After the provocative large-scale song and dance performance by the Lu Mansion Song and Dance Troupe, under the leadership of Meng Ao, Wang Wan and Cai Ze, all the guests took turns toasting Lu Buwei and congratulating him on his birthday, pushing the banquet atmosphere to a climax.
According to the fact that Lu Buwei was in control, Lu Niangrong and others surrounded him and went to the auxiliary houses on both sides to receive congratulations from other guests.
Since Xiaopan and Zhu Ji were still there, even though there were thousands of people in the banquet hall, they were still not aware of the commotion. They were just whispering to each other, and the main topic was the upcoming competition between the two Xiang Guan.
Miao Du on the opposite side raised his glass to Xiang Shaolong, wishing him victory. Xiang Shaolong responded with a smile. Of course, it was just for a taste. Suddenly Wu Tingfang called him over with a gesture, and Xiang Shaolong felt strange.
He moved to his beloved wife and asked in a low voice: "What's the matter?"
Ji Yanran leaned a little closer and said in a deep voice: "Lu Buwei is really despicable. When Xiaotian passed by us just now, he hurriedly said, 'There is an ambush in front of the Wu Mansion Gate.' It can be seen that Lu Buwei is going to kill her husband tonight at any cost and by any means."
Sir, remove it. If Guan Zhongxie can't kill you, someone else will do it, but I don't know why it was Qi Ren."
It was not unusual for an ambush to attack him. This was Lu Buwei's habit of taking risks and being bold. However, Xiang Shaolong was also at a loss as to why Qi Ren was ambushing him.
When he wanted to joke with Qin Qing on the other side, he saw Zhu Ji looking at them. He was so frightened that he swallowed what he said and returned to the table to inform Teng Yi and Jing Jun in a low voice.
Teng Yi snorted coldly and went to the back seat to talk to Jing Shan and others. After a while, Wu Yan left the banquet hall and arranged everything.
When the sound of drum music started to roar again, Lu Buwei's people's roaring laughter came before them. With the support of Guan Zhongxie, he walked in from the gate with stars above the moon. Everyone stood up and saluted.
Lu Buwei was so proud that he suddenly stood still in the hall. After the servants filled the cups, they raised their cups to Zhu Ji and Xiaopan and said loudly: "First of all, I would like to give a toast to the Queen Mother and the Crown Prince."
Wu Yingyuan, who was standing next to Xiang Shaolong, snorted coldly: "How long will this ruthless and unjust thief be able to be proud of?"
Xiang Shaolong watched Xiao Pan Zhu Ji and Lu Buwei toasting each other with cold eyes, feeling filled with emotion in his heart.
This moment can be said to be Lu Buwei's proudest moment, but when he tried to kill Xiang Shaolong but failed, and later the Black Dragon was born, and the change of dynasty and system shattered his dream of surrendering and seizing power, his power will gradually be weakened.
, one of the factors is the expansion of Miao Du's power.
At this time, Lu Buwei and others came to their table. Guan Zhongxie moved over from the toasting group, raised his glass and said to Xiang Shaolong: "Whether we win or lose tonight, I, Guan Zhongxie, still treat you with the utmost respect from the bottom of my heart."
I respect you and don’t say anything else.”
Xiang Shaolong looked at this tenacious opponent and smiled in return.
Both of them just tasted it.
When everyone returned to their seats, Lu Buwei stood up again and announced: "Qi Xiang Tian Dan sent a circus troupe to celebrate my birthday this time. There are all strange people in the troupe. I guarantee that it will be an eye-opener for everyone."
Everyone thought that what he announced was a competition between Xiang Guan and Xiang Guan. They were slightly disappointed when a circus troupe of more than a hundred people came in with great momentum, attracting their attention again and eliciting warm applause and cheers.
Cheers.
Xiang Shaolong and others were suddenly enlightened.
The Qi people's ambush must be referring to this circus group.
This acrobatic troupe had an early start as soon as they entered the arena. When the outer rows of more than ten strong men were fighting, a group of more than thirty people formed a human formation. They were easily led by a dwarf with humorous movements.
, ran in like a wall.
