Meng Xiuyuan and his party of four finally boarded the Jukun Gang's boat.
First of all, it's because both parties are really on the same path.
The so-called Pengcheng is actually the ancient name of Xuzhou, which is located on the route of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The four of them followed the Jukun Gang's boat to Pengcheng, where they could find another boat and sail northward along the canal into the Yellow River, and then go up the Yellow River to Xingyang and Zhengzhou.
Although traveling by water may seem like a detour, it is actually much more convenient and faster than traveling by land. Moreover, it is also a safer choice in troubled times.
Although Meng Xiuyuan would give the three of them a ride, he might not accompany them all the way to Xingyang. For the sake of Su Su and Zhang Yong, this was the most reasonable plan.
As for the charming Yunyu Zhenyun gang leader, she was not strong enough after all. No matter what little thoughts she had secretly, Meng Xiuyuan didn't take it seriously.
As expected, the entire Jukun Gang treated Meng Xiuyuan and the others with great respect. Within a few days, except for the charming and beautiful gang leader Yun, who was a little too enthusiastic about Meng Xiuyuan, the rest of the gang only entertained distinguished guests.
I don't see any evil thoughts in my actions.
At this point, Meng Xiuyuan felt relieved. In addition to practicing every day, he also took advantage of the quiet time during the voyage to make some plans for the future.
"Brother Meng, what do you want from me?"
Early that morning, Zhang Yong was suddenly called into the room by Meng Xiuyuan, feeling quite confused.
He had originally gone to the deck with Miss Susu to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River, but when Meng Xiuyuan interrupted him, all his preparations for several days were ruined.
Meng Xiuyuan didn't explain much and just asked him:
"Yongzi, after I left, did the shopkeeper and the landlady continue to let you go to school?
Do you know how to read now?"
Zhang Yong was stunned by Meng Xiuyuan's question, but he quickly scratched the back of his head and said slightly embarrassed:
"Of course my parents want me to study, but I am not motivated and feel sleepy as soon as I get to school.
Later, when my husband got angry, I was not allowed to go again.
I should know all the characters, but I have long forgotten all the scriptures I have memorized..."
Meng Xiuyuan smiled when he heard this, took out three thin booklets from his arms and handed them to Zhang Yong:
"It's probably enough to know how to read. Take these three books back and study them carefully. If you have anything you don't understand, be sure to ask me."
Looking closely, I saw three names written on the cover: "Dragon and Elephant Prajna Kung Fu", "Heng Lian Essence", and "Liaoyuan Spear Technique".
Although Zhang Yong had no experience, he understood that these were very rare martial arts treasures, and he couldn't help but be extremely surprised. He just thought that he had encountered the biggest opportunity turning point in his life at this moment.
But after he calmed down a little, he felt a little embarrassed and said to Meng Xiuyuan with a sad expression.
"Brother Meng, if I learn your kung fu, I won't embarrass you, right?
I heard people say that if you want to practice martial arts, you must start practicing it from a young age. Once you are over fourteen or fifteen years old, you will never achieve anything.
I'm not very smart, and I'm already nineteen years old this year..."
Meng Xiuyuan smiled and shook his head and said:
"None of these three martial arts are exquisite. As long as you work hard, you will definitely gain something, regardless of your age.
I gave you these skills just because you helped me break through the martial arts bottleneck that had been bothering me for a long time, so I just wanted to reciprocate the favor.
Giving a book casually is not a master-disciple relationship, so how can it be said that you are embarrassing me."
Having said this, Meng Xiuyuan paused for a moment, placed the three thin volumes on the table beside him, and then continued:
"Of course, if you don't want it, I won't force you..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yong had already rushed to his eyes, reached out and took the three pamphlets into his arms, gave Meng Xiuyuan a silly smile, and then turned around and ran out of the door.
…
There is nothing much to say about gifting Zhang Yong martial arts. He did help Meng Xiuyuan a lot, so there is no reason not to repay him.
At the same time, out of personal feelings, Meng Xiuyuan also wanted Zhang Yong to learn some kung fu so that he could gain a foothold in this troubled world and not die on the battlefield accidentally.
