When Xu Ziling woke up the next day, he refused to go to the bilge to wait with Xiang Yushan and meditated alone in the room.
Every time he finished practicing, he felt a sense of satisfaction that he was self-sufficient and did not seek anything from others.
The strange thing is that he used to like eating very much like Kou Zhong, but as he became more powerful, his appetite decreased and he especially disliked meat and fish. Instead, he liked wild fruits and vegetables the most. Even if he didn't eat for two or three days, there would be no problem.
The reason why he had to stay alone in the room today was because he felt a strange change in his body. The entire layer of skin fell off, like a snake shedding its skin.
The new skin was as smooth and tender as a baby's, making him look even more radiant.
Xu Ziling didn't take this change seriously. He raised his hands to make different postures and at the same time channeled his true energy into his hands.
He became more and more confident in his hands, which became more crystal clear and beautiful. When he concentrated on his true energy, he would not be damaged at all when blocking any magic weapon. However, any magic weapon must be flexible and arbitrary.
Yesterday, when he had a head-on confrontation with Yang Xuyan, he clearly felt his progress in martial arts.
Yang Xuyan's erratic swordsmanship is no longer so elusive. It is precisely because he has grasped Yang Xuyan's strange swordsmanship that he can save Xiangyushan's life.
Although Xu Ziling is not aggressive, he knows very well that in the arena, the strong is king. If you don't kill someone, you will be killed, especially in this chaotic era, there is no reason at all.
At this time, Kou Zhong came in high spirits, took a look, and said, "Why are you so different from before? Your whole portrait seems to light up?"
Xu Ziling said lightly: Haven't you changed too? You look complacent. But please don't tell me what happened last night.
Kou Zhong knew it well and could not hide it from his ears. He awkwardly sat on the edge of the bed and said mutely: Some things will happen sooner or later.
He looked around and said, "Ting Xiangzi, Ren Shaoming's kung fu is almost the same as his father's, only slightly worse than that of his father. Things seem to be very tricky."
Xu Ziling said: Are you Ba Fenghan more powerful? Should it be your father who is more powerful?
Kou Zhong frowned and said: "It's really hard to judge. I guess Ba Fenghan is a little more powerful because he is still young and making progress every day."
Xu Ziling said: If we join forces to fight Ba Fenghan, do you think we have a chance of winning?
Kou Zhong thought for a while and smiled bitterly: Although we have a higher chance of winning, one of us will definitely be buried with him.
This kid is really difficult to deal with. If we hadn't attacked him first that day, my two brothers might have been lying in that dense forest forever.
Xu Ziling smiled and said: "Forgive me this time, I dare not agree with your judgment, Mr. Zhong. If we fight against Ba Fenghan again, he will definitely lose because I have figured out the art of swordsmanship, and I have also figured out how to kill Ren Shaoming's stinky head."
tactics.
Kou Zhong was overjoyed and said: This is your most exciting different opinion. Come and listen!
Xu Ziling looked towards the window and looked at the ever-changing shore scenery with a look of reminiscence and said calmly: Ever since that time when I defeated Li Zitong, I felt that my martial arts and yours could be combined to form a combo that would double the power, but I never imagined that
How it actually works.
Then he took a deep breath and said word for word: But I finally figured it out last night.
Kou Zhong stared at him and said: I understand it is Yi swordsmanship.
Xu Ziling sighed: It is the method of playing swordsmanship. Imagine if we could grasp the overall situation and then leave the battlefield like a chess game. With the tacit understanding we have cultivated since childhood, we can work together to deal with one person; masters like Ning Daoqi and Bi Xuan may not be able to do it.
I dare but guarantee that even Ba Fenghan and my father will die, let alone Ren Shaoming.
Kou Zhong clapped his legs and said: I really understand! The most powerful thing about our joint game is that it is ever-changing and has no rules. I am a fish and you swim, you are a bird and fly. Who can resist the cold and the heat? Ha! We are finally almost invincible in the world.
It's a pity that we have to rely on the many people to bully the few.
Xu Ziling shook his head and said: No matter how many people there are on the other side, we still have two people to deal with it. That’s right! If your Jing Zhongyue is lost, what can you replace it with?
Kou Zhong scratched his head and said: I'm tired of playing with knives but I don't know what to play with?
Xu Ziling said: The other day I saw you were very good at using a riding crop and using a soft whip to break the meteor hammer. It must have been interesting.
