[Wuxia] The Great Tang Dynasty's Hunt for Beauties (Complete) - 17

page views:1 Publication date:2023-06-10

Chapter 102 Hidden Universe in the Sleeve

"Uncle, save me..."

The handsome man was terrified, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt a sharp pain, and the blood from the wound on his neck flowed even more rapidly. This frightened him so much that he immediately stopped speaking, and he was filled with even more anxiety. His current posture was very strange; his hands were in a bizarre shape, as if he was trying to grab onto something, like a drowning person clinging tightly to something in their death throes.

"You...you should be careful too..."

Su Su was afraid that the thin thread on Kou Zhong's fingers would hurt them, so she quickly whispered a reminder.

“Silly girl, if only I had such a long ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Love Silk’.”

Kou Zhong turned to Su Su and smiled. “Only the part wrapped around his hand is true. Mine is just a very special piece of silk.”

“Li Xunhuan, we admit defeat today.”

The short, stout old man cupped his hands to Kou Zhong and said, “Please let Shunming go. I promise I will never cause trouble for Young Hero Li again. As long as you release him, our grudges will be wiped clean!”

“Of course.”

Kou Zhong pointed to the girl named Wushuang with his other finger and smiled slightly. “Please have her apologize to my companion. If she is sincere and has enough good intentions, we will definitely forgive her.”

Before Kou Zhong could finish speaking, Su Su hurriedly interjected, “I forgive her. Kou Zhong, please release him quickly. He’s covered in blood and looks terrifying. Please release him quickly!”

"She hasn't apologized yet."

Kou Zhong said with a wry smile, "Why are you always so kind-hearted? Su Su, have you forgotten how they held you hostage? That guy threatened to chop off your little head, don't you remember?"

"He failed to hold you hostage!"

Su Su said coquettishly. Seeing everyone looking at her, she blushed deeply, feeling ashamed. She hid behind Kou Zhong and whispered, "Anyway, I'm perfectly fine now, just let them go. I hate it when people beg me, Zi Ling, listen to me this once, let them go."

"I hope your kindness will be rewarded!"

Kou Zhong sighed, and with a casual tug, pulled the handsome man to the ground.

Everyone was shocked. With such a violent movement, would the handsome man still be alive?

"You killed him!"

The short, stout old man roared, his eyes bloodshot. "You went back on your word! You clearly said you'd spare Shunming!"

"Old man,"

Kou Zhong retorted angrily, glaring back at the old man, "which eye of yours saw me kill him? Open your old, dim eyes and see! That noble gentleman, that Eagle-Winged General's precious son, isn't he still alive and well? If you hadn't saved him, he would have bled to death, and that wouldn't be my problem."

Kou Zhong continued his irritable retort while slowly winding the strange, thin thread between his fingers. He wound it faster and faster, until his movements were obscured, and when he stopped, the thread had changed shape.

Even the tall-crowned man stared wide-eyed at this sight.

The man in the tall hat frowned, walked over, and asked casually, "Hey kid, where's your thread? Can I take a look?"

"The thread is hidden,"

Kou Zhong said with a slight smile. "I can't let you see it, otherwise your fingers will suffer."

"Why?"

the man in the tall hat asked, puzzled.

"It's simple,"

Kou Zhong said with a grin. "Because my kung fu isn't good enough. I only practiced how to fly it out and loop it onto an opponent's fingers, arm, or neck, but I didn't practice how to properly remove it. So, as soon as it comes out, I instinctively loop it onto someone's hand. If you want to see it on your hand, I'll let it out. Do you want to see?"

"No,"

the tall-crowned man shook his head vigorously. "You're too cunning, always scheming. I can't let you get away with this. But I'm a little curious, how did you get it on that guy's head? From so far away, and during the fight, how did you manage to get this thread onto his neck without him noticing?" "

It's simple,"

Kou Zhong pointed at Su Su beside him and said, "This thread wasn't on me at all. From the beginning, it was on her. She just didn't know, no, nobody knew."

"You put that thread on this little girl's finger?"

The tall-crowned man was even more puzzled. "Or on her arm? You couldn't possibly have put it around her neck, could you?"

"That's a secret, I can't tell you,"

Kou Zhong said with a grin. "Why don't you let me try it on you? You'll know then, won't you? Do you want to try it? No? Your curiosity is really lacking! But as I just said, this thread is mostly not the 'Ten Thousand Miles of Love Thread,' so she's perfectly safe. Nothing will happen to her, and she won't even know I put a thread on her."

"So when you approached her just now, you were trying to control this thread and then wrap it around that guy, right?"

the tall-crowned man guessed.

"No,"

Kou Zhong shook his head. "I have a special way of controlling this thread. I had it the moment that guy started kidnapping Su Su. Not only did I control it, but I also deliberately fought with the old man, actually wrapping the thread around his fingers and arms. Didn't you see that my knee strikes at the end had no effect at all? If I hadn't secretly wrapped the thread around his neck, would I have done such a useless thing? Besides, if I waited until we got back to Su Su's side to control it, what if that guy went crazy and hurt Su Su?"

"Good lad, you've got it."

The man with the tall hat looked at Kou Zhong seriously and said with emotion, "I really didn't expect you to have wrapped the thread around him at that time. It seems that your skill is really hard to defend against. What other skills do you have? Tell me!"

"What skills do a small-time hoodlum like me have?"

Kou Zhong said indifferently, "At most, I'm a little more reckless in fights and a little faster when running away. That's nothing special."

"Li Xunhuan, you despicable bastard, you just wait, one day I'll get my hands on you!"

The young woman and the short, stout old man had already rescued the handsome man who had fainted from fright. As she helped him up, she turned back and glared fiercely at Kou Zhong, her voice laced with threat.

