Chapter 9

There was only one more person in the carriage, yet it felt cramped and the carriage's speed had noticeably slowed. Zheguyun cast an unsatisfied glance at Nangong Zhanghuo.

“Didn’t you just enter the sect? You’re still a low-ranking warrior without any position, right? Why are you letting this guy ride in the carriage?”

Are you trying to provoke me?

I wish I could.

If it weren’t for that damned weirdo of a sister.

Nangong Zhanghuo, still with his eyes closed, was merely pretending to ignore him.

Zheguyun then glared at Zhang Yilong.

“Looks like you have good stamina. Why don’t you walk?”

“I’m not really that fit.”

“Ha, what kind of lame joke is that?”

Nangong Xiaoxiao shot a glance at Zheguyun.

“No matter how low-ranking a warrior he is, he still has seniority. He was the great disciple of the Green Forest King, after all. We can’t treat him lightly.”

Zha Hui was flabbergasted.

Hold on. Aren’t you from a righteous sect?

Can you just praise a villainous sect’s junior like that?

“By the way, does Brother Zhang have any siblings?”

What? Even a household survey?

“There are seven of us in total. My father is quite strong.”

Zheguyun suddenly looked curious.

“...Is the second one Er Long (Second Dragon)?”

“You’re quite perceptive. The youngest is Qi Long (Seventh Dragon).”

Zha Hui whistled.

Zhang Yilong, Zhang Er Long, Zhang San Long, Zhang Si Long?

This must be because they were too lazy to come up with names.

Wow, his parents must be pretty ignorant.

Huh? Is it genetic?

Nangong Xiaoxiao’s face became even more curious.

“Wow! If Qi Long means all sons, right?”

“No, the third one is a daughter.”

“Still, Long (Dragon)?”

“No. A daughter is Feng (Phoenix). So the third one is Zhang San Feng.”

“Pfft!”

Nangong Zhanghuo, with his lips pursed, was clearly trying hard to suppress his laughter. His whole body was trembling with the effort.

“...Are you awake now?”

“Seems like it.”

Huaxi Ming, who still hadn’t found the funny part, asked in admiration.

“You’re seventeen, and the eldest. How often did your parents have a child?”

“Hmm... every one or two years?”

“Wow.”

Zha Hui’s deep admiration!

This is almost like a baby-making machine.

Is this why China’s population is so large?

A sudden thought popped into Zheguyun’s mind.

“By the way, why did you attack us? There must be a reason, right?”

“Oh, I wanted to ask for a favor.”

“A favor?”

Zhang Yilong scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

“I really wanted to see the Little Dragon Grand Feast. But with my status, there was no way to get in, no matter how much I tried.”

The Little Dragon Grand Feast is a celebration of the righteous sects.

Of course, someone from the Green Forest Gang would never be allowed to participate.

“Just for that, you resorted to kidnapping?”

“I’m sorry.”

Zha Hui shuddered at Zhang Yilong’s determination.

Wow, this guy is really straightforward.

If only the world could be lived without a brain like you.

Suddenly, Huaxi Ming tried to sort out the hierarchy.

“First, you claim to be a new warrior of the Nangong Family. If your age of seventeen is true, you should stop being so disrespectful to everyone, right? You still seem to think like a villain, not valuing the etiquette of the martial world.”

Upon hearing this, Zheguyun realized Huaxi Ming had a point.

But until now, no one had found Zhang Yilong’s disrespect awkward.

That’s because no one could believe he was younger than them.

He was truly a man with old eyes.

“...How old are you all?”

Zheguyun replied.

“Except for Xiaoxiao, there’s no one younger than you here.”

Zhang Yilong smiled innocently.

“I understand, seniors. I’m a righteous person now. Hehe.”

Zha Hui felt goosebumps on his arms and forced himself to avoid Zhang Yilong’s gaze.

“Brother?”

“Don’t, please!”

Zhang Yilong now looked at Nangong Zhanghuo.

“Brother Nangong?”

Nangong Zhanghuo, trembling and gripping his sword, replied.

“If you say one more word, I’ll run this sword through your mouth.”

“Brother Zheguyun?”

