Under the sky

Chapter 16 The Immortal Guiding the Way
Kunlun, autumn and August of 85
It's only a few miles from Qunfang Tower to Fuzhou Branch of the Beggar Clan.Fuzhou branch is a large courtyard with three entrances. On the right side of the door are hanging copper leather bags with seven mouths overlapping each other. From a distance, they look like bunches of grapes.

Yang Yan didn't quite understand the rules of the world, nor did he understand the meaning of the seven-portrait leather bag.He walked into the courtyard and heard the shouts of gamblers before he even walked around the screen wall.There is a large square table in the atrium, and five or six strong men in well-dressed clothes are pushing Tianjiu. There are several swords on the ground beside it, which are obviously the weapons of these people.Yang Yan had seen this situation many times at his father's construction site. Gamblers who were excited about gambling were often unaware of their surroundings.

He was new to the Jianghu sect and felt a little uneasy. He looked around again and saw that there were mostly covered rooms on both sides.Several doors were open, but there was no one inside. It was probably an office, and everyone inside was out gambling.

The banker who pushed the nines had thick eyebrows, a square face, and a small beard on his chin. When he saw someone coming in, he pushed the cards and asked, "Little brother, what's the matter?"

Yang Yan said: "My name is Yang Yan. Something happened at home."

Everyone was surprised when they heard Yang Yan's name.One person said: "Are you the Yang family's exterminator?" Another person said: "Why are you here?"

The dealer turned over the Tianjiu tiles in front of him and cursed: "Fuck you, stop playing! Those losers in Chongren County couldn't find them after searching the whole county, so they came to Linchuan, fuck!"

Everyone in the Beggar Clan picked up their swords, packed away their gambling equipment, and went back to their rooms.One of them, a young man with a bronze complexion and mouse ears, stepped forward and said, "My name is Yin Hong, a patrolman in Fuzhou and a disciple of Sanbao. You come with me."

Yin Hong led Yang Yan to a room, asked Yang Yan to take a seat, and asked, "Are you hungry? There is a Ma Chicken Noodle Soup at the entrance of the alley. It's delicious. Can I buy you a bowl?"

Seeing his attentiveness, Yang Yan was flattered and hurriedly stood up and said, "No need."

Yin Hong said: "The most famous chicken in Fuzhou right now is the big chicken and the little chicken. The big chicken is in Qunfang Tower, and the little chicken is Chongren Ma Chicken. It would be a pity not to eat it."

Yang Yan thought to himself: "I live in Chongren, do the No-Majs eat too little?" He didn't want to waste time on politeness, so he said: "Thank you very much, Brother Yin."

After Yin Hong went out, the square-faced man with a mustache who had just pushed the dealer walked in.Yang Yan was a little nervous and stood up. The man hurriedly said: "Just sit down."

The man pulled up a chair and sat opposite Yang Yan, saying: "My surname is Liang, my single name is Shen, I am a disciple of Liubao, and I am the master of the Xingtang Hall in Fuzhou. I have heard about your family. I would like to say goodbye first, Chongren. The helmsman has been unable to find you, but I don’t know how you came to Linchuan?”

Yang Yan said: "I heard that the man had a northern accent, so he went all the way north to seek revenge on his enemies."

Liang Shen said: "So, brother Yang has met his enemy?"

Yang Yan nodded, and Liang Shen said: "Great, great!" He looked at Yang Yan and thought for a moment before asking, "What happened to the Yang family that day? If you feel uncomfortable, just give me a rough idea."

Yang Yan was about to speak, but was speechless for a moment.Every time he thought about the scene that day, his heart felt like a knife.Zhu Menshang never asked for details when getting along with him. This was the first time that he told someone about the tragedy in his family. When the words came to his mouth, he felt sad inside and almost shed tears.

He had a strong character and endured it for a while before speaking. Liang Shen was not in a hurry and just waited quietly.Yang Yan told one by one what happened after returning home that day. When it came to Yang Shanshan committing suicide, she finally couldn't hold back her tears and covered her face in sobs.

Liang Shen could only hear his blood boiling and his anger rising. He cursed: "Fuck! Fuck! This son of a bitch deserves to die!" He slapped his hand on the table with such force that the whole room buzzed. There was a loud noise, showing that he was very angry.

Yang Yan said: "I later found out that one of them is named Shi Jiu and the other is Wu Huan, both from the Huashan sect. There is also a leader, I don't know his name."

Liang Shen was stunned, frowned and said, "The dwarf tiger Shi Jiu of the Huashan Sect?"

Yang Yan said: "Dwarf tiger? He is not tall, a little shorter than me."

Liang Shen asked again: "How did you escape?"

Yang Yan said: "They let me go."

Liang Shen asked: "Let you go?"

Yang Yan said: "Yes, they killed my grandfather, my father, my mother, my sister and my little brother, and then let me go."

Liang Shen stood up and walked back and forth, sighing as if he was encountering a huge problem.Yang Yan saw his expression was different and asked, "Brother Liang, what's wrong?"

Liang Shen was about to speak but stopped.Seeing the troubled look on his face, Yang Yan couldn't help but feel his heart sink, and asked, "Can the Beggar Gang help me take revenge?"

Liang Shen said: "We have to take care of all the killings and injuries within the jurisdiction of the Beggar Clan. If there are strongmen who kill everyone, we have to take care of them. Those trash in Chongren County, sooner or later we will kill them! It's just..."

Yang Yan hurriedly asked: "Just what?"

Liang Shen said: "It's okay...Brother Yang, your family died so tragically. The Beggar Clan will give you justice. You go home first. We will arrest him immediately. I don't believe he can escape to heaven and earth!" Immediately he patted his chest and said , "If we can't find the person, we will also issue a wanted person and ask Huashan to arrest him!"

Yang Yan became suspicious and said, "My home is gone and I have nowhere to go. I'll find a place nearby to stay and wait for news."

Liang Shen said: "With the huge crowd, how can we get news so soon? Brother Yang should go back first and live a good life. When he finds his enemy, he will notify you."

Yang Yan said: "They were still in Linchuan yesterday. Someone has seen them. You should go find them now."

Liang Shen said: "Okay, let's look for him immediately. Brother Yang...Brother, I still have something to do. I will let you know when I find someone." Just as he was about to leave, Yang Yan asked, "You haven't asked me where I live yet. If you have an enemy, where can you find me?"

Liang Shen said: "As the master of the torture hall, do I need to remember a place of residence? If you find a place to stay and inform me, someone will naturally remember it."

This makes sense, and Yang Yan believes it.After Liang Shen left, Yin Hong came in with a bowl of noodle soup and said, "Here comes the noodles. Brother Yang, hurry up and eat it while it's hot."

Yang Yan didn't want to brush off his good intentions, so he ate the noodles and asked again, "Is Brother Liang busy?"

Yin Hong said: "What are you busy with? Everyone is pushing Pai Gow when they have nothing to do. Brother Yang, your family died tragically, and we all sympathize. When the news came that day, everyone was very angry. They searched everywhere for the murderer. They even arrested him a few days ago. A suspect came for interrogation. The man said he didn't know anything. We saw that he was timid and had poor martial arts skills, so he didn't look like a murderer, so we put him back home and sent someone to monitor him secretly."

Yang Yan asked: "Who?"

Yin Hong said: "The surname is Qin. I forgot the name. It has a number."

Yang Yan said anxiously: "Qin Jiuxian?!"

Yin Hong said: "Yes, yes, that's him!"

When Yang Yan heard Qin Jiuxian's name, he suddenly became angry. He suddenly remembered the familiar figure he saw before he fell into coma. Wasn't it Qin Jiuxian?That day, he was greedy for life and afraid of death. Unexpectedly, he kept secret about it afterwards, completely pretending not to know anything about what happened that day.

Yang Yan said: "He was there that day and saw it with his own eyes. How can you say he didn't know?"

Yin Hong said: "He is here too? Is there such a thing?"

Yang Yan said: "That loser came to my house when my father was killed. He was beaten up by his enemies and ran away with his tail between his legs!"

Yin Hong said: "What did Hall Master Liang say?"

Yang Yan said: "He asked me to go home and wait for news."

Yin Hong said: "Then you go home and wait for the news."

Yang Yan shook his head and said, "I'll stay in Linchuan. The enemy hasn't gone far, and he will be found soon."

Yin Hong said: "You tell me what they look like, and I will help you find them."

