Five Happy Sons

Ni Pusa was one of the three greatest physiognomists in the world. He was highly skilled in reading faces and could glimpse Heaven's secrets and reverse fate. Countless people in the jianghu and imperial court flocked to him, yet his whereabouts were elusive and mysterious.

The jianghu said that anyone who wanted to meet Ni Pusa had to seize the Fire Monkey first!

Because Ni Pusa had revealed Heaven's secrets, his body was covered in poisonous sores. Only the Fire Monkey, which fed on venom, could ease his suffering. Thus, to find the enigmatic Ni Pusa, one had to seize the Fire Monkey first.

Deep in a dense forest in Taizhou, an Old Woodcutter was chopping and gathering firewood with his granddaughter when they spotted a man in golden clothes and blue robes sitting cross-legged before a bonfire in the distance. A Bronze Cauldron sat beside him, making the scene seem exceptionally strange.

Suddenly, a red-clad burly man came striding over from afar, dragging an extraordinarily beautiful woman with him. He addressed the man in golden clothes and blue robes, "Long Xiu, I'm Huo Xuan Tie, the Jiangnan Fist Hero. I've come today to make a deal with you. I'll offer my entire fortune of one hundred and twenty-five thousand taels in exchange for the Fire Monkey in your cauldron."

It turned out that the creature kept inside the Bronze Cauldron was the Fire Monkey everyone coveted!

Huo Xuan Tie was actually planning to exchange his entire fortune for the Fire Monkey in the hands of the man named Long Xiu.

Long Xiu opened his eyes and said indifferently, "The Fire Monkey is worth far more than that!"

Huo Xuan Tie shoved the stunning beauty beside him forward and laughed arrogantly. "That's right, I know the price isn't enough. That's why I specially brought along my beloved concubine, the famous courtesan Xiao Yu Yan of Suzhou. How about it?"

"Hmph. A lowly brothel woman who belongs to anyone—is she worth even a single coin?" Long Xiu's tone was cold, and his attitude left no room for argument.

Seeing that negotiations had failed, Huo Xuan Tie clenched both fists. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he shouted, "Then how much do you think these Black Iron Fists, which once dominated Jiangnan, are worth?"

Long Xiu said disdainfully, "That depends on the level of your skill."

"Fine! Then weigh my Xuan Tie Fist and see how much it's worth!" Huo Xuan Tie erupted without warning, driving both fists straight at Long Xiu's face.

Long Xiu sprang to his feet. He stood over seven feet tall, with an imposing bearing.

Huo Xuan Tie crossed his fists, unleashing a dense barrage of punches. Yet Long Xiu's single hand darted about, blocking them with extraordinary ease. As he defended, he did not forget to sneer, "Jiangnan Fist Hero? Your reputation is undeserved. You're nothing special!"

Enraged by Long Xiu's words, Huo Xuan Tie attacked even more viciously, abandoning all defense.

A cold gleam flashed from the sleeve of Long Xiu's right hand. It was his signature technique, the Sleeve Sword!

Huo Xuan Tie could not dodge in time. The sword pierced his neck, blood gushed like a fountain, and the strike killed him outright.

"What Jiangnan Fist Hero? He's merely a fame-seeker who inflated his own value. Compared with true experts, he isn't worth a laugh." Long Xiu did not even glance at Huo Xuan Tie's corpse. Instead, he swept his gaze across the surrounding forest. "Hiding like rats, all of you! Come out! If you want the Fire Monkey, show me what you can do!"

In the blink of an eye, more than ten people sprang out from various parts of the forest. Their clothing differed, but all of them radiated hostility. Clearly, they had all come for the Fire Monkey.

Long Xiu sneered repeatedly, not taking any of them seriously.

Just as the two sides were on the verge of clashing, figures swept across the sky above the forest. More than thirty people instantly surrounded everyone.

They wore black brocade military uniforms and carried paired long and short sabers at their waists. The leader's uniform was edged with orange embroidery. He was Qin Shuang. The other thirty-three were three squads of Dragon Guard led by Ding Ning, Shen Hu Chan, and Li Sheng Nan.

