shen Beixiong took a deep look at Liu Qingmei, seeing her resolute attitude, he had no choice but to nod: "In that case, let's take our leave first. Now that the night is getting longer and the weather is cold, I'll ask the servant girl to come over to serve you and keep watch with you." Liu Qingmei shook her head: "No need, thank you Uncle Shen for your concern." Under the leadership of Shen Beixiong, everyone quietly left the mourning hall.Grandfather Liu and his children were mourning, and only his granddaughter Liu Qingmei was the only family member, so Shen Beixiong was responsible for his funeral. In addition, Shen Beixiong felt very tired after guarding the spirit of Liu Gongquan for several nights.Now that Liu Qingmei came back, it is said that Shen Beixiong should be a little relieved, but his expression was a little nervous instead.After carefully explaining a few words to the brothers who were on duty at the mourning hall, Baocai fell asleep among the clients beside him exhausted. Not knowing how much sleep he had, Shen Beixiong was suddenly awakened by a knock on the door.He was about to open his mouth to scold his mother, when he heard a brother at the door shout urgently: "Master Shen! Miss Liu is gone!" Ying Mu replied: "Earlier this morning, the maid delivered breakfast to the young lady, only to find that the mourning hall is empty, and Miss Qingmei has disappeared. Her horse is also gone." "When did she leave?" "have no idea!" Shen Beixiong was a little surprised, he knew that Yingmu was the best at keeping an eye on him, but he didn't expect that he didn't notice that the lady left.Shen Beixiong couldn't help thinking to himself: Tianxinju really deserves to be the most mysterious sect in the world outside of the world, and a young disciple is so good that he easily avoided the first-class eyes and ears of the Gongmen.Thinking of this, he asked again: "Miss, did you leave a letter?" Ying Mu shook her head: "No, she only took one of Master Liu's belongings." "What relic?" Shen Beixiong asked hurriedly. "It's the jade card bestowed by the emperor as the 'No. 1 God in the World'." Ying Mu replied. Shen Beixiong looked at the sky thoughtfully, stroking his short beard and muttering to himself: "It seems that this girl wants to arrest Young Master Xiang and bring him to justice by herself." Ying Mu hurriedly asked in a low voice, "Should we chase her back?" "No need." Shen Beixiong smiled leisurely, and looked at the void thoughtfully, "I hope she will try it, maybe she is the nemesis of Young Master Xiang." The firecrackers "cracked" and Qi Aosong, the martial arts leader of the six northern provinces, finally showed a rare smile on his face.Today is his fiftieth birthday, and it is also the day when he prepares to wash his hands and retire.Since his debut at the age of sixteen, he has used the Overlord Sword to rule the world for decades, and won the reputation of "the first sword in the six northern provinces" at the age of forty, and dominated the North for a full ten years.However, he was already tired, bored, and bored. After becoming famous, he retired bravely and enjoyed his old age peacefully. This is the biggest dream of countless famous people in the world.But there are very few people who have the ability to persist until this day.Qi Aosong is glad that he persisted till this day. After the sound of firecrackers, all the guests congratulated the host.Qi Aosong politely responded to everyone's compliments, his eyes kept searching among the guests, and there was a trace of regret in his heart.A disciple urged in a low voice behind him: "Master, it's time to start the banquet." "Well, yes!" Qi Ao Song agreed nonchalantly, his eyes swept around the guests at last, and he said softly with some regret, "Let everyone sit down." The disciple hurriedly called friends from all corners of the country to the table for the master, and everyone was in a hurry.In the confusion, the master of ceremonies outside the door shouted loudly: "The head of the Cangzhou Five Tigers Broken Door Knife——Peng Chongyun is here to congratulate!" The chaotic scene suddenly quieted down, from bustling to quiet in the blink of an eye.Everyone's eyes focused on Qi Aosong's face, and his expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly: "Please!" As the master of ceremonies sang, a mighty old man in his fifties strode in, and stood in front of Qi Aosong.Qi Aosong breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a