The autumn wind is bleak and the waves are rising.
On Liugong Island, the situation is changing.
These three days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the Qixiong Meeting, as soon as noon arrived, the heroes from all over the world were already landing on the island one after another on the boats provided by the Caobang.
Ordinarily, the Weihaiwei area, including Liugong Island, is an important coastal defense area for the imperial court. It is guarded and managed by garrison all year round, and no one is allowed to ferry to and fro at will. But today... they still opened up a little bit.
why?
That's naturally because the local gangster Caobang "can handle it".
After all, Dengzhou Prefecture is the headquarters of the Cao Gang. Can they have a bad relationship with the local government and garrison?
In short, today, the coast near Liugong Island is occupied by Caobang people, and all people who go to the island must take the boats provided by them without exception.
If you want to get your own boat and take a detour from another place, you have to think about it. The garrison on the island is not blind. They are veterans who have been dealing with Japanese pirates all year round. In broad daylight, you are separated from the sea by People can see it from a few kilometers away; of course...if you can jump into the sea from a boat a few kilometers away and dive all the way to the island, then you're pretty cool.
"The leader of the Qingzhou Salt Gang, Cao, has arrived——"
At noon, when the sun was high in the sky, a sudden shout from the coast attracted the attention of many people.
There is no doubt that the Salt Gang among the four gangs and three gangs is still very good.
Everyone knows that among the "six heroes" today, in terms of overall strength, the Cao Gang is definitely the strongest, but if we only talk about the ability to "make money", then the Yan Gang earns more.
Cao Fengchao, the leader of the Salt Gang, is thirty-three this year. He has a fat face with a silly smile like Maitreya Buddha. He is also big and round. He looks amiable and is polite to everyone.
On weekdays, Gang Leader Cao is good at talking, behaving, and has a sharp mind. He is especially good at mathematics...that is, settling accounts; according to current terms, he is responsible for finance, planning, public relations, HR... and the final decision-making work. , he can do it all and can be said to be a born businessman.
But at the same time, he is not just a "businessman."
Back then, the former leader of the Salt Gang had three sons: the eldest was highly skilled in martial arts, brave and bold, and had the most like his father's personality; the second son, although his martial arts was weaker than his eldest brother, was quite scheming and was good at flattering his father; His third eldest brother, Cao Fengchao, had a modest personality, even a little weak. He indulged in reading and numeracy all day long, and did not like to practice martial arts. He was not like his father at all. In addition, he was still a commoner, so he was not popular with his father. None of the brothers took him seriously, and no one thought of coming to "unite" him.
As a result, a few years later, the old gang leader died of a sudden illness, and the throne was passed to the second brother. The boss was definitely not convinced, so the two brothers started a "battle for the rightful son" within the Salt Gang. In the end, the boss saw that he was about to lose, and he was anxious. Well, he gritted his teeth and stamped his feet, and died together with his second brother.
You say this is a brother-in-law, how much hatred is there?
But many families in this world are like this. Some parents and children are enemies until they die, some brothers have been enemies since they were young, and some relatives make you wish you were hugged by the wrong person in the hospital.
Anyway... those two guys will die if they die. The gang cannot be without a leader for a day. At this time, many "veterans" and "people with meritorious deeds" around the former gang leader jumped out one by one.
Who wouldn’t be greedy for such a huge foundation of the Salt Gang? At that time, Cao Fengchao was only in his early twenties. He looked like a fat guy who could be bullied by anyone. Everyone thought they could snatch the position of gang leader from him.
Therefore, Cao Fengchao had just succeeded to the throne, and those old guys came out to try to make things difficult for him. No matter what he proposed, they would say that this would not work or that would not work...
Their original plan was that if they caused trouble for a period of time, the affairs of the gang would be in chaos. Then they would use this as a reason to gather together and accuse Cao Fengchao of being immoral and incompetent and unworthy of inheriting the position of gang leader. They should "choose someone wiser."
How could they have imagined that the little fat man was like a mirror in his mind, knowing exactly what they were planning, and at the critical moment, he was ruthless...
Cao Fengchao's seemingly harmless appearance made the old guys completely unwary of him, which resulted in Cao Fengchao spending just one night to make the "veterans" retire early.
I won’t go into the details. You’ve probably seen the part before the end of “The Godfather”, that’s pretty much what it means.
After that, Cao Fengchao firmly held the position of leader of the Salt Gang for more than thirty years...
The Salt Gang under his leadership is more and more like a pure business group than a "jianghu gang", and is quite similar to the "High-Speed Rail Gang".
