A Long River Myth

Inside the main room stood a young man dressed in a light purple robe, with sharp eyes and bright eyebrows.

He was looking at Li Hong's house with his hands behind his back, shaking his head from time to time, his brows slightly furrowed.

It's hard to imagine that such an excellent internal strength martial artist could emerge from such a terrible family on Jinshui Street.

Li Hong's name has suddenly appeared in the outer city in the last two months, but unexpectedly, it is indeed as rumored that he comes from such a humble background...

A short while later, Li Hong strode over, and the two bumped into each other. The young man clasped his hands in greeting first:

"You must be Brother Li Hong! I've heard so much about you! I'm Niu Xiaorui from the forging shop. Please forgive my intrusion!"

Li Hong had never dealt with this young man before.

However, I had heard of his name before when I was in the patrol and inspection department.

Among the various forces in the outer city, the Blacksmith Shop, the River Bureau, the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, and other forces each have some new generation martial artists who are famous in the outer city.

They have their own cliques.

And Niu Xiaorui is the most outstanding one in the blacksmith shop in recent years.

Seeing that it was their first visit, they were so courteous.

Li Hong smiled and replied:

"Brother Niu's presence is an honor to my humble abode. Please have a seat!"

On the table, Madam Yao had already brewed tea and quietly left. These days, important people had been coming to the house frequently, and she knew how to behave appropriately.

Niu Xiaorui picked up the teacup, touched it to his lips briefly, and then put it down as a polite gesture before getting straight to the point:

"I heard that Brother Li has also signed up for this year's autumn examination. We, the martial artists from the outer city, have gained another fellow graduate. It is truly a fortunate event."

As he spoke, he took out an invitation and handed it to Li Hong, saying solemnly:

"Brother Li, there is a banquet at Yangchun Tower in three days. I have come to invite you to attend."

Those from various factions outside the city who went to take the martial arts exams this year have repeatedly suffered setbacks; during the summer exams, five people were even injured… The pass rate has plummeted.

"The reason for this is that some forces in the inner city are ganging up on us martial artists from the outer city... This banquet is an opportunity for many friends who have registered for the autumn examination to exchange information and help each other improve before the martial arts examination begins. I hope you will come, Brother Li."

After receiving the invitation, Li Hong listened attentively. Only after Niu Xiaorui finished speaking did he nod and say, "Definitely."

Both the patrol inspector and Shen Hezhi had mentioned these things to Li Hong before.

Shi Liang encountered a similar situation back then. He was only aiming for the second-class martial arts student title, which wouldn't affect the top students' competition for the first-class martial arts student title.

However, the location of his injury clearly showed that the person who attacked him was cunning and malicious. Shi Liang was gentle and mild-mannered, and was definitely not the kind of person who would cause trouble casually.

Now that someone in the outer city has set up a platform to put the matter on the table, Li Hong naturally has no reason to refuse.

I'll make time to go and get some information; I can't possibly lose out.

With a desire to make friends, Niu Xiaorui chatted for a while about interesting things before taking his leave.

.........

Three days later, at Yangchun Tower.

Li Hong, dressed in plain clothes, arrived at the largest private room in the building.

Niu Xiaorui was standing at the door greeting Li Hong with a smile on her face.

Inside the private room, a large round table with two chairs was immediately visible, and more than half of the twenty-odd seats were already occupied.

Most of them were young and handsome, and there were also a few young women who were also exuding vitality and were all strong inside.

"This is Brother Li Hong, who has recently risen to fame in our outer city. He's a year younger than me and truly a rare and exceptional talent!"

As soon as Niu Xiaorui finished speaking, everyone who was still chatting and laughing turned their attention to him.

More than half of the people stood up and greeted them with smiles.

"Nice to meet you, Brother Li. I am Chen Ze from Hongyuan Escort Agency."

"I am..."

Li Hong was poised and generous, responding to each of the feigned punches with a smile.

Recently, the name Li Hong has become quite familiar in the martial arts circles of the outer city.

Numerous rumors circulated from the Martial Arts Hall and the Patrol Division, but Li Hong himself remained low-key and did not waste time socializing.

Before taking his seat, he glanced at the empty main seat and noticed several people who hadn't gotten up yet, and his heart stirred.

Huang Shan glanced at him coldly and then looked away.

At that moment, not everyone had arrived yet. After introducing themselves and taking their seats, they chatted in twos and threes.

"Li Hong, I didn't expect you to be so handsome..."

Sitting next to him, a woman dressed in a light blue gauze dress was looking at him with a gentle smile.

The woman had a beautiful face, eyebrows like distant mountains, and eyes like autumn water. Her strong figure and posture also showed that she had been strong for a long time.

After the introductions, this person is Xu Jinrou, the third daughter of the Xu family manor lord in the outer city.

Li Hong had also heard of this Xu Family Village. Although it was located in the outer city, it was not to be underestimated. He had heard that it had not moved to the inner city only because of its spirit fish industry.