The only one worth talking about is the most ordinary-looking of the three secret books, "The Essence of Horizontal Refining."
The content recorded in this book can be said to be a separate Kung Fu, but it is better to say that it is just a collection of some body training experiences that Meng Xiuyuan has recently summarized.
After three generations of accumulation, Meng Xiuyuan has quite a lot of experience in physical training. Recently, he summarized his own martial arts, and he was suddenly inspired, so he took out the part about "horizontal training" and wrote a book like this.
With Zhang Yong's talented and strong body, it is most suitable to practice this horizontal kung fu. Meng Xiuyuan gave this book to him, which can be regarded as borrowing his hand to test his own martial arts thoughts for later review.
After more than half a month, under Meng Xiuyuan's guidance, Zhang Yong gradually mastered the contents of the three books, and the rest was just a matter of continuing to study on his own.
And during this period of time, the Jukun had passed Yangzhou and sailed north from the Yangtze River into the Grand Canal.
The entire voyage was more than half over, and Yun Yuzhen from the Jukun Gang couldn't help but gradually become agitated.
That evening, on the deck, Meng Xiuyuan was standing alone by the side of the ship, silently admiring the scenery on both sides of the Grand Canal. Yun Yuzhen came up quietly and chatted with her in a soft voice:
"Mr. Meng, Yuzhen has something to tell you. I wonder if I can interrupt you for a moment?"
As she spoke, she was already standing on Meng Xiuyuan's side, and the fragrant fragrance from her body floated towards Meng Xiuyuan with the river wind.
"Leader Yun, please tell me."
Meng Xiuyuan knew that the other party was finally going to reveal what was in his heart, so he did not avoid it and nodded immediately.
Seeing this, Yun Yuzhen took the next step and leaned closer to Meng Xiuyuan, her shoulder vaguely pressed against Meng Xiuyuan's arm. She raised her head and asked Meng Xiuyuan softly:
"Yu Zhen heard that, young master, you have been on the Yangzhou River for several months, with one person and one boat, and you single-handedly broke the blockade of dozens of Sui army warships.
Even the Imperial Guard Chief Guan Yu Wenji, who was at the height of his power in the court, was so frightened that he jumped into the water when you just stretched out his bamboo pole, feeling extremely embarrassed.
I wonder if Yuzhen is right?"
Meng Xiuyuan frowned slightly, turned sideways to slightly distance himself from Yun Yuzhen, and said calmly:
"What Gang Leader Yun said is as vivid as if he had experienced it on the spot. He must have received accurate information, so why do you need to confirm it to me?"
Yun Yuzhen was not annoyed when she saw that Meng Xiuyuan was so disgusted, and still said to Meng Xiuyuan in a soft voice:
"Mr. Meng, don't be surprised. In fact, ever since Yuzhen heard about this, she couldn't help but be moved by her whenever she thought of the master's outstanding grace on the river.
Finally, with Mr. Meng in front of me, I have to express my admiration in person..."
At this point, Yun Yuzhen quietly looked at Meng Xiuyuan's face with his eyes, paused for a moment, and then continued:
"In addition, Yuzhen heard that Mr. Meng seemed to have done something big recently.
Just two days before the young master boarded the ship, there was a sudden commotion among the Jianghuai army, and the original attack on the Sui army was suddenly stopped.
There are rumors that Du Fuwei was injured by a young master and his life was in danger.
This master is actually you, Mr. Meng..."
Meng Xiuyuan was shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect Yun Yuzhen to know about this.
You must know that when Meng Xiuyuan and Du Fuwei took action, only his hundreds of personal guards were present to witness it. It was very different from the showdown with the Sui army on the Yangtze River.
For the sake of his own reputation and to stabilize the morale of the military, Du Fuwei will strictly prohibit the leakage of news about this matter.
But this Yunyu's real body was on a river boat that was constantly moving, and yet it was able to get the news in such a short period of time. It was really unbelievable.
"Gang Leader Yun is great, but I don't know why you are telling me this?"
