Chapter 80

80. One must know how to stand in line.

However, the man with the red dot, Lee Chun, did not retreat.

"The famous sect's experts are the former horsemen. Have you ever seen them do good things?"

Even Wang Jinqing, the man with the pockmarked face, could not refute this.

After all, the past of the demon heads in the famous sect was indeed terrifying.

"That's true, but anyway, the Qingyun Hall has become entangled. They were betrayed by the Nanyang Merchant Guild. I wonder if the Qingyun Hall will have to close its doors after the Walong Hall."

At that moment, Yan Jieha, who had been dozing off with a lazy look, opened his eyes.

Lee Chun said confidently,

"It's fine. The martial halls of Luoyang have come forward to help the Qingyun Hall, so there's a chance of winning."

"Can they be a match for the Heaven-Shaking Swordsman?"

"The Heaven-Shaking Swordsman won't actively get involved in this matter. Would a lay disciple of the Huashan Sect help the Hongfang, which is on the side of the famous sect? They say he's just reluctantly holding his position."

"So, are we going to the Qingyun Hall?"

"Are you asking me to say it twice? Ignorant people are sticking with the Nanyang Merchant Guild. Just wait and see. Most of the people from Luoyang are on the side of the Qingyun Hall."

"Indeed, the famous sect won't directly get involved in such trivial matters..."

"Trust me. The Hongfang has aligned with the famous sect, but it's not at the core. The Hongfang alone can't stand up to the Qingyun Hall and the martial halls of Luoyang."

Wang Jinqing nodded at Lee Chun's confident words.

Wanderers must know how to stand in line.

If the Heaven-Shaking Swordsman is standing with his hands behind his back, the Nanyang Merchant Guild and the Hongfang can't be a match for the Qingyun Hall.

To Yan Jieha, the Walong Hall is a subject of mixed feelings.

Thinking of Baimei Zhou and his half-brothers makes his teeth chatter, but he still has some faint memories of his father. Although Lian Wulong didn't take good care of him, at least he didn't torment him like others.

That's why the news of the Walong Hall closing its doors made his ears perk up.

Yan Jieha approached the two wanderers.

"Uncles, I have a question. What do you mean by the Walong Hall closing its doors?"

Lee Chun glanced at the boy who suddenly interrupted.

Seeing his neat attire and the sword on his waist, which looked powerful, he realized this was no ordinary person.

Rather than feeling annoyed, he decided to satisfy the boy's curiosity.

"A while ago, the Moonlit Immortal took over the Walong Hall. He killed the resisting Lian family members and established a temple there."

"Did all the Lian family members who lived there die?"

"A few elders died. The lady of the house fled to the Baigang Hall, and her sons to the Yanggang Hall."

"Ah..."

Seeing Yan Jieha's complicated expression, Lee Chun said sympathetically,

"You must have had some connection with the Walong Hall."

"Not at all."

Lee Chun understood the boy's immediate denial.

Honestly, these days, having a connection with the Walong Hall is not a point of pride but a blemish.

Ever since Lian Wulong's bones were buried in a cesspool, martial artists have been ashamed of the Walong Hall.

"But did you come here to join in?"

"No, I was just passing by."

Lee Chun, who had been observing the surroundings, whispered,

"Listen, if you have time, joining the Qingyun Hall might not be a bad idea. They have the upper hand. The treatment is good."

Hearing about the good treatment, Yan Jieha suddenly thought of Zhu Gong. The Nanyang Merchant Guild offered one tael of silver every ten days.

"How much do they offer?"

"I heard they add five hundred cash more than the Nanyang Merchant Guild. Since the Nanyang Merchant Guild offers one tael, you'd get one tael and five hundred cash."

"Thank you for the information."

Yan Jieha nodded to the man with the red dot and returned to the counter.

Shim Yanggak, who had been observing, cautiously began,

"Ultimately, the Moonlit Immortal has targeted the Walong Hall."

"That's right. We thought it had been quiet for a long time."