The most exciting thing is that apart from the eight strongmen on the bottom, the next three floors are all sexy beauties. The girl on the top is even more beautiful. Although she is not as stunning as Ji Yanran and others, she is already rare.
Beauty.
Other members of the group who circled the Arhat Formation performed various extremely difficult movements while walking.
As the band played energetically and the guests cheered and laughed, the array of Arhats scattered to the ground like flowers. As the four strong men rolled to all directions, the eleven beauties from the three floors above sprinkled down like water, lying or sitting.
Perform a seductive gesture that is both boneless and provocative.
On the top of the Arhat formation, the most beautiful Qi Nu rolled down, then rolled over a few times before Lu Buwei's table, and presented a longevity fruit made of gold.
Chang Wenjun, who was responsible for the safety of Xiao Pan and Zhu Ji, was the most nervous. He and the guards kept an eye on these acrobats to prevent anyone from having evil intentions.
Xiang Shaolong, Teng Yi and others paid close attention to observe the enemies who would ambush them later. Seeing that both men and women had extraordinary skills, they all felt wary and frightened.
If Meng Tian had not tipped off the news and was caught off guard, he might have suffered a big loss.
The eleven beauties, supported by eight powerful warriors, displayed their unique skills and wonderful dances, which aroused thunderous cheers from the audience.
After the vaudeville troupe left, the guests were still talking about it and missed these cartilage beauties.
When Lu Buwei stood up again, everyone knew that a good show was coming and suddenly fell silent.
Nearly a thousand pairs of eyes in the lobby were all focused on this powerful adventurer.
Lu Buwei coughed dryly, and when he was about to speak, Miao Du stood up with a smile and saluted Lu Buwei from afar. Everyone was puzzled, but Miao Du already smiled and said: "If the official's guess is right, will Father Zhong announce that Xiang Guan and the two lords are here?"
What about the competition for beauty?"
Lu Buwei laughed and said: "Master Miao really knows how to figure out other people's thoughts. This is indeed the case. I wonder if Master Miao has any other high opinions?"
His words were sarcastic, implying that Miao Du was good at flattering Zhu Ji and was quite dangerous to the point of death.
Even if Miao Du was unhappy, he would not show it and said calmly: "Good things come in pairs. Before the main course is served, there should be some delicious snacks. Why not first let the general of the official family and the masters of Father Zhong have a game?
Decorate to add to the fun, take advantage of the excitement, what do you think, Father Zhong?"
Unexpectedly, all the guests would kill Miao Du and openly challenge Lu Buwei. Qin people are fond of martial arts, and martial arts competitions are commonplace at banquets, and those who do good things will cheer and applaud.
Xiaopan saw that Miao Du did not ask her for instructions before speaking. Knowing that he relied on Zhu Ji and did not take her seriously, he was more arrogant and arrogant than Lu Buwei, and was secretly angry in his heart.
Wu Yingyuan here whispered to Xiang Shaolong: "Miao Du is unwilling to be lonely."
Xiang Shaolong nodded with a smile.
Of course he understood what Wu Yingyuan meant.
Since the decline of the Zhou Dynasty and the dominance of princes, the trend of raising scholars has been popular among the powerful in various countries. This is not only to collect talents for their own use, but also a symbol of status.
The competition between the powerful and powerful family members, generals and ministers also represents the competition of strength among the disciples.
With the support of Empress Dowager Zhu Ji of Miao Du, her power is increasing day by day. She naturally hopes to take this opportunity to show off her power and show her majesty. If the masters he sends can defeat Lu Buwei's men, not only will the winning men be worth a hundred times as much, but also their reputation will be doubled.
This highlights his current powerful position and kills two birds with one stone.
To a certain extent, Miao Du may still be optimistic about Guan Zhongxie in the battle of Xiang Guan, so if he can win the last battle first, then even if Guan Zhongxie really defeats Xiang Shaolong, the number one swordsman in Western Qin, Guan
Even though he is possessed by the evil spirit, he is still not invincible, because Miao Du still has a winner, and Lu Buwei is not allowed to be the best.
Xiang Shaolong glanced at Miao Du's disciples, and when he saw the look on Qi Qi's face, he immediately knew that this plan must have come from this king's head, so he took care of this person.
