Wu Yincai sighed and said, "To be honest, this is my young master. We are going to send him to Daxing City to stay with his uncle to avoid the limelight."
Shi Hao was stunned: "What happened?"
Wu Yincai said with a bitter face: "Young City Lord, have you ever heard of the Hanyang Gang?"
Shi Hao said: "This..."
Xu Xiaoyan continued, "The main territory of the Hanyang Gang is located at the source of the tributary on the south bank of the Han River, which is the Yudai River area in Bashan. The leader, Zhao Youji, has a sixth-rank cultivation base, and most of the masters in the gang are seventh- and eighth-rank. They are more than capable of dominating a county, but lack development. They are not a big gang, but are just a local tyrant in the Yudai River area."
Wu Yincai smiled bitterly and said, "That's old news! The Hanyang Gang has a new leader. His surname is Huang Facai. He doesn't look impressive, but his origin is strange. He has the strength of a fifth-rank rank."
Xu Xiaoyan said: "Huang Facai? It doesn't sound like his real name. Generally speaking, except for the mysterious sect like the Demon Sect, the fifth-rank masters in the martial arts world always have some reputation. It is impossible for them to appear without any reason..."
Wu Yincai shook his head and said, "I don't know if this person is from the Demon Sect. I have only heard of the Demon Sect, but I have never seen anyone from the Demon Sect..."
Xu Xiaoyan smiled and said, "I've said it before, the Demon Sect is mysterious and unpredictable. Even if someone from the Demon Sect stands in front of you, they won't tell you that he is from the Demon Sect. Of course, you have never 'seen' him." He was thinking in his heart, this person doesn't know that the young man standing in front of him is the young master of the Demon Sect's Evil Lotus Sect.
Wu Yincai said, "Although I don't know if Huang Facai is from the Demon Sect, he is indeed powerful. As soon as he took over the Hanyang Gang, the Hanyang Gang developed rapidly and soon swallowed up many gangs in the upper reaches of the Han River. Among them was the Changxi Sect, which was originally a famous martial arts family in the Han River area and also did business on the Han River."
"Because they didn't want to be swallowed up by the Hanyang Gang, the Changxi Sect invited one of their elders who practiced in Qinling to challenge Huang Facai. That man also had a fifth-grade cultivation base and was very powerful. I heard that he was also in the upper reaches of the fifth-grade, but he was severely injured by Huang Facai within ten moves."
"I heard that after he was carried back, his entire body turned black, as if he had died of poisoning. Even the people who carried him back died suddenly within three days. However, there were no wounds on his body from any hidden weapon, sneak attacks or plots. He was only hit in the chest by Huang Facai."
"Some people say that Huang Facai is practicing the Poison Sand Palm..."
Xu Xiaoyan suddenly said, "That's impossible. The energy of the Poison Sand Palm itself is not poisonous. It's just that the practitioners use poison sand to temper their palms every day, so their palms are poisonous. They can surprise low-level warriors, but they are not very useful in a battle with middle-level masters. That person was able to spread the poison after his death, which clearly means that his whole body was poisoned. The Poison Sand Palm doesn't have that power."
Wu Yincai shook his head: "I don't know about this either. To be honest, I have also practiced some martial arts, but they are just not up to par. I just heard that there are not many martial arts with poison on the palm, and the Poison Sand Palm is the most famous. Huang Facai later admitted that he practiced the Poison Sand Palm, so everyone said so."
Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan looked at each other.
Wu Yincai continued, "The Hanyang Gang is expanding very fast. They are not satisfied with the unification of the upper reaches of the Han River. They said they want to invite the nine villages in Bashan to build the 'Hanshui League' together. It is clear that they want to annex all the villages in Bashan. Our village chief is worried and asked us to send the young master away first before confronting the Hanyang Gang."
Shi Hao hesitated for a moment, looked at Wu Yincai, and said, "There are some things I don't know whether I should say them or not."
Wu Yincai said, "I've heard that the young city lord has extraordinary insight. If you have anything to say, just tell me."
Shi Hao said: "Today, the people in the world are living in poverty. Although the land of Bashu has managed to maintain stability due to its remote location, how can the eggs remain intact when the nest is overturned? A city or a village will be difficult to preserve sooner or later in this environment. In the chaos, it is inevitable that they will stick together."
