If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1471 Me too

Today, facing the celestial being from the divine land, the South Sea Nun is quite humble.

She said that she had served Guiguzi, but in fact, she had received a recommendation letter from a senior in her early years and spent decades as an exchange student at "Guiguzi Academy".

Why did Dou Gengyan dare to "brag" in front of Grand Tutor Yu? I am not a brainless thug. My swordsmanship is indeed powerful, but my role in the anti-Qin alliance is that of a strategist.

Xiao Dou was chosen by the South Sea Goddess to help her overcome her tribulation, so naturally she received the true teachings of Guiguzi.

"Alas, Senior Guigu is too kind. I am not the chosen one, nor do I know who the chosen one is."

Zhang Liang was overjoyed to see his teacher's friend's disciple and to receive news of his teacher. He also looked at the South Sea Divine Nun with much greater affection.

Upon hearing her last words, he blushed with embarrassment and waved his hands repeatedly.

The South Sea Goddess laughed and said, "Master Zifang, there's no need to be modest. Even Huang Shigong proudly praised his disciple, saying that you have extraordinary talent and only the true Son of Heaven is worthy of your assistance."

Zhang Liang was both touched and increasingly embarrassed: "Nun of the South Sea, it's fine if we talk behind closed doors, you can say whatever you want. But now, in front of everyone, it's so awkward!"

"I am deeply ashamed that I have accomplished nothing, despite my teacher's great kindness."

Jingju exclaimed with delight, "Master Zifang just arrived in Dang County a few days ago, and today the South Sea Divine Nun and all the immortals from the East Sea have also come. Isn't this the will of Heaven?"

Since Zhang Zifang possesses extraordinary talent and can only assist the true emperor, then am I, who has already received his assistance, the true emperor?

You, my nun, have received guidance from Guiguzi, and you and Zhang Liang have come to me by chance, which further proves that I am destined for greatness!

He was excited, and after the South Sea Goddess and Zhang Liang sat down again, he asked curiously, "Master Zifang, what is the meaning of the man who picked up the shoe in Xiapi?"

Zhang Liang said, "The assassination attempt on Ying Zheng at Bolangsha failed, so I went into hiding and hid in Xiapi."

On one of my journeys, while crossing the Yishui Bridge, I happened to meet an old man.

The old man was none other than my revered teacher, Huang Shigong, in disguise. He deliberately took off his shoes and left them under the bridge so I would retrieve them—"

"Oh my!" Just as everyone was listening intently, Liu Laosan suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Master Zifang, I'm just like you! Could it be that I've also met Huang Shigong?"

Everyone was startled by his sudden shout, and Zhang Liang was even more confused, "Brother Liu, what's wrong with you?"

Liu Ji excitedly said, "At the entrance of Laoguishu Village in Fengyi, I met an old man who deliberately took off his shoes and threw them under the bridge, saying to me, 'Young man, go down and get your shoes.'"

Zhang Liang exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Liu, you actually had such a strange encounter? But when I asked you before, you said that you had not been taught any immortal techniques, and had only practiced a few 'Vajra Zen heretical techniques' haphazardly."

Liu Ji's eyes flickered as he asked, "Huang Shigong asked you to pick up his shoe, what were you thinking, Brother Zifang?"

Zhang Liang was taken aback. Liu Ji only asked him what he thought, not what he did.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally admitted, "I was furious and was planning to go up to him and punch him a few times."

"Clap!" Liu Laosan clapped his hands excitedly, "Me too!"

The South Sea Divine Nun and the group of East Sea Immortals frowned slightly.

These immortals were experts; they immediately understood that the great immortal was about to bestow a divine destiny upon them.

Making them pick up the shoes was just a test of their character.

Zhang Liang gave an awkward smile and continued, "I thought he was a rogue, but when I got closer I realized he was an old man. I barely managed not to beat him up."

"Clap~~~" Liu Laosan clapped his hands excitedly again, even shifting his position and leaving his seat to come to Zhang Liang's side. He grabbed Zhang Liang's arm and said excitedly, "Brother, you are my own brother! We think the same way."

I'm a scoundrel myself, how can I tolerate someone even more shameless than me?
But I held back; he was so old, he looked so pitiful.

Zhang Liang was also excited and grabbed Liu Laosan's hand, saying, "Everyone says that Brother Liu has the demeanor of an elder, and they are right! Brother Liu is not a rogue, but a chivalrous hero of the martial world!"
Martial heroes value honor and disgrace more than life and death. Brother Liu's ability to endure this is ten or even a hundred times more difficult than Liang's!

He was speaking from the heart. The Chinese people have a very long-standing virtue: respecting the elderly.

Living a long life allows one to transcend social classes to some extent in terms of etiquette. Even princes and nobles will set aside their airs when facing the elderly.