※※※
call!
The long whip crossed the space of two feet on the deck. At Xiangyu Mountain, under the looks of Yun Yuzhen and a group of giant Kun gangsters, it first extended on the deck like a spiritual snake to about three feet in front of Xu Ziling's feet. The tip of the whip raised like a snake's head with lightning.
Xu Ziling's belly. Everyone was amazed. The two and a half foot long leather whip became full of life when it was in Kou Zhong's hand.
Xu Ziling pressed the tip of the whip with his thumb of his right hand without even looking.
The two of them were shocked and took a step back at the same time.
The long whip was weak and returned to Kou Zhong's head, spinning five or six circles, which was really beautiful.
Xu Ziling shook his head and said: No! It doesn't taste like the whip that was struck at Yang Xuyan.
Kou Zhong laughed and said, "I guess it's because I glanced at the beautiful master before I moved the whip, so I couldn't concentrate."
Yun Yuzhen said angrily: "I can't do it myself, but I rely on others."
Xu Ziling said: It's not a matter of concentration or not, but it's too much about soft weapons. Soft weapons have their own characteristics. Unlike hard weapons like knives, which are always limited by the direction and angle. Is there any way you can make the whip look like it has eyes?
What about automatically redirecting the attack to an unexpected position?
Kou Zhong was stunned for a long while, and suddenly he whipped the whip towards Xu Ziling, just as he was about to hit Xu Ziling. Xu Ziling suddenly moved sideways, but he didn't know that the whip suddenly made a miraculous bend about six feet away from the tip of the whip, followed him around, went behind Xu Ziling, and slapped the back of his head.
go.
Xu Ziling shouted: "That's it!" After shaking the whip, it missed the target and seemed to be spinning towards Kou Zhong. Suddenly, a wave-like pattern appeared on the whip body, and then it turned into more than ten circles of whip shadow and rushed towards Xu Ziling's face. This is a magical skill.
Extremely.
Both Xiang Yushan and Yun Yuzhen were dumbfounded when they saw this.
They all knew that it was the first time that Kou Zhong picked up a whip to practice, but he didn't feel like a novice or a novice like others who had been using whips all their lives.
The most powerful thing is that he can not only penetrate the tip of the whip with his energy, but also use his true energy to control the whip and change its direction at will to attack the enemy's undefeable places.
Snapped!
Xu Ziling slapped the whip ring with three consecutive palms and flew back to avoid Kou Zhong's fierce attack.
Kou Zhong calmly wrapped the whip around his waist like a snake, raised his hands and said: The whip is gone!
Xiangyushan was shocked and said: If Brother Kou can first use other weapons to confuse the enemy and then suddenly use the whip, it will be more difficult for people to resist.
Kou Zhong was stunned for a moment, then he raised his thumb and said: "General Xiang is indeed shrewd, so I'll take your word for it, but you can find me a good knife, left sword and right whip, and teach Ren Shaoming to walk to the underworld without finishing his meal."
A giant Kun helped his disciples take off his sword and put it in Kou Zhong's hand, shouting: The sword is here!
Everyone cheered and their morale was high.
Kou Zhong took the big sword and clicked! Clicked! Clicked! He looked into the void and slashed three times with his sword, and immediately a fierce sword energy arose.
The knife suddenly stopped and pointed at Xu Ziling.
Xu Ziling ducked in front of Kou Zhong and launched an overwhelming attack on Kou Zhong with palm shadows filling the sky.
Kou Zhong slashed several times with his left hand. The palms of the swords struck each other in a powerful whirlwind, forcing everyone to move away.
Suddenly Kou Zhong first moved back and then wiped the long whip from his waist. Like a poisonous dragon, he took off the whip from its sheath and hit Xu Ziling's chest. Then he suddenly raised it and wrapped it around Xu Ziling's neck. The cleverness of the change was eye-popping.
Xu Ziling stretched out his fingers and flicked the tip of the whip. Then Kou Zhong made a big spin, not only struck the whip with his left hand knife, but also made a circle behind Xu Ziling and whipped the lower body towards his leg.
Xu Ziling stood up, swept the blade with the tip of his palm, and punched Kou Zhong in the face with a calm and graceful movement.
There was a burst of cheers from the crowd.