faint smile, "You're finally here!" Peng Chongyun asked in a harsh voice, "Are you waiting for me too?" Qi Aosong nodded slightly: "In the six northern provinces, you are the only opponent of this old man. In the past ten years, the head of Peng has been defeated by this old man three times. This old man firmly believes that you will definitely fight this old man again before I wash my hands in the gold basin." On the field, we will be ashamed." Peng Chongyun smiled bitterly: "Leader Qi really knows Peng. I originally came to challenge Leader Qi, but I am no longer here." A trace of surprise flashed in Qi Aosong's eyes: "No? Then why did Master Peng come here?" Peng Chongyun said in a shy voice, "I'm here to challenge the leader of Qi." Qi Aosong was even more puzzled: "The letter of war? What letter of war? The old man has already asked the disciple to polish the Overlord Saber, and waited for Master Peng for a long time. Why do you need a letter of war?" Peng Chongyun smiled gratifiedly: "The leader of Qi, the male, values ​​it so much, so Peng should pay respects to the dreamer." "Bring the wine!" Qi Aosong shouted loudly, and a disciple immediately brought a bowl of wine.Qi Aosong handed it to Peng Chongyun with his own hands: "Master Peng is Qi's last opponent, so Qi should offer a cup to Master Peng." Peng Chongyun was also polite, took the wine bowl and drank it down.When he put down the wine bowl, Qi Aosong was shocked to find that there was half a bowl of blood in the bowl.Qi Aosong couldn't help exclaiming: "Master Peng, you..." Peng Chongyun smiled miserably: "Leader Qi is wrong, I am no longer your last opponent, but a living letter of war." As he spoke, Peng Chongyun slowly unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his muscular chest.I saw a broken blade sticking out of his heart, and the cut was just at the same level as the chest muscle. Qi Aosong's expression changed in horror, and he hurriedly turned his head to greet his disciples: "Come here! Get the golden sore medicine quickly!" "No need!" Peng Chongyun smiled miserably, "This knife has already pierced my heart. In order to keep me alive, the other party did not draw the knife after stabbing my heart, but used internal force The tip of the knife was broken, leaving a section of the blade in my body, which blocked the spurt of blood. He asked me to tell the leader Qi that he will come to the door to challenge the leader on the night of the full moon a month later." "Who is he? Why did he kill Brother Peng?" Qi Ao Song asked in amazement. Peng Chongyun shook his head sadly and said: "I don't know who he is, I only know that he is from Fusang. He claims that he has no opponent in Fusang, and he has always admired Chinese martial arts, so he traveled thousands of miles to challenge Chinese martial arts." As soon as this remark came out, the crowd became furious immediately, and they all geared up to fight that ignorant Dongying warrior.Qi Aosong raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, then looked at Peng Chongyun, "How many moves have you fought with him?" "One trick." Peng Chongyun bowed his head in shame. "One move?" Qi Ao Song changed his face in shock. "Actually, there is only one sword." Peng Chongyun said shamelessly, "He used a weapon that looked like a sword but not a sword, and a sword that was not a sword. When he shot it, it turned into seven shadows of the sword. I couldn't tell the truth from reality, and I was hit almost without any resistance. Knife." Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, with fear on their faces.Peng Chongyun's martial arts is well known to everyone, even if it is not as good as Qi Aosong, it is almost the same.Unexpectedly, he couldn't stop the opponent's single strike, and everyone asked themselves whether they were stronger than Peng Chongyun. I'm afraid that if they really wanted to fight the opponent, they would definitely be defeated.Everyone couldn't help putting away their desire to be competitive, and Qiqi turned their eyes to Qi Aosong.I saw that Qi Aosong also had a serious face and remained silent. In the silence, Peng Chongyun slowly stretched his hand towards the Broken Blade on his chest, Qi Aosong hurriedly exclaimed: "Brother Peng, what are you doing?" Peng Chongyun smiled miserably: "I am fatally wounded. I insisted on coming to see the leader. In addition to sending you a letter, I also want the leader to take a closer