Although Cao Fengchao's father had a good relationship with the imperial court back then, he had always been regarded as a "reckless man who could be exploited." However, Cao Fengchao was different. After years of hard work, his relationship with certain forces in the imperial court was no longer just a "reckless man." Not bad” is all.
The methods used by this fat man were not very complicated... In these years, he "created people" whenever he had time. Before he was forty years old, excluding those who died in infancy, he had a total of thirteen children with ten wives and concubines. They have children, and nine of them, without exception, are married to officials in the court or the sons of officials.
So do you think it will still be difficult for him to do business?
So, what about the disputes between rivers and lakes, about the general leaders of the four sects and three gangs... Cao Fengchao really didn't care, he was just here to make soy sauce every time.
The other leaders of the Four Gates and Three Gangs also understand that Cao Laosan has no ambitions in the world, he just wants to do some business to make money; he will let the Salt Gang remain among the "Seven Heroes", mainly It is also because this is the alliance that his father led the gang to join before his death. There is no need for him to quit specifically under no special circumstances. Anyway, he will not fight with others, and no one will take the initiative to challenge the Salt Gang.
"Haha... Brother from the Cao Gang, you are polite." Cao Fengchao smiled and was polite even when facing an ordinary Cao Gang disciple who was leading people to board the boat on the shore.
"Gang Leader Cao is so polite, I'm scared." The disciple who was responsible for receiving people was also good at talking, so he quickly bowed and said, "Gang Leader Di has already hosted a banquet on the island. Thank you, Gang Leader Cao and all the salt gang members. The hero will step forward again and board the ship to land on the island. There will also be someone on the island to greet him. Please..."
"Okay, hehe..." After hearing this, Cao Fengchao waved his hand and walked onto the pier with a large group of people behind him with a smile on his face.
There were so many people from the Salt Gang that they had to take a bigger boat. The big boat would run aground if it came too close to the shore, so they had to go along the pier to deeper water before boarding the boat.
As for the water money area next to it, there were also some Jianghu people who waded through the water and boarded boats directly to land on the island. Those were basically small sects and stragglers.
So is it possible for anyone to land on the island as long as they are a member of the Jianghu community?
Obviously not.
No, there was someone here who was stopped.
"Hey! Why are you blocking me?" The person who spoke was a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old.
This person has a face shaped like Zhang Shen, with inverted triangular eyes, two broad willow-leaf eyebrows that are thick in the middle and light on the wings, a short nose, thick lips, and some small rabbit teeth.
If you look at his appearance, it's not that outstanding, and then look at his clothes, which are even more shabby: he is wearing coarse cloth clothes and shoes, with many patches on them, the bun on his head is not neatly tied, and his waist is I also had a broken sword that looked very worn just by looking at the scabbard.
As for this guy, if he just untied his bun, threw away his sword and replaced it with a stick, and said he was from a beggar gang, maybe others would believe him.
"Boy... I still want to ask you..." A Cao gang member who was guarding the shore looked at him sideways, "Who are you? Do you know where this boat is going?"
"Hey! Didn't I just tell you? My name is Linghuxiang, and I'm here to see the Seven Heroes Association." Linghuxiang replied.
"I'm just asking you because I've never heard of you at all, so who are you?" the Cao gang member continued, "You just don't have a nickname or anything. At least tell me which sect you are from. Right?"
"I..." Linghuxiang's face turned pale now, and he replied hesitantly, "...I have no sect."
"Ha!" The minions all laughed, but he didn't say anything too harshly. "I'm sorry, our Qixiong Association has rules. We won't accept people who have no sect and no name."
"Eh? Didn't your Cao Gang claim that all martial arts heroes in the world can come as witnesses?" Linghu Xiang said unconvinced.
"Hmph...boy, you really know how to put your own face on it. I'm being polite to you and you're going to show your face, right?" The guy was undoubtedly annoyed, "You're a nobody, you can be counted on." Are you one of the heroes in the world? Then a random person with a broken sword in his hand can say that he is a hero? Also, if you can’t declare your sect and no one has heard of your name, then who knows? Are you a spy sent by evil heretics? If I really let you go to the island, who will be responsible if something goes wrong?"
Although his words were a bit snobbish at the beginning, they were also somewhat reasonable in the second half. Linghu Xiang was indeed unable to refute, and was speechless for a moment.
"What are you still standing for? Get up and drive quickly, don't block the people behind you!" Seeing that Linghu Xiang didn't speak or move, the Cao gang became more and more impatient, so they stepped forward and pushed him. He said, "Really... Where did the poor boy come from? He wants to go to the island just like this. What do you think of our Qixionghui... Hey... it's embarrassing."
