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

Chapter 464 Meeting between Dao and Zuo

In general, unless one's appearance is extremely masculine or feminine, and their demeanor and actions are completely reversed, trying to change one's gender simply by using makeup is self-deception; one is fooling themselves while thinking everyone else is blind.

Sister Niu might be able to, with her broad shoulders and thick waist, but unfortunately her pectoral muscles are too developed. In her two lifetimes, Wu Chengyu has only seen two people who can apply makeup perfectly: one is Princess Yuzhu of Western Xia, and the other is her junior brother Wu Qianyu.

These two don't actually need makeup. As long as they change into the corresponding clothes, namely Princess Yuzhu in men's clothing and Wu Qianyu in women's clothing, it will be very difficult to find any flaws without physical inspection.

But these two are exceptions. Their training has even altered their hormone levels, which is somewhat extraordinary.

The woman in front of me dressed as a man was quite obvious, almost like she was joking. However, she was very beautiful, with delicate features and seemed to be of mixed race, looking very much like a mix of Asian and Caucasian descent.

If you were to compare her to a woman, she would be a younger version of the stunning beauty Kwan from Hong Kong, with an even stronger exotic charm. How could a woman like that dressed as a man not be recognized?

“Father, we’ve traveled a long way. Now that we’re here, we should rest. Why did you insist on coming here when there’s nothing here?”

"Sigh, I know I won't see much, but I still can't help but come and take a look. When you get old, you like to reminisce about the old days."

This Yellow Crane Tower—many years ago, my grandfather met with many heroes here to discuss grand plans, but unfortunately, they ultimately failed.

I came here with your grandfather when I was a child, but the Yellow Crane Tower had already collapsed by then, and all I could see were some broken walls and ruins. However, your grandfather still held my hand and told me the story of our family and the Yellow Crane Tower.

So many years have passed, and returning to Wuchang, I find that even the last trace of the Yellow Crane Tower has vanished. It's better not to have seen it at all.

“Father, since that’s the case, why don’t we go to the manor that Uncle Nangong prepared to rest first? I’ll brew you a few more doses of medicine, otherwise you’ll cough up blood again.”

"No rush, let's find a place to rest. The brothers must be hungry too. Look, there's a wonton shop over there. Your grandfather brought me here years ago and we ate wontons around here. I remember it vividly."

There was a row of restaurants nearby, and the wonton shop the old man mentioned was right next to Wu Chengyu. It had seven or eight tables, which were immediately filled by these people. Even that wasn't enough, so a few people sat down at the shumai shop.

The two vendors clearly knew each other, as they usually bought wontons and shumai together. In addition to each person ordering a bowl of wontons, these people also ordered seven or eight servings of shumai noodles.

One of them sat next to Wu Chengyu at the same table. He looked fierce and menacing, with bristling hair and an open chest revealing a patch of chest hair.

The weapon in his hand was a bronze melon hammer with a long handle and a hammerhead the size of a melon at one end, made of refined bronze, which looked quite heavy.

This man was clearly not someone to be trifled with, and was extremely rude. After sitting down next to Wu Chengyu, he looked Wu Chengyu up and down with disdain upon seeing his handsome appearance.

"I hate you pretty boys. You're all too handsome, like young ladies, but you're still men. You're such a waste of my time."

Wu Chengyu's face seems to be very out of step with the aesthetic standards of men in this era; basically, any man would be annoyed by him.

But Wu Chengyu didn't feel any ill will towards this rude man. His words at least proved that he wasn't a homosexual, and that he was at least straight. He had seen too many disgusting people over the years, and it seemed that being straight was the greatest virtue.

Moreover, the man didn't seem to be deliberately insulting anyone; it was more like he was thinking of something and couldn't help but whisper it out, while also losing control of his volume.

But Wu Chengyu also noticed something different. The old man and the woman dressed as a man didn't have obvious accents when they spoke, but the burly man and the other guys sitting at the other tables all spoke with a western accent.

Wu Chengyu had done things in Western Xia before, and he could tell that these accents were not from Western Xia, but were similar to those of the merchants he had met in Xingqing Prefecture of Xia Kingdom who came from further west to do business.

"Tiger Head, what nonsense are you spouting? Don't cause trouble when you're out and about." It turned out that this burly man was called Tiger Head. His loud voice was heard by the woman next door who was serving her father's meals, and she couldn't help but turn around and scold him.

At that moment, the woman's eyes finally met Wu Chengyu's. Wu Chengyu looked back at her. The woman was surprised when she saw Wu Chengyu; her pupils seemed to dilate, clearly astonished by Wu Chengyu's appearance.

The two locked eyes. Wu Chengyu seemed unfazed, but the woman's face flushed slightly. Wu Chengyu, without any apparent reaction, simply looked away.

The fake young master seemed a little flustered, and although he was originally focused on serving his father, he couldn't help but look back several times.

Wu Chengyu sensed the woman's gaze, but he didn't look up again. It was just a chance encounter, and it was hard to say whether they were friends or foes. However, the identities of these people who suddenly appeared at this time were questionable, and he didn't want to attract unwanted attention.

Moreover, once he regains his true appearance, he will be used to such gazes. It's not a sin for others to look at you if you are good-looking, unless you go back to that beggar's den.

However, having just finished eating, and not wanting to put up with the burly man next to her any longer, she was about to leave when an acquaintance suddenly appeared.

Zhou Quan, the cunning and skilled double agent who had caused the Beggars' Sect great losses, suddenly ran towards the wonton stall. "Master, why didn't you go to the manor? Nangong Zuo and I have been waiting for you for a long time, searching all over Hankou and Wuchang, only to find you here eating wontons."

