The sky was gradually getting darker.
Inside Qinglian Villa near Jiang'an Wharf, the atmosphere was solemn.
Among the white walls and black tiles, dozens of thugs from the Qinglian Gang stood silently, listening to a sorrowful voice coming from inside the wall:
"By my conscience, I have no relation at all with Young Master Ye from Tianshui Bridge. He cut off these two arms of mine. Even if Master Cheng beats me to death, he won't come. What kind of thing is this..."
There were no lights turned on in the main hall, making the light a bit dim.
Yang Guan, with his arms hanging around his neck, sat upright on the chair on the side. The grievance and indignation on his face could probably fill several pages of paper.
The central hall that had been smashed by Ye Jingtang's saber last month had just been repaired and was leaning against a long-handled copper hammer.
The copper hammer was like a golden melon, as tall as a person, and the long handle was pitch-black with a sheen.
On the mahogany grand master's chair beside it sat a sturdy man. Although he was wearing a brocade robe, he didn't look elegant or like the vulgarity of a merchant. His sturdy shoulders and back made him look like a tiger-bear sitting on the chair.
The man's name was Cheng Shilu, the founder and leader of Iron Buddha Ridge in Yunzhou. Just like his younger brother, he was also bald, but his body was a whole circle larger. He seemed to be on a par with Tu Jiujì from the "Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced" in terms of appearance. He didn't hold the tea cup in the usual way but pinched it with two fingers and slowly blew on it:
"Hoo~"
The sound was like the panting of an ox or a horse.
In the Jianghu, a large physique didn't necessarily mean being strong. But with a body mass like this, one could imagine how much hard martial arts skill was hidden under all that muscle.
Yang Guan sat not far away. His originally fairly sturdy physique, in comparison, looked like that of a stunted and malnourished dwarf. He explained innocently:
"My master is Guang Hanlin, the Three Wonders Immortal Old Man. Master Cheng should have heard of him..."
Cheng Shilu raised his tiger-like eyes. Although his tone was calm, there was a thunderous quality to his voice:
"Your master is from Wuzhou. Even when he comes to Yunzhou, he has to show me some respect."
"Of course. Both Master Cheng and my master are people in the Jianghu and follow the rules. If you want to meet Young Master Ye, I'll go and invite him. I'll even sell my house and land to bring Young Master Ye here. If I can't bring him, you can break my other two legs. But if you don't let me out, why would Young Master Ye come?"
Cheng Shilu put down the tea cup: "The day my younger brother and nephew were beaten, you were there and kept speaking well of Ye Jingtang..."
"My two arms have been crippled. How dare I speak ill of him?"
"Then tell me, why did he show you a good face that day and let you wait outside first?"
"Because he had already beaten me. I've learned my lesson..."
"That means he knew you were convinced and recognized him as the leader."
Cheng Shilu looked directly at Yang Guan: "Even if it's a watchdog, if he kicks it a few times every time he goes in and out, it's not something that others can touch casually. This is what we call the rules of the Jianghu. Today, I want to deal with you. If he doesn't care about it, how can he secure his position as the leader in the capital in the future?"
Yang Guan's face turned bitter: "Master Cheng, you're overestimating me. If I were Ye Jingtang's lackey, I would deserve to be beaten today. But I have no relation with Young Master Ye at all. Young Master Ye isn't a Jianghu person. He's a merchant..."
Although Cheng Shilu seemed to have a hot temper and not be very smart, he wasn't actually as rough as he appeared on the surface.
He knew that Yang Guan was wronged. The reason he targeted Yang Guan was that Ye Jingtang had Prince Jing backing him.
Cheng Shilu had the connections of Prime Minister Li behind him and wasn't too afraid. However, for a trivial matter like a street fight, if it really got to the official level, neither side would benefit.
If he wanted to seek revenge for his younger brother and nephew, he could only "settle Jianghu matters in the Jianghu" and solve it according to the rules of the Jianghu.
And when Cheng Shilu rushed over today, after some inquiries, among the people related to Ye Jingtang, either they were commoners or government officers. Only Yang Guan was a Jianghu person, and beating him wouldn't lead to a complaint to the government.
Moreover, Yang Guan was more afraid of Ye Jingtang than Iron Buddha Ridge and didn't understand the rules of the Jianghu. If Ye Jingtang really didn't come, it would be like teaching Yang Guan the rules.
Seeing that it was already completely dark, Cheng Shilu didn't say anything more. His sturdy body stood up, and he grabbed the long-handled copper hammer:
"It's dark."
Yang Guan's face turned pale. He quickly raised his hand: "Master Cheng, it's not necessary. Aiya, aiya..."
Seeing the copper hammer being raised, Yang Guan didn't dare to resist. He just closed his eyes with a pale face, and his facial features almost shrank together.
But the feeling of his legs being broken never came. Instead, there was a sound of footsteps outside.
Tap... Tap...
