"Honestly, I've never really thought about that. After all, my strength is still low, and I can't make my own decisions about anything. Thinking too much won't help. I'd better focus on improving my strength first!"
Jiang Liu said this with a hint of helplessness.
"Haha! You're an honest one, aren't you? That's right! In this world, without strength, everything is ultimately empty! You're still young, so improving your strength should be your priority. Don't think about all those pointless things."
"Yes, Uncle Hai. Come on, let's drink!"
"Haha! Drinking with you is always refreshing! Unlike that brat Lin Hai, who's always cutting corners and playing tricks."
Just then, a voice suddenly came from the doorway: "Uncle Hai, who are you saying is cutting corners and playing tricks? You shouldn't badmouth people behind their backs!"
Lin Hai walked in carrying several bottles of wine.
"Oh, it's you, brat! You're late this year!" Uncle Hai said with a smile as he looked at Lin Hai.
"Something came up this year and delayed me. Luckily, I'm not too late. Besides, Jiang Liu was here keeping you company this year, wasn't he?"
"Haha! You slippery rascal! What happened? It wasn't anything serious, was it?" Uncle Hai asked with concern on his face.
"It wasn't anything serious. It's already been dealt with. Come on, let's keep drinking! Forget about those unpleasant matters." Lin Hai raised his wine bottle.
Jiang Liu quickly took it from him and set it on the table.
After sitting down and taking a look, Lin Hai said in surprise, "Uncle Hai, you've finally thought things through! You even brought out this aged vintage wine?"
"That's right! It was only after Jiang Liu reminded me of something that I came to my senses. Today, we'll drink while we have wine and get drunk while we can! We won't stop until we're all drunk!"
"Not at all, not at all. I was merely speaking from the heart. Maybe it's because I'm young and haven't thought that far ahead!"
"Today, I'll take advantage of this opportunity to pay my respects. Thank you, Uncle Hai, for always looking after me. And thank you, Chief Lin, for all your help. I'm deeply grateful. This cup is for both of you!" Jiang Liu said as he raised his wine cup.
"You're quite the slippery one, using my treasured wine to win favors! If you want to thank me, buy some good wine yourself another day!" Uncle Hai said, pretending to be displeased.
"Exactly! There's no such good deal. Uncle Hai and I paid for today's wine. If you want to thank us, make the arrangements yourself." Lin Hai chimed in.
Jiang Liu chuckled. "Then, when I have some free time, I'll find a few bottles of good wine and come back to thank you both?"
"Haha! You slippery brat, do you think this old man lacks a little wine? Sit down, quickly! Keep drinking!" Uncle Hai pointed at Jiang Liu and laughed.
"Exactly! If we made you treat us, wouldn't that make it look like we were bullying our junior? Don't even think about escaping today. Come on, let's finish this cup first!" Lin Hai said, raising his cup.
The three of them drained their cups, then began sipping their wine at a leisurely pace.
"Uncle Hai, I don't know much about the affairs of the Jianghu. Could you tell me about them? Help clear up my confusion!" Jiang Liu asked Uncle Hai with a curious look.
"The Jianghu? How should I put it? If you can avoid entering it, it's better not to enter at all. But we're already in the Jianghu now. How could we possibly say we won't enter it and then not enter?" Uncle Hai said with a wistful expression.
"As for the affairs of the Jianghu, there's really nothing much to say. Just remember one thing: trouble always comes from sticking your neck out! Whenever you encounter anything, think three times before acting!" Uncle Hai spoke with the air of someone imparting a lesson.
Jiang Liu nodded earnestly, clearly taking the advice to heart. Indeed. If he had stuck his neck out before, there had been several times when he might not have survived to this day.
"You've probably heard of the Jianghu saying: the Three Sects, Four Schools, Six Great Families, Seven Cults, Eight Valleys, and Ten Renowned Clans, right?"
"Uncle Hai, you were the one who told me about them before," Jiang Liu replied.
"Oh, I was the one who told you? I forgot! Then do you know which are the Three Sects, Four Schools, Six Great Families, Seven Cults, Eight Valleys, and Ten Renowned Clans?"
"I know this one! Let me explain!" Lin Hai said excitedly.
"Go ahead! Tell Jiang Liu about them."
"The so-called Three Sects are the three supreme sects of the Great Qian Dynasty! Each supreme sect has a Peak Grandmaster sitting in command! They are the Flowing Cloud Sect, the Haotian Sect, and the Star Moon Sect!"
"Each of these Three Sects has hundreds of thousands of disciples, spread across nearly the entire Great Qian Dynasty! If the Three Sects did not restrain one another, I'm afraid the people of the Great Qian Dynasty would know only of the Three Sects and not even know there was a dynasty!"
"Next are the Four Schools: the Buddhist School, the Daoist School, the Confucian School, and the Ghost School. There's no need to say much about these four schools. You can tell what they are just by looking at their names."
"Only the Ghost School is a little different, because it cultivates ghost-style martial arts! This school is the most mysterious, and rarely appears before the world. Each of the Four Schools has at least three Grandmasters stationed there. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to stand against the Three Sects!"
"After that come the Six Great Families. These six families had long and illustrious histories; they had already existed when the Great Qian Dynasty was founded."
"Although they're said to be somewhat in decline now, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Every family has at least one or two Grandmasters holding it up. As for exactly how many Grandmasters they have, or whether they still possess any Peak Grandmasters, no one knows."
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