Thousands of miles away, in the Yunmeng Marsh.
In the early morning, the weather was overcast. More than a dozen small fishing boats were bobbing up and down by the lake with the wind.
There were only a few fishermen in the old town, sitting on the thresholds, smoking their pipes and watching a Jianghu wanderer passing by on the old street.
Clip-clop, clip-clop...
The clear sound of horse hooves became the only noise on the old street.
Qiu Tianhe held the reins and looked at the town where he had traveled when he was young. A sense of déjà vu gradually welled up in his eyes.
More than 30 years ago, Qiu Tianhe was around 20 years old, about the same age as Ye Jingtang. He had just left the mountain, hiding excellent knife skills. Filled with great ambition, he came to the Yunmeng Marsh, which was known as the holy land of knife masters in the world.
It was called a holy land not because the Yunmeng Marsh had any special meaning, but simply because the strongest knife master in the world was here.
At that time, like all young people, Qiu Tianhe thought that when he left the Yunmeng Marsh, he could take away the title of "Knife Champion" and return home in glory like a newly appointed imperial scholar.
However, unfortunately, when he finally left here, although he had become a real "knife master", he failed to fulfill his wish. All that was left were the loves and hatreds that still hadn't been sorted out even now.
He remembered that it all began in this Huangquan Town.
Just like now, Qiu Tianhe carried a knife and led a horse as he walked on this old street.
At that time, a rather handsome young ranger was walking towards him. Dressed in black clothes, he wore a "Chilong Knife" at his waist. He didn't have the same sharpness as Young Ye, but he was much more arrogant.
The two passed each other. He glanced at the other's Chilong Knife, and the young ranger looked at his Tianhe Knife.
Then there was the crisp sound of a knife being unsheathed, "clang". The Eight Steps Crazy Saber technique was fast, but his Tianhe Knife was even faster.
From then on, he had a younger brother named Zheng Feng. They drank together, practiced knife skills together, and went to Junshan Terrace to watch like-minded knife masters and female martial artists.
Those days were the most carefree time in Qiu Tianhe's life, and perhaps also the most carefree time for Zheng Feng.
If it hadn't been for the later incident involving the selection of court ladies, perhaps the two of them would still be wandering around in the Yunmeng Marsh, drinking and having friendly duels, dreaming of the day when they could replace that old man Xuanyuan as the Knife Champion.
Unfortunately, fate plays tricks on people. After that incident, it was only now that he had finally gotten rid of the status of a bandit and gained his freedom; while Zheng Feng didn't even have a chance to turn things around. He had already returned to the earth and become a thing of the past.
On the contrary, that old man Xuanyuan was still sitting firmly in the position of the Knife Champion, with no change from before.
Good people don't live long, while the wicked live for a thousand years. This might be exactly what it means...
Qiu Tianhe led his horse and walked past the old street, recalling every bit of the past in his heart. When he came to the outside of an old tavern, he stopped.
The tavern was named "Huangquan Knife Tomb". It was a shop opened by an old knife master in previous years. During the time when he first came to Zezhou, he often came here with Zheng Feng to listen to the shopkeeper boasting.
Now, things had changed and people were no longer the same. The old shopkeeper had long since passed away, and the once pretty and lovely daughter had also become a charming middle-aged woman.
Qiu Tianhe stopped his horse at the door and took a few glances inside. He could see that there were young Jianghu wanderers with knives at their waists sitting at four tables. Just like he used to be, they were chatting enthusiastically with their friends about things in the Jianghu:
"...Sir Qiu will definitely come. He shouted so loudly on the Mingyu Tower in the capital. If he doesn't come here to have a fight with that old man Xuanyuan, won't it be all talk and no action..."
"More than 3,000 people have already come to Junshan Terrace. They're all eagerly waiting. By the way, Junshan Terrace is really greedy. Not to mention sitting on the island, just a standing spot on the cruise ship costs two taels of silver..."
