[Fantasy] The Song of the Six Dynasties (Complete) - 13

page views:1 Publication date:2023-07-23

Cheng

Zongyang arrived at Lin Qingpu's quiet room like the wind. The water mirror had been hanging there for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The mirror rippled slightly, reflecting a wrinkled old face.

Cheng Zongyang felt relieved. Shanghou had broken the Song army's formation, so at least Jiangzhou was safe for now.

With a sigh of relief, Cheng Zongyang smiled and said, "Oh, Eighth Master, it's you, old man."

Shanghou said weakly, "Little Cheng, you've gone astray. The friends you've made are utterly immoral..."

"Old man, are you joking? Can they be as immoral as you?"

"Look! Look!"

Shanghou pointed to several flags on the ground with a pained expression.

Those flags were all fiery red battle flags, embroidered with gold and colorful patterns, exceptionally magnificent. They were vaguely the same flags that Little Fox had said the old man was using for his monkey tricks. The flags they used were quite strange, with a large "公" (gong, meaning public/official) character written on them. Each flag also bore the same character, and this continued for over a dozen flags – a whole collection of "公," "公," "公公," "公公," "公公"... After

looking at them for a while, Cheng Zongyang finally realized that the flags originally had the characters "八八" (ba ba, meaning eight/eight) embroidered in black silk thread.

It was likely that the little fox had mischievously added a line underneath with ink, changing it to the character "公," making it look flawless from a distance.

The more Cheng Zongyang looked, the more he couldn't help but laugh, exclaiming, "Why are they all male? Not a single female?"

"Oh dear, little Cheng! You're just being naughty with them!"

"My lord, don't be angry! It was just a joke. I'll have the little fox change it right away, okay? But speaking of which, for such a small matter as a few flags, you personally went to great lengths to find me – that's truly remarkable!"

"What a lousy formation!"

Marquis Shang exclaimed, pounding his chest and stamping his feet. "You have no idea how badly this old man has been tricked! These flags were working perfectly fine; I'd just patrol them once a day and then go home to sleep. But today, as soon as they were deployed, everyone else was fine, but one of the Shegui Sun troops went berserk the moment they saw the flags, fighting me to the death! They fought from the city walls to the city walls, and from the city walls to outside the city! It was all elite troops, and then there were cavalry; it was all cavalry, and then there were barbarian beastmen! They'd driven this old man here, man and beast!"

Cheng Zongyang's face was contorted with emotion. He tried hard to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking, until finally he bumped his head into the water mirror, which shimmered and then disappeared.

"Hahahaha!"

Cheng Zongyang burst into laughter, completely disregarding his image.

Old Marquis Shang probably never imagined that his guards would inexplicably be fighting to the death with the most elite Song army below the city.

That's right, it must be the Vanguard Battalion! The moment this banner was raised, a barrage of cries of "Eunuch! Eunuch!" were a slap in the face to Qin Han, the commander of the Vanguard Camp. It would be a miracle if the elite troops of the Vanguard Camp didn't fight them to the death.

Cheng Zongyang excitedly shouted, "Qingpu! Hurry to Lianjiangzhou! I want to see who wins and who loses in a fight between Old Man Shang and Qin the Great Sable."

Turning around, he saw Lin Qingpu sitting cross-legged on the ground, his face pale and his forehead covered in sweat. Cheng Zongyang remembered that the Water Mirror Technique was most vulnerable to interference; he had accidentally broken the water mirror, injuring Lin Qingpu who was performing the technique.

"It's alright,"

Lin Qingpu said reluctantly. "I'll just rest for a bit."

Cheng Zongyang said repeatedly, "You rest! You rest!"

Suddenly, his shoulders stiffened, and he turned around and shouted, "What did you just say? Subordinate! Damn it! You agreed to join my Panjiang Cheng Clan?"

Lin Qingpu smiled bitterly, "If I were to resign now, would the patriarch allow me to leave?"

"Nonsense!"

Lin Qingpu shrugged. "To avoid being silenced by the patriarch, I have no choice but to do this."

Cheng Zongyang laughed loudly, saying as he walked, "My Cheng Clan finally has its own full-time mage!"

Feng Yuan poked his head out from a distance: "Old Cheng—you called me?"

"I'm calling you!"

Cheng Zongyang laughed and scolded, "Feng Dafa! It's been over a month, have you finished making the hand grenades I told you about?"

"Those things are easy to make, but they're too expensive. Each one costs dozens of silver coins, it's not worth it!" "

Find Old Qin tomorrow, I'll give you a hundred gold coins first, whether they go off or not, make a batch and let me see!"

"Alright! Just you wait and see, young master!"

Feng Yuan said, "Our Ping Shan Sect's design skills are ancestral!"

"If your ancestor saw what you've made, he'd be furious!"

Just before entering the waterside pavilion, Cheng Zongyang saw Li Shishi startled by his laughter, clutching her wallet and looking over in surprise.

A mischievous thought crossed Cheng Zongyang's mind. He darted to Li Shishi, and before she could react, he grabbed her slender waist and kissed her cherry lips.

Li Shishi was immediately filled with embarrassment, pushing him away forcefully and running off.

"Don't run away! I have something important to ask you! Never mind, never mind, tomorrow!"

From the breaking of the Jiangzhou magic array to Old Man Shang's "eighty-eight" becoming "eunuch" and Lin Qingpu's decision to join the Cheng family, Cheng Zongyang hadn't been this happy in half a year, his jaw practically agape from laughing.

Back in the waterside pavilion, seeing Ruan Xiangning lying naked beside the couch, Cheng Zongyang slapped her plump, white buttocks and said with great enthusiasm, "Beautiful Ruan, while your master is in a good mood today, let's open the flower buds of your back garden too, shall we?"

Ruan Xiangning replied sweetly, "Yes, my lord."

The next morning, at the Tianxiang Pavilion in Cuiwei Garden.

Li Shishi stepped into the living room, curtsied slightly, and said, "Master."

"Sit,"

Cheng Zongyang said. "I've summoned you today to inquire about the Guangming Temple."

"What does the Master want to know?"

"Well, let's start with the current situation of the Guangming Temple."

"The Guangming Temple is in Mingzhou..."

"Isn't it in the mountains?"

Li Shishi shook her head. "Master Ming once said privately that so-called deep-mountain cultivation is mostly seeking shortcuts to enlightenment. The Guangming Temple is meant to help people and save lives. Living in seclusion in the mountains might be for self-preservation, but helping people and saving lives is not necessarily the case. Besides, since the Guangming Temple practices medicine, more contact with patients is needed to improve medical skills. Therefore, the main hall of the Guangming Temple is located in a bustling area, so patients can directly enter for treatment."

"That's not right, why did Miss Le Mingzhu come down from the mountain?"

"The Guangming Temple is divided into an inner hall and an outer hall. The outer hall focuses on medical skills, while the inner hall focuses on cultivation. Therefore, the inner hall is located on Canglu Mountain in the southeast of Mingzhou, where Uncle Yan teaches. I am of average talent and only entered the outer hall nominally..."

Cheng Zongyang laughed, "Why are you unhappy now?"

Li Shishi forced herself to say, "I was thinking about my background. If I were in the inner hall, my father wouldn't be in such a predicament."

"The Guangming Temple's actions are indeed a bit heartless... Let's not talk about that. I wanted to ask you why you went to the Tiger Wing Army and why you went to Mingzhou?"

Lin Qingpu had not yet recovered and was temporarily unable to contact Jiangzhou. Cheng Zongyang was worried that the Song army would take advantage of Jiangzhou's lack of external support to launch a full-scale attack on the city, so he first sought out Li Shishi to inquire.

“Guangming Temple and the Song Kingdom had an agreement to send disciples to the army to practice medicine every year. This year it was my turn to go to the Tiger Wing Army. Not long after I arrived at the army, I was ordered to go to Jiangzhou.”

Li Shishi hesitated for a moment, “I encountered an unknown poison on the front line in Jiangzhou. I collected some and was about to send it to the temple for testing when I received a letter from home, so I returned to Lin’an.”

Cheng Zongyang immediately tensed up. "Where are the poisons you collected?"

Li Shishi said sadly, "I can no longer return to Guangming Temple. Fearing that those poisons would harm people if left behind, I have already burned them all."

Cheng Zongyang breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that they're burned."

Although Shanghou's biochemical poison was worth a fortune, Guangming Temple had dealings with Yue Niaoren. Who knew if they might find a way to counteract it?

Li Shishi raised her eyes and said, "Besides my Tiger Wing Army, the Jing Sai Army and Guang Wu Army also have senior sisters from the Bright Temple. If they encounter such a poison, they will definitely send it to the temple."

It seems that it is inevitable that this virus will fall into the hands of the Bright Temple. Cheng Zongyang could only say, "Let them send it. Anyway, that kind of poison is useless after five uses, so it's not a big problem."

Li Shishi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "How does the master know the effects of that poison?"

Cheng Zongyang was speechless for a moment, then chuckled dryly, "Have you forgotten that I came from Jiangzhou? We even met on the road! I happened to see a bit when I passed by the battlefield."

Li Shishi didn't ask any more questions, but just took out a booklet. "I originally thought I was going to ask about the accounts, so I spent the whole night sorting out all the exchange records of the bank."

She had done such a good job, so it would be unreasonable not to ask a few questions. Cheng Zongyang flipped through the notes, casually asking, "Any interesting information?"

"Yes,"

Li Shishi replied, "When I sorted through the collected banknote serial numbers, I found that over 90% of those exchanging banknotes for gold coins were destined for areas south of Lin'an. Very few merchants north of Lin'an came to exchange them."

"Is that so?"

Cheng Zongyang found it intriguing. "Could it be that merchants north of Lin'an are having trouble traveling and haven't come to Lin'an to exchange their money yet?"

