Chapter 75

The next day, before dawn, Chen Qing arranged a day of military training. He found a moment to ride to Fengyu Gate.

Fengyu Gate was located in the middle of Lin'an City, close to West Lake. Chen Qing saw Huyan Zhengyan waiting for him at the city gate from a distance. He dismounted and smiled, "Uncle Huyan, I kept you waiting."

"Hehe! I just arrived. Let's go outside the city!"

Chen Qing was taken aback, "The land plot is outside the city?"

"Of course it's outside the city. The closer to West Lake, the better the location. In the future, you can sit in the tavern and enjoy the beautiful scenery of West Lake. That will be a top-notch location."

"But what about returning to the city at night?"

This was what Chen Qing was most worried about. He noticed that the city gates closed quite early, and every time they gathered, they had to rush out of the city to the military camp.

Huyan Zhengyan smiled slightly, "You don't need to worry about that. The city wall near West Lake will be demolished soon, leaving only the city gate. This way, the court can acquire a lot of land. Otherwise, there would be no place to build official residences. Everyone knows this news, so the land near West Lake is getting more expensive. The price changes every month. A month ago, the land price near West Lake was 3,000 guan per mu, but now it has risen to 4,000 guan."

The two soon arrived at the Huyan family's land plot, which was indeed very close to West Lake, less than fifty steps away. Many plots were under construction, making the area very lively. The plot was about four mu in size, enough to build a tavern and a large courtyard.

"Hasn't the land in front been sold?" Chen Qing asked, pointing to the plots closer to the lake.

Huyan Zhengyan said proudly, "The land in front is not allowed to be built on. It belongs to the government. They say they will build a large boat dock, which will be very lively in the future, surrounded by taverns, teahouses, inns, and brothels."

The location was indeed excellent, and Chen Qing was very satisfied. He said happily, "Then it's settled. The emperor rewarded me with 3,000 taels of silver, and I will invest it all."

Huyan Zhengyan was delighted, "Let's have lunch at my house! We can sign the contract and then the old man wants to meet you."

......

Huyan Qing's grandfather was named Huyan Feihu, who was once a member of the Western Army and was ennobled as the Marquis of Jinchang. He had just turned seventy this year, but he was still sharp, with good hearing and vision, and a robust gait.

When Chen Qing met him, he was in the back garden pavilion, instructing his thirteen-year-old grandson, Huyan Cha, in whip techniques. The iron whip was a family heirloom of the Huyan family, and their ancestor, Huyan Zan, was famous for his iron whips.

The iron whip was a striking weapon, similar to a mace or hammer, emphasizing simple and powerful techniques.

However, Huyan Cha wielded it like a sword, with dazzling and complex moves, making a loud whistling sound, which made people worry that he might hit himself.

At this moment, Huyan Zhengyan approached and whispered to his father, pointing at Chen Qing. Huyan Feihu then turned to look at Chen Qing.

Chen Qing hurriedly approached, knelt down, and bowed deeply, "Junior Chen Qing, paying respects to Grandfather Huyan!"

Huyan Feihu sized up Chen Qing, his rough eyebrows gradually rising, "You are the one who killed Wanyan Lou Shi?"

Chen Qing knew immediately that things were not good. Huyan Tong had told him that his grandfather was a martial arts enthusiast, whose greatest hobby was dueling with experts. He loved dueling, but he couldn't stand losing.

The old man was a martial arts theorist, able to explain things eloquently, but his own martial skills were terrible.

Yet, he loved dueling with experts, looking down on ordinary people. If you let him win, he would say you were not sincere. If you let him lose, he would say you were not giving him face.

So, the saying "old and young" was true; the older he got, the more he acted like a child.

Actually, Chen Qing wasn't interested in his halberd techniques. Someone who lost nine out of ten duels couldn't have very high skills.

Chen Qing, like others who visited Grandfather Huyan, had another motive.

The old man had treasures, a large collection of high-quality weapons, especially halberds. He had collected over a dozen, including a 50-jin (about 25 kg) square-tipped halberd, which was said to be unique in the Song Dynasty, and Chen Qing was very eager to get it.

"Indeed, it was me!"

"Killing Wanyan Lou Shi must mean you have some martial skills. You are qualified to fight me. Come! Let's go to the training ground and have a good match."

Huyan Zhengyan was scared, not knowing how to persuade his father.

Chen Qing, however, was calm, "Grandfather, I'm afraid I can't duel with you."

"Why?"