Kou Zhong slid away like a fish and laughed and said: I made the mistake of using the whip too early. If I could chop you with a knife until you forget about my whip, I would have a chance to deal with you.
Xu Ziling landed and stood still, solemnly saying: This is exactly the key point. If you can make Ren Shaoming parry the whip with all his strength, you will have an opportunity because he never dreamed that you have another way to kill him.
Xiang Yushan scratched his head and said: I will never believe that Brother Kou has never used a left-handed knife before, nor has he ever officially picked up a whip to fight with someone.
After Kou Zhong returned the sword to its original owner, he came over with a smile and said: General Xiang guessed right. The leader of the Meiren'er gang should know best. Ling and I practiced martial arts day and night on the beach where the ship was sunk, both on the right hand and the left hand.
As long as you are happy, the mountain vine can also be used as a whip, so it is naturally easy to use now.
Xu Ziling said: I think it’s mainly because the magical Qi of the Immortality Secret continuously unblocks the meridians and activates meridians, so every part of the body can be controlled and practiced freely, thus getting twice the result with half the effort.
Yun Yuzhen sighed with envy: It's still unbelievable. You all don't know how cowardly you were at that time. I could tie up one of my hands and knock you off your feet.
Kou Zhongcha said: How long will it take to reach Jiujiang? I can't wait.
Xiang Yushan replied: The two eldest brothers can arrive in five hours after watching the elder brother.
Yun Yuzhen smiled and said: "You call me General Xiang, but you are also the eldest brother. It's hard for outsiders to understand your relationship."
Kou Zhong laughed and said: "Then what's the difference between me and you? One of us calls Master Meiren'er and the other calls Master Kou, or Master Kou. What's the relationship between us?"
Yun Yuzhen glared at him and said angrily: "Who are you talking nonsense with?" After giving him and Xu Ziling a wink, she ducked into the cabin gracefully.
At this time, the sun was setting in the west and the vast sky over the river was gradually dimming.
The big ship sailed quickly along the river looking eastward.
When Xu Ziling arrived at the door, he was about to go to bed and practice Qi, but Kou Zhong forced him to go to the room next door.
He put his arm around Xu Ziling's shoulders and moved to the window and said: Ling, look at the starry sky and wilderness outside. The most beautiful thing is that it contains countless challenges and unpredictable changes.
Xu Ziling smiled and said: Just do it if you want! Do you still want to talk about me in circles?
Kou Zhongdao: I really feel that. After last night, I really felt that I am an adult and qualified to have any beautiful woman in the world. The most wonderful thing is the feeling of domination and conquest. No matter how the leader of the beauty gang behaves, he can be awe-inspiring.
The inviolable and arrogant person was not me at that moment. I, Mr. Zhong, wanted her to live or die, or wanted to live and die.
Xu Ziling shook his head and said: I have no intention of conquering each other when it comes to things between men and women. I just feel that when two people are in love and have sex, they are just working together to pursue and develop some kind of wonderful and infinite realm. So I can only be with those who really like me.
The women are looking for sweet dreams together.
Kou Zhong muttered: In theory, I can accept your ideal method, but in reality, I can't get rid of the pleasure I get from showing off my glory. Or maybe this is the difference between you and me. You are not always the commander in chief.
leader?
After a pause, he patted his shoulder and said with a wry smile: Sometimes I really worry that you will become a fasting monk.
Xu Ziling laughed and cursed: Fuck you! I just haven’t met the woman I really like!
Kou Zhong said: Shen Luoyan or Shan Wanjing is not a first-class beauty with both talent and beauty, but you are not tempted. Is there any other explanation besides the fact that you are not interested in women at all?
Xu Ziling bumped his elbow against Kou Zhong's side and it hurt so much that he let go of his hand on his shoulder and said calmly: What's attractive about women is not only their appearance, but more importantly their connotation and temperament. Shen Luoyan is ambitious and cunning as a fox. Why?
I, Xu Ziling, am tempted. Shan Wanjing is now at loggerheads with us, let alone talking about it. Can you cite these two people as examples of whether we should fight?
Kou Zhong rubbed the sore spot with a grimace and said: I forgot that if we successfully assassinate Ren Shaoming, we may create another group of unfathomable enemies, because the pair of evil monks and nuns under Ren Shaoming may be sent by Yin Gui to bring troubled times.
doorman.
