Tap tap tap, tap tap tap...
Thunder rumbled across the sky, and thick, dark clouds pressed down over the vast river and fields. A swift horse galloped through the wind and rain Shangjin Ferry Shangjindu.
Ye Xingge rode on horseback, wearing a bamboo hat and an oilcloth, with the brass badge of the Night-Walking Lieutenant hanging at his waist.
The Night-Walking Lieutenant was Principal Sixth Rank military officer. Although he was recruited by the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, he still had to report to the Ministry of Personnel. His salary was paid by the imperial court, so his treatment was the same as that of a normal sixth-rank official. He could use post horses when he went out.
Although two hundred li is not far, it was raining and we were in a hurry, so Ye Xingge changed horses along the way at the post stations for convenience. When he arrived at the mouth of the Yong River, it was just past noon. Ahead of him was Shangjin Ferry, which was famous throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River.
Standing on the riverbank, one can see thousands of sails on the river, with large cargo ships almost blocking the waterway. Tens of thousands of travelers from the north and south are bustling about in the port, and one can also see many martial arts practitioners carrying swords walking among them.
Ye Xingge returned the horse at a nearby post station, then put away the token and other items. Like an ordinary wandering swordsman, he walked through the crowded streets to the meeting place he had arranged with Great Beauty.
Because of the huge commotion at Forgetful River Mouth a few days ago, and now that the news has just started to spread, you can still hear people chatting on the street:
"I'm from Qingxi. This Ye Xingge used to be nicknamed ' Subduer of Qingxi,' notoriously ruthless. He's only become famous now, it's too late..." "This martial world isn't like a small county town; there's always someone stronger. This young man possesses a great treasure, yet acts so arrogantly. He won't last long. The martial world has issued a kill order with a reward of five million coins. In my opinion, he probably won't live more than seven days..."
"They've even fought their way out of the Forgetful River Mouth. Why would they be afraid of assassins in the capital? Unless they're courting death and running around alone..." Ye Xingge frowned slightly, disliking hearing this.
But when he saw a few idle people, they didn't look like thieves, so he reluctantly spared a few people's lives and came to the inn by the river. The inn was overcrowded, half of them were people from all walks of life, and there were also some petty thieves who gathered together to whisper and discuss the reward.
Ye Xingge was too young and dressed in a low-key manner, so he did not attract any attention. He quietly went up to the second floor, pushed open the door of a private room, and intended to ask about Great Beauty's situation.
But upon looking up, he immediately realized something was wrong!
The room was clean and spacious, with an oil-paper umbrella on the table. The window offered a view of the dock and the river. To make it easier for guests to enjoy the view, a tea table was placed by the window. Da Piao Liang, dressed in Great Beauty red female warrior dress, was kneeling on the tea table, carefully observing the scene outside the window with a telescope. Her black hair was tied up behind her head, with a Hongyu hairpin that he had given her inserted diagonally.
Viewed from behind, her figure is both elegant and intellectual; the posture of kneeling on her calves further accentuates her already full breasts, transforming them into an inverted heart shape...
Hmm~ Good gun mount...
Hongyu was assessing the situation when she saw Ye Xingge arrive without saying a word, so she turned around:
"What you do?"
"Don't move!"
Ye Xingge stopped Da Great Beauty from turning around, as if he had discovered some terrible snake or hidden weapon, and slowly approached.
Hongyu didn't notice anything amiss in the room, her gaze was unreadable, but she still stopped and asked:
"What's wrong? I have something on my back!"
Ye Xingge walked behind and carefully scanned the area around the full moon, intending to find something like a blade of grass or an ant to take the blame.
But they found that the Great Beauty dress was spotless, without a single hair.
Ye Xingge couldn't lift her skirt to look for Mao Mao, so she could only lightly raise her wrist, casually dab some lime powder from her sleeve, touch the tea table behind Great Beauty, and then look at the ceiling:
"Why is there lime powder here? There were people from Jianghu who lived here before?"
Hongyu took a deep breath, turned around and sat sideways, striking a pose of superiority, like someone who had achieved "eighth in the Second Rank ":
"I've lost my internal energy, not my hearing. You were putting lime powder in your sleeve, how could I not notice?"
"Heh..."
Ye Xingge had even forgotten that Great Beauty was a peerless master, and praised her:
"It was just a test of your alertness. Good, you noticed it. Let's get down to business first. What's the situation outside?"
Hongyu felt that this scumbag was just making excuses to take advantage, but since she had already touched it yesterday, taking a look wouldn't be a big deal. After thinking about it, she turned her head and gestured to a large barge on the river:
"The situation isn't good. That's Qin Laosan's boat. Ye Jianxing and the Black Stone Twin Fiends are on board, along with Azure Dragon Spear Zhou Lie, Hundred-Pace Feather Lu Zheng, and a few other nobody who didn't even make the Third Rank. They're plotting how to get you..."
Ye Xingge thought for a moment, and the following information flashed through his mind:
Qin Laosan, a disciple of the Clear River Manor, one of the Eight Great Sects of the Cang River, runs a shipping business and has connections with the eight major sects and even the Yong River Chamber of Commerce. He is one of the most capable local bullies in Shangjin Ferry and also possesses considerable martial arts skills.