"Miss, the Master is unwell; it would be best if he returned to the manor to rest as soon as possible."

Wu Chengyu was now certain that the old man was the leader of the Ming Cult, who must have just arrived from the Western Regions to reunite with the Ming Cult disciples who had previously caused trouble with the Beggars' Sect in Hubei.

At this moment, he was facing the cult leader from the side, and Zhou Quan's gaze was entirely on the cult leader, so he did not notice Zhou Quan's presence.

"King Zhou has been in Jiangnan for many years, it's really been a long time since we last met. It's all because of you that you suddenly caused such a big incident."

Our original plan was simply for you to infiltrate the Song Dynasty using your Beggars' Sect identities, monitor the Song Dynasty, and pass on intelligence. How did you suddenly start fighting with the Beggars' Sect, forcing my father to rush here before he had fully recovered from his illness?

"Ya Ning, this is not the place to talk. Let's go back and discuss some things," the cult leader immediately stopped her, and the woman fell silent.

Zhou Quan said awkwardly, "It's just that this is a rare opportunity. The sect leader has gone to a lot of trouble. Why don't you come back with us first? Left Envoy Nangong has found some good chefs and prepared fine wine and delicacies to welcome you. It's much better than wontons. How about we..."

Before Zhou Quan could finish speaking, he abruptly stopped. While speaking, he had been habitually glancing at the people who had come with the sect leader and immediately noticed Wu Chengyu's presence. It was no wonder that Wu Chengyu was sitting with that tiger-headed man; he was simply too conspicuous.

"So it's Young Master Wu. It's been half a year since we last met in Hangzhou. Young Master Wu is indeed very capable. My leader just arrived in Wuchang and you found him. Young Master Wu must also be here to help the Beggars' Sect."

Wu Chengyu was also helpless. Things just happened to be so coincidental. He came out to see the Yellow Crane Tower, only to find it gone. The Ming Cult members ran into him.

Just as I was about to leave first, then secretly follow these people to find their hideout, and do some eavesdropping or something, after dealing with them a few times and knowing his identity, Zhou Quan suddenly appeared again.

Wu Chengyu didn't know whether his luck was good or bad, but Zhou Quan's words made the Ming Cult disciples sitting around eating wontons immediately stand up, draw their weapons, and prepare for battle.

The burly man next to him, Hu Tou, was still chewing on shumai. Before he could even swallow, he stood up cursing.

"So you're from the Beggars' Sect. You dare to follow us? You're asking for death." As he spoke, he swung his copper mace and smashed it down on Wu Chengyu's head.

Wu Chengyu seemed oblivious. He simply raised his hand, and the powerful copper mace seemed to be absorbed into his palm without making a sound. The burly man exerted all his strength, his face flushed, and he gripped the handle with both hands, but he still couldn't pull the copper mace back.

"Actually, I just wanted to come and see the Yellow Crane Tower and have some shumai. Who would have thought that this senior had the same idea as me? We just bumped into each other like this. Isn't that a coincidence? But if you hadn't suddenly come over, I really wouldn't have been sure of their identities."

"Chief Zhou, you really kept me in the dark back in Hangzhou... wait, I can't call you Chief Zhou anymore. I just heard this young lady call you Dharma King. May I ask which of the four Dharma Kings of the Ming Cult you are?"

Wu Chengyu's move to block the burly man's copper mace was effortless and without any fanfare. Everyone present was an expert and immediately knew that Wu Chengyu was exceptionally skilled.

Now that Zhou Quan's identity has been revealed, even the cult leader, who had been sitting quietly and appeared to be a master, now has a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Zhou Quan narrowed his eyes, and the somewhat incompetent, easy-going demeanor he had shown at the Hangzhou branch disappeared, replaced by a more murderous aura.

"Our Ming Cult has never revealed our names. We have clashed with the Beggars' Sect several times, and they still don't know our origins. May I ask how Young Master Wu knows?"

"You haven't even said what kind of Dharma King you are yet? If you want to ask me questions, you should at least answer them first to be considered polite."

Zhou Quan's expression turned serious. He took two steps back, cupped his hands, and said, "The Dharma King Protector of the Ming Cult, Zhou Xuancheng, the Golden-Faced Fox King, greets Young Master Wu."

He then turned to face the Ming Cult leader, pointing with his hand and saying, "This is my Ming Cult leader. As for his name, Young Master Wu will know it in the future." The implication was that Wu Chengyu was not yet worthy of knowing the name of their leader.

At the same time, Zhou Xuancheng bowed to the leader of the Ming Cult: "Reporting to the leader, this is the elder brother of Mo Ku, a disciple personally taught by Hong Qigong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect. He has been unknown before, and no one knows his background."

Last time, the Clean Clothes Clan betrayed the Beggars' Clan, intending to lure out Hong Qigong with Mo Ku and then set a trap to kill him. However, this person suddenly intervened and stopped them, ruining our sect's plan.

This person's martial arts skills must be quite high. What's most noteworthy is that he has several hundred highly skilled young men under his command, whose movements resemble those of a military unit, and who are extremely ruthless in their attacks.

Wu Chengyu: "Your Ming Cult's Protector Kings always have names with a hint of eroticism. I wonder if there's anyone called Green Hat Donkey King. But your face is probably from being a beggar for too long; it's really dark and probably can't be washed off. How dare you call yourself Golden-Faced Fox King?"

Zhou Xuancheng was unfazed by Wu Chengyu's sarcasm: "It seems that Young Master Wu has a deep understanding of our Ming Cult. It's rare to meet you here at Yellow Crane Tower. Why don't you come with us to the manor as a guest?"

(End of this chapter)