Lu Buwei laughed again, obviously seeing through Miao Du's intentions. Without turning around, he respectfully said to Xiaopan: "The martial arts competition will add to the excitement. It will not only increase the excitement, but also show off the martial arts of our great Qin Dynasty. Please give me your approval."
Miao Du and Zhu Ji's expressions changed slightly at the same time. They knew that Lu Buwei's pretense of respecting Xiaopan's opinion had bad intentions and was intended to deepen the differences between Zhu Ji, Miao Du and Xiaopan. It was as if he was the only one who respected Xiaopan.
.
The entire hall was silent, and thousands of eyes were focused on the future Qin Shihuang.
Xiao Pan was also amazing. As if he didn't understand Lu Buwei's hint at all, he smiled and said to Miao Du: "Which swordsman will the Miao Qing family send to open our eyes?"
Han Jie stood up beside Miao Du, strode to the center of the hall, knelt down and said, "Han Jie, the guest of the Imperial Palace, please give me permission to perform my skills."
These words were both conceited and arrogant. They especially emphasized the need to obtain Zhu Ji's approval, clearly pointing out that Lu Buwei had not taken Zhu Ji to heart just now.
In recent months, Han Jie has become famous in Xianyang. He has directly challenged the two top swordsmen Xiang Shaolong and Guan Zhongxie. When everyone saw that it was him who was from the Miao Du Sect, they immediately became excited and booed.
Lu Buwei smiled slightly and sat down.
Xiaopan smiled and said to Zhu Ji: "The Queen Mother decides everything."
After saying this, everyone was even more excited. This delicious snack before the main course was inevitable. Would Zhu Ji argue with Miao Du, who was deeply favored by her?
Sure enough, Zhu Ji said softly: "Han Jie is the favorite disciple of Cao Qiudao, Mr. Wangyou, who is known as the Sword Master of Jixia. He has a lot of swordsmanship. However, Father Zhong also has countless capable people. He must send out someone to force Mr. Han."
Show off your unique skills and let me experience them."
Teng Yi saw that Zhu Ji was clearly supporting Miao Du and suppressing Lu Buwei. Although he had no good impression of the latter, he couldn't help but whispered to Ding Shaolong and others: "I really want to squeeze Han Jie's turtle eggs out of his fucking body."
."
Xiang Shaolong was amused. He replied: "Second brother, there is always a chance. Why not borrow Lu Buwei's people now to see what this turtle egg is capable of."
Jing Jun said with certainty: "Thieve Lu will definitely send Xu Shang out. Apart from him and Guan Zhongxie, I'm afraid no one will be the opponent of this turtle egg."
Except for them, everyone in the hall was guessing who Lu Buwei would send out to fight.
These victories and defeats were so important to Lu Buwei's face and honor that Lu Buwei did not dare to treat them lightly.
Lu Buwei's eyes indeed fell on Xu Shang, but he didn't know that at this moment, Lian Jiao, who had the humiliation of being a disciple of Xu Shang, stood up with a cold snort and said respectfully: "Please allow Lian Jiao to fight, Father Zhong."
Lian Jiao is also a popular swordsman in Xianyang today. He has shown his skills at banquets many times. When everyone saw him, he volunteered for the sword and immediately applauded and cheered.
Lu Buwei obviously had a lot of confidence in him, he laughed and said: "Okay, but remember to stop at the last minute."
Only Guan Zhongxie and Xu Shang frowned at the same time, obviously not optimistic about Lian Jiao.
The drums sounded loudly.
Everyone knew that the show was about to begin.
The two of them were separated by a few feet and faced Xiao Pan in the chair. Lu Buwei and Zhu Ji first gave a warrior salute, then turned to face their opponents and locked eyes with each other.
Although Han Jie usually gave people the impression of being arrogant and rude, at this time he seemed to be a different person. He was very calm and focused on his opponent, without any slightest hint of underestimation or negligence.
His right hand is holding the sword hilt, stable and relaxed, his feet are slightly apart, and he is as motionless as a mountain. Although he is not in a posture, he has a master's demeanor that is more shocking than any other posture.
Even Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi secretly cheered for him.