Li Shishi shook her head. "I don't know the reason either, but the banknotes have only been in circulation for less than half a month, and only Lin'an and Yunzhou have exchanged them. Perhaps the master is right." "

Let's see again at the end of the month. Hopefully, they won't exchange them all, so I can at least have some left for myself."

"Young Master,"

Yu Ziyuan entered and whispered, "Grand Commandant Gao is furious. He said his son has been missing for several days, presumably influenced by you, indulging in debauchery. He demands that you come and explain." Cheng

Zongyang glanced at the time; it was nearly noon. He immediately knew that Gao Qiu had just finished court. If it weren't for a major event occurring in the Song Dynasty court, he wouldn't have sought him out in this way.

Upon arriving at the Grand Commandant's residence, Grand Commandant Gao had already been waiting for some time. Cheng Zongyang carefully apologized and presented a generous gift, only then did Grand Commandant Gao's expression soften slightly, and he invited Cheng Zongyang to have tea in the hall.

After finishing his performance in front of everyone in the manor, Gao Qiu dismissed his family and said directly, "The court has decided to withdraw its troops."

"Excellent!"

"This morning, the newly appointed leader of the Taiyi Zhenzong sect entered the palace to meet the emperor and personally bestowed upon His Majesty the title 'Pure One True Man,' along with a jade ball and precious book, as well as the Chongtian Temple in Lin'an and the Taiyi Palace in Jiangzhou, to serve as places for praying to immortality within the palace."

"What does this mean?"

Cheng Zongyang exclaimed, "Where does the Taiyi Zhenzong have a Taoist temple in Jiangzhou?"

"The Taiyi Zhenzong's title, 'One,' signifies supreme authority, and it is never bestowed upon anyone other than the monarchs and kings of the Six Dynasties. Once one has this title, along with the jade ball and precious book, one can speak on matters within the sect. As for the Taoist temple in Jiangzhou, the Taiyi Zhenzong wants to build one; would you stop them?"

It really was true. Putting aside everything else, just for Qiu's sake, he wouldn't stop the Taiyi Zhenzong from building a temple in Jiangzhou. As for giving it to the Song emperor, it was mostly just polite talk, to make the Song emperor feel that at least they had occupied a piece of land in Jiangzhou, so the trip wasn't in vain.

Cheng Zongyang instantly understood Lin Caiquan's scheme. He had asked Lin to give the Song emperor a way out, but Lin had instead offered him a title and two Taoist temples, allowing the Song emperor to withdraw his troops with dignity and gain an ally. Ever since Wang Zhe's sword strike to the heavens, relations between the Song state and the Taiyi Zhenzong sect had soured. Now, Lin, leveraging the influence of Jiangzhou, had personally invited the Song emperor's forces into the sect, repairing relations while simultaneously elevating Lin's own status within the sect. This old fellow was truly capable; he had forced Lin to do something, and Lin had done it flawlessly, reaping all the benefits.

"This old bastard, I'm truly impressed!"

Cheng Zongyang stated his assessment, applauding Lin Caiquan's methods.

"Not only that."

Gao Qiu knew more about the situation in the Song Dynasty than Cheng Zongyang. "Although the Taiyi Zhenzong was the largest sect in the Song Dynasty, the sect with the closest ties to the palace in the past twenty years was the Shenxiao Sect. Lin Caiquan

's actions might be seen as a move to stage a comeback." During Wang Zhe's era, the relationship between the Taiyi Zhenzong and the Song Dynasty soured, and the Shenxiao Sect seized the opportunity to rise, showing signs of replacing it. Lin Caiquan's move not only helped Cheng Zongyang, but also gained him an ally and countered the Shenxiao Sect—a triple win, flawless. (Advertisement: Still relying on your hands? How can you enjoy that? Forum reputation guaranteed! Healthy anti-premature ejaculation masturbation exerciser, real oral sex pleasure experience, hot recommendation! Maintain the feeling of ejaculation for 30 minutes, so pleasurable you'll faint! Fully automated masturbation with 12 different sexual positions and vibration frequencies. Click to enter.)

"When will the edict to withdraw troops reach the Jiangzhou front?"

"It will be delivered by express courier with a gold medal, arriving in seven days."

"Today is March 11th, so it will be March 18th."

Cheng Zongyang said, "Emperor Taiyi Zhenzong's influence is truly immense—"

"The court's finances are stretched thin, and we really can't continue the war."

Gao Qiu said, "At today's court meeting, Jia Shixian still strongly advocated for war, but Cai Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue submitted an account listing recent expenses. The purchase of grain alone cost two million paper coins and one million gold coins, totaling three million, almost half of the annual expenditure. The officials were immediately in uproar."

In the end, the grain war was effective, quietly pushing the Song Dynasty to the brink of collapse. Emperor Taiyi Zhenzong was merely the last straw that broke the camel's back. Cheng

Zongyang was secretly pleased, but smiled and said, "Is he criticizing old Jia for being wasteful?"

Gao Qiu shook his head. "On the contrary, even His Majesty said that if it weren't for Grand Tutor Jia introducing paper money, which solved the court's urgent crisis, the granaries would be empty during this lean season, and a major disaster would surely occur in the country."

"Is the Song Emperor protecting Old Jia?"

"His Majesty needs the money shops, so he can't let Grand Tutor Jia lose power."

Gao Qiu said coldly, "Liang Shicheng is in danger."

Cheng Zongyang didn't care about the changes in the Song Dynasty's political situation. As long as he had the support of the Song Emperor and Jia Shixian, who gained or lost power was none of his concern.

"After working for so long, I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight. Grand Commandant Gao, how about we go watch a whipping competition together?"

A smile slowly appeared on Gao Qiu's deeply calculating expression. "That's exactly what I was thinking, but we need to deal with Lin Chong's matter first. He's been in prison for more than half a month, and it's time for him to be on his way."

"Indeed! But what Headmaster Lin said just now gave me another idea..."

Cheng Zongyang returned to Cuiwei Garden in fine clothes and on horseback, not daring to stop for a moment along the way.

Cheng Zongyang had already experienced Jian Yuji's methods firsthand. Fearing she might target Yun Xiufeng, he had deliberately moved to Fantian Temple to stay close to her. Who knew that while she was in Lin'an, her true intentions were in Jiankang, thousands of miles away, and with a mere trick, she had nearly driven him and the Xingyue Lake camp to ruin.

If it weren't for the economic warfare he had orchestrated exceeding Jian Yuji's understanding, they wouldn't have had a chance to turn the tide.

Looking back, Cheng Zongyang secretly rejoiced that he had chosen economic warfare, placing the real battlefield in his area of expertise.

A grain war tore apart the already weak finances of the Song Dynasty, weakening its war-making capabilities and ultimately forcing it to retreat outside the battlefield. Now, not only has the crisis in Jiangzhou been resolved, but the potential losses from the Black Demon Sea's intervention have also been minimized.

Leaving aside the troubles of the Yun Clan for the time being, this economic war orchestrated by Cheng Zongyang can be considered a resounding victory, at least giving him the confidence to report back to Meng Laoda, who fully supported him.

After Jian Yuji made her move without making a sound, she made no further action. Of course, Cheng Zongyang was not naive enough to think that she had given up.

Whether it was a wet nurse or a concubine, the Black Demon Sea could bring a living person out of the palace. Cheng Zongyang believed that while Gao Qiu was talking to him, the intelligence about the court's decision to withdraw troops had already been placed on Jian Yuji's desk. Whether Jian Yuji continued to win him over or began to deal with the counterattack from Xingyue Lake, he was in danger.

Cheng Zongyang chose Cuiwei Garden as his temporary residence for several reasons. While others might suspect his relationship with Gao Qiu, Hei Mohai would remain aloof. It was Hei Mohai who had ordered Ruan Xiangning to approach Gao Yanei, and Cheng Zongyang's presence at Cuiwei Garden was intended to create the illusion that the situation was still under control. However, he had no idea whether Jian Yuji would fall for his trap.

For safety, Cheng Zongyang brought all his men with him, especially Jin Wuzhu, Qingmian Shou, and Baozi Tou, three beast-like warriors who surrounded him in a triangular formation.

These three were not only incredibly strong but also physically imposing, serving as heavy human shields. Furthermore, being half-human and half-beast, they possessed a wild animal's instinct for danger, making them ideal for preventing assassination attempts.

They returned to Cuiwei Garden without incident. Just as they reached the backyard, a loud crash was heard. The windows of a nearby house shattered, spewing thick smoke. Yu Ziyuan nimbly leaped to his feet, grabbing the reins of Cheng Zongyang's horse to shield him from view. Then Jin Wuzhu and the others swarmed around him, like three mountains of flesh completely surrounding him.

"Cough cough..."

A man stumbled out of the room, his clothes torn to shreds and his face blackened with soot. Judging from his features, it was vaguely Feng Yuan.

Cheng Zongyang was both annoyed and amused. "Master Feng, what are you doing?"

"The proportion of wood... charcoal was a bit too high..."

Feng Yuan coughed, "I... I'll try again..."

"Why did you put so much gunpowder in the experiment? Ziyuan! Take Master Feng to the front to wash up and see if he's injured."

"I'm a fire mage! What kind of fire can burn me! Ouch... where did this glass come from..."

Feng Yuan clutched his buttocks and cried out in pain. Yu Ziyuan suppressed a laugh and helped him to the front yard to treat his injuries.

Cheng Zongyang shouted from behind, "Master Feng, if you can make a hand grenade, I'll create an award in your name, called the 'Master Feng Award'! It will be awarded annually to outstanding individuals from all walks of life!"

"Oh dear... I still have a... Pingshan! Pingshan! Call it the 'Pingshan Grand Prize'! I, Master Feng, can't forget my roots..."

This interlude instantly eased Cheng Zongyang's tense nerves. He smiled and entered the waterside pavilion, only to find Li Shishi sitting in the living room, her usually gentle and serene face now appearing frosty.