Upon hearing this, Kou Zhong immediately patted his chest playfully and exaggeratedly said to Su Su, "Su Su, look, is my heart still there? Ah, is it still there? It scared me to death! It really scared me to death! Su Su, I'm so scared, my heart almost flew out of my chest! What should I do? Should I chase after them, kneel before them, and beg them to spare my life? No? Really no? Are you really sure you don't want to? Ah, so you don't! Then I'm much relieved!"

Su Su gave Kou Zhong a reproachful look. She liked his antics, because he rarely acted so carefree.

The tall man tossed a silver ingot to the shopkeeper, who was looking miserable but dared not utter a sound. He grabbed Kou Zhong with one hand and said to the shopkeeper, "Prepare a jar of wine and some cooked food for us as quickly as possible. If you're fast enough, that silver ingot is yours."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. He was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant, pocketed the silver, and scrambled off to prepare it.

The tall, crowned man pulled Kou Zhong out of the restaurant and into a small grove of trees. Finding a clean spot, he gestured for Kou Zhong and Su Su to sit down. He then sat down himself with an air of nonchalance, disregarding the ground, broke the mud seal, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful of wine. He then handed it to Xu Ziling, saying, "It's a pleasure to see you today, kid. I rarely drink, but let's have a good drink together today!" [The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly spam/advertisement: "Gift! [Unrelated product description: Human First Oil Spray Male Delay Aerosol External Long-Lasting God Oil Adult Sex Toy Anti-Premature Ejaculation Click to Enter

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Kou Zhong, imitating him, drank a large amount of wine with gusto, wiped his mouth, and let out a long sigh, saying, "The wine isn't good, but the person who invited me is good, so it tastes exceptionally good."

"You don't even know my name,"

the tall-robed man chuckled. "How do you know I'm a good person?"

"'Du Fuwei, the 'Sleeves of Heaven and Earth,' is renowned throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River and the Central Plains. As the saying goes, a great reputation is never undeserved. Meeting him today is even more impressive than hearing about him! He is indeed a good person."

Kou Zhong said calmly, "Being invited to drink by Chief Steward Du Fuwei is already a great blessing for me."

Kou Zhong's words startled the two people.

One was Su Su, who couldn't believe her ears. She looked at the tall-robed man in front of her in astonishment, wondering how he could possibly have any connection with the infamous leader of the Jianghuai Army, Du Fuwei. The tall, crowned man before her was not only bold and chivalrous but also quick to offer help to those in need, unlike others who would merely watch the spectacle. Although he didn't actually lift a finger to assist, his words of support for her and Kou Zhong showed his good intentions.

How could such a person be the leader of those ruthless, wolf-like soldiers?

Su Su couldn't believe it. But it was Kou Zhong who said it. In this world, no one's words are always trustworthy, even she herself might lie, but he would never deceive her.

The other was the man in the tall hat, who also looked at Kou Zhong in surprise, but quickly recovered and laughed loudly, "So you saw through me all along! Then why did you drink with me? Didn't you know I came here to cause you trouble? Why didn't you stay far away?"

"If we could hide, we would,"

Kou Zhong smiled and said, "But who can escape the pursuit of 'Sleeve Universe' Chief Steward Du Fuwei? I thought I had avoided him, but I didn't expect you to still catch up, and faster than I anticipated. Since we can't hide or escape anyway, we might as well not hide or escape. Sometimes drinking with the person who's causing you trouble feels pretty good."

Chapter 103 Deceiving the Chief Steward

"I agree,"

the man in the tall hat nodded in agreement, "If you weren't so interesting, I might have captured you all long ago."

“I’d like to correct you,”

Kou Zhong snatched the wine jar from the tall-robed man’s hand, gulped down several mouthfuls, and then exclaimed with delight, “If you were to make a move, that’s possible, but do you really think you can capture both of us? Are you that confident? Aren’t you afraid of my ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Love’?”

“I might not be able to defeat you for a while,”

the tall-robed man laughed loudly, “but do you think I can’t even capture a little girl? With this little girl in my hands, why would I be afraid you can fly? Your so-called ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Love’ is indeed magical, but I can tell that you still dare not use it against true masters. It must have some flaws, right? Otherwise, you would have used it to deal with that old man Shen Naitang long ago, why did you fight him so hard? Also, you’ve been afraid to show it to me, you must be afraid that I will see through your treasure, right? Hahaha, although I have some reservations about your ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Love’, don’t you also have many reservations about what’s in my sleeve?”

"Is Steward Du going to follow the example of those prestigious sects and take a vulnerable woman hostage?"

Kou Zhong asked calmly.

"I, Old Du, am no good man. I'm just a hoodlum. If necessary, what's wrong with taking a vulnerable woman hostage?"

the tall-robed man chuckled. "At least that way, we won't waste too much energy and time, and we won't fight to the death. We can solve the problem immediately."

"That's Steward Du, you're unilaterally solving the problem."

Kou Zhong returned the wine jar to the tall-robed man. "If you do that, it might just be the beginning of the problem. Steward Du, you're really petty. I just couldn't stand it and killed a few dozen of your soldiers, and you've been chasing me all the way here. Isn't that a bit excessive?"

"No."

the tall-robed man denied. "If you were someone else, even if you killed a few dozen more of my soldiers, I wouldn't have time to bother with you. But your identity is different. Your Twin Dragons Society is too terrifying. I'm afraid I might be eaten by you if I'm not careful. So, I came to find you."

"You came to find me for something?"

Kou Zhong pretended not to know.

Su Su was also a little curious, but she didn't dare to ask. She was afraid of offending Du Fuwei, and also afraid that speaking up would ruin Kou Zhong's plans. So, she just watched from the side with a bit of panic. If Kou Zhong hadn't been holding her soft hand the whole time, she probably would have been knocked down by the name of 'Sleeve Universe' Du Fuwei long ago.

