[Wuxia] The Legend of Condor Heroes: The World's People [Complete] - 4

Chapter Thirty-Six: Royalties?

I sent the little maid away and then worked through the night editing the book. The original 100-chapter *Jin Ping Mei* had been significantly shortened,
reduced to 80 chapters. It was just a formality anyway, and submitting the manuscript this way was a groundbreaking work. And so,
the first vernacular novel in Chinese history depicting everyday life was hastily completed in a few nights.

I looked at the sky, already beginning to lighten, and cursed inwardly: "Damn it, I'm never agreeing to write for anyone again! I don't even have a computer;
I just memorized it, and in two nights I wrote tens of thousands of words. It's exhausting!" That bastard Mo San is probably still dreaming with his madam, while I'm
sitting here on the sidelines, determined to get a good night's sleep with my Yin'er soon. Before, I'd never experienced the
pleasures ; whenever I had physical needs, I'd seek out my fifth sister. Now I know the allure of a woman's flesh, especially with my beloved
beautiful third sister waiting for me to soothe my lovesickness. I can't sit still any longer.

I ate the breakfast Xiao Lü brought, and seeing that the girl was chatting and laughing with me, and wasn't as afraid of me as she was last night, I knew
she was no longer a threat.

After chatting with Xiao Lü for a bit, I went to wake up Da Wu and Xiao Wu. The two brothers were still half asleep, and quickly got out of bed to prepare
for their martial arts practice , but they both felt ravenous, their hands and feet weak from hunger, as if they hadn't eaten all day. I was secretly pleased and had already instructed
the servants to prepare more breakfast. After Da Wu and Xiao Wu finished eating, they were back to their usual lively and energetic selves, making me marvel at their incredible
resilience.

"Brother, shouldn't we go see Mother with Senior Brother?" Wu Xiuwen, being quite filial, asked.

"Yes, the air is fresh in the morning. I'll teach you a breathing technique on behalf of Uncle Guo first, so he can formally teach
you the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms when he returns."

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother." Now that I'm the most powerful person in the Guo family, Wu Xiuwen naturally knew the principle of not fighting a losing battle, and
flattered me. Wu Dunru, his face grim, nodded in agreement with his younger brother.

Damn it… never mind, this will involve Third Sister too. Wu Dunru, you idiot, you dare to give me that attitude? If you really piss me off
, I'll go find you a copy of the Sunflower Manual so you can learn from it. Seeing Wu Dunru's sour face, I felt angry, but I suppressed my temper for the time being. I
explained to them how to practice their internal energy and how to move their energy, letting them experience it first, and they could ask me later if they had any questions.

“What do you think of Uncle Guo's aptitude?” I suddenly asked.

“Well… Master's aptitude isn't considered top-notch.” After all, Guo Jing's aptitude was mediocre, a fact known throughout the land, so the two Wu brothers
answered boldly.

“Yes, but why was he able to become the strongest martial artist in the martial world? It's because he was diligent. As the saying goes, diligence can make up for lack
of talent . Your senior brother will devise a training plan for you; would you dare to try it?” I asked.

“Junior brother is willing to try,” the two Wu brothers answered together. So I ordered them to practice the Tiger-Taming Fist ten times, lift the stone lock
five hundred times, and then practice horse stance for an hour. After saying this, I carried the manuscript straight to the Drunken Life Pavilion.

"Brother, I've missed you so much these past two days!" Mo San greeted me warmly. "What brings you here today,
so eager to come and play with your brother?"

"Here, take what you wanted." Without further ado, I tossed the manuscript to Mo San.

Mo San took the manuscript and carefully flipped through the first few chapters. The more he looked, the more excited he became: "Brother, you are truly talented!
Add to that the rare erotic novels your bookstore has collected as interludes, and then add a few annotations from you, and it's perfect! However,
what I like most is your line, 'I will not astonish the world with my literary fame, but rather disrupt the universe with my unrestrained behavior.' It truly captures the heroic spirit of our generation, bursting forth from the page
! Haha, I toast you!"

I was also very pleased with myself, and humbly replied, "You flatter me, you flatter me, how dare I!"

Mo San then asked, "Who is this Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng?"

"That's my pen name. You can't expect me to use my real name, can you? Otherwise, my
master will beat me to death without my mentor even coming to find me." The mentor I mentioned was a very famous figure in Chinese history—Wen Tianxiang.
Wen Tianxiang was only in his twenties at this time, and had not yet made a name for himself in politics. I had just finished observing mourning for my father at home and was then the prefect of Zhenjiang.
From a young age, I admired this upright and awe-inspiring national hero, and thus voluntarily chose to become his disciple. Wen Tianxiang also greatly admired Guo Jing's
chivalry , and upon hearing that I was Guo Jing's apprentice, he readily accepted me as his student.

"Hmm? Chief Huang is also proficient in staff fighting? Then you won't raise your staff to meet me, will you?" Mo San lewdly chuckled.

"Get lost, be serious." This scoundrel, he's making my heart itch again. Mo San stopped teasing and
took a brocade box from beside him, placing it in front of me.

"What good stuff is this? It's not another set of erotic pictures you've been collecting, is it? And it's wrapped so securely." I said
, opening the brocade box. "Perfume? It wasn't brought from France, was it?" Inside the brocade box were three exquisite glass bottles,
each containing a flowing liquid. I never imagined that perfume existed a thousand years ago, which is why I was
so surprised.

"Brother, you actually recognize this? You truly have a remarkable memory. This is
rose dew, transported to Lin'an by sea from Venetian merchants who came from even further than Persia. I heard they say its place of origin is indeed something like 'West'..." Mo San boasted, shaking his head. "
I traded three thousand catties of the finest gastrodia elata, Sichuan pepper, and other spices for this. I only got ten bottles in total. I doubt even the imperial court
has such a tribute. Are you satisfied this time, brother?"

"Brother, you're too kind. Of course I'm satisfied. It would be vulgar for brothers to talk about money. I'm truly grateful." I unceremoniously
stuffed the item into my pocket.

"Brother, wait a minute. This bottle is for Miss Guo, and the other one is for Madam Guo. But this other bottle...
don't you want to keep it for my little sister Liu?" Mo San stopped me.

"I only have a casual acquaintance with Lady Liu, so let's just forget about it."

"You know, my wife is angry with you. She's been crying her eyes out these past two days. You should go and comfort her."

I suddenly realized that something was missing; it turned out that Ma Xianglan, who was practically inseparable from Mo San, was angry with me and that's why she was avoiding
me .

"This perfume, uh, rosewater, I naturally have other uses for it, but I wasn't planning to save it for Lady Liu. What? Third Brother, are you trying to
take a bottle back from me?" I teased with a smile.

"Oh, I remember now. I've always heard that everyone in the Guo family knows that Yang Jieyuan always prepares three gifts:
one for his wife, one for his mother-in-law, and one for his third wife. But Third Brother, I've never seen who this third wife of yours is." Mo
San revealed a mysterious smile.

I cursed inwardly, thinking who was the fool who was gossiping outside. I'd shut him up when I got back; I had to "silence him." "Third Sister's
identity is special, and she's also my closest relative. Just don't believe the rumors

, Third Brother." Mo San knew perfectly well that I was admitting it myself. I hadn't said anything about you two having an affair, yet you'd already confessed. However, we
were kindred spirits, like a prostitute meeting a patron, or Ximen Qing meeting Pan Jinlian. Now that I'd discovered he was also
a fan of mature women, I couldn't very well laugh at him. I brushed it off with a laugh. "Hey, if Third Brother bleeds again, I'll give you an extra
bottle , what do you think, my good brother?"

I asked, touching my nose. "Third Brother, you seem to care so much about Lady Liu, could it be that you two are having an affair?"

"Get lost..." Mo San laughed and cursed.

I left the Drunken Life Pavilion early, agreeing to Mo San's offer. Whether Mo San was just using his name to give Liu
Rushi gifts, or genuinely trying to bring me and Liu Rushi together, I didn't really care. I can flirt with young wives,
seduce young widows, even visit prostitutes—as long as it's consensual, I have no qualms. But this pitiful Liu
Rushi , I keep my distance. First, she wants a lot, perhaps even a formal title. Second, she's clever, but
restless. So, I won't get too involved with her, lest I become hopelessly entangled.

Humming a little tune, I stopped by the market and bought a fish, some vegetables, and some wine, heading towards my little home… “Yin’er,
wife~ are you there?” I pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, seeing Third Aunt wiping down the furniture she'd bought yesterday. She seemed
very satisfied with every little detail of this little nest, and cherished it dearly. I noticed Third Aunt was only wearing simple home clothes, with a headscarf wrapped around her head to
prevent dust. Seeing the slight sweat on her forehead, she must have been busy for quite a while—a true model of thrift and household management.

“Guo’er, you're back?” I'll be right there, wait for me. When San Niang saw her beloved man return, she prepared to go back to
her room to change her clothes, but I grabbed her arm.

I had already put the things I was carrying in the kitchen. I took out a towel and wiped the sweat from San Niang's head, complaining
, "It's quite hot. If there's anything, just wait until I get back and let me do it."

"If you do everything, what am I supposed to do? Okay, sit for a while, I'll go cook for you." San Niang smiled brightly.

"Don't rush, I want to eat you first..." I hugged the beautiful woman from behind, my hands slowly sliding upwards.

"Hehe, don't be silly, you're covered in dust. Wait for me, it'll be ready soon." San Niang laughed and broke free, then darted back to
her room.

"Yin'er, why do you smell so good even though you're sweating?" After lunch, San Niang and I snuggled against the newly bought
recliner, I greedily inhaled the fragrance on San Niang's body as I asked.

"Really?" San Niang couldn't help but beam with joy at her man's praise and affection.

"I was thinking of giving you something nice, but it seems I don't need to now." I tried to whet San Niang's appetite.

"What new tricks do you have this time?" San Niang turned around and asked.

"Come here." I patted San Niang's plump buttocks, gesturing for her to sit down. "This is for you." I took out a brocade box and placed it
in front of San Niang.

"What's this?" San Niang opened it and saw three crystal-clear, seven-colored glass bottles neatly arranged inside. "They're really
beautiful . Which one is mine?" She naturally knew my rules and asked with a smile.

"Since you're home, you can choose first."

"That's not a good idea. Let's wait until Fu'er and Sister Rong come back. Just give me the last one." San Niang
said . She didn't want to compete for favor; she knew what was meant to be hers would always be hers.

“This ranking doesn’t matter, it’ll all be yours sooner or later, so just pick that one. I
can’t really explain the specifics of this good stuff, you should choose for yourself.”

Third Sister was finally at ease. The three glass bottles were the same size and similar in shape, so she randomly picked one. She was captivated
by the colorless liquid flowing within the dazzling glass, refracting sunlight into a kaleidoscope of colors
. “This is it,” Third Sister said, about to put it away.

“That’s too frivolous. This is perfume, open it and smell it.” I smiled wryly, not expecting Third Sister to only think of it as a pretty
bottle .

Third Sister opened the bottle as instructed, and a rich fragrance wafted out. “It smells so good! It’s like plum blossom dew and rose dew, but
much stronger. Where did you get something so wonderful?” Third Sister was overjoyed; she had never seen such a rare item before.

I smiled and asked Third Sister for a silk handkerchief to plug the bottle opening so the perfume could soak the handkerchief. Then I gestured for Third Sister to put the cap back on. In my past life,
I frequently went on missions and frequented high-class places, so I naturally knew how to use perfume. Just like now, I used a damp
handkerchief to apply the perfume to several veins on my body, letting the warmth of the flowing blood slowly release the fragrance. As I did this,
I explained the process, then returned the handkerchief to Third Sister. "This... consider it my writing fee. It's a good
thing , three bottles are worth three thousand taels of silver..."

"Heavens, a small bottle is worth a thousand taels?" Third Sister's hand trembled, almost dropping the bottle.

"Haha... it's alright, I have countless ways to make money. From now on, I don't want Yin'er to live a hard life with me, and I won't
let you worry about life anymore." I gently comforted Third Sister, embracing her.

"Yes, I believe you, but ultimately, we still need to be frugal. After all, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. You
should start saving some money to prepare for marrying Fu'er." Third Sister said timidly.

"Yes, I'm awake now. I'm not wasting money. We've been on Peach Blossom Island for three years, have you ever seen me squander a single penny?
But recently, it's all been by chance that I got this little bit. I'm glad you like it." I chuckled, touching my nose.

"Hmm... By the way, what kind of royalties are these?" Third Sister remembered what I had just said.

"Well, I wrote a vernacular legend and gave it to Third Brother to publish. You know he runs a publishing house, so naturally he
treasured it and gave me this. Speaking of perfume, it's quite a magical thing. It's said that its scent can change." I didn't want to talk about the book anymore
and changed the subject.

"Changes?" Third Sister looked at the bottle in her hand curiously.

"Well, actually, this should be called perfume essence, meaning the essence of fragrance. Don't underestimate these three small bottles of perfume essence.
If I'm not mistaken, it's made from the distillation and purification of a hundred pounds of fresh flowers. It's extremely precious..."

Third Sister gasped. A hundred pounds of fresh flowers could only be extracted to make three small bottles. No wonder it's so fragrant.

I continued, "Yin'er, smell it, what does it smell like now?"

"Hmm, is it the scent of roses? Or maybe peach blossoms?"

"Hmm, for the first two hours, it's the scent of flowers. For the next two hours, it transforms into a fruity aroma.
After four hours, it evolves into a subtle fragrance, neither quite orchid nor quite musk, refreshing and intoxicating. Just
one drop can last for several days, the fragrance lingering and persistent." In my past life, I was
an undercover perfumer, posing for half a month, so although I haven't practiced it myself, I have a considerable understanding of the theory of fragrances.

"You rascal! You said you weren't familiar with this stuff, but you've been talking non-stop, giving me a long lecture. Did you learn all this from hanging out with women these past few days
?" Third Sister pinched me hard, clearly jealous.

