Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 383 Jianghu Monthly Report
The Capital, the Jianghu Monthly.

A figure dressed in a flying fish robe walked into the place under the moonlight.

The group, who were about to close for a break, all felt a chill when they saw the flying fish robe wrapped in a black cloak, and subconsciously looked at the person in charge of the Jianghu Monthly Report's outpost.

A pretty young woman stood up, clasped her hands in greeting to the newcomer, and asked, "May I ask, sir, what brings you here?"

"Jianghu Monthly is closing today. If you wish to submit an article, please do so early tomorrow."

The newcomer deliberately changed his voice, which had begun to sound somewhat shrill, and said, "I have a business deal to discuss with Jianghu Monthly, a secret that is enough to shake the entire martial arts world."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Zi's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly ordered the servants to bring tea.

Closing?

What's the point of closing?

Looking outside, it wasn't even 7 PM yet, so she had plenty of time to listen to this secret that could shake the martial arts world and to write the story herself.

"No need for that, I... cough, I'll be leaving now."

"Then, sir, please speak."

Murong Zi gestured for him to begin, her hand already prepared with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, looking eager and ready to put pen to paper. A vague premonition lingered in her heart; perhaps…

From today onwards, Murong Zi will become a renowned writer.

"Just today, half an hour ago."

"Zhang Sanfeng, the Master of Wudang, took his grand-disciple Zhang Wuji to visit the Drunken Spring Pavilion."

"puff!!"

Murong Zi nearly choked on her own saliva: "Cough cough, you... what did you just say? Master Zhang of Wudang visiting a brothel? Is it the Master Zhang I thought you were talking about?"

Other staff and writers from the Jianghu Monthly were also severely shocked.

An old man over two hundred years old, and a living martial arts legend who is famous throughout the world. According to rumors in the martial arts world, this Zhang Zhenren of Wudang is also a two-hundred-year-old virgin who has been practicing the Pure Yang Boy Skill.

Would someone like that bring his disciples to a brothel?
That's even more outrageous than Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot, inviting Yu Huatian, the head of the Western Depot, to a brothel to listen to music.

"Regarding this matter, Zuo... cough, I am absolutely not lying. If Miss Murong does not believe me, she can send someone to Zuichun Tower to investigate. Right now, Master Zhang Sanfeng is inside!"

Swish!
As soon as he finished speaking, the newcomer disappeared into the Jianghu Monthly shop with lightning speed, like a ghost, leaving Murong Zi, the Jianghu Monthly staff, and the scholar who wrote the article looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Snapped!"

Murong Zi slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and was about to rush out without saying a word.

"Calm down, Miss Murong, calm down!" Several shop assistants' expressions changed drastically, and several other scholars who wrote articles also hurriedly joined the shop assistants in spreading their arms to block the shop door, refusing to let Murong Zi out.

Seeing this, Murong Zi anxiously reached out to push them apart: "Get out of the way! If Master Zhang is really at Zuichunlou, this is a super news that will shake the martial arts world, no... it will shake the entire world! Our Jianghu Monthly will no longer be regarded as a tabloid!"

"Calm down, Miss Murong."

"Even if Master Zhang really is at Zuichunlou, if our Jianghu Monthly publishes it, I suspect that Master Zhang from the Wudang Sect will come to settle accounts with us tomorrow, or at the latest the day after. The best outcome would be that the Wudang Sect would smash up our shop."

Several men shook their heads frantically, refusing to budge. This kind of tabloid news could indeed make the Jianghu Monthly a sensation, but it could also very likely lead to its utter ruin.

As the number one righteous sect in the Ming Dynasty, Wudang Sect, with Zhang Sanfeng, a living martial arts legend, prestige even surpassed Shaolin by several levels.

How could they possibly afford to offend the Jianghu Monthly?

and……

How could they not know Murong Zi, this unconventional writer?

He has a rich writing style, but his writing is nonsensical, extremely unreliable, and prone to making things up. He is a typical person who likes to embellish and add his own subjective imagination to make up nonsense in a serious manner.

What if Murong Zi were to conduct the interview and write the article himself?
They shuddered at the thought. Wouldn't the headline published in the martial arts monthly be something like, "Is it moral decay or the distortion of humanity? Master Zhang of Wudang, a virgin for two hundred years, lost his heart at the Drunken Spring Pavilion. Was it the most beautiful courtesan at the Drunken Spring Pavilion who captivated Master Zhang at first sight, or did even a martial arts legend succumb to loneliness and listen to music at a brothel?"
If this were actually published, not only would the sky fall down in the Jianghu Monthly, but the sky would probably fall down for the entire Murong family.

These people all live off the Murong family.

There's no way we can let Murong Zi act recklessly.

Ordinary martial arts masters are one thing, but to provoke a living immortal who has been famous for a hundred years, especially the founder of the Wudang Sect, the number one righteous sect, the Murong family must be tired of living.
"idiot!"

Murong Zi lowered his voice and coldly cursed, "As long as I don't go too far with Master Zhang's report, the Wudang Sect might not take it seriously. But today I won't leave this door and won't report on this matter."

"Do you believe that tomorrow at dawn, a group of Eastern Depot agents or Embroidered Uniform Guards will be surrounding the gate?"

"That man was wearing a black robe that covered his body. He seemed not to want to reveal his identity, but he deliberately showed that he was wearing a high-grade flying fish robe and official boots. It can be seen that he is no ordinary person in the Eastern Depot."

"No matter what he wants to do, since he's come knocking on our door and made some kind of threat, we won't do it."

Do you think we'll get away with this?

Murong Zi was a person of noble aspirations. She insisted that no matter how difficult the problem or how great the crisis, she would not resort to force, but would prefer to solve it with wisdom, although she had some problems in her perspective and understanding of the problem.

But I have to say...

Her words did indeed intimidate the men and the scholar who wrote the article.

Putting aside the Wudang Sect's revenge, if what Murong Zi said is true, it would be worse if they prevented Murong Zi from going.

After all, during this period, the Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had slaughtered countless people in the capital. The Murong family was just one of the branches of the Murong family in Jiangnan. Although they had the surname Murong, their relationship and status in the capital were not as good as that of a random third-rank official in the court.

The Eastern Depot could kill even the six ministers of the government without hesitation, and could confiscate their property and exterminate their entire families at will.

Who are they?
The men and the scholar who wrote the article exchanged glances, then nodded to each other with pale faces, clearly recalling the details of the man's clothing and acknowledging that Murong Zi had not lied.

In that brief moment of distraction, Murong Zi had already grabbed the manuscript and pen and swiftly broke through the human wall, rushing into Zhuque Street and disappearing into the darkness of the night.

"Oh no, Xiao Jiu, Brother Li, we'll watch the shop. You two go and inform the master and young lady immediately."

This matter is too big for them to decide on their own; they have to find someone who can make that decision.

Outside the Jianghu Monthly Report, in some shadow...

The man, whose true face was revealed beneath the black robe and hood, looked at the backs of Murong Zi, who had passed by him one after the other, and the Jianghu Monthly clerk who had scrambled behind him, and gave a meaningful smile.

"Master Zhang, I hope you will like this generous gift."

(End of this chapter)