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

Chapter 237 Gathering of Good and Evil
A bamboo basket sits on a rosewood round table in the garden.

Pang Ban watched silently, completely absorbed.

At this moment, Fang Yeyu walked into the garden, greeted Li Chimei, who was drinking tea to the side, and the two servants, one in black and one in white, who stood like statues, in a low voice, and then walked behind Pang Ban and stood silently.

Without turning his head, Pang Ban asked calmly, "Ye Yu, what do you see in this bamboo vine woven by Lang Fanyun himself?"

Fang Yeyu said in a low voice, "Lang Fanyun's skillful hands are even more skillful than the most exquisite craftsmen in the world. I suppose the things he weaves are almost the same."

“Clever.” Pang Ban shook his head and smiled, then explained, “He has taken the concept of ‘balance’ to its extreme.”

"balance?"

Fang Yeyu stared intently and saw that the bamboo vine was placed perfectly on the table, not even a fraction to the right or left. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What an amazing Lang Fanyun!"

Pang Ban coldly said, "The principles of Yin and Yang, positive and negative, and forward and backward in the universe are all established. The way to control these forces lies in the word 'balance.' From this, it can be seen that Lang Fanyun's swordsmanship has reached the realm of observing and knowing the limits, and then letting the spirit act."

Fang Yeyu asked, "Master, where is Li Ruohai?"

"Li Ruohai"

Pang Ban said calmly, "Two years ago, he was filled with sadness and passion for martial arts, but after his battle with Ren Shaoyang, he was completely transformed. He became more gentle and calm in addition to his domineering aura, and his martial arts improved so quickly that even I couldn't help but take notice."

"So this time."

Pang Ban waved his hand and said domineeringly, "Li Ruohai has openly challenged me, how can I back down? This person must have come to challenge me to a duel all by himself."

Fang Yeyu asked, "What instructions does Master have?"

Just as Pang Ban was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed. He turned sharply to stare at the bamboo vine, strode forward, and reached out to probe it.

But then I noticed that a bright green leaf had appeared in my hand!

Fang Yeyu was shocked: "When did this leaf get hidden inside? It wasn't there when I took the bamboo vine from Lang Fanyun!"

Pang Ban held the leaf in his hand, remaining silent for a long while before letting out a long sigh and saying, "To move something and make it still, and to make it move something and make it move, is to lead the righteous path astray. The vast spirit is trapped and difficult to extricate itself. Therefore, it is said: 'To move without moving, and nothing will be unmoved.'"

He paused for a moment, then said, "I never imagined that Ren Shaoyang had reached such a state."

"It's Ren Shaoyang again!"

Fang Yeyu gritted his teeth, and Li Chimei and the two servants behind him also changed color.

They were tricked by the seriously injured Ren Shaoyang at the Bahe Wharf back then, and suffered such a huge setback. It is still fresh in their minds.

Li Chimei felt a dull ache in his back from the knife wound; for the past two years, he had been suffering from the corrosive effects of the fire energy. This was because the "Heavenly Demon Yin Condensation" technique he practiced transformed his physique into a state of condensed Yin energy, thus making his speed and internal strength increasingly formidable.

However, the fiery energy from Ding'an's sword broke the balance within his body, causing him to spend two whole years recovering before he could return to the martial world. But this misfortune turned into a blessing, as he has now made great progress.

Pang Ban was well aware of the feelings of his disciples and subordinates behind him, but he didn't care. Instead, he stared intently at the leaf in his hand.

"That kid Ren Shaoyang is trying to scare me."

"Teacher!" Fang Yeyu exclaimed in surprise, stepping forward to ask, "Why do you say that?"

Pang Ban said calmly, "He concealed his aura within this green leaf, yet he managed to evade everyone's detection, even mine. If a mere leaf can do this, what would happen if he came to assassinate me in person?"

Fang Yeyu was somewhat stunned, swallowed hard, and said, "I'm afraid that apart from Teacher and Teacher Li, none of us will be spared."

Pang Ban laughed and said, "Look at this kid, isn't he very bold?"

Li Chimei slowly said, "Demon Master, I'm going to find Red Sun and the Flower Fairy to join forces in attacking the Three Highs Mansion."

"No need! Hongri and the old man have important matters to attend to in the Western Regions; there's no need to disturb them."

Pang Ban shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly looked up at Fang Yeyu: "Yeyu, you just asked me how to instruct Li Ruohai, right?"

Fang Yeyu bowed and replied, "Yes, teacher."

