Chapter 272 I Have Nothing to Say

A few days passed in a flash, and the birthday banquet was approaching. Zhao Wumian had not yet heard any news about Xiao Yuanmu and Su Qingqi, so he had to go to Longquan first.

The whole family of more than 20 people went to the island together, but they did not pretend to be a group. Instead, they disguised themselves and went to the island in batches.

“Tong Congdao is also in Chengdu. Who knows if he has brought any experts with him. Master, please remember to protect the Queen Mother and Princess Xiangzhu.”

“You should be careful too.”

After a brief sentence, Zhao Wumian paddled to Longquan Island alone. Yangshe Yin openly challenged him, and he must want to harm Zhao Wumian, so it is obviously inappropriate for the women to follow him… Anyway, with Zhao Wumian’s current strength, he can go anywhere.

The Queen Mother was dressed in white, with her long, jet-black hair tied into a ponytail, and she was dressed like a teenage female knight. She followed behind Mu Li’er, disguising herself as an ordinary disciple of the Sword Sect.

Mu Li’er and others went to the island with the Sword Sect branch that came to attend the birthday banquet. As for the other palace masters, they all dressed differently, trying their best to prevent anyone from seeing their true fighting power.

Although Qing Liantian had offended Zhao Wumian and had his martial arts champion plaque taken away by the court, its foundation was still there. There were few sects in the martial arts world that were more powerful than it, so it had many guests coming and going. Even the three major sects and five schools sent a master with gifts.

However, most of them were ordinary people who wanted to watch the fun. Unfortunately, they could not enter Longquan without a certain status. But even so, Longquan Island was full of guests at this moment. Looking up, there were probably several thousand guests alone. Yangshe Yin had worked hard for Qing Liantian for more than 20 years, and this was the first time that his birthday banquet was so lively.

But he knew very well that many of these martial arts celebrities, who had never met them in the past, were now coming for Zhao Wumian… He really didn’t matter.

Everyone wanted to see this Wei Ming Hou who had been showing his talent in the world since years ago.

In previous years, Yangshe Yin’s so-called birthday banquet would invite some famous figures in the Shu martial arts world to sit in the lobby, talk about past and future business dealings, and enjoy singing and dancing performances. It would have been just a formality, but now that several thousand people have come to the island, Yangshe Yin cannot keep them all out, so he has to quickly ask people to set up tables and chairs in the lobby square of Longquan Island. At first glance, one would think it was some kind of martial arts event.

“Damn it, he’s done it, just like he’s competing with his mother for the leader of the martial arts world.” Zhuo Haoyang, deputy leader of the Jinsha Gang, had seen a lot of things in his time, but now, at a glance, the densely packed heads still made him a little frightened.

Even though the Jinsha Gang was beaten up from top to bottom by Zhao Wumian, its power in Shu was definitely not small. For a while, all the famous figures in the martial arts world around them nodded in agreement.

In the backyard house of Longquan Island, Yangshe Yin gently stroked a four-foot-long sword with a narrow blade on the weapon rack. He was silent for a few seconds, and then looked at the brocade box on the table. Inside was a red pill with a faint fragrance that seemed to be able to captivate people. He walked over and hid the pill in his sleeve, raised his hand to draw the long sword from the weapon rack, pushed the door and left.

The Qingliantian disciples around him bowed and saluted, all with slightly worried expressions. One disciple asked, “Isn’t the master coming to Longquan Island?”

Although Yangshe Congyun is not in charge of things, he is still the nominal leader of Qingliantian.

Yangshe Yin shook his head slightly. “Since Zhao Wumian wants to challenge Dao Kui, he should take the initiative to go to Qingcheng Mountain… If the leader comes to Longquan Island to fight in person, it will be a loss for us.”

When they arrived at the lobby square, more than a dozen local Shu martial arts celebrities were gathered together chatting and laughing. They all bowed when they saw Yangshe Yin.

Zhuo Haoyang had grown up with the sword master Yangshe Congyun, and was also familiar with Yangshe Yin, so he did not shy away from it. He stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

“Hey, I used to think you were shrewd and calculating, but I never thought you were so high-spirited and had the courage to challenge Wei Ming Hou. I underestimated you. You are so damn exciting. After this battle, no matter whether you win or lose, you will have shown your face in front of the martial arts world.”