"There's a betting shop opened in the county town. The odds for betting on Sir Qiu to win are one to ten. How much did you bet?"
"I bet thirty taels on that old man Xuanyuan. I support Sir Qiu, but I can't just give money to the bookmaker for nothing, right..."
"Pfft..."
...
Qiu Tianhe took a deep breath. The mood he had so hard to come by built up was completely ruined by these little brats, and he even lost the interest to go in and pretend to be cool while drinking.
In the tavern, the proprietress carried the side dishes and lifted the curtain. When she saw Qiu Tianhe outside the door, she was slightly taken aback, and then turned her head:
"Gangzi, your friend is here."
Qiu Tianhe was quite surprised by this. He tied the horse to the door and entered the old tavern:
"It's not easy for Sister Lan to recognize me after more than ten years."
"You're already in your fifties, and you're still calling people sister. You're so shameless."
"Hehe..."
Qiu Tianhe exchanged a few words, lifted the curtain of the tavern, and went to the backyard.
The backyard wasn't big. There were many ropes hanging, on which the hairtail fish caught from the lake were drying. As soon as you entered, you could smell the strong smell of fish.
In the kitchen, a middle-aged man dressed like a shopkeeper was holding a pot with one hand and stir-frying the dishes. When he saw Qiu Tianhe come in, he calmly said:
"Have a seat. I'll finish stir-frying these two dishes."
Qiu Tianhe stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking at Xuanyuan Tian'gang, who was no different from an ordinary street man. After thinking for a while, he sighed:
"Zheng Feng passed away at the beginning of this year."
The movement of stir-frying stopped.
Xuanyuan Tian'gang was silent for a moment and then asked:
"How did he die?"
"He died at the wine table. It should be that the old hidden injuries from that time weren't cured."
Xuanyuan Tian'gang frowned. Although he had always helped Zheng Feng and his sister back then, and even broke with his family after that incident, giving up his great future and directly withdrawing from the Jianghu.
But his former friend had indeed ended up like this because of the calculations of the Xuanyuan family. As long as he had the surname Xuanyuan, this feeling of guilt in his heart couldn't be erased.
"Did Zheng Feng leave any descendants?"
"With his injuries not cured, how could he leave descendants? He took in an adopted son. The lad is talented and has a good character. It was him who got me out of prison. I guess it won't be long before he goes to Junshan Terrace to seek revenge."
"What goes around comes around. Seeking revenge is only right. This is a matter of the Xuanyuan family. It has nothing to do with me since more than 20 years ago."
Qiu Tianhe sighed. He understood that although Xuanyuan Tian'gang spoke so generously, the difficulties in his heart were actually greater than his.
After all, on one side were his own flesh and blood relatives, and on the other side were his close friends. The enmity between the two sides had reached the point of no return. The more affectionate and righteous he was, the more he was caught in the middle. He couldn't help but get involved, but helping either side would make him seem heartless and unrighteous.
Qiu Tianhe knew that talking about these things would only add to the annoyance, so he didn't say anything more. He entered the kitchen, picked up the chopsticks, and picked up a piece of stir-fried pork:
"Your knife skills haven't deteriorated. They're just as vivid as before..."
"These were cut by Alan. If you want to have a meal, just say so. There's no need to flatter me."
"..."
Qiu Tianhe felt a bit embarrassed and blinked his eyes:
"One takes on the characteristics of those one associates with. Sister Lan could practice her knife skills to this level. It's all because of your influence... Good. It still tastes the same as before. Zheng Feng really liked this dish. Bring another two taels of Huangquan Shao Wine. After eating, I'll go to Junshan Terrace to issue a challenge. Dying on the stage would be worth it in this life."
"Hmph..."
...
——
As the sun rose in the east, the morning sunlight shone through the window paper and fell on the floor in front of the canopy bed.
