Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 186 Eight Hundred Li of Dongting Lake

A very ordinary and simple room.

There's virtually no decoration. Simple, but by no means shabby.

Inside the room sat a man, dressed casually in a robe made of coarse cloth, sitting by the window.

A wine jug was casually placed nearby, but it wasn't any good wine.

This person was by no means good-looking; in fact, one could say he was quite ugly. But when his eyes swept over, they were like distant mountains, lingering and reaching deep into the eight-hundred-mile-long Dongting Lake beyond the window.

These eyes, brighter than obsidian, are like an endless autumn river.

He downed the wine in one gulp, then laughed without turning his head, "Zhan Tian, ​​you're setting off tomorrow. Come on, have a couple of drinks, it's my way of seeing you off!"

The person behind him said with a wry smile, "You actually knew?"

The man turned his head, looked at his slightly displeased expression, and said gently, "Go with peace of mind! With me, Lang Fanyun, here, I'll guarantee your wife and children will be safe!"

Ling Zhantian said indignantly, "Brother, we may never see each other again after tomorrow. A new emperor brings a new court. You must know what Shangguan Ying has done since he took over as the new gang leader."

“Promoting one’s own cronies and attacking the elders of the Angry Dragon Gang will not only result in the loss of power and reassignment to unimportant positions, but will also lead to being assigned missions with no chance of success, resulting in their unfortunate death on the spot. Even if they are lucky, they will be accused of incompetence, which will cause the people to fall apart.”

Lang Fanyun calmly replied, "I know."

"You know?" Ling Zhantian snorted angrily. "He's doing this simply to tell us that there's no place for you or me on the new ship of the Angry Flood Dragon Gang!"

Lang Fanyun didn't speak, but looked out the window and saw the setting sun casting long shadows on the shimmering waves of Dongting Lake.

Ling Zhantian went on to say a long list of things, such as the witch interfering in politics, the new gang leader being incompetent, the heavy reliance on useless people like Qi Changzheng, the fact that they were being sidelined, and the invasion of foreign enemies, etc.
He spoke until his throat was dry, his words were sincere, and he choked up repeatedly.

Lang Fanyun downed two more glasses of strong liquor, looking dejected, but still didn't reply.

Ling Zhantian's expression grew even more bitter. He knew that many times, not replying was actually a form of answering.
-
Yuezhou Prefecture.

"Baotian Lanyue Tower" is the most prestigious restaurant in Yuezhou Prefecture. From there, one can overlook the magnificent Dongting Lake and its vast expanse of water.

This is not.

Two country bumpkins were perched on the railing, both exclaiming in unison, "You bumpkins!"

"so big!"

At this moment, another beetle also poked its head out and looked into the distance.

Amidst the undulating waves of Dongting Lake, an island appears and disappears in the distance, its shores covered in lush green grass and its surface strewn with reeds. Large and small boats, their white sails billowing like clouds, bob and sway, accompanied by the melodious songs of fishermen.

"Crippled man, what island is that?" Hongxiu asked sweetly, pointing to a small island in the distance with her hair down.

Ren Shaoyang picked up the book, glanced at it, and said, "Angry Dragon Island."

"What kind of force is that?" Ding An asked from the side.

"That's where things get interesting!"

Ren Shaoyang closed the book, shook his head, and said, "The world's affairs can be divided into black and white."

"Eh~!"

"The righteous path is the Eight Factions Alliance," Ren Shaoyang said. "As for the underworld, we must mention the three most dangerous places!"

"Whoa!" The little beggar and Ding'an chimed in, "Tell us what you have to say, we'd like to hear it."

Ren Shaoyang chuckled and pointed to the west, saying, "The western border is the Zunxin Gate of 'Thief Tyrant' Chi Zunxin." He then pointed to the north, "While Qianluo's 'Qianluo Mountain City' stands majestically in the north."

"Then, what about Angry Dragon Island!"

The little beggar and Ding'an pointed together at the island in Dongting Lake.

"This is the headquarters of the Angry Dragon Gang!" Ren Shaoyang laughed. "The Angry Dragon Gang has always been known as the 'white path within the underworld,' the largest gang on the Yangtze River. With Dongting Lake as its base, it influences transportation along the Yangtze River, and its influence extends almost throughout the Central Plains."