Yang Yan was moved, and when he was about to say something, Yin Hong shouted: "Wait!" He went out for a while, came back with pen, ink, and paper, and said, "I have a bad memory. You tell me, and I'll draw it."

Yang Yan said: "Brother Yin can still draw?"

Yin Hong scratched his head and said sheepishly: "I'm just painting for fun. You tell me, and I'll paint."

Yang Yan described the appearance of Shi Jiu, Wu Huan and the man in black robes in detail. Yin Hong drew a picture according to Yang Yan's description. Although it was not lifelike, it had all the characteristics. Looking at the picture, he looked ,pretty close.

Yin Hong said: "When I make dozens or hundreds of these pictures, I will first distribute them in Linchuan and then send them to each branch. I believe I won't find anyone." After that, he took the pictures and left.

Yang Yan waited in the house for a long time. After about two hours, Liang Shen came back and saw him. He was surprised and said, "Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you to go home and wait for news?"

Yang Yan felt embarrassed and replied: "I'm waiting for news around here."

Liang Shen still persuaded him to go home, but Yang Yan refused.Seeing that it was almost dusk, Yang Yan didn't have much money on him, and the Fuzhou branch didn't take him in, so he chose the shabbiest inn nearby to stay.

Early the next morning, Yang Yan went to the Beggar Clan again. Liang Shen only said that he had sent someone to look for him, but there was no news yet.In this way, every day, Yang Yan went to the Beggar Clan early in the morning to wait for news. In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed. Seeing that his money was about to be exhausted, the more he waited, the more anxious he became.

Yang Yan had no other choice but to work odd jobs nearby, but he could not make ends meet and could not support himself.Seven or eight days later, he went to the Beggar Clan to ask again, but he still got the same answer. Yang Yan was so angry that he couldn't help but curse.Liang Shen just said nothing, gave him a few words of advice, and went in on his own.

Yang Yan felt aggrieved but had no choice but to leave. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder.Yang Yan turned around, and it turned out to be Yin Hong.

Yin Hong said: "Brother Yang, let's go, I'll treat you to some noodles."

When Yang Yan saw it was him, he remembered how well he had taken care of him, nodded and said, "Okay."

Yin Hong took Yang Yan to the noodle stall and ordered two bowls of Ma Chicken noodle soup.After not eating enough for the past few days, Yang Yan was really hungry and ate loudly.

Yin Hong looked at him and asked, "Brother Yang, is the expense sufficient?"

Yang Yan lowered his head and said, "I'll find some work nearby to support myself."

Yin Hong said: "Brother Yang, I advise you to go home."

Yang Yan raised his head, stared at Yin Hong and asked, "Brother Yin, what's going on? Isn't the Beggar Gang going to help me?"

Yin Hong hesitated for a long time, asked the store for a pot of bad wine, and drank by himself.Seeing that he didn't answer, Yang Yan became even more suspicious and asked again.

Yin Hong drank two drinks, his face turned red, and he said: "To be honest with Brother Yang, I have a sister and a brother. If anyone touches them, I will fight to the death. So, I understand how Brother Yang feels. .”

Yang Yan thought to himself: "Why are you telling me this now?"

Yin Hong poured another glass of wine, raised his head to drink it, sighed, as if to gain courage, and then said, "Brother Yang, didn't you realize that the portrait I drew for you wasn't posted in the city?"

Yang Yan said: "I have noticed it a long time ago. I just thought that Brother Yin was too busy and forgot about it."

Yin Hong said: "Can I forget this kind of thing? Although I, Yin Hong, am not a great hero, but if I don't take this kind of... this kind of god-damn funeral, wouldn't I become a beast?"

Seeing that he was speaking strangely, Yang Yan's heart sank and he said, "The Beggar Clan really won't help me?"

Yin Hong said: "It's not that I don't help, it's that I really can't help." He blushed and sighed, "I know you are sad, Brother Yang. I see you coming to the Beggar Clan every day, but you can't help, and I feel sad when I see you. . Hall Master Liang wants everyone to ignore you. If you can’t hold on for a long time, you will naturally return to your hometown. As the days pass by, your heart will gradually fade away, and everything will be fine.”

Yang Yan said angrily: "Didn't you say that all of Jiangxi is under the control of the beggar gang? Didn't you say that exterminating families is a big deal? Why do you say that you can't control it now?"

Yin Hong said: "After you left that day, Hall Master Liang said that this matter was difficult to handle. You know that Shi Jiu... he is from the Huashan sect, and his nickname is Dwarf Tiger. Huashan, that is the Jiu Family."

Yang Yan sneered and said: "I understand, the whole of Jiangxi is under their control, and they can kill whoever they like, right?"

Yin Hong said: "Brother, if you don't hang around in the Jianghu, you don't understand. Yan Feixi, the leader of Huashan, is a powerful character, regardless of that. Everyone in the Jianghu knows that the Yan family of Huashan is the most grudge-holding. There is a saying that 'a drop of blood in Huashan is a drop of blood in the Jianghu.'" A head'. This is not the most difficult thing to handle. As long as you stand firm, the Huashan Sect will have to be obedient."

Yang Yan said angrily: "Could my family be unreasonable?"

Yin Hong said: "The hall master said that if there is such a big backstage as the Jiu Family and they act according to the rules, most of them have made enmity petitions. If there are enmity petitions, it will be difficult for the various sects to interfere."

Yang Yan said angrily: "Is my family's death like this in vain?"

Yin Hong lowered his head and sighed: "The hall master said that issuing a revenge petition is a private fight between two families. If you don't know martial arts, even if Shi Jiu can't kill you, you can't do anything to him. Instead of living a hard life like this, why not Go back to your hometown and live your life. He knows that you won't listen, so he delays this period of time to let you calm down your resentment, and then let you go back after you think about it. "

Yang Yan became even more angry and said loudly: "I can't understand this bullshit!"

Yin Hong said: "I know this is unreasonable, but... but... Brother Yang, you can't get your revenge. Really, I feel ashamed of you. I came out to see you today without telling the hall master because I don't want you." It’s a waste of effort. You’ll have a hard time, and this little money…”

Yin Hong took out a few coins and said, "I'm not rich either. This is all I can help. It's enough for you to return to Chongren." After saying that, he turned his head and did not dare to look at Yang Yan again.After a while, when he saw that Yang Yan had confiscated it, he turned back and said, "Brother Yang, just take it... Huh?" When he turned around, he realized that Yang Yan had disappeared.

Yang Yan returned to the inn angrily, where the shopkeeper was waiting for him.He was three days in arrears with rent, and he was immediately discouraged when he met him.The shopkeeper said: "Mr. Yang, you have owed rent for three days. If you don't pay today, I won't be able to take you in."

Yang Yan said: "How about a few more days of grace? I'll find a job and pay back the rent for a few days."

The shopkeeper shook his head and said: "No, you don't have to come back if you don't pay off the account tonight. These three days are considered preferential treatment for you, so you can go on your own."

Yang Yan asked again and again, but the shopkeeper refused. Yang Yan had no choice but to suddenly remember something and asked: "Shopkeeper, do you know where the Yuefeng Casino is?"

The shopkeeper frowned and said, "Yue Feng Gambling House? Which Yue Feng Gambling House?"

Yang Yan heard that there was something interesting in his words and hurriedly said: "Pleasure brings joy, and harvest brings prosperity."

The shopkeeper said: "I haven't heard of this name in decades. I'm not from Linchuan, so I don't know about it."

Yang Yan was overjoyed, thinking that if he found this gambling house, he might have clues about his family, so he hurriedly asked: "Where is it? Where is it?"

The shopkeeper said: "It disappeared decades ago. Later, when Fugui Gambling House opened, Yuefeng was closed down. The original location was taken over by the Xilai Pawn Shop next to it. Now the front door is a pawn shop and the backyard is the house where their family lives. .”

When Yang Yan heard this, his heart suddenly became cold.Still unwilling to give up, he asked for the address, which happened to be near the inn.

※ ※ ※

Xilai Pawn Shop is located at the end of a dead-end alley. There are few pedestrians around, and most of the people who pass by are either residents or people who come to pawn.

People who go to a pawn shop don't want to be seen by anyone, whether they are known to them or not.If this pawn shop was opened next to a gambling house in the past, it is no wonder that the subsequent owner had the financial resources to buy the land where the gambling house was. After all, it took advantage of the location.

