LRAB Chapter 27 Pretending to be weak to fool others? Then I'll make you a pig!
Chapter 27 Pretending to be weak to fool others? Then I'll make you a pig!
In the evening, Xu Qingya and others went to the banquet.
The reason for delaying until evening was twofold: firstly, to see how many people would be attending the banquet, and secondly, because time was tight.
He had to paint portraits of three stunning beauties, wait for them to put on makeup and change clothes, and then paint several more portraits of them after they were dressed. He was exhausted but enjoying the process.
Yin Susu was dressed in the standard attire of a well-bred lady, looking every bit the virtuous wife and loving mother. Her former witch-like aura had completely vanished, except for a slight sharpness in her eyes and brows.
Qin Nanqin changed into a light yellow maid's outfit and followed Xu Qingya weakly, displaying a well-behaved, sensible, intelligent and graceful demeanor that made her extremely endearing.
When Liu Qingci changed into women's clothing for the first time, Xu Qingya was stunned the moment she finished changing. Yin Susu and Qin Nanqin lowered their heads, their faces full of sorrow.
How to describe it?
When dressed as a man, she wore a thick bodice around her chest; when she changed back into women's clothing, she wore a bellyband underneath, revealing her figure completely, and her toes were not visible when she looked down.
From an aesthetic point of view, bigger is not necessarily more perfect. The ideal figure is one that is petite and well-proportioned. However, Liu Qingci is tall and has long legs. When she stands tall and holds her head high, she has an indescribable allure.
What a sweet little watermelon!
When Xu Qingya and the others arrived at the door, the greeters changed from Lu Kun and Zhou Qi to the head steward of the Wan family.
The arrival of four handsome men and beautiful women was so surprising that even someone with a screw loose would know they were no ordinary people. The butler greeted them with a smile, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply.
"Is this young master surnamed Xu?"
"That's right!"
"I have long admired Young Master Xu's name. It is truly an honor to meet you today. I will be able to share in your good fortune for the rest of my life."
The steward ushered the four into the inner hall. Knowing that Xu Qingya would not like the Poison Hand Medicine King, he arranged for the two to be in the east and west wing courtyards respectively. The Poison Hand Medicine King was in the east wing courtyard, while Xu Qingya and the others were in the west wing.
"Poisonous Hand Medicine King" was hosted by Yan Daping to discuss how to deal with the Four Great Constables. They had to remain secretive. Xu Qingya and others were personally hosted by Wan Zhenshan. The two sides chatted tacitly and tested each other step by step.
Of course, all of this is a waste of time.
Xu Qingya knew that the Liancheng treasure was hidden in Tianning Temple, which was located in the southwest of Jiangling City, but he could not say it directly. Moreover, given Zhuge Zhengwo's personality, he would not have just brought troops to dig up the treasure; he must have had other plans.
Just as Su Mengzhen and Lei Sun predicted, after stabilizing the court, Liu Dinghuan would inevitably make a move against the martial arts world. Whoever dared to step forward would become a scapegoat.
The martial arts world of Jingxiang is an excellent target.
First, the number of people is large and the mix is mixed;
Secondly, there are no experts involved, making it easy to control;
Third, using the martial arts world of Jingxiang as a springboard, we can test Shangguan Fei's attitude towards the imperial court. Zhuge Zhengwo really wants to recruit Shangguan Fei back to the imperial court. Shangguan Fei is a very rare naval warfare expert, and he is also good at supervising the construction of warships.
Fourth, if Xu Qingya is not mistaken, the "chicken" that Zhuge Zhengwo has chosen is—Blackwater!
Among the many underworld forces in the martial arts world, the Black Water Gang is not the most active, but it is the most deeply hidden.
The five major underworld forces—the Money Gang, the Angry Dragon Gang, the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, the Six and a Half Hall, and the Power Gang—have some hidden trump cards, but the vast majority of their power is out in the open, their ambitions written all over their faces.
Zhu Datianwang of the Blackwater Channel is hiding too well.