"Tell me about 'Yang Gong's Treasure Vault',"

the tall-crowned man said, taking a big gulp of wine. "If you have the ability, you can take it before me. Whoever has the ability can take it. Is that fair enough?"

"How do you know I definitely know the location of 'Yang Gong's Treasure Vault'?"

Kou Zhong asked curiously, but he didn't deny it.

"I guessed,"

the tall-crowned man laughed. "Anyway, Rakshasa definitely knows, and you're always with her, so she must have mentioned it to you, right? That's why I'm asking."

"What if I say I don't know?"

Kou Zhong said with a grin.

"Then I'll invite you two to stay in our Jianghuai Army's territory, until you remember that 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault.' Or, you can tell me when that Rakshasa woman comes to fetch you herself; I'm not in a hurry."

The tall-robed man looked at Kou Zhong and mimicked his nonchalant tone.

"It seems you really want that 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault'!"

Kou Zhong sighed slightly. "Do you really want to be emperor that much?"

"Who doesn't want to be emperor?"

The tall-robed man gave Kou Zhong a strange look. "An emperor is the most powerful and authoritative person in the world. He can do whatever he wants, he's omnipotent. With a single decree, a thousand heads can roll; with a single amnesty, all prisoners in the world can be released! There's nothing in the world he can't do, nothing in the world that goes against his will. Isn't that the greatest happiness in life? Don't you want to be someone in such a position?"

"No,"

Kou Zhong shook his head and said, "To be honest, I don't like being an emperor. Because I feel that being an emperor is no different from being a prisoner. Both are confined to the deep palace, needing protection to come and go, having their every move recorded by historians, and being able to offer loyal advice if they make a slight mistake, be misled by treacherous officials if they are slightly confused, and be rebelled if they are slightly incompetent. If you don't think about the people, everyone will call you a tyrant. If you think about the people every day, you can't do anything else. You'll live your life for the people, and you'll have to live for a good reputation. How tiring!"

"Take Yang Jian for example."

Kou Zhong gave an example: "Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was a good emperor, I believe you agree. How tiring his life was! He didn't dare to take more than one concubine, didn't repair his palace, and his food, drink, and clothing were worse than those of an ordinary wealthy family. I heard that he needed an anti-diarrheal medicine and a small amount of lead powder, but he couldn't find it anywhere in the palace; another time, he wanted a well-woven collar, but there wasn't one either; and I heard that his carriage broke down, but he didn't replace it with a new one, he just had it repaired and made do with it. It's not that I think such an emperor was bad, but if you were to act like that, what would be the point of being an emperor?"

"..."

The man in the tall hat was somewhat stunned, and after a long time, he said, "I knew Yang Jian was very simple, but I didn't expect him to be like this."

"Yang Jian was certainly a good emperor,"

Kou Zhong laughed. "It's just that doing things the way he did was exhausting. He was busy every day, the people were prosperous, but he couldn't even raise his own son properly. Let's talk about his son, Yang Guang. Yang Guang was alright at first, but it was impossible for him to live up to Yang Jian's simple and frugal ways and love for the people like his own children. In the early years, he did quite a few good things. But what happened later? He became ambitious and complacent, and suddenly became arrogant and extravagant. You know what bad things he did, so I won't go into details. But do you think an emperor like him could truly be happy?"

"Though the world is vast, war is raging everywhere, and heroes are rising up in rebellion."

Kou Zhong said slowly, "Unfortunately, he is still unaware that he is being deceived by some treacherous officials, thinking it's just some petty thieves causing trouble. He doesn't know that the empire has already slipped through his fingers without him realizing it! He doesn't know that his empire is already doomed and on the verge of collapse. He once had countless famous generals and loyal ministers under his command, but now? Not a single one of them. They are all waiting to divide his empire and his empire. Such a person, even when death is imminent, with tears streaming down his face, still doesn't know it. Isn't that tragic? What's the point of being an emperor like that?"

"So, being an emperor sounds prestigious and seems enviable,"

Kou Zhong said calmly. "But you may not know that the emperor is the unhappiest person in the world. Take his women, for example. None of his wives are united; they all compete for favor and affection, not only in appearance, but also in figure, family background, wealth, and even whether they bear a son or a daughter. It's not easy to give birth to a son in the palace. If you're not a noblewoman or a favored concubine, your son might be poisoned before he's even born. And even after your son is finally born and grows up, they fight amongst themselves, killing each other, even persecuting their father for the throne. Is it meaningful to be an emperor like that?"

“Let’s not talk about family,”

Kou Zhong said, giving another example. “Let’s talk about others. Loyal and treacherous officials don’t have their names written on their faces, so who knows who is loyal and who is treacherous? Besides, people change. A loyal person can become treacherous, and a treacherous person can become loyal, although that possibility is very small. Who would dare to trust their ministers if they were an emperor? They don’t know which one is sharpening their knives, preparing to usurp the throne; they don’t know which one is truly trustworthy; they don’t know which one is talented and which one is mediocre. Being an emperor is so nerve-wracking that you can’t even sleep soundly, fearing a rebellion or assassination. Is being an emperor like that satisfying?”

"To be an emperor, you have to listen to your ministers arguing every day, arguing about the affairs of the realm, and arguing about their own infighting. How annoying!"

Kou Zhong said calmly. "If you don't care and just eat, drink, and be merry every day, you'll be a tyrant, and in a few years you'll be like Yang Guang, finished! If you personally take charge, do your best, and are selfless, you'll be like Yang Jian. Although your empire is secure, life is exhausting; you live your whole life helping others. So although everyone wants to be an emperor, if you actually get that position, I believe most people will complain endlessly. But unfortunately, you have nowhere to complain; you can only bear it yourself! Otherwise, why would an emperor call himself a lonely ruler?" "

..."