Rumors had it that after the Nangong family, the Walong Hall would be next, and it really happened.

While it was somewhat expected, it still felt strange to see it happen in reality.

At that moment, a waiter approached.

"Customers, a table has become available. Please come this way."

Yan Jieha and Shim Yanggak sat at the table the waiter showed them and ordered some simple dishes.

When the food arrived, the two ate quietly.

Shim Yanggak kept glancing at Yan Jieha's face while eating.

Perhaps because of the news about the Walong Hall, he wasn't enjoying his meal.

He also knew, vaguely, how Yan Jieha felt about the Walong Hall, from stories he had heard while living as a cripple.

Unable to bear it any longer, he gently suggested,

"Master, if you're feeling uncomfortable, why not help the Qingyun Hall?"

"Are you suggesting I help the Hongfang?"

"Wouldn't it be better to vent your feelings that way?"

"Enough. What has the Hongfang done to me?"

Impressed by Yan Jieha's magnanimity, Shim Yanggak said no more.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Many different types of wanderers gather at Manjianghong.

Some, like Lee Chun and Wang Jinqing, are heading to the Qingyun Hall, while others are there to help the Nanyang Merchant Guild. Xie Jia and Hong Wenguang are among the latter.

Xie Jia, who had been carefully observing the sword on Yan Jieha's waist, whispered to his companion,

"Hong, that sword. Doesn't it look familiar?"

At Xie Jia's words, Hong Wenguang turned his gaze.

He saw the antique sword hanging from the waist of the boy sitting at the next table.

The dragon pattern on the scabbard was indeed familiar.

'Hmm? That's...'

Xie Jia and Hong Wenguang, who had come from Luoyang, were targeting the Nanyang Merchant Guild. Given that people from Luoyang were leaning towards the Qingyun Hall, their choice was unexpected.

In fact, if it weren't for the recent information Xie Jia had obtained, they would have gone to the Qingyun Hall.

The corners of Hong Wenguang's mouth curled up.

While loitering around the Nanyang Merchant Guild in Luoyang, he had encountered the warriors of the Walong Hall.

That was definitely the sword carried by the Lian family members of the Walong Hall.

Since he had already decided to side with the Nanyang Merchant Guild, the distinction between friend and foe was clear.

"Heh, Xie. Think hard about where you've seen it. It's obvious that a martial family using the dragon pattern without knowing its significance is pretentious."

With a mocking tone, Hong Wenguang's words made Xie Jia, who had been thinking for a moment, lightly tap the table.

"Aha! The Walong Hall! Those hot-headed guys who boasted about their numbers but fled at the sight of the Moonlit Immortal?"

Xie Jia's voice was a bit loud, causing the surroundings to quiet down.

For a wanderer, raising one's value is simple.

One must achieve something or become famous.

The one tael of silver promised by the Nanyang Merchant Guild for every ten days is the minimum.

In reality, the amount of money received varies according to the wanderer's reputation.

Xie Jia and Hong Wenguang, being unknown, were at the bottom of the heap.

Seeing a former member of the Walong Hall, this was an opportunity.

The forces hostile to the famous sect are the Justice Alliance, the Nangong family, and the Walong Hall. Among them, the Walong Hall, having lost its base and with its disciples scattered, was practically prey.

Xie Jia openly scrutinized the boy and the old man.

A boy with a sword used by the top disciples of the Walong Hall and an old man with a dao.

'That young guy must be a Lian family member who fled from the Walong Hall.'

The presence of a Walong Hall disciple in Nanyang was likely to help the Qingyun Hall.

It seemed that Xie Jia and Hong Wenguang weren't the only ones with this thought.

The eyes of some wanderers, who had been chatting with their companions, turned fierce.

Emboldened, Xie Jia continued,

"The Moonlit Immortal dug up Lian Wulong's bones from the grave and threw them into a cesspool, right? Seeing that, the Lian family members are truly shameless. How much have they profited under the pretense of being the Full Moon Swordsman? The Walong Hall's disciples are too embarrassed to use the Heavenly Sword... Ow!"