The famous martial artists from the surrounding Shu area originally came here to ask Qing Liantian for an explanation, but now with so many outsiders here, they couldn’t let the prestige of the Shu martial arts fall and be laughed at by others, so they tacitly agreed not to mention matters of interest and all cheered for Yangshe Yin.

“Zhao Wumian is in the Sky-peek. Brother Yangshe is only a Grandmaster. Strictly speaking, he is the one who is strong against the weak. It is not a big deal if he wins. But if he cannot defeat Brother Yangshe after a hundred moves, it is obviously a shame for him.”

“Why are you destroying your own prestige before the fight even begins? Brother Yangshe was a hero in Shu when he was young. Although he is now hiding behind the scenes, he has never slacked off in martial arts. How come he has no chance of winning?”

“Fighting against opponents of higher rank… Alas, it is always more difficult than ever…”

This is actually about the outside world’s views on this martial arts competition, but it is obviously inappropriate to point it out so bluntly, so Zhuo Haoyang shook his head slightly and changed the subject, “The Shu martial arts world has been uneasy recently. A few days ago, someone came to challenge my Jinsha Gang headquarters, claiming to be General Lingling. His lightness skills and fist and palm skills really put me to shame.”

Someone also sighed and stroked his beard, “After a lifetime in the martial arts world, I have to admit that I am already an old man and should be beaten by young rookies as a stepping stone… Recently, there was a young girl here who beat my sect from top to bottom with just one sword.”

“same.”

They started chatting here. Yangshe Yin was still thinking about the effects and side effects of Wuhongdan. He was serious and in no mood to talk.

dong dong dong ——

The deep sound of drums rang out, and the noisy square immediately became quiet. Looking up, I stared at a figure walking slowly from the outside to the high platform.

They came here indeed for the showdown between Zhao Wumian and Yangshe Yin, but now it is Yangshe Yin’s birthday after all, so the proper etiquette should be observed.

Yangshe Yin, dressed in a brocade robe, stood at the head of the table without showing any fear. He first bowed to the guests, glanced at them, and then spoke loudly: “Thank you all for coming from afar to Longquan to attend my birthday banquet…”

Yangshe Yin was saying some polite words while the Queen Mother was sitting at the Sword Sect branch. Although she was already 28 years old, she still had a unique charm when dressed as a female martial artist. The contrast and pure desire were very strong.

She propped up her face, looking a little bored, “Where is the Marquis? Could it be that after arriving on the island, he saw some female disciple of Qing Liantian and went to flirt with her?”

Mu Lier sat upright, maintaining the demeanor of a Sword Sect’s Sword Master. Upon hearing this, she looked around and said, “The focus is not on Yangshe Yin at all… He should be taking this opportunity to look for Tong Congdao.”

“Hmm…” The Queen Mother snorted weakly and pulled at her collar. “Is the food for the female disciples of your Sword Sect not so good? Their clothes are so tight…”

“Your breasts are too big, don’t move.” Mu Lier raised her hand and pressed down the Queen Mother’s small hand.

Then, after listening to Yangshe Yin on the stage saying some polite words, he changed the subject and said, “In the first month of the year, Yangshe Chao, a senior disciple of my Qingliantian sect, went to the capital and assassinated Weiming Hou, which resulted in the sword master plaque being taken away. I’m sure everyone present has heard about it.”

Hearing this, everyone present became alert… After all, this topic was a bit sensitive, and if Yangshe Yin said something wrong, it would mean that he was dissatisfied with the current emperor’s decision.

“Your Majesty has made the decision, and we have nothing to say.” Yangshe Yin bowed slightly in the direction of the capital and continued, “But the strength of Weiming Hou is obvious to all of you. If I, Qing Liantian, had the slightest intention of murdering Weiming Hou, why would I send my disciples to do it? Wouldn’t that be courting death?”

The whole audience was silent. There was no doubt that what he said was correct. At that time, Zhao Wumian had just supported Luo Chaoyan to ascend the throne and was at the peak of his popularity. He wanted to kill him but sent one of his disciples. That was pure stupidity and something was obviously wrong.

