Since it was only the second day of the new volume of "The Legend of Yan Jiuniang," the stalls in Silver Bridge Market were bustling with ladies. Although it wasn't a large-scale gathering, there were always two or three customers lingering around. After persuading two young girls to help man the stall, Qu Longjun took the time to visit the Xiang Family Restaurant's private room. The first watch of Hai (9-11 PM) had already sounded, and it was late.

Yu Hezhang was vividly describing to Ning Ji the thirty-second move of the so-called "Soul-Melting Thirty-Six Styles" in the Flower Crane Tower, the city's famous brothel. Ning Ji listened with great interest, but on the surface, he was still putting on an arrogant "I've seen the world" demeanor. He had been trained, so his cold expression didn't give him away.

Seeing "Dragon Aotian," the "leader" of the two, arrive, Yu Hezhang and Meng Biao seemed somewhat excited. When they came to persuade him last night, the other party hadn't paid them any attention. But his arrival tonight perhaps indicated that this young lecher had finally been tempted.

"Hahahaha, I was just telling Brother Sun about the interesting things in the Flower Crane Tower when it happened that Brother Long had some free time. I think choosing a day is not as good as bumping into each other, why don't we four..."

Before Yu Hezhang could finish speaking, Qu Longjun had already walked past him, waving his hand.

"Don't talk about those vulgar things, they're meaningless." She sat down in the seat by the window, picked up the teapot, poured herself tea, and when she looked up, her smile was calm and gentle, and her words were light and quick. "I have my own things to do. I came here today because of our chance encounter on the road, and I don't feel any ill will towards you two; secondly, Little Brother said a few good words for you, so I came up to chat... Yu, take a seat."

Her words took the initiative, and Ning Ji, who was next to her, also waved his hand, inviting them to sit down. Yu Hezhang said "Oh, oh" twice and sat down at the table: "Actually..."

Qu Longjun said: "According to Little Brother, you two want to ask our brothers to help with something?"

"This... naturally... we do have such an idea. Of course, the main thing is, you two young heroes..."

"Don't say that," Qu Longjun waved his hand. "Everyone walks the Jianghu (martial arts world) with their own desires, and even family members should have clear accounts. Let's be frank, do you want our brothers to help you kill someone, or what?"

The lamplight flickered in the streets outside the window. The night market of Silver Bridge Market was filled with a hazy heat, but in this private room of the Xiang Family Restaurant, the temperature had dropped significantly almost from the moment "Dragon Aotian" entered. Yu Hezhang and Meng Biao hadn't expected him to be so direct, and for a moment, they were somewhat flustered.

Yu Hezhang cupped his hands and his expression became serious: "Actually... Brother Long, my master has big plans in Fuzhou this time, and what he wants to do isn't just one or two things. To be honest, we need to trust each other first..."

Qu Longjun picked up the cold tea and drank, her eyes already looking at the stalls outside the window. Then she turned her head back, smiled, and said: "In other words, you don't trust us."

"Hey, don't say that. But there are also rules in the Jianghu, Brother Long. Why don't you listen to our offer?"

"Little Brother already told me your offer yesterday, no need to mention it again... Yu, you didn't really understand what I meant." Qu Longjun pressed down her palm, then sat up straight and stared at Yu Hezhang. "We're all friends in the Jianghu. Our brief meeting in Pucheng County wasn't unpleasant. Let me be more direct, Brother Yu. If you want our brothers to help you kill a few people, I'd consider it because you're a decent person. But if you say your master has some big plan, then we have no interest at all. The key is the issue of trust you mentioned. You don't trust us, and we don't trust your master at all."

She said this calmly and forcefully. After speaking, she picked up the teacup in her hand and reached over to touch Yu Hezhang's cup, saying, "Drink tea."

Yu Hezhang picked up his teacup but was slightly stunned there. Then he said, "Brother Long... could you be more specific?"

"More specific, huh... What is your master's identity? How could he be able to hire us?"

"..."

In the room, the young man named Dragon Aotian had a smile on his face and an arrogant expression, but he also had a natural and dignified temperament. Yu Hezhang didn't know how to answer for a moment. He looked at him, then turned to look at "Sun Wukong" sitting next to him... However, after a moment, the arrogance on Dragon Aotian's face subsided slightly. He reached out and gently touched the table next to him, and sighed slightly.