Xu Ziling was stunned for a while and sighed: This is the price of fighting for the world. The sinking got deeper and deeper until the people around him were either friends or enemies.
Kou Zhong let out a breath and said slowly: Ren Shaoming has a high chance of being a spy sent by King Tiele to come to China to cause trouble. So are you afraid that we will offend two major forces, both internal and external, in one fell swoop?
Xu Ziling smiled and shook his head and said calmly: Without these challenges and pressures, I am afraid that it would be difficult to reach the peak of martial arts throughout our lives. The reason why we have achieved what we have today is really thanks to everyone who wants to kill us.
※※※
That night, the warship docked in a dense forest shelter on a tributary ten miles away from Jiujiang. There was another cargo ship loaded with rice and grain waiting there, as well as Bu Tianzhi, the deputy leader of the Jukun Gang, and Chen Laomou, the craftsman.
They boarded the cargo ship and Chen Laomou immediately began to change the disguises of the four of them.
First, change Kou Zhong into a vulgar businessman.
Chen Laomou said proudly: The most important thing in the modification method is to use the magic according to the shape to make people unexpected. There is no way to associate the modified appearance with the previous appearance. This way, even acquaintances can be deceived.
When they saw Yun Yuzhen, Bu Tianzhi, Xiang Yushan and Xu Ziling all nodded and praised, they even said with great enthusiasm: A man with a strong body like Zhong will show his flaws in any appearance, but he can only act slowly if he turns into a big fat man.
Conceal the eyes and ears of others.
Yun Yuzhendao: Kou Zhong remembered that the rice and grain merchants from Yuanling County passed the Yuanshui River and entered the river to deliver the goods to Xinglong, a time-honored brand in Jiujiang City. Since the army needed food, Lin Shihong's Chu army would never stay in trouble, not to mention Xinglong's orders and formal orders.
Customs clearance documents.
Kou Zhong looked at Yun Yuzhen standing aside from the reflection in the bronze mirror and said: What is my name?
Bu Tianzhi next to him replied: Mr. Kou asked Gu An to hang out in brothels and taverns because of his wealth, but he was quite stingy and was not popular with his gold-loving sister.
Kou Zhong smiled bitterly and said: Are you afraid that my squandering will make me so hated by others?
Yun Yuzhen covered her mouth and smiled sweetly, while Xiang Yushan said in embarrassment: This is the intention of Gang Leader Yun, because he is afraid that you will really stay in the brothel and miss the main business!
Bu Tianzhi said again: Mr. Xu is your brother Gu Xiang who was treated harshly by you. He was angry because you were pointing here and there and yelling curses at will. But because of his cowardly nature, he dared to get angry but did not dare to speak.
Xiangyushan said: I will be the accounting supervisor of your Gu family. All the tedious work will be done by me. My name is Gu Ning, and I am your cousin.
Kou Zhongdao: Then who is Gang Leader Yun?
Yun Yuzhen's face turned red and she said, "How about I become your new concubine?"
Kou Zhong laughed and said: Then I must be afraid that you will steal people, so I always take you with me when doing business in other places!
Don't forget to live in the same room so as not to arouse suspicion.
At this time, Chen Laomou dyed his temples a little white, making him appear to be around forty years old.
Xu Ziling sighed: "Chen Gongzhen is really capable. If Mr. Zhong knew how to suppress the glare in his eyes, no one would be able to recognize him!"
The cargo ship trembled slightly and set sail.
※※※
The grain ship arrived in Jiujiang in the early morning.
Under the supervision of Kou Zhong, a big-bellied businessman, Jukun helped porters to transport the goods to the mule cart prepared by Xinglong. Xiangyushan's accountant and the people sent by Xinglong handed over documents and procedures to the local water transport officer until noon.
At the right time, everyone comes to the city with the goods.
The city is surprisingly prosperous, but looking at his appearance and attire, you can tell that he is either a businessman or a martial arts figure.
Bu Tianzhi was very familiar with the situation here and whispered to everyone: The Iron Cavalry Association has accumulated a large amount of property through plunder in recent years, so the people coming from other places either want to do business or want to join the Chu army, which shows that many people are optimistic about this trip.
The merger of Lin Shihong and Ren Shaoming.
Xu Ziling looked out the window and said: These people seem to be very well-behaved.