look at Peng's wound. I hope the leader can see the depth of the opponent's martial arts from this wound and make preparations early. If Peng dies, he will die, I only hope that the leader will not disappoint Peng's painstaking efforts." As soon as the words fell, Peng Chongyun suddenly pulled out the broken blade amidst the exclamation of everyone.Blood spurted out like a fountain, and his body collapsed to the ground. "Brother Peng!" Qi Ao Song hastily stepped forward to help him, only to see that Peng Chong Yun's face was as white as a sheet of paper, and he was already dead.Qi Aosong sadly put down Peng Chongyun, and respectfully paid respects to his body: "Brother Peng, don't worry, Qi will never let you die in vain." After speaking, he turned to his disciple and shouted, "Bring the wine!" Some disciples hurriedly held up wine jars and bowls, and were about to pour wine in a hurry.Qi Aosong snatched it away impatiently, and raised the wine jar to everyone: "Dear friends and relatives, a sudden accident happened to Qi, and Peng Chongyun, the greatest opponent and confidant in his life, died tragically. Qi has no intention of celebrating his birthday again, please finish this glass of wine Just leave. In the future, Qi will come to the door one by one to make amends!" Everyone said in unison: "Leader Qi, what are you talking about? How can we leave when you are in trouble?" Qi Aosong bowed together: "Thank you for your kindness. If Qi encounters bandits, you will definitely welcome your help. But this time the opponent is challenging our Chinese martial arts openly, and Qi is the leader of the six northern provinces. Naturally, he will have a fair duel with him. Regardless of victory or defeat, I will not lose my grandeur of China." "The leader is right!" Someone raised his arms and shouted, "We won't rely on the many to win, but we can always stay and cheer for the leader!" Qi Aosong still wanted to dissuade him, but who knows that there are so many people in the hall and they don't know how to persuade them.In the midst of the chaos, the master of ceremonies outside the door shouted excitedly with a trembling voice: "Young Master Qianmen Xiang, please see Qi Aosong, the leader of the martial arts alliance in the six northern provinces!" As soon as the voice fell, the hall suddenly became quiet, Qi Ao Song was startled, and hurriedly said: "Please!" It was getting dark, the maid lit a lamp in the study, and the dark study suddenly brightened.After Qi Aosong asked Young Master Xiang to take a seat, he carefully looked at the world-renowned Young Master Xiang.I saw that the other party was nearly 30 years old, his complexion was morbidly pale, and his brows could be considered gentle and refined if not for the vicissitudes and loneliness that did not commensurate with his age.Looking around, he looks like an ordinary frail scholar, only the detached calmness and composure in his eyes is faintly different. After the servant girl served the tea and left, Qi Aosong couldn't help asking: "Young master Xiang, who is not well-known in the world, suddenly visited, why?" Yun Xiang calmly met Qi Aosong's inquiring eyes: "The leader has already guessed Yun Xiang's intention, why bother to ask?" Qi Aosong's complexion changed slightly: "You really came here for today's matter! What do you know?" Yun Xiang played with the teacup in his hand, and said calmly: "Yun Xiang does know something." Seeing that the other party kept silent, Qi Ao Song suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly asked, "What conditions do you have? But it's okay to talk about it." "It's very simple!" Yun Xiang raised her head and looked directly at Qi Aosong, "You have seen Peng Chongyun's wound, and you must have seen the depth of the opponent's martial arts. I just want to know, what are your chances of winning against such an opponent?" Qi Aosong hesitated for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said: "There are rumors in the world that Young Master Xiang came from a thousand families, but he has a good reputation and is well-known. I believe you only once. I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. After seeing Peng Chongyun's wound, I knew that I had a chance of winning by even one point. Not at all. More than nothing, facing such a precise and quick shot, I am almost certain to die." "Exactly as I expected." Yunxiang nodded slightly, and gently put down the teacup, "Your opponent's name