Chapter 69

At this moment, the burly middle-aged man finally stepped forward to speak, bowing to the crowd with a gesture of respect. His uncommonly imposing figure drew a chorus of approval.

"Gentlemen and ladies, we are a new family here, just stepping onto this blessed land. We may have overlooked some courtesies and visits, but the good people here have hearts as kind as Bodhisattvas and would not blame us. Our family has come here, blessed by the heavens above, the earth below, and the harmony of the people in between. Gentlemen, please lend us your support, throw a coin or two, and help us out. If you have no money, give us vegetables or grain; we are not picky, as long as we can have something to eat. If you are not well-off, just stand and watch; those with money can give us financial support, and those without can give us moral support. But please be careful, don't throw buns, steamed buns, or corn cobs at my head..."

This remark drew a burst of laughter. The villagers were simple and honest, living a frugal life under a small-scale agricultural economy, where money was always scarce. However, this family was quite interesting; they would accept anything that could be of use.

"Without further ado, let me show you a 'banner dance'! Please enjoy—"

As he spoke, the burly man reached out with one hand to the banner, which was about fifteen feet tall, crouched down, and with the other hand, he lifted the base of the banner. The heavy banner, which weighed no less than a hundred pounds, was lifted off the ground with a "whoosh."

"Wow—"

What a display of strength!

The villagers from around Qingyang Town had never seen such a performance before, and they were thoroughly entertained, their cheers never ceasing.

The burly man manipulated the banner with his hands, fingers, forehead, and shoulders, performing various stunts like "Heavenly King Holding the Pagoda," "Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg," and "Embracing the Moon." Especially when the banner slid from his forehead to his back, he performed a "Lion King Rolling the Ball," and the banner and man stood as steady as a bell. The heavy banner was handled with ease and agility.

The villagers clapped until their hands were red and shouted until their voices were hoarse. The performance was so spectacular that it delighted the villagers, who were usually deprived of such entertainment, and they cheered with great satisfaction.

After the performance, the burly man threw the banner with one hand, causing a gust of wind as it flew toward the crowd, eliciting a chorus of screams. But before the banner hit the ground, a shadow flashed, and the silent young boy who had been standing nearby ran over, caught the banner with both hands, and with a smooth turn, effortlessly set it down.

The villagers were first stunned, then burst into a loud round of applause.

The burly man laughed heartily, bowed to the crowd, and called out to the back, "Girl, go around and collect some rewards from the uncles and grandpas!"

The little girl who had performed with the double knives ran out, holding a copper gong upside down, smiling sweetly and calling out to the uncles and grandpas. Indeed, some of the delighted villagers placed items on the gong, filling it with a variety of things.

Those with money threw a few coins; those without gave whatever they had, such as baked cakes, cabbages, and wild fruits, a chaotic mix. One blacksmith even placed a shiny, newly polished kitchen knife on the gong...

A nearby vendor shouted, "Brother, I don't have any money, but I run the dumpling stand over there. Let me bring you two bowls of steaming hot dumplings—"

The burly man, who seemed to be a generous and hearty man, laughed and was about to decline, but then his young son, who had been sitting on a box, heard the word "dumplings" and his eyes lit up. He jumped off the box, grabbed his mother's skirt, and pleaded, "Mom, mom, Little Three is hungry, Little Three wants to eat dumplings, wants to eat dumplings..."

"Ha ha ha—"

The surrounding villagers burst into a round of good-natured laughter.

The burly man stood in the middle of the crowd, hands clasped, feeling extremely awkward, unsure whether to raise or lower his hands, with a look of helpless amusement. The mother, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt, bent down, calling her precious child, and kissed him a few times, teasing him, which made the little boy hide behind her, looking expectantly at his father.

The burly man shook his head and laughed bitterly, saying, "What a misfortune, raising a glutton—Thank you, brother, I'll pay for the dumplings later—"

The vendor laughed and squeezed out of the crowd, responding, "No problem, no problem, your family should perform more amazing stunts—"

The burly man shouted to the crowd, "I won't disappoint the good people—"

Some in the crowd responded, laughing and shouting, "Brother, perform more stunts, I have some delicious lamb rolls—"

"Ha ha ha ha—"

Another round of hearty laughter. The villagers of Qingyang Town felt extremely pleased, never expecting the temple fair to be more lively than the Spring Festival.

Not far from the square in front of the temple, there was a small building made of earth and stone, originally a pavilion where believers could rest after burning incense.

At the entrance of the pavilion, several burly men stood, blocking the entrance. They were all dressed in the same uniform, indicating they were the guards of the only formal martial arts school in Qingyang Town, the Yuan Shan Escort Agency.

The person who could make these usually arrogant men act like servants must be the head of the Yuan Shan Escort Agency, Fang Yuanshan.

Fang Yuanshan, nearly fifty years old, had a fair complexion, a short beard, and a powerful build, not inferior to the burly man performing in the square. He wore a dark purple martial arts outfit and held a pair of iron balls, which he rattled continuously.

At the window on the second floor overlooking the square, Fang Yuanshan watched the rare acrobatics, but his mind was preoccupied with something else.

"How is my junior brother considering it?"

A slow, leisurely voice came from behind Fang Yuanshan.

The sound of the iron balls slowed for a moment, then resumed their usual rhythm.

"Why must you, Senior Brother Lin, push so hard?" Fang Yuanshan sighed, not turning his head.

Footsteps approached, and a figure slowly walked in, sitting down at the table behind Fang Yuanshan. He poured himself a cup of tea and said earnestly, "Sigh, Junior Brother Fang, don't be suspicious. I, Lin Zhengduan, am not pressuring you. The conditions offered by our sect leader are extremely tempting. I am thinking of your best interests; this is a sure win for you..."

This man, Lin Zhengduan, was of medium build, with a thin face. His exposed hands were large and bony, with prominent veins, indicating he had practiced powerful external martial arts. His appearance was ordinary, but he had a large, hooked nose and a perpetually shifty gaze, making him seem narrow-minded and suspicious.

Lin Zhengduan was a high-ranking member of the Tieqi Sect, a major force in Yunzhou. The Tieqi Sect was expanding its influence and had come to Qingyang Town to force the Yuan Shan Escort Agency to join their sect.

Although Lin Zhengduan's words were conciliatory, he held a deep disdain for Fang Yuanshan. Seeing Fang Yuanshan's hesitant expression, a trace of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth. He thought to himself: Fang Yuanshan's stubbornness exceeds my expectations. Back in the sect, this arrogant Junior Brother Fang always annoyed me with his grand ambitions and constant ridicule of my efforts to climb the social ladder. What now? Hmph... isn't he still destined to be swallowed up? Wanting to resist the Tieqi Sect, Fang Yuanshan is still too inexperienced.

Thinking of his role as the persuader today, Lin Zhengduan felt a deep sense of vindication. The more hesitant Fang Yuanshan was, the more pleased Lin Zhengduan became.

The Tieqi Sect, as one of the prominent martial arts schools in Yunzhou, ranked 561st among the "Nine Provinces of Divine Martial Arts," making it a third-tier sect. The sect leader, Yang Xingxiong, ranked 7th on the "Earth Absolute List," and his weapon was a blood-red banner. A poem praised him: "The setting sun illuminates the great banner, the wind whistles as the horse neighs." Yang Xingxiong's "Eighteen Styles of the Setting Sun Banner" were powerful, grand, and majestic.

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