"Oh, no, I only saw it in one of Master Huang's notes back on the island. You know, my
master's father always collects strange and unusual things. And then there's what Mo San introduced it to me today. Three thousand strings of cash—would I just take it without
understanding benefits?" Of course, I couldn't tell the truth, so I had to use my ultimate deception technique.

"You have a point. But you lied to me earlier, saying you didn't know."

"If I didn't say that, how could you bear to choose first?" Actually, I deliberately let San Niang choose first to show how much I valued her.

San Niang thought about it and understood what I meant, feeling both touched and sweet.

"Third Brother seemed to tell me that the flavors are different. The bottle we just had was probably peach flavored. How about we try
some others?" I asked tentatively.

"Mm." San Niang smiled every day, her face beaming with a radiant smile.

Days passed by like this, and I spent my days with San Niang, enjoying time under the moon and flowers, drinking wine and having heart-to-heart talks. We spent every day together, the mornings
spent helping Third Sister with her makeup and watching her paint her eyebrows in front of the mirror; the evenings spent in passionate lovemaking,
breathing in that intoxicating fragrance. Anyway, no one bothered me about not coming home at night; I just
went back to give Da Wu and Xiao Wu a little treatment, and then went back at night to give them a little sleeping potion, guaranteeing they'd sleep soundly until dawn.

For the first three or five days, Third Sister hoped Da Wu and Xiao Wu would come to see her, but they were so focused on getting Guo Jing to teach them
the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms that they diligently practiced my grueling training methods, completely forgetting their mother. At first, I tried
to cover for them, but Third Sister knew her sons best, knowing that this was just their nature, and gradually she stopped being sad. Finally,
she let go of her worries and devoted herself to caring for and serving me.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Guo'er, I Want to Have a Child for You!

After our passionate night, I said, "The maids in the manor sent word that they haven't found him and might be returning in the next couple of days.
They say he's already in Xinye."

"Hmm..." Third Sister mumbled, still holding me.

"Ah, time flies so fast, it's been over ten days already."

"Hmm..."

"Shall we do it again?"

"Hmm...hmm? More, husband." Third Sister finally realized.

"Hehe, of course not enough, Yin'er won't be sleeping tonight." I said, and pounced on her. For the past ten days, I
'd been insisting that the "Thirty-Six Hands of Dongxuanzi" had the effects of cultivating both body and spirit, nourishing qi and preserving youth, and I'd dragged Third Sister into practicing it with me. Third Sister
opened her heart and went along with my antics. Every time we practiced, it turned into a battle of wits, and we
spent half of our time each day in bed, cuddling and kissing.

"Husband, I want to discuss something with you." Third Sister
said .

“Hmm, baby, speak freely.” I listened as I worked.

“Let me have a child for you,” San Niang said shyly.

I stopped moving, but didn’t speak. I just propped myself up on top of San Niang, gazing at her affectionately.

“Didn’t you say you wanted me to have a child for you? I want to fulfill this wish while I can still have one, so I won’t have any
regrets later.” San Niang said, wrapping her pink arms around my neck.

“That’s true, but that would mean you’d have to fade from people’s sight, perhaps for a long time. I don’t agree.”
I shook my head. “Besides, when you’re pregnant, you’ll need someone to take care of you all the time, and I won’t be able to be by your side day and night. You’ll be
very sad.”

“I’m not worried about being lonely. This is the path I’ve chosen. We can hire people. Didn’t you say you’d hire a few servants?”
San Niang continued.

“I’ll think about it some more. This really needs to be considered carefully.” I comforted her as I thrust gently. But I
noticed that the woman beneath me didn’t respond. She was silent, lost in thought, clearly angry. I stopped what I was doing and
asked, "Are you unhappy?"

Third Sister didn't answer. Actually, she was very worried, especially since going from being together day and night to going back to the old ways of sneaking around
. She was still somewhat unhappy. She was afraid that if I stayed with Guo Fu, as time went on, and she aged and lost her beauty, even if I
didn't say anything, she would distance herself further. She needed a child, whether to keep a man's heart or
to give herself some comfort. Besides, she was already at the age where her youth was fading, and she was truly afraid that she wouldn't have another chance.

I had guessed some of her worries. I wanted Third Sister to feel at ease; after all, she had experienced too much, been hurt
too deeply , and had never felt secure. I took a deep breath and said, "I promise you!"

"Really?" Third Sister, upon hearing the good news, immediately asked with a bright smile.

I smiled slightly, withdrew my clone, removed the sheep intestine sheath, and thrust into Third Sister's body again. "Yin'er,
when was your last period?"

"Why are you asking that?" Third Sister said shyly. “It was those two days after our first time.”

“Oh, no wonder you wouldn’t let me touch you those days.” I said, suddenly realizing. “I was calculating which day you would be most likely to conceive.”
I pretended to do some calculations. Seven days before and five days after, it’s still a good time. If I try harder tonight, it should bear fruit. I’ve
been using condoms these past few days, but it hasn’t been enough. Today I can finally have some fun, so I started thrusting vigorously.

“Can this be calculated too? Hmm…hmm…” Third Sister was also getting aroused and couldn’t help but moan again. The surroundings
were relatively isolated. Under my guidance, Third Sister no longer suppressed her pleasure and released her joy to the fullest. Even her moans
were trained to be incredibly seductive.

“Of course, tonight Guo’er will have nine rounds of lovemaking with my darling. It’s bound to be a reaping of what you sow. Yin’er
, you can rest assured and prepare to be the mother of my child.” I laughed, teasing her with some risqué jokes.

"What 'you reap what you sow'? That sounds awful... Yin'er... don't give birth to a melon, I want to give birth for my husband."
"A big, fat son... um... okay?" Third Sister wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and her legs around my waist,
clinging to me like an octopus, her breath coming in short, gasps.

"Okay, but not just one, a whole bunch of beautiful children. When they grow up, they'll surround us and call us '
Daddy' and 'Mommy,' okay?" I continued my vigorous work, laughing.

"Okay, okay..." Third Sister's eyes welled up with tears. She, too, dreamed of a life with her husband by her side, children around her knees, a
family reunion .

In a short time, I transformed from a psychologically virgin into an invincible man in bed, my "dragon spear" capable of
fighting on the battlefield for half an hour without ejaculating. The first few days almost exhausted Third Sister, forcing her to study the *Dongxuanzi*,
*Su Nu Jing*, and *Chunfeng Lu* with me. Now she has mastered more and more techniques and can already engage in several rounds with me. Third Sister
also noticed that her waist had become more slender, her skin firmer, and her stamina... She was much better, though I didn't know if it was because the dual cultivation technique
was truly effective, or simply because of the nourishment I provided.

That night, Third Sister and I changed positions more than twenty times, and Third Sister had nine orgasms, while I ejaculated five times. Besides the "slap, slap" sounds, the room was filled with the lewd and sticky "splish, splish" sounds

of my penis rubbing against her vagina, drawing out her juices . I thrust harder with even more excitement, while Third Sister clung to me tightly, almost curled up, her vagina gushing with streams of vaginal fluid. She convulsed for a moment before collapsing onto the bed as if fainting, letting me ride her. "Yin'er! I'm going to cum again!" "I thrust in and out over a hundred times with all my might, then roared, kissing San Niang's raised ankle as I began to ejaculate violently. With multiple sensitive areas on San Niang's body simultaneously attacked, her cervix opened wide, gripping my massive glans and catching the gushing semen The surging essence of love slapped against her uterine walls, scalding her so much that she screamed in excitement and fainted. She felt she had no strength left to breathe, like a dazed deathbed. After my fifth ejaculation, I too collapsed beside San Niang, utterly drained of strength. Afraid of crushing my lover, I lay down on one side, completely powerless, unable even to move a finger. In both my lives, I had never felt so exhausted. It seems excessive indulgence truly is harmful to the body," I thought to myself. San Niang, too, lay motionless on the bed, panting, the jade pendant falling..." Her legs were draped over my back. In the throes of climax, both of them were covered in a mixture of bodily fluids, their chests rising and falling with their breaths. San Niang felt an indescribable beauty spreading throughout her body—a surge of life force… After her climax, San Niang was too weak to caress her lover, simply letting him stroke her body. They lay close together, gazing at each other, only their breathing and their still-intertwined arms and legs able to be heard. Finally, the couple, drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, murmured to themselves and fell asleep, neck to neck. The next morning, I saw San Niang out of the south gate. She was going to deliver a letter to Master Yideng, personally reporting the whole story. On one hand , this would prevent Guo Jing and Huang Rong from feeling guilty and having trouble facing Master Yideng and the three—the Fisherman, the Woodcutter, and the Reader. On the other hand, it would also prevent San Niang from running into Huang Rong and having her notice anything amiss. “We were really crazy last night. Let’s never do it again, okay? Promise me.” "Before leaving, Third Sister told me to take care of my health and not to be as reckless as last night. "Yes, Guo'er is awake now. I'm afraid my body will be drained quickly. Guo'er understands." I nodded in agreement. "I will miss you every day and wait for my return." "Yes, I will miss you every day too. Come back soon..." I watched Third Sister's carriage drive away before slowly returning to the Guo residence. As soon as I entered the gate of the Guo residence, I saw Little Red Horse and knew that the Guo family of three had returned. "Master, Uncle Guo, you're back? Where's Fu Mei?" I asked with a smile. "Guo'er, you're back. Where did you go just now?" Guo Jing asked. "Well, Third Sister said that she should personally explain the cause and effect of the matter to Master Yideng, so I delivered the coroner 's autopsy report and the official certificate issued by Magistrate Zhao to her. I saw her past the Ten-Mile Pavilion before returning." "I replied. "Hmm, very good. Dunru, Xiuwen, why didn't you two go to see your mother off?" Guo Jing asked. "Well, Master only told us to practice our martial arts well, and our eldest brother assigned us a lot of homework, telling us that diligence can make up for lack of talent, so we didn't dare to leave and have been practicing at home." Wu Dunru stammered. "As children, filial piety comes first. Your mother went on a long journey, and you didn't even see her off. If you treat your parents like this, how will you treat us, your master and mistress, in the future?" Guo Jing was very dissatisfied and slammed his hand on the table, standing up and demanding an explanation. "Disciple knows his mistake." "Disciple knows his mistake." The two brothers knelt down together to admit their mistake. "Brother Jing, considering that they know they were wrong, let's let it go this time." "Huang Rong advised from the side. She knew perfectly well that since hadn't even seen each other off on their long journey, it was likely that Da Wu and Xiao Wu hadn't visited San Niang even once in the past ten days. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Disrespectful children should be severely punished. If Jing'er had acted like this back then, I would have beaten him to death with one blow." Ke Zhen'e slammed his steel cane on the ground and shouted sternly. He was a man of the highest filial piety, and he was probably still very upset about not being able to capture Ouyang Feng, so he took it out on Da Wu and Xiao Wu. "Big brother, you're back." At this moment, Guo Fu rushed out from the back room, followed by her maid Xiao Lü. I secretly cursed. She came back and immediately started interrogating me. You little brat, I'll give you a good spanking later. "Yes, I just went to see San Niang off. I'll talk to you later. Your father is angry right now." I whispered to Guo Fu. Huang Rong saw the two of us whispering and smiled at Guo Jing, saying, "Brother Jing, Guo'er said that they have been practicing martial arts diligently. They must made great progress." " What have you two been practicing?" one asked. "We've been meditating and circulating our qi," the other replied. "And we've been doing ten repetitions of the Tiger-Taming Fist every day, lifting the stone lock a thousand times, and sparring ." Huang Rong said, "That's a good opportunity to test your progress, brothers. Guo'er, I heard you've been running around these past few days. I wonder kung fu has fallen behind. You'll face both Da Wu and Xiao Wu with one hand, without weapons or the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. If you lose, you'll be confined to your home for a month and forbidden from going out. If Da Wu and Xiao Wu lose, you'll be confined for three months and forced to practice martial arts at home. What do you say, Jing-ge?" "What does Master think?" Guo Jing asked, turning his head. "I have nothing to say. Guo'er, you should teach these two beasts a lesson. Don't worry about the eunuch's feelings," Blind Ke said menacingly.

I inwardly groaned; my legs were still weak, how could I possibly fight? But there was no other way; I'd been forced into this situation, so I had to grit my teeth
and go for it. In my mind, I cursed Huang Rong a thousand times over—that wretched woman, that damned woman, always plotting against me. I also cursed Da Wu and Xiao Wu
for being ungrateful and kicking me when I was down; seeing their sly smiles, I knew they must have snitched on me. No wonder Fu Mei went back to her room to check
on .

Da Wu and Xiao Wu had already jumped into the courtyard and bowed simultaneously: "Greetings, Senior Brother."

I returned the bow: "Greetings, Junior Brother." At the same time, I secretly circulated my inner energy and found that it wasn't depleted at all, but rather overflowing with vitality,
instantly
making me feel like a different person. I possessed Ouyang Feng's internal energy accumulated over a decade; my internal strength was already extraordinary, but now I felt I could wield this inner energy with complete ease, as flexible as an arm, which filled me with immense joy. You
see , the enhanced version of the *Su Nu Jing* left behind by Ouyang Ke is a treasure of White Camel Mountain. Combined with the internal energy cultivation methods passed down through generations of the Ouyang family
, its effects are unparalleled. This is only a small taste of its benefits for me.

Suddenly, Da Wu and Xiao Wu noticed that my figure had grown taller, like a towering mountain. Facing me, they
felt an overwhelming sense of awe, unable to reach my heights.

"Guo'er hasn't neglected his studies, especially his internal energy. It's already formed and can be released externally. At
his age, it was nowhere near this strong," Guo Jing sighed.

"Hehe, he's very fortunate. We hadn't even seen the Nine Yin Manual at our age. But his move of approaching
the enemy without fighting is deeply rooted in military strategy," Huang Rong nodded secretly, praising him. Guo

Fu couldn't understand, and Ke Zhen'e couldn't see, but hearing Guo and Huang's praise, they watched the fight with smiles
.