Chen Qing pointed to his left shoulder, "I was shot by a Jurchen arrow here, injuring my muscles and bones. The military doctor said it would take at least half a year to recover."

Huyan Feihu's face darkened, "Yesterday, Xiao Wu Lang said you killed Zhang Kui. How did you do it?"

Chen Qing secretly blamed Huyan Tong for his loose lips. Reluctantly, he said, "How can a mere bandit like Zhang Kui compare to you, Grandfather?"

This flattery made even Huyan Zhengyan feel inferior.

Huyan Feihu's beard and hair stood up, and his 36,000 pores felt as refreshed as if he had eaten ginseng fruit.

He probably hadn't been flattered like this in many years.

"Who would have thought you have such good judgment? It's a pity. I thought you were qualified to fight me. Well, it can only be next time."

It seemed that flattery wouldn't solve the problem. Chen Qing needed to get Huyan Feihu's treasures, so he had to let Huyan Feihu win.

Chen Qing's eyes twinkled, "Grandfather, why don't we try a different way of dueling?"

Huyan Feihu became interested, "How?"

"Have you heard of sand table simulations?"

......

Huyan Feihu displayed his theoretical prowess, winning three consecutive rounds, leaving Chen Qing completely defeated.

The old man's martial arts knowledge was vast, with a plethora of bizarre and unique techniques. Some moves were so imaginative that they couldn't even be drawn in anime. As for Chen Qing's various techniques, he dismissed them with ease.

"Come! Come! Come! Let's review your battle with Wanyan Lou Shi and see if I can defeat him."

The process is not worth detailing. Chen Qing's decisive move to kill Wanyan Lou Shi was ignored by Huyan Feihu, who kicked Chen Qing off his horse, defying the laws of gravity.

Four to zero, a complete victory!

Of course, being able to let Huyan Feihu win with his true skills was itself a skill, and the rewards were plentiful. As a way to support the younger generation, Huyan Feihu gave Chen Qing a square-tipped halberd he had cherished for many years.

......

Chen Qing took his leave, and Huyan Zhengyan found his father.

"That square-tipped halberd, which Father wouldn't sell for 10,000 guan to Gao Qiu, was given to Chen Qing?"

Huyan Zhengyan, being a businessman, felt a bit heartbroken by this loss.

Huyan Feihu glared at him, "What do you know? Do you think buying land is the only investment? This is also an investment, a long-term investment for the Huyan family. Do you understand?"

"Do you really have such high hopes for Chen Qing?"

"Of course! Someone who can be promoted by the emperor must be someone I should have high hopes for."

Huyan Feihu sighed, "This child has high talent, outstanding abilities, a good character, and is very smart and adaptable. Being able to make me so happy is also a skill. Let Xiao Wu Lang get to know him well. The Huyan family's resurgence may well depend on him."

Huyan Zhengyan's eyes twinkled, "Since Father values him so much, why not let Yizhangqing try?"

......

On the military training ground, the surrounding soldiers were cheering loudly, extremely excited.

On the training ground, a Song Dynasty version of the "Three Heroes Battling Lu Bu" was being performed.

Huyan Tong wielded a golden-backed goose feather saber, Liu Qiong held a long spear, and Zheng Ping swung a long spear. The three attacked Chen Qing from three directions.

Chen Qing was trying out the fine steel square-tipped halberd he had just received. He thrust and slashed left and right, and although he was fighting three opponents, he was not at all flustered, moving with ease. In just a few exchanges, he had the three on the defensive, unable to counterattack.

The square-tipped halberd was not exaggerated, with a smooth design and exquisite craftsmanship, made from extremely rare fine steel, and was exceptionally sharp. Huyan Feihu told him that it was a weapon left by the founding general Gao Huai德.

What particularly delighted Chen Qing was that this halberd was a spear-halberd, with the spear as the main weapon and narrow moon-shaped blades on the sides for auxiliary chopping, making it especially suitable for his heavy sword techniques.

On the other side of the training ground, the commander, Han Shizhong, had just arrived and was stroking his beard, watching the intense battle.

Previously, when Chen Qing was said to have killed Wanyan Lou Shi with a spear, Han Shizhong, while highly appreciative, had also thought it was partly due to Wanyan Lou Shi's illness.

But today, seeing Chen Qing fight three generals, Han Shizhong realized that Chen Qing was not using his full strength, leaving a lot of room, especially not using his strength advantage.

The younger generation is pushing the older generation aside. I might not be a match for this young man either, Han Shizhong thought, and he couldn't help but sigh, thinking of another young and fierce general, Yue Fei.