manynovel Chapter 128 Xu Qingya and Lu Xiaofeng are truly a pair of smiling tigers...
Chapter 128 Xu Qingya and Lu Xiaofeng are truly a pair of smiling tigers...
Chapter 128 Xu Qingya and Lu Xiaofeng are truly a pair of smiling tigers...
Birthday banquet at the Hua residence.
Hua Ruling, dressed in a bright red robe, sat regally in the main seat, while the seven children of the Hua family took turns presenting gifts.
Ordinary birthday banquets can be simply organized, but for a significant birthday like a 60th birthday, everyone must attend.
Whether it was Hua Manzong, who was far away on the frontier, Hua Mantang, who was studying at the Celestial Master's Mansion, or Hua Mancong, who was working at the Court of State Ceremonial, they all returned home to celebrate his birthday.
The seven sons presented their congratulatory gifts. Looking at his seven handsome and talented sons, Hua Ruling was quite proud and stroked his beard with a smile.
In this life, it is already a blessing to have many children and grandchildren and enjoy family happiness, let alone having seven successful children.
Dou Yanshan had five outstanding sons whose stories have been passed down for over a thousand years. The Hua family had seven sons, each achieving success in their respective fields. How could Hua Ruling not be proud?
The heads of powerful families, clan leaders, and their descendants, upon seeing the seven handsome young men, began to plot their own schemes.
Of the seven children in the Hua family, only the third, fourth, and fifth sons, who were in business, got married; the other four did not.
The ultimate eligible bachelor!
Marrying either one is a great blessing.
However, theoretically speaking, it is very difficult to form a marriage alliance with the Hua family. Hua Ruling's approach to educating her children is to let them have free rein and choose their own partners.
Arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers are family customs and traditions established after a mutual attraction, not a direct engagement.
Master Shenxi of Emei was quite pleased with himself. Hua Manlou had become a disciple of Wudang to learn martial arts. Wudang and Emei had a long-standing marriage alliance. Being close to the source, he was able to arrange a match between the four beauties of Emei, and at least one of them would be interested in him!
Shaolin Zen Master Kuzhi coughed awkwardly a few times.
For an old monk who had been a monk since childhood and had been chanting Buddhist scriptures for over seventy years, such an arranged marriage was really beyond his reach. The only thing he could do was to help the young man and woman pray to the Goddess of Mercy who grants children after they got married.
Liu Chengfeng of the Bashan Sword Sect scratched his head. His sister, Sun Xiuqing, was one of the Four Beauties of Emei and a die-hard fan of Ximen Chuixue, who desperately wanted to marry him.
Liu Chengfeng had serious doubts about whether Ximen Chuixue had any plans to get married. Even if she did, could she be happy marrying a sword as cold as ice and as white as snow?
Eagle Eye Seven was the most active, greeting everyone familiarly. He was the master of the Twelve Linked Forts, with twelve fortified villages and twenty-four families under his command. He was a powerful figure who controlled a region. He seemed carefree, but in reality, he was very shrewd. He only ever attended other people's birthday banquets or wedding banquets and never brought anyone into the Twelve Linked Forts. Even Lu Xiaofeng had never seen the Linked Forts!
To make matters more outrageous, nobody knows Hawkeye Seven's real name. His friends just call him Seven, and he doesn't bother with anyone else.
In addition, the force under Zhu Datianwang was called the Twelve Linked Forts Waterway, or "Black Waterway" for short. They were water bandits who roamed the Yangtze River and were powerful figures on the waterways.
Eagle Eye Seven's power base in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan is a clan-based force that sticks together for mutual support. Eagle Eye Seven's martial arts skills are far inferior to Zhu Datianwang's, but if the two sides were to fight, Zhu Datianwang would never be able to break through the Twelve Linked Forts.
Zhu Datianwang runs a bandit stronghold, and his henchmen are not willing to risk their lives; they prioritize self-preservation.
Eagle Eye Seven runs a family business, and he practices martial arts to protect it. The more dangerous the situation, the more his fighting spirit can be unleashed. His specialties are things like trading injury for injury or risking his life for another.
When facing outsiders, Hawkeye Seven is always smiling and has friends everywhere. Only when facing the younger generation of his family does he show some sternness.