The man in the tall hat was speechless after hearing Kou Zhong's words.

He felt that he had only ever thought about how to conquer the world, not how to govern it, because he had never imagined that he would have such a day. He had never thought that being an emperor was so difficult, he had never thought that being an emperor was so bitter, he had never thought that being an emperor was so challenging!

"Chief Steward Du, do you want to hear my honest assessment of you?"

Kou Zhong glanced at the tall-crowned man and asked slowly.

"Speak,"

the tall-crowned man said, slapping his hand and going all out.

"You are simply not cut out to be an emperor."

Kou Zhong didn't even look at Du Fuwei, but snatched the wine jar from his hand, took a sip, and said.

"Explain yourself clearly,"

the tall-crowned man said with a hint of seriousness and coldness.

"First, your reputation is terrible."

Kou Zhong glanced at the tall-crowned man and shook his head slightly. "No matter how famous you are, no matter how strong your Jianghuai Army is, you won't have the support of the people, nor will you have their trust. If you really insist on becoming emperor, I guarantee there will be rebellions every day. No, as long as you forcibly declare yourself emperor, countless forces will attack you, countless forces will attack you under the banner of saving the people!"

"And the second one?"

the tall-crowned man asked with a fierce face.

Chapter 104 At a Loss of Hands

"Secondly, your background is too low,"

Kou Zhong shook his head again. "While it's said that one's background doesn't matter when becoming an emperor—even a rogue or commoner can become emperor—things are different now compared to the Han Dynasty. You're not Liu Bang; you don't have his charisma, his group of capable ministers and generals, or even an invincible opponent like him. Do you know? Liu Bang essentially picked up most of the empire he conquered; he only acquired it after Xiang Yu had already conquered it. You don't have all of his advantages. You come from humble beginnings, like me, a petty hoodlum. You want to be emperor? Not easily. First of all, none of the four powerful clans will support you, and the high-ranking officials won't have any goodwill towards you. You think you can become emperor smoothly without their support? That's just wishful thinking." "

Is there a third reason?"

The tall-crowned man's face turned ashen, like a coffin, as he coldly asked.

“Of course,”

Kou Zhong nodded. “Thirdly, your personal abilities are insufficient.”

“What?”

The tall-crowned man asked angrily, “Although I’m not one of the three grandmasters, I’m still a powerful figure in my own right. How dare you say I’m not capable enough?”

Seeing the tall-crowned man’s anger, Su Su tugged at Kou Zhong’s sleeve anxiously, signaling him not to be too harsh and lest he anger the other party.

Kou Zhong didn’t care; he simply stroked Su Su’s hair and patted her head to reassure her. While addressing the man with the tall, imposing figure, Kou Zhong said, "I'm telling you, your abilities are insufficient. The three grandmasters are indeed skilled in martial arts, but are they emperor material? Do you think Ning Daoqi, being so powerful, will necessarily become emperor? It's not like that at all! What use is your martial arts skill? Can you use strategy? Can you manage people? Can you use your resources to expand and strengthen your army? Can you use your abilities to win the hearts and minds of your people and make them prosperous? No! You can't do any of these!"

"If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't have been able to conquer such a large territory,"

Kou Zhong said softly. "You won all of this through your battlefield experience and brute martial arts; that's one of your abilities. But if it were someone else, with such a powerful army and such a large territory, do you know what they would do? They would do much better than you. They would slowly accumulate strength and slowly conquer the world."

"You, Du Fuwei, the one who holds back the world."

Kou Zhong declared, "You may be a hero whose name will resound throughout the land, but you will never be an emperor, and even if you were made emperor, you wouldn't be able to! I dare say you've never thought about how to be emperor, you've never thought you would become emperor, right?"

"That's right,"

the tall-crowned man nodded coldly, his expression blank. "I truly never thought about it."

"Your ambition and ability determine your fate,"

Kou Zhong took another sip of wine, saying, "At most, you can become a duke or a prince, that's the highest you can hope for, and that's only if you give up the struggle for supremacy later. If you continue to resist to the end, you might end up with nothing."

"Is there no hope for me in this life?"

the tall-crowned man suddenly asked.

"A widow losing her only son!"

Kou Zhong used an analogy: "Absolutely no hope!"

"Even obtaining the 'Yang Gong Treasure Trove' won't bring hope?"

the tall-crowned man asked again.

"No,"

Kou Zhong said firmly. "Let's not even talk about whether you can get the 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault.' Even if you could, do you know what's inside? Do you really think it's filled with countless gold, silver, and weapons? If Yang Su really had that much power, with his high position and military authority, wouldn't he have rebelled long ago? Why didn't his son Yang Xuangan's rebellion succeed? Yang Xuangan's martial arts were the best in the entire Sui Dynasty. He had countless elite soldiers and was incredibly intelligent. He had slaughtered many in Goguryeo and made unparalleled contributions. Why did he fail? Why didn't he take out the 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault'?"

"Could it be that the 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault' is just a rumor, nothing more than hearsay?"

the tall-robed man asked in alarm.

"Is it just a rumor?"

Kou Zhong shook his head and said, "I believe it's not, but I'm even more convinced that the 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault' doesn't contain as much as people imagine. Why is it said that obtaining the 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault' will grant one the world? Because it's simple: it has a strategic location. Once obtained, one can immediately start a rebellion. As for where it is, I can tell you directly, because even if I did, it wouldn't matter; you can't retrieve it."

"Where is it?"

the tall-robed man asked urgently.