"Brother Yu, some things are unpleasant to say, but it's best to say them upfront. Today's Fuzhou City, after all is said and done, there are only two major events. The first is that the emperor wants to take a concubine, and the local gentry are entering the city to compete for the concubine's spot. To put it bluntly, what is 'striving for good governance' is just selling official positions; and the second is that all kinds of outlaws are entering the city, wanting to find an opportunity to cause trouble. Brother Yu, you kill yellow dogs in other places. Now that you've come to Fuzhou, this is what you want to do..."

"Dragon Aotian" spoke calmly, and stretched out his fingers to fiddle with the cup in front of him: "But in the world, there are many people and many opinions. If hundreds and thousands of镖头(bodyguards/leaders of escort agencies) and outlaws enter the city, if everyone knows what you want to do, then I'm afraid the whole thing would have been exposed long ago. Brother Yu, who is behind you? Pu Xingui? Or Chen Shuangran?"

When she said this, she asked the question, looked at Yu Hezhang, and then shook her head with a smile.

"None of it matters."

In the room, the young man said:

"The important thing is that you probably don't even know what these two want to do..."

Yu Hezhang opened his mouth, but finally said nothing. And Dragon Aotian's gaze swept over Meng Biao, and continued to speak.

"Spend some money, find some thugs, find some lackeys, and when the time comes, let them make trouble, disrupt the situation, let them get caught, anyway, you don't feel bad for them. Brother Yu, do you know what will happen next?"

She paused, and pointed her finger first at Yu Hezhang, then at Meng Biao.

"If this really happens. You, you... you two will be the first ones we brothers find, including your wives and children. I will skin them inch by inch in front of you. The process will be a little uncomfortable, but in the end, you will help us find your boss, whether it's Pu Xingui or Chen Shuangran or something else. We will let you die together. Of course, because you confessed, you and your family will die a little easier."

"..."

The room was silent for a moment.

Dragon Aotian turned his gaze to Sun Wukong next to him.

"...I told you yesterday that if we're true brothers in the Jianghu and we're going to do something big, then all the details have to be made clear. But now, look, you're just going to be a thug for someone, and you're going to be a scapegoat for no reason in the future. With so many things coming up, how are we going to handle our main business? How are we going to explain it to our family when we go back after wasting so much time?"

"Of course, this matter has nothing to do with Brother Yu and Brother Meng for the time being." He turned his gaze back to Yu Hezhang and Meng Biao, and comforted them calmly, "But this is our brothers' attitude towards doing things. If we take your money to do things today, and then find out that your boss is not honest... what do we do? We would harm your whole family for no reason..."

He paused, then looked at Meng Biao, and added: "Two families... Brother Meng should have a family, right?"

Faced with these gentle words that were extremely considerate of him, Meng Biao's mouth twitched and his expression stiffened.

In Pucheng County that day, he was the one who was first beaten by that irritable "Sun Wukong," Sun Xiao, so he understood especially well what kind of shocking level the other party's skill was at. And Dragon Aotian, as the "big brother," had not made a move from beginning to end. After arriving at this Silver Bridge Market in Fuzhou, apart from seeing him scold away that "Little Yama" Yue Yun with righteous words last night, at other times, he could only see him smiling and chatting with a group of girls - watching for a long time, it could even make people feel warmth.

But he had never thought that now, in this closed room, the other party would be speaking in such a way that he didn't care about the other party's life or death at all.

There was, of course, no way to respond to these words.

Yu Hezhang, who was on the side, picked up the teacup, and tried to squeeze out some smiles.

"Er... actually... if such high-level experts like you two brothers are willing to help, then... the boss behind me will naturally come forward. It is absolutely impossible to treat you as ordinary Jianghu people, Brother Long..."

"But it's too much trouble, Brother Yu." Dragon Aotian waved his hand, and smiled calmly, "By that time, we'll have to test each other again, think about each other again, what for? Just for that little bit of money? Brother Yu, we are people with family money and connections, we don't look down on your little... Of course, now that we've said this, there's one thing we might as well make clear. We've come to Fuzhou this time also with a few things to do. One of them might even have some intersection with you. There's no need to make it clear for the time being, but if we encounter you while we're doing things in the future, don't get in our way."

"Brother Long might as well speak frankly."

"We also want to kill a few people in the imperial court. This is a private feud left by our elders. There's no need to tell you who it is. If you kill them first, I won't be angry." She waved her hand magnanimously.

"Actually... if Brother Long gave a greeting, we might be able to cooperate..."

"No need to say more. Brother Yu, Brother Meng." She raised the teacup, "At home, you rely on your parents. When you're out, you rely on your friends. I'm not an unreasonable person, you'll understand in a while that this is all for your sake. Of course, meeting is fate. For the sake of this fate, if you have anything you want to do, anyone you especially want to kill, explain the matter clearly, and we can help. Mainly, it's my silly little brother, he thinks you're still decent. I have things to do, you drink."