The Yuefeng Gambling House is gone. Look at the paper. It is worn and old. When you squeeze it hard, it will fall out. Yang Yan usually does not dare to open it easily. It looks like it is an old thing from decades ago.There may be a story in it, but my father kept it just to remember that nowadays, things have changed and people should not have had hope.

As for where is the Xianxia Sect?He asked people from the Beggar Clan, but Liang Shen said he had never heard of it. Yin Hong helped him find out, and said that there was no such sect in the martial arts world, and it might have been extinct long ago.

Yes, it was wiped out long ago, just like my whole family, it was all wiped out long ago. Maybe the enemy is looking for the Xianxia sect of my family.

At this time, Yang Yan had no money on him, so it was useless to go back to the Beggar Clan to plead with him. There was no hope of revenge. What should he do?He touched himself, only the Immortal Cloud Palm Token was left.This token was made of gold and silver, and weighed twice as much. If it were pawned, it would be a huge sum of money for him now.But this is a relic left by his father, and it is related to his life experience. Before, he would rather starve and freeze than have the idea of ​​​​a token.Today...

Yang Yan remembered what Zhu Menshang said, that everything must be considered before doing it.He would never go home and let his enemies go. If the Beggar Clan was unwilling to help, he would have to rely on himself.

Learning martial arts is the only way right now.Since the opponent can't kill you, as long as you master martial arts, you will always have the opportunity to try again and again.But where to learn martial arts?A gang of beggars will not work.He had heard of not many sects, and the Nine Families were certainly his first choice.Which sect has the highest martial arts, Shaolin and Wudang?But those Shaolin Wudang skills must take a long time to practice. If the enemy dies before revenge, wouldn't it be in vain?The Tang Sect is good at concealed weapons and poisons, so it may be the easiest to get started, but Sichuan and Guizhou are the farthest away, and whether they are willing to accept him or not is still a question.

Regardless, travel expenses are a must.Ask about the rest.

Yang Yan stood in front of Xilai Pawn Shop, hesitating again and again. Just as he was about to enter, he suddenly heard someone shouting: "One day, bodyguard, arrived safely!" Yang Yan turned around after hearing the sound and saw an old man sitting diagonally opposite not far away, struggling for a while. He opened his face, looked up in the air, and asked doubtfully: "Where has my cloth banner gone?" Then he shouted, "The bodyguard arrived safely in one day!"

When the old man saw Yang Yan looking at him, he smiled and asked, "Did you win money, little brother? Do you want to hire a bodyguard? Get home safely!"

Who has never heard of the bodyguard business?But considering this old man's age, he should hire a bodyguard instead of being a bodyguard, right?Yang Yan hurriedly said: "No need."

At this time, there was no one else in the alley except Yang Yan and the old man. The old man seemed to have found a companion. He stood up and walked over. Then he bent down and cried out like a beggar: "Save the suffering Bodhisattva, save the suffering. With God's blessing, I can have enough scraps to eat for a whole day, and three or two pennies to save my life. Sir, please give me some charity, okay?"

Yang Yan took a closer look at the old man. He was about 80 years old. His face was full of wrinkles and dirt. He had white hair and a gray beard. His lower front teeth were missing. His speech was leaky and his mouth was slurred. His old eyes were dull and dull. They blinked from time to time. Just looking at this face, it really arouses sympathy.

However, upon closer inspection, although the old man was dirty all over, there was an emerald green jade pendant hanging on his azure belt. He was wearing a yellow shirt and brocade robe, embroidered with the gods of fortune and fortune. Yang Yan had seen a three-hundred-dollar-a-foot piece on the Baoqing Hao. Shu brocade is not as beautiful as this material.Yang Yan didn't understand the market, but he knew that he might need seven or eight taels of silver for just this outfit. Why would such a wealthy old man come to beg for money?

Yang Yan said: "Grandpa, stop making fun of the poor. I still have to rely on you to help."

The old man chuckled and said: "Master is really good at joking and making fun of beggars. I really need a few pennies. Master, can you give me some?"

Yang Yan didn't want to pay attention to him, but the old man just pestered him with a sincere tone. If it weren't for his ostentatious outfit, Yang Yan would have seriously believed him.Although Yang Yan didn't believe that he was in poverty, he couldn't bear his fuss. He thought of his grandfather again and thought to himself: "I'm going to starve to death. Anyway, I'm fine with this. Let's give him a few pennies and see how he does." So he took out three pennies. , handed it to the old man and said, "Grandpa, that's all."

The old man couldn't help but salute and thank him, turned around and left.So he came here specifically to steal these few pennies?When Yang Yan saw him leaving, he was confused and looked at the pawn shop again.Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, the old man put his hand on his shoulder again and said: "The Bodhisattva who saves the suffering and saves the suffering is blessed by God. He can eat scraps for a whole day and only three or two coins to save his life. Sir, please give me some charity, okay?"

Yang Yan was angry and funny. At this time, he could see that the old man was old and demented. He might have come from a wealthy family. He was begging on the street for some reason. He had to say: "Grandpa, you just begged."

The old man touched his head and asked, "Have you asked for it?"

Yang Yan simply took out all the twenty-odd coins left in his arms, handed them to the old man and said, "That's all that's left, it's gone."

The old man asked: "No more?"

Yang Yan took out his withered money bag, opened it and said to the old man: "I don't have a penny left, so I have to go to the pawn shop."

The old man looked up and saw the sign of the pawn shop. He nodded and said, "You are so poor that you have to enter a pawn shop and you are willing to give alms. I am so kind-hearted. Let's do this. Brother, I will make you my friend." He put his arm around Yang Yan's shoulders and patted her twice. The force was so strong that it almost knocked Yang Yan down.Yang Yan hurriedly stood up and saw that the old man, who was over eighty years old and was more than capable of being his own grandfather, actually called himself a brother. He couldn't help but laugh. He thought to himself: "With his outfit, if he is alone, he will probably suffer disaster if he meets a bad person." So he smiled bitterly. Said: "Grandpa, stop teasing me. Where do you live? I'll take you home."

The old man said: "Beggars naturally have homes all over the world. By the way, do you know how to get to Qunfang Tower? I went around and around but couldn't find it..."

Yang Yan was surprised and said: "Qunfang Tower?"

The old man chuckled and said: "Yes, Aunt Chun and I will be fine! Come on, I will take you to find the girl!"

Yang Yan smiled bitterly and said: "Grandpa, stop making trouble! You have money, but I don't have any! Besides, I just came out of there."

The old man blew his beard and said: "Don't always call me grandpa or grandpa. I am old and not very old. I am only 25! If you are young, just call me big brother. It doesn't matter if you have no money. Let's go to Yue Feng Gambling House!”

Yang Yan was startled when he heard the words "Yue Feng Gambling House". Then he thought about it, considering the old man's age, this pawn shop was owned by Yue Feng Gambling House when he was young, so it's not surprising that he knew about it.The old man was confused. He must have thought that Yue Feng Gambling House was still there. Thinking of this, he said: "Grandpa, you are confused. Yue Feng Gambling House has closed long ago. I heard that the largest gambling house in the city is Fugui Gambling House."

The old man rolled his eyes and said, "Just don't call me grandpa, call me brother!"

Yang Yan had no choice but to change his words: "Brother, Yuefeng Casino is gone."

The old man asked doubtfully: "It's gone? I went there yesterday, why is it gone?"

Yang Yan said: "It's really gone. If you don't believe me, just take a look. Hasn't this become a pawn shop?"

The old man looked up at the signboard of Xilai Pawn Shop, looked around again, rubbed the back of his head and wondered: "It's weird, why did it become a pawn shop?"

Yang Yan asked: "Grandpa, why are you going to the gambling house?"

The old man said: "Call me brother! If a beggar asks for money, he will either go to whoring or gamble. What else can he do?"

Yang Yan pressed his head, feeling a headache, and sighed: "Brother, if you have money from gambling or prostitution, you can lend me some money for travel expenses. This is a great kindness that I will never forget!"

The old man asked: "You have no money?"

Yang Yan said: "I gave you the money, where did the money come from?"

The old man nodded and said: "That makes sense, then I will teach you how to make money."

When Yang Yan heard this, he immediately became hopeful and asked hurriedly: "How to make money?"