Qin Shuang cupped his fists toward the surrounded crowd. "Friends of the jianghu, I'm Qin Shuang of the Great Shang Dynasty's Dragon Guard. We want this Fire Monkey. I hope you'll do us the favor of showing mercy and backing off!"

"Bah! What the hell is the Dragon Guard? And who do you think you are, Qin-whatever? You want us to show you respect? Get lost!" Someone in the crowd, hot-tempered and blunt, immediately cursed in anger.

Some, however, knew the Dragon Guard's background and were about to speak. But although Qin Shuang had offered courtesy before force, he acted swiftly and decisively, issuing the order without hesitation: "These jianghu rabble refuse imperial authority. Kill them!"

At the order, aside from Ding Ning, Shen Hu Chan, and Li Sheng Nan, the other thirty Dragon Guard, led by Jiang Xiaoyu, Gao Jian Fei, and Tang Bao Niu, charged the surrounded crowd and struck with ruthless intent, showing no mercy.

In moments, the Dragon Guard slaughtered nearly everyone, leaving only Long Xiu surrounded in the center.

Long Xiu's martial arts came from the Happy Gate. He was the sect's senior disciple and ranked first among the Five Happy Sons.

The Five Happy Sons were renowned figures among the jianghu's younger generation. Moreover, he had hidden reinforcements waiting in the shadows. Thus, although the Dragon Guard vastly outnumbered him, he remained completely fearless despite being surrounded alone.

Confident that victory was in his grasp, Long Xiu said to Qin Shuang, "I've long heard that the Dragon Guard's Dream Slaying Saber Technique of the Great Shang Dynasty is unrivaled, dominating the jianghu. The Five Happy Sons have also wished to test ourselves against it for some time. If your saber can defeat the weapons in the hands of the five of us, we'll gladly hand over the Fire Monkey!"

As he spoke, four more figures sprang from different parts of the forest and took up positions on either side of Long Xiu. They were the other four disciples of the Happy Gate, as famous as 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 was Old Ancestor Kuaiyi, who had always enforced extremely strict sect rules. None of his disciples were allowed to travel the jianghu. The Five Happy Sons alone were the sect's elites, each possessing a unique art. Thus, they had received the Old Ancestor's special permission to roam freely without fear of damaging the Happy Gate's prestige.

Qin Shuang sized up the five men. One Postnatal Peak and four First-rate Warriors. With such strength, what did he have to fear?

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

"Brother Qin, let me do this. There's no reason for you to fight the first battle!" It was, after all, one against five. Ding Ning was worried Qin Shuang might be in danger, so he wanted to take the field first and test the Five Happy Sons' depth.

Qin Shuang naturally understood Ding Ning's intentions. Looking at his warm, confident, spirited expression, he nodded slightly. "All right. Be careful."

When Ding Ning saw that Qin Shuang had agreed, he smiled and stepped forward. His handsome, delicate features were set against a pale face touched by a strange light-blue halo. His right hand gently gripped the hilt of the Mountain Cutting Saber, while his left hand extended forward, signaling the Five Happy Sons to attack.

Qin Shuang and the others tacitly retreated, leaving the battlefield to Ding Ning and displaying absolute confidence in him.

The Five Happy Sons scattered like the wind and took positions according to the Eight Trigrams. They surrounded Ding Ning in the center, forming a battle array that could advance, retreat, gather, and strike at will.

Long Xiu had been famous for many years and had fought countless battles. Naturally, he would not underestimate Ding Ning because of his age. He drew his Sleeve Sword and moved endlessly like a ghost.

The Happy Gate's martial arts revolved entirely around one word: speed. Whether initiating a move or wielding a weapon, everything was as swift as the wind. All five had mastered its essential principles.

The moment Long Xiu moved, the other four of the Five Happy Sons moved as well. Their figures interlaced at astonishing speed without ever colliding or interfering with one another. They seemed completely unaffected, yet they also appeared connected by countless invisible threads.

Ding Ning simply stood there, unmoving. He used stillness to control motion and the unchanging to respond to all changes.