Jianghu Qimen Lu

The middle-aged wealthy man had a kind face and a perpetually smiling expression, giving him an approachable air. He shifted his slightly bulky, tall frame and leaned forward, asking, "Master, you're finally awake! The servants reported that you've regained consciousness, so I quickly had the kitchen prepare some food for you overnight and sent it over. Could you please sit up and wash your face?" Xiang Quan recognized him immediately! Wasn't this Xue Ruthless, the second of the Seven Heroes of the Shi family? With a slight smile, Xiang Quan said, "It must have been hard for you, Xue Heng. Is this your residence?" Xue Heng bowed respectfully and replied, "This is indeed my Dream Wanderer Manor. I made some money doing business, and to commemorate my late wife, Dream Wanderer, I built this manor." Xiang Quan couldn't help but admire, "Seeing how exquisitely you've decorated even one room, one can only imagine how magnificent the entire manor must be, like a palace! Naming it after your deceased wife shows your deep affection and is truly touching." Then, she abruptly changed the subject, asking urgently, "How did I get here? Where are my brother, Stinky Feet? Where are the disciples of the Six Great Fists and the Southern Fist School? Could they all... be dead?!"

"The Qing army's bombardment three days ago was truly shocking and appalling!" Blood Wolf said, still shaken. His fat body trembled slightly, and his expression changed.

"What? Three days ago! So I've been unconscious for three days!? How could it be so long!" Xiang Quan was shocked. Only then did she feel a movement in her body, as if her bones were about to break, as if she was no longer her own body! With the help of her maid, she barely managed to sit up, leaning against the headboard, and asked urgently, "What happened back then? Tell me everything!" Xue Hen looked horrified, as if an old scar had been reopened. Her heart flew back to that dark and tragic afternoon: "Back then, shells were being fired one after another, repeatedly hitting my ancestral graves and the Shi Gong Ancestral Hall. Instantly, bones flew everywhere, walls collapsed, and houses crumbled, leaving everything in ruins! The disciples of the Southern Fist School were almost all killed or wounded, with only the six famous boxers who had broken arms and legs surviving! Most of the heroes of the Red Flower Society were also killed or wounded, with only a few highly skilled fighters surviving by sheer luck..."

Xiang Quan interrupted him, his voice urgent, "Where's my brother? Is he alive?! Is he still here?" Xue Hen sighed, his voice filled with anguish, "The Grand Master wasn't injured. After you fainted, he immediately ordered us Shi brothers to rescue you and take you back to the village. He strictly forbade us from helping them fight the Qing army, saying that in order to hide you, we brothers couldn't expose our identities! After we brothers had properly settled you in, we went back and saw that the remaining heroes of the Red Flower Society, along with the Grand Master and the six great masters of our Southern Fist Sect..." "Quan and the others have all been captured by the Qing army! It is said that Emperor Qianlong himself came down and served as the commander-in-chief behind the artillery! None of us brothers knew him. We only saw a middle-aged scholar appear in front of Lord Bai's troops at the end and berate him mercilessly! We were standing among the villagers watching the commotion, and we couldn't hear what he was cursing from a distance, but the gist of it was that he was upset that Lord Bai hadn't led the troops into battle!" Xiang Quan felt as if his heart was being torn apart, and blood rushed to his head. Suddenly, he vomited a mouthful of blood onto the bed, and tears fell like broken pearls.

Xuehen hurriedly ordered the maids to remove the old bedding and replace it with a new set of Su Chou brocade bedding. Xiangquan didn't want to eat anything, so she lay down again and fell into a deep sleep.

The following morning, Xuehen arrived early to inquire after her, his manner unusually intimate! He even personally fed Xiangquan lotus seed soup with a spoon and wiped her mouth with his own handkerchief—a rather ambiguous gesture! Although Xiangquan felt somewhat disgusted, she couldn't show it since she was living under his roof. She could only grit her teeth and silently endure it, quietly circulating her internal energy to regulate her breathing, hoping to regain her strength as soon as possible so she could leave this place of trouble.

In the morning, Xuehen specially prepared a song and dance performance for Xiangquan. Drums and sheng played in unison, accompanied by graceful dances. Several beautiful dancers moved with delicate, flowing steps, their eyes gentle and their voices sweet. Xuehen ordered a banquet to be laid out, and the two ate and watched. Xiangquan, having just recovered, was not a strong drinker, but Xuehen urged him on, saying, "Master, the government is currently issuing arrest warrants for your portrait. It's because Emperor Qianlong mistakenly believes that you handed over the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' to that Japanese pirate, Fujibayashi Shunke, that the investigation into him has intensified, while you are being treated less seriously. Therefore, we should be grateful! For this alone, we should drink to our hearts' content! Come, let me drink first!" He raised his cup, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp.