"The imperial capital,"

Kou Zhong said with a slight smile, "There are some weapons there. Once retrieved, they can be used to attack the emperor's palace through a secret passage. So, the saying 'whoever possesses it can possess the world' refers to this geographical advantage, not some immense wealth or military reserves."

"What?"

The tall-robed man was dumbfounded, and after a long while, he murmured, "'Yang Gong's Treasure Vault' is just a secret passage for assassinating the emperor? It doesn't have any treasures or weapons? How could this be?"

"Do you understand now?"

Kou Zhong shook his head and said, "Why did the Rakshasa woman pawn that 'Long Live' ancient jade? Wasn't it to incite infighting among us Central Plains people? If 'Yang Gong's Treasure Vault' were really so useful, and could really be retrieved, why would she publicize it so much? Goryeo is currently weak and impoverished, and urgently needs a large amount of treasure to alleviate its suffering. Why doesn't she retrieve it herself? This simple logic is self-evident."

"This 'Yang Gong's Treasure Vault' can't be retrieved?"

the tall-robed man suddenly asked.

“Once it’s opened, there’s only one path,”

Kou Zhong nodded. “That path leads straight to the palace. All escape routes are blocked. If you don’t attack the palace, you’ll never get out. It’s a ‘do or die’ situation. There’s no way back. Just attack Yang Guang, then occupy the capital. There’s no other way! Now, do you still want to go get it?”

“Have you been there?”

the tall-robed man asked.

“No,”

Kou Zhong lied. “The Rakshasa woman went. She was originally there to assassinate Yang Guang, so it suited her perfectly. She disguised herself as a palace maid to assassinate him, but she failed and escaped, which led to all these events.”

“No wonder she only took one piece of the ‘Long Live’ jade.”

The tall-robed man nodded heavily. “Now I understand. Although I don’t completely believe you, I don’t doubt you either, because you’re a strange person, not the type to lie to me. I’ve heard countless people’s opinions of me, and yours is the one that hurts me the most, angers me the most, and also the one I believe the most!”

"So,"

the tall-robed man snatched the wine jar from Kou Zhong, downed the wine in a few large gulps, then stood up, casually tossed the jar aside, and said expressionlessly to Kou Zhong, "I want to make a bet with you. If you win, I will never again concern myself with the 'Yang Gong Treasure Vault.' I won't ask whether you will retrieve it in the future, and I won't think about the emperor or anything like that. I'll just go back to being my prestigious Chief Steward Du, or my carefree local king."

"What's the bet?"

Kou Zhong asked.

“Let’s bet our fists.”

The tall-crowned man raised his iron fist and showed it to Kou Zhong. “We’ll bet on whose fist is harder. We’re both from petty thugs, we all know that whoever has the harder fist gets the orders, that’s the principle of thugs! Don’t you think so?”

“Chief Steward Du’s martial arts are unparalleled and renowned throughout the martial world.”

Kou Zhong smiled slightly. “And me? Nothing to mention. You’re clearly trying to bully me!”

“Although I boast of my skills, I wouldn’t dare to claim victory over you.”

The tall-crowned man shook his head blankly. “You’re a cunning kid. If I’m not careful, you’ll fall victim to my tricks. Let me tell you, you’ll have to use all your true skills. I won’t hold back. If you’re strong enough to survive my punches, then I, Old Du, have nothing to say. If you only have empty words, then don’t blame me.”

“Of course.”

Kou Zhong said calmly. “I won’t blame anyone. The moment I saw your face, I knew this battle was inevitable.”

"You just fought with that Shen Naitang, why don't you rest a bit longer?"

the tall-robed man asked tentatively.

"Why don't you just ask me if I can still fight? It would be better if I held back some of my strength!"

Kou Zhong laughed heartily.

He bent down, patted Su Su's little head, gently stroked her hair, and even touched her frightened face, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, I'll be alright. Be a good girl and wait for me on the side, go a little further away, okay? I'll be fine, don't worry. If you smile at me, I'll finish the fight even faster. Come on, smile and see..."

Su Su was actually terribly worried and couldn't smile at all, but to encourage him, she forced out a smile that even she felt was stiff. She pulled Kou Zhong aside and whispered, "You have to be careful. You promised me you'd be alright. You absolutely can't get hurt. Don't fight him head-on. Don't worry about me, you..."

Su Su gave him more than a dozen instructions, and Kou Zhong shook his head repeatedly. Finally, he opened his arms, hugged Su Su tightly, and patted her back, indicating that she should wait for him to come back.

Su Su stood there, frozen, at a loss, staring blankly at Kou Zhong walking towards the man in the tall hat. She felt both worried and happy. Although his action was rude, she liked it. She liked how he treated her with genuine affection, instead of always brooding over something or speaking to her in a serious tone.

"You're so confident?"

The tall-crowned man asked strangely, "Do you think my reputation as 'Hands-Off the World' for decades was just for show?"

"As the saying goes, confidence doesn't guarantee victory, but a lack of confidence guarantees defeat."

Kou Zhong stretched his limbs and said, "If I had been afraid of you from the start, would this battle even have needed to be fought?"

Chapter 105: The Madman's Battle

. "Good lad,"

the tall-crowned man sneered; "Your mentality is quite good, as sharp as your words. But I wonder what your true strength is like?"

"We'll find out when we try,"

Kou Zhong laughed loudly.

With a laugh, Kou Zhong pounced, like a wild leopard pouncing on its prey, almost skimming the ground, rushing straight into the tall-crowned man's arms. The tall-crowned man dared not underestimate him. He flicked his hand to meet Kou Zhong's attack, unleashing a massive, wall-like gust of wind that blocked Kou Zhong's path, slowing his swift movements.

The tall-crowned man clenched his other hand, transforming it into an iron hammer, and hurled it at Kou Zhong without warning.

