The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 295 The Drunken Swordsman
"Brother Yin, do you know anything about the moon-viewing banquet?"

“Alas! If I were to say I knew, I wouldn’t have been able to climb the mountain. If I were to say I didn’t know—I do have some news that I was just about to tell Brother Cao.”

Inside the tavern, the two sat at a table. The table was littered with cups and plates, and swords lay to the side, their craftsmanship revealing them to be of superior quality.

Swords are of the highest quality, and people are naturally of the highest quality as well.

Sitting on the west side was a simply dressed young man with delicate features, but a scar across his face added a touch of menace. He was slightly drunk, his face flushed, and he was talking to the person sitting opposite him.

This person's name is Yin Suqin, and his nickname in the martial arts world is "Drunken Swordsman".

Just like the classic design in the storybooks of Li Miao's previous life, there is also a classic group of "Four Young Masters" in the martial arts world of Da Shuo. However, if it were Li Miao's previous life, these "Four Young Masters" would at least correspond to some fine things like writing brush, ink, paper, inkstone, plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.

In the world of Da Shuo, these "Four Young Masters" correspond to "wine, women, wealth, and anger."

This "color" naturally refers to "the young master with kidney deficiency"—An Ziyang.

Yin Suqin corresponds to "wine".

Like An Ziyang, people in the martial arts world call him "Drunken Swordsman" to his face. But if they're not around, they call him by another nickname—"Sharp-tongued Young Master".

As for the reason—he'll demonstrate it in a bit.

Now, let's talk about the person sitting opposite him.

This man, named Cao Hanyan, was unlike Yin Suqin; he had little reputation in the martial arts world. Although his martial arts skills were similar to Yin Suqin's, he was, to put it another way, too "simple and unassuming."

He was of average appearance, average build, and average clothing. His weapon was a standard longsword, neither too long nor too short. His martial arts were a moderate and unremarkable style of swordsmanship, neither particularly skillful nor clumsy.

A man like him, unless he does something earth-shattering, probably no one in the martial arts world would remember him—yet he is also upright and peaceful in nature, and never provokes trouble.

He was just an ordinary, good person.

A person like him seems completely different from someone like Yin Suqin, whose personality is so well-known that it has spread throughout the martial arts world.

However, the two were very close friends.

It was September, more than a month after the moon-viewing banquet at Mount Song. Yin Suqin had missed the festivities at Mount Song, so she made a detour to Kaifeng Prefecture in Yuzhou Province to visit her friend.

After several rounds of drinks, the two began to talk about the "moon-viewing banquet."

Continuing the previous topic, Yin Suqin slammed her hand on the table and sat up straight. Fueled by the alcohol, she began to tell Cao Hanyan the story she had heard, as if she were a storyteller.

"That evening, atop Junji Peak, a scene of fading sunlight, like blood, unfolded. Those seated there were all top-tier heroes of the martial world, yet none dared to utter a word."

"All because of one person."

"This man is none other than Li Miao, the Imperial Guard, the Northern Garrison Commander, and the Garrison Commander! He is also the one who presided over Master Xingchi's passing ceremony that day, the great hero Li!"

Yin Suqin described it vividly, using a high-pitched voice.

"It is said that this man has always been stationed in Shuntian Prefecture and has never traveled the martial arts world, yet he has made a name for himself as the 'Corpse-Tearing Commander' in Shuntian!"

Cao Hanyan poured him a cup of wine and asked.

What does this title mean?

Yin Suqin dipped her finger in wine and wrote the words "tear up the corpse" on the table, then whispered them.

"It is said that this person rarely makes a move, but he is extremely cruel and violent. No one who dies at his hands can be properly buried—they all die everywhere."

Even if you are already dead, he will tear your body to pieces. He might even make your relatives and friends come to claim your body.

"Imagine your family and friends arriving only to find limbs and mutilated bodies scattered everywhere. How devastated and terrified they would be—while he would sit to the side, pour himself a drink, and savor the horrific scene."

"That's why, before last year, no one dared to spread his story outside of Shuntian, and his name didn't spread throughout the martial arts world." Cao Hanyan frowned.

"So cruel... How could Master Xingchi allow such a person to preside over his passing?"

"Harmful!"

Yin Suqin waved her hand, giving a knowing look.

“Master Xingchi is a recluse who doesn’t care much about his reputation. He is also a highly respected monk. Who knows what methods he used to force Master Xingchi to do this?”

"Let's get back to the moon-viewing banquet."

"On that day, he walked slowly down the mountain path to the foot of the high platform. His ferocity was so great that even giants like Shaolin and Wudang hurriedly descended from the platform, not daring to sit above him."

"Senior Zhou Zijing, the 'Black Crow,' was snapped in the neck—her head was severed—simply because she stepped on his shadow!"

Cao Hanyan frowned.

"Such arrogance and domineering behavior is ten times more brutal than the Ming Cult of yesteryear. Were there no senior heroes present at the time to uphold justice?"

Yin Suqin slammed her hand on the table.

"Of course there is!"

"The leader of the Kongtong Sect stepped forward immediately, and before he could even open his mouth, he was slapped across the face, knocking out all his teeth! He was sent flying through the air, spinning more than a dozen times, and fell unconscious upon landing—he even had to be carried down the mountain!"

"And the Kunlun Sect, this time the sect leader and the newly emerged Celestial Realm experts in the sect were all beaten senseless. Their longswords were broken and stuck in their buttocks, and no one dared to pull them out."

Yin Suqin lowered her voice.

"Moreover, that celestial master from the Kunlun Sect, a voluptuous and graceful woman, also had a broken sword stuck in her buttocks. Tsk tsk tsk."

"You'll then know how cruel this person is."

He shook his head and sighed.

"That day, the man was in such a frenzy that he didn't care whether you wanted to fight or not. As long as you were still standing, he would grab you and punch you in the face."

"He beat up almost half of the experts who came up the mountain that day. Although no one died, he showed them no mercy at all. Broken arms and legs were just lucky. If it were like the Kunlun Sect, they probably wouldn't dare to roam the martial world for a year or two."

"He only stopped when everyone had sat down in the seats he had arranged."

Cao Hanyan frowned and pondered for a moment, then slowly shook her head.

"It's like something out of a storybook, it's unbelievable."

"But since this person did this, there must be a reason, right?"

Yin Suqin then slapped her thigh and said excitedly.

"That's the main point I wanted to make."

After finishing his task, the man leisurely walked up to the high platform.

"It was the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the fifteenth of August. At the summit of Junji Peak, the full moon rose, like a silver plate, but the moonlight illuminated the bloodstains scattered all over the ground."

"This man raised a cup of wine, emboldened by his reputation as someone who had single-handedly challenged half of the martial world—"

"In front of everyone, three rules were set for this martial arts world."

(End of this chapter)