Underworld entries, starting with ghost stories.

Chapter 89 Each Has Its Own Strengths in the Competition

Wu Qing, along with the three women, found a protruding rock where the firelight was unlikely to be spotted, and started a campfire under the rock to grill fish.

Dou Xianniang carried spices in her purse, but not the kind of spices used to scent women's clothes; rather, spices used for grilling, such as Sichuan peppercorns.

This makes even eating grilled fish in the wild taste somewhat delicious to them.

These days, this spice is actually quite valuable.

Since the night before last, he had been chased by Luo Cheng and hadn't had much rest.

As a result, the three beauties still needed to find a place to wash up first.

Wu Qing was also helpless against them.

Fortunately, they finally found a small waterfall. The three women soaked under the waterfall while he, who knew no martial arts, watched from the outside.

Wu Qing sat on the grass, his left leg raised, his left hand supporting his knee, and his right hand holding a skewer of grilled fish.

My stomach is full, but I still want to eat something.

He ate the fish while thinking.

The biggest gain from this trip was finding Xiaobai.

The only thing that could influence the course of history was luring away Luo Cheng, who was heading to Jinan Prefecture.

Of course, thanks to those Maitreya followers, the infection rate increased significantly.

The upcoming upgrade is a good thing.

Without Luo Cheng, would the gathering of heroes in Jinan Prefecture and the subsequent rebellion in Shandong have never happened?

He felt that this wouldn't have a significant impact.

Because whether it's the gathering of heroes or the rebellion against Shandong, the key point is not Luo Cheng, nor even Shan Xiongxin who fired the Green Forest Arrow, nor even the seemingly protagonist hero Qin Qiong.

Instead, he became the future greatest strategist of the Tang Dynasty—Xu Maogong!

From the other side of the waterfall, the voices of three women, sweet and melodious, could be heard.

It seems they get along quite well.

Wu Qing looked up at the stars in the sky. The moon was bright and the stars were few.

After a long time, the three women finally came from the direction of the waterfall.

Wu Qing looked over.

Luo Zhuluan put on Miss Dou's fitted outer garment.

Luo Zhuluan was slender, and the outer garment worn by the young lady was too big for her, especially at the chest.

However, because of this, the double-breasted garment was wrapped around her waist and tied with a sash, making it suitable for wearing as a deep robe, which also concealed her delicate body, leaving only her crystal-clear and beautiful jade feet exposed.

Miss Dou put his fur coat on him instead.

She was tall and had a full bust, and his large fur coat fit her perfectly.

As for Shan Ailian, she was still wearing a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her wet hair hanging down her back.

She was petite and delicate, and wearing a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) made her charming figure stand out even more, making her not only cute but also beautiful.

Adding a pretty short-sleeved jacket over it creates a unique and charming look.

Overall, all three women were beautiful.

Yet they each possess distinct styles and characteristics, their beauty is exceptional, truly a riot of color and breathtaking beauty.

"Let's rest first!" Wu Qing had already collected fallen leaves and laid out several soft mats.

These days, when you're living away from home, you can't be too particular about things.

Dou Xianniang said, "You all rest first, I'll keep watch for you. Come back and relieve me in an hour."

Wu Qing then lay down on a straw mat nearby.

To everyone's surprise, Luo Zhuluan and Shan Ailian also fell asleep, one on his left and the other on his right.

Dou Xianniang gripped the Azure Dragon Halberd, staring intently at him.

Wu Qing sat up, looked to his left, and then to his right.

Then she looked at the young lady with a pitiful expression—"They came here on their own, I couldn't help it."

They rested there for most of the night, and at dawn the next day, they ate some grilled fish.

"Brother Qing, where should we go now?" Shan Ailian stretched in the sunlight.

Dou Xianniang and Luo Zhuluan also looked at him, waiting for his opinion.

Wu Qing laughed and said, "Let's go to Henan!" After half a night, he had made up his mind.

Dou Xianniang was somewhat puzzled: "Go to Henan? Either go back to Yanyin Mountain, or continue to Jinan. What are we going to do in Henan?"

Shan Ailian seemed thoughtful: "Our Erxianzhuang has moved to Henan, although I haven't been back yet."

Wu Qing said, "Let's go to Henan first and wait for the right opportunity."

Regardless of the circumstances, Wagangzhai is located in Henan.

Although I missed the opportunity to join the Jinan Prefecture gathering, there is still the Shan Xiongxin line.