is Fujiwara Hidezawa, he is thirty-two years old, and he is the seventeenth generation descendant of the Iga-ryu in Dongying. The sword of a Kanto samurai has been invincible among the thirteen factions of Dongying, and he is known as the "Warrior Saint" in Dongying. This time, he was sent to our court with the mission of General Tokugawa in Dongying. He intends to challenge the masters of martial arts in the Central Plains and sharpen his sword skills. In order to advance to a higher level in martial arts. He has already killed two famous figures from the Bajimen and Yanqingmen in Beijing, and the moves he used are the same as those used to kill Peng Chongyun. They are all "Phantom Seven Kills". That's all I know Much, farewell!" "Wait!" Seeing Yunxiang got up to leave, Qi Aosong asked hastily, "You came to visit suddenly today, and you want to tell me this?" Yun Xiang shook her head slightly: "I came here today to make an accurate judgment on the result of your duel. I tell you this just to exchange the answer I just wanted to know." Qi Aosong looked at Yunxiang suspiciously: "The answer just now? The answer that I will definitely lose?" "Exactly." "Why?" Yun Xiang smiled indifferently: "This has nothing to do with the default agreement in our hearts. But since Qi Meng took the initiative to ask, Yun Xiang might as well tell you that the reason I took the liberty to visit today is because I smelled silver." "The taste of silver?" Qi Aosong scratched his head inexplicably, "Young master's words are unpredictable, and Qi needs to ask you to clarify." Yun Xiang smiled and said: "The leader of the Qi alliance has the reputation of being the first knife in the six northern provinces, and his reputation in the Jianghu is as high as the sky. Today, Dongying Martial Saints challenged you to kill people at your birthday banquet. Your duel will definitely cause a sensation in the martial arts world. If someone borrows from you If you set up a duel to start a bet, it will definitely attract gamblers all over the world. I am sure that people in the martial arts will bet on the leader to win, no matter whether it is out of national sentiment or out of trust in the leader's martial arts." Qi Aosong suddenly realized: "And you want to bet on me to lose. Since you know that I will lose, you naturally have the chance to win, so you just wait a month later and win this big bet in one fell swoop?" Yun Xiang nodded and said with a smile: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you can also bet on yourself to lose, just think of it as earning a large amount of alimony for your children and grandchildren." "Get out! Get out of here!" Qi Ao Song was furious, pointing out the door angrily, "Disappear before my eyes immediately, or the old man might not be able to control his emotions!" Yun Xiang waved his hands and said with a smile: "Leader Qi doesn't need to get angry, in fact, you can also be undefeated. As long as you refuse the opponent's challenge, can he still force you to do it?" Qi Aosong laughed loudly, and proudly said: "Since my debut, I, Qi Aosong, have never flinched from other people's challenges, not to mention that the other party killed my most respected opponent and confidant in my life. How can I be a charlatan like you? Can you understand? It's a pity that I used to think of you as a stranger in the world, but it turned out to be nothing more than a vulgar thing. Hurry up and send your money, don't let the old man see you again!" "It's tiring to be famous! Leader Qi has been rolling around in Beijing and Shanghai for many years, hasn't he figured it out yet?" Yun Xiang sighed in shame.Seeing that Qi Aosong was unmoved, Yun Xiang could only cup his hands and said: "Since the leader of Qi has issued an order to expel guests, Yun Xiang has no choice but to leave." "No!" Qi Aosong looked resentful, and even avoided the most basic courtesy. Yun Xiang sighed and went out the door, Xiao Bo who was waiting outside the door greeted him full of hope, and asked in a low voice, "How is it?" Yun Xiang shook her head regretfully: "Let's go out and talk about it." The two boarded the carriage under the watchful eyes of everyone, the coachman threw out a whip, and the carriage immediately rolled along the long street, all the way to the north.It wasn't until the carriage disappeared that all the guests of the Qi Mansion came back to reality as if from a dream, and asked one after another: "Is he the son of