Chapter 75

The inn boy, his eyes sparkling with excitement, said, "I am of lowly status, how could I dare to be called a hero? Sir, you are willing to drink with me, it is truly a pleasure, a pleasure."

"When has a true hero ever talked about status? I, Xiao, was once just a beggar, and later, a despised Khitan. What status do I have to look down on others?" Xiao Feng laughed heartily. "Now that you know I am a Khitan, will you still drink with me?"

"What does it matter if a hero is a Khitan? I admire and wish to emulate the kind of person I see in you, even disregarding the rules, let alone mere status. Are there no good people among the Khitans?" the inn boy said with enthusiasm.

Xiao Feng was delighted to hear this, and the two drank heartily, feeling as if all the past grievances and troubles had been cast aside.

"Those villains may be rampant and arrogant, but they do not understand that heroes cannot be locked up or bound! That guest, with a single swing of his arm, broke the iron chain, held it in his hand, and swung it out, smashing those stinking wasps to pieces. I felt the wind brush past my head, and the scar-faced man's blood splattered all over me."

"Refreshing, truly refreshing!" Xiao Feng laughed heartily.

"That guest, who made me tremble, then took a pot of hot tea from behind and gave it to me. He also took off his clothes and draped them over me, wiping away the filth. He said to me, 'Little brother, I am sorry for what happened today.' At that moment, I thought, what is there to be sorry for? If he was willing to apologize to me, I would die content."

"I saw his inner clothes, a red flying fish robe, which I often see. The officials who come and go on the road are all from the Song Dynasty. Sir, have you ever seen such a good official?"

Xiao Feng sighed, "This must be the Prohibition Martial Hall. Their commander cleared my name and found my great enemy. I never thought that the Song Dynasty's government would have such a hero. The Prohibition Martial Hall has a bad reputation, but I have never heard of them harming the people. Today, thinking about it, with such a hero, the Prohibition Martial Hall must not be a place of evil."

"Having such a hero under his command, their commander, Chen Ang, must be an extraordinary person."

The inn boy said, "I have seen their commander!"

"Oh? What kind of person is he?" Xiao Feng asked curiously.

"I didn't see his face, but I heard his voice. After the guest tidied up, a lama came from afar and, seeing his clothes, attacked him. The lama had excellent martial arts, and the guest, still in chains, was at a disadvantage. I wanted to splash him with hot tea."

"Unexpectedly, the lama waved his sleeve, sending the tea back, and it splashed against the wall, brushing past my face. He said, 'You Song people, I won't stoop to your level.' He raised his hand and sent out three waves of blade energy, shattering the tables and chairs in my shed. I felt a hot wind on my face."

"Jumuozhi!" A'zhu exclaimed.

"Yes, him. I have heard his name," the inn boy said. "His martial arts are formidable. He can cut through iron chains with his bare hands, and the guest, hindered by the chains, could only dodge and block. Soon, the guest was exhausted. At that moment, I heard a voice."

"From afar, I heard someone say, 'Jumuozhi, you came here!' The lama was so frightened that he turned pale and tried to run, but before he could leave, he was struck to the ground. He lay there, unable to move, and I saw a small stone embedded in his chest."

"If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest, I would have thought he was dead. But no matter how I called to him, he didn't respond. I slapped him, but he still didn't react. His pulse was strong."

"This man was struck by a pebble and lost consciousness," Xiao Feng realized. "The lama's martial arts are not low, but he was no match for this person, who knocked him out with a pebble. How formidable is Chen Ang's martial arts?"

"I know Jumuozhi," A'zhu said. "He is a good friend of my master, who captured Duan Gongzi at Yanziwu. According to Duan Gongzi, Jumuozhi alone forced the high monks of Dali's Tianlong Temple to burn their ancestral sword manual. I have seen him in action several times, and he always takes down his opponents effortlessly. He is a very formidable person."

"I remember Chen Ang was at Yanziwu, and A'zhu, you escaped from there. What kind of person is he?" Xiao Feng asked.

A'zhu frowned, "His martial arts are terrifying. If you haven't seen it with your own eyes, you won't believe such terrifying martial arts exist. But he looks young, not much older than Duan Gongzi. He speaks gently, but sometimes he can be infuriating. When he talks to us, he is gentle, but he is not polite to the young masters."

"When A'bi and I escaped, it was because they didn't care about us. Except for a few family guards, the maids and servants at Yanziwu could come and go freely. I saw him reading several times, and he was more focused than the young master. I rarely saw him practice martial arts, but I often heard him play music."