How deep is it?
Zhuge Zhengwo keenly realized that the nominal leader of the Blackwater Gang, "Zhu Shunshui," was just a stand-in, and the real Zhu Datianwang had never revealed his identity.
You've been hiding so well. If I don't take you down now, do you expect me to wait until you've grown strong enough to turn against me?
What does this tell us?
Don't always hide your abilities and pretend to be weak to take advantage of others.
Otherwise, you'll easily be beaten into a "pig"!
Meanwhile, upon receiving the steward's report, Wan Zhenshan couldn't help but frown. According to intelligence, Xu Qingya and Zhui Ming had arrived in Jiangling together. Xu Qingya was here, but where was Zhui Ming? Had Zhui Ming hidden himself?
impossible!
The Four Great Constables, upright and honorable.
Zhui Ming is by no means a coward who hides his true nature.
Wan Zhenshan asked the butler to bring the gift list. After checking the names on the list, he quickly found "Cui Lueshang". He felt his heart clench and wanted to take some nitroglycerin. He really wanted to tear Lu Kun and Zhou Qi to pieces.
The Four Great Constables have arrived, and you two actually made each other eat at a banquet. Eating at a banquet is one thing, but a banquet in a back alley is another. Do you two want to die?
On second thought, the name "Cui Lueshang" is far less famous than "Zhuiming". Lu Kun can remember the list of heroes of Jingxiang martial arts, but not the list of heroes of the world.
In fact, 99.9% of people in the martial arts world can name the code names and physical characteristics of the Four Great Constables, but at most only 10% can name their real names.
The names of the Four Great Constables are full of poetic imagery. Given the average level of literacy in the martial arts world, it's already quite an achievement to remember their code names. Who has time to memorize poems?
Take Zhuiming as an example. The name "Zhuiming" alone tells you what kind of person he is. Once you've seen or heard of him, you'll never forget him.
How many people in the martial arts world know that the phrase "略商" is adapted from the poem "商略黄昏雨"? Of course, it doesn't matter if you can't remember it the first time, you'll remember it after a beating.
Wan Zhenshan ordered his steward, "Go and give those two little beasts, Lu Kun and Zhou Qi, thirty lashes with a rattan cane. What use are their eyes if they can't even recognize the Four Great Constables right in front of them? Thirty lashes are too few, give them fifty, every lash will draw blood!"
Wan Zhenshan straightened his clothes and went to the west wing to find Xu Qingya and the others. Before he even reached the door, laughter could be heard from afar, followed by a flurry of compliments.
Wan Zhenshan is a descendant of the Changge Sect's poetry lineage. He has studied poetry and prose since childhood, and in terms of word choice and sentence structure, he is ten times more elegant than the old steward of the Wan family.
"Young Master Xu is truly a dragon among men!"
In my lifetime, I have seen many talented people in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, but I have never seen a young hero like you, sir. You are wise enough to assist the Four Great Constables in capturing criminals, and brave enough to face the dangers of the immortal thief.
With his elegant and graceful bearing, he stood like a lone pine tree on a green cliff, and moved like flowing clouds and swirling snow. Even the most beautiful woman beside him paled in comparison to him!
As for those vulgar fellows who consider themselves talented, how can they compare to the young master's courage, wisdom, and brilliance? To have the honor of seeing the young master is truly a blessing beyond measure.
Xu Qingya laughed and said, "Senior Wan, you flatter me. I only did some small things, nothing to mention! Let me introduce you. This young lady is Miss Yin, the eldest daughter of the Sky Eagle Sect. She's here in Jingxiang for sightseeing."
Yin Susu nodded gently.
When Yin Susu faced Xu Qingya, she was a gentle and charming lady from a prominent family. But when facing others, her domineering and imposing aura, which she displayed even slightly, was enough to leave people speechless and startle Wan Zhenshan so much that his hair stood on end.
Xu Qingya said, "This is Miss Liu, and this is Miss Qin. They are both my good friends."