In fact, it was already a force that spanned both the inner and outer cities, supplying valuable aquatic resources to many forces within the inner city.

Xu Jinrou's father had acquaintances in the patrol and inspection department, so she naturally knew something about Li Hong's extraordinary abilities.

"You flatter me. I am far less beautiful than Miss Xu."

Li Hong smiled and looked away.

Unexpectedly, not long after, he suddenly felt a soft, warm sensation on his calf, which then rubbed against his trouser leg.

I could feel my trouser legs being slightly lifted and rubbed, and the hair on my legs felt tingly and itchy.

Li Hong glanced down, then turned his face to look at Xu Jinrou with a blank expression.

She rested her chin on her hands, her cheeks flushed, and crossed her legs. There was an empty embroidered shoe at her feet, and the sensation under the table came from her.

"I hope Miss Xu will have some self-respect."

Li Hong's voice wasn't loud, but as he approached the late stage of internal strength development, his control over his voice naturally reached a level that was difficult for ordinary people to achieve.

Before there could even be an awkward moment, Niu Xiaorui shouted from the doorway, his voice drowning out everyone else's: "Gentlemen, Brother Liang is here!"

For a moment, everyone paused, then stood up.

Li Hong also followed suit and stood up to sized up the newcomers.

The "Brother Liang" mentioned by Niu Xiaorui must be a very influential figure in the outer city circle, as evidenced by his grand finale appearance.

In the blink of an eye, the young man in brocade, who was about 1.9 meters tall, was surrounded by a group of people.

Niu Xiaorui even shouted to the maids, "Let the banquet begin!"

"Liang Shifan... a second-class martial arts student from two years ago, currently the person in the outer city with the best chance of making it to the first-class martial arts student position... but he is twenty-three this year, and time is running out."

Xu Jinrou, who was overly familiar with Li Hong, leaned closer and whispered, her warm breath giving Li Hong goosebumps.

He nodded slightly, and although he secretly stood a step further away, he had already gotten rid of some of the unpleasantness he had just felt.

For those who haven't yet participated in the martial arts examination, being a second-class martial arts student naturally has a huge advantage.

No wonder he was the star of the banquet.

It should be noted that as long as one passes the exam to become a second-class martial arts student, one's status and position will rise to a higher level, and one will inevitably have to repeatedly strive for first-class status before the age of twenty-five.

They don't have that much free time to associate with people like them who haven't yet achieved official rank.

Soon, in the private room, after some necessary pleasantries, Liang Shifan took his seat at the head of the table.

He laughed heartily and said:

"As you all have probably heard, this year's martial arts exam is quite rigorous. With the exam approaching, the eight major families in the inner city have already made secret contact... mainly targeting martial artists from the outer city."

Liang Shifan frowned halfway through his speech, his expression gradually becoming serious, causing the relaxed crowd to tense up slightly.

Those who are sitting here basically know that this rumor is not something he made up.

The triennial martial arts examination is approaching, and this martial arts exam is the first gateway to success.

The second-class martial arts students accumulated over the years, as well as many rising talents, will surely rush to give it their all in the autumn and spring examinations.

With a larger number of participants and higher quality, the difficulty for these outer city youths to pass the martial arts exam was already increased.

At the banquet, Niu Xiaorui and Huang Shan sat on either side of Liang Shifan.

The former sighed and then said:

"My second uncle told me the day before yesterday that when the autumn examinations begin this year, the eight major families will send their own martial servants to participate. They have many nomination slots, with each family having several. Sigh..."

"Martial servants? What are they doing participating in the martial arts probation?"

Someone at the table asked a question.

The so-called martial servants are the slaves raised at home by the martial arts families in the inner city from childhood. They are highly talented in martial arts and share weal and woe with their masters, and are extremely loyal.

Huangshan on the right seemed to smile helplessly:

"What are we doing? Raising the difficulty of the martial arts exam... Most of those who excel in the strength test will encounter these martial arts servants in the five skills tests, and they will lose more often than they will win. Once they encounter them, it will be difficult for them to stand out."

Upon hearing this, a visible look of worry appeared on the faces of everyone present.

They had mostly heard rumors before, and even imagined they were just half-true or half-false gossip.

But now that it's on the table, and with the well-known Liang Shifan confirming it, the anxiety has intensified rapidly.

Li Hong listened from the side and gained some useful information.

Soon, everyone present added their own comments and comparisons.

Li Hong already knew that these families in the inner city would always join forces to take advantage of the situation as the martial arts exam approached.

The main purpose of releasing the military servants to participate in the martial arts examination was...

The idea is to increase the difficulty of the martial arts exams. If some outstanding martial arts talents from the outer city fail to be selected, they can take the opportunity to recruit them with far lower treatment than usual.