"What?!" Xiang Quan was shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly reached for the brocade pouch at her waist, only to find that it was gone! Looking down, she realized that even her clothes had been completely changed! She usually loved pink and always wore the traditional Han Chinese women's clothing from the Ming Dynasty, a pink Su-chou front-opening wide-sleeved shawl. She wore a pair of emerald green lantern pants. But now she was wearing a Manchu-style qipao, and the color was too novel—bright red! It turned out that during the Qing Dynasty, although the "shaving of the head and changing of clothes" policy was implemented for ordinary people, "men obeyed but women did not," and women's clothing was never questioned. They often mixed and matched Ming and Qing clothing, dressing however they looked beautiful.

Xiang Quan flew into a rage, slamming her hand on the table and shouting, "Xuehen! When did you change my clothes? Where's the brocade pouch hanging from my waist?" Xuehen quickly rose from his seat, approached her with a fawning smile, and said, "When we carried you here from the Shi Gong Temple, you were covered in filth and looked quite unsightly, so I took it upon myself to have a maid bathe and change your clothes, giving you a fresh makeover. My late wife, Meng Youxian, was a Manchu, so I just picked out some of her clothes. I don't know if you like them? As for your old clothes, they're long gone!" Xiang Quan, both angry and anxious, grabbed his shirt and lifted him up, scolding, "Do you know that my brocade pouch contains the real 'Complete Book of Jianghu'!" Xuehen smiled slyly, then feigned panic and blurted out, "What? 'Complete Book of Jianghu'! Sect Leader, didn't you... let that Teng Lin Junke steal it?" Xiang Quan didn't answer but instead asked, "Where exactly did you put it?"

"Your clothes were filthy and stinky, the servants threw them into the moat and washed them away! Now where are we supposed to find them!" Xuehen shrugged and spread his hands helplessly.

Seeing his words, Xiang Quan slumped back down, her eyes glazed over, and muttered to herself, "What should we do? That's the culmination of generations of my Xiang family's hard work! It's a rare treasure of the martial arts world!" Xue Hen raised a wine cup for her, trying to comfort her, "Actually, the 'Complete Guide to the Martial Arts World' is the root of all trouble. It's better that it's gone! Think about what it has brought you, Sect Leader! Your family is ruined, your husband and children are scattered! Now even the disciples of the Southern Fist Sect are either dead or captured, leaving you unable to return home! Forget about it, let it disappear! You can stay here with me as if it were your own home, and avoid trouble! Come, drink this cup! As the saying goes, put aside fame and fortune, only wine can make you forget your worries! Let's not think about these things anymore, let's drink!" Xiang Quan truly and completely broke down! Like a lone goose separated from its flock, she was overwhelmed by loneliness, desolation, and sorrow… Under Xue Rui's relentless coaxing and urging, she unknowingly drank a great deal of wine! Completely oblivious, she became intoxicated and gradually lost consciousness…

She didn't know how much time had passed, but when she regained consciousness, she suddenly realized: she had been stripped naked and was sleeping next to a man! She screamed, abruptly rolled out of bed, but felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and she nearly fell to the ground! She quickly grabbed the bedpost to steady herself! She hurriedly tried to circulate her internal energy, attempting a single movement, but her breath was weak, her body felt hot and weak, and she couldn't muster any strength at all. She then realized that someone had poisoned her wine! She was unable to circulate her internal energy properly!

"Hahaha..." A burst of unrestrained laughter rang out. The man on the bed threw off the covers, stood up, and jumped off the bed. Xiang Quan looked closely and realized it was none other than Xue Hen, the master of this Dreamy Mountain Villa! She hurriedly searched for her clothes, finding them piled up at the head of the bed, and rushed over to put them on. Once dressed, without even bothering to comb her hair or tidy her appearance, she rushed forward and grabbed the lecherous thief, shouting hoarsely, "What do you want? How dare you treat me like this!?" Unexpectedly, Xue Hen simply pushed her away with his hand, knocking her to the ground. He calmly put on his clothes, sneering, "Do you still think you're the once-powerful leader of the Jiangnan martial arts world, the head of the Southern Fist Sect? Bullshit! You're just a pathetic, fleeing dog now! Only I, a kind-hearted person, took pity on you and took you in! Don't be ungrateful!"