Chapter 1018
Yangping Martial Arts Conference
Chapter 1018 Yangping Martial Arts Conference
On the official road heading north,
Gusts of cold wind blew across the wilderness, like the howling of ghosts and wolves. Several sect leaders rode on their horses, their eyes fixed on the smoke and dust ahead, and veins bulged on the backs of their hands holding the reins!
Pavilion Master Tang's words just now were somewhat frivolous, causing the Palace Master of Xuanbing Palace, Fang Bihua, to smile and chuckle like a green oriole.
"Alas, Pavilion Master Tang is still clear-sighted. I am just a woman, supporting such a large family business, and I am already exhausted physically and mentally. Now the White Lotus Sect Leader is pressing us everywhere, and together with Qingfeng Village, we are convening a martial arts conference. Only small sects like us can participate. How can we talk about a martial arts conference? It's just deceiving ourselves."
He said it lightly, but there was a flash of worry in his eyes, but no one saw it.
Pavilion Master Tang frowned but did not answer. It was not just Xuanbing Palace that was in trouble. All the sects in Xihe County were in trouble, especially those in Qingfeng Village. The betrayal made the White Lotus Sect even more impatient.
Unfortunately, he also knew that the White Lotus Sect was like duckweed without water. If Luo Yunhou's army arrived here, everything would return to the starting point. However, due to this time difference, the various sects would not be able to escape.
"Hmph, what can't be said? You and I already know what the White Lotus Sect is thinking, but there is not enough time. We are just pretending to be submissive to protect ourselves. As long as Luo Yunhou agrees and gives us the opportunity, the matter will be mostly settled."
The words spoken with the belly are the famous skill of the Tiger Roar Sect. The Tiger Roars in the Mountains and Forests, the sect leader Qin Hao, is a lay disciple of the Jing'an Temple in Beishan. Ever since he entered the martial arts world and broke his vows by finding a woman, he became more and more obsessed with it. He simply created a large family business in Xihe County. After joining the Tiger Roar Sect, he simplified the Lion's Roar and changed it to Tiger Roars in the Mountains and Forests to offer to the Tiger Roar Sect, and became an elder. Later, he married the sect leader's daughter. Until today, after his father-in-law died, he took over as the sect leader. It's hard to say that he encountered such a difficult thing as soon as he took office. Fortunately, he is not the only one who has encountered such a difficult thing.
"Humph, that's easy to say. Marquis Luo Yun is so young, but he has already achieved such a high position. Although he is a marquis within the pass, he is actually a marquis. News has come from outside the pass that Marquis Luo Yun has already recovered Pingliao City and dominated the Luochuan area thousands of miles outside the pass. This has been concealed from many people. It is so difficult to get him to agree."
The leader of the Iron Palm Gang sighed. He was originally a bodyguard, and after he and his brothers entered the martial arts world, they jointly established the Iron Palm Gang. Their power was only somewhat well-known on both sides of the canal, but when asked to describe their reputation, he could only shake his head.
When the sect leaders heard this, they kept silent, thinking quickly about what conditions they could come up with to make Luo Yunhou agree.
"Otherwise, you can learn from the Golden Sword Sect and join him. I heard that the leader of the Golden Sword Sect, Jiang Daiyun, seems to have joined the second son of the Zhongshun Palace. Now he is also a decent person and has a lot of prestige. What do you think?"
Palace Master Fang smiled. They were all being treated like dogs, so it would be better to sell them for a good price. Who knows, maybe Xuanbing Palace could set up a branch palace outside the Great Wall.
"Oh, it's easy for Sect Master Fang to say that. Marquis Luo Yun is in power. Now that the enemy is at the gates, how could he easily agree? However, if Sect Master Fang uses more tricks, it should be possible. Rumor has it that Marquis Luo Yun is lustful and has caused a lot of trouble in the capital. Sect Master Fang is known as the most beautiful woman in Xihe County, so maybe it's really possible."
He was just saying some sarcastic words, but in the end, Gang Leader Song Wenshan's voice became smaller and smaller. This is not impossible. Xuanbing Palace only accepts female disciples. She is good at using hidden weapons and poisons. She is well-known in the martial arts world. Especially many of her disciples have married into many sects. As a result, her influence is getting bigger and bigger. If this girl really follows Marquis Luo Yun, it is not impossible for her to rise to fame overnight.
He has this idea,
How could others not have it? Even Pavilion Master Tang, who had just spoken harshly, could not help but feel a little apprehensive.
