The Five Happy Sons

Ni Pusa, one of the three greatest Diviners in the world, was an expert in physiognomy. He could peer into Heaven's secrets and alter fate. Countless people in the jianghu and the court sought him out, yet his whereabouts were unpredictable and his nature mysterious.

Legend had it in the jianghu that to meet Ni Pusa, one must first obtain the Fire Monkey!

Ni Pusa had developed poisonous sores all over his body due to leaking Heaven's secrets. Only the Fire Monkey, which fed on the toxic fluid, could alleviate his suffering. Therefore, to find the elusive Ni Pusa, one had to first capture the Fire Monkey.

Deep within a dense forest in Taizhou, an old woodcutter and his granddaughter were gathering firewood. From a distance, they spotted a man in golden clothes and a blue robe sitting cross-legged by a campfire. A Bronze Cauldron rested beside him, making for a peculiar sight.

Suddenly, a burly man in red, dragging a stunningly beautiful woman, strode towards them. He addressed the man in gold and blue: "Long Xiu, I am Huo Xuan Tie, the Jiangnan Fist Hero. I've come today to make a deal with you. I offer my entire fortune of 125,000 taels to exchange for the Fire Monkey in your cauldron."

It turned out that the Bronze Cauldron housed the coveted Fire Monkey!

Huo Xuan Tie was offering his entire fortune for the Fire Monkey held by the man named Long Xiu.

Long Xiu opened his eyes and said indifferently, "The value of a Fire Monkey is far greater than that!"

Huo Xuan Tie pushed the stunning woman beside him forward and declared with immense pride, "Indeed, I know this price is insufficient. That's why I've brought my beloved concubine, the renowned Suzhou courtesan Xiao Yu Yan, for the exchange. What do you say?"

"Hmph, a cheap whore from a brothel, available to any man, is not worth a single coin," Long Xiu replied coldly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Seeing that no agreement could be reached, Huo Xuan Tie clenched his fists, a fierce glint in his eyes, and roared, "Then what do you think my Xuan Tie Fist, which dominates Jiangnan, is worth?"

Long Xiu scoffed, "That depends on your skill level!"

"Fine, then weigh the worth of my Xuan Tie Fist!" Huo Xuan Tie immediately attacked, his fists flying towards Long Xiu's face.

Long Xiu suddenly stood up, his height exceeding seven feet, exuding an extraordinary presence.

Huo Xuan Tie crossed his fists, unleashing a barrage of rapid strikes. However, Long Xiu deflected them with effortless grace, one hand darting about. As he blocked, he taunted, "Jiangnan Fist Hero, your reputation precedes you, but you're nothing special!"

Enraged by Long Xiu's words, Huo Xuan Tie's punches became more ferocious, abandoning all defense.

A cold glint flashed from Long Xiu's right sleeve – his renowned technique, the Sleeve Sword!

Huo Xuan Tie couldn't dodge in time. The sword struck his neck, and blood gushed out. He died instantly.

"What Jiangnan Fist Hero? He's just a self-aggrandizing fraud. Compared to true masters, he's not even worth a laugh." Long Xiu didn't even glance at Huo Xuan Tie's corpse. Instead, he surveyed the surrounding dense forest. "Hiding out there, a bunch of rats, come out! If you want the Fire Monkey, show me some skill!"

In the blink of an eye, over ten people emerged from various parts of the forest. Their attire differed, but they all exuded a fierce aura, clearly having come to compete for the Fire Monkey.

Long Xiu sneered repeatedly, completely unfazed by the approaching group.

Just as tensions reached a boiling point, figures descended from the sky above the forest, surrounding everyone in an instant. Over thirty people in black brocade martial attire, armed with long and short sabers, were led by a man with orange embroidered trim. It was Qin Shuang, accompanied by thirty-three members of the Dragon Guard, led by Ding Ning, Shen Hu Chan, and Li Sheng Nan.

Qin Shuang clasped his hands in greeting to the assembled crowd. "Friends of the jianghu, I am Qin Shuang of the Great Shang Dynasty's Dragon Guard. This Fire Monkey is claimed by the Dragon Guard. We hope you will grant us this favor and step aside!"