Meng Xiuyuan knew clearly in his heart that Yun Yuzhen had deliberately revealed such a clever method to him, and there must be a motive behind it.
Sure enough, when he looked down at Yun Yuzhen again, he saw a shrewd look on this woman's charming face:
"Mr. Meng is straightforward, so Yu Zhen won't beat around the bush.
To be honest, sir, the most important reason why our Giant Whale Gang is one of the "eight gangs and ten guilds" in the world is that our ability to collect intelligence far exceeds that of others.
The current situation in the world is unprecedentedly chaotic. Whoever can control the deployment of the opponent's army, the strength and weakness of the troops, and the strength of the soldiers will have the opportunity to dominate the world. This is why my industry came into being.
And I want to use this to make a deal with you, Mr. Meng.
As long as Mr. Meng you promise me one thing, as long as it is the news you want Mr. Meng, Yuzhen will definitely give it to me for free as soon as possible..."
Meng Xiuyuan was stunned when he heard this, and realized that Yun Yuzhen had been chatting with him so much to demonstrate his ability to collect intelligence and use it as a bargaining chip.
"Then what does Gang Leader Yun want to know from me? Is it the "Secret of Immortality" or the "Treasure of Yang Gong"?"
Meng Xiu looked at Yun Yuzhen from afar and asked with a chuckle.
Unexpectedly, when the leader of the Hongfen Gang heard this, he immediately shook his head and said softly to Meng Xiuyuan:
"Although "The Secret of Immortality" is good, it is just a Taoist book and has nothing to do with fighting for the world.
As for the 'Mr. Yang's Treasure', I think Mr. Meng didn't know the details, otherwise why would he still not take it out to this day...
Yuzhen doesn't care about either of them, but just wants to ask Mr. Meng to do me a favor.
This task can only be accomplished by a master like Master."
At this point, Yun Yuzhen took a look at the expression on Meng Xiuyuan's face and saw that he had no objection, so he took the initiative to continue without waiting for Meng Xiuyuan to ask:
"Master, do you know that Li Clan came to Pengcheng this time to meet with the Ryukyu Dongming Sect?
What I want to ask you to do is to go to the Dongming faction's ship and borrow an important account book..."
Meng Xiuyuan frowned when he heard this. Although he didn't know what the Dongming Sect did, he understood Yun Yuzhen's word "borrow". It would be better to just say "steal" or "rob".
More direct.
"Gang Leader Yun should hire someone else for this matter... If your gang invited the four of me to go with you because of this, then please let us disembark nearby."
Meng Xiuyuan cupped his hands and said softly, then turned around and walked into the cabin.
Upon seeing this, Yun Yuzhen rushed around to Meng Xiuyuan, blocking the road with her delicate body, forcing Meng Xiuyuan to stop, and then she spoke quickly:
"Mr. Meng has misunderstood. No matter what, the four of you are honored guests of our Giant Whale Gang.
I'm just making a suggestion. As for whether you agree or not, it's not up to you to say a word.
Yuzhen treats the young master sincerely, doesn’t the young master even have the patience to listen to me finish the matter..."
Meng Xiu didn't want to get entangled with this woman despite the situation, so he simply nodded and said:
“If Gang Leader Yun wants to say anything, I’ll just listen.
It's just that my patience is limited, so I would like to ask the leader to speak more concisely."
Yun Yuzhen didn't dare to be careless after hearing this, and quickly said:
"Mr. Meng, don't blame me for being long-winded. It's just that if I want to explain this to you clearly, I have to start with the Dongming Sect itself.
This Dongming sect comes from Ryukyu, and the sect is dominated by women. They are best at making high-quality weapons, and many forces in the world have trade relations with them.
The account book I am talking about is the settlement record of weapons sold by the Dongming Sect in recent years. Both the seller and the buyer have signed and stamped the weapons, listing the types and quantities.
Nowadays, the internal struggle within the imperial court is severe, and many forces want to obtain this account book, which can be used as ironclad evidence to overthrow other factions.
