Martial Arts Crossover: Infiltrating a Girls' Chat Group at the Start

"This humble woman, Zhang Sanniang, greets Chief Qiao. We are not from the Murong family." As she spoke, Zhang Sanniang pulled Lin Zhu and Wang Yuyan away from A Zhu and the other two.

Upon seeing this, Abi couldn't help but say, "Miss, you..."

Wang Yuyan was about to explain when Lin Zhu reached out and pulled her back, saying, "I am Lin Zhu. This is Miss Wang Yuyan from Mantuo Manor. Greetings, Chief Qiao."

Qiao Feng looked at Lin Zhu and realized he couldn't see through him. He thought to himself, 'This man seems to have no martial arts skills, but he subtly gives me a sense of threat. It seems his internal energy cultivation is definitely above mine.'

"So it's Lady Yu and the two of you. I, Qiao Feng, have no idea you're so important." Qiao Feng cupped his hands in greeting.

Tang Bohu laughed heartily at Lin Zhu and said, "Brother Lin, I didn't expect to meet you again. What a coincidence!"

Qiao Feng asked, "Brother Tang, do you know these people?"

"Of course." Tang Bohu nodded and said, "Not only me, but Brother Duan also knows him."

Duan Yu nodded awkwardly, then said, "Brother Lin once saved my life."

"I see." Qiao Feng said, bowing to Lin Zhu and saying, "On behalf of my virtuous brother Duan Yu, I thank Young Master Lin for saving my life."

Lin Zhu returned the greeting with a cupped hand, "Chief Qiao, you're too kind. Brother Duan has already thanked me."

Originally, Zhang San Niang had a good impression of Qiao Feng, but after seeing that he and Duan Yu had become sworn brothers, she lost all goodwill because of her dislike for him.

Qiao Feng, however, did not notice at all. He turned to Tang Bohu and Duan Yu and said, "Brother Tang, my good brother, please stand aside for a moment. I have some things to take care of."

"Brother Qiao, please go ahead."

The two of them thought about it and came to Lin Zhu and the others.

Duan Yu stood at the very edge and gave Zhang San Niang an apologetic smile.

Zhang San Niang didn't even glance at him.

"Brother Lin, Miss Wang, it's nice to see you again."

"Brother Duan!" Lin Zhu cupped his hands in greeting to Duan Yu.

Wang Yuyan smiled slightly.

The group then watched the show from the sidelines.

Lin Zhu had no intention of interfering and let things develop as they were.

He wanted to see how the Xingzilin incident would unfold in this world.

Chapter 27 Xiao Yuanshan Appears

But the reality was completely different from what Lin Zhu had imagined.

Before Quan Guanqing could make a move, a dragon's roar rang out.

"It's the Supreme Elder!" the Beggars' Sect disciple exclaimed excitedly.

"Old beggar, am I not late?" A kind and honest-looking old beggar seemed to arrive on a dragon, landing steadily on the ground.

Qiao Feng was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Qiao Feng greets Seventh Master. How have you been lately, Seventh Master?"

"Don't worry about me, Feng'er. Just do what you need to do. I'll support you."

Lin Zhu looked at the man's hands and saw that he was indeed missing an index finger. It was undoubtedly the Nine-Fingered Beggar Hong Qigong.

In this world, Hong Qigong never served as the leader of the gang, but he was the previous elder who passed on his skills. He knew both the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and the Dog-Beating Staff Technique.

Furthermore, his strength surpasses that of the deceased former gang leader, Wang Jiantong, making him a true grandmaster.

"Feng'er thanks Master Hong in advance." In the Beggars' Sect, Qiao Feng respected and was most grateful to Hong Qigong.

Although Wang Jiantong accepted him as a disciple, his Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and Dog-Beating Stick Technique were taught by Hong Qigong.

"Hey, don't be so polite with me, old beggar." Hong Qigong patted Qiao Feng on the shoulder. "Alright, old beggar, I'll stand aside for now and won't delay you from handling your business."

As he spoke, he looked around and immediately spotted Lin Zhu. "Such a young Grandmaster, with such restrained internal energy. Whom do you belong to?"

Lin Zhu greatly admired Hong Qigong and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This junior, Lin Zhu, is from no particular sect or school. I have come to greet Senior Hong."

Hong Qigong stepped forward, secretly marveling, "To have such strength without belonging to any sect or faction is truly remarkable."

"Some serendipitous encounters," Lin Zhu smiled.

Wang Yuyan and Zhang Sanniang, who were standing beside him, also covered their mouths and laughed. They knew better than anyone how Lin Zhu had acquired his cultivation level.

However, Wang Yuyan didn't care much about this, since she hadn't planned to practice martial arts before.

Zhang San Niang didn't feel anything at all, after all, she wasn't the one who was taken advantage of.

“So that’s how it is. This old beggar thought I’d wasted my whole life, not even as good as you, young man.” Hong Qigong paused for a moment.

Lin Zhu realized that everyone thought he was a woman disguised as a man.

However, polite seniors usually "see through things but don't say anything," which leaves him unsure how to explain.

Explaining it would seem too deliberate, but not explaining it would feel like an admission of guilt.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng thought to himself, "Indeed, this person's cultivation is above mine. Who says women are inferior to men?" Immediately afterward, he officially began to deal with the Beggars' Sect's affairs.

However, because Hong Qigong was present, none of the four elders dared to cause trouble.

As a result, Quan Guanqing suffered.

After Bai Shijing rescued the Beggars' Sect members who had been under house arrest, he was nearly executed.