There was another woman in the hall, adorned with jewels and dressed in magnificent attire, kneeling at Li Shishi's feet, seemingly pleading for something. Upon seeing Cheng Zongyang enter, she immediately plastered a smile on her face.

Li Shishi, her face cold, rose and said, "The master is back. You can tell him yourself."

Cheng Zongyang asked quietly, "Who is she?"

The woman replied, "This servant is—"

"A prostitute,"

Li Shishi interrupted her, her tone laced with sarcasm. "She was sent here by my servants for the master's amusement."

"Is that so?"

Cheng Zongyang joked. "Which manager is so romantic?"

"It's Qin Huizhi."

Li Shishi seemed unwilling to pay any more attention to the woman and left the pavilion after speaking.

What was this treacherous minister up to? Using beauty to bewitch the master? Didn't he know that the thing Cheng Zongyang feared most in his life was a honey trap?

Cheng Zongyang glanced at the woman. Although she wasn't as beautiful as the Ruan Xianglin and Ruan Xiangning sisters, she had a slender waist, peach-blossom cheeks, and an apricot-shaped face. She was dressed flamboyantly, and her eyes and brows exuded a bewitching charm. He wondered which brothel's head courtesan she was.

Cheng Zongyang walked over and said, "Get up. Kneeling on the ground, don't your knees hurt? I'm just a merchant, there's no need for such a kowtow."

The woman said coquettishly, "Master Cheng is a wealthy man in the Ministry of Works, and also holds a post in the Ministry of Revenue. It's only right that I kneel."

"A post in the Ministry of Revenue? How come I didn't know?"

"The palace just issued an edict that the Ministry of Revenue has established a new Bureau of Paper Money. His Majesty personally appointed you, sir, as the head of the Bureau of Paper Money. The edict should arrive in the next couple of days."

"Your information network is quite impressive; even I didn't know."

The woman laughed, "As soon as I heard, I rushed here to congratulate you, sir. You are blessed with good fortune; your wife and children will surely be granted titles and honors for generations to come."

Cheng Zongyang stopped, "Who exactly are you?"

The woman smiled obsequiously, "Miss Shishi just said that you should consider me a courtesan sent by a servant."

"A courtesan knows about the edict just issued by the palace—do you think I should believe her or not?"

“Whether you believe me or not, Master, I’ve come here today solely to apologize to you. Whatever you wish to do—beat me, scold me, or do whatever else—I’ll do it willingly.”

“Get up.”

“I dare not.”

“I told you to get up, so get up!”

“I—ah…”

Cheng Zongyang grabbed the woman’s clothes, trying to pull her up. The woman dodged to the side, but Cheng Zongyang grabbed her collar, pulling her clothes down halfway.

Full breasts sprang out from between her clothes, revealing a smooth, white body. The woman’s clothes were exquisitely beautiful, but she wore no underwear, her body completely naked.

The woman leaned against the ground, her white breasts trembling before her, her brows furrowed with shy resentment, and she said in a seductive, seductive voice, “Master, be careful…”

Cheng Zongyang’s throat went dry. He paused for a moment, then grabbed her arm and dragged her upstairs.

Tianxiang Pavilion was a three-story building overlooking the lake. Cheng Zongyang had driven Gao Yanei to the front courtyard and occupied the pavilion for himself. The ground floor was where he usually received guests and conducted business, but because it housed the

beautiful Ruan Xiangning, outsiders were never allowed into the upper floors. He dared not even touch the tempting offer; if word got out, he'd be looked down upon by the heroes of the Six Dynasties. With this thought in mind, Cheng Zongyang went upstairs, tearing at the woman's clothes as he went. The woman writhed seductively, not only letting him rip off her clothes but also actively swaying her hips and breasts against him.

Gorgeous clothes and hairpins fell all over the stairs. By the time he reached the top, the woman was stripped naked, like a lamb.

Cheng Zongyang threw her onto the couch and then began to undress.

The woman leaned against the couch, her two pink legs together, and with one side turned in a seductive pose, she said in a tone that was half amazed and half seductive, "Master, you are so strong."

"Whether you are strong or not, you'll know after you've done it."

Cheng Zongyang pinched her face, "What are you pretending to be innocent for, you who have offered yourself up? Why don't you open your legs?"

The woman smiled seductively and leaned against the back of the couch, then parted her legs, revealing her vulva. Cheng Zongyang bent down and thrust his erect penis forcefully into her tender opening. The woman had just undressed and hadn't had any foreplay; her lower body was still very dry, and he thrust into her so forcefully that she inevitably felt a sharp pain.

She writhed her lower body wantonly to allow his penis to penetrate her, while saying in a seductive voice, "Master's treasure is so thick...so big...hard and stuck inside my little hole..."

"Oh! So thick...my little hole is going to tear open..."

"Master...you're so amazing..."

Cheng Zongyang thrust hard a few more times. "Come on, I've slept with countless women, but few are as stamina as you. Look at your slutty appearance, you must be a seasoned veteran!"

the woman chuckled. "I've been with many men, but you're the first one as strong as you."

"You're quite the talker, give me a shout!"

the woman cried out wantonly. "Ah...ah...your big cock is going in so deep...it's reached my flower core..."

"Oh! Your little hole has been pierced through...it's so full...it feels so good..."

The woman spread her pink legs wide, moaning and thrusting her lower body, vigorously engaging in intercourse with this stranger whose name she didn't even know.

The woman's moans grew increasingly wanton. As she reached her climax, she stammered, "I sincerely...apologize to you, sir...ah...please spare my family..."

She had assumed the young man was about to ejaculate, but before she could finish, he suddenly stopped, pulled out his penis, and stood erect and wet before her, staring coldly at her. He asked menacingly, "Who are you?"

Chapter Seven.

The woman involuntarily shivered, forcing a smile. "As long as you're having fun, sir, why care who I am..."

Cheng Zongyang interrupted her. "Do you believe I'll throw you out right now and make you leave the garden naked?"

The woman's face paled slightly. Under Cheng Zongyang's piercing gaze, she could no longer sit still. She turned and knelt before Cheng Zongyang: "This servant's ignorant child has offended you, sir. Please, sir, have mercy..."

"Who are you?"

the woman asked timidly. "This servant's surname is Huang, and my given name is Yinglian... I am the wife of Master Liang."

"Which Master Liang?"

"Master Liang Shidu..."

He had heard this name before, but even if he existed, he should be from the Tang Dynasty. How could he be in Lin'an and even hold an official position?

Cheng Zongyang's heart skipped a beat: "What is your relationship with Liang Shicheng?"

"He is my uncle."

Liang Shicheng and Liang Shidu had become brothers? Damn! He knew the Six Dynasties were chaotic enough, but this level of chaos was still an eye-opener. Two people who were completely unrelated could become brothers.

Cheng Zongyang realized that this woman was not an outsider, but the mother of Master Liang, with whom he had a conflict in Xiaoyingzhou. Her sudden apology and offer herself to him were all part of Gao Qiu's words: Liang Shicheng failed to bring down Jia Shixian, but he himself was doomed.

Cheng Zongyang sneered, "Governor Liang is a high-ranking official of the court. Even if he has offended someone, the court will not damage the dignity of an old minister. At most, they will send him to a remote prefecture. Does Madam need to go to such lengths?"

As he spoke, Cheng Zongyang flicked her nipple.

Huang Yinglian forced a smile and said, "Governor Liang's life is certainly safe, but we relatives may not be able to protect him. To be honest, if Governor Liang requests to be imprisoned, my husband will likely be thrown into jail immediately. The lives of my entire family are in your hands. I beg you to show mercy and spare my family."

"Protect your family? I'm just a lowly seventh-rank official, how could I possibly have that ability?"

Huang Yinglian said, "I know my good-for-nothing son has offended you, and I've come to apologize. If you're willing to spare my family, I'll serve you like a slave."

Cheng Zongyang understood perfectly well. Liang Shidu controlled Tongyuan Grain Store, the largest grain store in Lin'an, and many people were probably envious of him. If Liang Shidu fell from power, his clansmen would inevitably be purged one by one.

Liang Shidu had also offended many people, and once imprisoned, they would likely suffer the same fate as Wang Tiande.

Now that the Ministry of Revenue has just established the Bureau of Paper Money, Cheng Zongyang, who has a grudge against them and is at the height of his power, has become their first target for currying favor.

In his previous life, Liang Shidu sided with the Turks for wealth and glory, and in this life, he's still the same, even offering his own wife as a gift to apologize.

Recalling Liang's arrogance back then, Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

No wonder Li Shishi called her a courtesan sent to her; that brat Liang had slept with Li Shishi's mother, and his behavior back then was enough to make Li Shishi hate him to the core. Now, the tables have turned, and Liang's mother has come to his door; how could Li Shishi possibly give her a pleasant look?

It's laughable that Liang never imagined that because of his loose tongue, his mother would personally come to his door, offering herself as an apology. So, one shouldn't be too arrogant.

Cheng Zongyang lifted Huang's legs and spread them apart, examining her wanton lower body as he said, "So that's why it's so loose. You've given birth before. How old are you?"

Huang replied sheepishly, "This servant is thirty-two."

Cheng Zongyang patted her buttocks. "Have you used your backside before?"

Huang Yinglian hurriedly said, "Master, it's dirty there, I can't use it..."

Cheng Zongyang ignored her pleas and snapped his fingers.

Ruan Xiangning, still draped in a light gauze covering her body, revealing her fair skin underneath, emerged gracefully from behind the screen, saying sweetly, "My lord."

"This is a courtesan from outside. As the mistress taught you yesterday, give her an enema."

"Yes, my lord."

Ruan Xiangning walked to Huang's side, smiling, "This sister also wants to serve my lord with her backside."

Huang Yinglian, seeing Ruan Xiangning's appearance, couldn't help but feel ashamed. Although it wasn't the first time she had offered herself up like this, she wasn't a prostitute, and no one treated her like one, so her backside was still intact. She forced a smile and said, "This is my first time..."