His eyes became as sharp as swords, but he did not reveal any emotion in his heart, making people feel that he was unfathomable and difficult to guess.
There was silence in the lobby, and everyone held their breath. There was no feeling of impatience at all. This was not because everyone was particularly patient tonight, but because Han Jie, who did not make any special moves, was able to generate a strong aura and intimidate everyone.
field.
The most breathtaking thing is that he actually clearly conveyed a message, that is, unless he does not take action, otherwise it will be an earth-shattering offensive.
Teng Yi came up from behind Wu Yingyuan and asked curiously: "This boy and Shanrou come from the same sect, why do they have completely different swordsmanship?"
Xiang Shaolong and Ji Yanran exchanged surprised looks before hearing this: "Just from the fact that Cao Qiudao can train two different disciples, we can know that Cao Qiudao has indeed reached the level of a grand master."
Teng Yi nodded in agreement.
You must know that if an ordinary swordsman only knows how to cook dishes and teach his skills to his apprentices, it will be easy to create another self.
Only a master-level figure with broad swordsmanship can teach students in accordance with their aptitude and enable their disciples to bring out their own strengths and specialties.
Kindness, softness, and speed are the main points, and the sword moves with ease.
Han Jie, on the other hand, values stability and seeks power and ruthlessness with his sword.
Just from the difference between the two, we can infer Cao Qiudao's achievements.
Although Lian Jiao on the other side has always been arrogant and arrogant, at this critical moment of glory, death and disgrace, he has become calm and prepared.
On the surface, it was not obvious that he was at a disadvantage. He even drew his long sword and held it across his chest, showing great power. However, everyone always felt that he was outmatched by Han Ji, whose sword had not yet been unsheathed.
The two of them had been facing each other for half a cup of hot tea, and Han Jie suddenly leaned forward slightly, like a leopard that had found the weak point of its prey, with his sharp eyes focused on his opponent.
In fact, the distance between the two people did not change at all, but everyone suddenly felt that Han Jie had taken the initiative. The situation was indeed indescribable.
Sure enough, Lian Jiao, who was in the game, was forced to take action immediately under the pressure of the opponent's astonishing momentum. He let out a roar that shocked the whole audience. The sword in his hand turned into a rainbow. With the cooperation of the footwork that hinted at the logic, he passed nearly ten feet.
distance.
The long sword changed several times, and finally it tilted Han Jie's hand holding the sword hilt.
Those with a discerning eye will know that every change in his sword's momentum can not only confuse the enemy, but also increase his strength, so that when attacking the enemy, his energy, strength and energy can reach their peak.
And the most powerful thing is that he directly takes the opponent's sword hand, because now Han Jie cannot fully swing the sword.
Even if no one is hurt, once a master loses his power in a battle, it will be difficult to reverse the defeat. Therefore, whether in terms of swordsmanship or strategy, Lian Jiao can undoubtedly rank among the first-class swordsmen.
At this time, even Xiang Shaolong and others felt that Han Jie was a little too trusting and secretly cried out that it was a pity.
"Qiang"
Han Ji moved his right foot forward, twisted his body strangely, and the gleaming sword slipped out. When a dazzling light exploded under the light, only half of it was exposed.
The sheathed sword blocked Lian Jiao's sword, which was as fast as lightning and as sharp as thunder.
Lian Jiao didn't expect the other party to be so bold, and it was too late to change his tactics.
Han Jie unexpectedly took another step forward, shrugged his right shoulder, and hit Lian Jiao's chest. At the same time, he pushed the sword back into the sheath with his right hand, and miraculously caught some of Lian Jiao's blade.
Everyone in the audience was moved. Such swordsmanship is indeed rare in the world.
Of course, this would not lock Lian Jiao's long sword, but it would be enough to frustrate his sword power. If the opponent's shoulder hit his chest, he would make a fool of himself on the spot, and Lian Jiao would draw his sword and retreat in shock.
The earth-shattering attack immediately disintegrated the ice, and the initiative was miserably lost.
"Qiang"
Han Jie's sword, whose brilliance flowed like an illusion, was finally unsheathed.
As long as you are not blind, you should know that it is a rare sharp blade.