The old man reached out and grabbed Yang Yan's clothes and tore them apart with force.Yang Yan was taken aback, complained endlessly, and cursed: "Smelly old man, I gave you money, but you tore my clothes instead?!" The old man looked at it again and said, "It's not even close." He squatted on the ground and grabbed it. Two handfuls of sand were smeared on Yang Yan's face and body.Yang Yan couldn't help but dodge, and was still covered in dirt. The old man nodded and said, "That's enough."

Yang Yan said angrily: "This is the only thing I wear, and if you tear it, you have to compensate me!"

The old man said: "Don't you want money? Come, brother, I will teach you how to earn pestles."

Yang Yan said: "You want to take me to be a beggar?"

The old man asked: "Isn't it bad to be a beggar?"

Now that things have happened, Yang Yan really doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.What kind of luck did I have to meet such a strange old man just after I said goodbye to Zhu Menshang?He could only say: "Okay, old...brother, I will be a beggar with you. Can you tell me where you live first?"

The old man said: "Follow me, and you can say whatever I say later."

Yang Yan was worried about the old man and had to follow him.As soon as they left the alley, the old man stopped a young woman and asked for money. The young woman went around and the old man stopped several people one after another, instructing Yang Yan to do the same.Yang Yan was thin-skinned and tried every means to refuse.The old man was walking east and west without any direction. Yang Yan only hoped that his family would find him quickly and pick him up.

The two walked for half an hour when the old man stopped the two young men again.When the two men saw the old man begging, their expressions suddenly changed and they cursed: "Old man, do you want to die?"

The old man shook his head and said: "I only want money, not my life. Sir, please kindly give me some."

A taller young man in green asked Yang Yan: "Is this your grandfather?"

Yang Yan didn't want to explain, so he just said: "My grandfather is old and confused, please don't be offended."

The tall young man said: "Your grandfather is old and confused, but you are not confused. The Beggar Clan's jurisdiction is not allowed to 'walk along the door,' and you don't know that?"

Yang Yan was puzzled and asked: "What is a door support?"

The two young men saw the green jade pendant on the old man's body and looked at each other.The tall man said: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand the rules. You will understand once you are punished." After saying that, he stretched out his hand to pick off the old man's waist pendant.

Yang Yan yelled, "What are you doing!" He stretched out his hand to push the young man's shoulder.The young man shrank his left shoulder and moved away. He turned out to be a martial artist. Then he swung his right fist and hit Yang Yan directly in the face, cursing: "Seeking death!"

Seeing his fist coming, Yang Yan steadied his horse and stretched out the sword palm of his right hand.When he came and went, he could only use the dead wood and horizontal branches to poke at the waist of the tall young man.He was already familiar with this move, but the young man didn't expect that he knew martial arts, so he succeeded with one blow and knocked the young man back a few steps.It's just that he has little power, so the young man can only feel pain but not hurt.

The tall young man suffered a blow and felt pain in his waist. He cursed, "You bastard knows how to do kung fu!"

The old man clapped his hands and praised: "What a magic trick to guide the way!"

Yang Yan said: "Grandpa, this move is called dead wood and horizontal branches."

The old man blew his beard and glared, cursing: "Don't talk nonsense! I won't recognize the immortal from the Xianxia sect who shows you the way?"

Yang Yan asked in surprise: "Grandpa, have you ever heard of the Xianxia Sect?"

The old man said: "Nonsense, who hasn't heard it?"

Yang Yan was surprised. Before he could ask more questions, the tall young man took a step forward and punched him.Yang Yan barely dodged and was kicked in the stomach. In a mixture of pain and anger, he punched out violently. The tall young man hurriedly avoided it and pushed Yang Yan on the shoulder.Yang Yan struck again with a dead wood and horizontal branch move. The tall young man had obviously seen it before, but he couldn't dodge it and received another slap. He was immediately furious and used a series of fast punches.Yang Yan didn't know what kind of punch it was, so he couldn't block it and received a few heavy punches.

Despite this, Yang Yan refused to give in. With a bloody spirit, he blindly swung his fists randomly and punched hard.With his skill, there was no chance of winning if he tried to pick off every move. With such random attacks, the tall young man didn't know how to react. After blocking several times, he received a heavy blow to the chin, which made him feel timid. , wanting to retreat and regroup.Unexpectedly, Yang Yan roared low, and punches rained down, hitting his head, face and body, but the tall young man just blocked him.Yang Yan was getting excited about fighting when he suddenly felt a pain in his waist and fell to the ground. It turned out to be the short young man who made a surprise attack.The two pushed him to the ground, punched and kicked him.

Yang Yan held his head and rolled on the ground. He had the most vehement personality. The more he was bullied, the more his blood boiled up and he vowed to resist.After he and Zhu Menshang parted ways, he bought another dagger. He reached into his arms and was about to take it out when the old man suddenly grabbed him, pressed on him and shouted, "Don't hit my brother!" The two young men stopped. The old man couldn't help but cried out in pain after being hit a few times.

The old man pressed on Yang Yan's chest. Yang Yan couldn't take out the dagger and shouted angrily: "Don't hit the old man!" The two young men were afraid that the old man was old and frail, so they beat him to death in three or two blows, and they were afraid of disturbing passers-by.The tall man snatched the green jade pendant from the old man and stuffed it into his sleeve pocket, turned around and ran away while Yang Yan cursed loudly.The two were far away, and Yang Yan hurriedly helped the old man up and said, "Grandpa, are you okay?"

The old man said: "It's okay, it's okay. Brother, are you injured?"

Yang Yan had two bruises on his face and received several blows on his body. Fortunately, he was young and strong, so his muscles and bones were not injured. He immediately patted the dust on the old man's body and said, "What a pity for your jade waist pendant."

The old man said: "Silly boy, what kind of jade pendant is that?"

Yang Yan pointed at the old man's waist and couldn't help but be startled. He saw that the jade pendant was still firmly tied to the old man's belt. Could it be that he had just made a mistake?

The old man asked, "What's the matter?"

Yang Yan said: "It's okay. Grandpa, where is your home? I'll take you back."

The old man said: "I have told you to call me brother several times! If you call me grandpa again, I will get angry!"

Yang Yan was helpless and remembered that he had mentioned the Xianxia Sect before and asked hurriedly: "Grandpa, do you know about the Xianxia Sect?"

The old man asked with a suspicious look on his face: "Xianxia Sect?"

Yang Yan said: "That's it." He gestured with dead wood and branches again.

The old man suddenly said: "Oh, the immortal guides you, Xianxia Sect! Of course this old man recognizes it! Are you a disciple of Xianxia Sect? Why is it useless to wait? Just now, they used Yijiabao's Liuhe Fist to hit you, and you used Xianxia Sect's Use the Cloud-turning Palm to unload his offensive attack and tear off his left shoulder bone. Just be gentle and use one move to cause the clouds to surge and break a few of his ribs."

Yang Yan was surprised and happy, and asked quickly: "Grandpa, do you know the Kung Fu of the Xianxia Sect? Are you a member of the Xianxia Sect?"

The old man sighed: "Brother is not so useless, Xianxia Sect's skills are of no use!"

Yang Yan was disappointed and asked: "Is the Xianxia sect's kung fu weak?"

The old man said: "It's not that bad, you can tell by looking at it?"

Yang Yan said: "I have never learned the Xianxia sect's kung fu. Grandpa, where is the Xianxia sect?"

The old man said: "You don't know where your own sect is, so why don't you ask me?"

Yang Yan said: "My grandfather taught me this trick."

The old man asked: "What is your grandfather's name?" Yang Yan said: "My grandfather's name is Yang Xiujie."

The old man said: "I've never heard of it! Among the Xianxia sect's surnamed Yang, only the eldest disciple Yang Jingyao is somewhat famous. He has obtained the true biography and is barely considered a figure. Hmm... Yang Jingyao... Yang..." He tilted his head, as if thinking of What.

Yang Yan thought the name sounded familiar, and suddenly remembered that in the past, his father and grandfather would always fold a few pieces of yellow paper and place them in front of the altar table for worship every Qingming Festival, and then burn the yellow paper, but they never went out to visit the grave.He asked his father at that time, and his father said it was an ancestor's tablet. Yang Yan asked for his name, but his father excused himself by saying that he was busy.Later, he took a chance and secretly opened some yellow papers and looked at them. Among the names in them were Cai, Zhang, Lin, and Chen. There was only one named Yang. Because they had the same surname, he paid special attention to them at that time, so he named them Yang Jingyao.