Qianmen? Is he really the son Xiang?" The carriage galloped past the dim long street, and suddenly someone chased after him shouting: "Young Master Xiang, stop! My Diancang faction wants to seek justice for my sect!" Amidst the shouting, several fast horses approached hurriedly with the sound of hooves, and gradually surrounded the two sides of the carriage.In the car, Yun Xiang rested comfortably on the embroidered pillow with her eyes closed, deaf to the calls from outside the car.It has been more than five years since Mingzhu and Yanan left one after another. In the past five years, his eyes have become a little more vicissitudes, and he has also become a little more calm and calm. Besides, there are more endless emotions. Lonely and desolate. Uncle Xiao on the opposite side listened attentively to the commotion outside.Just when the fast horses were about to complete the siege of the carriage, there was a sharp whistling of the long whip suddenly outside the carriage, and the crisp sound of the whip hitting the human body, followed by the screams of people falling off the horse, and the painful cries of the fallen horses scream.After a while, there was silence outside the carriage.Uncle Xiao laughed loudly and said, "Brother Feng's whipping technique has improved again, but his strikes are too harsh." The driver's hearty laugh came from outside the car: "If you can't even get rid of these miscellaneous things cleanly, how can Feng Mou be qualified to hold the whip for the young master?" The speed of the carriage did not decrease, and continued to gallop along the long street.In the car, Uncle Xiao looked at Yun Xiang with his eyes closed and resting his mind, and he asked in a low voice, "My lord, could it be that Qi Aosong knew he was defeated, so he insisted on fighting?" "You know what he's like," Yun Xiang shook his head regretfully, "I've provoked him so much, and even pointed out that he will be used by others in this battle, but he still persists. It's really regrettable." "We have done our best, and you don't have to blame yourself at all." Uncle Xiao persuaded in a low voice, "Perhaps in his mind, this battle is not only related to his personal honor, but also my dignity." Yun Xiang sneered, and said, "I really can't figure out what the dignity of my Chinese people has to do with Qi Aosong's victory or defeat alone? If the Celestial Dynasty wants dignity, it's better to keep its own line of defense and kill the intruders." The Japanese pirates will be wiped out." Uncle Xiao nodded: "It seems that we are powerless to stop this conspiracy, what is your plan?" Yun Xiang sneered and said, "For things that can't be changed, I think it's natural. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I believe no one wants to miss it. But in order to ensure nothing goes wrong, we should also go slowly to the other protagonist of this duel. ——Eastern Martial Saint Fujiwara Hidezawa." Uncle Xiao looked at Yun Xiang worriedly, and said: "My lord, Beijing is under the feet of the emperor. Dragons and tigers have always been hidden, and there are six doors that are always looking for you. Is it too risky for us to go?" Yun Xiang smiled leisurely: "I'll ask Uncle Xiao about this." Uncle Xiao was melancholy for a moment, then hesitated and said: "I heard that Liu Gongquan, who has been chasing the young master, has been punished by the court since he fell into the young master's hands last time, and has died of grief and anger recently. There are no real masters among the six sects. As long as you don't make too much publicity, the old man will naturally keep you safe." "In that case, wake me up when you arrive in Beijing." Yun Xiang stretched her waist, lay down comfortably in the car, and murmured: "I really want to see that Dongying Martial Saint earlier, he is our God of Wealth!" After Yunxiang's carriage drove away, several men from Diancang were still lying on the side of the road moaning.Although the driver's whip had been lenient just now, several men fell from the galloping horse and were still seriously injured.A few people struggled to get up, and suddenly saw a white horse riding a deep horse appearing at the end of the official road.As the rider's face gradually became clear, everyone involuntarily stopped cursing and groaning, and stared blankly at the coming man, almost forgetting the pain on their bodies. On the horseback was a handsome young girl in white clothes. She looked no more