He pushed the other person away, spat there, and cursed.
But in less than two seconds, when facing the other martial arts heroes who were approaching, he immediately put on a smiling face and greeted them kindly.
Linghu Xiang was humiliated by this gangster, but he was powerless to do anything. He stood there in silence for a while, thinking about it, he could only turn around and go back.
Unexpectedly, when he turned around, he almost bumped into someone.
That person also stood behind him without knowing it, and he stood quite close. Linghu Xiang had something on his mind, so he didn't notice.
"Hey! Look carefully! Why are you standing behind me?" Linghu Xiang was also angry at this time, and he spoke in a very aggressive manner.
Lin Yuancheng was very quiet, as quiet as water, and looked at the broken sword on Linghuxiang's waist: "What a sword."
When Linghu Xiang heard this, his eyes widened: "Who are you scolding? Are you looking for trouble?"
"I'm talking about the sword on your waist." Lin Yuancheng replied unhurriedly.
As the saying goes, a slap can't make a difference. Linghu Xiang saw that the other party was so calm, and it seemed that he had indeed misunderstood, so he calmed down and said, "Oh? You can also see how good my sword is?"
"Although your sword is old and worn out, both the material and the skill of the swordsman are not bad at all. It is so broken now because it has been exposed to the sun, rain, and hard work in the hands of the swordsman... ...The beast destroys the goad and breeds endlessly. How can it be that the gond is not damaged and never gets old? In my opinion, as long as you find a good craftsman to repair and sharpen your sword, it will be better than the original one." Lin Yuancheng looked at the sword. , it’s similar to Lao Se criticizing women. The latter doesn’t require a woman to take off her clothes to know a lot of information. Lin Yuancheng doesn’t need a sword to be unsheathed to know this.
"Really or not? Brother, you are not fooling me, are you?" Linghu Xiang was actually a little unsure, because he picked up this sword together with the sword manual. It was already very worn when he picked it up. He practiced it Over the years, I haven't seen how good a weapon this sword was before it was worn out.
"It's just...even if you repair the sword body, you are still not worthy of the 'Qi Yun' on this sword. I guess this is the weapon passed down to you by your master, right?" Lin Yuancheng said, looking up at Ling Hu Xiang said, "Well... with your current level of cultivation, I'm afraid you will have to practice for a few more years to make this sword show its edge again."
"Hey! Who are you?" Linghu Xiang didn't like hearing these words. Although he could vaguely feel that this was the truth, these words came from a person of the same age as "teaching" and "guiding". He said it in a tone that didn't sit well with me. This young man was arrogant, "Do you have to agree whether I am worthy of using my sword?"
"Ha..." Lin Yuancheng was offended by him, but smiled instead, "Yeah, I seemed to be meddling in my own business. Sorry, I'll excuse you."
After saying that, he walked around Linghuxiang.
In fact, Lin Yuancheng came here because he also had something on his mind.
A few days ago, wasn't the sword that had accompanied Lin Yuancheng for many years cut off by Terashima Kohei? Although that sword is not a precious weapon, it is still a good sword, and he has been using it since he was a child. After the sword broke, he still has not found a suitable weapon, so he can only go to the blacksmith shop casually. I bought a sword and used it first.
So today, when Lin Yuancheng saw Linghu Xiang's sword and saw that the sword was wrapped with the extraordinary aura of its former owner, he was a little lost in thought. He couldn't help but walked behind him and said a few more words.
"Hey, wait a minute." Linghu Xiang suddenly remembered something, turned around and chased after him.
"Is there anything else?" Lin Yuancheng thought the other party wanted to quarrel with him, but unexpectedly...
"So what...Brother, you are also going to attend the Seven Heroes Association, right?" Linghu Xiang forced a smile and asked in a subtle tone.
Lin Yuancheng was not deaf. He actually heard the conversation between Linghu Xiang and the Cao Gang from far away, so he immediately reacted: "Do you want me to take you to the island?"
"I wonder if my brother can do something convenient?" Linghu Xiang cupped his fists and cupped his hands.
"No." Lin Yuancheng responded quickly, "I also followed my fellow disciples, but I just walked a little slower." He paused and raised his hand to point forward, "Look, the big ship in the distance. It's the boat my sect took. They are still waiting for me..." He looked at Linghuxiang again, "If I want you to follow me on the boat, I will definitely have to get my master's permission, and he The old man will never agree, so..."