At that time, he felt strange, why were there so many other surnames mixed with the ancestor tablets?I asked my father and was scolded by Yang Zhengde.He had rarely seen his father lose his temper like this.Yang Zhengde only said that this was disrespectful to his ancestors and asked him to forget about it and not even remember his name.Now that I think about it, I was afraid that the name of my ancestor would be revealed and attract enemies.Unexpectedly, this disaster cannot be avoided.

Yang Yan said: "I've heard of this name before, maybe..." He thought for a moment and then said, "Maybe it's my great-grandfather!"

The old man blew his beard and laughed loudly: "How could Yang Jingyao, a young man in his 30s, give birth to a grandson like you? Are you stealing from his master?"

Yang Yan quickly said: "No, no, my grandfather really taught me! Then tell me where the Xianxia Sect is? I'll go and become a disciple."

The old man said: "That is a small sect under Wudang. It is a distant relative of Wudang. You can just go to Hubei to find it."

Yang Yan silently remembered it in his mind, and was about to think of a way to trick the old man into telling him where he lived, when the old man said again: "You haven't told me yet, where is the Yuefeng Gambling House?"

Seeing that he was confused again, Yang Yan had no choice but to say: "Yuefeng Gambling House is gone. Now there is only Fugui Gambling House."

The old man asked: "Where is the wealthy gambling house?"

Yang Yan asked: "Brother, do you have money?"

The old man said: "Didn't you just give it to me?"

Yang Yan said: "Just a few dozen coins are not enough."

The old man took out two pockets from his arms and said, "Let me see how much there is here." He poured out the silver and said disgustedly, "Only three coins, two poor guys!"

Yang Yan thought he was talking about the two of them, so he hurriedly said: "Yes, the money is not much, so don't gamble."

The old man looked at the alley where the pawn shop was located and said strangely: "The gambling shop is obviously in this alley, why can't I find it? I'll ask again." After that, he went to the passers-by to ask.Although Yang Yan had a headache, he didn't dare to leave him alone. He thought to himself: "His family is eager to find him. Knowing that he likes gambling, they might go to Fugui Gambling House to find him." So he caught up and said, "Grandpa, I Let’s take you there.”

Seeing that he was willing to lead the way, the old man laughed and said: "Okay, okay, let's go! Let's go! If you win, I'll give you half!"

Yang Yan had been in Sichuan for nearly a month. He had heard about the name of Fugui Gambling House and immediately led the old man there.

Fugui Casino is the largest casino in Jiangxi and is located in the most prosperous area of ​​Fuzhou.Before arriving at the gambling house, there were already vendors gathered on both sides of the alley in front of the door. Not only were there restaurants and wine shops, but there were also shops selling all kinds of antiques, jades, silks and satins, and there were also all kinds of entertainers, telling fortunes, selling medicines, and juggling. The sleight-of-hand and crosstalk are so lively.What made Yang Yan most curious was that there were many people sitting on the ground outside the gambling house. They were all strong and tall, with weapons beside them. On the side were several banners saying "Bodyguard for a day, get home safely".

Yang Yan remembered that the old man had just said "a bodyguard for one day, and he arrived safely at home", which was exactly the same as this group of people, and found it interesting, so he asked: "Brother, I have heard of bodyguards, but what is a bodyguard for one day?"

The old man laughed and said: "I said it was a one-day bodyguard, so of course it is a one-day bodyguard. The gambler won a lot of money in the casino, and it was very ostentatious. If he was worried about encountering a strongman on the way home, he hired a bodyguard here. , I will ensure that you arrive safely. Those who have obtained the title of chivalrous person and cannot find a job will earn a living here. "

Yang Yan said: "What if these bodyguards are watching and stealing?"

The old man said: "If you break the rules, you won't be able to earn a living in this profession, and you will be cast aside by your colleagues. But, there are people in the business of beheading. If there is too much food, there will inevitably be rice bugs. It depends on your luck and people's conscience."

The two entered the gambling house.The gambling hall is extremely spacious and grand, with lights and colorful decorations, crowds of people, and shouts coming and going. There are dozens of tables spaced about twenty feet to one foot apart, with Tianjiu, Pai Gow, dice, fantan, four-color tiles, etc. .Yang Yan had never been to a place like this, and he didn't understand these gambling scenes, so he couldn't help but feel anxious.He looked around, waiting for anyone he was looking for to come forward and recognize him.

The old man looked at the environment, frowned and asked, "Where are we?"

Yang Yan said: "Fugui Gambling House."

The old man said: "Fugui Gambling House? I've never heard of it! When did this gambling house exist and it's so grand?"

Yang Yan said: "I heard it's been more than ten years."

The old man cursed: "Nonsense!"

Yang Yan knew that he was confused and couldn't argue, so he had to follow him.

Fugui Casino exchanges chips, nine out of ten come in, and there is no draw. One hundred coins can be exchanged for one chip, but when exchanged, only 95 coins can be exchanged.The chips are divided into colors, etc. Green is one hundred coins, one purple is worth ten greens, which is one tael of silver, and gold is worth ten purples, which is ten taels of silver.

The old man first exchanged the three coins and the dozens of Wen for five green chips, and walked to the Fantan table. The dealer was grabbing a handful of stalls, and the old man only took one look and said, "Let's open three stalls!" Yang Yan paused.The dealer took the pick and counted the numbers, and sure enough, three came out. Yang Yan said regretfully: "It's a pity that I didn't bet." Turning around, he saw that the old man had arrived at the Pai Gow stall and hurriedly followed him.

Seeing that Yang Yan was following, the old man said again: "The dealer has a pair of axes, and the third player has a pair of benches, and the rest will kill!" Yang Yan didn't understand this terminology, so he saw the dealer turned over the cards and saw a bunch of white dots. Not sure what time it was, he shouted: "A pair of axes! The player's cards are drawn!" The third player of the player's family shouted happily: "The bench eats axes, enemies don't get together!" Yang Yan saw that the person was also a pair, so he counted the points But there were only four points, and I thought: "How come I won with fewer points?" Then I thought, "Why did he guess right again?"

He saw that the Tianjiu cards were all dazzling, and Fantan only had one, two, three, and four to guess. It was definitely not luck to guess correctly, so he asked: "Grandpa, how do you know what cards the dealer is holding?"

The old man said: "Wouldn't you know it just by watching him pushing and stacking cards?"

Yang Yan thought: "It's so simple, why can't everyone see it?" He was not good at gambling, and thought to himself, "Yes, everyone has seen it. It's just that if you throw the dice, you know who gets what, and you can't repent. The cards only determine the face of the card.”

The old man found a guard and asked, "How much money does it cost to break the formation?" The guard looked at the old man, then at Yang Yan, and asked, "Who is this?"

The old man said: "My brother."

Gu Yuan narrowed his eyes with doubt on his face: "Brother?"

The old man chuckled and said: "The relative I just recognized, bring him here to see the scene."

The nurse said: "50 taels, show your chips first."

Yang Yan was startled again and thought to himself: "50 taels of silver to gamble? Dad used to only earn more than [-] taels of silver a month. How did grandpa get so much money?"

The old man asked: "It's not 30 taels, why is it so much 50 taels?"

The nurse said: "Only 50 taels, do you have the money?"

The old man nodded and said, "Okay." After that, he walked directly to the dice field.Yang Yan followed and asked: "Brother, do you have 50 taels?"

The old man said: "Wait a minute, wait a minute." Then he shouted to the people in front of the gambling stall: "Give way, give way!"

Everyone made room for Yang Yan and the old man to stand. Yang Yan saw various odds written on the table. Three to ten were small, eleven to seventeen were big, and they all paid one for one.You can also bet on a single point each time the dice is drawn, from one to six, and each number pays one to two.There are also total numbers, and the odds vary.If you bet on a full siege of leopards, you will pay 36. If you bet on a single siege of leopards, you will pay 210 six times.Finally, Yang Derivative is smart, and he understands the key to the odds after reading it for a while. He knows that the more difficult it is, the higher the odds are.

The dealer rolled the dice and shouted: "Good move!"

The old man took out his chips and bet a big, then a leopard, one at five o'clock, one at six o'clock, and after thinking about the last one, he bet on three sixes.

Seeing him go all-in, Yang Yan hurriedly said: "Grandpa, bet smaller."