Kou Zhong let out a strange cry and suddenly fell to the ground. Before the iron fist could strike, his hand struck the ground, his body completely skimming the surface, passing through the tall-crowned man's air barrier and between his legs. The tall-crowned man was stunned, not expecting Kou Zhong to be so shameless to dodge his attack. However, he quickly recovered, his hands lashing back in a powerful palm strike.

Kou Zhong, who had just leaped up from the ground, wasn't hit by the palm strike, but the force of the blow still sent him flying. The tall-crowned man was overjoyed. He leaned slightly to the side and threw a punch with the force of a thunderbolt, aiming directly at Kou Zhong, who had nowhere to brace himself in mid-air. Kou Zhong only slightly spun in mid-air. Although the punch didn't hit him head-on, it still shattered Kou Zhong's entire upper garment, turning it into a flurry of butterflies. A huge, bright red fist mark was imprinted on Kou Zhong's chest and abdomen.

The tall-crowned man missed his first punch,

and another came flying in. Kou Zhong, who had been in mid-air, suddenly accelerated his descent, crashing down like a meteorite onto the tall-crowned man. The tall-crowned man tried to shake Kou Zhong off balance, but Kou Zhong's descent was surprisingly weak. Though as fast as a shooting star and as swift as lightning, he was lighter than a feather, and the recoil had little effect.

The tall-crowned man, caught off guard, realized he had been tricked and quickly retreated.

He was fast, but Kou Zhong was faster.

In that instant, Kou Zhong was no longer the helpless Kou Zhong who had been beaten without resistance; in that moment, all his previous feigned weakness had come into play. Including his fight with the short, stout old man, he had been trying to send the tall-crowned man the wrong message: that Kou Zhong's strength was limited, that he posed no real threat to true masters, and that he was merely a strategist with limited actual strength.

He wanted the tall-crowned man to believe that.

Undoubtedly, he succeeded.

The tall-crowned man was initially uneasy, but after personally testing him, he felt much more at ease. His previously guarded defenses dwindled to a minimum. He had initially thought he could easily defeat Kou Zhong, but the relentless attacks left him breathless. That's what

he thought.

That's exactly what Kou Zhong had wanted him to believe.

With a swift movement of his feet, Kou Zhong clamped his grip on the tall-crowned man's neck, suddenly tilting and spinning him to the side. The tall-crowned man felt a sharp pain in his neck, as an immense force, like a mountain, pressed down on his weakest point, causing his entire spine to creak and groan. For the first time in his life, the man in the tall hat worried that his neck might break. He dared not resist the force, but instead followed the twist, falling towards the ground.

Even more bizarrely, Kou Zhong suddenly changed his position. Instead of falling, he moved upwards, completely opposite to the man in the tall hat, twisting the man's head upwards.

The man in the tall hat couldn't understand how he could do this—from extreme movement to extreme stillness, then from extreme stillness to extreme movement, from extreme high to extreme low, and then from extreme low to extreme high. How did he do it? The man in the tall hat didn't understand; he couldn't understand it no matter how hard he tried, and time didn't allow him to think about it too much. The man in the tall hat let out a low growl, his hands flashing between his head and neck, using his iron hands to protect his weakest point.

His method was successful; even if Kou Zhong was incredibly strong, he could never twist his arms.

Because he was Du Fuwei, the 'Sleeve Universe'.

The man in the tall hat had hands, and so did Kou Zhong. His hands were like five sledgehammers splitting a mountain, or a Vajra subduing demons; the two hands combined to form a giant vajra, slamming heavily into Du Fuwei's back, striking him squarely without any resistance. The man in the tall hat, besides desperately using his protective energy to defend himself, had no time to spare for defense. He finally understood that this kid, after all his calculations, had been waiting for this one move. Despite his careful precautions, he had still been outmaneuvered.

The man in the tall hat felt as if the blow had plunged him into darkness, stars flashing before his eyes. His spine felt like a snake struck at its vital point, limp and paralyzed.

Kou Zhong, pressing his advantage, saw no mercy. He launched a flying kick at the fallen man, the force of which slammed into his face. Before the man could react and scream, Kou Zhong's other foot slammed into his other cheek. The tall-crowned man was furious. It wasn't that he didn't want to defend himself, but a strange thread had bound his hands and neck. He initially thought it was the "Ten Thousand Miles of Love Thread," but after carefully using his strength to break it, he discovered it was just an ordinary silkworm thread. However, Kou Zhong had already taken the opportunity to attack his cheeks, causing him to howl in anger!

The tall-crowned man spread his hands, pressing down on Kou Zhong who was trying to escape. With a sudden pull, Kou Zhong was involuntarily drawn towards him by the immense force of the attraction. What awaited Kou Zhong was the tall-crowned man's iron head, which slammed heavily into Kou Zhong's chest with a deafening roar.

Kou Zhong's hands transformed into drills, simultaneously piercing the tall-crowned man's ears, resulting in mutual injury.

This shameless attack on vital points caused the tall-crowned man excruciating pain. The man in the tall hat knew that if he continued to fight this petty scoundrel according to the rules of the martial world, he would suffer a terrible defeat. He suddenly realized that this was no different from his fights with other thugs decades ago when he was still a small-time hoodlum – gouging out eyes, punching noses, pulling hair, slapping temples, and attacking groins – all the same extreme methods.

The man in the tall hat cursed and dodged Kou Zhong's storm of attacks.

He didn't want to dodge, but he had no choice. Although he had devoted himself to martial arts training in recent years and avoided women, he didn't want to become a eunuch. Kou Zhong's kicks were not only vicious and ruthless, but also cunning and adept at using the opponent's force against them. The man in the tall hat had been hit by Kou Zhong's force more than once, infuriating him.