There were no other guests in the inn, so it was very quiet in the morning. The only sound that could be heard was coming from outside the window:
"Goo~ Goo-goo——"
It sounded like a rooster crowing, but in fact, it was the bored Niao Niao calling Tangtang to get up.
Between the curtains, the faint fragrance still lingered.
Ye Jingtang was lying on his side on the outside. His right arm was stretched out as a pillow for Third Lady. His cheek was pressed against her smooth hair bun, and the touch on his lower abdomen was like creamy fat, exuding an indescribable softness and smoothness in its coolness.
Luo Ning was facing away from the two of them. She was held in Third Lady's arms and was sleeping soundly with her head resting on Ye Jingtang's forearm.
The way the three of them were sleeping was a bit strange.
Originally, Ye Jingtang wanted to lie in the middle like a master, holding one in each arm. But Ning'er was too shy to lean into his arms in front of Third Lady and insisted on sleeping on the innermost side.
Third Lady had been bullied for a long time before. Seeing that Ning'er looked reluctant, perhaps she wanted to get revenge, so she forcefully held the drowsy and immobile Ning'er and stacked them together.
Ye Jingtang had a wide arm span and had no pressure holding two people at once. He did enjoy it in his heart, but there was also a small problem with sleeping like this - using his arm as a pillow, by now, his right hand had basically lost all feeling, and the whole arm was numb.
However, for a man, it was only right to endure a bit of hardship. Ye Jingtang was happy about it and didn't feel uncomfortable.
Hearing Niao Niao's call, Ye Jingtang opened his eyes. He carefully raised his head and took a look. Seeing that Third Lady and Ning'er, who had been busy all night, hadn't woken up yet, he didn't move and silently felt his physical condition.
After being taken care of by them in turns all night, although his vigorous essence still hadn't subsided, his restless blood qi had finally stabilized. He felt clear-headed and that every inch of his skin seemed to be more sensitive than before.
The biggest change was in his internal energy channels. His internal breath was long and formed a small heavenly circle on its own. Even without consciously gathering his qi, he could feel the terrifying explosive power hidden in his body.
As for other aspects, there wasn't much change. The most powerful effect of the "Tianlang Pearl" should be to "transform one's body completely", adjusting the muscles, bones, and energy channels to make the physique and bone structure reach the most perfect state.
Since it had been adjusted last time, there was no change in his muscles and bones this time. Only his energy channels had been widened and unblocked.
Although the improvement in strength was also significant, the energy channels could be honed through long-term and persistent practice. Even without taking the Tianlang Pearl, it would be possible to reach the current state after spending a few years. The Tianlang Pearl was refined using half a catty of Snow Lake Flowers. Its main function should be to temper the muscles and bones. Using it like this was indeed a bit wasteful.
However, the materials for this Tianlang Pearl were obtained from Northern Liang by Zhang Jinglin. Ye Jingtang had gotten a great bargain, so he couldn't really say he felt sorry for it.
After thinking randomly for a while, perhaps because of the change in his breathing rhythm, Third Lady, who was leaning against him, fluttered her eyelashes and then opened her almond-shaped eyes.
Ye Jingtang leaned against her hair bun and whispered in her ear:
"It's okay. Go back to sleep and rest a bit longer."
Pei Xiangjun woke up, and her face, which had returned to normal, was stained with a blush again. She turned her head and looked at the fox-like beauty in her arms:
"She's really useless. With her like this, she cries and lies down motionless after just a few tries. How did she take care of you before?"
Ye Jingtang could actually tell that Third Lady wasn't much better than Ning'er. It was just that she didn't want to show herself as vulnerable in front of Ning'er and insisted on putting on an appearance of being calm and composed.
Naturally, Ye Jingtang saw through it but didn't expose it. He just said:
"I didn't take so many tonics before, and Ning'er could handle it. Yesterday, I was a bit rough. Did I hurt you?"