Looking at the seven children of the Hua family presenting their gifts, Eagle Eye Seventh Brother laughed loudly: "Old Man Hua! Among our group of old brothers, you are the luckiest. You have seven sons, and all seven of them are outstanding individuals!"
It's so damn enviable!
Look at your son, and then think about my son!
My God!
Hey, you medicine addict, quickly prescribe some medicine to reduce my internal heat!
I need to cool down!
Old man Hua, how do you teach your children?
My son is such a blockhead. I've broken ten rattan whips and twenty rulers, and he's still laughing and joking. I made him memorize a text, and after seven days he'd only memorized six characters. By the eighth morning, after breakfast, he hadn't remembered a single one!
Eagle Eye Seven clutched his chest dramatically.
Hua Ruling hurriedly said, "Seventh Brother! Your son has an indestructible body. At such a young age, he has already mastered the Shaolin Indestructible Body Technique. Even if you break his spiked club, he won't feel any pain!"
Eagle Eye Seven spat, "He didn't learn a single move of the family's boxing and sword techniques. He only learned how to take a beating. His only advantage is that he's relatively resistant to beatings. Maybe he can save his life if he provokes a powerful enemy in the future."
Zen Master Kuzhi sighed, "What a pity! Brother Kongjian's requirements for Buddhism are too high. Otherwise, with your talent in physical training, you would be more than qualified to become Brother Kongjian's successor. Amitabha, well done!"
Eagle Eye Seven spat again: "Ku Zhi! I only have one son! If he becomes a monk, who will carry on the family line?"
"Why don't you change your rules? Monks can get married too. I'll introduce you to a nun!"
Ku Zhi lowered his head and remained silent, his fingers twirling prayer beads, as if praying to Buddha to send down heavenly lightning to strike Eagle Eye Old Seven, or at least to smash his foul mouth.
Yin Susu smiled and said, "Seventh Uncle, monks in Japan can get married. Not only can they get married, but they can also treat the temple as family property and pass it down from father to son."
Yin Susu was celebrating a birthday under the name of the Sky Eagle Sect, so she was qualified to sit on equal footing with these big shots. However, since she was a woman and surrounded by a group of women, she set up two separate tables next to her. The right table was for young girls and the left table was for handsome young men, so that the young people could have more interaction.
Eagle Eye Seventh Brother joked, "Niece! Remember what I just said: consult Old Man Hua more often and educate your son to be a well-rounded person, both in literature and martial arts, so that he can be the head of the household. Oh my god—"
Eagle Eye Seven suddenly found the food bitter, and then his hands and feet went weak. The chair creaked and he almost fell to the ground, but was caught in time by Master Shi Que.
Cheng Lingsu, Yang Yan, and Beitang Xin'er looked up at the roof without saying a word. Liu Qingci coughed twice and carefully put away the fishbone he was holding.
Eagle Eye Seven looked at Xu Qingya with a wronged expression.
Xu Qingya came over with a smile to offer a toast.
"Distinguished seniors, I raise a toast to you all!"
"With so many of us, you only need to offer one toast? That's so convenient! Oh my god!"
Eagle Eye Seven felt his limbs go weak again, and his thighs were pricked by fish bones a few times. He was flailing his arms and legs, but Xu Qingya reached out and pressed him down, and Eagle Eye Seven finally sat up.
"One toast is fine; if we toast too many, we old folks can't possibly drink it all!"
Hawkeye Seven changed his tune as quickly as possible.
These tigresses are terrifying!
They have power, money, intelligence, and military force.
Especially that one who stabbed him with a fishbone—this old lady got so angry that the Twelve Linked Forts were destroyed!
Having suffered a minor loss, Eagle Eye Seven instinctively wanted to find someone to bully and get revenge. He grabbed Song Wencao and said, "You old fox, where's your medicine? This whole bag of medicine doesn't even have any tonic!"
Everyone was there to offer birthday wishes, and all their weapons were left at the gatehouse. Only Song Wencao, due to his profession, carried a large medicine bag even while attending the banquet.
Song Wencao was slightly flustered: "Seventh Brother! I see your complexion is sallow, your eyes are dark, and your tongue coating is white. It seems you have some kidney deficiency. I'll give you—"
"You damned scoundrel, you're spreading rumors about me!"