"Me too,"

Ruan Xiangning said softly. "Last night, my lord wanted to deflower my anus, but I didn't know I needed an enema beforehand, which spoiled his mood. He only stopped after he had done it twice. Sister, look..."

Ruan Xiangning lifted her light veil, then turned around, presenting her beautiful, snow-white buttocks to Huang Shi. She then parted her buttocks, revealing her small, tender anus. Her anus was red and tender, tightly clenched like a daisy, perfectly complementing her smooth, snow-white buttocks.

When Huang Yinglian got closer, she noticed that her anus not only had no odor, but also a faint, alluring fragrance. Her anus was bright red and luscious, as if painted with rouge, making it not only not repulsive, but also incredibly alluring.

"Following your instructions, sir, I spent half a day enemas and cleansing my intestines, washing them thoroughly inside and out, and even applying fragrant ghee."

Huang Yinglian was dazzled by the sight. She was eager to please this newly arrived young man, and seeing the beauty of this woman, she felt inferior. If she refused any longer, she risked angering him, and all her previous lewd antics would be for nothing.

Half-heartedly, Huang Yinglian climbed onto the bed as instructed, spread her knees, and assumed the position. Ruan Xiangning opened a small drawer beside the bed, took out a silver funnel, and then inserted the slender spout into Huang's anus, pushing it inside.

Huang Yinglian felt the hard spout being inserted into her anus, accompanied by a cool, painful sensation, followed by a stream of icy liquid flowing into the funnel and into her intestines without hindrance.

Her intestines gradually swelled, and soon they were filled with liquid. The feeling of fullness in her abdomen grew stronger and stronger, making her feel an unbearable urge to defecate. Huang Yinglian couldn't help but let out a groan.

"Sister, tighten up."

Ruan Xiangning pulled out the funnel and then considerately pointed to the cleansing tub.

Huang tried to hold back but couldn't. After struggling for a moment, she supported her lower abdomen with one hand and tried her best to tighten her anus to prevent the excrement from spraying out. She stumbled to the cleansing tub, not caring that the two of them were watching, and sat on it, urinating profusely.

Cheng Zongyang watched this scene with a half-smile. Ruan Xiangning and Huang Yinglian were ordinary women. Women with cultivation levels like Zhuo Yunjun and Quan Yuji had long since passed the state of fasting. Why would they need to go through all this trouble? They could just pick up their guns and do whatever they wanted, no matter which hole they used, ensuring it was clean.

However, the scene of urination and excrement spraying out in front of him had a kind of fun to play with ordinary women. For example, a harlot like Huang was blushing after just one enema.

Huang Yinglian sat on the wash tub for almost half an hour. It wasn't that she deliberately avoided it, but rather that the wealthy man, Master Cheng, wouldn't let her get down; he made her sit directly on the tub to receive an enema.

Her body leaned forward, her bare buttocks sticking out, a silver funnel inserted into her anus. The beautiful woman poured clear water into her intestines, repeatedly washing them until the tub was almost full. After the funnel was removed, only odorless clear water flowed from her anus.

Huang was almost exhausted from sitting on the tub. It wasn't that the enema was painful, but rather that it was springtime, and the repeated washing of her intestines with the clear water made her feel cold and hard, as if her abdomen was filled with ice.

Huang Yinglian secretly glanced at Cheng Zongyang, a hint of fear appearing in her eyes as she looked at his swollen penis. In a little while, the slender handle of the funnel would be replaced by a penis ten times thicker and longer. Huang Yinglian had already been used by him before and knew his size, but the more she knew, the more terrified she became. She couldn't imagine her small anus being penetrated by such a large penis, while the beautiful woman beside her didn't share her anxiety.

Ruan Xiangning reinserted the funnel into Huang Yinglian's anus and poured in water. Suddenly, her buttocks tightened as her master grabbed them. Ruan Xiangning smiled back and continued pouring water, but this time she stood on tiptoe, raising her plump, white, and tender buttocks.

Her master's strong fingers moved back and forth between her smooth buttocks, and suddenly his fingertip slipped and disappeared into her small fleshy opening. Ruan Xiangning's body trembled, and a gush of lustful fluid gushed from her jade gate, flowing straight down her buttocks.

Cheng Zongyang's lust rose, ignoring the shivering Huang Shi beside him, he pushed Ruan Xiangning onto the carpet and straddled her smooth, fragrant buttocks.

Ruan Xiangning's body lay straight on the ground, her snow-white buttocks round and raised like a snowball. Cheng Zongyang parted her buttocks, revealing her tender anus. His engorged glans thrust forward, pressing against her delicate anus, causing the bright red anal bud to cave in before sliding softly open and swallowing his glans.

Ruan Xiangning cried out in moans, a mixture of pain and trembling, her allure palpable. Her intestines, coated with ghee, were incredibly slippery; the movement of his penis felt like being enveloped in warm, greasy oil. The elastic anal buds gripped his penis like supple constrictors, providing a pleasurable squeezing sensation.

Cheng Zongyang thrust over a hundred times, widening her snow-white buttocks and opening her anus, before withdrawing his penis.

Ruan Xiangning, experiencing anal penetration for the first time, was both ashamed and in pain, collapsing limply to the ground, unable to rise.

Cheng Zongyang grabbed her hand and placed it behind her buttocks. Ruan Xiangning knew he wanted her to touch his "results" from earlier, and she was overcome with shame, turning her face away shyly. When his fingers touched her anus, Ruan Xiangning's expression froze in surprise, then her beautiful eyes widened.

Her once small anus was now spread wide, three fingers' width, completely distorted by her master's large penis. From behind, between her snow-white round buttocks, the red anus was wide open, exposing the tender red anal flesh inside, which writhed slightly in the air, radiating a seductive sheen.

Cheng Zongyang laughed, "How is it?"

Ruan Xiangning said with watery eyes, "My anus... has been fucked so big by my husband..."

Cheng Zongyang raised his hand and said, "Madam Liang."

Huang Yinglian was almost stunned. Even as a woman herself, she had to admit the beauty of the young woman before her. Seeing how easily Cheng Yuanwai had opened her small, tight anus, and how smoothly it had gone, her fear lessened somewhat. She followed Cheng's example and lay prone on the carpet.

Cheng Zongyang laughed, "My bed slave has a plump, round bottom; I can do it even lying on the ground. Madam Liang's bottom is white and big, but the curves aren't as pronounced. Let's change positions."

Huang Yinglian awkwardly got up, kneeling and covering her buttocks with her hands, exposing her anus.

"It looks small. If I fuck it and make it bigger, what if your husband sees it?"

Huang Yinglian laughed, "He fucks the big servant's belly, while Cheng Yuanwai only fucks the big servant's anus. It's Cheng Yuanwai who's at a disadvantage."

"You're quite the talker."

Cheng Zongyang gripped her slender waist with both hands, pressed his glans against her light brown anus, and then forcefully thrust it in.

Huang Yinglian felt a sudden tightness in her buttocks, followed by the penetration of a hot penis into her anus, plunging into her cold intestines. The sudden pain caused her to scream.

Cheng Zongyang hadn't intended to hurt her intentionally, as he considered it her first time engaging in anal sex and wasn't too rough.

But Huang Yinglian was, after all, a virgin. She only saw Ruan Xiangning's smooth movements and forgot that she had been given an enema all morning and had used sesame oil inside her anus. Therefore, as soon as the glans entered, an unexpected tearing pain shot through her anus.

Ruan Xiangning sat to the side like a virtuous woman, smiling as she looked at her master. While Cheng Zongyang was penetrating Huang's anus, he reached down and placed his hand under Ruan Xiangning's breasts, cupping and playing with her heavy, snowy breasts.

"This Madam Liang's husband is a much higher-ranking official than your husband, and he's also the owner of the largest grain store in Lin'an. It's a pity he has a good-for-nothing son who spends all his time fooling around with a bunch of scoundrels. The other day he even tricked someone else's wife, and a group of them were here treating her like a prostitute and having their way with her."

Cheng Zongyang said, "Do you know who that woman is?"

Ruan Xiangning shook her head.

Cheng Zongyang sneered, "That woman was right here back then, forced to pay off her debts with her body, and ended up being brutally violated by a dozen thugs. And what happened? Now Madam Liang has come to apologize in person. Tell me, should I let these sluts go?"

Ruan Xiangning didn't know he was referring to her own sister, whom she had plotted against, and only smiled, "If that's the case, apologizing only once is not enough."

"Madam Liang, did you hear that?"

Huang Shi endured the pain in her buttocks and said in a trembling voice, "As long as Master is happy, this servant is willing to come to the garden to apologize every day..."

"Really?" "

To tell you the truth, Master's penis is very strong. It hurts when it enters my anus, but my belly feels warm and swollen. I just hope Master will thrust a few more times..."

"If Master Liang doesn't get rich, it's against all reason."

It wasn't until dusk that Madam Liang came out of the water pavilion. She had just applied makeup, still looking flamboyant and charming, but as she walked, one hand rested on her waist, her legs spread wide as if unable to close, moving slowly with some difficulty, yet her face wore a happy smile, seemingly with an unspeakable sense of satisfaction.

However, upon seeing Li Shishi, Madam Liang's smile turned awkward, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, quickly avoiding her gaze.

Cheng Zongyang, shirtless, stood by the window, grinning and giving Li Shishi a victory sign, only to be met with a cold glare from the young woman.

In the quiet room, Lin Qingpu sat cross-legged, his hands clasped, but Cheng Zongyang was not beside him; instead, he remained in the waterside pavilion.

Before him, a small, roughly square mirror of water hung in mid-air, its reflection constantly shifting, mirroring the outline of Jiangzhou's city walls. The

sight of Jiangzhou at dawn sent a chill down Cheng Zongyang's spine.

