Zhu Tian: A journey of spiritual practice starting from Joy of Life

Chapter 181: Haitang Duoduo Arrives - Did Si Lili Give Birth? (Part 2)

On the morning of the third day, the Suzhou wharf, the largest in Jiangnan, was already packed with people.

The news that Fan Xian and Leng Feibai were about to arrive in Suzhou had already spread throughout the entire city.

One is a renowned literary giant of our time, and the other is the number one person in the world below the Grandmaster.

Therefore, officials of the sixth rank or above, scholars, merchants, and martial arts practitioners from all over Jiangnan came here just to pay their respects to these two legendary figures.

Officials and merchants, each holding rare treasures, gathered at the dock, looking around.

The fact that Fan Xian had accepted gifts along the way could not be kept secret from these officials in Jiangnan.

They came here to give gifts and make connections. If they could really befriend Fan Xian, a literary giant and a favorite minister of Emperor Qing, their future career advancement would be smooth sailing and they would soar to great heights.

As for the remaining merchants and scholars, their motives were even simpler.

Merchants come here seeking profit, and Fan Xian's purpose in coming to Jiangnan is to visit the three major workshops that produce magical artifacts and other goods.

If we befriend them, we might be able to trade those rare and precious goods in the inner treasury for extremely low prices.

Scholars, on the other hand, were drawn by Fan Xian's reputation as the "Little Poet Immortal Fan" and the literary legacy entrusted to him by Zhuang Mohan after his death.

Furthermore, Fan Xian's fairness to all participants in this year's imperial examination has earned him the respect of many scholars.

The remaining martial arts practitioners came because of Leng Feibai's reputation as the number one person below the Grandmaster level. The martial arts practitioners in Jiangnan all wanted to see Leng Feibai, the unparalleled master who could fight two opponents at once and was most likely to become a Grandmaster.

As for the news of Leng Feibai's serious injury and near death, it only circulated in the Kyoto area due to the blockade imposed by Emperor Qing and Chen Pingping, and did not spread on a large scale.

Not far from the dock, a large ship slowly emerged from the mist on the river.

Upon seeing the large ship, the crowd on the dock immediately cheered.

The scene was truly spectacular, with gongs and drums resounding, firecrackers exploding, red flags waving, and crowds of people everywhere.

On the official ship, Leng Feibai and Fan Xian stood on the deck, watching the situation on the shore.

The others returned to their cabins to pack their belongings.

Seeing this, Leng Feibai said to Fan Xian with a face full of black lines, "This is comparable to the brainless fans of idols in my previous life, surrounding the train station and airport."

Fan Xian also looked helpless, then put on a serious face and said, "But brother, quite a few officials in the crowd are carrying gifts. Damn it, these bastards, they don't care about so many disaster victims. Instead, they have money to give me gifts."

"Let's not even talk about how many gifts you received along the way."

Leng Feibai said calmly, "The higher the rank of those officials, the more they think of the common people as lowly people. How could they possibly care about the lives and deaths of the common people?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian felt a surge of anger, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked.

"But this is your time to shine!"

Leng Feibai laughed, "We'll see how you deal with those fame-seeking bastards later. Also, your idea of ​​having county officials transport disaster relief funds to their respective counties to send Jiangbei disaster victims home is indeed good. But even though these officials are from the local area, we can't rule out the possibility that some of them will take the risk and try to make a quick buck."

"rest assured!"

Fan Xian raised an eyebrow and calmly said, "I've already had the brothers from the Fourth Division of the Surveillance Bureau in Jiangnan secretly keeping an eye on those officials. If they dare to embezzle, they'll be in big trouble. Besides, it's extremely difficult for officials to get promoted, and they'd love to do this for me so they can get a promotion. If they can do this for me, I wouldn't mind giving them a promotion opportunity!"

Leng Feibai glanced at Suzhou City and said, "Those who are openly from the Ming family, but secretly sharing the wealth of the inner treasury with the Ming family, have probably already extended their reach."

"Let's not even talk about the hidden forces at play!"

A hint of amusement flashed in Fan Xian's eyes. "I'm even more curious about how the Ming family plans to resolve the bounty issue."

"That's easy!"

Leng Feibai sneered after hearing this, "As long as Ming Qingda says that it was a decision made without his consent by a brother of the same generation in the Ming family, and then hands that person over, and that person then puts on a show of atonement with death in front of you, what else can you do to the Ming family!"

"this!"

Fan Xian raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, how did you know?"

Leng Feibai glanced around, then said in a low voice, "When I was taking some legal exams in my past life, I saw some similar cases. For the patriarchs of these large families, sacrificing the lives of a few clansmen for the benefit of the clan is nothing serious!"

As soon as he said this, Fan Xian's expression changed repeatedly, and he began to roughly modify his plan to deal with the Ming family.

A moment later, the official ship entered the port.

At the same time, a group of panting men ran into the crowd on the shore and rushed ahead of everyone else.

