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

Chapter 434 On the Bed

Upon entering, the first thing one sees is a spirited yet radiant face. When Hong Niangzi sees Wu Chengyu, her smile is as beautiful as a flower, captivating and charming.

"Greetings, my husband. How have you been?"

The phrase "How have you been?" was a bit too polite and not the kind of thing one would say when "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Wu Chengyu knew that they had been separated for most of the year, so there was a certain awkwardness between them when they suddenly met again.

There are many ways to bridge the distance, and for couples, there is the most direct and effective path.

On the Mongolian grasslands, with Guo Jing, Li Ping, and the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan by his side, Wu Chengyu became much more obedient. The main problem was that Genghis Khan was clueless and always sent martial arts figures to cause trouble. He didn't know to learn from Wanyan Honglie and use those beautiful maids to win him over, which was a recipe for disaster.

Back then, the women on the Mongolian grasslands were a mix of beautiful and rugged, with ruddy complexions, strong and capable figures, and the ever-present smell of cow dung on their Mongolian robes. These traits simply didn't interest Wu Chengyu.

Having remained celibate for almost a year, Wu Chengyu could no longer tolerate seeing such a dashing and beautiful woman as Hong Niangzi, who was also his legitimate wife.

Feeling Wu Chengyu's murderous gaze, Hong Niangzi couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Her face flushed, and her voice softened considerably.

“I calculated the time, and my husband will definitely arrive in the next few days, so I sent everyone away early. Besides, Sister Niu is not here either.”

Thanks to Sister Niu, Wanrou is finally no longer following Hong Niangzi around every day. Hong Niangzi's words are like a catalyst that can best stimulate Wu Chengyu's desires.

"Let's get down to business first," Wu Chengyu said, picking up Hong Niangzi in his arms and carrying her into the room.

A full hour had passed. This was not Wu Chengyu's limit, but it was Hong Niangzi's limitation.

After consuming the snake king's gall and undergoing a complete transformation, and further cultivating the ox-and-horse stance, it was difficult for Wu Chengyu to be satisfied with just one woman. In the Zhao Prince's mansion, Wu Chengyu always had at least eight women.

But this was not a beautiful maid sent by Wanyan Honglie. Wu Chengyu always held Hong Niangzi in high esteem and with a touch of pity, and would never over-exploit her.

At this moment, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped. Hong Niangzi was covered in sweat and weakly nestled in Wu Chengyu's arms, closing her eyes to enjoy the afterglow.

As the supreme commander who single-handedly led the entire rebel army, she was always strategizing, decisive in her actions, and always so strong and resolute. Only when she was with Wu Chengyu could she show a moment of tenderness and vulnerability.

Wu Chengyu stroked Hong Niangzi tenderly. Such a woman was shouldering the heavy responsibility of the entire righteous army's resistance against the Jin. Even a man would probably be overwhelmed by the pressure. How could Wu Chengyu not take good care of her?

After a while, Hong Niangzi opened her eyes and gave Wu Chengyu a charming yet slightly reproachful look: "It seems that I need to ask my husband to find me a few more sisters. That little sister A Ku is now an adult, and my husband should bring her back as soon as possible."

This is the virtue and gentleness of women in ancient times. Hong Niangzi had known about A Ku's existence from Wu Chengyu long ago, but she never felt jealous. On the contrary, she felt that it was unfair to Wu Chengyu to put all her energy into the righteous army, so she never minded that Wu Chengyu had more than just her as a woman.

Wu Chengyu could only silently give a thumbs up to this feudal society, but he knew that talking about another woman with Hong Niangzi now was definitely not a good choice.

He looked at Hong Niangzi's face. Although she had just received great care, she had been working hard for many years, and he could see the weariness between her brows and eyes. Hong Niangzi was already older than Wu Chengyu, and if this continued, she would probably age even faster.

"I brought you a gift this time. I obtained an internal energy cultivation method in Xixia. It is suitable for women to cultivate and its power is considerable. It can be considered a divine skill in this world. Most importantly, after cultivating it successfully, one can maintain youth. There was once an old monster who was nearly a hundred years old, but he was still as beautiful as a young woman in her late teens."

He was referring to the Lesser Formless Skill, which he obtained from the stone wall of the Remnant Dream Palace of the old monster from Western Xia, and he had originally intended to pass it on to his women.

The martial arts of the Xiaoyao Sect are actually quite different from other martial arts in the Jin Yong system. When Jin Yong wrote Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, he was a bit too unrestrained. The Beiming Divine Art and the Xiaowuxiang Art are not only powerful, but they can also make people look young. The Bahuang Liuhe Weiwo Duzun Art can even reverse aging, which is really a bit unfair.