The old man said: "What are you afraid of? If you lose everything, you can just ask for it again."

When the dice cup is opened, five, five, and six are opened. After calculating the odds, the old man wins more and loses less.Yang Yan said happily: "We won!"

The old man rolled his eyes and said, "You only have two hundred coins, a boy who has never seen the world."

Yang Yan thought to himself: "Oh, you have seen the world, and you just asked me for a penny."

The dealer rolled the dice again, and the old man thought about it and said, "This one is a no-go."

This one opened four, four, five, which is also high.

In the third hand, the old man scattered the chips again and bet on small, single, single two, encircle one, and encircle two.Seeing that he was passing by again, Yang Yan thought to himself: "If you play this way and lose everything in one go, how can anyone celebrate the big festival every day?"

The dealer offered one, two, and three, taking less and paying more. The old man won another few hundred coins, and his five chips turned into ten.

Yang Yan thought: "It has doubled in a short period of time. No wonder so many people died on the gambling table."

The old man didn't press the fourth or fifth hand, and each opened two small numbers: [-], [-], [-] and [-], [-], [-].On the sixth hand, the old man bought another small, single, single two, double one, and double two. This time he opened a small one, one and two, and made a small profit.

At this point, Yang Yan had some admiration for the old man and felt that he would definitely gain something from his bets and he was an expert.But he believed in his father's teachings. Nine times out of ten he bets, he would lose, and every time the old man made a bet, he would win everything. If he made one mistake, the whole army would be wiped out.

However, the old man had excellent gambling luck. Although he didn't win much every time, he always gained something.After betting a few more times, the old man accumulated more than thirty chips.Yang Yan noticed that every time the old man made a bet, he would either get one or two or five or six. The ones he didn't bet on would probably be two threes or two fours.

After that, the old man passed a few more hands, about No. 12, and the old man bet small, single, single two, encircled one, and encircled two.The dealer raised the dice cup and heard howls all around. Only the old man screamed: "It's a hit!"

When Yang Yan saw this opening, three leopards were drawn. The old man bet two coins. The odds were 210, which was four hundred and three hundred and two coins!Together with other winnings, the total is 530 pieces, and the money back is 50 taels, three cents, and five cents!The dealer frowned and paid exactly the amount, but the chips were changed to gold and purple.

Yang Yan was worrying about a few taels of silver an hour ago, but he didn't expect that it turned into 50 taels of silver in just a moment.He had never seen such a huge sum of money, his heart was beating wildly, and he thought to himself: "I'll hire a few more day guards when I go out later! Hey, the old man refuses to say where he lives. Will he be able to take this money with him?" Will it cause trouble?"

The old man collected the chips and said with a smile, "That's enough!" He turned around and left.Yang Yan followed and asked, "Why don't you play anymore?"

The old man said: "I was very lucky today. I caught the dealer's attention. If I play again, my secret will be exposed."

Yang Yan said: "You can hear the number of the dice, right?"

The old man said: "Young man can guess it after just a few readings. How about it, do you want to learn?"

Yang Yan said: "If it were so easy to learn, Fugui Gambling House would have collapsed long ago."

The old man laughed and said: "Little brother is smart! You can only get a rough idea of ​​dice skills. There are six sides of the dice, and the total of the two opposite sides is seven. One and six are a pair, two and five are a pair, and three and four are a pair. If it falls, The sound of the dice is slightly different. If five or six lands on the bottom, it means one or two faces up, and the probability of a small result is high. If one or two lands on the bottom, it means a five or six faces up, and the probability of a big result is high. As for three Four, that is too difficult to distinguish, so I simply give up. If you can pick out two from three dice, you are probably a master. The banker who shakes the cup today is a new face. We are lucky and win a big bet in just a few dice. Next time, he will pay attention and change. You can roll the dice in any way and you will die."

Yang Yan said: "I won 50 taels, it's time to go."

The old man said: "I came here to bet on breaking the formation diagram, and I just collected enough silver."

Although Yang Yan wanted to dissuade him, he knew that the old man was very stubborn, and he was so good at gambling. It was his money anyway, so it was better to see what tricks he could do, so he said: "You won't listen to my advice, just do whatever you want. "

The old man said: "Don't worry, half of the win is yours, brother, I won't lie!"

Yang Yan just smiled and didn't reply.

The old man showed his chips to the nurse. When the nurse saw that he really had 50 taels, he said, "Please, sir." His attitude was very polite.

Yang Yan and the old man followed the nursery from the side of the hall to the backyard. Although the layout of the backyard was not as gorgeous as Qunfang Tower, it was still elegant with shady pines and cypresses and craggy rocks.

The three of them walked to the bottom of the corridor. There was a staircase leading to the underground. The guardian said: "It's right here. Guests, please help yourself."

Yang Yan thought to himself: "It turns out that there is a cave under the Fugui Gambling House! It takes 50 taels to get started. What kind of gambling method is this broken formation map?"

The two of them walked down the stairs, and suddenly a smell hit their nostrils. Yang Yan thought to himself: "Why does this smell so familiar?" He guessed in his mind that this broken formation map should be the top game, and all the bettors were high-rollers. The venue It should be clean, bright, and luxurious, so how can it be hidden underground and stink?
Yang Yan was filled with questions and suddenly remembered the smell. "Isn't this the smell of chicken shit?" Yang Yan asked in surprise.

The old man smiled and said: "It's just a cockfight!"

At this time, the two of them happened to walk down the stairs. Yang Yan saw a large room, which was as spacious as the gambling hall upstairs. It was surrounded by torches and lanterns, making it as bright as daylight. There was a small open space about ten feet in diameter enclosed by a wire fence. .About six feet away from the fence are twelve Taishi chairs and coffee tables. About seven or eight gamblers are sitting on the chairs, each wearing their own style, and they are concentrating on watching the two chickens fighting in the field.There were dozens more guards standing behind the gamblers.

There were chicken coops on both sides of the open space, where the smell of chicken manure came from. However, each chicken coop was huge, with a radius of ten feet.Yang Yan was curious and walked closer to take a look.There is a chicken in each chicken coop. Those chickens are different from ordinary roosters. Each one is proud and majestic, with bright eyes and sharp claws and beaks.There was another guard standing in front of the chicken coop. They looked like they were not casino guards. Yang Yan wanted to get closer, but was driven away.

The old man found Zhang Taishi's chair and sat down, and shouted: "Kid, stop running around, come here!" Yang Yan obediently walked to the old man, and the old man said to a nurse: "Look at your seat." The nurse brought a stool over. Yang Yan sat down and started watching the cockfight.

I saw two chickens fighting each other in the field, a green-feathered chicken chasing a red-feathered chicken.The red feather fell to the leeward and was retreating steadily. The green feather caught up and pounced, pecking the feathers and scattering them all over the ground.Hong Yu fought back hard, and Qing Yu flapped his wings and hit Hong Yu on the face, so hard that Hong Yu couldn't open his eyes.Qingyu took advantage of the situation and jumped up, swooping down with his chicken claws to catch him. Hongyu screamed strangely and fell to the ground.Qingyu refused to let go and continued to peck, while Hongyu struggled a few times and then stopped moving.

One punter yelled: "F*ck you bastard!"

Another gambler said with a smile: "Li, I accept the concession. I will accept the 500 taels."

Yang Yan was shocked: "You lost 500 taels like this?"

The old man smiled and said: "What a fuss. The chicken he lost in the fight cost at least five or sixty taels."

Yang Yan was speechless and said: "A chicken costs 60 taels, can it speak human language?"

The old man laughed loudly and said: "You can't speak human words, but you can fight. Look at this green feather that won the fight. It must be Dark Cloud Cover Snow from Shandong. The chicks cost ten taels each. They have been trained since they were young. All kinds of care and effort are put into it, and the food is fed with high-quality food to ensure that the meat is strong and strong. Look at the people standing in front of the chicken coop at the back, they are all masters who train fighting cocks. A good master's monthly salary is five to ten taels. , the famous ever-victorious master, it’s not surprising that he only has 15 taels. Do you think you can raise a young chicken to the point where it can go into battle without dozens of taels of silver?”

Yang Yan's eyes widened in disbelief.Then I heard Officer Li say: "Drag this loser down and tell the lady to have chicken soup tonight!"

Officer Li's entourage entered the fence, grabbed the red-feathered chicken by its neck, broke its neck with a "click", and carried the chicken out by its feet.