He clutched his mouth mid-sentence.

When he finally let go, a piece of pig bone and a broken tooth were stuck to his palm.

Xie Jia, bleeding from his mouth, jumped up from his seat and shouted,

"Who the hell did that!"

Yan Jieha casually raised his hand to call the waiter.

"Bring another plate of sweet and sour pork ribs. They're really delicious. I like them."

"Y-Yes, yes..."

The waiter, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly took the order and hurried away.

Hearing about the pork ribs, Xie Jia turned his gaze to the next table.

There!

On the plate on the table, he saw bones that looked like his own broken teeth.

"You damn...!"

Suddenly, Yan Jieha picked up a bone and lightly threw it.

With a 'Ow!' Xie Jia clutched his mouth with both hands and slumped down.

Realizing the situation, Hong Wenguang jumped up and drew his dao.

Yan Jieha, looking annoyed, threw another bone.

Thud. Clang.

Struck on the forehead by the pig bone, Hong Wenguang rolled his eyes and fell backward.

With the consecutive bone attacks, Xie Jia's fighting spirit waned.

He realized the boy's martial skills were exceptional and quietly approached Hong Wenguang, intending to leave the place quickly.

But that was just his wish.

"Hey, come here."

At the boy's voice, Xie Jia turned around helplessly.

Looking around, the wanderers were focused on their meals as if nothing had happened.

'Those damn guys. They were just waiting for an opportunity to join in on someone else's feast.'

Xie Jia, shoulders slumped, walked to the boy.

While feeling his broken tooth with his tongue, the boy asked,

"What did the Moonlit Immortal do to the Walong Hall?"

"A-Aren't you a disciple of the Walong Hall?"

Xie Jia looked at the boy with a puzzled expression.

He couldn't understand why the boy, who should know more about the Walong Hall, was asking.

"Yes, I am. So, just answer the question."

"That sword... was it..."

"Was it taken by force?"

Thinking the boy was also an enemy of the Walong Hall, Xie Jia breathed a sigh of relief and answered,

"The Moonlit Immortal dug up Lian Wulong's grave to perform a public execution. But since only bones were found, he threw them all into the latrine."

"..."

Yan Jieha was momentarily speechless, staring blankly at the man.

In fact, he had little affection for his father.

Still, the mention of it made his chest feel heavy, as if a stone had been placed there.

After a long pause, Xie Jia cautiously spoke up,

"Um, young sir, can I go now?"

"Rude. You want to leave after insulting me so much?"

"Please forgive me!"

Xie Jia quickly bowed.

After a moment, Yan Jieha, looking at the top of his head, said in a weak voice,

"You've insulted me so much that I'm full and can't eat anymore. Since the food will go to waste, leave one tael of silver."

"Y-Yes, yes. Thank you."

Xie Jia, fearing the boy might change his mind, quickly placed one tael of silver and turned to leave.

For a wanderer to provoke a high-level martial artist and get away with just one tael of silver was a cheap price.

If he were the boy, he would have cut off an arm.

Xie Jia, carrying the unconscious Hong Wenguang on his back, hurriedly left the place.

About a quarter of an hour later, the waiter brought the additional order of pork ribs.

Yan Jieha, having lost his appetite, only picked at the food with his chopsticks.

Unable to bear it, Shim Yanggak spoke up,

"Master, shall I go and cut off that old man's head right away?"

"Enough."

"Y-Yes."

"Go and find out where the Qingyun Hall is gathering. Why waste time playing? Let's earn some money."

"Heh. Yes."

Shim Yanggak stood up and approached the man with the red dot and the pockmarked face.

"Do you know where the Qingyun Hall is gathering?"

Lee Chun, who had been observing, quickly answered,

"They gather at the Yangri Guesthouse."

"You are lucky fellows. If you want to live long, you must know how to stand in line."