"Boss Song, you are exaggerating. Palace Master Fang is obsessed with martial arts. At such a young age, he is already a second-rate martial artist. Needless to say, his talent is naturally great. Besides, it is not easy to build the Xuanbing Palace. The only snow-capped mountain in Xihe County is the top of the sect. The cold spring there is a rare thing in the whole martial arts world."
Pavilion Master Tang was just praising and giving way. The so-called cold springs, in layman's terms, are hot springs that gush out from the ground, rushing straight up the mountain. When it encounters snow and becomes cold, it is top-quality water for brewing wine. When combined with precious medicine, it becomes medicinal wine for practicing martial arts. How can we not treasure it?
"Humph, one or two of you are all using me as an excuse. Every year, the Xuanbing Palace brews medicinal wine. Which of you has taken a lot? You are still pretending to use this as an excuse. Wine is a good thing, but it's a pity that it takes a long time to carefully take care of it. If you really can't do it, why don't you send your disciples to guard the snowy peak in the back mountain and take good care of it?"
At this point, Fang Bihua was a little annoyed. This medicinal wine has a characteristic that it cannot be exposed to heat, so when fermenting, it can only be buried in the snow. A snow cave was built on the top of the mountain behind the sect, just for the fermentation of these medicinal wines. Fortunately, the silver given by each sect is not small, otherwise, who would want to do this kind of hard labor?
"That's not necessary. Your sect is composed of women. If men go up, it will be a mess."
Pavilion Master Tang quickly shook his head and disagreed. The mountain behind was unusually cold and gloomy, and ordinary people could not stand it. However, the more he talked, the more he got lost. It was obviously about discussing a meeting with Luo Yunhou. He coughed twice and quickly asked;
"Let's stop talking nonsense and talk about serious matters. If you really meet Marquis Luo Yun, please be careful. At present, Shizhou and Yangping have fallen into the hands of the White Lotus Sect. The assets of our various sects have also been looted. Only the county city and Jinzhou are left. If they are occupied by the White Lotus Sect again, decades of foundation will be destroyed. Therefore, success or failure depends on today."
The words sounded heavy, but it was an indisputable fact. If we didn't reach an agreement today, we would be forced to join the bandits. Later, we would be liquidated by the court and there would be no way out. If we reached an agreement and got on the way of Marquis Luo Yun, the people of Jianghu would have a place to stay in the future.
"Then I'd like to ask Palace Master Fang to take care of it,"
The remaining few people also bowed their hands.
Fang Bihua's face, covered by the black cloth, was somewhat shy, and she looked at the few people with unfriendly eyes, but at this point, she could not retreat. The White Lotus Sect was not a place for good men and women.
Suddenly, a group of cavalry came running over from the front. Not far in front of the few people, they drew their weapons and led the scouts to the camp, and immediately shouted loudly,
"Who is coming?"
Several sect leaders did not dare to neglect and responded with fists clasped;
"We are the leaders of several martial arts sects in Xihe County. We are here to seek an audience with Marquis Luo Yun. Please pass on your message, General."
Qin Hao, the leader of the Tiger Roar Sect, clasped his fists and answered. He also took out a visiting card from his arms and handed it over. He gave enough face. The rest of the people did the same.
This move made the scouts a little confused. It was unusual for a martial arts sect to ask to see the Marquis, but when they remembered that some brothers had intercepted a group of powerful old Taoist priests before, they also sent them to the Marquis, so they sent their men to take the visiting card back.
After I took it and opened it, I found that it was the leader of various sects in Xihe County. It was obviously not a coincidence, but he came prepared. But there was something strange about this.
"What is the matter with you meeting the Marquis?"
The battalion commander was a little cautious. Now that they were in Runan territory, they could not be too cautious. The scouts behind them had already surrounded them. When Qin Hao saw this, he quickly turned over and dismounted, clasping his fists and saying;
"General, please don't misunderstand. We are eager to see the Marquis because we want to report the movements of the White Lotus bandits. The White Lotus is now wreaking havoc in Xihe County and has already captured Shizhou and Yangping. The army is now surrounding the county town and will attack the city soon. I hope the general will report immediately."
"Oh, the White Lotus Sect is so quick. Since the news has been spread, I can do it for you. Why do you need to see the Marquis separately?"