Yang Yan felt pity in his heart and said: "This chicken fought to the death for him. Once he lost, he not only didn't bury it properly, but also ate it. This man is really..."

The old man whispered: "Once a fighting cock is defeated, even if it is not dead, its fighting spirit has been lost and it can no longer compete. Some owners will treat the fighting cocks well and even match them with famous breeds. There are also people like him. In short, they are humans and beasts. We have nothing to do with it." Then he added, "You've only heard that there are delicious No-Maj chickens in Linchuan, but you haven't heard that there are cockfights to watch, right?"

Yang Yan shook his head and said, "I don't like to see such cruel things."

The old man smiled and said: "Why didn't you think about cruelty when you ate No-Maj chicken?"

Yang Yan suddenly remembered what Yang often said: "A gentleman is far away from the cook", and only then did he fully understand this truth.When he thought of his mother, he couldn't help but feel pain in his heart, and said: "Yes, you have to be hard-hearted to be cruel. If you are a human, treat her like a human, and if you are a beast, treat her like a beast."

The old man nodded and stopped talking.A nurse approached and asked: "The distinguished guest is betting on the outside or on the banker?"

"I'll bet on the outside, and let's see." After the old man finished speaking, knowing that Yang Yan didn't understand, he explained, "Being the banker means sending your own fighting cocks out to fight. On the outside, both sides place bets. The money bets of the two parties will be divided equally. If the winner I will also share some with the owners of the fighting cocks."

Another gambler said: "Executive member Zhu, do you have any other generals who are going to play?"

Just now Qingyu's master said: "Brother Xiaoyue's little Lu Bu has been raised for a month. You should ask him."

Yang Yan thought to himself: "His surname is Zhu. Could it be that he is the big man named Zhu who stole his wife? He won 500 taels in this cockfight. Dr. Zhu deceived him and did something good for him."

He guessed correctly, that person was Zhu Dahu who was defrauded by Zhu Menshang.Another person added: "I'm afraid my little Lu Bu is not an invincible opponent for Zhu Yuan in foreign wars."

Zhu Yuanwai smiled and said: "Sooner or later, we will have to see whether brother Xiaoyue's Lu Bu is brave or whether I am invincible."

Yang Yan frowned and thought to himself: "Little Lu Bu, Zhan Wudi, this name is really tacky."

Brother Xiaoyue said again: "I heard that Zhao Yuanwai has just brought in a few high-quality people from outside the customs. Why don't you send them out to let us see them?"

Several gamblers debated each other, and finally Zhang Yuanwai sent "Good Omen" to compete with Zhao Yuanwai's "Xuelihong".

The fighting cocks were decided, and everyone tasted and placed their bets.The old man looked at Xue Lihong first. The chicken had white feathers except for a red ring around its neck.The old man said: "In a cockfight, a white chicken is not considered the best. Although this chicken is majestic, its eyes are weak and it lacks fighting spirit."

Then I walked to the chicken coop of Good Omen. It was a golden-winged chicken with purple feathers. It had colorful feathers and was full of energy, but it had a small bald spot on its back.The old man said: "This Good Omen has won battles, has plenty of experience, fighting spirit, and smart eyes. Judging from the color of his feathers, he must have come from a famous breed in Luxi." Then he said to the nurse: "I'll keep him." After that, Bet all your chips.

Yang Yan had deep confidence in the old man at this time, and he was not worried even if it happened once.Suddenly he remembered something and asked: "Why is the fighting cock called Po Zhen Tu?"

The old man said: "In the past, when we were fighting cocks, if we encountered a tired one who refused to fight, we would play breaking formation music. The music was passionate and the chickens would become more motivated to fight. So cockfighting was also called breaking formation chart."

Immediately, fighters were taken out on both sides. Yang Yan saw the training master attaching sharp iron hooks to the chicken feet, and he was surprised and said: "You still have weapons?"

The old man said: "Not only weapons, but some are also equipped with protective gear. But this weapon protective gear has advantages and disadvantages. It is loaded with heavy objects. Although it increases protection, it also loses flexibility. It is common to install a hook blade to increase the damage. "

Both sides were ready, and the old man and Yang Yan also took their seats. The nurse served the tea, which was the best Longjing tea.

The fence opened and two chickens rushed in.All roosters are aggressive, and cockfighting is even more so. Once two chickens enter the cage, they usually have to fight to the death.That good omen was experienced and he jumped first. Xue Lihong was a step slower. Although he jumped up, he was suppressed and his body was immediately injured, so he hurriedly went around.

The two chickens were fighting naked, with no protective gear except for the hooks on their claws.Good Omen took advantage of the victory and pursued it, biting it from the flank. Although Xue Lihong wanted to counterattack, she lost the first move and quickly flapped her wings to disrupt Good Omen's vision.Good Omen took a hit in the eye and retreated. Xue Lihong did not take the opportunity to pursue him, but retreated too.Zhao Yuanwai scolded: "Stupid beast, why don't you go up!" Zhang Yuanwai just laughed.

Good Omen saw that Xue Lihong was not pursuing him, so he rushed forward and pecked Xue Lihong's comb. Xue Lihong dodged several times, but still did not dare to respond to the enemy, and took a detour. The image of defeat was already revealed.Although Yang Yan knew that the old man's bet was a good omen, he still felt pitiful when he saw Xue Lihong in such a mess.

Xue Lihong circled around a few times and was chased and pecked several times by Good Omen. She was covered in blood and white fur fell all over the ground.Inadvertently, Xue Lihong was forced into a blind corner. Good Omen flew up and clawed wildly, causing Xue Lihong to be covered in blood. After a few blows, she screamed "Gah" and fell to the ground. It seems impossible.

Zhao Yuanwai's face was livid, Zhang Yuanwai smiled and said: "I accept the concession."

When Good Omen saw Xue Lihong fall to the ground, he pecked it a few more times. Seeing that Xue Lihong had no reaction, he started walking around it, feeling very proud.Yang Yanzheng didn't know how much he won from this bet, but he only heard the old man shout: "Not good!"

Before he finished speaking, Xue Lihong suddenly turned over and leaped into the air. The barb on his claws inserted into the neck of Good Omen. He pulled hard and broke the leather and flesh of the hook. Immediately, chicken blood gushed out like a fountain. Good Omen fell to the ground slumped and trembled. After two clicks, it stopped moving.

Everyone was stunned, only to hear a long cry from Xue Lihong, who were very satisfied with the outcome of the battle.Now Yuan Wai Zhang's face was ashen, and Yuan Wai Zhao was laughing.

Yang Yan didn't expect this duel to be such a turn of events, he was just dumbfounded.The old man cursed: "Miscalculation, I didn't expect this beast to know the art of war. He blinded me for 50 taels of silver!"

Yang Yan said calmly: "Brother, do we still have money to make money?"

The old man smiled apologetically and said: "Drink a few more sips of tea, the good Longjing will not be a loss."

It was almost evening when the two walked out of Fugui Gambling House, and Yang Yan could not find the old man's family.The two of them walked leisurely and smelled the aroma of food in the taverns on both sides. The old man stretched out his hand and said to Yang Yan: "The Bodhisattva who saves the suffering and saves the poor is blessed by God. He will be full of scraps for a day and three or two coins to save his life. Sir, please give some charity. , okay?”

Yang Yan rolled his eyes to the back of his head and said, "Brother, I really have no money."

The old man said: "You don't even have money for food?"

When Yang Yan heard what he said, he felt hungry and said, "That's all, I still have something valuable on me, but I'm not allowed to gamble. After eating, you have to tell me where your home is, and you're not allowed to cheat."

The old man said: "Half of the 50 taels I lost just now is yours. I'll beg for some to pay you back."

Yang Yan said: "That is your money, and I have no intention of asking you for it. But if you win money, I would like to borrow some travel expenses from you."

The old man asked: "Where are you going?"

Yang Yan said: "I want to go to Hubei."

The two of them walked to the river unknowingly. Yang Yan looked at the river and said, "I want to find the Xianxia Sect. Maybe, I can go to Wudang Mountain to become a disciple."

The old man said: "You want to learn skills from a teacher? If the old beggar teaches you how to do it, I will give you 25 taels in return."

Yang Yan smiled and said: "Grandpa, do you know how to do martial arts?"