Pang Ban laughed heartily, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said, "How can you guard against a thief for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days? It's not advisable to spread our forces and launch a pincer attack! The only way to satisfy my needs is to concentrate our efforts on striking Li Ruohai and defeating him and Ren Shaoyang in one battle!"

He looked at Fang Yeyu and instructed, "Yeyu, lay a tight net, full of dangers, and make sure to kill Li Ruohai. If he can break through the encirclement, I will go and test my skills against Li Ruohai's 'Wildfire Hundred Strikes'." Pang Ban's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said, "As for Ren Shaoyang, he's cold on the outside but warm on the inside. I'll see how long he holds back before making his move!"

Li Chimei slowly stood up and said, "Master, I will go to the San Gao residence to keep Ren Hongxiu and Li Ding'an in check."

Pang Ban smiled and nodded, saying, "Brother Li's move is exactly what I wanted." As he spoke, he looked at the green leaf in his hand, and his expression slowly became serious.
-
Three-high residences.

Ding'an hummed a song, rolled up his trousers, and dug a pond in the yard, releasing some fish fry into it.

A woman in red sleeves, wearing a flower wreath, sat by the pond, washing her bare, snow-white feet.

Seeing Ding'an still bent over, the little beggar's big eyes darted around, and he kicked up a handful of water with a mischievous grin: "Haha, drink my foot bath water!"

Ding An was caught off guard and was drenched in tea. He cried out and covered his head to avoid it, but he was still soaked by the splashed tea.

He jumped up and shouted, "Little beggar, you've gone too far!" With that, he spun his prosthetic arm like a fan and placed it in the water, creating wave after wave of ripples.

The little beggar was also drenched, and in a fit of rage, he glared at Ding An with eyes that could kill. Without a second thought, he jumped into the pond and started splashing water at him.

In an instant, chickens and dogs scattered across the pond, and two drenched chickens were immediately spotted.

The young Taoist priest, watching them from a distance, rubbed his aching back and muttered, "My goodness! He can open up a fishpond in just one morning, and Ding'an still has the energy to play around with Hongxiu. He's really like a donkey!"

Inside the pavilion, Xi Yingzhen sipped his wine and smoked his pipe, glancing at the chess score before placing his pieces, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The peach blossoms in the courtyard are delightful, filling the garden with fragrance. The weeping willows are lush and green, their branches intertwining like waves of green, rustling softly.

After listening to the words of the half-Daoist, Xi Yingzhen said indifferently, "You little fatso, you only woke up when the sun was high in the sky. What? Are you envious of Ding'an's vitality?"

The young Taoist scratched his head and chuckled, "Haha, I'm over forty, of course I'm envious!"

They chatted and laughed as they sat next to Xi Yingzhen. Han Bai, whose face was somewhat pale, stared intently at the back of the girl in blood-stained clothes, his eyes filled with adoration.

At this moment, Han Bai was dressed in a black robe, his face was full of sorrow. Although he was not handsome, his big, bright eyes were full of intelligence.

Xi Yingzhen looked at him and said, "Young man, you've turned misfortune into blessing. Not only do you possess the essence of Chi Zunxin within you, but you've also mastered the *Shenzhao Jing*." He glanced at the longsword at his waist and smiled. "Ding'an forged a magnificent longsword for you, and Shaoyang taught you the 'Sword Leopard' technique." "You can now be said to possess the teachings of several renowned masters, transforming from a servant of the Han family into a young hero of the martial world!"

After hearing this, Han Bai smiled wryly and said, "Elder Xi, I'm still in a daze! Yesterday I was waiting to die in prison, and today I suddenly possess multiple divine skills. The change is so drastic, I... I don't know what to do!"

"What should we do?" Xi Yingzhen smiled slightly. "Just remember four words."

Han Bai quickly replied, "Please speak, Elder Xi."

"A hidden dragon should not be used."

"Hidden dragon, do not act?" Han Bai was puzzled. "What does that mean?"

“Oh dear, Xiao Bai’s downfall is due to his lack of knowledge,” Hongxiu’s voice came. “This sentence comes from the Qian hexagram in the I Ching. It means that although you are currently in a good position, you are still weak and need to be careful and cautious, and not be too frivolous or stand out.”

Xi Yingzhen stroked his beard and smiled, "That's exactly what I meant."

Han Baiyang was taken aback and said, "Sister Hongxiu, do you mean I still need to play dumb to fool others?"

“Yes!” Hongxiu walked into the pavilion and sat down. She poured herself a cup of tea, drank it, and said, “When you integrate the essence in your body and master the ‘Sword Leopard,’ that will be your time to make great strides.”