than twenty years old, but she had a calmness and composure that did not match her age. Her painted eyes seemed to be covered with a thin layer of mist, making it impossible to see through. .The girl with fluttering long sleeves and white clothes better than the snow, walked slowly on the horse under the moonlight, giving people a feeling of floating away from the dust. "Excuse me, did Young Master Xiang's carriage pass by here?" the girl asked politely, her voice was like a new warbler coming out of the valley. "That's right!" Several men hurriedly replied, "He just passed by and injured many of our brothers." The girl bowed her hands to several men, and was about to gallop after her when a man suddenly asked: "Miss, do you have a grudge against Young Master Xiang?" A cold light flashed in the girl's phoenix eyes, and she said four words lightly: "The hatred is as deep as the sea." After saying that, she knocked on the horse's belly, and the horse immediately chased after it like lightning.Diancang sent a few men to look at the girl's back reluctantly, unwilling to look away for a long time.A man murmured to himself: "Who is this girl? She looks like a Yaochi fairy who doesn't eat the fireworks in the world, and she doesn't look like a person in the rivers and lakes, but she dares to follow Gongzi Xiang alone." "It's Tianxinju's direct disciple!" Another man suddenly pointed at the girl's back and exclaimed, "My sword is unique in the Jianghu." The new water on the stove has boiled, and the fragrance of tea is permeating the room.After a long journey, it is undoubtedly the most pleasant enjoyment to drink a cup of freshly brewed tea.But Yunxiang let the water in the pot boil, but still sat with his eyes closed.Uncle Xiao on the side rubbed his hands and wandered around the room, and couldn't help but look downstairs, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes. This is the most famous "Yuxian Building" in Beijing, and it is also a big tea house where the three religions and nine schools like to gather. From the window of the elegant hall on the second floor, you can see the hall downstairs. . "My lord," Uncle Xiao, who had been wandering for a long time, finally stopped, "Will Fujiwara really come?" "Don't worry, he will definitely come!" Yun Xiang smiled peacefully. "I heard that Fujiwara killed two famous martial arts masters in Beijing, but the imperial court didn't care about it." Xiao Bo sighed again and again, "Not only that, the imperial court also awarded him a gold medal for exempting him from crime. And announced to the world, anyone who accepts Fujiwara Challenge, no matter which side is killed in a fair duel, the winner is innocent. Isn’t this encouraging private fights among the people? How is it like what a Mingjun did?” Yun Xiang finally opened his eyes, "I heard that this matter was facilitated by King Fu. Since the last time we fought against Japan, the coast has finally been calm for a few years, and now the Japanese pirates are showing signs of resurgence. The imperial court wants to rely on the help of the Dongying shogunate Force to attack Japanese pirates, so I have to win over his mission." Uncle Xiao wanted to say something, but he was caught by the commotion downstairs.I saw a foreign man with a Tang-style hair bun and strange costumes walking in slowly with his hands folded.The man was over three years old, his face was white and beardless, and his appearance was very ordinary, but there was a kind of coldness in his eyes that made people dare not look directly at him.The sleeves of the robe on his body are wide, and he wears a pair of wooden clogs under his feet, which make a "cracking" sound when he walks, which is very strange.His figure is not tall and strong, but it gives people a strange feeling of being full of strength.Especially the two knives at the waist, one long and one short, the blade is narrow like a sword, but the front end has a slight arc, neither like a knife nor like a sword, a very rare style. "It's him!" Although Uncle Xiao had never met Fujiwara, he recognized him at a glance.The aura of the visitor looking at all directions is definitely not something that ordinary people can pretend.Uncle Xiao was about to go downstairs to greet him, but someone suddenly blocked the Japanese man's way. "What's going on?" The sudden silence downstairs made Yunxiang a little strange, sitting in the back of the private room, he couldn't see what was going on