The imperial laws even explicitly stipulated that the elderly should be given special privileges in terms of etiquette and sentencing.

For example, "elderly care gifts".

Zhang Liang was a true nobleman who had received the highest and most comprehensive etiquette education.

It's fairly normal that he could hold back when faced with an rude old man.

Even a street thug like Liu Laosan could endure it.
"So, in the end, I couldn't resist," Liu Ji said.

Zhang Liang's expression froze. "Brother Liu, didn't you say you were holding back?"

Liu Laosan said, "I resisted the urge to punch him with my fist, which was as big as a clay pot, but I couldn't resist taking off my shoes and whipping him with the soles."

Zhang Liang silently released his grip on Liu Ji's hands and said awkwardly, "Brother Liu, you are truly a man of character!"

—No wonder you didn't get a chance to become an immortal. I gave you the opportunity, but you were useless!
Liu Laosan asked curiously, "Did Master Zifang receive immortal magic immediately after picking up Huang Shigong's shoes?"

Zhang Liang said, "At that time, I had just assassinated Ying Zheng at Bolangsha, and my mentor wanted to teach me the importance of patience in life."

Let me come to Yiqiao to see him again five days later. Five days later, at cockcrow I rushed to Yiqiao, only to find the old man already there. I was scolded by the old man and felt deeply ashamed. Five more days passed, and I was still too late.

Finally, I simply went there in the middle of the night to wait for him, and finally moved the old man, who then passed on the secret technique to me.

Liu Laosan sighed, "I really am not destined for immortality. Even if I pass the test of picking up the shoe, I will probably lose my temper and beat him up again later."

—If you help him pick up his shoes and get an appointment to meet him in five days, you'll definitely be able to guess that he's an extraordinary person!

Knowing he was an extraordinary person, couldn't you have imagined that the five-day agreement was a test?

It's because you don't know it's a test that it's hard to pass; if you knew it was a test, with your magnanimity and perseverance, you couldn't possibly fail to persevere.

Zhang Liang felt sorry for Liu Laosan, but asked curiously, "Brother Liu, do you know the origin of the immortal you met? How come your experience is so similar to mine?"

Just as Liu Laosan was about to announce the name "Wu Yazi", he suddenly had a thought. His eyes darted around, and he shook his head with regret. "I hit him a few times with the sole of my shoe. He rolled off the bridge and fell into the stream below, where he disappeared."

I thought I'd encountered a ghost, and I was so scared I scrambled back home without even asking about his identity or background. You tell me, is he perhaps Huang Shigong?

He grabbed Zhang Liang's hand again, excitedly saying, "If he really is Huang Shigong, then we're brothers!" "Shameless!" The old Taoist priest from Qinghe, not far away, gave him a disdainful look and silently cursed.

Jingju, who was on the throne, had already heard the story. He cleared his throat and said, "Now that Master Zifang and Duke Pei have arrived, let's get straight to the point!"

He gave a wink to the "eunuch" beside him, and the "fake eunuch" who had not yet been castrated immediately directed two attendants to carry a wooden frame into the main hall.

A huge map hung on the shelf, marked with colored pens the spheres of influence of the imperial court and various rebel kings, as well as the battlefields where major battles were taking place.

Located in the center of the map is the territory of Jingju, the King of Western Chu.

The territory is relatively small, with seven cities west of Mangdang Mountain and eight county towns near Zhaoyang Lake and Weishan Lake.

The seven cities located in Dang County were under the control of Jingju himself, while the cities located in Sishui County and Xue County were under the control of Qin Jia.

Before the Donghai Alliance, Qin Jia had also formed an alliance with local warlords such as Zhu Jishi, Zheng Bu, and Ding Ji, which together comprised more than twenty cities, enough to barely establish a small state.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Jing family will wait for the right opportunity to launch an uprising in Dang County. Even if they don't completely seize the former territory of the Song state, they will at least connect Dang County, Sishui County, and Xue County into one area, which is quite reminiscent of the Chu state of the past.

Unfortunately, many things changed after the East China Sea Alliance meeting.

First, Li Si swiftly and decisively attacked all 742 traitors simultaneously. Even Liu Laosan's family members were arrested. The Jing family was a prominent family in Dang County, large and powerful, making escape even more difficult.

Of course, if the Jing family had been powerful and influential in Dang County before Grand Tutor Yu took office, they could have launched a rebellion even if their rebellious intentions were exposed, and at least captured most of Dang County.

Now, Dangjun stands between the Xingyang court and Zhang Chu's Chenjun, and the western region has become a battlefield.

The Qin army, numbering 150,000, was gathered in Dang Commandery. It included the Eastern Navy Marquis, local garrison troops from Dang Commandery, and troops transferred from other commanderies.