"I can cure it!"
"What a good medicine bottle! He's a miracle doctor!"
Hawkeye Seven instantly transformed into a chameleon, his tone shifting so smoothly it was almost effortless.
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Three tables, each with its own topic of conversation.
The women discussed how to take down Xu Qingya.
Xu Qingya skillfully introduced the various dishes.
"Of all the cuisines in the various prefectures, Shandong cuisine suits my taste the best, Sichuan cuisine is the most appetizing, but if we're talking about exquisite dishes suitable for banquets, Suzhou cuisine is the best. Each dish is more refined than the last, looking like a work of art."
"Old Xu, I remember you're a chef, why don't you show us your skills!"
Lu Xiaofeng naturally cupped his eyes.
Xu Qingya chuckled, "The dishes I learned are suitable for home cooking, not for banquets. I only know how to cook two banquet dishes: roast duck and braised abalone!"
Lu Xiaofeng pointed to the plate: "Look! Doesn't the Hua family have abalone? If I remember correctly, this abalone was sent by the Eagle Sect. You're just lazy!"
Xu Qingya's voice rose: "The abalone I specialize in requires special ingredients. Not just any abalone will do; it must be 'Beauty Abalone'!"
Lu Xiaofeng retorted angrily, "Pah! Vulgar! Where in the world is there such a thing as abalone? You're making this up, and you didn't even think of a name that sounds like abalone! 'Beauty Abalone'? Saying such a thing in public, you really have no shame!"
Xu Qingya raised his voice further: "Beauty Abalone is a specialty of Poison Dragon Island, a rare delicacy from the deep sea, incredibly delicious. At least 15% of the aquatic products business of the Sky Eagle Sect comes from Beauty Abalone of Poison Dragon Island. It's just a pity that the Poison Dragon Island Master is a bastard who poisoned 80% of the beachcombers!"
The two of them took turns arguing, using bickering as an excuse to recount the history of Poison Dragon Island. Song Wencao's face showed no unusual expression because he was wearing a disguise mask, but the anger in his eyes could not be concealed.
Suddenly, as if they had spoken out of anger, Lu Xiaofeng grabbed Xu Qingya and threw him away. Xu Qingya nimbly turned in mid-air, grazed Song Wencao's bundle, and landed on the ground, giving Lu Xiaofeng a wink.
Lu Xiaofeng tossed a medicine bottle out.
"Watch me smudge your makeup!"
"A trivial skill, not worth mentioning!"
Xu Qingya flicked his finger, and the medicine bottle shattered into pieces with a crack. The medicine dripped from mid-air, not wasting a single drop, and was splashed all over Song Wencao's face.
Xu Qingya and Lu Xiaofeng, one on each side, rushed over to wipe Song Wencao clean, apologizing as they did so. The two worked together with exceptional tacit understanding.
Xu Qingya wiped Song Wencao's face with his left hand and grasped his pulse with his right. Lu Xiaofeng wiped his chest with his left hand and snatched the medicine pouch with his right hand.
It was only then that everyone realized what was happening.
Xu Qingya and Lu Xiaofeng are performing a double act.
Their target was none other than Song Wencao!
Eagle Eye Seven asked, "You two—what are you up to? Medicine Pot talks in a weird way, but he hasn't done anything wrong. What are you doing—"
At this point, I simply couldn't continue!
Xu Qingya loosened the rag, and Song Wencao's disguise mask was removed with the medicine, revealing a pale face that had not seen the sun for more than ten years. There was a scar on her face, which was scratched by Hua Manlou. It was very shallow, but could not be removed.
Lu Xiaofeng opened the medicine bag, but inside there were no miraculous medicines for curing diseases and saving lives, only a pair of iron shoes.
Iron Shoes of the Iron Shoe Thief.
In the script arranged by Hua Ruling, several helpers were brought in to make the chase more believable, including Eagle Eye Lao Qi, who had read the complete script.
Upon seeing the iron shoes, Eagle Eye Seven rubbed his bald head, then realized: "Damn it! That medicine-addicted guy is actually the Iron-Shoe Thief! You're still alive!"