And this time, I, the Giant Whale Gang, are trying to get this thing for Dugu Clan, one of the ‘Four Great Clan’s’…”
Meng Xiuyuan was a little surprised when he heard this. He didn't expect that the other party would reveal the details so clearly in order to show his sincerity.
Yun Yuzhen saw Meng Xiuyuan's expression and knew that her words had attracted Mr. Meng. She immediately struck while the iron was hot and then said softly:
"I believe Mr. Meng can also hear that Yuzhen has told the truth to Mr. Meng and has not concealed anything.
The reason for this is because the matter is truly urgent.
I received news that almost when we arrived in Pengcheng, Mrs. Dongming, the leader of the Dongming sect, would go to meet Li Yuan, the leader of the Li clan, and leave her giant ship "Piao Xiang" for a few days.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! This Mrs. Dongming's skill has reached an advanced level. If others want to get this account book, they have to take advantage of her not being on the ship to get another chance.
The "Fragrant Fragrance" was heavily guarded. Even if Mrs. Dongming herself was not present, she would have to be a peerless expert to have any hope of succeeding.
In a short period of time, Yuzhen can no longer find anyone as suitable as the young master..."
When Meng Xiuyuan heard this, he suddenly understood Yun Yuzhen's true intention. The previous so-called "going to Pengcheng to meet the second son of the Li clan" was obviously an excuse she made up to cover up.
"Gang Leader Yun told me the matter in such detail. Aren't you afraid that if I really get the account book, I will cooperate with other clans instead?"
Meng Xiuyuan looked at Yun Yuzhen with slightly scrutinizing eyes and asked softly.
But when Yun Yuzhen heard this, he didn't care at all. He smiled and shook his head, and said confidently to Meng Xiuyuan:
"Yu Zhen dared to mention this matter to the young master, since he had already considered it beforehand.
As mentioned before, Mr. Meng single-handedly defeated Du Fuwei of the Jianghuai Army, but he still let him go.
From this point of view, the young master is by no means a person who has ambitions to dominate the world and strive for fame and fortune. Otherwise, how could he not make good use of such an opportunity to gain more benefits from the powerful Jianghuai army?
According to my opinion, Mr. Meng is a pure martial artist. What he wants is nothing more than the secrets of magical skills and the ability to rival beautiful women.
And these things, the well-informed Jukun Gang and the powerful Dugu Clan can satisfy you, Master..."
When the word "beauty" came up, Yun Yuzhen moved closer to Meng Xiuyuan, almost wanting to fall into his arms.
Meng Xiuyuan chuckled at the sight, and a wave of Beiming Qi emanated from his body, pushing away Gang Leader Yun who took the initiative to throw himself into his arms, and at the same time replied:
"Gang Leader Yun guessed right, I am indeed not interested in fighting for world hegemony.
However, don't say that I am not interested in stealing other people's account books.
Just talking about what I want, I'm afraid the Guibang and the Dugu Clan can't give me..."
Yun Yuzhen was forced to take two steps back by Meng Xiuyuan's anger, but her expression remained unchanged and she said softly to Meng Xiuyuan:
"Mr. Meng, you might as well tell me and listen to it, so that you can judge whether Yuzhen really can't satisfy you..."
Meng Xiuyuan had nothing to hide, so he said bluntly:
“The thing that interests me the most in the world is the so-called ‘Four Great Divine Arts’.
Gang Leader Yun is so well-informed, he must have heard of it.
Although I have obtained the "Secret of Immortality" among them, I still want to have the opportunity to borrow and review the remaining three martial arts: "Cihang Sword Code," "Tianmo Ce," and "War God Illustrated Book" for reference.
If Gang Leader Yun has specific information about these three magical skills, he can use them to trade with me.
As long as it doesn't go against my true intentions, it doesn't matter if I do something for Gang Leader Yun..."
When Meng Xiuyuan talked about this, he didn't expect to get any response from Gang Leader Yun. After all, this kind of peerless magical skill is very rare for ordinary people even if they have only heard the name.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Yunyu actually said:
"What a coincidence, Mr. Meng, I actually have a piece of news that is closely related to these three magical arts..."