"Uh..." Linghu Xiang looked disappointed, "Then...I won't force others to do anything, and I won't bother my brothers, please."
He is also a reasonable person, or in other words, he wants to show off his face and not get into trouble.
Lin Yuancheng also had a good impression of Linghuxiang. Firstly, because they were similar in age, and secondly, they were both swordsmen. Lin Yuancheng might not be very accurate in reading people, but he saw Linghuxiang's sword and Linghu's sword. Looking at the calluses on Xiang's hands and the sword energy on his body, he knew that this was also a man who was loyal to the sword, so he developed some desire to help.
Just when he was hesitating whether to try his luck with his master, suddenly, two figures came into his sight.
At this moment, Lin Yuancheng smiled slightly and immediately called Linghu Xiang: "My friend, please stay."
"Huh? Is there anything else?" Linghuxiang turned around and asked.
"Although I can't help you, I have two friends. I think they can find a way to bring you to the island." Lin Yuancheng said.
"Oh?" Linghu Xiang became excited again when he heard this, "Really?"
"Of course it's true..." Lin Yuancheng smiled, "With their abilities, not to mention bringing you to the island alone... it's not difficult to bring ten or eight unrelated people to the island."
"Is there such a thing? Then where is your friend now?" Linghu Xiang asked quickly.
"It's right there." Lin Yuancheng said, pointing to the side and rear of Hu Xiang.
Linghuxiang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw two people walking in the distance: one was wearing a brown-gray robe, had a childlike face, long beard, and carried a big baggage on his back; the other was also in a similar shape, He has disheveled hair and is wearing a Taoist robe.
These two guys...anyone with a bit of discernment can tell that the beards on their faces are fake, and judging from their exposed skin, they are not elderly at all; besides, he The gait and frequency of their walking were exactly that of young people, very brisk.
Others may not be able to tell who they are for a while, but Lin Yuancheng can still recognize them. After all, he has been in contact with Sun and Huang a lot and is quite familiar with them. He can still see through such a scumbag disguise.
As soon as Linghu Xiang saw these two people, he felt a sense of harmoniousness coming to his face. He couldn't help but ask Lin Yuancheng: "Brother, are you trying to trick me? Why do I think your two friends are planning to do it themselves?" How about going to the island?"
Lin Yuancheng did not reply to his words, but quickly came to meet Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai.
Lin Yuancheng was not polite to them, and asked: "You two... where are you from today?"
"May I ask who this young hero is? It seems like this is the first time we two have met you, right?" The next second, Sun Yixie replied in a tone of voice; while speaking, he gave Lin Yuancheng a fierce wink.
"Ha... Okay, then I hope you two 'seniors' can help me..." Lin Yuancheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he could only answer what they wanted, then turned around and looked at Linghu Xiang and said, "This Young Hero Linghu is a friend of Lin. Because he has no family and no sect, and has little reputation in the world, the disciples of the Cao Gang stopped him from going to the island. Lin kindly asks you to take him with you. Go to the island and treat Lin as if he’s bothering you again.”
Hearing this, Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai looked at each other.
The two of them had completed the exchange without opening a word, so Huang Donglai answered in the next second: "It's a simple effort, not a big hassle."
"Okay! As expected of you two." Lin Yuancheng said, "Then Lin will take the first step, and we will see you on the island."
After saying that, he cupped his hands and turned towards the dock.
"Hey, brother, what's your name?" Linghu Xiang called him again when he saw him leaving.
"Lin Yuancheng." Lin Yuancheng responded without turning his head.
When he walked away, Linghu Xiang turned around and found that Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai were already in front of him.
"Two... you two... I didn't know you..." Linghu Xiang was frightened by the strange momentum of these two people, and he felt a little weak.
"You don't need to say anything. Just follow us and act according to the situation." Sun Yixie said.
…………
When the three of them arrived at the shore, the Cao Gang who had driven away Ling Huxiang had been waiting for a long time.
This guy is not blind. Although he didn't hear what Linghu Xiang said to Lin Yuancheng and Shuangxie, he probably guessed that the two guys wearing fake beards in front of him were going to take this unknown poor boy to the island. He's a gangster, can he let him go?
"Hey, stop." The gangster saw them approaching and immediately waved to several fellow gang members beside him. Several Cao Gang disciples immediately stood in a row and blocked them, blocking the three of them from boarding. The way the boat goes.
"Little brother...what advice do you have?" Sun Yixie looked at the other party and answered calmly.
"Advice? Huh... I don't dare." The gangster sneered, "I just want to ask..." He frowned, curled his mouth, and said with crooked eyes, "Who are you?"
