The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 398 Why bother pretending to be weak to deceive others?
As soon as Wu Chengyu stepped off the stage, Zhang Wei, whose face had been covered in black mud from Lingzhi Shangren's body, immediately came to greet him. He dared not blame Wu Chengyu, simply wiped off the mud, and then revealed a sycophantic smile.

"Congratulations, Master Tian, ​​on winning three consecutive matches. According to the rules of the Juxian Club, the high-ranking officials and nobles of our Great Jin Kingdom can now recruit you. You can choose to join any of them. I wish you a bright future."

"This time they've really bet on me, haven't they?"

Zhang Wei's smile immediately brightened, his mouth almost unable to close: "Of course, thanks to your great fortune, sir, I earned fifteen taels of silver this time, plus the five taels for your victory. I thank you very much, sir."

"Don't waste money, you'll need it later. Alright, enough chit-chat, get me some hot water first. This lama is so filthy. I acted impulsively just now, and now I'm covered in his filth and blood. What a loss."

"This way, sir. Hot water will be here shortly. Would you like a young lady to help you with your bath?"

"Hmm, how about Cui Nong? She's fair-skinned and plump, and she's pleasing to the eye."

Wu Chengyu decided to submit to fate. Since he couldn't avoid Cui Nong, he might as well let her serve him well. However, this was limited to bathing; he wouldn't go so far as to make advances on a courtesan.

Once he was sitting in the bathtub with his eyes closed, Cui Nong, wearing a bodice, gently rubbed his back from behind, allowing him to feel the softness of the girl's body from time to time.

But Cui Nong was a little unhappy. It was one thing that this customer was ugly, but who would have thought that even though she served him carefully, he wouldn't even glance at her, keeping his eyes closed and resting. He was too lazy to even speak. Who would have thought that he had called her here just to take a bath?

Wu Chengyu is now considering his next move. The reason he came here to fight is simply to take the opportunity to join the Zhao Prince's Mansion or the Rong Prince's Mansion. This is completely different from his previous intention when he joined the Yangwu Association. This time, there is no conspiracy involved.

It was simply because Wanyan Honglie and Wanyan Hongxi would be setting off for the Mongolian grasslands soon, and he needed someone to guide them.

Wu Chengyu used to be a street urchin, wandering around, which was quite carefree, but the hardships of the journey also made him complain endlessly. He would often travel for a whole day without seeing a town, and he would often eat and sleep in the open, unable to eat or sleep well.

They keep saying, "The world is so big, I want to see it," but without cars, high-speed trains, and airplanes, it's truly unbearable.

This is not like the future, where as long as you have money, you can be a big shot anywhere. He traveled from Shaanxi to Henan, then through Hebei, and finally arrived in Daxing. It took him several months, and that was only because there were official roads so he wouldn't get lost.

Next, let's go to the Mongolian grasslands. It's a vast expanse of green and pristine. The Mongolian grasslands are so expansive that you can't even see a road except for the wind blowing the grass low. If Wu Chengyu really got lost, even with his superb martial arts skills, he would be stuck there for months.

Moreover, these Mongols lived a nomadic life, following the water and pasture. A tribal leader like Temujin would not be in a fixed location. Wu Chengyu did not think that he could easily find Guo Jing and the others just by going to the grasslands.

Like the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan, they traveled all over the country for six or seven years. The ancients' commitment to keeping their word is truly admirable. This is also why, despite his bad temper and inflexibility, the Flying Bat Ke Zhen is respected by all readers.

But their encounter with Guo Jing on the Mongolian grasslands was truly a stroke of luck. Or perhaps, if it weren't for the mischievous Zhu Cong stealing things from children, they wouldn't have discovered the dagger that proved Guo Jing's identity.

The Seven Heroes of Jiangnan could be said to have gone through great lengths, and Heaven took pity on them for their unparalleled loyalty and righteousness, and helped them out. As for Wu Chengyu, he didn't think he would be so lucky, that he could easily find his target by venturing into the vast grasslands alone.

Therefore, the best way is to follow Wanyan Honglie or Wanyan Hongxi's caravan and become their retainer. Although the journey is long, there will be people to serve you on the caravan, and you will not have to worry about food and drink. Moreover, in the end, they will inevitably meet Guo Jing according to the original story. This is Wu Chengyu's real plan.

Therefore, the only families he pretended to rely on were the Rong Prince's Mansion and the Zhao Prince's Mansion.