The three of them were already locked in combat. Despite being mentally constrained, the two Wu brothers, eager to impress their master, each performed
a powerful and imposing set of Tiger-Taming Fist. Their movements were clear and precise, demonstrating both intention and form. Guo Jing nodded in approval, convinced they had indeed
put in considerable effort. I, however, seized the initiative, deliberately tripping the two Wu brothers' combined Four Symbols Step, then
using my fingers as a sword—my self-created Yang Family Sword Finger. I seized the moment when the eldest Wu ducked to dodge my footwork, unleashing a flurry of sword-finger strikes, hitting his
Quze, Yunmen, and Tianchi acupoints. The youngest Wu was momentarily stunned, allowing me to close the distance and strike his Shenfeng acupoint with a single blow. Both fell
to the ground . Lying on the ground, they still looked incredulous. The youngest Wu

cried out, "Master, he cheated…this doesn't count, we weren't ready!"

"Yes, Master," the eldest Wu shouted, protesting, "he said you weren't talented enough, and that we should make up for it with hard work. He made us practice these useless
things ; he deliberately harmed us!"

I gave them a hand, but I wouldn't let them use the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms to bully others. I know I'm physically weak, and in a prolonged fight, I'll inevitably show weakness,
allowing Guo and Huang to see my flaws. That's why
I had no choice but to resort to this tactic. As for whether Da Wu and Xiao Wu will develop psychological trauma, I don't care. It would be best if they also developed physical trauma, becoming gossipy, effeminate people for life.

"Shut up!" Guo Jing was initially pleased that his three disciples had all grown, but hearing Da Wu and Xiao Wu shout like this, he grew
angrier and angrier. An honest person doesn't get angry easily, but when they do, it's earth-shattering. "You two little... every word Guo'er said to you was
golden advice, and he personally led you in training. Otherwise, how could your Tiger Subduing Fist have improved so much? Yet you
repeatedly slander and defame your senior brother. Is this how your master usually teaches you to be fraternal? You have disappointed me greatly,
or perhaps it is my incompetence, Guo Jing, that I haven't taught you well. I have let down Senior Brother Wu. You may leave." Guo Jing decided to expel them from
the sect.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: What? " Master

!" Da Wu and Xiao Wu cried out in sorrow. To be honest, they weren't truly cold-hearted. Wu Santong hadn't
cared for them since childhood, so their death was just that—death. Although their third mother had always taken good care of them, they hated their own mother because of
her kindness towards them, and weren't particularly close to her. On the contrary, to please Guo Jing and his wife
and win their hearts in the future, the brothers tried their best to appear filial to Guo Jing. Over time, their feigned filial piety
became hesitate to die for Guo Jing. Plus, they were naturally stubborn and single-minded
, never changing their minds once they'd made up their minds—like father, like son. But this was something only Huang Rong and I could clearly see;
even couldn't explain it.

"Father..." After all, they had been together for many years. Although Guo Fu often called them idiots and teased them, she
couldn't just watch Da Wu and Xiao Wu be driven away. She looked to me for help.

“Ahem, Uncle Guo, perhaps I did use a trick, unlike my usual straightforward approach, which made them a little uncomfortable.
But as you can see, they've been practicing very diligently. I hope you'll consider their immaturity and the fact that they just lost their father, and
forgive them this time.” I said , winking and gesturing, clearly annoyed.

Guo Jing nodded, suppressing his anger, and said, “This time, for the sake of your parents, I'll forgive you both.
Go back to your rooms and reflect on your actions. Rong'er, starting tomorrow, you will teach them to read and write, and to follow Guo'er's example in everything.”

“Oh, okay.” Huang Rong nodded, but inwardly she was shaking her head: My silly brother, didn't you see the look in those two boys' eyes?
They practically want to bite Guo'er to death, and you're making them learn from him? They might hate Guo'er for the rest of their lives. She secretly
started plotting, wondering if she could transfer them to the writing department and stop Guo Jing from teaching them martial arts.

"Hehe, Grandfather, you must be tired after your long journey. I heard you and Uncle Guo are coming back these past few days, so I specially
went to buy some top-quality Fenjiu liquor and half a preserved duck. I'll come and have a couple of drinks with you." Seeing that the old blind man wasn't
finished yet, I quickly pulled Guo Fu away. Although Guo Fu didn't understand what was going on, she also went to join in the fun and listen to my story with Ke Zhen'e.

The commotion of the martial arts competition finally came to an end. That night, after putting Guo Fu to sleep, I sat sprawled out in
the garden pavilion to catch my breath. Thinking of Guo Fu, I imagined she was probably hugging her little perfume bottle right now, or perhaps already asleep with it in her arms
.

"Guo'er, are you asleep? You'll catch a cold sitting like that, get up."

I vaguely heard someone calling me, and when I opened my eyes, it was Huang Rong. "Master, you're still awake?"

My playful smile annoyed Huang Rong.

"Where did you go yesterday, you little rascal?" He used to act mature beyond his years to outsiders, but he was
incredibly talkative with those close to him, always liking to flirt and take advantage of young women… But ever since he came back from that trip to the Drunken Master's brothel, his whole demeanor…
A profound change had occurred, and these past ten days had only confirmed this feeling. Although I still enjoyed flirting and taking advantage of Fu'er
, I now possessed a calm and confident demeanor, as if the attraction I felt towards the opposite sex had shifted. It was like
the change in Guo Jing before and after marriage, yet he was still clearly an unmarried child.

In truth, once a man and woman truly possess each other, they both mature and become more confident, both physically and mentally. Perhaps I didn't
realize it, but that's the impression others had of my transformation. Moreover, the clever Huang Rong was perceptive and far more sensitive than most;
she was the first to notice my transformation from virgin to man… "Guo'er, tell me the truth, are you…?"

To verify her suspicions, Huang Rong pressed me under the moonlight, "Guo'er, have you lost your virginity?"

My heart skipped a beat; I hadn't expected Huang Rong to see through me. "Master… I'll tell you, but please don't tell Fu'er, okay?"
I said, feigning shame and bowing my head.

"Well, go ahead and tell me. Although we're master and disciple in name, our relationship is like that of mother and son. As long as you didn't intentionally do something wrong, your master will cover for you,"
Huang Rong said, holding my hand.

So soft. Although it wasn't the first time I'd had such a long talk with my beautiful master, the faint
fragrance still made my mind wander. Innocent student, lewd teacher… such a familiar scenario… I
thought lewdly.

"Ahem…" Huang Rong coughed twice, reminding me to stop.

"Well, actually, for the past ten days or so… I've been writing a romantic novel called *Jin Ping Mei*, which is based on the
story of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian in *Water Margin*…" I said.

"Tch, why don't you learn something good? Instead of studying, you're researching those kinds of things. Mo San must have been after you, right?"
Huang Rong asked with a light spit.

"Yes, I told them the bookstore was short of publications lately, and I drank a bit too much that day and just patted my chest and agreed..."

"You, if you can't drink, then go out drinking less."

"Yeah. These past few days I've been running around delivering manuscripts and proofreading, so sometimes I come back a bit late. Maybe
it's because I've been too engrossed in writing these past few days, so sometimes my mind wanders... Maybe that's why you think I
've changed a bit, Master..." I stammered. After all, being caught writing erotica by my parents isn't exactly something to be proud of, and even though I'm
thick-skinned, my face still turned slightly red.

"Haha... You're going to make me laugh to death! Guo'er, what are you after? Are you short of money? If you need money, just tell your family. Your
Uncle Guo and I aren't going to withhold your allowance." Huang Rong laughed heartily. She thought it was something serious, but what she
got was something so ridiculous.

"Guo'er is seventeen this year. He'll get married in two more years. We can't just rely on Fu's family's money

, can we?" "You really know what you're doing. Are you planning to separate from us because you don't want to support me and your Uncle Guo?" Huang Rong laughed.
"Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for you. Your heart is good enough for your master. But don't do this again, okay?"
Huang Rong patted my hand, comforting me.

Despite my wicked thoughts, I smiled and said, "Master and Uncle Guo treat me like their own son, but I can't always
be a freeloader . I want to earn more money so that Fu won't have to worry about making a living in the future."

"Good girl!" Huang Rong's smile deepened. "So how much silver did you earn this time?"

I thought to myself, "My little darling, this beauty is truly captivating, her smile is enough to charm a city, her
power to charm men, even all male animals... I can't take it anymore, I'm electrified..." "It was originally agreed to be three thousand taels, but Mo San changed his mind at the last minute and
gave me two bottles of this... plus a thousand taels of silver." I took out the last bottle of perfume from my pocket and handed it to Huang Rong.

"What is this?" Huang Rong opened the bottle and sniffed. "Rose dew? The scent is a little different, it seems to be fruity, mixed with
the fragrance of gardenia." After saying that, she reluctantly put the cap back on and handed it back to me. Just looking at the exquisite seven-colored glass bottle
made her drool with envy.

I secretly gave her a thumbs up, her sense of smell actually guessed right. "If Master says so, then it is, I'm not too sure. I
gave the other bottle to Fu Mei, this one is for you." I handed the perfume bottle to Huang Rong again. The peach-scented perfume had already been given to
Guo Fu. Third Sister chose a rose dew instead, as that perfume best suited her temperament. Finally, she left the finest
gardenia- scented perfume for Huang Rong.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony," Huang Rong said, snatching it without a word. It wasn't that she was greedy; the
scent too alluring, the bottle too charming. Even someone as experienced and wise as her couldn't resist the perfume's temptation.

I suddenly felt a pang of regret. Damn it, such good perfume and rouge were all going to Guo Da Mutou! It
was infuriating. But there was no way to take it back now that I'd given it. "Master, I'm going back to my room to rest."

"Yes, get some rest. Your Uncle Guo said that starting tomorrow, I'll teach Da Wu and Xiao Wu literature, and he'll teach you martial arts separately. Study
hard " Huang Rong encouraged.

"Yes, I will," I replied. I understood Huang Rong's meaning; Guo Da Mutou was going to impart all his knowledge.

"Hey, wait... do you have a printed copy of *Jin Ping Mei*?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Autumn Wind Casino, I'll lend you three feet of autumn wind; perfume gone? Big brother will figure something out.

Third Sister has been gone for seven days. I count the days on my fingers every day, wishing I could break the days down to the second. I know I've truly become Third Sister
's prisoner. Fortunately, I still have Guo Fu to keep me company, so life is quite comfortable. These past few days I've stayed
home
obediently. Mo San is busy printing and distributing *Jin Ping Mei* and hasn't had time to bother me. Huang Rong is tied up with Da Wu and Xiao Wu and can't get away, only complaining to me about how stupid Da Wu and Xiao Wu are after dinner every night. Bored out of my mind, I
've only diligently practiced the Fifteen Subduing Dragon Palms that Guo Jing taught me. According to Guo Jing, this is how Seventh Master taught him,
so he insists on following it. I've already cursed Guo Jing's ancestors for three generations. Seventh Master taught you fifteen palms back then because you were
as stupid as a block of wood and didn't want to acknowledge you as his disciple. I, on the other hand, am a prodigy, and now you're only teaching me a half-baked
fifteen palms? What the hell is that supposed to mean ?

No wonder I'm so frustrated. It's like a beautiful woman lying naked in front of me, but Guo Da Mu has put a
chastity belt on her, and the key is in his hands, but he won't give it to me. Isn't that infuriating?

Despite my frustration, I've decided to first master these fifteen palms before integrating the three most powerful moves.
I've discovered that classifying the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms as an external martial art is extremely inappropriate. Because this palm technique is simple in its variations, all...
The secret lies in how to mobilize the body's strength, using a single point to break through the surface, combining seven parts hardness with three parts softness in the counterforce
. Take, for example, the move "Regretful Dragon Soaring," which is the most classic interpretation of the entire palm technique .

"How to counteract the fluctuations generated when an object recoils, thereby achieving the same frequency and amplitude, and thus maximizing the destructive power,"
I murmured to myself, using my knowledge to explain the mysteries of the palm technique. "The principle here is like alternating current;
the cathode and anode constantly change, causing the output of power to form its own oscillation frequency. If we extend this further, we can
boldly hypothesize that combining Yin and Yang internal forces simultaneously could indeed produce the spiral force like Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.
In comparison, Shi Potian's Xuanbing Liehuo internal force is much more rudimentary."

"No wonder Qiao Feng's palm techniques are superior to those of Qi Gong in his youth, and no wonder that among those who practiced the Nine Yin Manual in the final competition, Qi Gong
recovered his power the fastest." I estimate that by the time of the second Mount Hua Sword Tournament, Qi Gong's combat skills were already
comparable to Qiao Feng's peak. Perhaps what he lacked was Qiao Feng's never-say-die spirit and unwavering courage. It was precisely that heroic character
that forged Qiao Feng's legend.

"What I lack now is practical combat experience; otherwise, I wouldn't have been suppressed by Wu Santong that time." I know that
since transmigrating, even with daily hard training and maintaining the diligent study habits of my previous life, I have had
far too little time. Compared to my peers, and even to the second-rate elders, I'm quite good. Even compared to the characters in the original story, I'm far superior
. However, after a sword duel with Qiu Chuji and a desperate fight with Wu Santong, I saw my shortcomings.
There are still over two years until the martial arts tournament at Dasheng Pass. Can I continue my undefeated legend? Without Xiaolongnu's
combined swordplay , can I defeat Jinlun Fawang? With my current skill, I'm afraid I'd struggle even against Huo Du, let alone
Darba. Against Jinlun Fawang, I'd be doomed. I need to quickly trick him into revealing the general outline of the Nine Yin Manual.

"Big brother, big brother!" Just as I was fantasizing about the Nine Yin Manual, Guo Fu ran in crying.

"Fu-mei, what's wrong?" I asked, taking Guo Fu's hand. "Don't cry, tell your brother what's wrong. I
'll take care of anything, no matter how big the problem. If anyone bullies my wife, I'll make them pay."