There were too many powerful outside forces, and even the local strongmen couldn't suppress the newcomers. At this time, the Qin army had been stationed in Suiyang for almost two years, so they couldn't be considered newcomers; they were local forces.

Even so, only one member of the Jing family, Jing Bo, died. Some members of the lesser branches of the Jing family were arrested by the imperial court, but Jing Ju still managed to hold several cities in the east and stand against the Qin army in Suiyang.

Jingju left the throne and came to the edge of the map. He pointed to the location of Kuaiji County and said, "Lord Xiang Liang has already killed Yin Tong, the governor of Kuaiji County."

Prince Ying Song of Wu suffered a near-total defeat.

He himself, along with some of his personal guards, was captured by Zhongli Mo, a general under Xiang Liang.

The King of Wu was discussing with Xiang Liang the possibility of exchanging his heir and brothers for members of the Xiang family from Xiaxiang.

Xiang Yu was from Xiaxiang, but he was living in Jiangdong with his uncle. He and Liu Laosan were from the same hometown, both from Sishui. Xiaxiang was very close to Xiapi, which is why Xiang Bo from Xiaxiang was able to meet Zhang Liang when he was fleeing.

Even Liu Ji's family members were arrested by the imperial court, so how could the Xiang family, who were in a lower position, escape?

Well, they still managed to escape quite a few. They were even able to resist government troops, which is much better than Liu Ji's ability.

Jingju drew a line between Kuaiji and Pengcheng in Sishui, and said with a worried expression, "In just half a month, Xiang Liang has defeated tens of thousands of imperial troops."

Now that he commands respect in the southeast, if he were to head west, the counties and prefectures along the way would likely surrender without a second thought.

We must act immediately and capture Pengcheng before Xiang Yu's army enters Sishui.

Liu Ji asked in bewilderment, "Xiang Liang Gong hastily engaged in battle with only a few thousand Jiangdong men, yet he so quickly defeated Yin Tong and Ying Song's 60,000-strong allied army?"
The Crown Prince of Wu came prepared! Could it be that there's been a problem within the allied forces?

Jingju glanced at him with some surprise and nodded, saying, "Pei Gong guessed correctly. Yin Tong is foolish. The Qin army was already in the upper hand, yet that fellow actually wanted to betray them on the eve of battle."

"Yin Tong wanted to surrender to Xiang Liang? Then how did he get killed by Xiang Liang?" Liu Ji asked curiously.

Jingju said with a look of disdain, "If he really surrendered to Xiang Liang, I would agree that he was wise and decisive, and I would never call him stupid."

Seeing that Xiang's army was at a disadvantage, that fellow secretly sent someone to Xiang Liang, wanting Xiang Liang to surrender to him.

The Xiang family army surrendered to him, recognized him as their lord, and assisted him in becoming the "King of Yue," joining him in the rebellion against Qin.

Liu Ji was speechless.

Ding Li, a general (family retainer) under Jing Ju, exclaimed, "What is Yin Tong thinking? Lord Xiang Liang is recognized by all the heroes of China as the 'Little Earl of the Southeast'!"

Yin Tong didn't even receive an invitation and wasn't qualified to attend the East China Sea Alliance meeting.

What makes him think he can control Xiang Liang?

Jingju looked at the South Sea Goddess.

The latest battle report on Kuaiji Commandery was brought by the "Eight Immortals of the East Sea".

The nun pondered for a moment and said, "You are all noble people from the Central Plains, and you should know Yin Tong better than I do."

He himself was a hero of China, of noble birth, and had made outstanding military achievements.

In the Wu and Yue regions, his fame and power were greater than Xiang Liang's.

When Ying Zheng was still alive, Xiang Liang was wanted by the court and had nowhere to go. It was Yin Tong who risked his life to take him in.

Logically speaking, from that time onwards, Xiang Liang was already one of his retainers.

In Yin Tong's grand plan to overthrow the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Liang should have become one of his generals.

In order to counterbalance Xiang Liang, Yin Tong also recruited Huan Chu.

Your Majesty, you can imagine that he even began to take precautions against the Xiang family becoming too powerful under his command.

What could his mindset be when facing Xiang Jiajun?

"But the imperial court has already issued a proclamation to the people. Doesn't he know about the anti-Qin alliance in the East China Sea, or that Xiang Liang is the one who has the Mandate of Heaven?" Jingju asked.

The South Sea Goddess said, "When he learned that Xiang Liang had secretly trained thousands of assassins in Zhenze (Taihu Lake), he was furious and thus cooperated with the Crown Prince of Yingwu to launch a frenzied attack on Xiang Liang's army."

The Xiang family army originally numbered only a few thousand, but now most of them have been killed in battle.

Xiang Liang was certainly furious, but Yin Tong felt that Xiang Liang was beyond saving; if he didn't surrender, he would face certain death and the extermination of his clan.

(End of this chapter)