In previous years, many martial artists from the outer city had the opportunity to pass the martial arts examination and obtain the status of a second-class martial arts student.

But they were all defeated by the servants of these eight great families, and then, when they were disheartened, they signed ten-year contracts at extremely low prices to be treated like slaves.

Even if there is further growth in martial arts in the future, it will still feel like a huge mountain is pressing down on him.

Seeing the atmosphere become heavy and oppressive, Niu Xiaorui suddenly raised his voice:

"Gentlemen, the status of martial arts students has risen dramatically these days. No matter how much we worry, it's useless. Fortunately, those martial servants aren't invincible. There's still a month and a half left; we still have time!"

Huang Shan chimed in, "That's right! As the saying goes, meeting a master on the road is worth half a year's worth of experience. Today, who among us hasn't already embarked on the path of martial arts and can be called a rising star?"

"This is the purpose of our banquet."

"Hmm... If I can exchange ideas with you all, my chances of passing the martial arts exam will definitely be higher."

Some people chimed in, but Liang Shifan, who had started the conversation, had fallen silent.

"Alas...it's a pity that although we are all exceptionally talented in martial arts, we have little experience in this kind of practical combat test..."

"If I could get guidance from a senior brother with experience in the martial arts examinations during the remaining month or so, my chances of passing would definitely be much higher!"

Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, Niu Xiaorui, who had been leading the banquet, began to get down to business.

Li Hong didn't say a word the whole time, only brought his ears, and silently moved his chopsticks to pick up food.

Xu Jinrou, who was next to him, secretly sneered as she listened.

Instead of being as wild and unrestrained as before, they probably realized the true purpose of the banquet.

It's estimated that Liang Shifan will be appearing soon.

"Gentlemen, isn't Brother Liang just in time? He's always so busy, and it took a lot of persuasion from Brother Huangshan and me to finally get him to come. Why don't we chip in and let Brother Liang, an experienced person, guide us before the autumn examinations begin..."

Finally, after a short while of preparation, Niu Xiaorui began to draw his knife.

Just like Li Hongzhuo's method, this was the routine of selling goods through live streaming in his previous life: first create or amplify anxiety, bring your mindset to the bottom, and then launch the "product" at the right time.

Therefore, the true purpose of this so-called banquet for the elites in the outer city was not, as initially stated, merely to exchange ideas and learn from each other to gain experience for the autumn examinations.

It's probably just a way for Liang Shifan to make money by taking advantage of the difference in his identity information.

Fortunately, Li Hong had already obtained the information he wanted to verify.

Asking him to "buy the course"? That's not going to happen.

"Good suggestion... I'll start with sixty taels as a small apology for taking up Brother Liang's time for a month. You can all contribute less."

Before long, the discussion had turned to price.

Many people who were unsure of themselves had no choice but to grit their teeth and follow along, while others saw through it but didn't say anything, trying to get closer to the person.

After all, no matter what, Liang Shifan is arguably the most prominent martial artist in the outer city in the past two years.

As the donations poured in, many eyes turned to Li Hong, wondering how much he would donate.

Li Hong sneered inwardly, but feigned shame and clasped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Thank you for your hospitality, Brother Niu. My cultivation has been very costly, and I am truly short of money. Therefore, I am ashamed to accept Brother Liang's guidance and will not disturb you any longer."

As he spoke, he pretended to be ashamed and got up, intending to leave the table.

It's true that he can't afford this course. His cultivation progress is fast, and the resources he needs far exceed those of ordinary martial artists. He doesn't even have enough money to cover his expenses.

Unexpectedly, Liang Shifan stood up with a smile and called out to Li Hongdao:

"Don't mention it, Brother Li! We martial artists don't have such complicated relationships. Everyone knows you come from a humble background and spend a lot of money on your training. If you're really serious, just come and show your skills. As for the rest... just keep it in mind, okay?"

He seemed generous and spoke eloquently, but his final sentence, "Keep it in mind," was just like borrowing money.

Even if it's free, it's still a favor...

Li Hong could easily tell what was going on, and he disliked this kind of tactic even more. If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn't have come.

Li Hong simply reiterated Liang Shifan's words and then left.

This made Liang Shifan's face visibly gloomy and unhappy, and he was somewhat embarrassed.

"Damn it, are you really showing Brother Liang no respect?"

"Ha, once a poor man like him turns his life around, he's always been a wolf in sheep's clothing. It's not that he's poor. I heard that the deputy commissioner of the patrol office receives a monthly allowance of several dozen taels of silver."

"That makes it clear they don't want to get involved with us."

People around them were talking amongst themselves.

Although Huang Shan came from the Martial Arts Academy, he had always disliked Li Hong, and seized the opportunity to stir up trouble:

"I reckon Li Hong has already made contact with one of the eight major families in the inner city. He entered the inner city not long ago."

"Hmph! So that's how it is. Then, if you run into him in the autumn examination, don't expect any leniency!"

…………