Bu Tianzhi said with a smile: This is just a situation during the day. At night, people in the Jianghu are fighting fiercely due to personal grudges and interests, and many people are killed and injured. As long as it does not affect the lives of the people in the city, it is actually very difficult for both the Iron Cavalry Association and the Chu army to adopt a laissez-faire attitude.
Take care of it. Especially in brothels, pubs, casinos and other places where people who don't have money dare not have fun at night.
Kou Zhong frowned and said: Lin Shihong doesn't allow outsiders to enter the city?
Xiangyu Shandao: That would cause Lin Shihong to lose a large amount of city customs and tax revenue. Moreover, many martial arts figures have some relationship with the Iron Cavalry Association or know someone in the association. Moreover, the Iron Cavalry Association is determined to attract new blood, which is why Jiujiang is so noisy.
Like most cities in the south of the Yangtze River, Jiujiang and its interior are dominated by river traffic. The main layout is a cross-shaped street with four gates and paved with stone slabs. It is wide enough to accommodate eight horses running at a time. The lanes are arranged in a square grid and lead to the street in an orderly manner.
Ganbi Street, where Xinglong is located, belongs to the Fumin District. The houses along the road are full of gatehouses, bricks, carved tiles, courtyards, trees and flowers, and the atmosphere is peaceful, with no trace of the war.
There are rivers interspersed in between, and there are green trees and thin willows on the banks, which creates a beautiful scenery.
When the mule team drove into the large granary behind Xinglongpu, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After washing and resting, it was already dusk and everyone gathered in the living room in the backyard. Niu Gangcai, Xinglong's boss, was Xiangyushan's capable subordinate stationed here and took the opportunity to report to everyone on the situation in Jiujiang.
I heard that Ren Shaoming had only arrived at Xiangyu Mountain tomorrow morning and said: Lin Shihong and Ren Shaoming chose Jiujiang for the alliance ceremony this time, and they did so grandly. It seems that they want to demonstrate their strength to the world. I don't believe that the heroes in the north will not care about this.
There are those who care to win over, but there are also those who will destroy. Jiujiang is now a time when dragons and snakes are mixed. We should be especially careful when acting.
Kou Zhongdao: "Sometimes my heart just doesn't work. Let's go to Chunzai Lou tonight to trample the territory first and see if we can take advantage of the environment there to kill Ren Shaoming."
Niu had just taken out a scroll and waited for Bu Tianzhi to move the dishes to make room and spread it on the table. It was a bird's-eye view of Chun Zai Lou, which was delicate and delicate.
Niu Fangcai said: The main building in Chun Zai is divided into two courtyards, front and rear. There are three two-story double buildings in the front courtyard, separated by a multi-passage corridor and a rockery fish pond, which are mainly used to receive ordinary guests.
Yun Yuzhen said: If Mr. Kou and the others go there, can they only have fun in this area?
Niu Fang just started to say: That's it. The backyard is twice as big as the front yard and is planted with flowers, plants and trees. It is one of the top ten scenic spots in Jiujiang and is called Spring Garden. There are ten buildings arranged symmetrically to only welcome guests who have a good reputation and are willing to spend money. One of them is called Chun Garden.
The house in the garden is reserved exclusively for Ren Shaoming. It is a place he must visit every time he comes to Jiujiang.
Kou Zhong sighed: My grandma is here.
Xu Ziling said: Uncle Niu really has a way to find out everything about Chun Zailou.
Kou Zhongdao: With Ren Shaoming's power here, he can take the woman he likes into his private room. Why do he let her stay there so that other people can share in the same?
Xiangyu Shandao: This is Ren Shaoming’s specialty, that is, he will not let any woman get involved so as not to affect the great cause of hegemony.
Kou Zhong asked again: Do you have any informants there? Otherwise, how could you know Chun Zailou so well?
Xiangyu Shantou said: Of course, we have long wanted to assassinate Ren Shaoming, but we just didn’t have the chance to do it!
Xu Ziling said: Is it common knowledge that Ren Shaoming is infatuated with Huo Qi?
Yun Yuzhen shook his head and said: On the contrary, no one knows about this extremely secret except some people in Chun Zailou.
Kou Zhong said happily: "This is even more ideal. Someone can show me the way to Chun Zai Lou."
Xiangyushan hurriedly said: Of course he is my younger brother!
Xu Ziling said: General Xiang, please stay here! We just need someone to lead the way.