The difference here is significant. Wanyan Honglie certainly looked down on the roughnecks of the martial world, but he was good at putting on an act, treating people with respect and humility.

Then Wanyan Honglie really only knows how to treat others like dogs, and Wu Chengyu doesn't want to lose control and kill him halfway.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door, followed by Zhang Wei's voice.

"Uncle Tian, ​​your new clothes have been prepared. There are many stewards of high-ranking officials waiting for you outside."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Wei pushed open the door and entered, his face beaming as he secretly glanced at Wu Chengyu and Cui Nong behind him before quickly lowering his head.

Wu Chengyu stood up from the bathtub and walked straight out, letting Cui Nong dry his body. Cui Nong looked at the huge thing hanging in front of her and couldn't help but look up at Wu Chengyu again with a resentful expression. In the end, she still didn't get any response and could only silently help him put on his clothes.

Which companies are there outside?

"People from the Zhao Prince's Mansion, the Rong Prince's Mansion, the Qi Prince's Mansion, as well as the Prime Minister's Mansion, the Imperial Uncle's Mansion, and several generals have also arrived. Congratulations, Master Tian, ​​your martial arts skills have already alarmed many powerful figures in Daxing."

When Wu Chengyu stepped out of the room, he soon saw Liang Ziweng, who had recruited him the day before. He had no intention of wasting any more time and went straight to Liang Ziweng.

“Brother Liang, I have long admired King Zhao and know that he is respectful to scholars. I wonder if I could serve him?”

Liang Ziweng now felt a bit more wary of Wu Chengyu. Perhaps it was because Lingzhi Shangren was used to putting on airs, and his Great Handprint was indeed powerful; Liang Ziweng knew he couldn't withstand it head-on. Therefore, the many spies at Juxian Guild had long considered Lingzhi Shangren their primary target. Who knew that an unknown nobody would appear out of nowhere and kill Lingzhi Shangren in just a few moves? Moreover, Wu Chengyu's three displays were all different, yet all were effortless.

With Liang Ziweng's discerning eye, he could naturally see that Wu Chengyu was at least a first-class expert, or even a top expert. In this vast Daxing City, there were very few top experts, and they were all recruited by the royal family.

As a prince, Wanyan Honglie was not qualified to recruit a top expert. Liang Ziweng believed that he was on par with Peng Lianhu and Sha Tongtian, but the three of them were definitely no match for Wu Chengyu. Therefore, Liang Ziweng's attitude towards Wu Chengyu was now more respectful.

"If Brother Tian is willing to join my Prince Zhao's mansion, it would be a great joy, and Prince Zhao would surely be overjoyed. In that case, Brother Tian, ​​why don't you come with me from Juxian Guild Hall and meet Prince Zhao?"

Before he could finish speaking, someone next to him sneered, "Hey Tian, ​​I advise you to join the Rong Prince's Mansion. I can forgive and forget about that kick you gave me before. Otherwise, there will be times when even Prince Zhao can't protect you in this Daxing City."

Wu Chengyu turned to look at the speaker, who was the same guy who had come to recruit him on behalf of the Rong Prince's Mansion. He hadn't offered him any benefits, but demanded that he sign a contract of servitude. He had been arrogant and domineering, and then Wu Chengyu had kicked him out of the house. Now, he dared to threaten him.

At this moment, Liang Ziweng also looked troubled. The people of the Rong Prince's Mansion had always been arrogant, and Wanyan Honglie had just been reprimanded by the Emperor of Jin, which greatly damaged his reputation. Therefore, Liang Ziweng had always given way to the people of the Rong Prince's Mansion.

But Wu Chengyu didn't care. If it weren't for his own plan, he would have stormed into the Rong Prince's mansion and dealt with Wanyan Hongxi right now.

Wu Chengyu pulled Liang Ziweng and turned to leave, while the arrogant fellow from the Rong Prince's Mansion was so angry that his face turned red.

As expected, the people from Rongwangfu in Juxian Guild Hall did not dare to make a move, but as soon as Wu Chengyu and Liang Ziweng stepped out of the guild hall, they were surrounded by a group of people.

Liang Ziweng's face was very ugly. He said to Wu Chengyu, "Brother Tian, ​​be careful. These are the Five Tigers and Eight Dogs of the Rong Prince's Mansion. The Five Tigers are good at external martial arts, and the Eight Dogs are good at offensive combat. These people always attack each other in groups and never fight one-on-one."