"Waaah... Fu'er is so sorry, brother. That perfume..." Guo Fu's eyes were swollen from crying as she sobbed.

It took me a while to understand what she meant, and I couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. It turned out that Guo Fu had been treating that perfume like a treasure these past two days, keeping it
in her sachet and carrying it with her everywhere she went, showing it off to her best friends. Today, a group of girls went out for a stroll. At Chaoyang Market, Guo Fu
felt someone bump into her. She reached for her waist alertly, only to find that her sachet was gone. But in the vast crowd, she
couldn't find the thief at all.

Ugh, how embarrassing. "The daughter of the Beggars' Sect leader had her sachet stolen by a thief..." Tomorrow's *Xiangyang Times* will probably publish such an unsigned article
on its front page ... "It's alright, your brother has a plan." I pulled Guo Fu along and we rode out on horseback. The two of us
rode together to the Earth God Temple outside the city, which was the headquarters of the Beggars' Sect branch. Guo Fu, who had been preoccupied with her perfume,
now realized her position with him was too ambiguous and became somewhat awkward.

"Who goes there?" a second-class disciple demanded.

"I am Yang Guo. Is Elder Lu here?" I called out loudly.

Lu Youjiao, hearing my voice from inside the temple, quickly came out to greet me. "Young Master is here! How did you find your way here? Oh,
you're Little Fu'er?" Lu Youjiao and I had met a few times, but we weren't particularly close. Seeing us arrive together today, he couldn't help but guess
our purpose.

"Uncle Lu, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. You should still call me Guo'er. From Master's perspective, I should call you
Senior Uncle." I quite admired this capable beggar. I knew I had to pursue a career in government, so Lu Youjiao was
the successor to the Beggar Clan leader. Naturally, I wanted to get closer to him so it would be easier to talk to him later. More importantly, I didn't want to be spat on
.

"Hehe... alright. What brings Guo'er and Xiao Fu'er to this filthy beggar like me today?"

I felt a little awkward. Did Lu Youjiao have some kind of problem with me? Why was he being so blunt? "Well, today, Fu'er had something important stolen from her at
Chaoyang Market—a sachet. She wants to ask you brothers to help her find out more."

"Alright, please have a seat. I'll send someone to inquire right away." Lu Youjiao was a man of action; he immediately ordered his men to investigate.

"I brought some good wine for you brothers. Although I know we brothers have to beg for food, there's no need for so many
formalities between brothers, is there?" On my way here, I bought two jars of Sangou Daqu at a restaurant. You can't just come empty-handed when you need help.

"Haha, alright, come, come, sit down." Lu Youjiao gestured for me to sit down, and the brothers outside gathered around, making
a dozen or so people in the courtyard. Guo Fu looked around for a while but didn't sit down. She just squatted down to talk.

"Haha, Little Fu'er is just like your mother, so clean. It's really a disservice for you to be among us slovenly people."
Lu Youjiao went to the back room and fetched a cleaner prayer mat, handing it to Guo Fu.

"Thank you, Uncle Lu." Guo Fu smiled and took it before sitting down.

"Wait!" Lu Youjiao was about to slam open the wine jar without ceremony, but I stopped him.

"What? You won't let us drink this wine until you've finished your business?" Lu Youjiao laughed. The Beggar Clan disciples outside the hall also
burst into laughter .

"That's for the brothers, this is how we show our respect to Uncle Lu." I took out a wine gourd from under my clothes.

"Hmm, smells good! It's Luzhou Laojiao. Old Huazi hasn't seen you in years." Lu Youjiao said happily.

"Elder, give your brother a sip too." "Yes, Elder Lu, Little Liuzi has never seen Luzhou Laojiao before."
The Beggar Clan disciples below joined in the commotion.

"Haha, since you helped your brother Yang find the item, give him a treat!" Lu Youjiao laughed and scolded. "Guo'er, you're so
thoughtful. These few jars of wine must have cost quite a bit of silver, right?"

"Hehe, I just came from Peach Blossom Island and I'm not very good at dealing with people yet. My master told me about the rules of our Dirty Clothes Clan. If this hadn't happened
today , I wouldn't have had a reason to come and pay my respects to you, sir." I cupped my hands and said.

"Haha, it's not that strict. Over the years, the leader has treated everyone equally, and the relationship between the Dirty Clothes and Clean Clothes Clan has become much more relaxed. There are fewer
rules and regulations now. You're welcome to come anytime." Lu Youjiao laughed.

I leaned closer and said, "Alright, next time I'll bring Uncle Lu and the brothers some good wine and food, and we'll have a good drink.
Not today, though, my junior sister's here, it's inconvenient."

"Okay, okay, then we'll be waiting for your feast."

"Reporting to the elder, this disciple has learned that those active in Chaoyang Market this morning were a group of petty thugs from the Bamboo Flower Gang of the South City, not..."
"Our own brothers." A junior disciple came in and reported.

"Hmm, I know, go away." Lu Youjiao waved the man away and said, "The Bamboo Flower Gang is a small group in the south of the city. They
usually do petty theft, but they haven't done anything seriously wrong, so they've always kept to themselves. Do you need me
to get involved in this?"

"No need. Is it in the south of the city?"

"Yes, it's a small gambling den called Qiufeng Casino in Sanyuanfang near the city gate."

"Then let's go and rip them off today." I laughed.

"Hehe, you guys go have your fun. I'll cover for you no matter what. Brothers, what do you say?" Lu Youjiao
laughed .

"Yes, Young Hero Yang, just tell us if you need anything, and we'll go and take down their place for you."

"Thank you for your kindness, brothers. We won't trouble you all with this. Let's go and see if we can avoid a conflict." "
I cupped my hands and smiled.

"Well, it's best to avoid conflict..." Lu Youjiao added.

South of the city, Sanyuanfang, "Qiufeng Gambling Den."

"Please come in, sir." Guo Fu and I appeared at Qiufeng Gambling Den together. I had instructed Guo Fu beforehand not to be
impulsive , otherwise it wouldn't be good if the other side caused a mutual destruction.

I took out a thousand taels of silver notes and went to the table for big and small. "Come on, come on, bet on big or small~~~ Bet on big and it's big, bet on small and you lose small...
Open~~~ 1, 3, 4, 8 points small~~~"

The chips in front of me had become two piles.

"Bet again~~~ Bet on big or small~~~ Bet on big and it's big, bet on small and you lose small... Open~~~ 3, 4, 5, 2 points big." "

The chips in front of me had increased to four thousand taels.

The dealer's palms were already sweating. 'Bet on big and you get big, bet on small and you lose small...' After the dealer finished betting, he waited for me to place a thousand taels on
big. I lightly flicked the edge of the dice cup with my finger.

I smiled and said, 'Wait!' I placed all the remaining three thousand taels on three ones. The gamblers around me originally wanted to follow
suit, but the clever ones could tell that I was there to cause trouble, so they quietly moved back. Only a few ruffians shouted and placed
bets, and they were immediately dragged out by the guards.

The dealer was already sweating profusely, and reluctantly opened the cup: 'Three, three ones, a triple, payout!'

I didn't take the money and said, 'I'll continue betting on three ones, ten thousand taels.' " "

The dealer was trembling with fear. Another loss would mean 360,000 taels of silver. The boss would definitely chop me up and feed me to the dogs. This kid is too strange
; he can even hear the dice being rolled." He hesitated, not daring to answer.

"Our boss invites you upstairs for a chat, young master," someone said.

"Alright! This dealer, your technique is not bad. But remember, next time when you roll the dice, wait until everyone has placed their bets."
I left those words, pocketed the silver notes, and led Guo Fu up to the second floor of the gambling den.

The manager of the gambling den was a thin, middle-aged man with a mustache who didn't look like a fierce character. "Young brother,
what brings you to our humble abode?" He seemed to think he hadn't offended us, so why would he encounter such a young man
causing trouble? Judging from Guo Fu and my clothes, he could tell we had connections, so he probed.

"In short, hand over what my junior sister lost in Chaoyang Market. Our Beggars' Sect can pretend nothing happened." "With a single,
decisive strike , I smashed the hard wooden table in front of me into splinters.

The gambling den owner gritted his teeth in fury: 'Manman, get out here!'

*Smash!' 'Ah, Dad, you scared me to death! I accidentally broke my glass bottle!' A delicate voice rang out.

My face paled as a rich fragrance wafted from the inner room.

'Big Brother!!!' Guo Fu felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, nearly fainting from anger, and cried out in a spoiled tone.

The middle-aged man's face turned from dark to red, then to green. I saw him trembling, unable to utter a word, and worried that he might
have been .

'You brat, you've caused a huge disaster!' the middle-aged man roared.

'It's just a bottle of fragrant water, what's the big deal?'" "The girl called Manman came out from behind the curtain.
She was an adorable little girl with pouting lips, about eleven or twelve years old, with a small pigtail and a
mole on her forehead. Only then did she realize that there were two other people in the room.

Guo Fu pushed the girl aside and went inside to check, finding broken glass everywhere and a strong, pungent fragrance... "Young hero,
please don't kill my daughter and me. We're willing to pay whatever it costs," the middle-aged man pleaded, kneeling down in fear.

I was quite helpless. This was too difficult. I couldn't possibly kill someone over a bottle of perfume, could I? I considered myself a righteous person.
Besides, to "slap" such a delicate little girl to death? Brother, that's too inhumane!

"Sister Fu, let's forget about it. Let's go ask Brother Mo again." "I advised.

Guo Fu glared hatefully at the little girl kneeling on the ground with her father. Seeing the little girl's big, frightened eyes,
she couldn't vent her anger. 'Forget it, forget it, what bad luck... Big brother, let's go.' Guo Fu said without turning back, stomping
down the stairs.

I glanced at the father and daughter, worried the middle-aged man might punish his daughter again. I took out the silver notes I'd won from my pocket and threw them at the middle-aged man, saying,
'Don't hit or scold this child. Let's just forget about it. Be more careful next time.' Then I followed him downstairs.

The two of them rushed to the Drunken Life Pavilion.

'Ah? Third brother, you said that merchant has to travel through Goryeo and Fusang before returning by the same route, taking two years to
come? Isn't there any other way to get it? Has your share been divided up?'" "I didn't ask a single question, and Mo San just nodded,
his expression growing increasingly grim.

Guo Fu cried in protest, 'Ugh~ I don't want to, Big Brother, don't hold me back, I need to go back and give that bad girl a good beating, otherwise I
'll suffocate, boohoo…'

I was getting a headache from Guo Fu's fussing and snapped, 'Stop crying, it's just perfume, I'll make it for you…'

'What?' Guo Fu and Mo San exclaimed simultaneously.

Chapter 40 What's so special about it?

It's just perfume? 'What's so special about it? Is it that rare?' I swayed my folding fan, taking a few swaying steps.

'Rare? Now, in my eyes, you're a saint, my virtuous brother. Don't forget your share later.'
Mo San grabbed me and said.

'Your share? Do you think this is easy to get? If it were that easy to make, I wouldn't have come to ask you if there were any left.
I only said it was for my wife, so don't try to take advantage of me.' I laughed and brushed Mo San aside.

Mo San muttered, 'So, it's always your wife who gives perfume?'" "

Well... of course you can't say that..." I broke out in a cold sweat. Even though I fantasize about my mother-in-law every day, you shouldn't
say it in front of my wife.

"That's settled then. Can't you give some to your good brother too? Sigh, I never thought friendship could be such a fragile thing,"
Mo San said with a resentful look.

Guo Fu snapped out of her surprise and smiled, "Big brother, look how anxious Brother Mo is. If you have any extra, why don't you share
some with him? Fu'er doesn't mind." Guo Fu was pleased to hear how much I valued her, and in a good mood, she was naturally more
talkative .

"Alright then, I'll share some with you, Third Brother. But I haven't tried it myself, so I can only say I'm about 70% sure. If it doesn't work,
don't blame me."

Mo San thought to himself, it's a win-win situation, but it doesn't matter if it doesn't work, so he agreed without objection. He was still thinking about how to
get he could make a fortune quietly.

Although Guo Fu was feeling uneasy, she didn't say anything because I said I was quite confident. She just kept pestering me to
participate in the production, and I smiled and agreed. "Third Brother, I've compiled a list of materials; could you help me gather them?"

Mo San's eyes lit up, and he nodded in agreement, smiling as he took the list I provided and hurried off to make the purchases.

Guo Fu and I left the Drunken Life Pavilion, and Guo Fu couldn't help but complain, "Big Brother, look at Mo San! As soon as he hears there's something to gain, he
turns and without even offering to treat us to a meal."

"Hehe, he's just eager to get rich. Do you think he's doing this for free?" I said, playfully pinching Guo Fu's delicate nose.

"Wow, a bottle of perfume can sell for hundreds of strings of cash! He's getting all the profits! No way, I'm going to go and get him back!" Although
Guo Fu didn't have a strong concept of money, she knew what kind of speed it took to accumulate wealth in units of hundreds of strings of cash.

"Hehe, do you think your older brother is that stupid? I asked for two less ingredients and a lot more extras. Even if he wrote them
all down , he still wouldn't be able to mix them himself. When we get back, the ginseng will be good for replenishing qi, so we'll kill two chickens and make soup every day. As for the pearls, if you like
, you can string them together and wear them. If the quality isn't good, we'll grind them into powder for you and your master to use as a face mask." I said with a sly smile.

"Ah, older brother, you're so naughty." Guo Fu also chuckled.

"Hehe, not at all, but what can I do? Your older brother is poor, so I can only try to get something for nothing." I sent Mo San away because
I had something more important to do.

I led the young lady to Sanyuanfang and entered Qiufeng Gambling Den once again.

"Why are you here again?" Manman was sitting on the stairs, her little hands supporting her rosy cheeks, bored. When she
saw the two menacing figures again, she was so scared that she wanted to run away, but I grabbed her.