The Iron-Shoeed Thief, his identity exposed and surrounded by hundreds of experts, including several Grandmasters, was trapped. Even a hundred Song Wencao couldn't escape. He recklessly declared, "I am the Iron-Shoeed Thief!"
Song Wencao glared fiercely at Hua Manlou: "I was the one who blinded you, and the Iron Shoe Bandit that Hua Ruling killed was my brother!"
You killed my brother!
Eagle Eye Seven roared, "Bullshit! We're killing the Iron-Shoeed Thief! You sickly fellow, you'd rather be a healer than a bandit! Are you out of your mind? With your medical skills, if you used them to make money, you'd be a super-rich man by now!"
Song Wencao sneered disdainfully: "By day I am a divine doctor who heals the sick and saves lives, and by night I am a ruthless thief who kills without hesitation and commits many evils. This feeling is too great! I don't really like medicine. What I like is the feeling of controlling other people at will. I can control other people's lives!"
I can control other people's lives with a sword, and I can also control other people's lives with medicine. As long as I slightly adjust the dosage when prescribing medicine, I can make people suffer from all kinds of diseases. They will be ruined and killed by me, but they will be grateful to me!
Have you ever imagined this feeling?
Eagle Eye Seven, have you ever considered that if I slightly adjusted the dosage of a few herbs while treating you, causing an imbalance in your five elements, leaving a root cause of your illness, and then I cured your injuries, the injuries could be cured, but the root cause could never be cured?
The more powerful you are when you are chasing me, the more enjoyable it is for me to heal you.
Ten years!
It's too late to know now!
Eagle Eye Seven, Stone Magpie, and Ku Zhi, which of you hasn't taken the medicine I prescribed? The root of the problem is already there!
"No one can cure him, not even if you search heaven and earth!"
In the end, the Iron-Shoe Thief was completely insane.
Ku Zhi and the others turned pale with shock.
Eagle Eye Seven was so angry he scratched his head.
Hua Manlou asked, "Iron Shoes, did you blind me back then to control me?"
"How could you possibly understand how pleasurable it is to toy with other people's lives?"
"How would you feel if you blinded me?"
"It tasted great. Every time I see you, I relive that feeling, which gives me the ultimate pleasure."
Come on! Kill me! You don't dare to do it?
Did your heart soften?
You've never killed anyone before!
That feeling is wonderful, you will definitely love that feeling. Kill me, and things will be much easier afterward. I have committed many evils and I have a deep-seated hatred for you. You should kill me, kill me, for the sake of justice in the martial world!
Hahahahahahaha————
Don't you dare to take action?
I'll add another handful of firewood for you!
Do you remember what happened back then?
I used you to threaten your father, slapped him, and blinded you. Then, I used Song Wencao's identity to treat you and your father. Just like I said, the medicine I prescribed was all wrong, causing Hua Ruling to suffer from five strains and seven injuries!
Hua Ruling can only live for a maximum of one year!
This is all your fault!
If you hadn't been running around everywhere, I wouldn't have been a match for Hua Ruling at all; I would have been killed long ago!
You killed your father!
Hua Manlou, have Lu Xiaofeng tell you what your father looks like. His face is ashen and his forehead is dark!
This is your father's last birthday celebration!
Song Wencao bared his teeth and brandished his claws, looking like a demon.
Hua Manlou's whole body convulsed, veins bulging. He wasn't afraid of external attacks, but Song Wencao's words—
"Snapped!"
Xu Qingya grabbed Hua Manlou's wrist: "Remember what we said at Peach Blossom Fortress? Trust your friends! No matter what happens, at least Lu Xiaofeng and I will stand by your side. Why care about Tiexie's words?"
Hua Ruling said loudly, "Song Wencao! You think you can fool me with such a trick? This Miss Cheng is the successor of the Poison Hand Medicine King. She has already prescribed the right medicine according to your prescription and can cure my illness."
Song Wencao, with your medical skills, can't you see that my ashen face isn't due to illness, but rather my body expelling cold toxins? You've truly wasted your time learning!
They have neither medical ethics nor medical skills!
You've wasted your whole life!
Poison Dragon Island rises again!
You'll never find what you're looking for!
My injuries will heal soon!
Lou'er grows into a righteous young hero!
You! Iron Shoes! Utterly defeated!