Yangshe Yin glanced around, and then said expressionlessly: “Qing Liantian has lived in Shu for a long time, thousands of miles away from the capital, but he has no intention of rebellion. Now that the Rong people are blocking the pass, we only need the emperor’s oral order, and we will definitely go out with swords to protect the territory of Dali. There is no reason to assassinate Weiming Hou… Yangshe Chao went to the capital for other purposes, but somehow he provoked Weiming Hou and was beaten and killed by him, so Qing Liantian ended up like this.”

The Queen Mother frowned below, “This guy is not convinced? He still said that the emperor’s decision is irresponsible… He is quite sarcastic, isn’t he?”

“Of course I don’t accept it. Yangshe went to the capital to assist Huanzhen Pavilion in robbing the prison, but he was killed by Zhao Wumian before he could make a move. He was just going to encircle and suppress Guan Yunshu to help Ning Zhongxia get revenge.” Ziyi took a piece of meat from the small bowl in front of him and fed it to the little white snake, saying:

“The encirclement and suppression of Guan Yunshu was a revenge killing, but he was accused of assassinating Zhao Wumian, which resulted in the martial arts champion plaque being taken away… No one would accept this.”

Mu Lier nodded slightly, “Now it seems that Yangshe Yin challenged Zhao Wumian for other purposes, and on the other hand, he was unwilling to accept it.”

Several women discussed quietly but did not speak out. However, an expert from the Imperial Palace could not stand Yangshe Yin’s weird tone and could not help but speak up for Zhao Wumian. “I heard that Qing Liantian was colluding with Huanzhen Pavilion. Yangshe Chao was originally in cahoots with Ning Zhongxia and Li Jingnan of Huanzhen Pavilion… What’s wrong with Weiming Hou’s efforts to wipe out the evil sect?”

Yangshe Yin looked down and said, “Yangshe Chao was bewitched by the demon of Huanzhen Pavilion and went to encircle and suppress the disciple of Xiaoxitian, Guan Yunshu, but was killed by Weiming Hou… Weiming Hou was certainly not wrong, the fault was our failure to discipline him properly. It’s just that Yangshe Chao made bad friends in the martial arts world, so he was sure that we were in collusion with Huanzhen Pavilion… Isn’t that inappropriate?”

It has always been a rumor in the martial arts world that Qing Liantian is colluding with the Huanzhen Pavilion. There is no evidence at all. People in the martial arts world only know that the Sword Master often practices swordsmanship and explores martial arts with the leader of the Huanzhen Pavilion… This is actually nothing. The distinction between good and evil in this world is not that serious.

The reason why the righteous are righteous is that the sects headed by the three sects and six factions have obtained the plaque of martial arts champion and are subject to the supervision of the court, while the evil sects are evil in their own ways. The Taixuan Palace is a treasonous sect, the Western Region Holy Church is an independent warlord, and the Huanzhen Pavilion does whatever it wants… These three evil sects have not yet reached the point where everyone is calling for their destruction in the martial arts world.

If there is one force that everyone in the martial arts world looks down upon and is hostile to, it is actually only the Benwo Hall within the Huanzhen Pavilion.

Even the Canghua Tower has a very good reputation, and Empress Canghua is still an unattainable and unreachable cold goddess in the eyes of many people in the martial arts world.

She is very powerful, has a mysterious appearance, a noble temperament, and is free-spirited like a demon. Because she admires your abilities, she gives you the Canghua Order, which you can use to ask Canghua Tower to do something for you… Most righteous young men have no resistance to this kind of demon.

As for Xiao Yuanmu and Meng Po, one is entrenched in the south of the Yangtze River and is full of rebellion and only plays high-end games, while the other is in the Western Regions and rarely shows up in the Central Plains. Neither of them is as “people-friendly” as Queen Canghua.

Yangshe Chao’s words were sonorous and powerful, but there was a sarcasm in them that one could smell even with his eyes closed… He was obviously really dissatisfied.

But most of the people present were from the martial arts world, and after hearing what Yangshe Yin said, they couldn’t help but empathize with him and their emotions were aroused… When you go out, who doesn’t have a few friends from the martial arts world that are hard to name?
There is no need to say much about the story of the righteous young man and the evil witch. Even Zhao Wumian can’t stop himself from falling for Shen Xiangge, not to mention that some shady businesses are more convenient to be run by disciples of the evil sects… The righteous and evil sects in the martial arts world are not clearly distinguished.