"Thank you very much, Master Xi, and thank you very much, Sister Hongxiu, for your guidance!" Han Bai said excitedly.

"Hey! Why thank me?" Hongxiu waved her hand. "It was all Grandpa's advice that you were given. I was just translating it."

Xi Yingzhen said calmly, "Without your translation, the silly boy probably wouldn't understand."

Han Bai scratched his head, chuckled somewhat sheepishly, then thought for a moment and asked, "Sister Hongxiu, I... I'd like to go back to the Han residence, is that alright?"

“Sure!” Hongxiu said casually. “You’ve suffered this injustice, so of course you have to get revenge yourself.”

Han Bai whispered, "I... I just don't understand why the young master and the others wanted to harm me."

"You're just a servant, what difference does it make if you die?"

"Is it really that simple?" Han Bai's heart sank.

“No!” Hongxiu shook her head and said, “In their eyes, you’re not even human.”

"Huh?" Han Bai's heart sank. "Am I not even considered a human being?"

Hongxiu chuckled, patted his shoulder, and said, "So now, you have our Sangao Mansion as your backing, so investigate the truth thoroughly." She paused, then added, "And come back quickly. Things haven't been peaceful around Wuchang Prefecture lately, so don't get involved."

"Ok!"

Han Bai didn't understand, but he would definitely listen to Sister Hongxiu.

Just then, Ren Shaoyang strode out of the kitchen carrying a large plate of steamed crabs and called out, "Come and eat crabs!"

"Oh dear!" Hongxiu, abandoning her mature and composed demeanor, jumped up and shouted, "Crab!"

Upon hearing this, everyone put down what they were holding and quickly went to sit down at the dining table.

The Taoist priest rubbed his hands together and laughed, "These crabs have to be eaten hot; they become very fishy when they're cold."

Ding An laughed heartily: "Don't worry, I'll just heat it up once it gets cold!"

Everyone laughed and buried their heads in their crabs.

Xi Yingzhen laughed and said, "Shaoyang can catch anything except fish."

“Yes, yes!” the little beggar said with a grin, “We can catch such big crabs in early summer.”

Ren Shaoyang's face darkened, and he said angrily, "The fish are avoiding me and are all rushing straight into Uncle Qin and Uncle Wang's fish baskets. What can I do?"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

After laughing, the little Taoist looked at the fat crab in his hand with some curiosity: "That's strange. Shouldn't crabs from Wuchang Prefecture be fattest in September and October?"

Xi Yingzhen said, "The world is full of wonders. Taohuadian is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a pleasant climate and suitable water temperature in the streams and pools, where fish and shrimp swim abundantly, thus allowing for the raising of plump crabs in summer."

At this moment, Ren Shaoyang watched as the little beggar ate crab shells all over the table and laughed, "If a real gourmet saw you eating like this, he would probably roll his eyes."

Hongxiu was stunned and asked in surprise, "Is there anything wrong with eating it like this?"

Ren Shaoyang chuckled: "Our ancestors really studied food thoroughly; they could even eat crabs in an elegant way."

Xi Yingzhen nodded and said, "That's right. Indeed, some people have studied how to eat crabs without breaking the shell and still get all the meat."

Upon hearing this, the little beggar immediately became interested and asked, "Grandpa, cripple, is it true?"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "I've heard of it."

The little beggar didn't believe him: "I'll believe you if you can do it!"

Everyone put down the crabs they were holding and watched him do it.

Ren Shaoyang knew that to eat crab in this way, he would need a complete set of delicate tools. The crab's entire body was encased in a hard shell, and it was not easy to eat all the crab meat without breaking the shell using only his hands.

However, Ren Shaoyang had the Divine Spider Sword in his hand. Although he had no other tools, the sword silk was in no way inferior to any tool, and in fact, it was even more effective.

He secretly channeled his divine power, using gentle force to protect the crab shell, then slowly injected the Divine Spider Sword into the cracks of the shell, rolling up the snow-white crab meat, and finally, as if by magic, pulled it out from the cracks of the shell.

Everyone stared in disbelief; they had never seen such a precise, surgical-like procedure before.
Ren Shaoyang laughed heartily and stuffed a plate of crab meat into the little beggar's wide-open mouth.

Xi Yingzhen shook his head and laughed, "Although it was cheating, the technique was amazing, we should have a big toast!"

"Yes, yes!" Hongxiu's mouth was full of crab meat, so her speech was a little slurred. She raised her cup and laughed, "Drink up!"

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, welcoming the arrival of summer.

(End of this chapter)