Kou Zhong certainly didn't seem like a master, but his fighting style was surprisingly effective.

That was the man in the tall hat's opinion.

The man in the tall hat, having once again been cunningly stomped on by Kou Zhong, roared and, employing a thug's fighting style, launched a flying kick at Kou Zhong's groin.

Su Su watched in stunned disbelief. She had initially thought they would exchange blows, stop short of serious injury, and eventually become friends, recognizing each other as heroes.

But instead, they fought with incredible ferocity, showing no mercy whatsoever; it was a true fight to the death. Her heart clenched; she worried Kou Zhong wouldn't be able to defeat the renowned "Sleeve Universe" Du Fuwei. But before she could dwell on it, Kou Zhong turned the tide, leaving the famous Du Fuwei, whose name even she found resounding, utterly defeated.

Su Su couldn't see the fight clearly, but she noticed Du Fuwei frequently howling in pain and being repeatedly knocked to the ground by Kou Zhong, while Kou Zhong fared much better. She couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

So he was that powerful; he could even hold his own against a master like Du Fuwei. Although Su Su was still a little worried, she felt even sweeter.

She remembered Kou Zhong's heartfelt embrace earlier. At the time, she was so excited and nervous that her body was stiff, and she didn't feel much, only her heart pounding wildly and her mind blank. But now, thinking back, her heart was filled with sweetness.

Kou Zhong, shirtless, rolled on the ground, dodging Du Fuwei's 'Heavenly Crippled Kick'. Du Fuwei, enraged by Kou Zhong's earlier attack, no longer cared about his status as a manager or a master, resorting to the tactics of a petty thug from decades ago, kicking Kou Zhong's vitals with every kick, seemingly determined to break Kou Zhong's manhood.

If Kou Zhong had actually been kicked, it seemed he'd be destined for eunuchhood, if not palace service.

Kou Zhong was covered in mud and sand, utterly disheveled, but he couldn't care less; he needed to escape, and protecting his belongings was paramount. Du Fuwei relentlessly pursued him, almost always missing by a hair's breadth, terrifying Kou Zhong to the point of madness.

But prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat; Kou Zhong could evade the first day, but not the fifteenth.

As he somersaulted backward to dodge, the relentless Du Fuwei caught up and delivered a flying kick. Fortunately, the kick landed on the fleshiest and thickest part of Kou Zhong's body—his buttocks. Kou Zhong was sent flying, crashing into a tree not far away. The tree, thicker than a bowl, was knocked down, breaking in half, its massive trunk crashing to the ground, along with branches from another nearby tree.

Kou Zhong, like a mountain ghost, covered in leaves and utterly disheveled, leaped out, not charging at his opponent, but instead rushing towards a distant tree.

The tall-crowned man was bewildered. Was this kid trying to escape? Had he lost his mind? Was he plotting something again?

Even now that Kou Zhong was on the ground, he wasn't entirely at ease. In his mind, Kou Zhong was more than just cunning. Defeating this young man was the tall-crowned man's greatest wish. Of course, in other areas, such as cunning, strategy, eloquence, or theory, he felt he couldn't possibly be his match. The only thing he could overcome was savagery.

Chapter 106: A Battle of Wits and Courage

. This Kou Zhong was cunning, but even the most cunning person couldn't compare to a savage. The

tall-crowned man had once been a petty thug, and he knew this kind of thuggish truth perfectly well.

A tree is only four or five zhang tall; if you can't fly, no matter how high you climb, you'll eventually fall.

The tall-crowned man wasn't worried about Kou Zhong climbing the tree. He chased after him to the base and followed him up the tree. He wanted to corner Kou Zhong, trapping him in this tree. If he couldn't escape, he would surely fall to his iron fist. Kou Zhong's lightness skill was good, and his escape skills even better. The man in the tall hat was already having a headache figuring out how to quickly finish him off, and now seeing him climb the tree, it was practically suicide.

The man in the tall hat didn't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Even if Kou Zhong had some tricks up his sleeve, they would be quite limited. Furthermore, the tricks that could be used in this tree were far fewer and safer than those on the ground. Therefore, the man in the tall hat couldn't refuse this opportunity. He rushed forward, chasing after Kou Zhong.

Firstly, he was genuinely curious about what Kou Zhong planned to do with this tree. What kind of tricks could be played in a tree? This was something the man in the tall hat couldn't understand. Secondly, he wanted to challenge his own abilities. No matter how many tricks his opponent had, if his strength was inferior to his own, he would ultimately be defeated by him.

Kou Zhong leaped upwards along the tree trunk, reaching the very top before suddenly turning and unleashing a powerful punch at the tall, crowned man who had been pursuing him. The

tall, crowned man, fearing Kou Zhong's escape, was overjoyed at the sight. He was clearly superior in internal strength; what was a small fist compared to a big one? He stood upright like a spear, his feet firmly planted on the tree trunk, and punched out with one fist, clashing with Kou Zhong's powerful blow. His other hand was carefully on guard, wary of any trickery Kou Zhong might employ.

But Kou Zhong had no tricks; he fought like a madman, attacking the tall, crowned man from above, each time knocked back, he immediately followed with another powerful punch. The tall, crowned man knocked him away more than ten times, blood gushing from Kou Zhong's mouth and nose, yet he continued to pounce like a mad tiger descending a mountain, repeatedly falling into the tall, crowned man's fists.

The tall, crowned man's hands were dripping with Kou Zhong's blood. Suddenly, he realized something was amiss.

Why was Kou Zhong doing this? Why would he suffer such a great loss? He's a truly intelligent man; how could he allow himself to gain such a significant advantage? There must be some conspiracy behind his actions!

