Chapter 208 - 206: Reunion After More Than Ten Years
As Wangyue Pavilion failed to contain the situation, the news of the menacing advance of the evil cult further spread within the Da Han Dynasty.
Many passionate martial artists from all over Jianghu spontaneously rushed in, all to resist the foreign invaders of Da Han and defend Wangyue Prefecture!
Even the leaders of various factions entangled in long-standing internal strife unanimously chose to cease conflicts and recuperate at this time.
They were also watching the situation in Wangyue Prefecture, preventing these powerful forces from the Outer Domain from taking advantage.
On this day, Wangyue County City.
Two Jianghu Guests led two mythical blooded horses into the city, each with a horn on its head and scales on its body.
They wore long dust coats, looking weather-beaten, as if they had come a long way from afar.
One of them took off his dust cap, revealing an ordinary-looking face.
With slightly scruffy curly hair, the middle-aged man’s face, sparse stubble almost covered half of his chin,
his eyes were gentle, surveying the city around him.
"Finally back to Da Han!" the younger man beside him exclaimed, taking off his dusty hood and shaking out his dry and itchy hair, casually brushing off a few bits of straw.
"Yes, we’ve returned..." the middle-aged man sighed.
This sigh contained a wealth of emotions.
Like sailors who had experienced storms at sea finally docking at port one day, feeling the land beneath their feet felt almost unreal.
"Thanks to you all along the way, Dongming."
The younger man chuckled, "If you’re grateful, thank me with wine, there’s nothing more to say after all we’ve been through."
"Alright!" The middle-aged man nodded with a smile.
They walked along the street, attracting the attention of those around them, especially the Jianghu Martial Artists.
Their attention was not on the two men, but on the mythical horses they led.
"What magnificent horses!"
"What breed is this horse, I’ve never seen it before..."
"Look at the horn on its head, it’s radiating a strange light!"
"Truly an exotic beast..."
"Who are these two? Could they be Celestial List experts!"
"I don’t know, never seen them before..."
"..."
"Brother Song, look at those two unicorns, how mystical!" not far away, Song Ping’an also noticed the two unicorns and couldn’t help but exclaim.
Song Changming, passing by, turned his head to look and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"This person..." Song Changming’s attention, however, was not on the horses.
"Ping’an, take the medicine to Elder Liu first." Song Changming said, walking forward by himself.
In a tavern.
"Shopkeeper, bring out all your signature dishes and the best wine, two jars!" Zhao Dongming called out with a wave of his hand.
"Right away, sir," the waiter quickly replied and left.
Just then, a group of Jianghu strongmen suddenly came up in the tavern, with the leader sitting down at the duo’s table without hesitation.
"I am Master Leopard of Wangyue Prefecture, may I know where the two of you hail from?" Master Leopard inquired.
"Master Leopard?" Zhao Dongming raised an eyebrow, "If you have something to say, say it quickly, don’t block the way when the food arrives."
"What did you say!" The faces of several standing men instantly turned fierce, clearly not good people.
"Hey." Master Leopard raised his hand, quieting the men behind him, squeezing a smile onto his fleshy face, "Then I’ll be straightforward, I’ll take those two unicorns of yours for three hundred silver coins, how about it."
"Three hundred silver coins?" Zhao Dongming just found it amusing, "Friend, these two Dragon Horned Horses are top-grade horses of the Ancient Abyss Country, your three hundred silver coins wouldn’t buy a horse’s leg."
"The friend doesn’t want to sell?!" Master Leopard’s feigned smile quickly disappeared, his face turning sullen.
He didn’t believe the talk of top-grade horses from the Ancient Abyss Country, thinking Zhao Dongming was just spouting nonsense.
Where is this Ancient Abyss Country, how could these two have gone there to buy horses?
"Sorry, these two horses have been with us for many years, it’s really hard to part with them." The middle-aged man beside shook his head, his tone gentler than his companion Zhao Dongming’s.
But it was still unacceptable to Master Leopard.
"What if I insist on having them!" Master Leopard said coldly, with his group of helpers directly drawing their weapons, full of evil qi, scaring off quite a few nearby diners.
"I advise you not to." Zhao Dongming sneered, unafraid of the weapons in the strongmen’s hands, casually picking up a chopstick.
Faint inner qi energy subtly attached to it.
Undoubtedly, this person is a Qi Refining Martial Artist!
"Didn’t you understand human language, they don’t want to sell, why insist on pestering them?"
A voice suddenly came from the tavern staircase.
"Who!" Master Leopard, unaware of the inner qi fluctuations from Zhao Dongming, was simply annoyed.
This Master Leopard’s reputation isn’t working today?
One by one, daring to defy him?
Song Changming slowly walked up the stairs.
"Ah!" The middle-aged man on the seat saw Song Changming, was first startled, then stood up abruptly, a face full of surprise.
"Brother Liu, do you still recognize me? I hope you’ve been well." Song Changming smiled.