Pei Xiangjun felt a bit sore, but generally, she was okay. Leaning against Ye Jingtang's chest, she felt it slightly and found that Ye Jingtang seemed to be aroused again. She bit her lower lip and glanced at Ye Jingtang:
"Jingtang, do you still want to..."
"..."
Ye Jingtang definitely had some thoughts. Seeing that Third Lady was so considerate, he quietly put his hand under the thin quilt...
"Huff~..."
Pei Xiangjun's face turned even redder. She covered her lips with her hand, her eyes were watery, and she silently let him take care of her.
After being intimate for a while, Pei Xiangjun saw that the fox-like beauty in front of her fluttered her eyelashes and then opened her eyes. She looked back at Pei Xiangjun and then turned her face back, trying to break free from the embrace and move away.
"Why are you running?"
Pei Xiangjun held Luo Ning with her hand and pulled Ye Jingtang's hand over.
!
Luo Ning's eyes immediately showed shame and anger. She pressed down on Ye Jingtang's arm, who was trying to take advantage of both of them:
"Little rascal, you promised yesterday not to act recklessly..."
Pei Xiangjun held onto Luo Ning tightly and frowned:
"That was yesterday. It's the next day now. Don't move. Let Jingtang touch you for a while."
"Third Lady, are you spoiling him? He has the kind of character that takes advantage once given an inch..."
Seeing that Ye Jingtang was really taking action, Luo Ning's face gradually turned red. There was nothing she could do. She closed her eyes and put on an appearance of neither taking the initiative nor cooperating...
...
In the blink of an eye, it was already midday.
The window in the room was opened, and the warm sunlight shone into the room.
Pei Xiangjun put on a light yellow dress and sat gracefully in front of the dressing table. Her already mature and beautiful face had a bit more of a moist and charming look.
Luo Ning stood behind her, helping Third Lady to coil her hair. However, she looked quite fierce. When she saw Third Lady secretly looking at Ye Jingtang, who was changing his clothes behind her, she even used her hand to straighten Third Lady's face:
"Sit still and don't move around."
"Why are you being so fierce? Why weren't you this tough just now?"
"Yesterday, I was being lenient because it was your first time. Next time, if you help him do bad things again, don't blame me for being ruthless..."
"Pfft~"
...
Ye Jingtang was changing his robe behind them. Because he had been a bit presumptuous just now, he didn't dare to interrupt and joke around. After silently changing into the black official robe of the imperial guards, he rubbed his lower back, which had been pinched by Ning'er for a long time, and then bid farewell to the two of them and left the inn first...
——
In the town by the river, the imperial guards were all waiting in the shade. From time to time, scouts would gallop in from the Wushan Mountains in the distance and run into the inn to report all kinds of newly discovered information:
"The troops from Zezhou have caught up with the troops of King Wu. They had a battle in the early morning and captured many of his entourage. King Wu broke through with more than ten of his personal guards..."
"Is there a person named Zhang Wenyuan among the people captured by King Wu?"
"We haven't had time to check yet. We don't know for now..."
"Go and check again."
In the lobby of the inn, Dongfang Liren was wearing a silver python robe, putting on the posture that a female prince should have. She stood behind two tables pushed together.
On the table was a detailed map of Wuzhou, with various arrows and circles marked on it, indicating the positions of King Wu and the imperial troops.
Judging from the setup, it was as if a capable general was strategizing and commanding the troops outside in the command tent.
In fact, the troops from Zezhou encircling and suppressing in the mountains were completely out of her control. It wasn't that Dongfang Liren couldn't command them, but she didn't dare to rashly give orders for long-distance micro-manipulation.
Without entering the mountains, Dongfang Liren could only deduce and analyze the situation in the mountains here based on the intelligence reports brought back by the scouts.
Seeing that the troops from Zezhou were almost about to catch King Wu, if she didn't lead the imperial guards into the mountains to take credit, they would just be there for nothing. Dongfang