Moreover, he had already sworn brotherhood with Cheng Yaojin, who was about to become a notorious troublemaker.

He laughed and said, "If Luo Cheng can't find us, he'll be waiting on our way to Jinan, so going to Henan is the safest option."

Dou Xianniang had no objections: "Okay!"

**

Jialiu Inn, outside the city gate of Jinan.

The shop was owned by Jia Guifu and Liu Zhouchen, and the shop was named after their surnames, hence the name Jia Liu Shop.

The two men were very close to the hero Qin Qiong.

Knowing that heroes from all walks of life were coming to celebrate his mother's birthday, Qin Qiong booked five large halls here to entertain them.

Besides Wei Zheng, the abbot of Qingyou Temple, and Xu Maogong, a well-known fortune teller in the martial arts world, the visitors were also present.

There were also military generals whom Qin Qiong befriended in the army, such as Zhang Gongjin, Shi Danai, Yuchi Nan, Yuchi Bei, Qutu Tong, and Qutu Gai.

And other outlaw heroes such as Shan Xiongxin, Wang Bodang, Li Rugui, Qi Guoyuan, You Junda, and Xie Yingdeng.

In addition, there were Lu Mingxing and Lu Mingyue, who did business at sea. These two were not familiar with most of the others, and only befriended Qin Qiong.

Then there was Chai Shao, who came on behalf of Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, because Qin Qiong had once saved Li Yuan and his family's lives.

However, there was one person among them who was neither a skilled soldier nor on Shan Xiongxin's widely distributed bandit recruitment list.

This person was Cheng Yaojin.

After receiving the Green Forest Arrow, You Junda left Cheng Yaojin to guard the house while he went to the meeting.

Cheng Yaojin, however, insisted on coming. You Junda laughed, "Everyone at this gathering knows each other. You don't know them, and they didn't invite you. What are you going to do?"

Cheng Yaojin said, "Tell me first who that person is?"

You Junda said, "That man is the number one hero in Shandong. There are few in the martial arts world who do not know him. He is known as Little Mengchang and also as the rival of Zhuan Zhu. His surname is Qin and his given name is Shubao."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yaojin burst into laughter and said, "Then I absolutely must go! You don't know, I'm not only familiar with him, but I'm also his benefactor."

You Junda said irritably, "But you're being strange again. He's a well-established hero in the martial arts world, while you've only just entered this circle. How can you be his benefactor?"

Cheng Yaojin laughed and said, "His father was originally a general under Emperor Chen Houzhu, but he was killed by Yang Lin. When he and his mother were fleeing, my family took pity on them and took them in for several years. Although we never saw each other again after that, how can I not be his benefactor?"

Upon hearing this, You Junda brought him along as well.

Once everyone had gathered, Qin Qiong came over and greeted each person.

When he encountered Cheng Yaojin, since he didn't recognize him, he simply bowed and didn't say anything before greeting the others.

After Qin Qiong had gone far away, You Junda quietly pulled Cheng Yaojin aside and whispered, "You said you've known him since childhood, but he doesn't even recognize you."

"You claim to be someone's benefactor? If you're trying to trick me into bringing you here, don't tell me such lies."

Cheng Yaojin blushed instantly. When he saw Qin Qiong looking in his direction again, he glanced at him but quickly moved on to chatting and laughing with others.

He immediately leaped over, grabbed Qin Qiong by the collar, and roared, "Hey! You blind, snobbish scoundrel, why are you ignoring me?"

There were countless heroes and warriors on the field, but they were surprised to see this rough fellow daring to grab Qin Qiong, while Qin Qiong stared at him, clearly not recognizing him.

They all rolled up their sleeves, ready to rush up and beat up the brute who had ruined the celebration.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xu Maogong was quite puzzled to see an unexpected person appear on the field, someone he didn't recognize and whose origins he didn't know.

He thought to himself, "No matter how you look at it, this reckless fellow wouldn't last more than three days in the martial arts world. How could he be here?"

So he hid his hand in his sleeve and secretly did some calculations with his fingers.

Xin Xi said, "So he is the lucky star by the side of the future true emperor. Not only is he blessed with good fortune, but he will also have great military luck. He will surely become a duke and live to be over a hundred years old."

"Of all those present, he was the longest-lived. The true emperor could have many men by his side, but he was the least likely to be one of them."

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