Jianghu Qimen Lu

Xiang Quan understood the hidden meaning in Gui Jian's words and, fearing that Bai Shandian might lose his temper and ruin everything, quickly scolded, "Don't give me any high-sounding reasons! Just treat your third uncle well from now on! He's so old now, how many more years can he live? You all need to think about it carefully. If you let him die with resentment, what will your parents think when they tell them? Don't think I'm joking; we're all human, even if our parents are dead, our uncle is still our elder!" The Shi brothers were deeply moved by Bai Shandian and his wife's earnest advice. They knelt down together, tears streaming down their faces, saying, "Thank you both for your kindness! If we don't repent and start anew, what difference is there between us and beasts!" Bai Shandian and Xiang Quan exchanged a knowing smile.

Just then, Shi Yanshi suddenly ran over from Shi Kefa's cenotaph, staggering as he shouted, "Master Xiang, come quickly to the underground shrine! A martial arts master has broken in and is fighting the heroes of the Red Flower Society! His martial arts are so high that no one can subdue him!" Xiang Quan was greatly surprised, only now realizing what was happening. He thought to himself, "No wonder none of the Red Flower Society heroes followed me out of the secret cave. At first, I thought they were holding a grudge, but it turns out they've encountered a formidable foe! Who has such high martial arts skills that they've repeatedly defeated so many heroes?!" He hurriedly said to Bai Shandian, "You lead the troops to rest here first, I'll be right back!" How could Bai Shandian put his mind at ease and let his wife venture out into danger alone? He leaped up, circulated his inner energy, and laughed, "My strength has almost recovered! Come on, I'll go with you!" Xiang Quan felt a surge of warmth in his heart and quickly stopped him, saying, "How can you recover so quickly! Listen to me, rest well here!" Bai Shandian said with some worry, "Actually, something strange happened at the Yangzhou County government office last night..." He then recounted how a mysterious night walker had snatched the golden sword from Shi Qian, concluding, "According to our guess, that mysterious night walker was probably the Japanese ninjutsu master Fujibayashi Shunke. His purpose in coming to the Central Plains this time was undoubtedly for the 'Complete Book of Jianghu'! Could it be that the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' is now in our hands?" Xiang Quan shook his head and whispered, "That Japanese ninjutsu master is probably mistaken. Actually, the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' is on me!" Bai Shandian said worriedly, "That Japanese ninjutsu master's martial arts are amazing. You must be careful!" He then insisted on going, and Xiang Quan had no choice but to go with him.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the underground dining hall, they heard the sounds of fighting coming from inside. Bai Shandian was the first to rush over and saw a man in black wielding a golden sword, battling against the Red Flower Society members. The man in black was incredibly fast; he kicked Qing Tian Pi Li, sending him tumbling, and with a flash of cold light, he swung his sword down at Bi Liang's head, only to have it blocked by his opponent's axe! The man in black flicked his left hand, and three flying knives shot out in a flash of cold light! Bi Liang, caught off guard and unable to dodge, was immediately struck in the thigh and hastily withdrew his axe, retreating from the fight. Long Juanfeng roared, raising his spiked club and delivering a powerful downward smash from behind, bringing it down on the man in black's head! Unexpectedly, a figure flashed, and the man in black had already moved to his side. The golden katana slashed diagonally, and with a scream of pain, Tornado's right index finger was severed on the spot, blood gushing out, and he almost dropped his weapon! He hurriedly jumped out of the circle and went to bandage his injured hand.

Several sharp, piercing sounds like golden crows tearing through the air filled the air, followed by a flurry of cold light and a hail of blades. It was the Thousand-Handed Guanyin, facing the man in black, unleashing her trump card—dozens of thin-bladed throwing knives launched simultaneously! But the man in black showed no fear, wielding his precious sword with the speed of the wind, a white light seemingly enveloping him amidst the whooshing sounds! The sounds of slicing through metal and jade were incessant, and in a short while, his feet were covered with fragments of thrown knives! Stinky Feet yelled, "You dog, don't try to be brave!" She leaped to the man in black, unfolding her folding fan and slashing at his face! The man in black remained calm, twisting his wrist in a reverse sweeping motion, his golden sword falling towards the fan! In a panic, Stinky Feet swiftly retracted her fan, snapping it shut and thrusting it towards the man's elbow acupoint! The fan ribs of Stinky Feet are made of black iron, and the fan surface is as sharp as a knife. Once you are stabbed by him, there is no doubt that your arm will be broken and your tendons will be severed!