"If you hear his music, you would never imagine such a clear and vast sound could come from his hands. I can't figure out what kind of person he is."

The inn boy said, "I haven't seen him, but the guest held him in high regard. I saw the guest carry the lama and call out, 'Commander!' His expression was very excited, full of admiration and joy. The guest looked in the distance a few times, then hurried back to the room and gave me some instructions."

"He asked you to deliver this note?" Xiao Feng asked.

"He gave me some silver to compensate for my losses, saying he had an appointment here but couldn't make it, so he left a note for me to deliver," the inn boy replied.

"If the person he entrusted doesn't come, what will you do?" A'zhu asked worriedly.

"Trust me, I will wait, even for ten or twenty years if necessary," the inn boy laughed. Xiao Feng frowned, "That's not right. You are young and have a bright future. Let me see who is supposed to come."

He opened the note and saw it read, "Mr. Zhuo, greetings."

"Every day has a sunrise, why not change today's appointment to tomorrow? If others do not betray me, how can I betray them? Old debts can be settled at any time. When I come again, it will be the day I travel far. The blood debts between the two families have lasted for a long time. The Lingjiu Palace has become a thing of the past. The main culprit has been eliminated, and I should not vent my anger on the innocent. I, the son of the former leader of the One-Word Wisdom Sword Sect, will be the new leader. The challenge is like flowing water. Glory and fame are not what I seek; only righteousness endures through the ages. Respectfully, Leng."

Xiao Feng realized, "So, his name is Leng. I know him; he is the son of the former leader of the One-Word Wisdom Sword Sect. This Mr. Zhuo must be his senior, Zhuo Bufan. From the letter, it seems he challenged Zhuo Bufan for the leadership but refused to meet him. This challenge seems to be related to the Lingjiu Palace?"

A'zhu said, "It's clear. Leng probably has no interest in the leadership and even feels guilty towards Zhuo Bufan. He challenged him to stop him from killing innocents, but now he doesn't want to fight his senior, so he is traveling far to avoid him."

Xiao Feng sighed, "Indeed, he is a man of honor. Young brother, I don't know when Zhuo Bufan will come. Are you really going to wait?"

"I will wait, but I believe the guest will come back!" the inn boy laughed.

"What is your name? I will go up and tell him if I see him," Xiao Feng asked. He was about to go to Shaolin and might see Leng. "My name is Hong Qi," the inn boy said happily. "The guest asked for my name. You can tell him my name."

The two bid farewell to Hong Qi and headed straight for Shaolin.

Before they reached the Shaolin gate, they heard a commotion ahead. Thousands of people were shouting, "Xingxiu Laoxian, the song of the earth, the might of the universe, unparalleled in ancient and modern times!"

Several riders in flying fish robes blocked their path, "By the order of the Prohibition Martial Hall, anyone who takes another step will be killed!"

Someone laughed, "What is the Prohibition Martial Hall? How dare they block the path of the Immortal!" "The Immortal's might, you should kneel and submit!" "We, the Xingxiu Sect, only give orders to others. How dare you order the Immortal?"

Ding Chunqiu sneered, "Who are you? Don't block my path. Step aside, or you will lose your life! If you don't step aside, I won't harm you, just drink this soul-destroying wine."

After a moment's hesitation, seeing the solemn demeanor of the Prohibition Martial Hall, he laughed, "Fine, it seems no one in Central Plains has felt my might for a long time." He raised his hand, and a powerful wind, mixed with poison, struck the riders.

The leading flying fish rider reached out and caught a pool of poison in the wind, casually sprinkling it on the ground, where it hissed and smoked. He suddenly bowed to Ding Chunqiu and stepped aside.

Ding Chunqiu, uncertain, suddenly heard a voice behind him, "Step aside."

Ding Chunqiu's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly struck, grabbing a disciple and throwing him at the voice. But before the disciple could land, he saw a cold light flash.

In a daze, he saw a silver point pierce his chest, but it was too fast to see clearly. He felt a chill in his heart, and a warmth dissipate, losing all strength. He stood weakly, his legs trembling, and even as the person walked past him, he had no reaction.

The Xingxiu Sect disciples saw the person walk to the flying fish riders, who bowed and said, "Greetings, Commander!" and headed for Shaolin. Ding Chunqiu still stood there, and the disciples approached respectfully, "Immortal?"

A disciple cautiously tugged at Ding Chunqiu's sleeve, "Immortal, are you letting them go?"

Before he could ask, Ding Chunqiu collapsed.

Everyone saw the last person, a young woman, turn and look at Ding Chunqiu, saying sweetly, "I told you to step aside!"

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