Yang Guan opened his eyes a little and looked at the rain curtain outside the main hall. He saw a black robe appearing unhurriedly at the entrance of the courtyard. The person was holding a black umbrella in his hand, had a long saber hanging from his waist, and was followed by a woman in a green dress wearing a veiled hat.
"?!"
Yang Guan was stunned. He never expected that Young Master Ye would be so loyal and actually consider him a lackey. He quickly got up and bowed:
"Master Ye, you really care about me! I can't repay this great kindness..."
Ye Jingtang ignored Yang Guan. He handed the umbrella to Miss Luo and walked into the rain curtain with his hand on his saber:
"Are you Master Cheng Shilu?"
Cheng Shilu's eyes widened, twisted his neck, and walked towards the door. The long-handled hammer was planted on the ground, making a dull "Dong——" sound:
"A few days ago, you brat beat my..."
Clang——
The sound of the saber unsheathing interrupted his words.
After confirming the victim, Ye Jingtang didn't waste any words. His figure suddenly rushed towards the door.
Luo Ning stood at the door and was stunned when she saw this scene. She thought to herself: Are you in such a hurry to go back and regulate your body? At least say a few polite words...!
Cheng Shilu really didn't expect that this hothead had a worse temper than him. Seeing Ye Jingtang draw his saber and charge at him without a word, his face turned angry. Holding the long-handled copper hammer, he directly smashed it towards the door:
"Hah!"
Clang——
Ye Jingtang unsheathed his saber with his right hand, and the blade swept across the copper hammer. The long saber was instantly pushed aside by the huge force, but his right elbow pressed against the back of the saber.
Screech——
A spark burst out from the main hall, and Yang Guan quickly dived to the side in fright.
Ye Jingtang used his elbow as a pivot to forcefully support his saber, causing the copper hammer to slide to the right.
The moment he dodged the body, the handle of the saber was smoothly transferred to his left hand, and the tip of the saber pointed forward. He directly made a fierce thrust.
Screech——
With a dull sound, the tip of the saber directly stabbed into Cheng Shilu's chest, going more than two fingers deep into the flesh, but it couldn't go any further.
When the blade entered the flesh, a look of astonishment flashed in the eyes of the four people present.
When Ye Jingtang came, he had already discussed with Miss Luo about how tough Cheng Shilu was. But when he actually stabbed him with a saber, he found that this guy was no different from being wrapped in iron sheet. It was fair to say that he was a complete version of She Long.
And when Cheng Shilu was stabbed in the chest with a saber, he suddenly realized that this newly emerged Jianghu junior was much more powerful than his younger brother had said. Just this saber strike as fast as a thunderbolt showed that he was completely on the same level as him, and might even be a bit stronger.
After all, Cheng Shilu's strength lay in his body being invulnerable to swords and spears and his immense strength like a mountain. If he could also have a good body technique like She Long, the Iron-Armed Invulnerable, he should be able to compete with Jiang Zhahu, the "Fist Master". How could he just be a small leader in Yunzhou?
Sensing that the situation was not right, the tiger-like eyes that Cheng Shilu used to intimidate juniors immediately became cautious. His muscles all over his body tensed up. While taking big steps backward, he swept the copper hammer towards Ye Jingtang's waist and abdomen with all his strength.
Rumble——
The golden melon copper hammer smashed into the tea table, and the tea table was instantly shattered. The flying pieces of wood were directly nailed into the wall.
Ye Jingtang couldn't break through Cheng Shilu's defense with one saber strike and was quite wary. But when he saw this powerful but not very swift strike, he could tell that there was a clear difference between this person and She Long. He was too one-sided in his skills.
Seeing that Cheng Shilu was not flexible enough due to his large body, Ye Jingtang flashed to the side and stabbed at Cheng Shilu's lower back from a blind spot with his saber. At the same time, he threw out a fire starter with his left hand.
Whoosh whoosh~~
The fire starter was knocked aside as soon as it was thrown out, swirling in the air. It was blown to ignite the flame and accurately knocked over the lamp stand in the main hall.
Tap——
Boom~
The lamp oil spilled and was ignited, and the firelight illuminated the main hall.
Cheng Shilu didn't understand what Ye Jingtang meant. Sensing that Ye Jingtang's body technique was too flexible, he held the copper hammer and fought while retreating, trying to move towards the corner to avoid being attacked from behind.
And Ye Jingtang naturally wouldn't give him a chance. His saber moves were like the wind, forcing Cheng Shilu to move towards the center of the hall.
Clang clang clang——
The sounds of weapons clashing in the hall were continuous. The spilled lamp oil quickly ignited on the table and set the curtains on fire, illuminating the huge hall in a crimson color.
Cheng Shilu held the copper hammer with both hands and walked around with big steps, avoiding the saber strikes and striking back with heavy blows. In an instant, he had smashed several tables and chairs to pieces.