Xiao Yaoyi spoke lightly, but the scene before him was far more than just horrific! Except for the great river to the west, the entire city of Jiangzhou was surrounded on three sides by an earthen wall over ten feet high, divided into interconnected sections to maximally restrict the mobility of the Xingyue Lake soldiers.

Within the earthen wall, nearly a mile from the city walls, broken battle flags, dead warhorses, shattered weapons, and all sorts of destroyed siege equipment lay scattered everywhere. The soil was stained brown with large patches of blood, and huge stones and shattered cement were interspersed among the debris.

The once formidable and well-preserved city of Jiangzhou is now a scene of devastation. Of the concrete fortresses that once stood like behemoths guarding the city walls, only two remain near the city gates; the rest have been utterly destroyed by the Song army's relentless assault. Even the cement-coated battlements have crumbled under the relentless bombardment of catapults. Several earthen dikes extend from the earthen walls to the top of the city walls, the soil used for their construction littered with countless fragments of armor and weapons, a testament to the cruelty of war.

The city walls are also riddled with cracks. In some of the fiercest fighting, the defenders didn't even have time to pour concrete to secure the walls; instead, they temporarily blocked the breaches with barbed wire and concrete components, then poured concrete when the attack subsided. Thus, one can often see barbed wire and even broken swords and spears protruding from the hardened concrete.

Half of the watchtowers on the city walls have been destroyed, and few remain intact. The traditional earthen and wooden city towers have vanished entirely, leaving only piles of charred bricks and pillars, clearly victims of the Song army's fire attacks.

Further in, most of the houses near the city walls had been destroyed by catapults, reduced to ruins. Among the rubble, half-buried was a broken giant crossbow—the very same eight-ox crossbow that had once been mounted on the city wall.

Looking at the precarious state of Jiangzhou, one might doubt that a single, decent offensive from the Song army would be enough to conquer this wounded city. However, in Cheng Zongyang's eyes, Jiangzhou was like a peerless warrior, battered and bruised, who would not easily fall even on his last breath.

Although he couldn't see the soldiers defending the city, Cheng Zongyang believed that at least half of the Xingyue Lake soldiers were stationed on the walls, ready to meet any potential Song offensive with their weary bodies.

His gaze swept across the broken walls, and suddenly Cheng Zongyang's eyes lit up. He noticed several clumps of withered grass at the foot of the walls that had survived the days of fighting, not only enduring the winter but also sprouting new shoots, reaching for the rising sun.

"Colonel Meng!"

Cheng Zongyang saluted Meng Feiqing in the water mirror, his chest puffed out, and announced loudly, "Major Cheng Zongyang, the First Regimental Commander, reports to you! Through my efforts, the economic war in Lin'an has been successful. On the morning of March 11th, the Song court decided to withdraw troops from Jiangzhou! The Battle of Jiangzhou is about to end!"

Even with Meng Feiqing's composure, he was startled by this news, his face showing a mixture of joy and surprise. He then slammed his fist on the table, shattering the pear wood desk to pieces.

"Good!"

Cheng Zongyang laughed, "And we've made a considerable amount of money. Boss, July is the first anniversary of the Panjiang Cheng Clan's founding, I'll give you a big red envelope then!"

Meng Feiqing laughed heartily, "I won't accept a small one!"

Meng Feiqing felt relieved, his hands draped over his leather belt, and he took a few steps around the tent.

"The Song Kingdom's urgent messenger should arrive at the army headquarters in about seven days, and we'll see the outcome in another six days."

He stopped and, after a long pause, said in a deep voice, "From this day forward, the battle flag of Xingyue Lake can finally stand tall between heaven and earth, no longer needing to hide!"

Hearing the barely suppressed excitement in Meng Feiqing's voice, Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but sigh. In order to openly raise the Xingyue Lake banner, the entire Xingyue Lake camp had paid a heavy price. Ultimately, they wanted a legitimate identity. Without the battle of Jiangzhou, even with its many strong members, the Xingyue Lake camp would have been nothing more than a band of rebellious traitors, at best a江湖 (jianghu) gang, and would have had no chance of obtaining independent power.

In fact, Cheng Zongyang had heard some discussions in Qingzhou, saying that the Xingyue Lake camp, with only two thousand remnants, was challenging a great power, which was "foolish" and "gambling with lives"—the kind of sarcastic remarks.

These commentators spoke with great confidence and self-righteousness, believing themselves to be superior to Meng Feiqing. However, in Cheng Zongyang's eyes at that time, their thinking was forever at the level of worms and pigs, not even worthy of a glance from Meng Feiqing.

Only those with the vision of a hero like Meng Feiqing were qualified to evaluate the gains and losses of Xingyue Lake, and to understand why they fought this battle.

The world is realistic, and the only thing that can convince others is strength. Xingyue Lake proved with its strength what they were qualified to be—a political force that was not directed or manipulated by anyone. Although it was just beginning, no one would dare to underestimate them anymore.

Jiangzhou and Lin'an were thousands of miles apart, and Lin Qingpu only recovered after two days of recuperation, unable to hold out for long. Cheng Zongyang cut to the chase: "There are still some minor matters to attend to in Lin'an. Now that the war is over, Lord Zhang should be setting off. I made an appointment with him to meet in Lin'an, and I can't go back on my word. But before that, there's something I need to ask you all..."

Meng Feiqing smiled slightly after hearing him finish and nodded, "This matter should be settled as well."

Cheng Zongyang said awkwardly, "Elder, you don't think I......"

Meng Feiqing interrupted him. "A man can take in a few maids; it's nothing, as long as the head wife manages them. As for whether to give them to Miss She or Miss Zi as concubines, that's up to you."

Cheng Zongyang smiled wryly; Meng Feiqing was giving him a heads-up. He could have Xiao Xianggua, he could have her warm his bed, but under no circumstances could she climb over Yue Shuai's daughter; at most, she'd be a concubine.

Meng Feiqing weighed the options. “How about this, after the war here is over, I’ll have Fourth and Fifth Brothers go to Guangming Temple to ask you for the people.”

Cheng Zongyang was startled. “Fourth and Fifth Brothers are assassins! Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

“You mean you want me to go?”

Meng Feiqing stroked his beard and said, “Hmm, how about we bring Ming Jingxue and Yan Jiaoran over together, and have them both as your servants?”

“No thanks!”

Meng Feiqing’s tone sounded like he was going to wipe out the entire family, even more ruthless than Fourth and Fifth Brothers.

Cheng Zongyang said, “I think Sixth and Seventh Brothers are quite refined, why don’t we let them go?”

“That’s good; Sixth and Seventh Brothers have a deep-seated grudge against Guangming Temple, letting them ask for the people and take revenge at the same time is a good idea.”

“I think Fourth and Fifth Brothers should go instead.”

Meng Feiqing said, “You asked me about the details of Yue Shuai’s accident at Fengbo Pavilion last time?”

After learning that Yue Shuai was struck by lightning at Fengbo Pavilion, Cheng Zongyang sent a message to Yunzhou to verify with Meng Feiqing, but had not received a reply. Now that he brought it up, Cheng Zongyang immediately perked up.

"Boss! Do you remember what happened? Yue Shuai was struck by lightning and killed. What kind of lightning was it? Was there a purple flash?"

"At the time, we brothers were all on our own missions and weren't present. But afterwards, we found everyone we could find who knew anything, and almost everyone's story was different. All the records for this one incident add up to more than three feet thick, and they're all kept at the Pengyi headquarters in Qingzhou."

Meng Feiqing said, "What I can tell you is that there was indeed thunder at Fengbo Pavilion at the time of the incident, but this matter isn't very valuable for investigation."

"Why?"

Meng Feiqing was silent for a moment: "Yue Shuai once made something called a 'lightning rod.'"

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Cheng Zongyang clicked his tongue; Yue Shuai's energy was truly boundless.

"It just so happened that it was raining heavily that day,"

Meng Feiqing seemed unsure what expression to make, rubbed his nose, and said, "As a result, the Agarwood Pavilion, which General Yue had built at great expense, was burned to the ground."

"Haha..."

Cheng Zongyang laughed without any sympathy, but he stopped halfway through his laugh.

"General Yue tried again later. After the lightning rod was erected, it was fine normally, but during thunderstorms, it would attract all the surrounding lightning to one place, causing even more damage."

At first, Cheng Zongyang thought it was an accident, but now he was speechless. A lightning rod turned into a lightning attractor? Was Yue Feiqing a coward? Or was he trying to scratch the wall?

Meng Feiqing coughed. "General Yue had no choice but to remove the lightning rods everywhere, except for one at Fengbo Pavilion."

"The lightning rod attracted the lightning?"

Meng Feiqing nodded. "It was raining heavily that night, so it's not surprising that Fengbo Pavilion was struck by lightning."

How could there not be something strange! One failure by Yue Feiqing could be an accident, but failure every time meant that his lightning rod was completely wrong.

Unless Yue Niaoren is stupid, he should know that he turned the lightning rod into a lightning attractor. So why would he deliberately choose a rainy day to go to Fengbo Pavilion and get struck by lightning? Is he sick or addicted?

Due to a lack of first-hand information, this matter can only be put on hold until the investigation files of Pengyi Headquarters are obtained. Cheng Zongyang spoke with Meng Feiqing for a few more minutes, and then found Shanghou's residence.

"Lord Marquis..."

"Lord Junhou..."

"Lord Shanghou..."

"Damn it! You old geezer! Get out here now!"

"What's all the fuss about?"

Old Zhu emerged from the inner room, looking displeased. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Old man, what's that thing stuck in your ear? A charcoal stick? Oh dear! You're dressed like a lousy artist. What kind of wicked thing are you doing in there?"

Lord Shanghou said smugly, "I've just deduced the laws of the five planets' movement, and the star map I drew is magnificent and wonderful!"

"Star map?"

