Jianghu Qimen Lu

Ghost Arrow stepped forward and said, "Sect Leader, I've opened a horse farm in the eastern suburbs of the village. It has many fine steeds for the members of the Southern Fist Sect to ride." He deliberately emphasized the word "our" loudly, as if he were already a member of the Southern Fist Sect. Fragrant Fist wasn't offended. Although he hadn't verbally agreed to let the five brothers join the sect, seeing their warm hospitality, he already considered them one of his own. Otherwise, he wouldn't have blurted out, "They should be punished according to the Southern Fist Sect rules, severely punished without exception!"

Xiangquan smiled slightly and said, "We rented horses from a horse farm in Hangzhou, but we never expected to find someone from our own family running a horse farm here today. That's wonderful!" Chouquan joked, "Your 'us' from the Southern Fist School sounds so friendly! But I wonder if we from the Red Flower Society could borrow a few horses to ride?" Guijian quickly slapped his mouth, embarrassed, and said, "Look at my foul mouth, always saying the wrong thing! I've always respected the heroes of the Red Flower Society! A few fine horses are nothing. If you ever need my help, please feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to assist you!" Choujiao laughed and said, "Thanks, brother!"

Just then, someone shouted, "Look! Why are so many soldiers coming down Plum Blossom Ridge?" People turned around and saw dust flying and banners waving on Plum Blossom Ridge as countless Green Standard Army soldiers charged forward on horseback with spears in hand! The leader was none other than Zhang Kuang, the Governor-General of Zhejiang, known in the martial arts world as the Martial Saint with the Beautiful Beard. He wielded his Green Dragon Crescent Blade with unparalleled skill.

Both Xiang Quan and Chou Jiao were taken aback and hurriedly ordered their men to retreat back into the moat of the Shi Gong Temple, drawing their weapons and preparing for battle! Bai Shandian was also greatly alarmed, thinking, "How did Zhang Kuang suddenly appear like a divine warrior? How did he know this place?" With this question in mind, he also hurriedly ordered his Eight Banners soldiers to form a battle formation outside the moat, ready for battle. At first glance, it appeared that they were flanked by the Green Standard Army, forming an encirclement that trapped Xiang Quan and Chou Jiao inside.

Zhang Kuang was a disciplined and skilled commander. His large Green Standard Army troops swept through the Shi Gong Temple with lightning speed, engaging in a fierce battle with the Red Flower Society and the Southern Fist School right beside the tomb! Zhang Kuang brandished his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and his chestnut Red Hare neighed loudly as it leaped forward. With a swift stroke, Zhang Kuang's blade fell, and a Southern Fist School disciple was beheaded! Hong Quan roared, raising his fist, as large as a wine bowl, and punched the chestnut Red Hare in the belly! The force of the punch was more than a thousand pounds, instantly knocking the steed to the ground! Zhang Kuang, a skilled fighter, had already leaped into the air, unleashing a powerful strike. His Green Dragon Crescent Blade gleamed coldly as he cleaved directly at Hong Quan's fist! Hong Quan was strong and powerful, but not adept at leaping from a great height. This attack, swift as lightning and from a superior position, was incredibly powerful, making it difficult for her to dodge! It seemed that even Hung Kuen could not escape the fate of being beheaded!

Unexpectedly, a Wing Chun practitioner suddenly shot out a streak of cold light, instantly entangling the hilt of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Using hidden internal force, the practitioner pulled, deflecting the blade and striking a large tree, as thick as a bowl, in two with a crack! With a deafening roar, the heavy, canopy-like treetop crashed down on Hung Kuen's head. Fortunately, she was prepared; her palms unleashed a powerful, overwhelming force, creating a tremendous gust of wind that forcefully pushed the treetop away! The treetop somersaulted twice in mid-air before crashing down on three Green Standard Army soldiers, instantly breaking their bones and causing them to bleed from all seven orifices, dying a violent death!

Zhang Kuang was about to withdraw his broadsword when the Wing Chun practitioner, like a shadow, closed in, a single palm strike as sharp as a blade aimed directly at his wrists! This was a technique for unarmed combat, emphasizing conciseness and precision, close-quarters fighting, and swift, deadly precision—a single strike to subdue the enemy! Zhang Kuang, a seasoned veteran, lowered his elbow and withdrew, executing a "Looking Back at the Moon" move, swinging his sword and striking the Wing Chun practitioner's lower back with the back of the blade! This was a risky move, a move that forced the opponent to defend themselves! Risking the severed wrists, it was a superior strategy, a game of speed and nerves. If he was faster than his opponent, she could immediately withdraw and dodge, ceasing her attack! If he was slower, he would lose both hands! It was truly extremely dangerous! It was one of the life-saving techniques in his Zhang family's unique swordsmanship!

