The Rules of the Jianghu

Old man Yang Jinguang was silent for a while, then sighed.

"Guo Tianren is indeed my apprentice, but I expelled him from the school long ago. As for where he is or what he's doing, I have absolutely no idea."

Daoist Jin nodded. "Senior, could you perhaps contact your disciple? Let's have a frank and open discussion."

Yang Jinguang took a drag of his cigarette. "I can't get in touch with him. He stole a lot of my stuff; there's no way he'd show up in front of me."

Upon hearing Yang Jinguang's words, Su Ziyang and his two disciples all frowned.

"Please have a seat. I know why you've come, and to be honest, I'm quite surprised you even showed up. In today's society, there aren't many people who understand the rules!"

Yang Jinguang smoked a cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring, unsure whether he was speaking to himself or to Su Ziyang and his two disciples.

rule...

On his way here, Su Ziyang asked Daoist Jin and Mr. Mengfei why they went to such great lengths to visit Yang Jinguang.

Daoist Jin and Mr. Mengfei gave the same answer: rules.

Rules are a person's code of conduct and the only standard by which people in this circle are bound together.

Of course, people now call it a circle, but in the old days, it had another name - Jianghu.

A character from a famous TV series once said a classic line, "The martial arts world is not about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social interactions."

I wonder how many young people, after reading martial arts novels and watching martial arts films, admire chivalrous heroes and dream of wandering the martial arts world.

But the real world of martial arts is far from so carefree. In the past, when people talked about wandering the martial arts world, the so-called "martial arts people" weren't just people who had practiced martial arts for a few years and knew a few moves of Wu Bachao.

In ancient times, when apprenticing to a master, the master would usually teach the apprentice some slang and secret codes upon graduation. Only after learning these codes could you truly enter the world of martial arts.

When you're out and about, using slang and jargon is an essential part of the language.

Whether you are identifying the identity of both parties, or you are seeking help from someone who is too high-spirited but not too good-for-nothing. This kind of quack talk becomes even more important.

Just like the two familiar lines from traditional Chinese opera. "The Heavenly King covers the Earth, the Pagoda suppresses the River Demon."

If you can't answer the question for the average person, you're an outsider and naturally won't get access to the resources within that circle.

Okay, I've digressed. Let's get back to the main topic.

When Su Ziyang arrived, he asked Daoist Jin and Mr. Mengfei why they had come to visit Yang Jinguang. The two of them explained the rules in detail.

A fight like the one between Su Ziyang and the middle-aged man wouldn't be so troublesome if it were a private exchange of blows. But these kinds of unique skills usually have strict lineages and schools of transmission.

For example, Su Ziyang learned the Jiang Family's acupoint striking technique, so he strictly adhered to the Jiang Family's rules; this was essential.

As for unique skills, each school cherishes talent, because mastering advanced techniques requires exceptional intelligence.

Just like how Mr. Mengfei stood up for Su Ziyang after he was beaten, Daoist Jin was also searching for this middle-aged man.

If Su Ziyang and his group really did find out where this middle-aged man was, and then privately harmed him...

Does this person have anyone backing them? Do they have a master, senior brothers, or the like?

Will they come out to avenge their own people? Will it cause some unnecessary trouble?

If they come out and secretly harm Su Ziyang, will Mr. Mengfei step in?

This led to an endless struggle between the two groups, which could potentially result in one or two deaths.

This explains why Daoist Jin went to such lengths to inquire about Guo Tianren, and why they traveled so far to visit Yang Jinguang.

Because this kind of thing has happened before.

But after hearing Yang Jinguang say this, it's clear that the previous concerns no longer exist.

After inviting the three to sit down, the old man took out teacups and bowls and poured tea for them.

"The conditions are basic, and the tea is just so-so. Please bear with us!"

Yang Jinguang poured tea while speaking.

"You don't need to trouble yourself. Now that we understand your meaning, we won't bother you any longer." Daoist Jin said a few words of advice as he watched Yang Jinguang busy himself, indicating that he was about to leave.

"Sit down!" Yang Jinguang waved to the three of them. "You're here. Have some water. Sit down!"

Yang Jinguang gestured for the three to sit down and continued brewing tea.

"I'd also like to hear what happened. You wouldn't mind telling me, would you?"