The old man said: "First, I will teach you the move of Black Tiger Stealing the Heart, then I will teach you the move of Double Dragons Going to the Sea, and finally, another move...and another move..." He scratched his head, not knowing how to proceed.

Yang Yan smiled and said: "It doesn't matter if you can't remember. If you want to teach me, I will learn. Whatever you teach me will be successful."

The old man said: "Oh, I can't help it. I can't think of anything to teach you. Look at your character. The old beggar lost a lot of money and taught you this trick of conquering the world!"

Yang Yan smiled and said: "This name sounds impressive."

The old man said: "I remembered, this move was originally called Tiger Descending the Mountain, but later it changed its name several times. It was called Tiger Climbing the Mountain, and it was Tiger Sweeping. Now it's called Zongheng Tianxia, ​​without even the word "tiger". It's really nondescript. .”

Yang Yan said: "The black tiger steals the heart, the two dragons go out to sea, and the fierce tiger descends from the mountain. The names of these three moves are very matching. If they are called Zong Heng Tian Xia, they are a lot different."

The old man said: "That's right! Let me think about how to show you..."

Suddenly someone shouted: "We found it, these two bastards are here!"

Yang Yan looked back and saw the two young men from the afternoon.The taller man rushed up, grabbed the old man and cursed: "Smelly old man, you stole our wallet? There are three coins in it, come back!"

Yang Yan was surprised, thinking of the three coins and the two pockets in the afternoon. Could it be that the old grandfather was still a pickpocket?He shouted hurriedly: "Let go quickly, something is coming for me!"

The shorter young man pointed at the jade pendant around the old man's waist and said, "He took that jade pendant back too! Catch him, don't let him escape!" After that, he also grabbed Yang Yan's chest and cursed, "You bastard. , you also have a share! Where is the money? Give the money back!"

Yang Yan said angrily: "All the money is lost! You grab things first. If you want to argue, let's go to the Beggar Clan to argue!"

The short young man's face turned red and he said angrily: "I'll give you a good beating and teach you what's good and what's bad!"

Yang Yan said: "If you want to fight, then fight me! If you hit an old man and cause death, can you afford it?"

The short young man said: "You have some backbone! If I didn't break your hands and feet, my surname would not be Ou!"

The short young man was about to fight, but suddenly he heard the old man say slowly: "Look carefully, the move of Black Tiger Stealing Heart, the first thing is that the horse's steps must be steady. Once the feet are steady, the power will be there." He said, He stepped forward with his left foot, made a horse stance, and gestured, "Draw a circle with your left hand, and go straight out with your right hand, like this."

As he spoke, he separated the tall young man's hand with his left hand, and punched him directly in the chest with his right hand. The tall young man felt pain, took a few steps back and cursed: "The old man is looking for death!"

The old man continued: "The bridge hand must be steady, seize the enemy's key points, and use your right fist to hurt the enemy's vital points." After that, he hit the young man's chest with the same move, and it was exactly the same.

The old man said: "Although this move is basic, the difficulty lies in the basics. It should be noted that the world's martial arts moves can only be offensive and defensive. Offensive cannot attack, and defensive cannot dodge. This single attack is the origin."

When he said that, the young man changed several moves in succession, either punching or kicking. The old man just moved his left hand forward and hit his chest with his right fist.It's just that he didn't exert much force, so the young man received a few blows but was fine. He grabbed the side position and kicked him.

The old man said: "If the enemy attacks you from the side, you don't need to panic. You are the center of the circle and don't move much. He can't be faster than you." As he spoke, he moved his steps and turned his front towards the opponent. He also made one square with his left hand and hit the center with his right hand. Chest.

Yang Yan and the short young man were dumbfounded. The short young man knew that he was meeting a master. Fortunately, the opponent was old. Seeing that his punches were weak and weak, he kicked him from behind and launched a sneak attack.Yang Yan hurriedly shouted: "Grandpa, be careful!"

The old man turned around and used the Black Tiger Stealing Heart move again, hitting the short young man in the chest.The short young man took a few steps back and felt a tightness in his chest, but not much pain. He rubbed his body again and attacked the old man together with the tall young man.

"Then the Double Dragons go out to sea. This move strikes from the left and right. The key point is to bend the elbows and block the enemy with the elbows, so that the offense and defense can be integrated." The old man said, bending his elbows, just to block the fists swung by the two people, and hit them in the face. Each of them received a punch.

The old man continued: "One attack and one defense are the basics. A master can also have various offenses and defenses with a raise of his hand and a throw. When Ssangyong goes to sea, he attacks and defends with one hand at the same time." He said while fending off two Youth offensive.He kept his feet still and swung out his fists, hitting them both in the face.It was obviously the same move every time, but the two of them couldn't dodge it.

Yang Yan didn't know that although the two moves taught by the old man were superficial moves, they were the most important basic principles in martial arts.

The old man stepped back to Yang Yan, took out the dagger from his arms, and said: "In ordinary fights, don't show your weapons casually. Swords have no eyes and can easily hurt people."

Only then did Yang Yan realize that it was not a coincidence that he could not pull out the dagger in the afternoon, but the old man did it deliberately.

The old man continued: "Black Tiger's Stealing Heart is a vertical attack, and Double Dragon's Going to Sea is a horizontal attack. Although this move skips a long step, the principle is just vertical and horizontal. Pay attention."

When the two young men saw the old man showing off his weapon, they thought that they had just received a fist that was not tight, and if they were stabbed in the face and chest, it would be fatal, so they hurriedly turned around to run away.

The old man shouted loudly: "Don't move!" This sound was like a thunderbolt, so powerful that the two young men were so frightened that their legs weakened and they really did not dare to move anymore.

They saw the old man jumping up and spinning down in the air. Their eyes were blurred. They felt the sharp wind of the knife and the biting cold light. They were so frightened that they closed their eyes.In an instant, the sword energy drew two horizontal and two vertical tic-tac-toe marks on the ground. The two of them were squeezed into the center of the tic-tac-toe, with the knife marks sticking to their feet, which was very dangerous.

The old man said: "This move is basically a vertical and horizontal cross. These are two crosses, which is not bad. The better you practice, the more crosses you can draw in this move across the world. Anyway, the same principle, one horizontal and one vertical, no matter what ”

The old man turned around and said: "Ah, it has nothing to do with you anymore. Why are you still here? Want to steal my master?"

The two people were frightened out of their wits. When they heard this, they ran away as if they were being pardoned.

Yang Yan was stunned and didn't know what to say.The old man asked again: "Do you understand?"

Yang Yan nodded, seeming to understand, but the old man scolded: "I haven't taught you the sword technique yet, how come you understand it?"

Yang Yan hurriedly shook his head and said: "I don't understand! I don't understand anything!"

The old man said: "If you remember the two moves of Black Tiger Stealing Heart and Shuanglong Going to Sea, you can learn it. There is a sword technique for this vertical and horizontal sword, which talks about how to use your strength, draw the sword and then retract it. This is the sword technique passed down by the Peng family. , easy to learn but difficult to master, you have to memorize it..."

Suddenly I heard a voice saying: "Dad, why are you here? Do you know how many people you have alarmed?"

Yang Yan turned around and saw an old man. He was dressed luxuriously and elegantly. He was about sixty years old. Although he was not young, he spoke loudly and powerfully. He had a square face and big ears. Like an old man, he had a big beard, most of which Already gray.

The old man said: "Oh, I'm just betting a few times. Do you still have money? Borrow some flowers."

The old man said: "I heard that someone was guarding the door in Fuzhou, and I knew it was you! Stop messing around and go home!" Then he glanced at Yang Yan and asked, "Who are you?"

Yang Yan said nonchalantly: "I...I am..." He didn't know how to answer for a while.

The old man said: "He is a friend I just made. You have to call him uncle. You...what's your name?" Yang Yan said in a panic: "No! I just...well...my name is Yang Yan."

The old man said: "Brother Yang, this is your nephew. His surname is Peng. He is young. People in the world call him Peng Xiaobeg."

Peng Xiaobei is the leader of the Beggar Clan in charge of Jiangxi. Yang Yan has heard of this name, but he thought it was a title for a young man. He never expected that it would be a 60-year-old man.On second thought, he pointed at the old man and asked in surprise: "Then you... who are you?"

The old man blew a breath and puffed up his beard: "He is Little Beggar Peng, and I am his father, so of course I am called Old Beggar Peng."

(End of this chapter)