The camp commander was still a little suspicious. This little bit of news was not enough to see the Marquis. The Marquis had already anticipated the movements of the White Lotus Sect. Even if they were to besiege the county town, it would not be so easy to fight. The location of Xihe county town was a little delicate. If the rebel army attacked the city, it would not be taken in a short time.
Several people looked a little anxious and hesitant, and Palace Master Fang slowly spoke;
"General, of course there is more to it than just this. I also heard that the leader of the White Lotus Sect and the head of Qingfeng Village are planning to hold a martial arts conference in Yangping. All of our factions have received invitations, so we can only come to seek refuge with the Marquis. I hope the general can pass on the message."
The sound of a chirping oriole made the commander hesitate. It turned out to be a woman, so he asked.
"I wonder who this person is?"
"General, I am the head of Xuanbing Palace. I came here today to ask to see the Marquis."
The voice is gentle, and the tight clothes outline her graceful figure. It seems that the Marquis likes these.
"Okay, since the sect leaders are sincere, follow me back now. If the Marquis agrees, I will meet him. If not,
The voice was prolonged, and several people reacted quickly.
"If the Marquis does not agree, we will return the same way."
Pavilion Master Tang quickly responded, not daring to show any disrespect.
"Okay, let's go, follow me, go ahead," now that the words had been made clear, the camp commander no longer hesitated, pulled the reins, and led everyone back to the main camp of the army. A cloud of dust was raised on the official road again.
At the same time, in Yangping, Xihe County, the government office was also crowded. The originally messy courtyard had already been tidied up, and a banquet was set up in the main hall. The servants inside and outside were all maids of the White Lotus Sect. They were dressed in white brocade robes, wearing hats and veils, which had a unique charm.
As for the so-called martial arts conference, it was just a gimmick. The first to come here were the leaders of Qingfeng Village, the first leader Xiang Hong, the second leader Xiang Ran, and the third leader Xiang Cheng. The three of them were descendants of the Xiang family of Chu State. Although they were not all extraordinary in skills, they were also extremely strong. As they were about to reach the government office,
There were flags flying all along the way. The flag of the Holy Mother of the White Lotus Sect was flying high, which looked a bit out of place. At the front of the street, there was also a large flag of Qingfeng Village. Several people's faces turned black. They hadn't even talked yet, but they were already on the boat.
"Brother, that's not right. Aren't we here for a martial arts conference? Why didn't we see other sects? Instead, we entered the government office and mixed with these evil women."
The third in command, Xiang Cheng, was impatient. Seeing that something was wrong, he started to ask about it. However, his action was rebuked by his second brother, Xiang Ran.
"Just say what you want to say. Why are you yelling? You know that you are here today to attend the Hongmen Banquet. Our ancestors used it before, but they never thought that they would use it on us. I don't know what the White Lotus Cult people are thinking."
"Humph, what else could she be thinking? She just wants to recruit us and rebel against the court together. That witch, isn't she just trying to catch us all in one fell swoop today? I don't know what other sects think, ah."
The third brother snorted coldly, with an expression of dissatisfaction on his face. Although the three brothers disliked the imperial court, they disliked the people of the White Lotus Sect even more. If the rebellion could succeed, the people who ruled the country ten years ago would have been the people of the White Lotus Sect.
"Then, big brother, second brother, what should we do? We have at least 10,000 escorts in Qingfeng Village. We can still defend the city. The reserves in the village are sufficient. We are in a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Why should we be afraid of these evil women? When the imperial army arrives, they will be the ones who can't hold on."
The third brother kept on nagging, saying that he didn't like the feeling of being bullied. Only the eldest brother Xiang Hong shook his head and sighed.
"You are good at talking. Now the White Lotus Sect is in full force and has swept across the entire Xihe County. With the escorts we have, we can't hold out for three days. So we have to come here. I think the people from other sects are the same. As for what will happen in the end, we can only act according to circumstances like other sects."
There was one more thing Xiang Hong never told them. There had been a lot of activity on the hills not far from their stronghold these days. Camps were being built, traps were being set, and many people were rushing up the hills. If it was the work of those water bandits, it would be fine. But with so much food and so many people, it was impossible for those water bandits to cause such a commotion. However, they did not dare to send people to investigate further, lest they bring disaster upon themselves.
Furthermore, I had a vague idea in my heart that the White Lotus Sect must have recruited these people, but why did they still build a stronghold?
The Jianghu is neither big nor small. The only one who can rebel with such momentum is the White Lotus Sect.