The real trouble didn't begin until Kang Min appeared and another elder, Xu Chongxiao, arrived. Quan Guanqing's head was temporarily preserved on his neck.

Apart from Hong Qigong's presence, the course of events seemed to have entered its predetermined fate.

Qiao Feng was falsely accused of being an accomplice of Murong Fu, and Kang Min produced evidence, a letter, proving that Qiao Feng was of royal blood from the Northern Yuan Khitan clan.

"No, this is impossible." Qiao Feng was completely unable to accept this, and glared angrily at the witness Zhao Qiansun and the monk Zhiguang.

Finally, he looked at Hong Qigong with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Unexpectedly, Hong Qigong sighed and said, "Old Xiao, come out."

"Hahaha! Old beggar, I have won in the end. Your Beggars' Clan is full of scheming and despicable people. How could my son be your leader?"

Outside the apricot grove, a 30-man army entered, led by a man who bore a striking resemblance to Qiao Feng.

"Who are you?" the Beggars' Sect disciples shouted.

Qiao Feng looked at them with a puzzled expression, "You are from the Northern Yuan, how can you come to my Central Plains?"

“Feng’er, you’re wrong. It’s us. We are all people of the Great Yuan.” Xiao Yuanshan pointed to himself and then to Xiao Feng.

Then, looking around, he said, "I, Xiao Yuanshan, am here on a mission to Southern Zhou, and on the way, to bring my son Xiao Feng back to the Great Yuan. Do you have any objections?"

Beneath his tiger-like eyes lay an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Well, Lin Zhu felt that things had gotten completely out of control.

Xiao Yuanshan was not in the Sutra Repository, but returned to the Northern Yuan. The Khitan were still the royal family of the Northern Yuan.

Xiao Yuanshan pulled open his collar, revealing his chest. "Feng'er, we Khitans are born with a wolf head tattoo on our chest. Take a look for yourself."

Qiao Feng, no, it should be Xiao Feng now, also very decisively pulled open his collar, revealing a wolf's head on his chest.

"Is what they said true?"

“Not bad.” Xiao Yuanshan nodded, then looked at Zhiguang, “Old monk Zhiguang, you didn’t expect this, did you? I didn’t die.”

"Amitabha, this humble monk pays respects to Elder Xiao. We were indeed wrong back then." Zhiguang put his hands together and bowed to Xiao Yuanshan.

Zhao Qiansun stubbornly replied, "Even so, if it happened again, we would still do the same thing."

"Hahahaha! Very good!" Xiao Yuanshan looked at Xiao Feng, "Feng'er, remember these two, they are your mother's killers."

Xiao Feng was unable to accept this fact for a while, and he seemed somewhat withdrawn.

Hong Qigong sighed and said, "Feng'er, things are either right or wrong. Why should a real man worry about them? Others may not understand you, but this old beggar does. Don't feel burdened. Just follow your heart."

Xiao Feng closed his eyes, and after a while, he cupped his hands to Hong Qigong and said, "Feng'er thanks you for your guidance, Qigong. I understand."

"Good, go ahead. Old Beggar will have someone take good care of your adoptive parents."

"Thank you, Master Hong." Xiao Feng knelt down directly before Hong Qigong and bowed three times.

At this moment, Quan Guanqing launched another attack, "Elder Hong, you are betraying the country! These people, including Qiao Feng, are all Northern Yuan Tartars. We should leave them all here. Brothers, don't you agree?"

No one, including Xu Chongxiao, responded to him.

Hong Qigong's prestige in the Beggars' Sect was unmatched even by Wang Jiantong back then, let alone a mere branch leader like himself.

The scene became somewhat awkward.

Xiao Yuanshan laughed loudly, "Old beggar, it seems your prestige in the Beggars' Sect isn't that high!"

Although he was smiling, his eyes were filled with murderous intent, especially when he looked at Zhiguang and Zhao Qiansun.

Hong Qigong said, "Old Xiao, why do you ask a question you already know the answer to?"

"Let me explain the situation." At this moment, a woman with an amazing figure and wine-red hair stepped forward.

"I am Liu Ruoxin from the Western Depot. These are envoys from the Northern Yuan who have come to my Great Zhou to negotiate peace." She looked at Quan Guanqing and said, word by word, "Are you trying to ruin the peace between my Great Zhou and the Northern Yuan that has lasted for more than twenty years?"

The Great Zhou and the Northern Yuan have been at peace for nearly twenty years, and a market has been opened on the border for mutual trade.

The cattle, sheep and dairy products of the Northern Yuan could be sold to the Great Zhou, and the grains, tea, porcelain and silk of the Great Zhou could also be sold to the Northern Yuan.

Over the past two decades, the lives of people in both countries have improved significantly. Commerce in the Great Zhou Dynasty has flourished, particularly in the tea, textile, and ceramics industries.

Merchants made a fortune, and apart from major disasters, most ordinary people were able to make ends meet.

Of course, part of the reason is that the weather has been favorable for both the north and the south for more than 20 years, which is why there has been no major war.

Minor frictions exist, but they do not affect the harmony between the two courts.

Quan Guanqing felt a cold sweat pour down his back after being accused of such a serious crime by Liu Ruoxin.

"No, dare not!"

His weak appearance made all the Beggars' Sect disciples want to eat him.

"Hmph, as expected of a scheming and despicable person." Liu Ruoxin looked at Hong Qigong, "Junior Liu Ruoxin greets Senior Hong."

Hong Qigong nodded. "You are Wang Zhi's adopted daughter?"

"It is indeed this junior," Liu Ruoxin said. "His Majesty has a decree to convey to you, Senior Hong."