Daoist Jin and Mr. Mengfei looked at Su Ziyang, Su Ziyang then recounted everything without reservation: his chance encounter with Guo Tianren on the train, how Guo Tianren pretended to borrow a power bank, how he got injured, and his subsequent encounter with Guo Tianren on the train that day.

"To be honest, I initially thought it was our child causing trouble because of his aura. But after hearing some of Guo Tianren's legendary tales, it seems like Guo Tianren was simply itching to try his magic on someone."

Mr. Mengfei had also discussed his assessment of Su Ziyang's initial experience with Daoist Jin.

What are some of his legendary tales?

Old man Yang Jinguang took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and looked on with surprise.

"Senior, then I'll speak frankly."

Daoist Jin pondered for a moment and organized his thoughts.

"That's right. I asked around. Someone told me that Guo Tianren has been making a living by swindling people all these years, and he has a terrible reputation in the martial arts world. Moreover, even ordinary martial artists are no match for him. That's why he's been able to get away with it all these years."

After Daoist Jin finished speaking, Yang Jinguang, who was not talkative to begin with, became even more silent. He sat in his chair with his teacup in hand, motionless as if petrified.

Yang Jinguang fell silent, and neither did Su Ziyang and his two disciples. The room was completely quiet.

"I was too soft-hearted back then! It's all my fault."

Yang Jinguang remained silent for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out this sentence.

"I should have hardened my heart and crippled that kid back then."

"Back then, I was an itinerant doctor who traveled from street to street. But unlike those itinerant doctors who were purely swindlers, I genuinely treated people."

"Back then, there were rules in the underworld. Treating someone's illness was called 'piling up.' When two people treated someone together, it was called 'working together.' When dividing the money after finishing the job, it was called 'breaking the hole.'"

"I met Guo Tianren when we were doing odd jobs, and that's the thing I regret most in my life."

"Like itinerant doctors who travel from street to street, they usually have four skills to convince others: tooth extraction, mole removal, corneal removal, and insect removal. These four skills are absolutely effective immediately."

"As for being able to cure all diseases like a real, resident traditional Chinese medicine doctor, that's too difficult for itinerant doctors who travel from street to street. After all, if they really had that much skill, it would be much more comfortable to just sit in a clinic than to be out and about all day."

"However, among itinerant doctors, there are quite a few who truly possess exceptional skills. In short, everyone earns a living based on their own abilities."

"One hot Tianzheng, I was ringing my bell on the street. Suddenly, a child called out to me from behind. I looked down and saw that the child was dressed in tattered clothes, but he was carrying a sack on his shoulder and holding a tiger-thorn bell in his hand. It's either competition or cooperation among people in the same trade."

"This kid stopped me and asked if I needed any work. I hadn't had any customers for days, so I asked him what kind of work it was. The kid told me that there was a rich family over there whose daughter had a strange illness. He had examined her, but couldn't cure her himself. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of a cure, saying he could find a master to treat her. But he was just himself; where would he find a master? He just happened to run into me on his way out and asked if I needed any work. He said if he could cure her, he would; if not, then forget it."

"This child told me that the girl from this family fell into the pond while playing in the water. After being rescued, she stopped eating and drinking much, and she became thinner and thinner, while her belly grew bigger and bigger."

"When I heard that, I thought I could probably take a look at the problem, so I readily agreed and went to the house with the child."

"When we arrived, I took her pulse and found worms in her stomach. It seemed that the rich family's daughter had fallen into the pond, drunk the dirty water and mud, and swallowed the worms. I happened to have some medicine with me, so I used it on her. After she recovered, the rich family gave us a lot of money, which we split."

"I thought that was the end of it, but this kid just kept pestering me. He wouldn't leave no matter what. He said he had no parents, was often beaten and didn't have enough to eat, and insisted on sticking with me. At first, I was quite annoyed, but this kid was really good at getting things done, and after a while, I just let him stay with me."

"Later he told me he wasn't very skilled, just knew how to make some cheap medicine residue to fool people. He wanted to become my student. I softened and agreed. That was the decision I regretted the most. As his student, I naturally devoted myself to teaching him. I first taught him hard skills, then acupressure and medical techniques."