downstairs. "Someone blocked Fujiwara's way." Uncle Xiao stared at the movement downstairs from the window, "It was Xiao Chengfeng, who claimed to be the number one master of Wudang laymen, and he was challenging Fujiwara... Fujiwara knocked him down before he drew his sword. On the ground, someone came forward again, and they surrounded Fujiwara!" Uncle Xiao kept explaining the situation downstairs. "Don't let them mess around!" Uncle Xiao jumped out of the window as soon as Yunxiang finished speaking. Downstairs, Fujiwara was confronting more than a dozen heroes in the teahouse. Although his long sword hadn't been unsheathed, the murderous aura had filled the entire hall, making people dare not move a little.The two sides were at war with each other, and the melee was imminent. At this moment, a figure lightly landed in the center of the confrontation between the two sides, just blocking between Fujiwara and the crowd, and immediately eliminated the imminent murderous intent invisible.Fujiwara Hidezawa's heart shuddered, he stared at himself, and saw that he was an ordinary old man in blue shirt and white socks, dressed as a servant.The old man had a kind face and a respectful demeanor. He folded his hands and smiled at the confronting parties: "It's just a small misunderstanding, why bother to draw swords at each other? Hero Xiao, Mr. Fujiwara is my master's honored guest, and I hope Hero Xiao will hold his hand high." The leading man surnamed Xiao saw that the old man came abruptly, he spoke and behaved quite like a master, he knew that there are dragons and crouching tigers hidden in the capital, so he didn't dare to make a mistake, he hurriedly asked: "Who is your master?" "My master has always lived in seclusion and never wanted to reveal his identity in front of others, but Xiao Daxia must be able to guess this when he sees this." Uncle Xiao took out something and pointed it in front of the man surnamed Xiao, and saw his face suddenly change.Everyone was surprised, and they were about to take a closer look, but they saw Uncle Xiao had put away the thing, turned around and raised his hand to Hidezawa Fujiwara and said: "Mr. Fujiwara, my master has been waiting for a long time, please!" "Who is your master?" Fujiwara Hidezawa asked coldly. "It's the person you want to see." Uncle Xiao said with a smile. Fujiwara Hidezawa didn't ask any more questions, and slowly followed him up to the second floor under Xiao Bo's gesture.Several gangsters hurriedly turned to the man surnamed Xiao and asked, "Hero Xiao, who is that man?" "I can't say," Xiao Chengfeng said solemnly, "In short, we can't afford to mess with him." He turned around and left without staying. Seeing the frightened look on his face, the quack men were a little surprised.There are not many people in this world who can make Xiao Chengfeng, the number one master of Wudang laymen, fear. Everyone exchanged a look and followed him out resentfully.Someone unwillingly spat upstairs and cursed in a low voice: "Whoever he is, I think he's probably a traitor." The tranquility of the elegant hall on the second floor is in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the first floor.As soon as Fujiwara Hidezawa entered, a trace of surprise flashed across his face.There are tatami mats in the private room, and in the center of the tatami mats is a simple red sandalwood coffee table, and Jingdezhen tea sets are displayed on the tea table.A man dressed as a scholar sat kneeling in front of the coffee table, concentrating on pouring water to make tea.Fujiwara Hideze first made a big move around, and after confirming that there was no third person in the private room, he bowed to the weak-looking scholar in the middle of the room, "You are not the person I am looking for, where is he?" The scholar smiled lightly, did not answer, but raised his hand and said, "Sit!" In the eyes of the ordinary-looking scholar in front of him, there was a kind of indifference and detachment that ordinary people did not have, which made Fujiwara Hidezawa also curious, and unconsciously sat down on his knees opposite the scholar.But the scholar poured a cup of tea in the standard tea ceremony style, and signaled to Hidezawa Fujiwara: "The water from Hupao Spring and Dahongpao from West Lake are a perfect match, and you can't taste it in Dongying." The private room was filled with a calming tea fragrance. Although Fujiwara Hidezawa had no special research on tea, he