Martial Arts Universe: With a single command, 100,000 iron cavalry will sweep across the martial wor

Madam Wang smiled:

"I'm hardly cut out for martial arts; I'm only at the eighth level of the Innate Realm. But I have a collection of martial arts manuals here. If you can practice them, you'll save yourself the trouble of searching everywhere."

Su Qingfeng was somewhat surprised: "I didn't expect Aunt Li to be not only beautiful, but also so skilled in martial arts."

When Madam Wang heard him praise her beauty, her face flushed slightly.

"What's so beautiful about her? She's an old woman now."

She suddenly remembered Su Qingfeng's childhood joke that he would marry her when he grew up, and her ears burned even hotter. She was too embarrassed to look at Su Qingfeng for a moment.

Seeing her blush like that, Su Qingfeng wondered to himself: Has no one ever praised her before?

"How could you be old? If we walked together, people would definitely think you were my older sister."

"Alright, you naughty boy, stop teasing Aunt Li."

Meanwhile, Su Yan had determined that the assassination was unrelated to A Zhu and A Bi. After interrogating the assassin, the guards presented their confessions:

It turns out that the assassin was able to find Su Qingfeng because he bribed a former steward of the city lord's mansion. The steward drew up the layout of the mansion, which allowed him to infiltrate.

Su Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "Someone, quickly release Azhu and Abi, and call them over."

"Yes, Princess."

Her eyes darted around, and she said to Jingni with a grin:

"Mother, I'm going out to play! Please tell Father about what the guard reported earlier."

Jingni glared at her:

"Go, but don't leave the city, or your father will not forgive you."

Su Yan waved her little fist:

"Okay, I know, I'm not afraid of him at all!"

Jingni shook her head, but felt a little gratified—Su Yan was now lively and cheerful, no longer as melancholy as she had been when she was on the run.

She recalled how Su Qingfeng had often lingered outside her house a few days ago, and she understood what the young man was thinking.

Jing Ni was surprised that Su Qingfeng only circled outside the door before leaving without entering her room. She found it somewhat amusing, thinking that Su Qingfeng was probably afraid of being kicked out by her; she never expected him to be so timid.

In Suzhou, at the Songhe Tower.

Songhelou is exceptionally bustling these days. Since Suzhou abolished various exorbitant taxes, the number of people coming and going has increased dramatically. In addition, the Northern Beggars' Sect is about to hold its general meeting outside the city, attracting many martial arts practitioners to Suzhou as well.

"Miss Wang, please sit here. What would you like to eat? I'll order for you."

"Young Master Duan, we have arrived in Suzhou. We won't trouble you any further. I have an older brother in the city, and I will go to find him later."

Duan Yu was overjoyed. Although he had been brought to the Song Dynasty by Kumārajīva, he was delighted to see that the woman before him looked remarkably similar to the stone statue he had seen before.

Wang Yuyan felt a pang of helplessness. This young master clearly had feelings for her, but she had no intention of reciprocating. Her purpose in coming here was to find her brother, whom she had never met, and she didn't want to be trapped in Mandala Manor any longer. She just didn't know if her mother would send someone to capture her and take her back.

At this moment, Songhelou was bustling with noise as many people discussed the upcoming martial arts rankings.

"I heard that Bai Xiaosheng's new martial arts rankings are coming out soon. I wonder what lists will be included this time?"

"It's probably just the Martial Arts Supreme Ranking, Sect Ranking, Prodigy Ranking, Beauty Ranking, and Young Master Ranking, right? Or maybe there are others?"

"I'm really looking forward to the beauty list. I wonder which beauties will be on it this time."

"In our Great Song Dynasty, Huang Rong, daughter of the Eastern Heretic, Xiaolongnu of the Ancient Tomb Sect, and Wang Yuyan of the Mandala Manor will definitely be on the list."

"The Ming Dynasty also had quite a few, such as Wuqing from the Four Great Constables, Lin Shiyin, Li Xunhuan's cousin, and Zhou Zhiruo from the Emei Sect, all of whom are famous actresses in recent years."

"There's no point in guessing now; we'll know for sure when the list comes out in a few days. But I doubt Nan Murong will make it onto the Prodigy Ranking this time, right?"

"Hmph, it's hard to say whether that Xianbei Murong Fu can even save his life."

"Yes, I never expected that he was a descendant of the Xianbei. He even wanted to seize Suzhou City before."