Cheng Zongyang looked him up and down. "You were hiding in the room drawing nude pictures, weren't you?"

Cheng Zongyang thought he would be furious, but instead, the old man Shanghou gave him a thumbs up.

"Good eye! You saw through my hiding place—girl, come out! Just throw on some clothes!"

Seeing Xiao Zi come out of the room, Cheng Zongyang's face darkened.

Xiao Zi threw a pile of sketches in front of Lord Shanghou. "You've drawn it wrong again! You're missing two teeth!"

"Ridiculous!"

Marquis Shang retorted angrily, "I've been drawing all night, how could there be any mistakes!"

Xiao Zi pointed to the drawing: "Look, there are eighteen teeth here, but you only drew sixteen."

Marquis Shang hurriedly snatched the sketch, repeatedly shouting, "Ridiculous! Ridiculous!"

Then he slunk away into his room to revise the drawing.

Looking at Xiao Zi's face, a part of Cheng Zongyang's heart seemed to soften. He revealed a big smile and waved, "Hi!"

Xiao Zi crossed her arms, leaned back slightly, and squinted her eyes like a cat, sizing him up.

Cheng Zongyang cried out, "You brat! I've missed you so much!"

Xiao Zi snorted and then asked, "Tell me the truth, how many women have you been with this time?"

Cheng Zongyang raised his hands and solemnly declared, "I swear! Not a single one! If you dare lie, may I be struck by lightning!" Before

he finished speaking, a blinding light flashed outside the window, followed by a deafening roar that shook the entire Tianxiang Pavilion.

Amidst the thunder, Cheng Zongyang slowly clutched his head with both hands and roared with all his might, "Damn it! You son of a bitch Feng Dafa! What kind of experiment are you conducting so early in the morning?!"

Cheng Zongyang, on the verge of tears, explained to Xiao Zi that Feng Yuan was developing a hand grenade.

“It really is an experiment; he’s blown it up several times already. Don’t worry, this time it’s so loud, he’s definitely dead!”

Xiao Zi’s lips, like rosy diamonds, curled slightly, and she raised her jade-like chin: “Who’s behind you? I haven’t seen them yet.”

Cheng Zongyang quickly turned around, only to see Ruan Xiangning, frightened by the explosion, coming out from the inner room and timidly hiding behind him.

Cheng Zongyang, like a wilted eggplant, silently lowered his head.

Silently counting to ten in his mind, Cheng Zongyang suddenly raised his head, his face beaming with a bright smile.

“This is Ning Mei’er, my newly acquired maid.”

He pulled Ruan Xiangning over, “This is our mistress, quickly kowtow and call her Mother Zi!”

Ruan Xiangning had no suspicions whatsoever and obediently knelt down to kowtow to her mistress.

Xiao Zi rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and gazed at the horizon.

"You're really a servant! If you dare utter a single lie, I'll eat all the grenades Feng Dafa made!"

"What I encountered in Lin'an was a complete accident... I didn't buy it, I didn't waste my money!"

"Look if you don't believe me! It's bare! Not a single hair! If it weren't for me, would I have done this? I was going to give it to you from the beginning! Really!"

"If you don't like it, I'll throw it into West Lake right now!"

Cheng Zongyang explained earnestly for a long time before finally hearing Xiao Zi give a cold snort. "Stay."

Cheng Zongyang was overjoyed and hurriedly replied, "Yes!"

He said with a fawning smile, "It's been so long since I've seen you. What have you been up to?"

Xiao Zi said with a straight face, "I'm not telling you." "

I saw the sketch just now. You weren't working on something, were you? So many sheets of paper, wouldn't it be as tall as a city wall?"

"You big idiot."

"Ouch..."

Cheng Zongyang clutched his chest, panting with a blissful expression, "It's been so long since I've heard that. Hearing it makes all 30,000 pores on my body swell up, it feels so good..."

Xiao Zi laughed, annoyed by his words, "You big idiot! You big idiot! You big idiot!"

"So good, so good, so good..." "

You big idiot! You big idiot! You big idiot..."

Xiao Zi's voice gradually lowered, and Cheng Zongyang also stopped laughing. The two stared at each other for a long time through the water mirror.

After a long pause, Cheng Zongyang whispered, "You brat, I missed you."

Xiao Zi raised the corners of her lips, "If you want to hear such words, I can say them! But after I say them, I'll kill the sorcerer who cast the spell."

"Don't worry, I'll say

them," Cheng Zongyang said. "It's because I want to talk to you that I deliberately sent the sorcerer outside. No matter how cheesy your words are, he won't hear them."

"It's not that I'm afraid of being overheard,"

Xiao Zi said with a smile. "But between hearing what I said and the sorcerer's life, you can only choose one. Which one do you choose?"

"You brat, hurry up and marry me!"

Cheng Zongyang clenched his fists, his expression stern. "Once we're married, I'll be able to beat you up! I'll spank you two hundred times a day!"

Chapter Eight:

When the news of the Song army's retreat from Jiangzhou spread, the officials in the central government and local areas of the Song Kingdom, as well as the generals of the Imperial Guard and the Xiang Army, all breathed a sigh of relief.

As the Battle of Jiangzhou dragged on, officials across the land were overwhelmed by soaring grain prices. The paper currency implemented by Jia Shixian was seen by most officials as a desperate measure, a last resort, but regardless of the risks and hidden dangers, officials at all levels gritted their teeth and did it as long as it could buy enough grain.

Now, the depletion of the granaries in various regions had been somewhat replenished, and with the news of the withdrawal, grain prices had fallen, allowing Song officials to finally sleep soundly. As for the dignity of the court—in the eyes of many officials, even if Jiangzhou had been captured, it wouldn't necessarily have been dignified.

The news of the withdrawal was handled with considerable discretion by the government; it was only discussed in the streets and alleys for two days before the public's interest was drawn to the news of Emperor Taiyi Zhenzong's renewed alliance with the Song court.

On March 16th, Lin Caiquan, the acting head of the Imperial Academy, personally went to Jingling Palace to bestow an honorific title upon the Song emperor and present him with a jade ball and a precious book.

Jingling Palace was the Song emperor's ancestral temple, enshrining the memorial tablets of past Song emperors; being able to enter the temple for a ceremony was already a great honor.

Lin Caiquan knew perfectly well that this was the result of obstruction by Grand Tutor Jia and the Shenxiao Sect. Otherwise, given his status, he should have been able to enter the palace directly and meet the Song Emperor in the main hall to gain official recognition from the Song Dynasty.

However, Lin Caiquan accepted the arrangements made by Jingling Palace without any difficulty. Now was not the time to argue. Emperor Taiyi Zhenzong had been absent from the Song Dynasty for more than ten years, and the focus could only be on a gradual recovery.

On March 17th, the day before the imperial edict ordering the withdrawal of troops reached the Jiangzhou battlefield, Lin Chong, who had been dismissed and imprisoned for breaking into the White Tiger Hall with a knife, also received his official verdict.

Lin Chong sat in prison wearing heavy shackles. The once imposing man was now almost emaciated. Hearing the final sentence from the Grand Commandant's office, he was shocked: "Wasn't it Junzhou? Why am I being exiled to Jiangzhou? Has the royal army won?"

The jailer sneered: "Where did they win? They're preparing to withdraw! Jiangzhou is a den of thieves; it's more suitable for a thief like you to be exiled there."

Veins bulged on Lin Chong's forehead. "Absurd! Since Jiangzhou doesn't belong to our Great Song, why am I being exiled here? Are you trying to make fun of me?!"

the jailer roared. "Don't say this is the Grand Commandant's order, even if I'm just making fun of you, you thieving convict! Don't say you're just a drill instructor, even if you were ten times higher in rank,

you'd still be imprisoned here! I'm telling you to go, so go. If you keep arguing, be careful my fire and water rods won't let you off easily!" Lin Chong suppressed his anger. "I want to see Grand Commandant Gao:"

A burly man rushed over: "Don't you even take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror! What kind of person is Grand Commandant Gao? You think you can just see him whenever you want? Old Dong! Stop arguing with this scoundrel! One more word and I'll beat you!"

Two jailers threw the judgment into the cell and came out cursing. Someone called out, "Old Xue, Old Dong! Someone's looking for you outside!"

Dong Chao and Xue Ba arrived at the prison gate, where a young man quickly approached, tightly grasped their hands, and said with great enthusiasm, "It's an honor to meet you!"

The two jailers were somewhat confused, but seeing the young man's silk robes and brocade belt, and his respectable appearance, they dared not be negligent and cautiously asked, "And you are...?"

"My surname is Cheng, and I'm a friend of Instructor Lin,"

Cheng Zongyang said sincerely. "I've heard of your esteemed names since childhood, and today I finally have the opportunity to meet you and see your true faces!"

Cheng Zongyang's enthusiasm was genuine; if he hadn't been without cigarettes, he would have gladly offered them each one and lit them himself.

These two minor figures weren't famous, but in the Water Margin, they were the officials who had personally escorted Leopard Head Lin Chong and Jade Kirin Lu Junyi, making these two heroes suffer greatly. Cheng Zongyang would rather offend Jia Shixian than offend such petty people.

The two jailers' palms sank slightly, knowing it was gold coins, and they swallowed hard in unison.

Dong Chao said, "So you're a friend of Instructor Lin. I also respect Instructor Lin as a hero. He's been busy in prison, making sure you haven't suffered at all. You look much better than when you first arrived."

"Thank you so much!"

Cheng Zongyang said, "To be honest, I'd like to see Instructor Lin this time. Would you two be so kind as to grant me this favor?"

Dong Chao looked hesitant. "Young master, this prison isn't easy to enter." Cheng

Zongyang held a money pouch in his hand, shaking it slightly. Judging from the sound, it contained at least several dozen silver coins.

Dong Chao was still hesitating when Xue Ba said, "It's just a meeting, I'll take care of it!"

He snatched the money pouch away.