couldn't help holding up the tea cup and sniffing it lightly. It is refreshing, and after a sip, you will feel the fragrance on your teeth and cheeks, and the aftertaste is long.He slowly drank the tea in the cup, and then put it down and sighed: "It's really good tea!" "Of course it's good tea!" The scholar smiled proudly, "Just like Mr. Fujiwara, it's the best tea in the world." Fujiwara Hidezawa raised his eyebrows and said, "You know me, but I don't. Isn't that a bit unfair?" "Xiaosheng Yunxiang." The scholar cupped his hands and smiled. Fujiwara Hidezawa felt special about this famous name that seemed useless. He took out a letter of greeting from his pocket, unfolded it and put it in front of the scholar, staring at the scholar and asked: "Mr. I'm afraid it's not as simple as just inviting me to have a cup of tea when you come here?" On the placard was a simple and scribbled painting, with a few strokes to outline the posture of a person wielding a knife.Yun Xiang nodded and said: "A friend of mine heard that Mr. Fujiwara is a martial artist in Dongying, so he asked me to bring this painting to you. He said that if Mr. Fujiwara has a reply, he can entrust me to pass it on. It doesn't matter if it's useless, it's just a temporary Just a game." Only then did Fujiwara Hideze notice that besides the tea set, there was also a pen and ink on the table. He immediately picked up the wolf brush, casually wrote a picture on the placard, then closed the placard, put his hands in front of the scholar and said, "Please, Mr. Yunxiang!" Make sure to pass it on to your friends, please!" Yun Xiang put away the post and said, "Mr. Fujiwara, you are welcome." Fujiwara Hidezawa bowed again and said, "Please tell your friends, Mr. Yun Xiang, that I am eagerly looking forward to meeting him." Yun Xiang nodded and said, "I will tell you." "Thank you for the tea, Mr. Yunxiang, and Fujiwara's farewell!" Fujiwara Hidezawa said, stood up, bowed his head, then turned and left, but when he reached the door, he couldn't help turning his head back, hesitatingly said, "I have a question , Fujiwara doesn't know whether to ask or not?" "Speaking!" "At first, I thought that Mr. Yunxiang was just a messenger, but now I feel that I can't work for Mr. Yunxiang after such an hour. It's the first time you deliver a letter, and it's true that you want to see me. I don't know if I feel right or not?" Yun Xiang smiled slightly and said, "Not bad! You feel right." A trace of doubt flashed in Fujiwara Hideze's eyes: "Mr. Yunxiang is not a warrior, why are you so interested in me?" A glimmer of appreciation flashed in Yunxiang's eyes: "Unexpectedly, Mr. Fujiwara is a gentleman, and he should treat Yunxiang with sincerity. I wonder if Mr. Fujiwara has ever seen a cockfight?" "Cockfight?" Fujiwara Hidezawa shook his head doubtfully. "In the homes of many high-ranking officials and nobles in Beijing, there is a kind of fighting rooster. This kind of rooster is addicted to fighting and is not afraid of life and death." Yun Xiang explained with a smile, "so people often let two roosters fight each other. As a play, even as a gamble, this is cockfighting." "What does this have to do with me?" The doubts in Fujiwara Hidezawa's eyes became even more serious. "Originally it has nothing to do with you, but since you killed Peng Chongyun and challenged Qi Aosong, the leader of the martial arts alliance in the six northern provinces, it has something to do with you." Yun Xiang laughed. “此话怎讲？”藤原秀泽面色微变。 “人的好斗天性，其实远胜于鸡。”云襄喟然叹息，“既然你不惜用性命与人决斗，自然也不会在乎有人以你们的决斗为赌。我打算在你身上下重注，当然要亲眼看看你的模样气质，这样心里才会踏实。就像那些斗鸡的赌徒，没见过斗鸡，谁会闭眼下注？” “你把我当成了斗鸡？”藤原秀泽面色气得煞白，手不自觉地握紧了剑柄。云襄却浑不在意地笑道：“不止我一个，自从你与齐傲松决斗的消息传开后，在京城富贵赌坊下注的赌徒已超过了万人，赌资累计达数十万两，相信到你们正式决斗的时候，这个数字还要翻番。” 藤原秀泽的脸色已由煞白变得铁青，眼中的寒芒多人心魄，紧握剑柄的手也有些发白。但对方在他几欲杀人的目光逼视下，却始终浑然无觉。半晌，藤原秀泽脸上闪过一丝嘲笑，说道：“你是齐傲松派来的吧？他知道在我剑下必死无疑，所以只能用这种卑劣手段来打击我的斗志，削弱我的杀气。可惜，你们永远不会懂得，在咱们大和民族眼里，武士的荣誉高于一切！” “武士的荣誉高于一切？”云襄一声嗤笑，“大概斗鸡也是这么想，所以才不在乎赢了多活几天，输了变成香酥鸡。” “你们的卑鄙手段，对我来说根本没用。”藤原秀泽冷笑道，“你回去告诉齐傲松，除非在天下人面前弃刀认输，否则就省点儿力气准备好棺材吧。告辞！” 见藤原秀泽一脸傲气决然而去，云襄只有苦笑着连连摇头。藤原秀泽刚一出门，门外守候的筱伯就闪身而入，说道：“公子，你已仁至义尽，奈何别人并不领情。”说着筱伯从袖中掏出一面玉牌，递到云襄面前，“对了公子，虽然咱们伪造的这面玉牌可以唬住萧乘风之流的粗人，不过万一落到有心人眼里，恐怕会惹上不小的麻烦啊。” 云襄接过玉牌掂了掂，笑道：“有时候看似危险的事，其实很安全。就拿这面玉牌来说，有几个人敢质疑它的真伪？咱们这次进京要尽量低调，能不动手尽量不要动手，用它唬唬那些粗人再合适不过。” 筱伯依旧一脸担忧：“可是，冒充福王信物，这实在是有些冒险了。” 云襄笑着收起玉牌道：“筱伯不用担心，萧乘风不敢向他人透露今日之事。就算万一被人识破，福王如今有大事要办，恐怕也没心思理会这等小事。” 筱伯忧心忡忡地点点头，低声问：“这次公子准备赌多大？” 云襄沉吟道：“赔率还没出来，不过初步估计是三赔一，大部分人都在买齐傲松胜。” 云襄闭上双眼躺在靠背上，悠然笑道：“既然如此，咱们就别让大家失望。十万两，买藤原秀泽胜！”