However, it is best used to teach Hong Niangzi, as it preserves her youth and possesses formidable power. Once Hong Niangzi has mastered the skill, ordinary top-tier experts will be no threat to her.

Upon hearing Wu Chengyu's words, Hong Niangzi's eyes lit up.

Every woman is bound to have anxiety about her appearance. Hong Niangzi always knew that her husband practiced Taoist magic that could prolong his life. Wu Chengyu's appearance had not changed since he came of age, especially his skin, which was so tender that you could squeeze water out of it. Hong Niangzi was also a beauty, but she had no confidence at all when she was next to Wu Chengyu.

Hong Niangzi suspected that in a few years, if she stood next to Wu Chengyu, people would probably suspect that she was his mother, which she simply couldn't accept.

Previously, Wu Chengyu had also wanted to pass on the Big Dipper Technique from the Nine Yin Manual to Hong Niangzi, but while the Big Dipper Technique could prolong life, it did not have the effect of preserving youth.

In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Guo Jing and Huang Rong both practiced the Big Dipper Technique, but their appearances still aged naturally with age, at most looking a few years younger than their peers.

At that time, Hong Niangzi's attention was on commanding troops and fighting battles, and she did not care much about practicing martial arts. Wu Chengyu did not force her. Now that the Xiao Wuxiang Gong has this special effect, Hong Niangzi has no choice but to make up her mind to practice it properly.

"Thank you, my husband. You've gone to so much trouble."

"You're welcome. You've already thanked me with your own words."

After a tender moment, Wu Chengyu showered Hong Niangzi with sweet words, using all the sweet talk he had learned from his nightclub days in his previous life. This made the rebel leader blush and become even more affectionate with her.

After a while, Hong Niangzi changed the subject back to business.

“When my husband first mentioned Mongolia, I sent Uncle Hexiang to Mongolia to find out what was going on. The news he brought back shocked me.”

Temujin was a man of great talent and ambition. Once the Mongols were unified, they would inevitably become the mortal enemies of the Han people, just like the Liao and Jin dynasties of the past.

More than a month ago, Uncle Hexiang sent another message saying that he had seen her husband in Mongolia, and that her husband was truly decisive and had killed Temujin.

According to Uncle Hexiang's letter, Temujin indeed died a month after his husband took action, suffering a sudden, severe chest pain and bleeding from his mouth. At that time, he was leading his army to a great victory over the combined forces of Wang Khansangkun and Khwarazm, and was on the verge of completely annihilating them.

Unexpectedly, Temujin died suddenly, throwing the Mongol army into chaos. His sons split instantly, each vying for the throne of Great Khan. His four generals and four vassals either supported Temujin's sons or amassed their own armies.

Not only that, but even Wang Khan and Sangkun seized the opportunity to consolidate their power. They not only escaped but also defeated a Mongol tribe and returned. The Mongol steppe was no longer unified and was no longer a major threat to us.

Wu Chengyu had channeled his internal energy into Temujin's hidden meridians. At first, Temujin showed no abnormalities; after half a month, he at most felt tightness in his chest and weakness throughout his body. However, when the appointed time arrived, the internal energy exploded, and Temujin's heart immediately failed.

Unless Bai Yuchan or the old Taoist priest Zhenxiang discovers the clues before the internal force explodes and takes the initiative to save Temujin.

Or perhaps when Temujin fell ill, he happened to be surrounded by a top-notch team of modern cardiac specialists and the best medical facilities, allowing him to have surgery on the spot.

Otherwise, Temujin's death would have been inevitable, and the turmoil in Mongolia after his death was already within Wu Chengyu's expectations.

“My lady, you are wrong. Even if Temujin dies, Mongolia will only be in turmoil for a few more years. Their rise is inevitable.”

Temujin's death only weakens their forces and buys us some time. Our greatest enemy in the future remains the Mongols.

"My husband has always been farsighted, and I naturally admire him. So, shall we continue to lie low?"

"That's right. We must make full use of the time the Mongols have given us. During this time, we can only continue to develop our army and make it more elite, at least to the point where we can fight ten against one."

At the same time, we should not confront the Jin Dynasty. Once the Mongols become powerful, the Jin Dynasty will be the first to suffer, and a major war between them and the Jin Dynasty will be inevitable.

The Jin dynasty was already beyond saving, and they would still be defeated by the Mongols. It's just that without Temujin, their defeat would be slower.

"If we kill more Jin soldiers now, the Jin will have less strength to face the Mongols. It's not time for us to take the lead yet."

Hong Niangzi frowned slightly: "But now our righteous army's development within the Jin Kingdom has reached a bottleneck. I will do my best to improve the army's combat effectiveness."