At the very least, this attack is becoming increasingly disadvantageous for him.

He's being forced upwards, his feet firmly planted on the tree trunk, unable to move freely. He's bound his feet, placing himself in a disadvantageous position on the tree. Kou Zhong can dissipate most of his force by being thrown into the air each time, but he can't. If he wants to force Kou Zhong to his death on this tree, he must remain here.

If he retreats to the base, Kou Zhong might pursue him.

The tall-crowned man recalled Kou Zhong's free-speed acceleration in the air and his powerful sneak attack, and felt a chill run down his spine.

But this can't continue. The tall-crowned man suddenly realized he was in an awkward situation. Retreat? He dared not retreat. Defend? He couldn't defend. Attack? He couldn't attack. If he were at the top of the tree, it would be much better, but he was stuck in the middle, unable to move up or down. If he were to counterattack, Kou Zhong would surely have some trick up his sleeve. The tall-robed man felt increasingly uneasy and suspicious.

How had things suddenly shifted from pursuit to defense?

The tall-robed man was exasperated. He now realized that Kou Zhong's method of neutralizing his thuggish fighting style was absolutely brilliant. Now, even if he wanted to kick Kou Zhong's groin, he couldn't. For the first time, the tall-robed man felt that a smart person was still better than someone who wasn't so smart. At least he hadn't been able to figure out a way to counter Kou Zhong's martial arts or that "Ten Thousand Miles of Love," yet Kou Zhong had devised a way to counter his moves in just a few exchanges.

Most impressively, Kou Zhong had managed to lure him into a trap. Just when he was on guard, Kou Zhong had managed to trick him willingly.

The tall-robed man sighed inwardly. This Kou Zhong was indeed exceptionally cunning!

Seeing that the tall-robed man was showing signs of retreat, Kou Zhong immediately changed his attack, his hands moving as soft as cotton, as gentle as willow branches, and as swift as the wind. He didn't touch the tree trunk; he floated above the tall-crowned man. Every time the tall-crowned man shook him, he would pull his hands inward, dissipating the wall-like energy blasts and letting them pass by him. Using this rising energy, he would continue to float above the tall-crowned man's head.

The tall-crowned man was frantic, but he was helpless.

His opponent attacked relentlessly, forcing him to defend and counterattack, but even the fiercest energy couldn't harm him. Kou Zhong was now like a feather, practically weightless, his hands as soft as cotton, repeatedly deflecting his heavy punches. But the moment he prepared to retreat, those soft palms would instantly transform from extremely gentle to extremely hard, a thunderous palm slamming down. Yet, the moment he counterattacked, that thunderous palm would transform from extremely hard to extremely soft, like a wisp of smoke.

The tall-crowned man admired Kou Zhong's control. At his age, with decades of undiminished skill, he couldn't control his inner energy with such ease, such extreme control, such unpredictability.

When Kou Zhong's palm struck again, the tall-crowned man suddenly abandoned his defense. He watched helplessly as Kou Zhong's blow landed. Although he could have easily blocked it, he didn't. He simply remained motionless, waiting for Kou Zhong's palm to imprint itself on his chest.

"Boom..."

A loud crash followed, and blood trickled from the tall-crowned man's mouth and nose, yet he smiled.

He had seen through his opponent's moves and devised a countermeasure: no defense at all! As long as he didn't defend, his opponent's attack would inevitably hit him. Once it did, the distance between them would be minimized, putting him in the most advantageous position. Moreover, after the initial blow, even if he were incredibly fast and adept at shifting from hard to soft, from slow to fast, from offense to defense, it would still take time to complete the transition. A full-force attack cannot immediately be followed by defense, nor can an advance be immediately followed by a retreat.

After paying such a price, the tall-crowned man finally achieved his desired result.

Kou Zhong's hand.

The hand that had attacked, the hand that was imprinted on the tall-crowned man's chest, was now firmly locked in place.

The tall-crowned man grabbed Kou Zhong's wrist with one large hand, and immediately retaliated with the other, slamming it heavily into Kou Zhong's chest and abdomen. Retribution must be swift! Kou Zhong was captured in one move and immediately paid a terrible price; a huge palm print appeared beside his chest, a horrifying sight. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose like a waterfall.

Kou Zhong was unable to struggle. Although he desperately rotated his body back and forth in opposite directions to weaken the opponent's attack, Du Fuwei's heavy palm strike was not so easy to withstand. More importantly, the opponent's heavy palm strike was not confused by his back-and-forth rotation. The heavy palm strike went up along the arm that was being grabbed, right at the base of the arm, next to the soft side of the ribs, and landed heavily, making it impossible to dodge.

This kind of injury was also difficult to resolve, so Kou Zhong was immediately put in the worst possible situation, severely injured in one blow.

When the tall-crowned man came down with another heavy palm strike, Kou Zhong defended.

He curled up into a ball, his body contorted, and when the tall-crowned man's heavy palm strike came, he only left his feet to block. His knees were bent, and his arm was wrapped around his body, intending to take the heavy palm strike head-on and then retaliate.

The tall-crowned man noticed that the soles of the boy's shoes were covered in mud and even had several sizable holes, worse than even a beggar's shoes. He was astonished that the boy could perform such unpredictable movements while wearing such shoes, yet he was delighted by the boy's turtle-like defense. Others might not punch a pair of muddy shoes, but who was this? He was Du Fuwei, a petty thug who had suffered countless hardships. He wouldn't care about such things, even though he was now the 'Sleeve Universe' Chief Steward Du.

The tall-crowned man unleashed his full power in a powerful palm strike. He knew that prolonged attacks were difficult to maintain, and to ensure victory, he wanted to finish off this cunning boy quickly, so he used his greatest strength.

All his power was concentrated in one strike.

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