The young man named Dragon Aotian reached out his teacup, touched Yu Hezhang's and Meng Biao's, then took a sip at his mouth, put down the teacup and got up to leave. He also patted "Sun Wukong" on the shoulder, saying, "Go help pack up the stall later."

"I'll go after I eat another bowl of bingfen (iced jelly noodles)."

"Glutton."

He cursed softly, and under the farewell of Yu Hezhang and Meng Biao, he went out the door, went downstairs, and then arrived at the night market street. His face was already a handsome and humble smile. He greeted the two girls who were helping to watch the stall, making them both laugh non-stop. Yu Hezhang and Meng Biao marveled in their hearts.

Turning his head back, he saw "Sun Wukong" looking at them unhappily at the table.

"So... you're not people who can be reasoned with?"

Meng Biao's expression twisted, thinking he was going to get beaten. Yu Hezhang put his hands together, sighed, and said,

"Ah, Sun, Brother Sun... don't get angry. There is a boss behind us, you know..."

"You don't even know what your boss wants to do?"

"This..."

"And you're pulling me in?"

"This..." Yu Hezhang hesitated for a moment, "Brother Sun, that's definitely not it. If experts like you two are really able to help, the boss behind me will definitely come. But right now..."

"Forget it." Ning Ji waved his hand, "If it were any other time, and my brother was in a bad mood, you would have already died for coming to us once or twice. Sit down and eat..."

He himself was not old. Now that he stopped thinking about things, he buried his head and ate bingfen. Yu Hezhang and Meng Biao felt a little relieved, but looking at each other, remembering the incident of Ni Po, the "Iron Fist," breaking down their door during the day, they were both a little embarrassed. After sitting for a while, Yu Hezhang remembered the words "My silly little brother thinks you're decent" and moved his stool over.

"Actually, Brother Sun, everyone is brothers. There's no need to hide some things from you... I'm the middleman from Pucheng County. The bosses above are actually several. The highest is Wang Muyong of the Wang family. Of course, we are green forest (bandits) people, and in the past, we mainly worked with that Xu Nanjing, Hero Xu. This time, we gathered in Fuzhou, originally Hero Xu was going to come, but who knew that he got into official trouble halfway. Hero Xu started an uprising directly in Descending Tiger Fort, so I could only bring some brothers over... To tell the truth, I am now considered the military advisor of Descending Tiger Fort, Sun, I’m putting myself in your hands..."

"Whether you're putting yourself in my hands or not, it wouldn't take much effort for me to kill you two."

Ning Ji put down the spoon of bingfen, and said this. Of course, the expression on his face was much more relaxed.

"Of course, of course." Yu Hezhang smiled and leaned over, "But, Brother Sun, you say, with the status of you two, if... I say if, I talk to the people behind me, let those big shots come down, be open and honest, attach importance to this matter, Brother Sun, do you think Brother Long might still consider... doing something big together?"

"Sun Wukong" thought about it.

"...We're out here to gain experience. We can do big things and small things, as long as they're interesting. But the family has told us not to suffer losses... To be honest, I think you're doing okay, but my brother is cautious. I can't persuade him. I advise you not to make trouble either. If he gets angry, he won't be as easy to talk to as I am."

"Of course, of course..."

"Don't even think about doing big things for now." He lowered his head and ate bingfen, then said, "But since you've told me the truth, you can be considered straightforward. There's one thing I can also reveal to you, so that you don't have any accidents in the future, and it won't look good if we bump into each other. Of course, keep it a secret."

"Of course, of course, Brother Sun, feel free to speak..."

"Tie Tianying, this time to Fuzhou, has one important thing to do, which is to kill him... My maternal grandfather, he died at his hands..."

"..."

Outside the window of the Xiang Family Restaurant, the lights of the night market gradually dimmed, and there were fewer and fewer people. Time was gradually approaching midnight, and in this private room, the two sides chattered and chatted for a long time, exchanging some heartfelt words. By the time they separated, they could be called friends to some extent.

After returning to the stall to help pack up the cart, Ning Ji and Qu Longjun exchanged the information they had inquired about and observed along the way.

Especially for Qu Longjun's cold words and arrogant image, Ning Ji repeatedly praised and was extremely excited, wishing he could switch places and do it again himself.

Sure enough, the idea of letting her be a strategist was correct.

What a treasure I found.