Qing Liantian had some connections with Huanzhen Pavilion in private, which would not be a big deal as long as it was not exposed to the public. However, Yangshe Chao offended Weiming Hou in order to avenge his friend, so he was killed. It was nothing to say about the vendettas in the martial arts world and the inferiority in skills. However, putting a hat on Qing Liantian and taking away the plaque of Wu Kui was indeed an unprovoked disaster… The court had gone too far in this matter.

No one in the Jianghu wanted to be suppressed by the court just because of their unclear relationship with the evil sect disciples. Let’s not talk about anything else, just the Canghua Order. Canghua Tower admired me, gave me the token, and helped me. After a few visits, I got to know one of the disciples and made friends. It’s normal, right? If that disciple gets into trouble in the future, considering that Canghua Tower had helped me, I would also help him to repay this friendship. Isn’t it reasonable?

But just for this, your court wants to kill me and even implicate my clan and family members… Is that reasonable?

In fact, it makes sense. An evil sect is an evil sect. The imperial court has to control the country and maintain social stability, so it cannot tolerate any sand in its eyes. Why should it let you off the hook just because you are friends with the disciples of the evil sect?
This involves the question of why the imperial court is at odds with the underworld… one is about order and stability, the other is about the pleasure of revenge.

But there were few people from the imperial court present, most of them were from the martial arts world, so they naturally stood on the side of the martial arts world, so they couldn’t help but whisper to each other, but they all spoke for Qing Liantian. “Now that I think about it, the imperial court did something unkind…”

“Enough, enough. Why are you still giving the court face? Everyone can see that the emperor did this just for Marquis Wei Ming. He didn’t want him to suffer any injustice. Qing Liantian can only be said to have suffered an unprovoked disaster.”

“Marquis Weiming is good at blowing pillow talk.”

“They say that women cannot be emperors. They act on their emotions and say things casually, but we, the people of Jianghu, suffer.”

“Speaking of which, Marquis Weiming killed Yangshe Chao in order to protect Guan Yunshu of Xiaoxitian, but the emperor ended up cleaning up his mess and taking revenge on Qing Liantian for him… Tsk tsk tsk tsk, does the current emperor have some weird hobbies? For example, he likes to watch his man having sex with other women?”

These words are purely an expression of emotion.

The Queen Mother’s originally slightly bored expression was now full of anger, her silver teeth clenched tightly,
“They haven’t handled many government affairs, and haven’t cared about the people’s food and clothing. When the earth turns over, droughts and floods occur, are they the ones who provide disaster relief and food? Are they the ones who block the border and risk their lives to resist the invasion of the Rong people? Are they the ones who arrange housing for the refugees in Jin so that they don’t starve to death or freeze to death in the winter? How many times has the emperor had a good night’s sleep since he ascended the throne? He handles government affairs in Fumo Palace day and night, and it is the turn of these brave and fierce people to make irresponsible remarks?”

Zi Yi stopped teasing the little white snake, frowned slightly, and sneered, “They can speak eloquently about politics, but when you ask them to think of a way to govern the people’s livelihood, they spread their hands and say innocently, ‘I’m just a gangster’… Anyway, they can say whatever is good or bad.”

Mu Lier was not as furious as the Queen Mother and Zi Yi, but she looked a little worried, “This Yangshe Yin is no match for Wumian in real life, so he wants to win in public opinion… Now Wumian will lose face if he wins, and even more if he loses… Alas.”

The hearts of the people in the martial arts world are on Qing Liantian’s side, so no matter whether Zhao Wumian wins or loses, he will inevitably be scolded, looked down upon, and accused of being a gigolo at the expense of the empress.

This is what is called the butt determines the head.

In the crowd, Lady Canghua, wearing a black dress, sneaked into Longquan Island by disguise. She looked around at the excited crowd of martial artists, was silent for a few seconds, and then glanced at Yangshe Yin. She was already thinking about how to kill Zhao Wumian when she kidnapped him later.