Dong dong——
Crash——
Ye Jingtang weaved around him. Seizing the opportunity, he stabbed with his saber, and the blade entered the flesh each time. In the blink of an eye, he had left four cuts on Cheng Shilu's chest and back. He had been observing the situation of the wounds by the firelight.
But last time, he had fought while riding on Second Master Cheng, and he didn't move, so he could observe carefully.
Now, Cheng Shilu in front of him was moving around in the dimly lit hall. It was extremely difficult to see the details clearly.
Ye Jingtang had just made a few saber strikes and hadn't figured out the trick yet. Cheng Shilu, who was charging around with the copper hammer, flashed a strange look in his eyes. He took several big steps backward and raised his hand.
Ye Jingtang suddenly stopped his saber and landed more than a zhang away, frowning:
"You kept saying '老子 (I)' just now. Are you admitting defeat after just a few saber strikes?"
Cheng Shilu looked at Ye Jingtang a few times and then at the several saber wounds on his body:
"You're looking for my weak spot?"
The weak spot was the part of the horizontal training martial art that wasn't practiced thoroughly and wasn't strong enough. A martial artist would never tell others about it, lest they be targeted.
Ye Jingtang responded to this: "I've been cutting at your chest and back."
Cheng Shilu shook his head: "Your body technique is too good. If you cut at the same place five times in a row, I would definitely admit defeat. Cutting here and there clearly shows that you're looking for my weak spot. I'm not stupid. Today, you're indeed powerful. Let's write off our past grudges. Farewell."
After saying that, Cheng Shilu picked up the copper hammer and walked towards the door.
Ye Jingtang couldn't cut through Cheng Shilu very easily. The few saber strikes just now had only made a few small cuts. Considering Cheng Shilu's large body, it was equivalent to being scratched by a cat a few times and didn't affect his combat power at all. But Cheng Shilu wasn't flexible enough to touch him. Continuing to fight, the chance of winning was slim. He was afraid that his weak spot would be discovered, so it wasn't unreasonable for him to admit defeat so readily.
Of course, it was also possible that Cheng Shilu had noticed that he was secretly observing the wounds and was afraid that the matter of practicing the Minglong Diagram would be revealed.
Although he had doubts in his heart, he couldn't ask directly. Since Cheng Shilu had admitted defeat cleanly when he saw the situation was not good, he couldn't openly pursue and kill him either.
After a moment of silence, Ye Jingtang didn't stop him and just let Cheng Shilu leave with big steps.
"Is it over just like this?"
Yang Guan, who had been terrified beside them, never expected that the "Fierce-Eyed Vajra" known for his hot temper would run away like a woman after being touched a few times. After being stunned for a moment, he realized that half of the wall was almost on fire. He then reacted and quickly called the thugs under him to come in and put out the fire. At the same time, he said:
"Master Ye, you're really loyal. I can't repay this great kindness today..."
Ye Jingtang didn't have the mood to chat nonsense with the unfortunate Yang Guan. He put away his saber, walked out of the main hall, and came to Miss Luo, who was also a bit dazed:
"Miss Luo, what do you think?"
Luo Ning held an umbrella and looked in the direction where Cheng Shilu had left. She said softly:
"He just came to seek revenge. Admitting defeat cleanly when he saw the situation was not good is also a wise move. However, Cheng Shilu must have had some scruples just now. Whether he was afraid of his weak spot being found or something else, it's hard to say."
Ye Jingtang looked back and then walked out of Qinglian Villa with Luo Ning. He said in a low voice:
"Could it be that he found out that I'm researching the Golden Scale Diagram?"
Luo Ning was silent for a moment: "Not necessarily. Cheng Shilu became famous more than ten years ago. He seems to have good talent too. If he had been practicing the Golden Scale Diagram for more than ten years, you wouldn't have been able to break through his defense with one saber strike. But if he hasn't practiced it, his body is too sturdy to be normal. It feels very strange."
"Could it be that he obtained it in recent years and has only been practicing it for a short time?"
"It's hard to say. We have to find a way to investigate carefully."
"We can't act recklessly with our open identities. Let's go back and discuss it first. Iron Buddha Ridge is not far from Baoyuan Gate. I'll set off as soon as possible. In the name of Honghua Tower, I'll deal with the matter of Baoyuan Gate and take the opportunity to take a look at Iron Buddha Ridge."
Luo Ning thought for a moment: "Those with ulterior motives may guess that Honghua Tower will go to teach Baoyuan Gate a lesson. It's too risky for you to go alone. I'll accompany you."
Ye Jingtang guessed that Third Lady would also be worried about his safety and would have the same idea, wanting to go with him. After a little thought:
"Let's go back and arrange the itinerary first. I promised Prince Jing to investigate the case but haven't done anything yet. If I go out to do private business now, I still need to tell Prince Jing."
"The news from Nanxiao Mountain is estimated to take another three to five days to be sent back. Let's deal with the matters at hand first. When we come back, we can just investigate the identity of that murderer..."