"Then the thing I regretted most happened. Itinerant doctors who roamed the streets all had special techniques. They could conjure up illnesses in internal medicine, and there were nine types and thirteen methods in surgery. These were all harmful methods. Their purpose was to make healthy people sick when they hadn't had any business for a long time, and then treat them to make a quick buck. This practice was so unethical. Although my master taught me all of these things, I never used them."

At this point in Yang Jinguang's story, Su Ziyang immediately guessed the outcome: Guo Tianren must be a wicked man who secretly learned these methods of curing diseases to swindle money.

And that was indeed the case, but Guo Tianren did all of this secretly, Yang Jinguang only discovered it a long time later.

When the problem was discovered, Yang Jinguang was furious and wanted to cripple Guo Tianren. But Guo Tianren kowtowed and begged for mercy, tears streaming down his face.

Guo Tianren was only thirteen years old when he became Yang Jinguang's apprentice. By the time this incident occurred, Guo Tianren had been by Yang Jinguang's side for twelve years.

Guo Tianren pleaded with Yang Jinguang so earnestly that Yang Jinguang's heart softened. After destroying all the medicine Guo Tianren privately prepared, Yang Jinguang was then confined for a period of time.

From then on, Yang Jinguang truly reformed. But all of this was just an appearance until one day, when Guo Tianren made ten mules of a family sick, the family had someone knowledgeable who directly approached Yang Jinguang.

Yang Jinguang then realized that his apprentice was truly beyond saving.

Whether he was afraid of his master holding a grudge or that the family would come after him, Guo Tianren never returned.

For a few days, Yang Jinguang thought Guo Tianren had been beaten to death outside, but then he thought that with Guo Tianren's skills, seven or eight ordinary people would not be a match for him. His worries subsided.

But then he thought about how his own apprentice was harming people outside, and he felt a burning hatred for him.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood, and this contradiction of love and hate lingered in Yang Jinguang's heart for many years.

"If you hadn't come, I would have almost forgotten about him."

Yang Jinguang sighed.

"Go look for him. I'll give you something. If you find him, show it to him. Tell him the old man has been thinking about him. Bring him back here, and I'll deal with him myself!"

After Yang Jinguang finished speaking, he took out a black cloth bag from the house, pulled out a rope from it, and tied a dart head with a red tassel to the end of the rope. The dart head was shiny and gleamed coldly.

"Old buddy, it's been years since I last took you out."

As Yang Jinguang spoke, he went out of the house and into the courtyard. Su Ziyang and the other two followed him into the courtyard.

After Yang Jinguang went outside, he shook his rope dart and started practicing in the yard. The rope whistled through the air, and all that could be seen was the bright dart head flashing continuously.

Yang Jinguang danced for a while, then suddenly kicked the rope with his foot. With a pop, the head of the escort was nailed to a wooden stake in the yard.

"Senior, what excellent skills!" Daoist Jin and Mr. Mengfei exclaimed in unison.

"I'm getting old, my body's gotten heavy. Young man, bring me the dart!"

Yang Jinguang definitely made Su Ziyang deliberately try to pull out the rope dart stuck in the wooden stake, because when Su Ziyang got closer, he found that half of the dart was still embedded in the stake. Su Ziyang gritted his teeth and tried to pull it out for a long time, but the dart head still wouldn't budge.

"Heh heh, young man, get out of the way!"

Seeing that Su Ziyang couldn't pull it out, Yang Jinguang chuckled and told Su Ziyang to step aside. Then, he grabbed the rope and gave it a jerk. With a snap, the dart flew back into Yang Jinguang's hand.

Yang Jinguang put the rope dart away, stuffed it into the black cloth bag, and then handed it to Mr. Mengfei.

"If you can find him, show him this dart, and he'll understand. Take care, I won't see you off!"

Yang Jinguang waved his hand and went back into the house.

The three of them exchanged a glance and then went out the door.

"Heh, a seasoned veteran indeed, showing off his skills. Ziyang, was that dart properly secured?"

As soon as Daoist Jin the door, he spoke to Su Ziyang.

"Tight."

"Why don't you just break him? Don't you have that kind of stubbornness?"

Mr. Mengfei interrupted, staring at Su Ziyang as he spoke.

The two of them completely baffled Su Ziyang. They broke the dart? Why!?

Isn't this just asking for trouble?

Su Ziyang looked at his two masters with a puzzled expression, momentarily lost in confusion.