"Whoa!" the little beggar exclaimed, "Isn't this just a carbon copy of Yang Yao from the Southern Song Dynasty!"

Ding'an nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes!"

"What are you thinking? How can those cowards compare to Zhu Yuanzhang?" Ren Shaoyang said disdainfully.

"That's right!" the little beggar slapped his forehead. "It's the era of the founding emperor now."

"So, the Angry Dragon Gang is just a salt smuggler and a shady business, profiting from the spoils," Ren Shaoyang laughed. "But the fact that they have a dozen or so giant ships is quite enviable."

Ding An asked in bewilderment, "With so many large ships, can the authorities really rest easy?"

The little beggar laughed and said, "Of course anyone would be worried!" She looked at the bright moon tonight and said quietly, "The bright moon in the sky holds infinite secrets. Tonight, I'm afraid war will break out."

"Heh, little beggar, you've already become so perceptive of murderous intent?" Ren Shaoyang picked up his book again.

The little beggar, hands on his hips, laughed heartily: "Impressive, right?"

"Impressive!" Ren Shaoyang said without looking up. "By the way, where's the wooden hairpin?"

The little beggar cried out, then said, "I gave it to the Kunlun Sect."

"Why?" Ding'an asked. "Why should we give them to them?"

The little beggar reached out and tugged at the midge on Ding'an's shoulder, starting to play with the rope. He casually remarked, "I'll just leave it to them on a whim."

Ren Shaoyang glanced at her: "You think the martial arts world isn't chaotic enough?"

Hongxiu chuckled, twirling the rope: "It's also giving Kunlun a chance. If a Kunlun disciple can actually comprehend a trace of the 'Sword God's Profound Truth' through this, wouldn't that be quite interesting?"

Ding An continued playing the cat's cradle with his left hand, his face still slightly flushed, and said in a muffled voice, "But I think they're more likely to have been wiped out!"

"You wear the size of your underwear as your ass," Hongxiu continued flipping through the fabric, nonchalantly adding, "Risk and reward always go hand in hand."

Ren Shaoyang looked at his book and didn't say much.

He trusted Hongxiu to do things.

The book in his hand is a handwritten copy of "The Emperor's Art of Observing Qi," a mental cultivation method that illuminates the spirit internally and reveals profound mysteries externally, discussing the abstract and mysterious, and is extremely subtle.

Although Ren Shaoyang did not directly comprehend the "Hearing Skill" upon entering the instance, he studied the "Emperor's Aura Observation Technique" every day, and his mind became increasingly calm, as if a long-stretched bowstring had been relaxed.

He had a feeling that he would be able to break through in a few days, and once he did, he would also be able to understand the "ear-sensory" method.

That would be another period of rapid improvement in his martial arts skills. "Alright, let's go downstairs." Ren Shaoyang closed the book and handed it to the little beggar. "The Moon Gazing Troupe's 'The Story of the Lute' is about to start! Let's get ready to go."

Ding An said, "So soon? Didn't they say it would start at Wu hour?"

The little beggar tucked the "Emperor's Aura Observation Technique" under his arm and rubbed his hands together excitedly, saying, "Too many people are going today, so I'm going early to avoid being squeezed with the crowd."

Ding'an said "Oh" and followed him downstairs. The three of them got into a donkey cart and headed to the South Market.

At this moment, the night market was in full swing, with bright lights shining everywhere, and cars and horses rumbling along, heading towards the South Market in twos and threes, clearly all going to watch the show.

Just past Shenshi (3-5 PM), the sky had already darkened. Behind us lay the shadows of the outer city, the distant lake shimmered, and the city walls were ablaze with lights.

Everything signifies that this is a more glorious and exciting era.

"Crippled man!" The little beggar, sitting on the hood of the cart and looking down at his book, suddenly spoke up, "Is it possible to live forever in this world?" He paused, then said softly, "Do you believe in fate?"

“I don’t know,” Ren Shaoyang said with a smile. “I only know that we are walking on the path of destiny.”

Hongxiu turned a few more pages, looked up and smiled, "Sometimes I dream that you, Cripple, are not by our side, only Ding'an and I are there."

Ding'an stuck his head out: "Huh?"

Ren Shaoyang lazily looked at the lights around him.