"Listen to my brother,"
The two nodded, and soon arrived outside the government office, dismounted,
At this moment, the Right Protector of the White Lotus Sect was already dressed in Confucian clothing, standing in front of the gate with a smile on his face, bowing and saluting.
"I am here to greet the three leaders of Qingfeng Village. Please come in."
"You are too polite, Right Protector. The three of us brothers are able to come here thanks to your invitation. I am so ashamed, so ashamed."
Xiang Hong kept being modest, looking very embarrassed, while Ying Xiancai narrowed his eyes, feeling very pleased.
"Master, you are right. Everyone in the Xiang family is a hero. Nowadays, the people are living in poverty and the court is incompetent. This is a great opportunity for us. How can we stay in one place? Come, enter the mansion and take a seat."
Duan Hong didn't dare to answer after hearing the greeting, but smiled and walked in first until he reached the main hall. Many mountain chiefs and leaders of small sects had already arrived and were making a lot of noise in the room. Xiang Hong quickly glanced around, but didn't see anyone from other big sects here, so he had to choose a seat at the side and sit down.
After the three of them sat down, the second oldest Xiang Ran suddenly hesitated and said;
"Brother, something is wrong. Logically, the people from other major sects should have arrived long ago, so why are they nowhere to be seen? Lingyun Pavilion and Huxiao Sect are the closest, so they should be there even if they walked, so why are their sect leaders nowhere to be seen?"
The more suspicious you become, the more you will think. If only one person came late, it would be fine. But if all of them came late, then there must be something else going on. The most important thing is, why didn't they inform the three of them?
The third brother was a little unconvinced. He stood up and took a quick look. He really didn't see those arrogant young men. He sat down angrily.
"Big brother, second brother, it's true. No one from Lingyun Pavilion and Iron Palm Gang came, and those women from Xuanbing Palace were not seen either. Could they not be coming?"
The third brother's suspicious words made Xiang Hong's face gloomy. He thought quickly in his mind, but after thinking for a while, he shook his head.
"It's impossible for them not to come. They all have their own sects. Not only are they wealthy, but their mountain gates are not as dangerous as our Qingfeng Village. If we really don't give face to the White Lotus Sect, we will probably invite disaster."
While the three of them were talking, a loud gong and drum sounded from the hall door. People from Xuanbing Palace, Huxiao Sect, Iron Palm Gang, and Lingyun Pavilion came in with gongs and drums. The right protector of the White Lotus Sect led the way with a smile on his face.
"I wonder, my good men, why didn't the sect leaders come?"
The cold words made the people behind shiver all over. Zhou Wen, the elder of Lingyun Pavilion, quickly clasped his fists and bowed.
"Right Protector, don't think too much. This is a long story. A few days ago, several sect leaders including me received an invitation from the leader of the Five Lakes Alliance to go to Jingbei County to participate in the Five Lakes Alliance's meeting. Several sect leaders left with their people, leaving us alone to look after the house."
"Yes, Right Protector, don't think too much. The White Lotus Sect Leader has invited us, so how can we not come? Look, we are beating gongs and drums and accompanying him all the way. Isn't that enough sincerity?"
A charming voice came from the mouth of Jiang Zijun, the elder of Xuanbing Palace, with a unique flavor. The remaining two also nodded in agreement.
"Right Protector, as long as you decide, we will definitely obey without hesitation."
Liang Cheng from the Tiger Roar Sect and Liu Qi from the Iron Palm Gang almost bowed as they walked into the hall. After hearing these calls, Ying Xiancai nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay, since the sect leaders have left for some business, who can make the decisions on the sect's affairs?"
"Well, I can make the decision on small matters, but for big matters, I still need to inform the Sect Master. However, if the White Sect Master has something to tell us, we will definitely do our best."
After a few hesitations, they finally agreed. After Yingxian heard this, his doubts were finally gone. If he had agreed too quickly, it would have been obviously false. Only if he agreed like this could people be convinced.
"Since you are here, you should give me face. There are some things that can and cannot be done. I think you all know them. Things in the martial arts world are the martial arts world. Do you understand?"
"Yes, that's right. Protector Ying is right. The affairs of the martial world should be settled by the martial world. I wonder what the Right Protector wants us to do?"
"Haha, why are you in such a hurry? There is a delicious banquet in the room. You will understand after you finish your meal. Please,"
"Thank you, Right Protector, please."
(End of this chapter)