Zheguyun took out a talisman.

“Don’t, please!”

The only one who didn’t avoid his gaze was Nangong Xiaoxiao.

“Brother Yilong!”

“Yes, sister.”

Zha Hui, suddenly pulling out a ledger and starting to organize it, made Zheguyun suddenly recite numbers and continue his study of the calendar.

* * *

The Nangong Family’s group had finally arrived at the last imperial road leading to Xi’an.

During the journey, they had passed through several gorges and faced dangerous moments, but each time, Zheguyun’s quick wit had helped them avoid danger.

Recruiting (or rather, forcing) Zhang Yilong was also a stroke of genius. Indeed, the position of the Green Forest King’s great disciple was not won by chance.

With his appearance alone, he intimidated most minor troublemakers, and when they encountered some formidable villains, Zhang Yilong’s name alone was enough to clear the way.

Thus, most of the annoying disputes were resolved by him, making the arduous journey much smoother.

“Ugh! I really need a bath now!”

Nangong Xiaoxiao’s heartfelt cry.

Since they hadn’t bathed for over half a month, the carriage was filled with a stench.

“We’re almost there. We’ll soon reach the first gathering point.”

Zha Hui, hearing Zheguyun’s answer, showed his curiosity.

“The first gathering point?”

“Even though Huashan Sect is a major sect, it would be a burden if too many people suddenly arrived. The Five Great Families decided to gather at Huayikezhan and wait for the guest passes. Soon, you’ll see the banners of the other families on this road.”

Huaxi Ming, looking out the carriage window, said.

“I can already see them...”

Everyone’s gaze turned outward.

“A yellow banner with Xuanwu... It’s the Pang Family.”

The Hebei Pang Family.

A sanctuary for daoists (刀客) who revere strength above all.

Their Overlord Skill (覇王功), a peerless external skill comparable to Shaolin’s external skills, was a legend in the martial world.

The opposite of the Zhe Family’s nature.

Zheguyun grimaced.

“Ugh... I have to mingle with those brainless muscle men again...”

On the other hand, Zhang Yilong’s face lit up.

“Wow! What are those guys? I hardly ever see such big men in our Dasha (大山)!”

Just looking at those bulky bodies, Zhang Yilong was already eager to wrestle.

Peng Jue, the eldest son of the Wuji Dao King, was flexing his muscles and inspecting his body.

His second Little Dragon Grand Feast as the heir of the Hebei Pang Family.

He had trained hard, determined to change the martial world’s sword-dominated landscape, at least among the juniors.

Men are strength, and thus, the sword (劒) is the knife (刀).

In ancient martial worlds, or even when humans first started using metal, the first weapon they made was undoubtedly the knife, not the sword.

Why do we call it the ‘sword and knife style’ (刀劒流)? Because the history of the knife is deeper.

The sight of men wielding swords and poking around is utterly ridiculous.

The techniques of feints and deceptive moves are merely shallow tricks and cons for the weak.

A man should cut down his opponent with a single, powerful strike.

A man’s bravery and strength should be used this way.

There’s a saying in the martial world, ‘one strike, two cuts’ (一刀兩斷), but not ‘one sword, two cuts’ (一劒兩斷).

This is because the sword is merely a derivative of the spear, and not suitable for the bold and hearty.

To lose to a swordsman with a knife is simply due to a lack of strength.

Being dazzled by feints and deceptive moves means one’s cultivation is lacking.

‘Three years ago, I lost to him because I didn’t use my strength properly.’

Hua Shan Qingyun Xiao.

That despicable guy who sprays red flower rain with his sword to dazzle the eyes.

What kind of flower prince is he?

This time, I will overpower him with strength.

I will make him realize that strength is the ultimate truth.

My Mixed Yuan Thunder Knife (混元霹靂刀) is no longer something anyone can block.

After years of training, soaking my body in red-hot sand iron, my body cannot be torn by a mere sword.

At worst, it will only be a scratch.

At least by the end of this year, my Overlord Skill will surely reach the ninth level.

Now, even Huashan is no longer scary. What’s the point of talking about Nangong?

They may have grand titles