Lin Chong leaned against the cold wall, holding the judgment. One moment his teeth were grinding, he wanted to fight his way out, the next his spirit was completely extinguished, and he felt utterly dejected.

Suddenly, a familiar voice said, "Brother Lin, this calamity is destined for you, why be discouraged?"

Lin Chong paused, then called out, "Brother Cheng!"

Cheng Zongyang entered, cloaked. Undeterred by the filth on the ground, he spread his cloak and sat down, taking a package of cooked meat from his robes and passing it through the bars.

Lin Chong placed the package on his cangue and smiled bitterly, "How can I, in this state, possibly eat?"

Cheng Zongyang laughed, "Brother Lin, your composure is not as carefree as our Senior Brother Lu. It's just a minor calamity; a foot of water is easily crossed."

He lowered his voice, "Just beware of petty people."

Lin Chong's eyes flickered as he stared at Cheng Zongyang.

"Someone wants to take your life."

"Who?"

Cheng Zongyang took out a wine jug, took a sip, and handed it over. "What do you think?"

Lin Chong held the silver jug, and after a long pause, said, "The Imperial City Guard!"

If he were drinking tea now, Cheng Zongyang would definitely spit it in his face. The Imperial City Guard? I almost forgot about this force; they're involved in this mess too?

Lin Chong was unwilling to say more, only saying, "Although I haven't been in the Imperial City Guard for long, there are some things... Brother, you only need to know that I am now in trouble, and the Imperial City Guard will inevitably kill me to silence me."

Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but say, "If the Imperial City Guard wanted to silence me, I'm afraid they wouldn't have waited until now, would they?"

"If it were Yunzhou, it would be fine, but now it's Jiangzhou... The Imperial City Guard will definitely not let me leave Song territory."

Lin Chong raised his eyes and asked, "Why Jiangzhou?"

"Well... it is said that Jiangzhou was subdued by the might of our Great Song army and ceded territory to His Majesty to build a Taoist temple. Brother Lin was probably exiled there to be a Taoist priest."

Lin Chong closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then said, "I understand."

Cheng Zongyang thought to himself: Instructor Lin, Instructor Lin, I've prepared a gift for you in Jiangzhou. I hope you won't disappoint me...

Lin Chong held the package of cooked meat and suddenly said, "Brother Cheng..."

His voice trembled slightly, "How is my wife now?"

Cheng Zongyang blushed a little, but fortunately, the light in the prison was very dim, so it wasn't noticeable for a moment.

Lin Chong and Ruan Xiangning were not only husband and wife in name only, but also estranged. Although she was Lin Chong's wife, their relationship was utterly platonic. Taking advantage of Gao Yanei's interference, he quickly slept with Lin's wife, feeling no remorse whatsoever towards Lin Chong. Lin Chong had been deceived for over a decade; revealing the truth would be too cruel for him.

Cheng Zongyang could only vaguely reply, "This… I don't know yet."

The hopeful light in Lin Chong's eyes dimmed, and after a while, he said, "My wife is in Lin'an; I hope you and Brother Lu will take good care of her."

Cheng Zongyang chuckled, "Of course! Of course!"

While Cheng Zongyang and Lin Chong were talking, in a tavern in the distance, Xue Ba took a large gulp of wine, then took a bag full of coins from a middle-aged man, grinning, "It's just taking Lin's life, isn't it? No problem! We brothers will do it!"

Dong Chao said, "We've escorted many vicious criminals. I'm not bragging, but once something falls into our hands, even Li Tianwang would leave behind his armor and staff, and we'd squeeze the juice out of ginger! This trivial matter is a piece of cake!"

In the vegetable garden of Mingqing Temple, Lu Zhishen tightened his tattered monk's robe, leaned a blackened monk's staff against the table, the heavy staff making the wooden table creak and tilt slightly. Then Lu Zhishen bent down, tied his straw sandals, and patted the mud off his trousers.

A group of ruffians surrounded Lu Zhishen, saying, "Master! Take us with you!"

"Our skills may not be great, but we outnumber you! We can even carry Instructor Lin out on our backs!"

"Shut up!"

Lu Zhishen said, "With my staff in hand, I can roam the world! How could you do something like killing officials and rescuing prisoners! Don't implicate your families!"

"We know Master is incredibly strong, but even a hero needs three helpers. If Master goes alone and there are many officials, what will happen?"

Lu Zhishen laughed loudly, his voice like a bell, making the ears of the surrounding ruffians ring.

"Two damn officials! Come, come! Bring up the stewed pork! After I've eaten my fill, I'll go rescue my brother Lin! This is a small matter, I'm not afraid of not handling it with ease." As

the sun rose above the treetops, several monks hurriedly came out of the Stone Buddha Temple on Phoenix Ridge; in the distance, a monk in simple clothes and straw sandals walked slowly up the bluestone steps in the sunlight.

Outside the temple gate, the monk removed his straw hat, revealing a thin face.

The other monks exclaimed joyfully, "It's good that you've arrived, Senior Brother!" They

then clasped their hands together, bowed respectfully, and said, "Senior Brother Jingnian, how is the Second Master?"

Jingnian returned the greeting, "Greetings, Master."

He raised his head and said calmly, "Do you have any news of Senior Brother Lu?"

"He's at Mingqing Temple. He injured two of my junior brothers more than half a month ago. We sent a message to the temple, but we didn't expect the Second Master to send Senior Brother personally. You've traveled a thousand miles in three days; Senior Brother, you must have had a very arduous journey."

"Amitabha! For the sake of my Dafu Lingjiu Temple, for the sake of all the monasteries, how dare this humble monk complain of hardship?"

"We've been keeping an eye on that thieving monk. Today we saw him packing his bags, seemingly about to leave. Fortunately, Senior Brother arrived in time, otherwise he would have escaped again."

One monk laughed, "With Senior Brother here, this time we'll make sure that thieving monk has nowhere to hide!"

"Of course!"

a monk said excitedly. "That thieving monk is brave but reckless. Senior brother will surely capture him with ease."

Jingnian smiled slightly, put his palms together, and said, "Amitabha, the Buddha is merciful."

His voice was gentle and calm, but it had an unwavering faith.

Sunlight streamed into the dimly lit government office. A constable in a black uniform announced, "We set off today, spending the night in Shahu Town. We'll arrive at Wild Boar Forest around noon tomorrow. Two officers will be escorting us: Dong Chao and Xue Ba."

A man in military attire added, "The team is the Cheng Group, six men in total. The leader is Zhao Feng'an, a martial arts master and imperial guard. Two constables from the Chang'an Six Doors headquarters have also come to assist."

A hoarse voice exclaimed, "This mission has been botched! Who knew Instructor Lin would be so blinded by greed, storming the White Tiger Hall with a knife?"

The military officer continued, "I privately pleaded with Grand Commandant Gao, but he refused. This is very strange. Could it be that Grand Commandant Gao is angry that he provoked the young master and deliberately…"

A woman in a sable coat seated at the head of the table interrupted him. "This matter need not be mentioned again. His Majesty's favor towards Grand Commandant Gao is no less than that of the Grand Eunuch. It's all Lin Chong's fault for being ungrateful, taking on such a huge case, yet leaving himself vulnerable."

The last of the three eunuchs said, "We originally brought in people from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice under the name of Grand Tutor Jia, but who knew this would happen? Our Imperial City Guard has lost face this time. The Grand Eunuch is currently in Jiangzhou—we must not let this trivial matter disturb him."

Everyone understood. They had originally intended to please their master, but unexpectedly, such a mess had occurred. If the head of the Imperial City Guard, Li Xian, found out, even if they were lucky, they would all be sent to guard the imperial mausoleum, never to set foot in Lin'an again in this lifetime.

"Tong Guan."

"Yes, sir."

Tong Guan replied obediently, "Greetings, Eunuch Feng!"

Eunuch Feng, seated at the head of the table, stroked the armrest of his chair and said gently, "This matter cannot be handled without the help of people from the palace. Your presence will put their minds at ease, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Eunuch Feng pushed a porcelain bottle sealed with wax towards him. "Take it."

Tong Guan carefully put away the bottle, flatteringly saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Feng, Eunuch Liu, and Eunuch Shen! Please rest assured, I will definitely succeed this time!"

Eunuch Shen laughed, "This little rascal is quite clever!"

As he spoke, he lowered his head to drink tea, but a well-concealed murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

The sun rose high in the sky, but inside a private residence in Anyong Ward, it was as dark as the dead of night. The dim light outlined a graceful figure as Jian Yuji reviewed documents while listening to the report from behind her.

"It's all arranged. The two officers each received two hundred silver coins as a bribe, agreeing to kill Lin Chong on the way. Those two officers are experienced in escorting prisoners; they know the roads well, have many tricks up their sleeves,

and are very bold. The time is set for one day from now, and the place of action is Wild Boar Forest." Jian Yuji said softly, "Lin Chong and Ning Yuji have been together for many years, and he's someone the Master personally ordered to be monitored. Although he's not of much value right now, we absolutely cannot let him reach Jiangzhou alive."

"Yes. Your subordinate will do his best to ensure Lin Chong doesn't reach Jiangzhou alive!"

The man bowed to Jian Yuji's retreating figure, then looked up, revealing Lu Qian's face in the lamplight.

"You did a good job at the Grand Commandant's office, but this time you still need to go personally and watch them eliminate Lin Chong."

Jian Yuji said, "This is the Master's order; there can be no oversight."

"Yes."

After Lu Qian left, Jian Yuji also wrote the last stroke on the dossier, then closed it and took another copy from the side.

A pale hand emerged from the shadows beside her, picked up a teacup from the table, and took a sip.

If Cheng Zongyang saw his face, he would definitely exclaim in surprise. It was actually Ximen Qing, the high-ranking official he hadn't seen since their parting in Wuyuan City.

He looked at Jian Yuji's back with six parts admiration, three parts envy, and a hint of mockery in his eyes.