Xiang Shaolong asked himself and knew that Han Jie's sword was better than the blood wave given to him by Li Mu.
Teng Yi sighed: "Lian Jiao is finished."
"stop"
Everyone was shocked.
Han Jie's sword was intended to take advantage of the situation to pursue him, but after hearing this, he had to stand still and put the sword back into its sheath.
Lian Jiao was still intimidated by Han Jie's momentum. Although he didn't show signs of defeat, as long as he took seven steps back, he knew that his situation was extremely bad.
After everyone calmed down and followed the voice, it turned out that the speaker was evil.
Guan Zhongxie laughed and said, "May I ask Brother Han who made this sword and what its name is."
If anyone else had said these words, they would have made the whole audience boo, blaming Guan Zhongxie for taking advantage of Lian Jiao's troubles, but Guan Zhongxie had a natural demeanor that made people dare not assume that he was using tricks.
trick.
Han Jie happened to be facing Guan Zhongxie. He smiled slightly and took the sword out of its sheath. To everyone's surprise, he threw it with his hand and spun toward Guan Zhongxie like a whirlwind. However, due to his clever luck, the sword reached it.
When Guan Zhongxie was about three feet in front of his body, the hilt of the sword happened to be facing Guan Zhongxie.
While everyone was stunned, Guan Zhongxie casually stretched out his giant hand, curled his fingers into tiger claws, and with his thumb underneath, he accurately put aside the hilt of the sword and pinched the blade.
Time seemed to have stopped.
The remaining force of the wildly spinning sword was completely eliminated, and it was obediently locked in Guan Zhongxie's five-finger pass.
In front of Guan Zhong's evil sword, he tuts and praises goodness.
When Han Ji saw Guan Zhongxie showing off his hand, he was moved like everyone else. He smiled again and said, "The sword is named Pojun. It is one of the ten famous swords in our master's collection and was made by Ou Yezi."
The whole place immediately booed.
Ou Yezi is a master swordsmith. No one can match him in ancient and modern times except Mo Xie and his wife. With just one sword, he can earn enough money for an ordinary person at any time.
The most embarrassing thing was Lian Jiao, who was standing still in the hall, unable to move forward or retreat.
After Guan Zhongxie admired it for a while, he threw the sword back to Han Jie and said with a smile: "A good sword is better for a good man. Junior Brother Chang lost this battle. If there is a chance in the future, I will definitely ask Brother Han for advice."
The crowd burst into applause, not because of Han Jie's peerless swordsmanship, but because of Guan Zhongxie's demeanor.
Naturally, the taste of Miaodu is not big.
Xiang Shaolong and others admired Guan Zhongxie's beautiful move, which not only shocked everyone with his skills, but also saved Lian Jiao and suppressed Han Jie. He killed three birds with one stone. It's a shame that he has such skill.
Resilience.
Everyone looked at Guan Zhongxie and then at Xiang Shaolong, and they all felt Guan Zhongxie's sharp edge, which suddenly overshadowed Xiang Shaolong.
Lu Buwei obviously admired his capable subordinate's ability to adapt to situations and avoid humiliation. He raised his glass and said, "Let's have a drink for this unique competition."
Everyone cheered and raised their glasses in return.
Lian Jiao said nothing and returned to the table.
Han Jie took the wine from the servant and after drinking it, Shi Shiran returned to the table, showing the posture of a winner.
When Lu Buwei was about to speak again, Guoxing, who was sitting in the back seat of Miao Du, suddenly stood up, saluted Xiaopan and others first, and said loudly: "Although the battle just now was wonderful, it was not fully enjoyable. The villain is bold and wants to invite someone."
The master will go down and play with the villain to have some fun. Please give permission from the Queen Mother, the Crown Prince and Father Zhong."
As soon as he said this, the whole audience was in awe, secretly guessing who he wanted to challenge.
Even Miao Du frowned. It was obvious that this matter did not require his consent first.
Only Qiu Risheng and other members of the Weinan Samurai Hall had a positive expression on their faces. Needless to say, they had already planned to take this opportunity to revitalize the reputation of the guild in Xianyang.
An idea flashed through Xiang Shaolong's mind, and he already knew who Guoxing was going to challenge.