A thug from the gambling den came up to attack, but I kicked him to the ground. He said resentfully, "Are you ever going to stop? You've
come to bully us time and time again, and you've won all our money. What are you doing here? Let our young lady go!"

"Big brother, don't hit her. Look how scared this girl is," Guo Fu said, pulling the little girl to her side. Although she was annoyed that the girl
had broken her perfume, she had already caused trouble at the casino once, so she had vented her anger. Seeing her pitiful appearance,
she couldn't let things drag on with an eight or nine-year-old child... "I'm not here to hit you. Is your father here? I need to ask him something
." I ignored the thugs surrounding me and squatted down to ask the little girl.

"My father went out. What do you want?" the little girl asked timidly, hiding behind Guo Fu.

"Are you familiar with Sanyuanfang?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who the best blacksmith here is?" Xiangyang's south side was a major supply route for the army, and many blacksmiths
settled in Sanyuanfang. I'm familiar with two methods of extracting essence: one is extraction, but the current technology doesn't meet the requirements, and many
equipment chemicals are unavailable. The other is distillation. Distillation has the advantage of simpler equipment, but the only
difficulty is needing a seamless steel pipe, preferably with a screw thread, which is why finding a good blacksmith is crucial.

"Yes, I often go out, and my neighbor's aunt praised the plowshares from Shuangma Blacksmith Shop for being sturdy and rarely rusting," the little girl
replied.

"Then, why don't you take us there? I'll treat you to candied hawthorns, okay?" I tried to avoid equating myself with the goldfish man
, but being too serious made me seem less approachable, which startled the little girl, causing her to shrink back behind Guo Fu. "Manman,
you go with your big brother and big sister," the owner of Qiufeng Casino said, bowing to Guo Fu and me as he entered.

"Then... can I have two skewers of candied hawthorns?"... "Your name is Manman, right?" Guo Fu smiled as she watched the little girl happily eating
candied hawthorns . She had many friends since childhood, but Cheng Ying had only stayed on Peach Blossom Island for a short time,
and she had always wanted a sister. At this moment, she found this little girl quite interesting, so she started chatting with her as they walked.

"Well, my full name is Qi Ruonan, and my nickname is Manman, because my father wanted the gambling den to be full of people and wealth." Manman mumbled between bites of candied
hawthorns. "With

a father like that, why don't I just change my name to Qi Wanguan (meaning 'Qi Ten Thousand Guan')?" Guo Fu said with a laugh.

"Sister, how do you know my father's name? My father even said that it was because of his name that he had such a vast fortune, was able to
marry my mother, and had me, so I want my family to be full."

"What kind of twisted logic is that... By the way, Manman, where is your mother?"

"She's dead. She died before I could remember."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Guo Fu thought to herself, "This child must have lost her mother at a young age, which is why no one cared for her and she
picked . I remember what I always told her: treat bad people differently. If they aren't truly wicked,
help them if they can change. This little girl has no sense of right and wrong. If I really beat her to vent my anger, it won't help at all, and she
might hold a grudge for life.

" "It's nothing, I'm used to it. What's your name, big sister?"

"My name is Guo Fu."

"Dad said you are disciples of Master Guo, and you also have the surname Guo, so Master Guo is your father?" Manman asked.

"Yes, this is my senior brother, you can call him Brother Yang. Don't be afraid of him, he's a very nice person."

"I know, this morning I saw big brother give all the money he won at the casino to my dad, telling him not to make things difficult for me, otherwise my dad
would break my hands." Manman said, skipping around.

"Take this as a lesson and remember it, don't steal again, or big brother won't be able to save you." "I pondered for a while, then put on a
serious expression and said,

'Oh no, my purse is gone! A thief stole it!' Before I could finish speaking, someone shouted.

Ugh, Guo Fu and I were speechless. 'How could you do this again… Stealing is a very bad habit. If you get caught, you'll be
taken to the yamen, flogged, and imprisoned.' Guo Fu was inwardly amazed. How did this girl manage to do it? Two people were watching her like that,
and she had something in her hand—it was too amazing. "

Feeling embarrassed at being seen, Manman stuck out her tongue and said, "I just thought it was fun..."

"You've been caught, let's see if you're still having fun."

"Never mind, we're here." Manman took two quick steps, jumped to a blacksmith shop sign, and pointed. "That's all for me, I'm going back
. Big sister, come find me at the gambling den sometime." She waved and disappeared into the crowd.

"That naughty girl..." Guo Fu said with a laugh. "I kept my purse firmly in my hand, I didn't dare let go."

"A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit, you're teachable." I teased with a grin.

"But this girl is too stealthy, big brother, how do you think she did it?" Guo Fu asked suspiciously.

"Your big brother isn't a pickpocket, how would he know? But she reminds me of my second grandfather." I laughed. "I suspect that
the casino's backers aren't just from underworld forces, they might even be connected to these habitual thieves."

"Kongkongmen?" Guo Fu asked.

"Hmm." I hesitated for a moment, thinking I should go back and tell Huang Rong to send Lu Youjiao to investigate Qi Wanguan's background.

"What would you like to buy, gentlemen?" A young man greeted us as we entered the shop.

"Is your master craftsman here?" I asked. "I have some rather special parts that I'd like to ask if you can make them."

"Please wait a moment." The young apprentice went in to fetch the master craftsman. He came out a moment later and said, "My master is unwell, please follow
me." He then led the two into the back room.

As soon as we entered the back room, we heard the clanging of metal being hammered. We saw an old blacksmith, around fifty years old.
But this old blacksmith was unusual; he was forging with a cane... Xiangyang, "Double Horses," could it be him?
A name suddenly popped into my mind as I looked at the old blacksmith. "Old man, is your surname Feng?"

The old blacksmith stopped working and turned around, his lifeless eyes looking at me. "Yes, my surname is Feng, but I don't think
I know you, young man. What do you need from me?"

"I've heard many neighbors praise your craftsmanship, so I've come today to ask you for help making some tools." I took out the
prepared and handed it over.

"This is a screw thread. This half of the iron pipe is easy to make, but this screw thread and this closed iron pipe will take
some effort. How about using copper instead?" The old blacksmith handed the blueprint back.

"As long as it doesn't rust."

"I can do it, one hundred taels."

"Deal." I took out a one hundred tael silver note and handed it over.

"This young man is interesting. You seem to have a lot of confidence in this old man." A smile finally
appeared .

"I have confidence in my judgment." I smiled and said.

"Well, but this old man needs your help."

"Please speak, old man."

"I need you to blow the bellows for me." The blacksmith ordered without turning his head.

“No problem. Fu-mei, you go back to the manor first, so the master won’t worry. It’s all smoke and fire here, and you can’t help anyway.” I turned
to Guo Fu and said.

“I want to stay with my brother.” Guo Fu shook her head.

“Young man, you can start now.” At this moment, the old blacksmith had already changed the fuel in the firebox and started a new stove. He
waved to me.

“Then sit a little further away, so you don’t get splashed with coal dust.” I said, handing Guo Fu my long robe and giving her an instruction.

“The young man can actually distinguish between charcoal fire and coal fire.” The blacksmith Feng handed me a leather apron and said.

“What does the old man need me to do?” I asked.

“Trying to blow as much air as possible, trying to make the coal fire burn with white flames, that’s good enough. The old man still needs to prepare the molds.” After that, he
simply went to do his own thing without saying another word.

“Brother, why is this old man like this? I’m paying a hundred taels and I still have to work the bellows for him.” Guo Fu wiped my sweat with dissatisfaction and said.

“Hehe, Sister Fu, you don’t know, but look at what he’s adding to the fire—that’s coal, and top-quality coke at that.
The fire it produces is several times more intense than ordinary firewood. Just this one batch is probably worth thirty taels of silver. So, it’s quite rare.”
I knew what I was doing. Although I’d never smelted steel, I knew that ancient iron smelting didn’t have the technology for forging, mainly because the fuel couldn’t reach
its melting point . Copper has a much lower melting point than iron and can be dissolved, as evidenced by the ancient example of casting coins using copper molds. This so-called coke is just
coke, but now that half of the Song Dynasty’s territory has changed hands from the Jin Dynasty to the Mongols, high-quality coke is still hard to come by.

“We’re making perfume, why are we forging here?” Guo Fu continued to ask.

“Shh, secrets shouldn’t be shared with everyone. We’ll talk about it when we get home. You’ll know then. Step back a bit, it’s hot here.”
I said to Guo Fu with a smile as I vigorously fanned the flames. I looked up at the lintel and sure enough, there was a small iron Bagua (Eight Trigrams).

"Hehe, Big Brother is so kind." Guo Fu moved a small stool and sat down beside me, watching me repeat the monotonous actions with great interest,
feeling secretly pleased.

I knew Feng Mofeng had a reason for asking me to operate the bellows. I looked at the red flames in the stove; it was clearly not
hot enough . I remembered Wu Jingcao mentioning in *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber* that when he reforged the Dragon-Slaying Saber, he needed to use his internal energy to aid combustion. The principle should be nothing more than that
greater force and air convection would make combustion more complete.

"Big Brother, look, the flame color has indeed changed!" Guo Fu clapped her hands and exclaimed, watching the fire in the stove.

I looked down and saw that the flame had indeed changed from red to blue. "Give it a little more effort." I realized that operating the bellows was not something an ordinary person could do;
in just a short while, I was already sweating profusely. Another incense stick's time passed, and the flame changed from blue to green. "This is probably what they call
mastering the craft, right?" I exclaimed, a hint of pride in my voice.

"Hmm, almost there. Add some charcoal." Feng the blacksmith took a crucible and placed a large piece of copper on it. "It's still early,
at least another 15 minutes." Feng Mofeng said this and went back to repairing the model.

My face turned green. Did I really have to use all my internal energy to pump the bellows for 40 minutes? I'd be spitting blood.

"Big brother, why don't you take a break?" Guo Fu felt bad and mumbled. " I'm

afraid if I stop, the temperature will drop. I'll just have to persevere a little longer." I said through gritted teeth. The high temperature and the constant
sweating were making me dizzy.

Guo Fu brought over a bowl of water: "Big brother, have some water." She saw my lips were dry but couldn't help.

I smiled, took the bowl, and gulped down the water. "I feel much better, Fu'er. Move back a bit, it's
too hot ." I said, taking off my soaked underwear and going shirtless.

About fifteen minutes later, I felt I couldn't hold on any longer. My whole body felt like it was soaking in water,
and my dantian felt empty, unable to muster any true qi.

"Young man, not bad, you've managed to keep going for so long. Let this old man give you a little more heat." Old Feng retrieved the mold, saw
the copper was already melting, took over my shift, and continued pumping the bellows.

"Old Feng, if you hadn't come back soon, I really wouldn't have been able to hold on any longer," I said, sitting on the ground panting, completely lacking any decorum.

"Young man, your internal strength is good, much faster than I expected. It'll be finished in about an incense stick's time," said the blacksmith Feng. "And you're still talking, running off to slack off and making my older brother do the work for you. I've never seen business like this before," Guo Fu complained angrily,