“Lu Qian, under the guise of being on good terms with Lin Chong, is actually Ning Yu Ji’s contact,”

Ximen Qing took a sip of tea and smiled slightly. “Now that Ning Nu has been used as a pawn by Xian Ji, and the Master has agreed to lift the surveillance on Lin Chong, Lu Qian is no longer of any use in the Grand Commandant’s mansion.”

“That’s why I sent him to Wild Boar Forest himself,”

Jian Yu Ji said calmly. “Would you be willing to play the role of the oriole?”

Ximen Qing’s peach blossom eyes sparkled with a charming smile, and he said softly, “Of course I would, and I dare not refuse.”

“The Marquis of Shang has arrived in Jiangzhou.”

Jian Yu Ji did not mention Lu Qian again, but spoke of other matters. “Your instigation of Long Ji Xie Yi to go to the Southern Wilderness that day was truly unwise.”

Ximen Qing laughed. “I wanted to see the results of Sister Qi’s years of hard work, but I didn’t expect that Ghost Witch King to be so useless, instead ruining Sister Qi’s grand plan to raise the Dragon God.”

Jian Yu Ji said calmly, “I also didn’t expect that the Marquis of Shang would find the chosen one.”

Ximen Qing was speechless for a moment.

Jian Yuji looked at the dossier and said, "I don't care about your power struggle with Aqi, but since you've provoked Shanghou, you should have calculated his possible reaction. Now that Shanghou has joined forces with Xingyue Lake, it's the worst-case scenario."

Ximen Qing opened his folding fan with a "whoosh." "Aren't you the same? Even the shrewd Jian Yuji was completely outmaneuvered by that Cheng brat. I used a spy who had been hiding in the Yun family for over a decade to dig up the information, but I still didn't expect that brat to have a way to force the Song Kingdom to withdraw its troops."

"I made a mistake,"

Jian Yuji said frankly. "I originally thought that giving Ningnu to him would take up half of his time and energy, but I didn't expect that he would get a cauldron for free and be able to refrain from indulging in nightly revelry. I also didn't expect that he had the Taiyi Zhenzong as a backup plan."

Jian Yuji was silent for a moment, then suddenly flicked her finger and accurately picked out a dossier from the foot-thick dossier, spreading it out in front of her. "On October 17th, Lin Caiquan went to Qingzhou—yes, they must have met in Qingzhou."

Jian Yuji made a note on the dossier, then put it back, continuing to look at the dossier in front of her.

"What are you looking at?"

"Grain prices."

Jian Yuji said, "I don't understand why he could clearly make money, but instead chooses to exchange it for a pile of self-printed paper."

"You should ask an old clerk in Qingzhou for this kind of thing,"

Ximen Qing said, waving his folding fan, "Do you really think you're some kind of all-knowing god?"

"You're right, sir."

Jian Yuji immediately put down the dossier, picked up another one, her serene expression completely unmoved, seemingly unaffected by his sarcasm.

That scoundrel! A flame seemed to flicker in Ximen Qing's heart. He took a sip of the now-cold tea to barely suppress his anger, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Jian Yuji said without turning her head, "Lin Chong and Lu Qian, I won't let either of them go."

Ximen Qing laughed arrogantly, "A prisoner and a servant, taking their lives is a piece of cake for me, Ximen Qing!"

Unfortunately, just like his previous taunts, Ximen Qing's feigned boasting failed to provoke any reaction from Jian Yuji, and he could only leave dejectedly.

Jian Yuji put down her pen, seemingly lost in thought. A maid with a scar on her face appeared and placed a newly arrived stack of files on the table.

"Could it be Lin Chong?"

Jian Yuji suddenly said.

"What?" Granny Wu asked in a hoarse voice. Jian

Yuji touched her jade cheek with one finger and pondered, "I originally thought he was attracted to Ning Nu's beauty, which is why he instigated Gao Yanei to come and harass her. Could it be that he actually has his eye on Lin Chong?"

Granny Wu laughed strangely, "What is Lin Chong? Even this old servant would have killed him!"

Jian Yuji shook her head, "Lin Chong's cultivation was restricted by Ning Nu's Meditation Technique. Now that Ning Nu's technique is gone, it is still unknown whether his cultivation can advance in a short time. Otherwise, why would the Master personally order the elimination of this little instructor?"

Jian Yuji opened a dossier. "Have the people from the Ten Directions Forest arrived?"

"They have arrived. It's the little bald monk Jingnian from Lingjiu Temple."

Granny Wu said, "Fairy, don't worry. With Master Ximen taking action, Lin Chong is nothing but a piece of cake!"

Jian Yuji looked at the dossier and slowly said, "Better safe than sorry."

Lu Qian did not return to the Grand Commandant's Mansion. He walked along the Imperial River for a while, making up his mind, and then quickened his pace.

Half an hour later, he knocked on a door, adopting the air of a haughty guest, and said arrogantly, "The young master has ordered! You will come with me tomorrow!"

Ruan Xianglin said, "My brother-in-law is going on a long journey tomorrow, could you..."

"Don't forget the money you owe the young master."

Lu Qian said sternly, "Dress brightly tomorrow, remember!"

Ruan Xianglin had something on them, so although she didn't want to go, she had no choice but to agree.

In a corner that Lu Qian passed by, someone was also preparing for tomorrow's trip.

With a ripple in the air, the seal opened, and the words on the yellowish-brown straw paper appeared as vivid as cinnabar.

Time: Noon on March 18th.

Location: Wild Boar Forest. Target: Lin Chong, instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards.

Mission: Decapitation.

The girl grasped the silver chain at her chest and whispered, "Sister, we have a mission."

A moment later, a soft voice sounded beside her: "How difficult is it?"

"Easy peasy..."

The girl's fair hand gently rubbed the paper into powder. "Capture it!"

"The Wild Boar Forest is located in the mountains, and there are towering ancient trees for miles around."

There was a map on the table, which Yu Ziyuan had compiled based on the oral accounts of Jin Wuzhu and others.

Cheng Zongyang said, "The path into the forest is narrow, with a stream in the middle. After crossing the stream, there are hills. This place—"

He pointed on the map, "is the best spot to make a move."

Qin Hui rubbed his fingers and said, "With just two constables and Master Lu's help, rescuing Instructor Lin will be a piece of cake."

"If there are only two constables, would you even need to intervene? The Flower Monk is enough. But there's also the Imperial City Guard. Judging from Lin Chong's words, they might kill us to silence us."

Cheng Zongyang pondered, "There's another possibility we can't rule out: the Black Demon Sea."

The strength of the Imperial City Guard is hard to predict. Once the Black Demon Sea is involved, based on Cheng Zongyang's experience, things will become extremely complicated, and who knows what unexpected events might occur.

"The rescue is a matter of utmost importance. I'm counting on Lin Chong and Changbo to team up and take down the cavalry leader! There can't be any mishaps!"

Cheng Zongyang said decisively. "Everyone goes tomorrow! Huizhi, you're in charge of the rescue; Ziyuan and the brothers from the carriage and horse shop are responsible for guarding against the Imperial City Guard and the Black Demon Sea; Feng Dafa, Lao Shu, Lao Shou, and Lao Bao, the four of you will follow me. We'll assess the situation carefully before making a move."

Yu Ziyuan asked, "What about the Snow Falcon Gang?"

"We don't know their background yet, so don't touch them for now,"

Qin Hui reminded them. "Who will guard the money shop?"

"The funds from Qingzhou haven't arrived yet, and there's not much cash left. Qingpu is guarding it. Hehe, our Grand Commandant Gao is good at making money. As long as you pay, he'll even have the Imperial Guards clean your toilets. The money shop is in a dilapidated state, so tomorrow we'll have a squad of Imperial Guards come to build a house. If anyone dares to rob it, I'll just consider myself unlucky."

Qin Hui said, "Master is a master strategist. With all the heroes out here, Lin Chong will surely be captured in no time! He'll be at your fingertips!" Cheng Zongyang

laughed, "Don't imply I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. You know, even a tiger will go all out to catch a rabbit, let alone the situation in Lin'an, which is so complicated. I'm taking this so seriously for safety reasons."

Li Shishi, who had been taking notes, looked up: "What about me?"

Cheng Zongyang had a headache. In terms of cultivation, Li Shishi wasn't much stronger than him when he first arrived in the Southern Wilderness. She could handle ordinary officials, but if she really encountered a tough opponent, she would have difficulty even protecting herself. But leaving her alone in the garden, if she were to bump into Ruan Xiangning in the waterside pavilion, she wouldn't be able to explain herself no matter how hard she tried.

"You'll come with me tomorrow,"

Cheng Zongyang said resolutely, "After all, he's your uncle."

Everyone was bored in the city. Now that their side was strong and well-equipped, with both experts and many formidable fighters, the area around Lin'an could barely be considered their territory. This time, they were going all out, like a lion hunting a rabbit—how could they not capture it easily?

Yan Tanxian was in high spirits, the atmosphere was cheerful, and it didn't seem like they were going to fight, but rather like they were going on a picnic.

Amidst the joyous atmosphere, Feng Yuan, whose beard was mostly burned off, wore a pained expression. He tugged at the pine needles, saying somewhat uneasily, "Why am I feeling so uneasy..."

Yu Ziyuan nudged him with his elbow. "Master Feng, are you still suffering from a sore butt?"

"No, no—don't blame me for being a jinx! I'm perfectly fine, but I suddenly have this inexplicable evil feeling..."

Feng Yuan said weakly, "Do you think tomorrow will be a bloodbath?"

The prediction of the dignified Master Feng elicited another burst of laughter from the crowd.

In the joyous atmosphere of the feast, almost no one among the groups about to participate in the Wild Boar Forest Conference could foresee what kind of grand event tomorrow would be.

Please continue reading "The Song of the Six Dynasties" Episode 5.

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