"The Hanyang Gang controls the upper reaches of the Han River, which means they have cut off your external water trade routes. Why do you have to fight against them? Since he wants to establish the Hanshui League, it is not a bad idea for you to join the Hanshui League."
Wu Yincai smiled bitterly and said, "In fact, we have thought about what the young city lord said."
Shi Hao nodded: "If that's the case, it must be the Hanyang Gang. What is it that makes you worried?"
Wu Yincai said, "That's right. It's because the Hanyang Gang is too domineering. They expand very quickly. Whenever someone resists, criminals often suddenly break in at night, and the whole family is killed overnight. There is also the Li family of Chaozhou Pavilion, who are not involved in the martial arts world. They are just engaged in the ship merchant business, and they have conflicts with the Hanyang Gang."
"Although there were conflicts in the past, they were all business tactics. After the Hanyang Gang changed its leader, the Li family of Chaozhou Pavilion was suddenly killed because they refused to join the Hanyang Gang. Nineteen people, big and small, were killed, and no one survived."
Shi Hao said: "They actually used this method in pure business competition. No wonder you are so scared and everyone is in danger."
Chapter 138: Sword to the Future, See You Again at Hongqiu
Wu Yincai sighed, "That's right. We certainly hope that there will be a hero who can make a difference and help everyone make a living in this era. But the actions of the Hanyang Gang are really frightening."
"We in Jiuzhai have made up our minds that we will never join the so-called 'Hanshui League'. With the style of the Hanyang Gang, if we join, it won't take long before our business, land, and other properties are completely eaten up by them."
Shi Hao knew that in troubled times, it was natural for wealthy businessmen to invest in capable heroes.
However, facing the bloody expansion of the Hanyang Gang, it is not a question of whether to invest or not. It is clear that they want to make all the surrounding forces their own "monopoly".
Besides, Huang Facai's actions were too cruel. Who would dare to invest their life and property in such a person
After chatting with Wu Yincai for a while, when the rain gradually subsided, Wu Yincai, who didn't want to stay here any longer, took the child and left quickly with the two hunters.
After they left, Xu Xiaoyan said, "The Huang Facai he just mentioned has poisonous power and is so cruel. I'm afraid he is from the Dukui Sect?"
Shi Hao said: "I also think this is possible. I'm afraid that the Poison Sunflower Sect is using the Hanyang Gang as a shell to expand their own territory."
Du Yuejiao came over: "Poison Sunflower Sect?"
Shi Hao explained to her: "This is an extremely sinister and strange sect among the demon sects. Few people know about this sect. Their promotion rituals are mostly related to poison."
He analyzed: "If the Hanyang Gang can really control Bashan Jiuzhai, then the upper reaches of the Han River and Bashan will be under their control. When the chaos comes, they can take the opportunity to expand westward and bring the entire Western Shu Province into their sphere of influence."
Xu Xiaoyan said, "It's not that simple. Once a demon sect like this starts a big fight, it can't be explained by common sense. The Hanyang Gang might just be on the surface. They first use cruel means to grow and develop in this area, while causing natural disasters and man-made disasters. Then they support a 'bright leader' who no one knows is related to them, suppress the riots, and buy people's hearts. This is a means of 'sacrifice'."
"That's still good. What's more terrifying is that what they did was to prepare for some special 'ritual'. It's possible that they caused disasters everywhere."
Shi Hao raised his head, his eyes flashing.
Xu Xiaoyan tilted her face and said, "You want to help Bashan Jiuzhai?"
Shi Hao looked down at her: "Why do you say that?"
Xu Xiaoyan smiled and said, "Because you are a person who probably can't stand it and wants to help."
Shi Hao said: "It's not just that! Whenever a dynasty ends, the first to come forward are always the first to be killed. But once the bowstring is sounded, the birds will fly in disorder, and then it will be out of control."
"From the perspective of history, those who are the pioneers of the king will certainly have the worst fate. But if you enter the battlefield too late, it will be difficult to achieve anything either. It can be said that although Master Fu was defeated, the Barbarian Court spent so much effort to win, and Master Fu escaped. They did not have much energy to deal with small-scale riots in various places."