seeing how exhausted I was . "Sister Fu, don't be rude. Old Feng is missing the mold-repairing skill; my older brother can't do such delicate work," I quickly stopped Guo Fu's grumbling. It's better to leave room for maneuver in person than to need to meet again in the future. Knowing Feng Mofeng's true identity, I naturally had to respect him, after all, he was an elder. "No problem, no problem. The old man gets itchy fingers when he sees something new and was busy casting molds. I'm sorry you two had to laugh at me," Feng Mofeng waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind. He had a good impression of my respectfulness and Guo Fu's innocent simplicity. He had never had any children, but now he seemed much closer to us in conversation. "Master Feng, there's something I don't understand," I asked. "These coin molds are made with molten copper. If it's made this way, how much work and materials does it take?" "Young man, you don't understand. The furnaces in the mint are much larger, so the temperature is higher, and we don't need the refined carbon we use now. Secondly, the composition of the coins is five parts copper, three parts chromium, and two parts nickel. Nickel and chromium are easier to melt, so it's not as laborious to actually make them," Feng Mofeng said while pulling the bellows. "Since the copper coins don't rust, can we add something you mentioned to prevent the copper pipes from rusting?" Guo Fu, quick-witted as ever, suggested. "You're a promising young man." Feng Mofeng took out a small cloth bag containing some ore and poured it all into the molten copper. "I noticed that Elder Feng's movements weren't fast, but they followed a certain rhythm. I suppose this allows him to adjust the speed of the blower, thus saving a lot of energy. I wonder if you're right?" I watched for a while and figured out quite a few things. "Hmm, young man, you can apply what you've learned to other situations. Not bad." Feng Mofeng nodded. "Elder Feng, you flatter me. My name is Yang Guo, you can just call me Little Yang. This is my junior sister, Guo Fu." I introduced her. I noticed a slight tremor in Feng Mofeng's movements . If I hadn't been watching closely, I wouldn't have noticed it. This further convinced me of Feng Mofeng's identity. "Hmm, good. The molten copper is ready to use. Go get the mold." Feng Mofeng instructed the handyman. After the mold cooled completely, the two halves were fastened tightly, fitting perfectly. Even if water got in, it wouldn't leak. The job was done. "This spiral design is quite ingenious. Perhaps it can be even more useful after improvement." Feng Mofeng looked at his masterpiece and said happily. “Exactly, then we’ll have to rely on Elder Feng to continue improving it.” “You said that the remaining pipe only needs half a section, no need to close it completely, is that right?” Feng Mofeng asked. “Yes, only half a section is needed, no need to close it completely,” I said. “That’s easy, but there’s no time today. You can come and pick it up tomorrow afternoon.” “Okay, then we’ll be going now.” The sweat on my body had dried completely, and I got dressed and walked out of the blacksmith’s shop with Guo Fu. “Where have you been all day? You came back covered in soot, looking like a starving ghost reincarnated.” At dinner, Huang Rong watched the two children fighting over food and asked with a smile. “Today… um, Big Brother said he was going to buy a better Burmese sword, and Fu’er went with him to Sanyuanfang.” Guo Fu tried to get a light kick from me and mumbled. “I see.” Huang Rong seemed thoughtful but didn’t ask any further questions. After dinner, Huang Rong asked him, “What were you and Fu’er up to today? Don’t think he didn’t see your little tricks, tell me honestly.” He sighed inwardly, Chief Huang was indeed not so easy to fool. “It’s nothing, they did go to the blacksmith in Sanyuanfang to have something .” He handed a connecting copper piece to Huang Rong. “This copper piece isn’t anything special, just the shape is a bit strange.” Huang Rong glanced at it and tossed it back to him. “ What for?” “It’s a secret for now, anyway, it’s not a bad thing, don’t worry, once it’s done, we’ll give everyone a surprise.” I laughed. “Okay, then, but don’t let it interfere with your training.” Huang Rong instructed. “Don’t worry.” I laughed. “By the way, Master, I discovered something rare today.” “What is it?” “The blacksmith shop we went to had an iron Bagua hanging on the lintel, just like the ones on Peach Blossom Island.” I said seriously. “Really? What does that blacksmith look like? How old is he? Do you know his name?” Huang Rong asked eagerly. “His surname is Feng, he has a limp in his right leg, and he’s around forty-five years old.” “It’s Senior Brother Feng, it really is him.” Huang Rong said happily. “Let’s go!” “Master, where are we going?” I asked as I saw her about to pull me out the door. "Of course, I'll go to the blacksmith's shop. That blacksmith might be my fifth senior brother, Feng Mofeng," Huang Rong explained. "I see. No wonder he seemed a little distracted when I introduced Fu'er to him today. But Master, since he knows you're in Xiangyang, why doesn't he come looking for you?" I asked deliberately. "Yes, he's probably still holding a grudge about that matter, isn't he?" Huang Rong stopped walking, saying with some disappointment. I pretended to be clueless and asked, "That matter?" Huang Rong pulled me down to sit and recounted the whole story of how Huang Yaoshi angrily expelled his disciple, then later took Lu Chengfeng back into the sect, taught him the Whirlwind Sweeping Leaf Kick, and ordered her senior brother Lu and Mei Chaofeng to search for the whereabouts of their other fellow disciples. “So that’s how it all went. But according to you, Uncle Feng must still care about our sect, otherwise he wouldn’t have displayed the Iron Bagua. And after we revealed our identities, his attitude towards us improved considerably.” “But I’m so close to Xiangyang, yet I refuse to come and acknowledge him. I’d better go see him; perhaps he’ll calm down.” Huang Rong sighed . “Since Grandmaster has already regretted it and wants to find his disciple and reinstate him, why has it been so many years… ?” “Alas, Father still refuses to acknowledge him publicly, so we can’t search openly. We can only inquire privately. And our senior brothers are all living in seclusion in the countryside, far from the martial world, so it’s not easy to find them.” She sighed, thinking of the young Qu Lingfeng and Wu Mianfeng. “Fifth Senior Brother was Father’s youngest disciple, and also his most beloved. Father was very stubborn and always kept his word, yet he still cruelly broke his leg. Now he truly regrets it…”

“So, the best way to resolve this is through Grandmaster. If we can inform him, and he arrives, Uncle-Master Feng will naturally
recognize him.” Actually, my plan was to lure the great scientist Huang Yaoshi to help me with my glass research. But
I couldn't tell Huang Rong about this little scheme right now.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. Father sent a message a few days ago saying that he, along with Lu Yatou and Sha Gu,
are searching . They should be here in less than ten days.” Huang Rong said happily.

“That’s wonderful!” I exclaimed excitedly. Seeing Huang Rong looking at me with some surprise, I smiled awkwardly and said, “I haven’t
formally met Grandmaster yet, but I’ve always admired his talent, so I’m naturally very happy to hear that he’s coming.” I
explained.

“If it’s haunted, then Master won’t show his face. You go and sound out my senior brother tomorrow, but don’t disturb him yet.”

“Okay, if we get caught, I’ll say that when Master asks, our description of him… that’s not good!” I suddenly stood up
.

“That’s right, I’m afraid if he doesn’t want to acknowledge us, he’ll pack his bags and leave tonight.” Huang Rong had also thought of this.
“Sigh, let’s not delay, let’s go now.”

When the two of us arrived at Shuangma Iron Shop, the doors were already tightly shut. I knocked on the door, and the young errand boy asked, “
Why here so late, sir?”

“Is Master Feng here?” I didn’t waste any words and asked directly.

“Master Feng said he received a letter from home saying he had to return home urgently. But don’t worry, sir, Master Feng has already prepared your goods,
I’ll go get them for you.” The errand boy turned and went back into the house to get the things.

I was also helpless, I didn’t expect this result, this old cripple is really quick. “Master, don’t be sad. We’ll meet again if we
’re meant to . I feel that Uncle Feng won’t go far. He’s just having a moment of despair and is hiding from us. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have
settled down at the blacksmith’s shop in Xiangyang.”

“Hmm, you’re right. It’s just that I only have this one senior brother now. Your Uncle Qu and Uncle Wu passed away early, and
Uncle also passed away a few years ago. I’m just a little worried…”

“We saw him today. Although he’s not able to walk properly, he can still work, and his internal strength is quite remarkable.
I think he’s not inferior to Grandmaster Qiu.” I comforted him.

“That’s good…” Huang Rong saw me take the long and short bundle of iron bars and asked, “What are these?”

I threw some money to the handyman and told him to go to Qiufeng Pawnshop to let him know if Master Feng came back. “These are copper tubes.
Actually, we’re planning to research how to make perfume.”

Huang Rong laughed, “You’re not doing your proper work. If it were that easy, these things wouldn’t be rare anymore.” Although she said that,
she looked at the pile of copper tubes with great interest.

I leaned closer to sniff, boldly teasing, "Master, you smell so good."

Huang Rong blushed slightly, thinking thankfully it was night, but still angrily retorted, "You rascal, you deserve a beating." But
as soon as the words left her mouth , her face turned even redder; her tone sounded like she was coquettishly teasing a lover. She composed herself and asked,
"What place is this Qiufeng Gambling House you mentioned earlier?"

I knew the timing wasn't right, and any more teasing would only annoy her, so I described my two visits to the Qiufeng Gambling House that day and my impressions of the Qi family
father and daughter .

"According to you, it really does resemble Brother Jing's all-powerful second master. Could it be that the Bamboo Flower Gang
is really backed by the Kongkong Sect? What are they lurking in Xiangyang for?" Huang Rong immediately grasped the crux of the matter. The Kongkong Sect had always operated in
the north, and with the Jin Dynasty on the verge of collapse these past two years, they quickly switched sides and recognized the Mongols as their masters. Their infiltration of
Xiangyang City—this hidden pawn—could be fatal at crucial moments. I thought to myself, isn't this just like ancient spies? "Master understands
, your concerns are valid. Guo'er, you've truly improved a lot over the years. You're so observant and
can analyze so many things from such small details; Master is very pleased."

I sighed. Only three months in Xiangyang, and this lovely girl before me has to manage military affairs that Guo Jing can't handle,
help Commander Lü train the soldiers, manage the Beggars' Sect disciples' food, drink, and shelter in Xiangyang, and even teach those two
idiots, Da Wu and Xiao Wu. Thankfully, Lu Youjiao keeps the Beggars' Sect disciples in check, otherwise she'd be exhausted. She's looked much more haggard these past few days.
"Master, Guo'er isn't a child anymore. If there's anything I can help with, just let me handle it. Doing everything myself is too much for your
health ." I boldly and maliciously guessed, "You must be having menstrual problems, right?"

"Ah, it's good that you have this intention. Master knows you're the most filial, but there's nothing I can do. I'm just destined to be a hard worker.
I married a good husband, so naturally I have to follow him wherever he goes."

My heart skipped a beat. I heard a hint of helplessness and resentment in her words. It seemed that it wasn't impossible to win her over
. "Don't underestimate Guo'er. When it comes to troop deployment and battlefield combat, Guo'er's skills are quite good." Just kidding. Although I wasn't exactly a ruthless killer in my
past life , I still managed to kill at least a three-digit number of people. That kind of frenzy forged in iron and blood
made my first reaction to the battlefield tremble. Yes, an excited trembling.

"Well, then let me ask you, what is a general?" Huang Rong asked.

"Therefore, we must examine it through five factors, compare it with plans, and seek its true nature: first, the Way; second, Heaven; third, Earth; fourth, the General; and fifth, the Law.
The Way is to make the people agree with their ruler, so that they will follow him to the death and to live with him, without fear of danger; Heaven is yin and yang, cold and heat, and the seasons; Earth is
distance, terrain, breadth, and life and death; the General is wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage, and strictness; the Law is regulations, official procedures, and the use of power.
Every general must know these five things; those who know them will be victorious, and those who do not will be defeated. This is the Way of the General." I recited from my book.

"You recited it well, but there's no time for you to flip through books on the battlefield. Haven't you heard of Zhao Kuo's military strategy, all talk and no action?"

"That's why practice is necessary. You don't want me to become like Zhao Kuo or Ma Su, do you?" I laughed.

"Alright, alright, you're right. We'll discuss it with your Uncle Guo when we get back. But speaking of which, your family's spear technique was originally best
suited for battlefield combat, but that old Taoist priest has modified it into something incongruous. However, our Guo'er is quick-witted and knows how to grasp
the essence of the spear technique." Huang Rong praised me while also taking a jab at Qiu Chuji.

I smiled, pretending not to hear. I knew best that battlefield combat was all about efficiency—fast, accurate, and ruthless—aiming to kill the enemy with a single blow
to conserve energy. This was a principle that an old man like Qiu Chuji, who always liked to rely on the Big Dipper Formation for gang fights, would never understand…
The two of us returned to the Guo residence, and I tearfully watched Huang Rong go back to her bedroom. I could only channel my grief and anger into motivation, throwing myself wholeheartedly into my
grand plan to make a fortune.

The next morning. "Big brother, you're up?" Guo Fu, hearing from her mother that I had retrieved the equipment, rushed over
to watch me assemble it. After all, as the direct beneficiary of my success, she was most concerned about this matter.

I hadn't slept all night, only meditating in bed for an hour before dawn. Now, after washing and dressing, I looked quite refreshed
. "Yes, everything's ready, big brother. Master Feng left me a spare set of parts last night. If we want to increase production,
we can use both sets together." As I spoke, I pulled Guo Fu aside and explained the process of using my equipment. Simply put,
it consisted of a few simple heating, distillation, and cooling devices. The earthenware pot used for heating was raised half a foot high, with a firebox built underneath,
and the top sealed with an oak stopper to ensure no heat or steam escaped. The last open white porcelain jar was for collecting essential oils; all you had to
do was drill a hole in the stopper and insert a tube. I had deliberately added a second distillation step
to ensure the purity of the fragrance.

Guo Fu was completely confused, but the more confused she became, the greater the chance of success seemed. She had tossed and turned all night,
unable to sleep, and now she couldn't help but beam with joy.

"Young Master, the Mo family has sent someone to deliver some things, saying they were purchased by Young Master Mo on your behalf," a servant reported.

"Ah, just when I'm about to fall asleep, someone brings me a pillow. Fu-mei, let's go see," I said with a smile.

The two of us went to the door and saw two large carts loaded to the brim. Leading the way was the Mo family's steward, Mo Bei. It seemed this Mo San
knew how to handle people; since I hadn't offered him the formula, he wouldn't bother asking to see it.

I directed my family to push the things into our courtyard, saw Mo Bei and the others off, and then began to
clean some samples with Guo Fu.

"I want the gardenia-scented kind that Mother makes," Guo Fu said, picking up about a pound of gardenia petals.

"Won't that be duplicated?" There were also fifty pounds of camellias here.

"That's fine too. Huh? What's this?" Guo Fu asked, picking up another type of flower.

"This is azalea. Hmm, these flowers are quite common, and there's a lot of them. I just wonder what they'll taste like after being made into
perfume ." I suddenly thought of lotus flowers. This hundred-acre lotus pond by Dongting Lake would be
quite useful if we could make use of it.

The two of us hurriedly soaked the petals of the three kinds of flowers in water. I ran to the lotus pond in the yard and
picked , washed them, and soaked them with the azalea flowers. We also poured in a jar of wine. "Alright, let's go eat. Then we need to practice
. Let's soak them in the water tonight and see how it goes. We'll officially start this afternoon."

By evening, a fire had been lit in the yard. Before long, liquid began to emerge from the half-open conduit.
Although I had intentionally lengthened the closed conduit on the first distillation jar to ensure the steam cooled, a lot of
steam evaporated before it could cool down, which I found very regrettable. If it didn't work, I would replace the latter half of the conduit with a bamboo tube;
perhaps that would work better, I thought to myself.

"Big brother, it's out! Mmm, it smells so good, just like Mother's perfume. Big brother, you're amazing!" Guo Fu
clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "If only it were in a glass bottle too."

What? A glass bottle? Fu-mei, your big brother isn't a scientist, your expectations are too high...

Chapter 41 Dog-Beating Formation? I can set up a formation to slay dragons!

"It smells so good." Huang Rong and Guo Jing also followed the scent.

"Master, Uncle Guo!" "Father, Mother," Guo Fu and I stopped what we were doing and greeted them.

"Did you make this, Guo'er?" Huang Rong couldn't believe her eyes, but the fact was right in front of her, this
silly boy managed to make it.

"What are you doing? This smell?" Guo Jing sniffed the air, then sniffed closer to his wife.

"The children are right in front of us." Huang Rong saw my strange smile, blushed and pushed her husband away a little.

"It really does smell the same. Guo'er, you haven't been practicing your skills these past few days, just to make this?" Guo Jing asked, a little
unhappy .

"Uncle Guo, don't underestimate this stuff. If you combine it with strong liquor for purification and blending, this much..." I took out
a bottle containing less than two ounces of liquor. "It can sell for at least fifty strings of cash."