Wan Zhenshan bowed respectfully: "I wonder if Young Master Xu is here for sightseeing or to investigate a case? Could it be that the remnants of the Encountering Immortal Gang have already fled to Jingzhou?"
Xu Qingya lied: "I've been used to the snow and ice in Liaodong and have always admired the misty rain of Jiangnan. Now that I've just settled down at home, I have some free time, so inviting a few friends to visit is a pleasure in life."
Qin Nanqin chimed in, "Young master, you are a man of great talent. You have written dozens of poems during your travels. I have heard that Mr. Wan is skilled in poetry and prose. I wonder if we could ask Mr. Wan for some guidance? Please do not hesitate to give me your advice."
Yin Susu quickly added, "Mr. Wan just quoted extensively from classical texts and spoke eloquently, clearly demonstrating his extensive knowledge of literature. If he claims ignorance of literature, it would be an insult to us, and we shouldn't blame him for getting angry!"
Liu Qingci shook his fist: "Love it when you lose your temper! I love losing my temper! Let me throw the first punch!"
Wan Zhenshan almost had his heart jump out of his chest.
One is the emperor's most beloved younger sister, a title equal to a prince, and the other is the eldest daughter of the Sky Eagle Sect. In terms of background alone, Xu Qingya is actually the lowest, but Xu Qingya can shatter a two-story building with a single strike.
Who would Wan Zhenshan dare to offend?
Knowing that the three had come for the Liancheng Sword Technique, Wan Zhenshan had no choice but to obediently reveal it.
"All nations look up to the Zhou dynasty, and officials in their robes bow before its imperial crown!"
This move is the opening stance of the Liancheng Sword Technique, a highly respectful move that signifies making friends through martial arts.
"A lone wild goose comes from the sea, and the pond dares not look upon it!"
This move is commonly known as the "slap style," where you use your sword to block the enemy's weapon and then slap them across the face.
"A lone plume of smoke rises straight from the desert, the setting sun hangs round over the long river!"
This move is commonly known as the "sword thrusting style." You turn your back and use your sword to thrust at the enemy, piercing through their shoulder in one strike.
"The setting sun shines on the great banner, horses neigh and the wind whistles."
This move, commonly known as the "Sword-Departing Style," involves first using rapid attacks to put the enemy into a rhythm, then swirling the sword and thrusting it towards the opponent's Shenmen acupoint, causing them to lose their grip on the weapon.
When Mei Niansheng fought the Blood Saber Ancestor, he won with these three sword techniques. When Wan Zhenshan and the other two were watching the battle, they noticed that the sword techniques their master used in the battle were several times more powerful than the sword techniques he usually taught them. They guessed that their master had deliberately taught them crooked and wrong moves when passing on his skills.
Over the years, the three of them have been secretly correcting their mistakes.
Qi Changfa took the "crooked tricks" to a whole new level, modified them into a mess, and passed them on to his daughter and apprentices.
Wan Zhenshan came to the master with prior skills, but over the years he gradually abandoned the Liancheng Sword Technique and switched to practicing his original martial arts. When fighting enemies, he uses fist techniques more often than sword techniques.
Yan Daping has the highest talent. During the battle, he memorized Mei Niansheng's moves and has mastered these three sword techniques. In the original story, Yan Daping used these three sword techniques to sow discord between Qi Changfa and Wan Zhenshan.
Wan Zhenshan was not familiar with these three sword techniques, so his execution was a mess. But this was not a pretense; it was his true skill level, and no one could say anything about it.
As for their own family skills, they certainly won't use them.
Wan Zhenshan's family kung fu has two types.
The first is ventriloquism, and the second is bricklaying.
These two skills are essential techniques for killing someone to cover up their crime and destroy evidence. However, as anyone who has killed people often knows, building a wall cannot block the smell of a corpse.
Therefore, Wan Zhenshan must have been proficient in preservation and deodorization techniques, such as wrapping the corpse with a layer of quicklime when building it into the wall.