"At this moment, everyone has seen the weakness of the Barbarian Army. Many heroes have emerged and are starting to develop their power. Although most of them have a tragic end, everyone will soon find that once the Barbarian Court collapses, the few who are qualified to fight for the world are among these rising 'heroes'."
"If I can't do anything now, then in three to five months, I will just have to watch the various forces take shape, and I will have no choice but to choose one to join."
Du Yuejiao opened her eyes wide: "Brother Shi, do you want to fight for the world?"
Shi Hao put his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I may not own the world, but I want to make it peaceful in my hands. Throughout history, once a great chaos occurs, if one side cannot dominate and achieve hegemony in the next two or three years, there will inevitably be prolonged wars, and there may even be no peace for decades or even hundreds of years."
"I want to be the one who brings peace to the world. At the same time, I want future generations to know that without me, there will be no peaceful and prosperous times ahead."
Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan looked at him together.
As the rain stopped, the dark clouds dispersed, and the slanting sunlight poured in from the door. His face also shone in this sudden light.
The solemn look and confident expression made this dilapidated temple, which had long been ignored, suddenly become sacred.
When leaving the ruined temple, the two girls still looked at Shi Hao with such longing.
Shi Hao was secretly proud of the effect of the Sacred Heart Mirror Method. As expected, even the most shocking words needed to be accompanied by "momentum" to achieve a powerful pretentious effect.
Of course, what he just said was sincere.
It’s just that when I was saying it, I added some “special effects” to myself.
Du Yuejiao asked: "Master, what should we do now?"
Shi Hao said: "Anyway, let's go to the Hongqiu meeting first, and then go to Bashan."
After a pause, he continued, "But if you want to join the Hongqiu Club, you must either bring something to sell, or reveal a secret that is unknown to the Jianghu people."
Du Yuejiao said: "This..." When she left Daxing City, her master gave her a lot of banknotes, so she didn't have to worry about her life.
But she didn't bring any magical materials with her, nor could she think of any "secrets unknown to the people in the world."
For her, this trip can almost be regarded as her first time in the world of martial arts. Where did the "secrets of the world of martial arts" come from
Xu Xiaoyan laughed and said, "In fact, the three sects of the Evil Lotus Sect have merged into one, and the young master who unified the Evil Lotus Sect is a man. This is scary enough."
Du Yuejiao snorted: "You want to sell out the information about Master Brother?"
Xu Xiaoyan smiled and said, "I don't need it. I brought some immortal materials to sell."
Shi Hao looked at Xu Xiaoyan and said, "How about you separate the Blue Frost Moonlight Bamboo Shoots and the nine Lihuo Heavenly Leaves, and one of you sells the Blue Frost Moonlight Bamboo Shoots, and the other sells the Lihuo Heavenly Leaves? Anyway, all the money from the sales is yours."
Xu Xiaoyan turned around and said like a child: "I won't!"
Du Yuejiao snorted: "Who cares?"
He turned his eyes and smiled, “It’s just a secret unknown to outsiders, I have it.
Shi Hao was stunned: "What secret do you want to use?"
Du Yuejiao chuckled and pretended to be mysterious: "Do you know why 'Absolute Sword' Zhao Xian wanted to kill our Chongxian Sect's 'Long Zi Xianwu'?"
Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan watched her come together.
Du Yuejiao curled her lips: "You don't know? Huh!"
Xu Xiaoyan smiled and said, "Who doesn't know? Isn't it just to help his new disciple get revenge?"
Du Yuejiao asked: "Disciple?"
Xu Xiaoyan said sarcastically, "You don't know, do you? You don't really don't know, do you? The new disciple of Hero Zhao is the nephew of 'Xunjiang Confucian Hero' Zong Youbi. The Zong family was wiped out by Long Zixianwu, one of the eight martial immortals of 'your' Chongxian Sect. You don't really don't know, do you?"
Du Yuejiao was stunned. She knew that Zhao Xian was helping the Zong family to avenge their father. But Zhao Xian's apprentice was Zong Youbi's nephew, and the master had never mentioned this.