"Fortunately, Lord Wu Xiang has eliminated his power, and now he is nothing more than a lonely fugitive."

"Lord Wu Xiang is indeed a good man. Now the people no longer have to pay so many exorbitant taxes and levies. The people of Gusu City are truly blessed. The city is much more lively than before, and it will surely prosper even more in the future."

"Yes, our whole family has moved to Suzhou. We'll settle down here from now on."

Wang Yuyan was overjoyed to hear these words in the restaurant. She knew that the city lord of Gusu was her brother, whom she had never met, and that she had come to seek refuge with him.

Her mother often mentioned this older brother. She had read Su Qingfeng's letters when she was little, but they lost contact for some reason afterward. The last time her mother went out was for this older brother, and Wang Yuyan had secretly run away to find him this time as well.

Upon hearing this, Duan Yu asked Wang Yuyan, "Miss Wang, is the Lord Wu Xiang they're talking about the city lord here?"

"Yes, that's right," Wang Yuyan replied happily. She hadn't expected Su Qingfeng to be so beloved by the people; it seemed this brother was very kind-hearted.

Duan Yu pondered, "This Lord Wu Xiang seems to be no ordinary man. The army we saw when we entered the city was extremely powerful. I wonder how he trained them. He must be a seasoned and experienced general."

Upon entering the city, Duan Yu noticed that the soldiers guarding the city were exceptionally elite, even surpassing the most elite troops in Dali, which aroused his curiosity about Wu Xiangjun.

"Perhaps." Wang Yuyan glanced at Duan Yu but didn't say anything more.

She didn't tell Duan Yu that the city lord of Gusu was actually just a twenty-year-old young man. After all, she wasn't familiar with Duan Yu, whom she had met on the road, and she could sense that he had ulterior motives towards her.

At this moment, a burly man walked into the restaurant and shouted loudly:

"Waiter, bring me a jar of your best wine!"

The waiter stepped forward, surprised, and asked, "Sir, you want a jar of your best wine? The best wine in Suzhou is Wuliangye, but it's very strong. Are you sure you want a jar?"

The burly man said nonchalantly, "Go ahead! What kind of wine haven't I drunk? One jar isn't enough to satisfy my craving."

Suddenly, a little girl walked in from outside and said to the big man:

"Uncle, don't make such a big promise. If you can really drink a whole jar of Wuliangye, I'll treat you to this meal."

Su Yan, accompanied by A Zhu and A Bi, had just entered Songhelou when she overheard the burly man's words. She knew this wine was brewed by her father himself and was much stronger than ordinary wine. Her father had said that an ordinary person would get drunk after drinking just one or two bowls.

The burly man sized up the exquisitely dressed young girl and chuckled, "Little girl, you said it yourself, so don't go back on your word later."

Su Yan patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I always keep my word. I can still afford to treat you to a meal."

Hearing someone making a bet nearby, Wang Yuyan turned around and unexpectedly saw Azhu and Abi. They seemed to be the little girl's maids now, which delighted Wang Yuyan—it turned out that the army hadn't killed them back then.

Seeing that Wang Yuyan kept staring at the little girl, Duan Yu asked, "Miss Wang, do you know those people?"

Wang Yuyan quickly shook her head, "I don't know her, I just think that little girl is quite cute."

She did not want to acknowledge Azhu and Abi at this moment. Wang Yuyan knew that her brother, whom she had never met, was an enemy of Murong Fu, and she did not want Murong Fu to discover her whereabouts.

Duan Yu looked at the burly man over there, stood up and said, "I'll go take a look. This brother seems very generous; I'd like to make his acquaintance."

"Go ahead, I'll stay here and have some tea."

Wang Yuyan couldn't wait for Duan Yu to leave. He had been incredibly annoying the whole way, and she had long wanted to get rid of this clingy pest.

Duan Yu walked up to the burly man, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother, I am Duan Yu. I have come to make your acquaintance because I see that you have an extraordinary bearing."

The burly man sized up Duan Yu, then laughed loudly, "Haha, little brother, come, sit down! I love making friends too."

After Duan Yu sat down, he asked, "Thank you, brother. May I ask your honorable name?"

"My name is Qiao Feng."

The burly man looked at Duan Yu and replied with a smile.

Duan Yu stood up in surprise: "Qiao Feng? You're Qiao Feng, the leader of the Northern Beggars' Clan?"