Please forgive me for keeping my own affairs private today. Only after resolving my entanglement with the Rong Prince's Mansion will I dare to take you to the Zhao Prince's Mansion.

At this moment, Wu Chengyu was a little puzzled. The people of the Zhao Prince's Mansion shouldn't be that cowardly, right? He looked at Liang Ziweng with a question in his eyes.

Liang Ziweng said with a wry smile, "Originally, the people of our Prince's Mansion were not afraid of them, but recently the Prince was reprimanded by the Emperor. Most importantly, the Prince has recently contracted a strange illness and has been hiding away from everyone, which is why those guys outside are so arrogant."

Wu Chengyu understood. It seemed to be his own doing. He had secretly harmed Wanyan Honglie, causing him to lose all his hair and become a hairless monster with fair skin. That was why Wanyan Honglie had gone into hiding, which allowed the already arrogant people from the Rongwang Mansion to dare to bully him like this.

This time, Wu Chengyu didn't want to hide his martial arts too much like he did in Western Xia. Since he didn't have any big plans in Jin Kingdom this time, he didn't need to suppress his martial arts too much. It's said that you have to play the fool to eat the tiger. It's never nice to always be treated like a fool.

As for Liang Ziweng's words about minding his own business, Wu Chengyu understood perfectly. It was normal for the old man to be unwilling to help since they had no connection. The fact that he was willing to explain so much to him was already a great favor, so the old man was quite frank about it.

"Brother Liang, rest assured, from now on, there will only be one tiger in Daxing City. I will beat these five tigers into cats. As for these eight dogs, do you really think that dogs can beat a tiger if they put together?"
Brother Liang, please stand aside and watch as I teach these arrogant fools a lesson.

Wu Chengyu gestured for him to enter, then walked toward the five cats and eight dogs blocking his way. These guys were still arrogant. The leader, a burly man, was about to insult Wu Chengyu when, before he could finish speaking, a figure flashed before his eyes and he was hit hard in the buttocks. This guy had been training in physical strength for many years, and he had all his teeth knocked out.

So-called "physical training" is nothing more than a clumsy exercise to make the body hard enough, reduce pain, and withstand attacks from others. No matter how tough the body is, it is still flesh and blood. Those who practice physical training can only fight hand-to-hand at most, and dare not directly confront weapons.

Even Chen Xuanfeng, whose external martial arts skills were obtained from Peach Blossom Island, is much stronger than ordinary external martial arts skills on the market. Ordinary weapons can only leave a white mark, but it will still hurt. If the weapon is sharp enough, the blood will still flow.

Even if the opponent is unarmed, if they encounter a true master of internal energy, they can still experience ecstasy by directly channeling their internal energy into the opponent's body.

Unless one masters the Golden Bell Cover technique to its peak, creating a three-foot-long wall of energy around their body like the Shaolin Sweeper Monk, these purely defensive skills that only result in being attacked will never create a true martial arts master.

Wu Chengyu no longer needs to hide any of his martial arts skills, except for the Bone-Dislocating and Shadow Clone Techniques.

His short-distance acceleration was unparalleled, directly breaking through the limits visible to the naked eye, and he instantly arrived in front of the five cats and eight dogs. The skill he used was the Hundred Family Rice, which he had studied for a long time and incorporated the essence of the Lesser Formless Skill and the Carefree Plum Blossom Hand.

He moved through the narrow gaps between the dozen or so people, who were screaming and swinging their long knives and short axes, about to strike Wu Chengyu, but they all missed in that impossible, fleeting space.

Wu Chengyu only used one move against each person, without using any fancy techniques. Against those who practiced external strength training, he simply struck them in the chest with a palm. If their exterior was hard enough, he would directly use the immense force to shatter their sternum.

Those eight dogs, all wielding short weapons, attacked fiercely, their imposing presence quite frightening. Wu Chengyu, on the other hand, delivered a knee strike or a powerful elbow strike to each of them, breaking their tendons and bones.

In just a few breaths, all five cats and eight dogs collapsed to the ground, howling and rolling around, utterly powerless to fight back.

Liang Ziweng, who was watching from the sidelines, was dumbfounded. He was now certain that Wu Chengyu was a top-notch expert, a true master whom he, Sha Tongtian, and Peng Lianhu could not contend with even if they joined forces.

(End of this chapter)