The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 283 Fairness
What is "jianghu"?
The martial world is a deep pit dug out by swords and blades, filled with blood.

Wherever there are people, there is a arena for fame and fortune, and those in the martial arts world are essentially a group that uses martial arts and violence to seize fame and fortune. However, as people yearn for stability, over thousands of years of evolution, many rules have gradually been added to the martial arts world. Only by abiding by these rules and appropriately using violence can one "legally" obtain benefits.

From this perspective, the "evil path" is actually closer to the essence of people in the martial arts world. While being protected by the rules of the martial arts world, people in the martial arts world also constantly fantasize about how wonderful it would be if they were the only ones who could ignore these rules.

To get these people to work for you, all you need to do is give them an opportunity—an opportunity where they can actually use their swords to gain fame and fortune, an opportunity that will be recognized by everyone afterward, and an opportunity that won't "break the rules of the martial arts world."

Now the opportunity is right in front of you.

As An Ziyang turned around, revealing a sinister smile, several figures suddenly stood up below.

"I come!"

"I'll come first!"

"Go away!"

Brush brush!
Four or five figures rushed onto the arena at the same time. Before they could even announce who they were challenging, they were already looking at each other with hostile eyes, their feet slightly moving, and their weapons were raised towards each other's vital points.

Then—blood suddenly erupted!
The first scream echoed all around.

The moon-viewing banquet has officially begun.

--------

At the foot of Mount Song.

A figure was rapidly approaching Mount Song.

The man appeared to be in his forties, dressed in rags, but unlike the typical downtrodden person covered in filth, he faintly exuded the scent of grass and earth. From the remaining garments hanging on his body, one could vaguely discern that they had originally been a finely crafted and valuable long gown.

His hair and beard were disheveled and tangled, as if they hadn't been groomed for a decade or two. Yet, one could vaguely discern that he was exceptionally handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a heroic appearance, his gaze piercing and spirited.

If any of the Imperial Guards were to see him, they would likely be filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

Because of this person's appearance, if his beard were shaved off, he would look five or six parts like Li Miao!
A moment later, the man could see the Junji Peak of Mount Song in the distance.

"It's here, it's here."

"He's right here, he's right on the summit..."

The man's face lit up with joy.

"He's not dead yet, and he's even achieved enlightenment!"

"As long as we see him, explain everything to him, and bring him back to Yingzhou... those lives will not have been in vain!"

"if only--"

scoff-

Blood splashes!
"Well!"

His right arm landed lightly on the ground, and his body, which was moving at high speed, suddenly lost its balance and fell forward.

bass!
A sword light suddenly rose from the ground and stabbed towards his face!

In a flash, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the dagger that was thrust at him. Then, he spun around and flipped in mid-air, pulling a small figure out of the ground and throwing it to the side!
He took the opportunity to regain his footing, leaping several meters away to a stop, and tapped his severed arm several times with his left hand to stop the bleeding. Then he looked towards the opposite side.

A person emerged from the dense forest.

Pop, pop, pop.

"awesome."

"You slept underground for nearly thirty years, and even with a calculated attack, I could only cut off one of your arms. You were able to survive until the end and escape to the Central Plains back then; you certainly had some skill."

The man clapped his hands and said with a smile.

"If you just disappear without a trace, we might not be able to catch you."

"Unfortunately, ever since the news of the Songshan Moon-Viewing Banquet spread throughout the martial arts world, we knew you would definitely come to see him. I have been waiting for you here for half a month. Just now I was thinking that it was already the fifteenth of August and you still hadn't come, so I wondered if you were already dead."

"Luckily, I waited for you a little longer."

"Zheng Lingchuan." Zheng Lingchuan frowned and looked at the person opposite him.

There are at least three enemies.

One of them was a master swordsman who suddenly severed his arm. He emerged from the dense forest, blood slowly dripping from his longsword onto the ground. The blade was long, narrow, and slightly curved, unlike the style of swordsmen from the Central Plains.

One was a short figure hiding underground, its location unknown, but likely its cold gaze was fixed on his vitals, ready to take his life at any moment.

The last, and most dangerous, one was the person who spoke to him.

He was dressed in a magnificent long robe, with a long flute tucked into his waistband. He looked to be in his early thirties.

Her appearance, however, bore a striking resemblance to him!
If Zheng Lingchuan's appearance before the Embroidered Uniform Guards would surprise them, then this man's appearance would likely cause them to kneel and pay their respects.

Because this person's appearance is exactly the same as Li Miao's!
Zheng Lingchuan said through gritted teeth.

"what's your name?"

"Zheng Ming".

The person opposite spoke slowly and deliberately.

Zheng Lingchuan's expression changed drastically upon hearing the other party's reply.

"Single-character names..."

He secretly thought.

"Now, I'm afraid I'm going to die here..."

--------

The summit of Junji Peak.

The wooden arena was now splattered with pools of blood, the blood slowly spreading along the grain of the wood.

From the time An Ziyang turned around until now, only two hours have passed.

Dozens of fights have already taken place, and seven people have died.

Li Miao only gave the people in the martial arts world half a day to "change seats".

In the initial few fights, both sides fought in their usual manner—polite, avoiding vital points, and stopping short of leaving wounds on each other. But soon, this behavior aroused the dissatisfaction of other martial arts practitioners.

It's very simple—if you fight like this, each match will take almost half an hour. How are we supposed to fight?!

The situation changed because of a fight.

Just as someone had secured the victory and withdrawn their weapon from their opponent's vital points, the opponent suddenly struck and killed them on the arena.

Under normal circumstances, such a victory would never be recognized by the martial arts world.

But at this moment, no one spoke.

An Ziyang simply smiled and then personally swapped the two signs.

Several imperial guards dragged the body down and handed it over to his sect.

People in the martial arts world suddenly realized that An Ziyang had never announced any rules from the very beginning.

As An Ziyang said, the Imperial Guards would not interfere in the fighting on the arena. The Imperial Guards simply provided a place for everyone to fight and maintained the greatest fairness—the winner stood, and the entire sect rose with them; the loser lay down, and the sect had to pay the price.

Life and death are the greatest form of fairness.

There is no pretense, and there is no need for any reservations.

Once you're on stage, all you have to do is give it your all and defeat your opponent.

The Imperial Guard will give the winner a fair reward.

(End of this chapter)