One of the men, who was rather ugly and spoke with an accent, shouted at Fan Xian on the boat, "Young Master Fan, I am a clerk from Fuchun County. Officials from all the counties in Jiangnan have come here on your orders!"

Hearing the man's words, the group of high-ranking officials from Jiangnan were filled with doubt.

They didn't understand why Fan Xian would suddenly summon a bunch of low-ranking officials.

On the deck, Fan Xian looked at Leng Feibai, who had sat back in his wheelchair, and quickly asked, "Brother, aren't you going?"

"not going!"

Leng Feibai said calmly, "I'll take Lao Wang, Wan'er, and Sang Wen to the inn to wait for you. Anyway, you didn't plan to eat at the welcome banquet hosted by these officials."

Fan Xian smiled after hearing this, shrugged, and said, "Brother Fei Bai, you really understand me. I'll be going now!"

After saying that, Fan Xian led Shi Chanli and Li Chengping off the boat.

Leng Feibai, along with Wang Qinian, Sang Wen, Lin Wan'er, and the guards on the ship, left the dock.

Because of Leng Feibai's interference, Fan Xian did not arrange for anyone to open a branch of Baoyuelou in Jiangnan.

As for their accommodations during this period, Emperor Qing paid for it himself, having the Surveillance Bureau book an inn in Suzhou in advance to provide accommodations for Fan Xian and his companions.

"Auspicious Inn!"

Sitting in his wheelchair, Leng Feibai looked at the familiar sign in front of him and couldn't help but smile. He said nostalgically, "The first time I came to Suzhou, I stayed here. It was on that night that I caught a womanizer and made a name for myself!"

"No wonder Dean Chen booked the whole place for us!"

Looking at Leng Feibai's nostalgic face, Wang Qinian smiled and said, "Young Master Leng, how do you feel about revisiting this familiar place?"

"Let's go inside!"

Leng Feibai spoke calmly, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the surroundings, and said with amusement, "There are quite a few people watching us. Sang Wen, sister-in-law, you two remember to always bring guards when you go out. There are too many ill-intentioned people around!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions on the faces of the others turned rather unpleasant.

Wang Qinian tentatively asked, "Young Master Leng, you mean the surrounding area..."

After hearing this, Leng Feibai sighed, stood up, and looked back at the bank of the Qinhuai River.

As my gaze fell, several figures sitting by the riverside stalls reacted.

"Two with swords, one wielding a spear, and one using his fists..."

Leng Feibai immediately pointed out more than a dozen experts around the eighth rank and shouted at them, "Do you all think that just because I'm in a wheelchair, I've become weak and easy to bully!"

After saying that, Leng Feibai saw that there were no boats in the river, raised his hand and pointed, sending out a burst of energy that landed directly in the river.

"boom"

Huge waves surged into the sky, startling the people and causing their faces to change drastically. The ground beneath the feet of several people instantly became fertile and moist.

"Those who are below the ninth rank, leave!"

Leng Feibai's voice was indifferent, "Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth losing my life here for nothing!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the group of people had different expressions, but their legs all made the same movement.

Seeing the group of martial artists leave, Wang Qinian breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Thanks to you, young master! If all of them had rushed at us, we wouldn't have been able to hold them off!" "Old Wang!"

Leng Feibai said calmly, "Take Sang Wen and his sister-in-law into the inn to order food. Although the dishes in Jiangnan are beautiful, the portions are small and don't last long. Remember to order more dishes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Leng Feibai walked straight towards the river.

Seeing this, Wang Qinian guessed that there were still people watching by the river, so he quickly led Lin Wan'er and Sang Wen into the inn.

On the banks of the Qinhuai River, Leng Feibai stood directly next to a middle-aged man who was fishing.

"What? There are no fish to catch in the river of Dongyi City, so you've come all the way to Jiangnan to fish! Yun Zhilan!"

Hearing Leng Feibai expose her identity, Yun Zhilan snorted coldly and said irritably, "What are you doing here? Are you afraid I'll kill your brother!"

"If you dare to do that, not only me, but your teacher will kill you!"

Leng Feibai said coldly, "After all, Fan Xian's mother is one of your teacher's only two friends! Let's have a fight!"

As soon as the last three words were uttered, Yun Zhilan suddenly stood up, a sword flew out from her sleeve, and stabbed straight at Leng Feibai.

Leng Feibai was prepared; he raised his hand to catch the sword's edge and kicked Yun Zhilan in the abdomen.

Upon seeing this, Yun Zhilan stepped back several paces and then swung his sword.

A sharp and inexhaustible sword aura slashed towards Leng Feibai.

"The Great Yin-Yang Shift!"

The crimson Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol immediately surrounded Leng Feibai, blocking Yun Zhilan's sword energy and gradually breaking it apart.

Yun Zhilan's pupils constricted, while Leng Feibai calmly said, "Not bad, Yun Zhilan. It's been over a year, and your swordsmanship has improved considerably. However, you are still no match for me!"

"Humph!"