This middle-aged man was indeed the Great Knight, Liu Xiangnan, who had taught him the Flying Swallow Technique years ago.
Even though it had been more than ten years, Liu Xiangnan’s stature and appearance had changed significantly, yet Song Changming could still recognize him.
"Song Weizhang!" Liu Xiangnan immediately recognized Song Changming.
Over the past ten years, Song Changming seemed to have frozen in time, his appearance hardly changed from more than ten years ago, still looking as young as twenty.
Only in terms of spirit and temperament did he appear slightly more mature.
Neither expected to meet here, encountering a familiar face.
"I also seem to remember you, the Junior Patrol Guard whom Brother Liu once generously taught." Zhao Dongming clapped his hands and laughed.
"Interesting, truly interesting!"
Song Changming actually remembered this person as well.
Xiaoyao Sword, Zhao Dongming.
Back then he was a renowned genius swordsman in the Jianghu, but after ambushing prisoners and rescuing the notorious criminal Liu Xiangnan, he was wanted by the government.
Ever since then, he and Liu Xiangnan had vanished from the Jianghu, never to be seen again.
Now, more than ten years later, the name Xiaoyao Sword was hardly mentioned in the Jianghu anymore.
"Meeting old friends, I shouldn’t spoil the mood, but it seems you have completely ignored Master Leopard!"
Master Leopard next to them was infuriated, slammed the table, and stood up, speaking coldly.
His henchmen behind him raised their swords and knives, ready to close in.
Song Changming raised his hand and casually flicked his finger.
Inner Qi transformed into a bolt of Powerful Qi shooting out, instantly breaking two swords and three knives from these henchmen!
This action also instantly stunned everyone, including Master Leopard.
"I’ll give you another chance, think carefully before speaking, Master Leopard?" Song Changming approached, looking at Master Leopard he said gently.
At this moment, Master Leopard felt his heart almost stop, overwhelmed by Song Changming’s pressure, suffocating and unable to catch his breath, his back instantly drenched.
"Leopard, Little Leopard, just call me Little Leopard... It was all a misunderstanding, I was blind, unable to recognize greatness, my apologies to all three of you..."
Master Leopard, as if waking up, hurriedly said respectfully.
"Leave." Song Changming said, unwilling to waste words.
"Yes, yes, whatever you drink or eat today is on me, consider it an apology." After speaking, Master Leopard left with his group, dejectedly.
"Hey, that’s great, let’s eat to our heart’s content today." Zhao Dongming laughed merrily.
Outside the restaurant.
"Master Leopard, are we just leaving it like that?" A henchman felt embarrassed, spoke unwilling to accept defeat.
Walking ahead, Master Leopard turned and slapped him, making him spin in place.
"Are you blind, didn’t you see that move just now, Qi Flowing Technique, Qi Refining Expert, if we don’t leave it at that, what else can we do!"
Master Leopard shouted angrily, venting his frustration from earlier.
Although his skills were lacking, his insight still existed, knowing who to offend and who not to, and when accidentally offending such people, knowing to immediately apologize, he had this scale in his heart...
Being able to survive in the Jianghu for years required either skill or smarts.
Inside the restaurant, the three sat together at a table, not bothering to mention Master Leopard again.
A street bully was nothing worth discussing in their eyes.
"So, you’re no longer a patrol guard for the Imperial Court?" Zhao Dongming asked.
Song Changming served in Donglai Prefecture back then, now they reunite in Wangyue Prefecture, evidently both were no longer what they used to be.
Song Changming nodded, the past wasn’t something he couldn’t talk about.
The days of being a patrol guard in Donglai Prefecture were old history, many things had happened since then.
Now he’d been in Wangyue Prefecture for nearly three years.
"Well yes, currently Da Han is four-part, the Imperial Court is strong outside but weak within, being a government official is indeed quite meaningless." Zhao Dongming folded his arms, shaking his head as he spoke.
As the three were talking, the waiter hurriedly brought wine and dishes to the table.
"Our shopkeeper says, thank you to the three Great Knights for your mercy just now..."
Clearly, the restaurant’s shopkeeper was afraid that Song Changming and the others would engage in a fight with Master Leopard and his group, destroying his restaurant.
"Rest assured, even if we damage the restaurant, we’ll compensate you." Zhao Dongming grinned and replied.
"Yes, yes, gentlemen enjoy, if the wine or dishes are insufficient, call for me anytime." The waiter laughed along and then hurriedly withdrew.
"Finally there’s wine to drink, I’ve been dying for a drink along the way." Zhao Dongming rubbed his hands, opened the wine jar, poured himself a big bowl, and immediately drank it all.
"Refreshing!"
"Although the taste just misses the mark, not as good as the fine wine brought by Mr. Jiang from the Ancient Abyss Country!"
"Ancient Abyss Country?" Song Changming heard and was startled.
...