"Pah, what is the Dragon Guard? And who do you think you are, Qin what's-his-name? Grant you favor? Get lost!" someone in the crowd, impatient and outspoken, cursed angrily.

Some, aware of the Dragon Guard's reputation, were about to speak, but Qin Shuang, though offering courtesy first, acted decisively. He immediately gave the order without hesitation: "These jianghu ruffians refuse to submit to the Emperor's rule. Kill!"

Upon hearing the command, all thirty Dragon Guards, excluding Ding Ning, Shen Hu Chan, and Li Sheng Nan, led by Jiang Xiaoyu, Gao Jian Fei, and Tang Bao Niu, attacked the surrounded individuals, showing no mercy.

In an instant, the entire group was annihilated by the Dragon Guard, leaving only Long Xiu encircled in the center.

Long Xiu's martial arts originated from the Happy Gate, where he was the senior disciple and ranked first among the Five Happy Sons.

The Five Happy Sons were prominent figures among the younger generation in the jianghu. Furthermore, Long Xiu had hidden trump cards, so he remained unfazed despite being surrounded by the numerous Dragon Guards.

Long Xiu, confident, said to Qin Shuang, "We've long heard that the Great Shang Dynasty's Dragon Guard's Dream Slaying Saber Technique is unparalleled in the martial world and dominates the jianghu. We, the Five Happy Sons, have long wished to spar with you. If your saber can overcome the weapons of us five, the Fire Monkey will be yours!"

As he spoke, four more figures darted out from the forest, positioning themselves on either side of Long Xiu. They were the other four disciples of the Happy Gate, famed alongside Long Xiu: the second disciple, Tiger Sword; the third disciple, Wolf Blade; the fourth disciple, Crane Brush; and the fifth disciple, Snake Hook.

The founder of the Happy Gate, Old Ancestor Kuaiyi, had always maintained a strict sect discipline, forbidding his disciples from roaming the jianghu. Only the Five Happy Sons, the sect's elites possessing unique skills, were granted special permission by the Old Ancestor to travel freely without fear of damaging the Happy Gate's prestige.

Qin Shuang surveyed the five men. One at Postnatal Peak, and four First-rate Warriors. What threat could they pose?

Qin Shuang smiled confidently. "As you wish. I hope you won't go back on your word if you lose!"

"Brother Qin, let me handle this. There's no reason for you to fight the first battle!" Ding Ning, concerned for Qin Shuang's safety in a one-against-five situation, offered to step in and test the Five Happy Sons' strength.

Qin Shuang understood Ding Ning's intentions. Seeing his warm, confident, and spirited expression, he nodded slightly. "Alright, be careful."

Upon Qin Shuang's agreement, Ding Ning stepped forward with a smile. His delicate features held a touch of handsomeness, and his pale complexion was tinged with a peculiar faint blue luminescence. He gently grasped the hilt of his Mountain Cutting Saber with his right hand, extending his left forward, signaling for the Five Happy Sons to engage.

Qin Shuang and the others retreated in tacit understanding, leaving the battlefield to Ding Ning, demonstrating their absolute trust in him.

The Five Happy Sons dispersed like the wind, positioning themselves according to the Eight Trigrams formation, surrounding Ding Ning in the center. It was a formation that allowed for flexible offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Long Xiu, having been famous for many years and experienced countless battles, did not underestimate Ding Ning due to his age. He drew his Sleeve Sword and moved like a phantom, his movements ceaseless.

The martial arts of the Happy Gate were characterized by speed. From the initial movements to weapon proficiency, everything was swift as the wind. The Five Sons had all mastered the essence of this art.

As Long Xiu moved, the other four of the Five Happy Sons also sprang into action. Their figures interwove with incredible speed, neither colliding nor interfering with each other, appearing to be unaffected yet somehow connected by invisible threads.

Ding Ning, however, stood still, unmoved, using stillness to counter motion and unchanging principles to adapt to all changes.