Shi Hao did not say anything. Zhuo Mulan knew about this from him, and Yue Jiao obviously heard it from her master... He thought it would be better for him not to say anything for the time being.
Du Yuejiao had not expected that this matter was no longer a secret in the martial arts world... Of course, she did not know that "Absolute Sword" Zhao Xian also learned the truth at the last Hongqiu meeting, and Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan happened to be present at the meeting.
Du Yuejiao said: "Then I will go sell things! I have a way anyway!" He said no more and walked forward.
They came to a wild Zen forest. Mist was surging all around them. There were many little foxes jumping in the forest, and many phosphorous lights were floating around. It looked very eerie.
They followed the little foxes deeper into the forest. There were several masks on the trees, as well as straight-tubed long gowns of various colors, some long, some short, some large, some small, to suit all body types.
A pair of eyes appeared from behind the tree, and this time they stared at Du Yuejiao, making her scalp tingle.
Shi Hao turned to look at Xu Xiaoyan. Xu Xiaoyan snorted and said, "She came with me!"
The eyes just slowly retreated into the fog and disappeared.
This time, Shi Hao chose the "Bi'an" mask from the Nine Sons of the Dragon and put on a black robe.
Xiaoyan still chose the snake mask and a pink gown. She deliberately made the gown longer and let it drag behind her. She twisted her waist, looking particularly charming.
Du Yuejiao hesitated for a long time, chose a "dragon girl" mask with two small horns, and put on a white coat.
They continued to follow the little foxes. The mist flowed around them like water, and the eerie phosphorescent light spread in front of them, as if leading them to the underworld.
This time, they did not enter the underground through the well as last time, but arrived at a mountain crevice.
After winding around the mountain cracks and going down, we arrived at an underground cave.
Shi Hao noticed that this underground cave was obviously not the same place as the last time.
If there were no little foxes to lead the way, we would not be able to find the place even if we came here many times.
Shi Hao recalled the secret that Xiaoyan accidentally revealed that time... The fox can talk!
There are stalagmites all around, and upside-down stalactites hanging high up. There is a stone pavilion, which is very simple and rough, with a few stone benches and a tree.
This time, the three of them seemed to have fallen a little early, and apart from the three of them, there was no one else for the time being.
Xu Xiaoyan's figure flashed, went into the darkness, and suddenly disappeared.
Shi Hao knew that she knew the owner of Hongqiu, so he didn't take it too seriously.
After a long while, a thin and tall man wearing a monkey mask and a blue shirt came out from the other side.
Then more and more people appeared underground.
When they arrived here, their first subconscious glance was towards the young man wearing a "Bi'an" mask and a blue shirt.
Shi Hao used the Sacred Heart Mirror Technique, and his sword energy radiated, making him look powerful without even being angry. Unconsciously, he became the focus of everyone's attention.
Chapter 139 Showoff
It was a very strange feeling, because the young man in blue shirt wearing the "Bi'an" mask was obviously just an ordinary attendee.
But he had a strong aura, which quickly attracted the attention of everyone present.
No one knows where he came from, and no one knows what he looks like behind the mask.
Just by standing there, he made people feel that this person was extraordinary.
Xu Xiaoyan, who had gone somewhere unknown just now, came back at some point.
There is an incense altar in the corner, with big red lanterns hanging on both sides of the altar.
The light from the big red lantern illuminated a piece of red gauze, and behind the red gauze, a shadow was swaying.
This means that the owner of Hongqiu has arrived and there will be no other guests tonight.
"There are eleven people here tonight!" The voice coming from behind the big red gauze curtain sounded old and feminine, and the figure was blurry, making it difficult to see clearly.
Shi Hao vaguely made out that it really seemed to be a fox shadow.
Before, even if people felt there seemed to be a fox behind the tent, they would not really think of it as a "fox".
But after accidentally learning the secret of the owner of Hongqiu from Xiaoyan, although the shadow only slightly resembled a fox, he felt that the more he looked at it, the more real it seemed, and there was clearly a fox inside.
The old voice behind the big red curtain said slowly: "It's still the old rules. Everyone who comes to this Red Hill Club must have a piece of news unknown to the martial arts world, or bring a deal. If not, please leave."