At this moment, Lady Canghua faintly heard a familiar voice filled with murderous intent, “He challenged the young master. If he was killed before the battle, it would inevitably cause criticism for the young master, so we didn’t cause trouble for him. But when the battle really came, he played these shady tricks?”

Empress Canghua raised her eyebrows slightly, looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Su Qingqi sitting not far from her, complaining to a little girl next to her who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old.

Oh, Su Qingqi is here too. Well, how could Zhao Wumian travel without her…but who is that little girl next to her?
Empress Canghua left the capital at the end of the first lunar month. Although she could not be said to know nothing about Zhao Wumian’s affairs, it was obviously impossible for her to know about Xiao Yuanmu.

As she looked at her, she saw the little girl gently waving a round fan with one hand. She actually noticed her gaze and glanced at her. Her pretty face looked a little childish, but it could not hide her theatrical charm and the pride of her martial arts that was almost like a fairy.

The two demon women stared at each other across the crowd for a few seconds, then looked away calmly, but doubts could not help arising in their hearts.

Who is she?
Yangshe Yin looked at the guests who were chatting among themselves, nodded slightly with satisfaction, and then bowed again in the direction of the capital.
“We dare not make irresponsible comments on the emperor’s words. No matter what, Yangshe Chao’s acquaintance with the friends of Huanzhen Pavilion is tantamount to bringing shame to elders like us, and also unworthy of the name of Qingliantian Zhengdao. Therefore, the plaque of Wu Kui was stripped away. However, Yangshe Chao was an abandoned baby from another family. We picked him up and raised him up. We taught him martial arts and gave him the surname Yangshe. We had a deep relationship with him. Now he died in the hands of Weiming Hou…”

Yangshe Yin paused for a moment, then said in a slightly cold tone, “Today is my birthday. Even if I am not Weiming Hou’s opponent, I have the obligation to compete with him. If I lose, it is because I am not good at martial arts, and I have nothing to say. If I win… afterwards, I will have the nerve to offer Yangshe Chao a glass of wine.”

These words touched the hearts of the martial artists present. Putting themselves in his shoes, they realized that their nephew was killed. Even if it was because of collusion with an evil sect, they obviously couldn’t swallow that humiliation… If they couldn’t swallow that humiliation, then they might as well fight openly and let the swords in their hands speak for themselves.

“Bloody!”

“Good man!”

“Where’s Zhao Wumian? Why didn’t he come forward after hearing this? Is he afraid?”

The Queen Mother was so angry that her chest kept rising and falling, and the front of her clothes was about to burst. “You are good at talking nice things, but I don’t know who is secretly collaborating with the Jiuli Fan family to cultivate the poisonous flower Wuhonghua…”

The Queen Mother could not bear it any longer and wanted to stand up and point at Yangshe Yin’s nose and curse him, but before she could open her mouth, a clear voice came from the back of the square.

“I thought that Deputy Sect Leader Yangshe volunteered to be the Sect Leader in order to help Daokui find out my strength. Now it seems that you are dissatisfied and have long wanted to compete with me… Then I am here.”

The voice did not contain much emotion, neither angry nor annoyed, but with the same light and clear elegance as always, it spread throughout the entire square in the rich inner breath.

All the martial artists present shut up immediately, their hearts skipping a beat… No matter how angry they were just now, as if Zhao Wumian had become their mortal enemy, once the real culprit came, no one dared to say anything more, for fear of being noticed by Zhao Wumian and causing trouble.

Yangshe Yin took a deep breath and looked up.

Tap tap tap————

The footsteps were subtle, but it was too quiet at the moment, so they still echoed in the field.

There was a light rain, not heavy, but it added a bit of moisture to the island. It was not yet noon, and Longquan Island was located in the center of the lake. The air was filled with vapor and fog. In the light mist, a man in a green shirt slowly emerged from the mist.

The man was wearing a conical hat and had a tall stature. Only the lower half of his face was exposed, but it was enough to tell that he had an extraordinary appearance. He had a sword and a knife slung across his waist as he walked towards the square.

As he walked, the man raised his hand and gently lifted the upper edge of his hat and hung it on his back. Most of the people present saw Zhao Wumian for the first time, and there was a hint of surprise in their eyes.

