Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 147 Whose Butt, Whose Face?

Upon hearing Elder Xi's words, the beggars all spoke up, eager to know what Jiang Mingzhe and Qiao Feng had discussed.

Qiao Feng glanced at Jiang Mingzhe and said proudly, "Today, my second brother and I were drinking at Songhelou when a disciple from the Dayi Branch came to report that the Xixia Yipintang had made an appointment with us. My second brother immediately said that the elites of the Beggars' Clan are all in Jiangnan. If he dares to confront them directly, he must have something to rely on. Most likely, it's some kind of powerful poison."

Upon hearing this, the beggars were amazed. Bai Shijing praised, "Young Master Jiang anticipated the enemy's move, truly a general's talent. The disciples of the Daxin branch also risked their lives to discover that the enemy intended to use poison gas."

Lü Zhang said, "Alas, even though we know he intends to use poison gas, it's still difficult to guard against. The letter already stated that the poison gas has no odor. If it also has no color, or is extremely pale, are we supposed to keep our noses blocked and not breathe?"

Upon hearing this, the beggars frowned and began to discuss amongst themselves.

Qiao Feng frowned deeply, pondered for a moment, and asked Jiang Mingzhe, "Second brother, you are an expert in poisons, do you have any countermeasures against poison gas?"

Jiang Mingzhe laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just tear off strips of cloth, fold them up a couple more times, pour some wine or urine on them, and wrap them tightly around your mouth and nose. When you breathe, the poison in the gas will naturally be absorbed by the wet cloth, making it difficult to harm you."

Qiao Feng exclaimed happily, "Did everyone hear that? Chief Jiang, send some disciples to prepare plenty of wine and water. Everyone should soak strips of cloth in advance, and as soon as they see the enemy, they should cover their mouths and noses, and then beat their mothers to a pulp!"

It was rare for Qiao Feng to utter a vulgar word, and the beggars burst into laughter upon hearing it, shouting, "We obey our leader's orders! Let's beat his grandma!"

By this time, the sky had turned completely dark. Lü Zhang ordered his men to light bonfires, one here and one there, filling the forest with blazing flames.

Seeing that his elder brothers had devised a plan to meet the enemy, Duan Yu, feeling bored, went to Abi's place, took out an oil paper package from his pocket, and said, "Miss Abi, and Miss Azhu, are you hungry? This beef pie smells delicious, have some to fill your stomachs."

A'Zhu teased, "Oh, so what do you mean by 'and there's also Miss A'Zhu'? So Miss A'Zhu is just an extra, isn't she?"

Abi blushed and nudged Azhu. Azhu giggled and took the oil paper package, asking Duan Yu, "Young Master Duan, these are my Third Brother Bao and Fourth Brother Feng. May I offer them some meat pies too?"

Duan Yu quickly replied, "Of course, I'm glad you don't mind, Third Brother Bao and Fourth Brother Feng."

Bao Butong said smugly, "Not at all, not at all. It's so late and we haven't eaten yet. Who would complain about a delicious beef pie? But even if we don't complain, it's still not appropriate. First, you can't call Brother Bao the Third and Brother Feng the Fourth. Second, both Mr. Bao the Third and Mr. Feng the Fourth had their arms broken by your Second Brother. How can they eat with broken arms?"

Duan Yu had a very good temper, and he wasn't angry at Bao Butong's high-handed attitude. He smiled and said, "Not at all. People eat with their mouths, and their hands are just for taking food. Even if they are broken, it won't affect eating. I'll just tear the cake in half and feed you."

Bao Butong shook his head and said, "No, no, how can a broken arm not affect eating? Although you say you can use your hand, firstly, your hand is not as convenient as my own. Secondly, how will Mr. Bao know if you have urinated or picked your nose just now? Therefore, it is very inappropriate to use your hand unless you are willing to wash it properly ten times. Otherwise, why would Mr. Bao be willing to eat the food from your hand?"

Duan Yu said, "No, no, firstly, I..."

Abi stamped her foot and said, "Alright, alright, you've gone on and on. The meat pies are getting cold. Brother Bao, Brother Feng, Azhu and I will feed you the pies. You won't mind, will you?"

After saying that, he took the greasy meat pie, tore it open, and handed it to Bao Butong.

Duan Yu looked at Abi's fingers, which were as smooth as spring onions and glossy because of the oil stains. He wished that it was him who had lost his hand.

Bao Butong frowned and squinted, thinking to himself, "No, no, I'm afraid this kid surnamed Duan will urinate and pick his nose. Do you think girls don't urinate or pick their noses?"