The beggar continued, "I don't know martial arts, but Ding'an still practiced half of a sword manual and eventually killed Feilong."

"Ha!" Ding'an patted his belly and laughed, "Isn't that great? I'm not a good-for-nothing!"

"But," Xiao sighed, "we continued our chivalrous deeds, only to be slaughtered by a new wave of bandits in a canyon."

Ding'an: (￣△￣;)
He stopped talking, grabbed the midge from his shoulder, and hung it on the roof of the car.

Ren Shaoyang said, "Judging from what you dreamed about, I'm actually quite useful, huh?"

“Sometimes we have to admit,” the little beggar chuckled, “that your appearance, Cripple, may really have changed our fate.”

Just then, there was a clanging sound.

The two were taken aback and turned to look, only to see Ding'an sticking his head into the knotted midge tongue.

Holy crap, he's going to hang himself!
"Hey! No, no, it's not that serious!"

The little beggar and Ren Shaoyang caught him together.

Ding An looked miserable: "That little beggar thinks I'm useless even in his dreams. What's the point of me living?"

"Oh dear, this is just a dream!" Hongxiu quickly comforted her. "Now you are the 'Shaolin Destroyer,' the 'Peerless Blade Emperor,' the 'Burning City Li Blade Emperor'! Crying and wailing like this is quite a sight!"

"Hey~" Ding An burst into laughter through his tears, "That's true." As he spoke, he leaned closer and grinned sheepishly, "Come on, praise me again?"

"Pah!" Hongxiu rolled her eyes and slapped his big face away. "You just want to hear compliments. Get lost."

Ren Shaoyang listened to their banter and drove his donkey cart to the entertainment district in the southern part of the city.

Funded by the Prince's Mansion, this place gradually evolved from a temporary tile-roofed shed into a formal theater, and its area has been growing larger and larger.

"arrive!"

After parking the donkey cart, the three of them excitedly jumped off and went to the theater together.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang enjoyed reading "The Song of the Pipa," it became a nationwide phenomenon, leading to long queues outside the gates.

The three of them queued for a long time before finally getting inside. Once inside, they looked around and examined the decorations inside and out.

A sea of ​​heads could be seen below the stage, with servants bringing tea and water back and forth, all bowing and smiling obsequiously.

At this moment, actors were already warming up the audience on the stage. Their voices were soft and sweet, and when they sang the most exciting parts, the audience below cheered loudly.

Ren Shaoyang and the other two found a table and sat down. They were all very happy to see the lively scene.

The little beggar was cracking peanuts and drinking tea, not caring whether she understood or not. When others cheered, she clapped; when others wiped away tears, she mimicked them by rubbing the corners of her eyes.

The onlookers, seeing how cute the little girl was, also joined in the laughter.

As the opera began, the little beggar, beaming with delight, nudged Ren Shaoyang and laughed, "Crippled man, do you think I'm prettier or that court actor on stage?"

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "Why don't you go up on stage and have a competition?"

"No problem!" the little beggar waved his hand arrogantly. "Hey, if I went up there, I'd definitely become a star!"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and looked at the stage.

Ding'an suddenly said bluntly, "I think that court musician is beautiful."

The beggar, hands on his hips, angrily shouted, "You stinking severed hand, you're not even on my side!"

Ding An gestured with his hand to indicate the curve of his chest, then pointed to the onlookers beside him who were staring wide-eyed, and shrugged.

The little beggar was stunned. He turned his head and looked around, then saw Ding An staring furtively at the busty actress on the stage.

Enraged, he reached out to grab Ding'an's ear.

Suddenly, a calm, cold voice rang out: "Have you all had enough?"

All three of them exclaimed "Huh?" and turned to look.

Standing beside him was a tall, thin man with a slender, strong, and powerful physique. His cheekbones were high, and his eyes shone with an unusual brilliance.

Ren Shaoyang glanced at the long sword slung diagonally across his back and said, "Brother, did my sister disturb your enjoyment?"

"No." The man was sparing with his words.

"Is it an eyesore to you?"

"Not at all."

Ren Shaoyang crossed his arms and asked, "Then what brings you here?"

The man glanced at Ren Shaoyang, then looked at Hongxiu: "I want to see her knife!"

(End of this chapter)