What a handsome young man! Even if he doesn’t pay much attention to his appearance when traveling around the world, he can’t help but be stared at by people in the world.

Zhao Wumian’s right arm hung lightly behind him, with his forearm resting on the hilt of the Wuhen Sword. His posture was casual, yet he exuded an irresistible sense of elegance and nobility. However, during the short few minutes he spent in the center of the square, he did not speak a word, which made the fine rain curtain even colder.

Zhao Wumian stood in the center of the square. He had searched Longquan Island before, but had not found any trace of Tong Congdao. He thought that Tong Congdao must have blended into the crowd and that was why he was so late.

He looked at Yangshe Yin and didn’t take him seriously at all. After all, Yangshe Yin was just a cicada pushed to the front, and the real oriole must be behind. So he said briefly: “I’m here… Deputy Yangshe Sect Leader, do you want to wait for others to celebrate your birthday before fighting, or do you want to start right away?”

Zhao Wumian’s attitude was very clear. You can say whatever you want, but hurry up and come down to fight me. After I knock you down, I will go and beat your brother to pieces.

For people in the underworld, no matter how much they talk about right and wrong, it is all empty talk. If you don’t have real skills, no one will respect you no matter how eloquent you are.

Yangshe Yin frowned slightly, “My Lord, do you have anything to refute what I just said?”

“Yangshe Chao wanted to kill Guan Yunshu, and Guan Yunshu had a close relationship with me, so I killed Yangshe Chao. There is nothing to say. As for whether Qingliantian had colluded with Huanzhen Pavilion…” Zhao Wumian paused, then shook his head slightly.

“Since you have been involved and cooperated with the evil people, you should be prepared to be dragged into the water by the evil people. However, you only think about cutting ties with the evil people when you are in trouble… It’s too late.”

The whole place was dead silent, no one dared to speak.

Yangshe Yin felt a surge of anger in his heart. Anyone could say that, except you, Zhao Wumian. Do you really think you are so clean?

“My Lord, you are speaking with such righteousness. Have you forgotten that you can Wan Yue Xian? That is the martial art of the current Tai Xuan Palace Master Xiao Yuanmu, and it is a secret of the Tai Xuan Palace… Could it be that you learned it secretly?”

Zhao Wumian knows how to play Wan Yuexian, and is suspected to have an unclear relationship with Xiao Yuanmu. No one in the court from top to bottom dares to discuss this matter, but Yangshe Yin has come here with the determination to die, so naturally he will say whatever he wants.

Xiao Yuanmu, who was sitting down, narrowed her beautiful eyes, covered the lower half of her face with a round fan, and sat in the crowd looking at Zhao Wumian’s back.

The Queen Mother’s slightly angry expression gradually turned expressionless.

This matter has been brought to the table for the first time… How will Zhao Wumian answer?
Play dumb? Or change the subject and start a fight?
Zhao Wumian was silent for a few moments, then he pressed his palm on the hilt of the knife and slowly drew the knife out of its sheath. “It is true that I will Wan Yuexian, and it is also true that I have connections with Taixuan Palace and Xiao Yuanmu. I will not pretend to be a stranger to her. If Your Majesty wants to punish me for this, I have nothing to say.”

After these words were spoken, the whole audience inevitably made an uproar.

This statement would definitely cause trouble for Zhao Wumian, so why didn’t he just brush it off? He finally reached the highest position in the government, but he said that he had a relationship with Taixuan Palace. Isn’t this obviously asking for trouble?

But no matter what, after a few brief words, the difference in character between Zhao Wumian and Yangshe Yin was clear… At least, Zhao Wumian was not hypocritical, and he did not hide things or play word games like Yangshe Yin.

Yangshe Yin stared at Zhao Wumian in silence for a few seconds, then held the knife in both hands, bowed, and took the opportunity to swallow the Wu Hongdan into his stomach.

Then fight.

Xiao Yuanmu looked at Zhao Wumian’s back, and a smile gradually appeared in his eyes.

————

I had something to do today, so I started writing at 8 o’clock. The updates are a bit rare, I’m sorry.

It just so happens that I can finish writing the fighting scenes and a large part of the subsequent plot in the next chapter.

(End of this chapter)