However, if the army is too large, it will be difficult to completely evade the Jin dynasty's pursuit; but if its size remains limited, it will never be able to confront the Jin army head-on.

"I have long had some ideas about this. In the future, when we fight against the Jin Dynasty and even against the Mongols, and recover our Han Chinese land, it will not be enough to rely solely on the Han Chinese and righteous armies within the Jin Dynasty. The Han Chinese of the Song Dynasty are our true reliance."

"But the Song court was weak and incompetent, and had submitted to the Jin dynasty. Where would it find the courage to confront the Jin, let alone the Mongols?"

"Then we should find a way to undermine it, or even overthrow it. The Song state is like a rotten, withered tree, but it can also become nourishment for our growth and development."

My next step will be to reside permanently in Jiangnan, develop our own power, and, with the help of the Song army, cultivate an army.

Do you remember the group of kids I trained in the Hidden Dragon Cave? Their martial arts skills are now formidable, and I will divide them into three groups.

A portion was sent to Western Xia as a strategic move, the effectiveness of which remains to be seen.

Some will be sent to your side to act as your personal guards; your safety is of paramount importance.

The remaining group returned to Jiangnan with me, becoming the foundation for my expansion of influence there.

Those old soldiers in your rebel army on the Jin side who are too old to fight on the battlefield, send them all to Jiangnan. They will be the best instructors.

This way, the size of your rebel army can be temporarily reduced, but its combat effectiveness will remain intact, and it will be easier to command.

I have successfully trained troops in the State of Song, and I will send some of them to your command as a supplementary source of soldiers.

If the Mongols and the Jin Dynasty go to war in the future, you can at least pull out tens of thousands of elite troops at once and take advantage of the Jin Dynasty's distraction to establish a base.

I will influence the Song Dynasty's politics. Those spineless cowards can't see the power of the Mongols and might even think of joining forces with the Mongols to destroy the Jin Dynasty. Once the Jin Dynasty is gone, the Mongols will be unable to resist when they march south.

What I want is for the Song army and the Jin army to join forces against the Mongols. Once the Jin army is exhausted, the Mongols will inevitably be greatly weakened as well. At that time, when we join forces, we will definitely be able to drive the Mongols back to the grasslands and never dare to invade south again.

Hong Niangzi knew that Wu Chengyu's words were simple, but in practice, they would be fraught with difficulties. However, this was the best strategy they could think of.

Wu Chengyu stroked Hong Niangzi's hair: "In the past, Emperor Zhaolie of Han visited Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times and made the Longzhong Plan. Today, you and I, husband and wife, are having our own discussion on the bed. I don't know if we will end up like Zhuge Liang, failing in the end, or if we will completely restore the Han people's country. You and I, husband and wife, have a long way to go."

In the days that followed, Wu Chengyu taught Hong Niangzi the Lesser Formless Skill and the Lingbo Steps, and then drifted away, returning to the Hidden Dragon Cave ahead of her.

"Little deer, do you still remember your origins?"

Little Deer, the leader of the children in the Hidden Dragon Cave, replied, "Master, I told you long ago that I am the daughter of a prince of the Xia Kingdom. At that time, my father was fighting for the throne with the current emperor of the Xia Kingdom and was assassinated by experts in the palace. I escaped with the help of my family's servants."

At the time, rumors spread that it was my younger brother who escaped, but in reality, my brother had already been killed, and the Xia Kingdom had probably long forgotten about me, their princess.”

"You will lead a hundred brothers to sneak back to Xia Kingdom. Now that Yipintang has reopened, your martial arts skills are enough to attract Yipintang's attention. I have already eliminated the masters in the Xia Kingdom's palace. With your current martial arts skills, there are not many in Xia Kingdom who can surpass you."

"Take some of the brothers and join Yipintang, the rest of you join the army. Develop slowly, no need to rush. One day, I will need you."

“Hey kid, you little wolf cub, you’re really good at assassination now. You take a hundred brothers to find Hong Niangzi. From now on, you will be Hong Niangzi’s personal guards. Remember, unless you are all dead, I will not allow Hong Niangzi to suffer any harm.”

“Song Mu, you love the military the most. You will lead the remaining three hundred brothers back to Song with me. We will make a name for ourselves in Jiangnan.”

End of this volume

　Chapter Two concludes this volume. Next, we'll begin Wu Chengyu's return to Jiangnan, and the story will unfold one by one.

　　Tomorrow is my son's first day of school, and it's September 1st again. After I moved, it was so that my son's school would be closer and I wouldn't have to send him to after-school care. As a result, I'll have to cook every day. Tomorrow is the first day, and there are so many things to do that I might have to take the day off. I'm letting you know in advance, but as long as I have time, I will definitely update properly.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)