The Wing Chun practitioner never expected Zhang Kuang to possess such a skill. He hastily withdrew his palm strike and leaped backward! In the midst of his haste, he used his internal energy to retrieve the rope dart that was wrapped around his broadsword, turned the dart head around, and with a whoosh, thrust it towards Zhang Kuang's right eye! Unexpectedly, Zhang Kuang reacted quickly and blocked it with his Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Sparks flew as the dart and blade collided. Because the broadsword had a thicker back and was made of pure steel, it actually broke the tip of the dart! Just as the Wing Chun practitioner was about to charge forward again, he was surrounded and attacked by two officers.

Xiang Quan, fighting six men single-handedly, was locked in a fierce battle with several captains. With a series of powerful kicks, she sent four captains sprawling, followed by a flying elbow strike that shattered the shoulder blades of two more! Just then, a gust of cold wind swept behind her. Looking down, she saw a spear silently thrusting towards her. She quickly grabbed the spear shaft, unleashing her inner force, which sent the soldier holding the spear reeling as if electrocuted, causing him to drop his grip in a panic! She then hurled the spear, and with a scream, the soldier was struck in the throat and fell dead on the spot!

Stinky Feet, leading his Red Flower Society horde, charged into a frenzy, slaughtering indiscriminately! Seeing the unfavorable situation, Zhang Kuang roared, his voice like a thunderclap: "Soldiers! Release poison smoke!" Immediately, Green Standard Army soldiers pulled something from their robes and threw it to the ground, whereupon a series of plumes of smoke exploded! Seeing this, Stinky Feet shouted to his men: "Lie down! Be careful! This smoke is poisonous! Cover your mouth and nose with your sleeves!" The heroes jumped out of the fray, scrambling to lie down and covering their mouths and noses with their sleeves! The entire battlefield was shrouded in smoke, obscuring everything except the faint sound of footsteps, fading into the distance—the government troops had suddenly retreated! Why didn't they take advantage of the chaos, seize the opportunity to plunder, and launch a counterattack? This question lingered in Stinky Feet's mind.

As the smoke cleared and visibility improved, Xiangquan glanced around, but the Green Standard Army was nowhere to be seen. They seemed like a celestial army, appearing and disappearing without a trace! Just as he was bewildered, a series of booming cannon shots erupted. Xiangquan then discovered that, hidden among the plum blossoms on Plum Blossom Ridge, four red-coated cannons were lined up, taking turns firing in his direction! Xiangquan was horrified; he realized he had fallen into a trap! That old fox Zhang Kuang was cunning; he deliberately lied, saying, "Soldiers, release poison smoke!" In reality, it was a delaying tactic to make the heroes believe it was real, causing them to hurriedly lie down to avoid the poison, while he himself took the opportunity to calmly lead his troops away from the battlefield!

With a swift leap, Xiangquan dodged an exploding shell. Amidst the massive shockwave and the resulting mud and sand spray, she collapsed to the ground, instantly enveloped in a cloud of dust that nearly buried her! Shells continued to fall around her, the deafening roar of explosions echoing around her. She raised her head, struggling to open her eyes, only to find corpses strewn everywhere, smoke billowing. Where were the living?! Where was her brother, Stinky Feet? Where were the Six Great Fist Schools? Where were her Southern Fist School disciples? And… where were the heroes of the Red Flower Society?! Overwhelmed with grief, her head spun, and everything went black before her eyes. She lost consciousness…

After an unknown amount of time, Xiangquan finally awoke. Where was she? A large, soft, carved bed; a magnificent room, luxuriously furnished and brightly lit, as if it were daytime. Only the darkness outside the window and the eerie silence made Xiangquan vaguely realize that it was probably late at night!

Just then, a murmur of voices came from the front hall, followed by a flurry of footsteps, and a group of people approached. Four maids escorted a middle-aged man to the bedside. Two maids placed a food box on the table, opened it, and took out a bowl of red date and lotus seed soup, a plate of tender Dongpo pork, a plate of assorted pastries, a plate of braised prawns, and two small appetizers. The other two maids carried a basin of clean water and several neatly folded women's dresses.

Upon seeing someone approach, Xiangquan quickly closed her eyes, pretending not to wake up, and listened to their conversation. The middle-aged man glanced at Xiangquan and said with slight displeasure, "Qiuju, didn't you report that this lady had woken up? What happened?" The maid named Qiuju, dressed in an apricot-yellow dress, hurriedly knelt down and said anxiously, "Master, I did see this lady move her body just now, and she opened her eyes, and... she even looked around the room in our mansion!" The middle-aged man angrily scolded, "Still daring to talk back? You should be punished by slapping yourself!" Qiuju indeed had tears welling up in her eyes, and she raised her small hand, about to slap herself. With a sharp cry, Xiang Quan exclaimed, "Never mind! I actually woke up a long time ago!" Xiao Qiuju was both surprised and delighted, saying, "Master, you see... I didn't lie, did I?" The middle-aged man was also pleased to see this and turned to Qiuju, whispering, "Get up!" Xiao Qiuju quickly said, "Thank you, Master!" and stood up.