Knowing that saying this would surely cause Abi to burst into tears, he forcibly held back his words. Just then, the sound of horses' hooves sounded again, and Elder Xu, who had just woken up, exclaimed, "It must be Madam Ma..."

Before the words were finished, two horses had already galloped up to them, carrying two passengers, one big and one small. The small one was a tiny old man as big as a weight, and the large one was an old woman as big as an iron tower.

Qiao Feng quickly clasped his hands in greeting and said loudly, "The Tan family of Chongxiao Cave in Taihang Mountain has arrived. I am sorry that I was unable to greet them from afar!"

Granny Tan laughed heartily: "Hehehe, you didn't know we were coming. What's with the welcoming ceremony? Chief Qiao, you're a capable and efficient man. Don't learn these formalities."

Qiao Feng smiled and said, "Senior Granny Tan's advice is correct. Qiao Feng has learned a lot."

Seeing how respectful he was to her and her husband, Granny Tan became even happier: "Hehehe, when Old Wang wanted to choose you as the leader, I said he had made the right choice. With you as the leader, the Beggars' Clan can prosper for decades to come!"

With a quick glance, he noticed that Elder Xu had blood at the corner of his mouth and his face was ashen. He immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Elder Xu, what happened to you? You look like you've vomited blood. Did you eat too much dog meat and get a sore throat? Let me have Master Tan take a look at you."

Master Tan was quite skilled in medicine, and his concocted medicines for injuries were famous throughout the martial arts world, hence the saying about Master Tan.

Jiang Mingzhe laughed and said, "Senior Tan can treat illnesses? That's wonderful! I told you that Elder Xu was suffering from kidney deficiency due to excessive indulgence and had taken too many potent drugs, but no one believed me. Let Senior Tan take his pulse."

Granny Tan was greatly surprised and shook her head repeatedly: "You're talking nonsense, aren't you, young man? Elder Xu is almost ninety years old. How could some kind of potent medicine be effective? I don't believe it. Master Tan, you should go and take a look. If what this young man says is true, you should ask Elder Xu about the formula for that medicine!"

As soon as he said that, all the beggars couldn't help but laugh. Elder Xu kept his mouth tightly shut, his breath rising and falling in anger, as if he was about to vomit blood again.

Tan Gong angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting? What kind of words do you just blurt out?"

Granny Tan was always straightforward and outspoken, often acting before she thought. When she saw Uncle Tan scolding her in public, she immediately retorted angrily, "Are you yelling at me? Are you trying to rebel?"

He immediately slapped Tan Gong across the face. Tan Gong didn't move an inch and took the blow head-on. His face visibly swelled up. He then pulled out a small box from his pocket, opened it, and applied some of the smear to his face. The swelling quickly subsided.

Seeing the medicine's miraculous effects, Jiang Mingzhe was immediately tempted: "What a wonderful thing! If I can get the formula, I can go back to the modern world, produce it, and sell it to those who make short dramas. How could I not become incredibly wealthy?"
Then Tan Gong said, "Are you done fighting? I'll speak now that you're done. Humph, we're both old, asking people for the formula for a potent medicine in front of so many people, what kind of talk is that? If these young people hear that, they'll think I, Tan Gong, can't concoct it."

Granny Tan then realized something was amiss, exclaimed "Oh dear!" and quickly shook her head, saying, "Don't think nonsense. We don't want his prescription for ourselves. I think that if it can still be effective for someone of this age, then the prescription's ability to tonify Yang energy is evident. With a little adjustment, it wouldn't be difficult to make a miraculous medicine that can prolong the life of the seriously injured."

The crowd, who had been laughing heartily, were all moved by these words. They thought that if the medicine could really be made, they would be willing to swallow their pride and ask the couple for a dose. Wouldn't that save their lives?

So everyone couldn't help but look at Elder Xu. "A single flower does not make a spring, but a garden full of flowers makes a spring." You must understand this principle, Elder Xu. Quickly hand over the prescription!

Just then, the sound of hooves could be heard, and a small donkey came along at a leisurely pace. On the donkey's back sat a thin, small person. As it approached, Granny Tan laughed and said, "Brother, you always like to pull these silly tricks."

He raised his hand and slapped the man's buttocks. The man somersaulted to the ground, his muscles stretched out, revealing him to be a tall and large man. Tan Gong snorted angrily and said, "Hmph, you hit my face when you hit me, but you only have the heart to hit his buttocks. Is my face the same as his buttocks?"

(End of this chapter)