"So much money?" Guo Jing was a little astonished. I looked at the large white porcelain jar, which could easily hold more than a hundred bottles. If you
asked , this one bottle would be worth at least five thousand strings of cash.

"Exactly, and the cost of this jar, that is, the capital plus the investment in these tools, is less than a thousand strings of cash, but I
can use it to blend a thousand bottles." I continued to introduce.

"What, a thousand bottles??" Even Huang Rong was shocked this time.

"Guo'er, are you joking? Just this small bottle? Fifty strings of cash?" Guo Jing picked it up and said in disbelief.

"Uncle Guo, do you know that the same imported product from the West, such a small bottle would cost a thousand strings of cash." I patiently
explained to Guo Jing, after all, I still had something to ask of him next. On the spot, the water solubility was indeed quite good.

Guo Jing looked at his wife in surprise. Seeing Huang Rong nod, he was astonished and even wondered
if he was too slow to keep up with the changing times.

"Although the transportation costs have increased due to the long distance, fifty strings of cash is just
a . Moreover, this is the price after the product has spread and sales have stabilized. Initially, we can even set the price
higher. As for the overseas market, we can raise the price to over a hundred strings, which will definitely lead to supply shortages." I
was outlining the future blueprint of my business empire, but I didn't notice that Guo Jing's expression was growing increasingly grim.

"Enough, shut up. The country is in crisis, and you're still chasing after money like those merchants. Can't your Uncle Guo
support you? Is money really that important?" Guo Jing reprimanded me sternly.

"Uncle Guo, money is indeed very important," I said earnestly.

"You, you..." Guo Jing didn't expect me to talk back to him like that, and he was so angry that he pointed at me, speechless.

"Brother Jing, don't be angry. If you want to scold him, let the child finish speaking first," Huang Rong quickly stopped Guo Jing, trying to soothe him
.

Ah, a kindred spirit… I winked at Huang Rong in my heart, and said, "In our Xiangyang city,
of the funds allocated by the court each year, after layers of embezzlement, only three or four tenths usually reach the soldiers. And the armor and weapons are mostly
outdated ; some iron plate armor and wire are even rotten, falling apart just to be lifted, let alone used in battle."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Your Uncle Guo is never in court, so he can't convey his ideas to the higher-ups. He can only listen to those corrupt officials …"
"Let him be," Huang Rong sighed. "That's why we all hope you can achieve fame and success."

"Now that a treacherous official like Shi Miyuan is in power, let alone whether Uncle Guo can do anything to him in Xiangyang, even if I really pass
the imperial examination and become a seventh-rank county magistrate, how many years would it take me to become a prime minister?" I sighed.

"A true man wields his sword, facing heaven and earth without shame. He does his best, and even if things don't go well, he should still do his best and have no regrets.
How can we expect you to shoulder great responsibilities when you're so afraid of everything?" Guo Jing shook his head in disappointment.

"Don't rush me, I haven't finished yet," I continued. "The current state of the world is such that last year M?ngke defeated Huanglongfu, and Kublai Khan
captured Zhongdu. Only that young emperor is still being chased around with ten thousand troops, and I believe he will soon perish.
The Mongols' next target will inevitably be our Great Song Dynasty, and to conquer our lands, the first priority is to open up the Xiangfan route."
Therefore , we need to plan ahead. I believe Uncle Guo and Master have already started recruiting and training soldiers, right?

Seeing Guo and Huang nod, I continued, "Elite troops need training, but weapons and equipment are equally important. As the old saying goes, '
A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his ,' and that's exactly the point. Since we can't get through the imperial court, we can only use other channels to
obtain the resources we need. For example, weapons and personnel. A high-quality spear is worth twenty strings of cash, a broadsword
is worth thirty strings, and a set of fine iron armor costs about one hundred and fifty strings. Since ancient times, the Ba-Shu region has many metal mines and coal.
If we have money, we can buy these things from Ba-Shu and transport them directly to Xiangfan by water, a one-way trip of no more than three days. In addition,
many disaster victims from the Guanzhong Plain in Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi are migrating south. We can first incorporate them into the Beggars' Guild, outwardly as civilians, but in reality as soldiers.
We can encourage their families and children to cultivate land and be responsible for reclaiming wasteland. We don't have to worry about exceeding the imperial court's limit for soldiers, and we can
train them as reserve troops." In peacetime, they can cultivate land for self-sufficiency, and in wartime, they won't have to worry about manpower or food. Furthermore, these
refugees , persecuted, displaced, and their families destroyed, will undoubtedly harbor deep hatred for the Mongols. Guanzhong has always been known for its fierce warriors, whose
bravery in battle is assured. Doesn't all of this require money?" I countered.

"Guo'er, you say all this you've done is for the greater cause of resisting the Mongols? For the sake of the people?" Guo Jing still couldn't
believe his ears, but this plan had opened up a completely new and exciting world for him.

"Yes, I won't take a single penny of the profits; I'll use them all where they're most needed." "I nodded, saying, '
I have plenty of ways to make money through jokes, and I've long since become indifferent to money and power. However, my
strategy has opened a new chapter in the history of human warfare.

' Huang Rong also felt her thoughts were a bit chaotic. A problem that had troubled her for many years had actually been solved by an eighteen-year-old child
with ease . Such a massive project, such a grand vision, although it was far-fetched and somewhat outlandish,
it was rare for this child to have such a magnificent idea. She smiled and pinched my cheek, saying, 'I need to check if this is really our
Guo'er. Could it be some important person in disguise? What's going on in this little brain? It's really amazing.'

'Master, stop teasing me. And you, Fu'er, don't pinch me,' I said with a smile.

'Hehe, what other good strategies do you have? Tell me quickly, and Master will write them down.' Huang Rong took the paper and pen handed to her by her daughter and prepared
.

'Well, I said yesterday that I wanted to train an army.'" "A hundred men are enough. I'm confident I can train them
into the mighty warriors of ancient times," I said.

"How will you train them?" Huang Rong asked.

"Discipline, teamwork, physical fitness, fighting spirit, and skills. A general's strength lies not in bravery but in strategy, and an army's strength lies not in quantity but in quality. As soldiers, they
must have iron discipline and obey orders without question to command the troops effectively.
This requires teamwork between soldiers and between officers. The level of teamwork and the ability to fight back depend on honing physical fitness, fighting spirit, and combat skills. I
've already planned out the specific details, and they're all written here. Please give me your feedback, Uncle Guo and Master." I handed Huang Rong a small notebook.

Huang Rong was stunned. When we studied the Wumu Manual together, I would come up with some ingenious tactical ideas, and my thinking
was so comprehensive and meticulous that sometimes even overwhelmed her. Looking at the notebook in her hand, she shook her head and smiled bitterly
, "Brother Jing, you see, in a few years, the title of 'Little Zhuge Liang' will be replaced."

Guo Jing simply smiled, pleased with my rapid growth. I continued, "

My ultimate plan is to build a massive navy. Although Xiangfan is north of the Yangtze River, it is bordered by
the Fan River to the north and the Yangtze River to the south. If the situation becomes irreversible, we can retreat down the river to Wuchang. Of course, my premise is
that the situation is like that, for example, if we are surrounded on all sides and unable to break out." Seeing Guo Jing's displeasure, I knew my
topic had offended his stubborn nature, so I quickly added. Seeing that Huang Rong didn't say anything but nodded to signal me to
continue, I confidently said, "The saying 'southern boats and northern horses' is an ancient rule. If the Mongols want to bypass the Yangtze River's defenses,
they can only enter Sichuan. Therefore, only by possessing a truly powerful navy can we quickly mobilize and support Sichuan in attacking the westward-advancing enemy. Moreover,
the enemy crossing the river will inevitably need to transport a large amount of supplies and horses, which is our best opportunity. Imagine, without horses
, do we need to fear the Mongol cavalry?"

"This is wonderful! How come I didn't think of that?" "Guo Jing patted the big tree next to him and exclaimed in admiration. He had only ever
thought about defending Xiangyang, but in reality, he had completely blocked his own ambitions.
He had never considered using a strategic retreat to gain the initiative in exchange for a piece of land north of the Yangtze River. Even if Huang Rong had thought of it, she couldn't persuade him.

I'm speechless. With your intelligence? It's too difficult.

Huang Rong pondered for a long time before saying, "Indeed, if we can block the Mongol logistics, we can greatly gain
the initiative on the battlefield. Moreover, Guo'er's concerns are very reasonable. If the enemy breaks through Bashu and then sails down the Yangtze River,
the consequences will be unimaginable. However, there is one point: the Yangtze River flows from west to east, and the Three Gorges cannot allow warships to sail smoothly upstream." "

The reason I say it's powerful isn't because of its combat strength, but because it possesses diverse... many types of
transport ships with clearly defined uses, such as pontoons and flying boats—ships with relatively shallow drafts. From Yunmengze and Wuxi, then through the Wujiang River into Bashan,
this is the gateway to Bashu," I explained.

"This plan is feasible," Huang Rong said, putting down her pen and smiling.

Of course it's feasible; just look who came up with this plan. I smiled happily. Although I haven't specialized in military history,
I vaguely remember that this plan of using iron chains across the river did indeed exist. It was Yu Jie, who had just finished his duel with me, who was in charge of Ba County and Xiangyang City.
Lü Wende, echoing his efforts, ensured twenty years of peace in Sichuan. However, after Lü was dismissed, he was abandoned, leading to
the rapid collapse of the Yangtze River defense line. To be honest, a general in the field may disobey orders. Even if you're granted land and power, at least you can protect
the people . Empty fame can kill.

"This is a grand plan. Discuss it with your master. You also need to practice your martial arts and take the imperial examinations. Have your
master handle these things. Don't devote all your energy to these things. After all, if you enter officialdom and propose these strategies in court,
you can save millions of Song Dynasty citizens." Guo Jing's untimely appearance interrupted my and Huang Rong's eye contact once again.

Damn it, you only care about the people of Song Dynasty, treating your wife like a servant? But I like it. Aren't you just sending
sheep to the tiger's den ? Sooner or later, I'll sleep with your wife, and you'll sleep with the people of Song Dynasty. Oh no, I'll take care of your
wife, and you'll take care of the people of Song Dynasty. Looking at Guo Fu, the little girl was still staring at the jar. After all, she was too young
to be of any help, whether personally or professionally.

"Master, please help me select 50 disciples from the Beggars' Sect. Not too skilled in martial arts, not too senior, preferably one or two bags,
younger and cleverer," I said.

"One or two bag disciples aren't even qualified to practice the Dog-Beating Formation. How about we select some three bag disciples?" Huang Rong asked.

"They should be those who haven't learned it yet, that's better." I thought to myself, the Dog-Beating Formation is nothing. In front of my modern
special forces , it's destined to be reduced to ashes. Just you wait and see.

"This is for Third Brother." The next day, I stepped into the Drunken Life Pavilion. Three kinds of fragrance, one small jar of each,
ten times the amount of the bottled version.

"So much? Brother, did you give it all to me?" Mo San knew that this stuff was produced in low quantities, but he didn't expect it to be mixed
. He was astonished.

"This is business. This is what we use ourselves." I took out three smaller porcelain bottles.

Upon hearing the word "business," Mo San's eyes lit up. He asked, "Brother, do you have another good business opportunity for me?"

I smiled and explained the difference between the large jars and small bottles, citing many economic principles to illustrate my idea:
"long-term effect," "customer source summarization and packaging," and the "Pareto principle."

Mo San, who had been dealing with money for over a decade, grasped many of these principles instantly and was quite astonished by my business acumen. "Brother,
oh no, Master, this time it'll be hard for us not to get rich!" He impulsively wanted to become my apprentice, but fortunately, I knew my
knowledge was only good enough to impress people briefly, and I told him I wasn't skilled enough to take on apprentices, so Mo San reluctantly gave up.

I then shared some of my ideas for strengthening Xiangyang's defenses with Mo San, whose eyes lit up again. This was a golden opportunity to make a name for himself
in history . Xiangyang was home to many of the Mo family's businesses: newspapers, ships, embroidery shops, and restaurants. Of course, he wanted
Xiangyang to be as secure as possible. Finally, the two agreed that Mo San would contribute the distillery as a 10% stake, which he could freely use
as working capital. The rest would be invested in the construction of Xiangyang's defenses. All related affairs would be handled by Mo San, while I would retain control of
the recipe Only Huang Rong and her daughter Guo Fu would have access to the ingredients. "Third Brother, let me be clear from the start: since you
've decided to invest, this is a project that will benefit the present and future generations. I hope we can work together and not end up falling out over some
petty gains , leaving us unable to even remain friends."

"Don't worry, I'm at this point, I don't have any grand ambitions anymore. I have the status of a scholar, but because I come from a merchant
background, I'm still looked down upon. My desire for fame is even stronger than yours." A true villain is easier to deal with than a hypocrite, especially a hypocrite
dealing with a true villain. Once the key to the problem is explained, everything will be resolved. I know I've found the right person this time.

"Now that we've finished discussing official business, it's time to talk about personal matters. Gaizhi, Rushi has been so sick this morning that she can't even get out of bed,
she's been so ill because of you. You should go see her," Mo Sanyan said.

"What does this mean? Do we need someone to maintain our alliance? Or do we need fewer blood oath sacrifices?" I laughed.

"Look at what you're saying, just think of me as your brother being a pimp. This first attempt at matchmaking has failed, isn't that a bit too much of a loss of face for me?"

"Alright, I'll go see her." I thought to myself that everyone is busy today. Guo Fu is overseeing the production line, and Huang Rong is busy
selecting suitable team members for me. It shouldn't be a problem if I slack off and go after some girls, right?

I smiled and pushed open Liu Rushi's door, gently calling out, "Lady Liu! Are you feeling better? I've come to see you
."

"Cough cough... No need for you to worry, young master. Rushi's life is lowly and her fortune is meager. It's a good thing to be able to reunite with my parents in the underworld
, cough cough..." A weak voice came from inside the boudoir.