"Indeed. I didn't expect Brother Duan to have heard of me."

Su Yan was displeased to see Duan Yu suddenly appear. She was waiting to see this big man get drunk, but this rude fellow ruined her plans.

However, she was somewhat surprised to learn that this burly man was actually Qiao Feng, the leader of the Northern Beggars' Clan. She had heard of Qiao Feng before, but she never expected him to be such a rugged man.

Su Yan said to Duan Yu unhappily:

"Hey, are you done getting to know him? If you are, hurry up and leave. I still have a bet to make with this old man!"

Duan Yu paid no attention to the little girl, only saying:

"Little sister, you should go home. This is not a place for you."

Since Duan Yu knew that the person in front of him was Qiao Feng from the North, he naturally wanted to befriend him.

Su Yan was furious when Duan Yu called her "little sister"...

"Who gave you permission to call me 'little sister'? Are we that close? Anyone can come and go in this restaurant, why are you kicking me out? Interrupting and disturbing others like that is incredibly rude!"

Hearing the girl's unfriendly tone, Duan Yu also put on a stern face and said:

"Young lady, I have something to discuss with this gentleman. You should go home."

Seeing the little girl puffing up her cheeks, Qiao Feng laughed instead:

"It's alright, young man, please feel free to sit down. Let's continue our bet."

Su Yan, however, did not let Duan Yu off the hook, his words laced with sarcasm:

"Are some people just here to freeload because they can't afford food?"

Duan Yu blushed instantly—he was indeed penniless. Having been kidnapped by Kumārajīva, how could he have brought any money? If it weren't for Wang Yuyan carrying the money, he would probably have been homeless.

Seeing his expression change drastically, Su Yan smiled even more brightly:

"Looks like I guessed right. You're really something else. You'd better get out of here, I just can't stand the sight of you."

Seeing that Qiao Feng was also looking at him, Duan Yu hurriedly introduced himself:

"I am Duan Yu, the Prince of Dali! I simply didn't bring any money with me this time."

Su Yan snorted dismissively:

"You're the Crown Prince of Dali? I'm a Princess of the Song Dynasty! Little Dali is probably not even as big as Suzhou, is it?"

She didn't care whether this person was the heir apparent or not, and even if he were, she wouldn't be afraid. Now, as a princess of the Song Dynasty, with her father stationed in Suzhou and his military strength surpassing that of Dali, and her mother being a Grandmaster-level expert—what did Su Yan have to fear?

Duan Yu stood up in anger:

"Nonsense! Dali is much bigger than Suzhou; how can your Suzhou compare!"

Su Yan sat there and sneered:

"Who would believe that? Dali is just one city, Dali City. The rest of the cities are in the hands of the Bai people. Is your Dali City as prosperous as Suzhou? Does it have as many people as Suzhou?"

She looked at Duan Yu's furious expression with complete indifference. Su Yan was very knowledgeable about the surrounding countries, and her father, Su Qingfeng, had told her many secrets about them; she knew them all too well.

Qiao Feng was secretly amazed: this young girl was so familiar with the affairs of Dali. He couldn't help but wonder whose daughter she was; she must come from an extraordinary family.

Azhu and Abi secretly chuckled when they saw the little princess blushing as she spoke to the Prince of Dali. They had long known that the little princess was exceptionally intelligent, and it was truly astonishing that at only six years old, she had already begun to manage the affairs of the Wu Xiangjun's residence.

Duan Yu hurriedly retorted:

"My mother is a Bai person; Dali and the Bai people are originally one family!"

"You make it sound so convincing. This is none of your business, Prince of Dali, please leave."

Duan Yu felt a burning sensation on his face; he had utterly lost face.

"Young lady, I am the Crown Prince of Dali. As long as I go to Lord Wu Xiang's residence, he will surely treat me well. I can easily borrow the money for this meal from him."

Upon hearing this, Su Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Ha, I don't believe you can borrow money from Lord Wu Xiang."

She couldn't believe that Duan Yu, in his desperation, would think of borrowing money from her house; she found it all rather amusing. If she had asked, Duan Yu probably wouldn't have even been able to get through the gates of Wu Xiangjun's residence.

Duan Yu, somewhat losing his temper, threatened, "You...you little girl, are you trying to offend the Crown Prince of Dali?"

Su Yan replied nonchalantly, "So what if I offended you? Do you dare kill me now?"