Zhou Lie with the Azure Dragon Spear and Lu Zheng with the Hundred-Pace Feather were both ranked in the Third Rank.
Furthermore, Lu Zheng is also an "archer," wielding a renowned weapon that Hundred-Pace Armor Piercer, and is infamous for its ferocity...
Thinking of this, Ye Xingge's expression became more serious:
"Five Third Rank?"
"Right."
Hongyu nodded slightly and said earnestly:
"You're too valuable. Almost all the assassins from Dongyuan Lake have come, all trying to buy connections from Qin Laosan. As for the people from the northern martial arts world, they should have just received the news and won't arrive so quickly; the information is still being investigated..."
Ye Xingge had considered that being a big tree attracts the wind, but he really didn't expect so many super soldiers to come.
He took the binoculars and peered at the river. He could see the boat moored in the middle of the river, probably to prevent their conversation from being overheard. There were more than twenty thugs patrolling the boat, and all the doors and windows were closed, so he couldn't see anything inside.
After observing for a moment, Ye Xingge asked:
"Are there any Second Rank teams going to play?"
Hongyu shook her head:
"Those who can reach the top of the Gold List are all relatively clear-headed. With your record, most people would suspect that there is a mastermind behind you and wouldn't easily test the waters."
"Those who are coming now are all wandering martial artists who seek fortune in danger. You can deal with them with your powerful weapons, but this group of people coming together is indeed not easy to handle."
Ye Xingge clearly understood the disparity in strength between himself and the enemy, and sat cross-legged in front of him to observe:
What are your plans?
Hongyu leaned on the windowsill, pondering for a moment:
"The longer we drag this out, the more people will come. Before the main force arrives, let's wipe out this group first, then decide whether to use our own strength to attack their stronghold. If anyone else dares to come, we'll pick them off one by one..."
üの"
Upon hearing this "plan," Ye Xingge felt that Great Beauty didn't treat him like a newcomer or even like a human being at all. He spread his hands and said:
"Oh, so you mean I'll rush in alone, furious and bloodshot, first slaughtering five people on the boat, then picking off the rest one by one?"
Hongyu couldn't do anything, that's pretty much the gist of it. Seeing this, she blinked.
"Uh... this is a bit tricky. Shall we go?"
Ye Xingge blinked, thinking that since he was already here, taking down this group of people would give him a chance to reach over 300 points today if he was lucky; it would be a waste to leave. Therefore, Ye Xingge sat down next to them, observing the terrain of Shangjin Ferry, and casually put his arm around Great Beauty.
"I wouldn't say I have to leave... Let me think about how to fight."
Seeing Ye Xingge frowning in deep thought, Hongyu hesitated for a moment, then pretended not to notice. But after only a short while of observing each other side-by-side, this lecherous man began to touch Taotao, and she immediately turned her head away.
Are you sure you're thinking about something?
Seeing that Da Ye Xingge Great Beauty's resistance wasn't obvious, Ye Xingge knew she hadn't let go; she was simply responding seriously:
"Going up against five people by oneself would be suicide. The only way to deal with this situation is to 'divide and conquer, defeat them one by one'."
Hongyu frowned and said, "How can we separate them? Spreading false information might get Qin Laosan killed at most, but we can't fool the others."
Ye Xingge gestured with his eyes towards the wide river surface:
"It's like playing billiards. I take the first shot, blast them apart, and expose my situation of being all alone."
"Then you'll act as a lookout, keeping an eye on these people's movements and reporting back to me."
"I'll use the Water-Repelling Pearl and Wind-Traveling Talisman to maneuver between land and water, trying to take them down one by one. If things get tough, I'll just dive underwater and run away. That way, I can kill at least two of them." Hongyu understood what she meant, but still asked doubtfully:
What is billiards?
Ye Xingge turned his head and looked at the bright Great Beauty Da Piao Liang, thinking that she looked rather attractive lying on the table.
"It's a game you play on a table. I'll make a set when I get back and teach you how to play it step by step."
Hongyu seemed to understand, but not quite; let's get back to the main topic:
"Are you going there now?"
Ye Xingge glanced at the darkening sky:
"A torrential downpour is imminent, with strong winds, high waves, and heavy rain. It'll be easier to hide now. Let's wait."
After speaking, Ye Xingge first checked the equipment.
To deal with the large wave of assassins, he brought two divine weapons, as well as the Ravine-Leaping Tiger, Wind-Traveling Talisman, Water-Repelling Pearl, Metal-Melting File, and Heaven-Obscuring Arm. As for ordinary items, he had soft armor, leg guards, wrist guards, five smoke bombs, three Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers, and two bottles of medicine.
Despite being heavily armed, Ye Xingge still felt pressured by the five Third Rank fighters opposite him. After checking all the items, he hugged Great Beauty and observed the overall situation in Shangjin Ferry.
Hongyu blushed, but since she had already admitted he was her boyfriend, she wouldn't be so polite if she continued to act coy. So she pretended not to see anything and kept a close eye on the movements at the ferry crossing...