"Stop!" Bai Shandian roared like thunder, startling the man in black who flinched and slowed his movements. In that moment of hesitation, Bai Shandian flashed behind him, spun around, and struck him squarely in the back with a single palm strike! But the palm struck empty air; the man in black had vanished again! And of course, the stinky-footed man's death journey was finally over!

"You saved me?" Although Stinky Feet was extremely grateful, her words remained icy. "Since you're so heartless, why pretend to be kind! Putting aside how you drove my parents to their deaths, just the fact that you abandoned your wife and children to find a new lover is enough to ruin your reputation and destroy your name!" White Lightning didn't want to explain anything, but Fragrant Fist walked over and patted Stinky Feet's shoulder, laughing, "When you're in the government, you're not in control of your own destiny. Actually, there are some things your brother-in-law really couldn't do! We should understand him." Stinky Feet looked at her in astonishment, thinking, "What's wrong? What's gotten into my sister again? Her thoughts have suddenly changed 180 degrees! They say a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. It's absolutely true! So hard to fathom." She gave a bitter smile and said nothing more. Xiangquan asked, "What happened to that man in black just now?" Choujiao sighed and said resentfully, "Old Shi came to report that you were in trouble and, without saying a word, led the Southern Fist Sect out! I gathered the Red Flower Society brothers and wanted to chase after them, but a man in black, who appeared like a ghost, blocked the entrance and demanded that I hand over the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World,' otherwise none of us would leave this hall alive! My brothers and I were naturally furious, so a fierce fight broke out." The prelude to the battle. Unexpectedly, the man in black possessed extraordinary martial arts skills; we fought him for a long time without success! He was probably a Japanese ninja, wielding techniques from Japanese martial arts, the sorcery of Japanese Onmyōdō, and even the ninjutsu of Japanese shrines.” Xiang Quan turned to Bai Shandian and asked, “Could this person be the Japanese ninjutsu master Fujibayashi Shunke you mentioned?!” Bai Shandian replied solemnly, “Judging from that gold-plated, mother-of-pearl-inlaid hair-plucking katana just now, this person is undoubtedly a ninja from the Fujibayashi family.” "The master of the art, Fujibayashi Shunkaku!" Stinky Feet couldn't help but find this fascinating and asked curiously, "What kind of 'hair tachi'?" White Lightning smiled slightly and explained, "It's that precious sword with a hilt made of gold. Its Japanese name is the Kinjiro Uranium Hair-Pulling Tachi, and its value is immeasurable. It was once hailed as the 'national treasure among national treasures' of Japan! Originally a sacred object in a Japanese shrine, it later endured countless bloody battles due to its extreme value and was eventually collected by the Japanese Meiji Emperor's government. In the fourth year of the Enhō era (1690)..." In 76 AD, to commend Fujibayashi Yasutake for writing a ninja training manual, "Mansenshukai," the Japanese Emperor bestowed upon him the ancient divine weapon—the national treasure-level Golden Earth Conch Hair-Pulling Katana—as a reward! From then on, it became the most prized possession of the Fujibayashi family. "Stinky Feet's mouth formed an 'O' shape, and he exclaimed in utter astonishment, 'If I had known it was so precious, I would have insisted on snatching his treasured sword! Let him get away with stealing a chicken and getting a handful of rice in return, let's see if that little Japanese pirate is still greedy!?'" Everyone burst into laughter. However, Xiang Quan couldn't laugh, because possessing the "Complete Guide to the Martial World" was like a time bomb, his life constantly in danger! Moreover, this Fujibayashi Shunke was elusive and unpredictable!

Just then, the third son of the Shi family, Ghost Arrow, rushed in with a message: "Something terrible has happened, Lord Bai! General Hong has been subdued by that man in black! He specifically asked for you!"