“If that’s the case, why do you have to do this? I…” I lifted the curtain and entered, sitting beside the beauty’s bed. Although she wasn’t physically
injured haggard. It seemed she was truly determined to be with me.

“Miss, you haven’t eaten for two days…” The maidservant, sensing the situation, brought in a bowl of porridge and two small dishes, saying.

“Put it here, I’ll persuade her to eat.” I took the tray, placed it on the low table in front of the bed, and waved the maidservant away. I helped Liu
Rushi sit up, holding the bowl and spoon, blowing on them to cool them before handing them to her.

“Young Master…” Liu Rushi was overwhelmed with gratitude, her eyes misty with joy and tears welling up. “Rushi must be dreaming, but
I only hope this dream continues like this, and I never have to wake up.”

“Silly girl, it’s all real. If you don’t believe me, close your eyes and open them again.” I fed her spoonful by spoonful of the porridge and
dishes , smiling as I spoke.

“No, what if I open my eyes again? Things might have changed…” Rushi sighed wistfully.

"No, I'm right here in front of you." With a heart full of tenderness, I put the empty bowl aside, embraced Liu Rushi, and kissed
her cheek... That afternoon, as I swaggered out of the Drunken Life Pavilion, toothpick dangling from my mouth
, I found Liu Rushi, the elegant lady, completely smitten with me. She insisted on serving me in bed, but seeing her weakness, I ultimately let her go. "Sigh...
even famous courtesans have their youthful days, be more forgiving." Another one who doesn't seek recognition. Although I tried to persuade her for a long time
, she stubbornly refused to give up. I had no choice but to agree that once she recovered and Third Sister returned, I would come and take her home. This was also with the approval of
Ma Xianglan and Mo San. Thinking this, I strolled towards Chuping Street.

I pushed open the door; Third Sister hadn't returned yet. I saw a thin layer of dust on the table. I went to the kitchen, found a
rag , and decided to clean it up. "We should still hire a maid to manage the housework." Lying on the large bed, I recalled
our passionate encounters and intimate moments on this very bed, and couldn't help but yearn even more for Third Sister's voluptuous and alluring body. Never mind...
Go back, or I'll be locked in the dark room again. I picked up my pen and left a note: "For the first time, I've realized
how painful longing can be. Alone in this empty room, every time I face these familiar sights, I think of all the little things we did together,
and I realize how unfair it was to leave you alone... Please come back soon, Third Sister. I miss you! Seeing this note is like seeing you again."

I thought for a moment, then smiled and wrote a few more notes, listing different dates, pretending I checked them every day, and the words
on them were as cheesy as I could manage. For example: "I'm becoming more and more dependent on you; life without you is like being
sunk to the bottom of a river, unable to breathe." I so wish we could grow old together by accident… Meeting you has freed me from my wandering, and made my
life more than just pain. You are that invisible net, slowly rising from the ground, embracing me, this tiny grain of sand…
I often wonder, after our child is born, will he look more like you, more like me, or a mix of both, because we
really do a married couple… The bright moon shines a thousand miles away, carrying my longing; have you received it?

After tidying up a pile of notes, I returned to the Guo residence. Huang Rong was already waiting for me at home. “You’ve been gone for so long again. Is
someone holding you back, making you reluctant to come back?”

I detected a hint of jealousy in her voice and chuckled, “What’s wrong? Is Master jealous of Fu-mei?”

“Stop being cheeky. I’ve picked out all the people you wanted. I told them to assemble at the drill ground first thing tomorrow morning. I’m following your
instructions; they must assemble on time and not slack off. You mustn’t be late either,” Huang Rong instructed.

"Yes, I understand. Master, I have something else."

"Go ahead."

"I discussed with Mo San that the first batch of perfume will be stored in small porcelain bottles. Mo San will deliver a hundred of these tomorrow;
they're used for liquor at their distillery. If you could get in touch with the families of the upper echelons..." Huang Rong's martial arts skills were honed by following Qi Gong,
but her medical skills were inherited from her family. Over the years, in her spare time, she would proactively study medical texts, which would provide her with more ways to survive in times of war. In times of peace, she
practiced medicine throughout Xiangyang City. Huang Rong was quite famous in Xiangyang City for her excellent medical skills. From high-ranking officials and civil and military
officials to ordinary people, farmers, and merchants, Huang Rong treated them all for free. Especially the families of high-ranking officials, who would often
whisper in her ear, inadvertently providing Guo Jing with much assistance. Therefore, she is the true
key figure controlling the hearts of the people in Xiangyang City… This is also the path I want to take. Huang Rong has abundant social resources, which can help me get to know more
dignitaries and win their favor. Later, when I arrive in Lin'an, their connections will likely be useful, making my career path much easier and faster
. Ever since I conceived the idea of entering officialdom, I have been preparing.

“I will certainly do my best,” Huang Rong smiled, understanding my meaning.

The next morning, I rode my horse to the training ground and saw a dark mass of people lying on the ground. “Gentlemen, haven’t had
breakfast yet, and you’re already out sunbathing?” I jumped off my horse and teased.

“It was Young Master Yang who had Elder Lu bring us here. Damn it, last night…” a beggar
answered without turning his head, suddenly realizing the surroundings had fallen silent. He turned around in surprise, saw me, and quickly
jumped up .

"Hehe, it's alright, everyone, please sit down. Actually, a very important point about the most elite troops in the world is knowing when to
relax , so they can better conserve their energy, don't you all agree?"

"Yes, haha, I already told you, Young Master Yang is the leader's disciple, how could he make things difficult for us?" someone laughed.

"Let's not dwell on the past, I believe Elder Lu has already told you the purpose of my gathering here today, right?"

"Yes, the elder said that we should follow Young Master Yang and see what you can do with us."

I waved my hand and said, "Wrong, it's not that I can do anything with you. What I need are well-mannered soldiers, and you don't meet the standard, so you can all
leave go back to tell Elder Lu that I can't use you."

"What? Aren't you just playing with us? You made us get up early, and after only a few words, you're kicking us out? Everyone, do you think
this makes any sense?" one of them protested, leading the commotion.

I looked at him and sneered, "What do you want?"

"We want an explanation. We are Beggars' Sect disciples, not your servants. If you can't give us a reason, we can take
this to Chief Huang and have a lawsuit."

"Fine, come up here." I pointed to the one who had led the shouting. "What's your name?"

"Chen Zhenyuan, a four-bag disciple." He introduced himself.

"Didn't I say we had to be low-bag disciples? Never mind, I'll just tell you one thing.
Recite Elder Lu's orders to you, word for word."

"The elder told us to assemble here at precisely the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), and not to slack off." Chen Zhenyuan replied.

"Then aren't you violating military orders? 'Not slacking off' means standing ramrod straight, waiting for inspection. With your laziness and
complete lack of discipline, expecting you to go to the battlefield? That's sending you to your deaths. I don't want you to lose your lives, so go back
to begging." I waved my hand.

The Beggars' Sect disciples below erupted in commotion. Several of the bolder ones even tried to rush onto the platform and reach out to me.
Chen Zhenyuan waved his hand and said, "Let me be frank with you. We also think it's far too frivolous for the elder to send us here to amuse you, a mere child.
Of course, we won't obey your order to send us to our deaths. But I'd like to ask,
can take on a hundred men, fifty men wiping out ten thousand Mongol Tartars?"

I laughed and asked, "Have you been to school?"

Chen Zhenyuan replied, "I've read some books, I was a student in the imperial examinations. I fled here after my hometown was occupied by the Tartars."

"I didn't expect you to be a scholar. Are there any literate people among you?" I asked loudly. I saw only one or two
hands raised . "Well, dragons soar in the heavens or lurk in the depths, acting according to the times. In other words, one must act according to one's abilities. What I
want to do is train fifty men into a spear, a sharp knife. If the enemy is strong, we will be mobile and flexible,
outmaneuvering them from behind. If the enemy is weak, we will devour them whole, giving them no chance to retaliate. Is that clear?"
I asked.

"You can talk the talk, but who knows if you're just all talk?" someone shouted from below.

"How about we practice?" I laughed.

"Practice it then!" the forty-odd people below roared with laughter.

"Alright, use your best formation, the Dog-Beating Formation. I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to set it up."

"One person against forty-nine of us? And you're going to use the Dog-Beating Formation? You're just bragging."

"The Dog-Beating Formation? Is it that powerful? Stop talking nonsense, I'll give you a handicap." I said arrogantly.

"Brothers, let's show him the consequences of underestimating us!" A chaotic array of formations formed below, all waiting for my challenge. Once

they were all in position, I took off my coat, handed it to Chen Zhenyuan for safekeeping, and jumped off the platform.

This "Dog-Beating Formation" consisted of seven people per formation. If anyone was dissatisfied, they would use the Lotus Fall Formation for support. It was the Beggars' Sect's most mobile and flexible battle formation.
In the past , whether the Beggars' Sect had defeated the strong with the weak or bullied the few with the many, the use of this formation was key to victory. The
formation was intricately linked, and once launched, the attacks were continuous, adhering to the Dog-Beating Staff Technique's principles of illusion, skill, stickiness, and seizure, drawing attackers
deeper and deeper into the formation, making it impossible to escape. Without further ado, relying on my abundant inner energy, I took the first blow,
striking the attacker's throat. Immediately, the first formation fell into disarray. With single-handed chop and thrust, seven Beggars' Sect disciples either fell to the ground clutching their arms, or curled up in
convulsions, with two even clutching their knees, unable to stand.

I observed that several clever Beggars' Sect disciples had formed a more powerful defensive formation nearby, the Lotus Fall Formation, patrolling
outside the Dog-Beating Formation to protect their brothers. I memorized their faces.

Unfortunately, the difference in strength was too great; in less than three minutes, everyone was lying on the ground, leaving only me standing.
"If I had used just 30% more power, you would all be dead here today. Now you know how clumsy your teamwork is, right?"

Only groans echoed in the middle of the field; no one dared to challenge me anymore. Chen Zhenyuan stepped down from the stage and asked, "Young Master Yang, what about them?"

"They're fine. I only used acupressure points. They'll be alright after a rest and some water. There won't be any aftereffects."

"This Young Master Yang, he was drinking with Elder Lu just a few days ago. He looks like a weak scholar, but he's really a hidden talent."
"Yeah, I only exchanged one blow with him and he took me down." "I only took one kick." "So many of us
couldn't even last an incense stick's time." "Well, he's the leader's and Master Guo's disciple. The fact that he fought us shows we're
not bad." "Damn, how old is he? They say he's only eighteen this year. He's only been practicing martial arts since birth. Qi Laosan,
stop trying to flatter yourself. You dare to fight him? You're not worthy!" A group of people sat together, discussing amongst themselves, but the more they talked, the more disheartened
they became. I had indeed given them a

handicap. After a quarter of an hour, everyone regained their mobility, stood up straight, and waited for my reprimand. This time, they were convinced
.

I said, "I heard you all just now. Let me tell you, I didn't use even a fraction of my internal energy just now because I was afraid of hurting you. My
set of fist techniques isn't as refined as the Dog-Beating Stick Technique, but it's a deadly weapon for close combat on the battlefield.
Because it's direct, it's a manly skill. Do you want to learn it?" Battlefield combat demands straightforwardness and effectiveness.
From the beginning, I had planned to teach these new recruits my past life's skills of military interception and the Ten Forms of Blood Battle. The reason is simple
: although these two skills are only considered basic external skills, they are easy to master and can exert
tremendous —truly powerful weapons in the era of cold weapons.

"Yes!" Hearing that I was going to teach them this powerful martial art, everyone was overjoyed and agreed in unison.

"Do you want to learn it well?" I continued to ask.

"Yes!"

"Alright. Gather here at dawn tomorrow, no slacking off." I added, "You, you, you, you, step forward, I
have something to say. Chen Zhenyuan, you stay too. The rest of you can rest now."

The group approached me, their hearts pounding with anxiety, unsure of how I would deal with them.

"You should state your names first."

"Li Tianqiang," "He Qingshan," "Xue Ba," "Niu San," and "Gouwa'er" each announced their names.

"Hmm, I called you over because you're all clever and capable. He Qingshan, you're both literate and skilled, you'll be the first sergeant from now on
. Xue Ba, Niu San, and Gouwa'er will be the second, third, and fourth sergeants, respectively. I'll then assign you the list of your group members, twelve people
per group ."

"Yes." The four looked at each other, though they didn't know what a group was, they knew they were now in a small leadership position.

"From now on, we'll only have our own ranks, no more distinctions based on rank or number of disciples. You can all step aside," I instructed.
"Li Tianqiang, you say you can read and write?"

"Yes, young master. I manage finances

and provisions at the Dazhi branch in the south of the city." "From now on, you'll be the staff officer, responsible for recording everyone's merits and distributing
rations
." I gestured that I could leave. "Chen Zhenyuan, I believe it was my master's intention for you to come here as a disciple of the fourth rank. Therefore, you'll be the head instructor, responsible for teaching everyone to read and write."

"Yes, young master," Chen Zhenyuan replied.

"Alright, from now on, you'll call me Company Commander." It had been years since I'd called him Company Commander;
I was so happy.

The fighting was over, and to make a good impression on everyone, I hosted a banquet at a fairly large restaurant to welcome the new members.
Of course, these beggars couldn't get in. I first took them to a nearby river for a thorough cleaning, then bought them new
clothes to change into before swaggering into the banquet hall.

I'm a soldier, not a beggar. These low-ranking disciples discarded their bags and sticks as their status changed;
who would want to be a beggar when they had a legitimate job?

And so, everything gradually seemed to be back on track. Basic education—I personally indoctrinated Chen Zhenyuan, Li Tianqiang, and He Qingshan
. From cultivating tactical skills to developing basic physical training, arranging military deployments, and
daily cultural enlightenment lessons—I felt more fulfilled than I had in a long time since my transmigration.

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