Upon seeing this, Yun Zhilan was about to draw his sword and fight again.

But at that moment, the shadow of the six organizers flew out from the alley and swung his sword straight at Yun Zhilan.

Seeing this, Yun Zhilan drew her sword to resist, and the two fought and retreated, moving away from the Jixiang Inn.

Upon seeing this, a hint of relief flashed in Leng Feibai's eyes.

But at that very moment, an aura that was extremely familiar to Leng Feibai appeared in his perception.

Leng Feibai's face stiffened, and his heart began to pound wildly.

The next moment, a soft, boneless hand landed on Leng Feibai's shoulder.

Haitang Duoduo's familiar voice came from behind Leng Feibai, "Hey, long time no see, you've got quite the air about you!"

Leng Feibai swallowed hard and turned to look over.

Then, Haitang Duoduo looked at Leng Feibai with a mocking expression, perhaps because she had cultivated the Mingyu Gong.

At this moment, Haitang Duoduo looked like a young lady from a wealthy family. Her figure had become slender, her skin had become fair and delicate, and her hair had become soft and flowing.

"It's been a long time, Madam!"

After Leng Feibai finished speaking, he reached out and hugged Haitang Duoduo, saying, "I really want to... hey hey hey..."

Haitang Duoduo raised her hand and pinched Leng Feibai's back, saying, "If you still want a hug, tell me clearly first, what's going on between you and Sang Wen? Are you pregnant?"

As soon as he said that, Leng Feibai felt immense pressure and quickly replied, "No way! Since returning from Northern Qi, Fan Xian and I have encountered a lot of things and have been extremely busy. I haven't even had a chance to meet Sang Wen more than a few times."

"I haven't touched it many times."

Haitang Duoduo quickly grasped the key point in Leng Feibai's words and asked again, "So how many times exactly?"

Leng Feibai's expression changed, and he raised his hand to make a five.

"Oh"

After hearing this, Haitang Duoduo's gums clicked, and she released Leng Feibai.

Looking at the budding begonia, Leng Feibai felt a chill run down his spine, his mind racing as he searched for a solution.

"Silly!"

Haitang Duoduo laughed and scolded, "Come in with me, I want to see what kind of stunning beauty your Emperor has bestowed upon you."

After saying that, Haitang Duoduo grabbed Leng Feibai's wrist and pulled him toward the Jixiang Inn.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Jixiang Inn, near the window, Fan Xian and his companions, who had just returned from outside, had met up with Wang Qinian and the others.

Seeing Leng Feibai and Hai Duoduozi on the riverbank, everyone looked on with pity at Sang Wen, who was trembling beside them.

They all saw how Haitang Duoduo looked just now; she was clearly in a bad mood, like Leng Feibai taking a concubine.

“Even my husband has been dealt with, what will become of me…”

Sang Wen immediately conjured up a horrible image in his mind: Haitang Duoduo using the excuse of selling herself off.

At this moment, Leng Feibai, looking conflicted, was dragged up to the second floor by Haitang Duoduo.

"Duoduo, let me introduce you."

Leng Feibai pointed at the crowd and said, "You know Fan Xian and Wang Qinian. These two are Fan Xian's students."

Shi Chanli and Li Chengping quickly bowed and said, "Disciples greet Master Aunt!"

As soon as she said that, a blush flashed across Haitang Duoduo's face, and she waved her hand.

Leng Feibai continued, "This is Lin Wan'er, Fan Xian's wife. And this is Sang Wen."

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy. Sang Wen stood up tremblingly and said, "Sang Wen greets my sister."

Looking at the two of them, Haitang Duoduo smiled and said, "Just like Fan Sizhe said, you are both delicate and petite women. When I have time, I will teach you a few moves and make sure to help you build up your strength."

After saying that, Haitang Duoduo walked straight to Sang Wen and put her hands inside her clothes.

Upon seeing this, Sang Wen closed his eyes in fright.

"What's there to be afraid of? Am I a man-eating tiger?"

Upon seeing this, Haitang Duoduo pulled out a letter from her bosom and said, "This is a letter from Si Lili. I hope I can take care of you in the future."

Upon hearing this, Sang Wen was stunned. He quickly took the letter and asked, "You mean Lili? Is she alright?"

"It's okay."

Haitang Duoduo said calmly, "Two months ago, she gave birth to the eldest prince and was made empress."

These words were spoken with complete calmness to the others.

But to Fan Xian and Leng Feibai, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Fan Xian tried his best to keep his expression calm, but in his mind he was frantically calculating the time.

"That's not right, Hongdoufan only conceived that night at the Sword Pavilion. How come she's pregnant this time..."

As soon as Leng Feibai finished speaking, he quickly realized something and hurriedly asked, "Sang Wen, do you know Si Lili?"

Sang Wen nodded and said in a low voice, "Before going to Baoyue Tower, Lili and I were both at Zuixianju. However, because of my uncle's assassination attempt, Zuixianju was shut down, so I went to Baoyue Tower later."

(End of this chapter)