The evening brought only a slight, cool breeze into the room, and through the side window, the faint starlight could be seen. The night watchman struck the gong for the hour of Zi (11 PM - 1 AM).

Zhan Yunhai's voice came from beside him.

"...Speaking of family background, there's nothing good to speak of... I grew up in a small village. When I was seven, there was a drought in Fujian, and we fought with the neighboring village for water. Many people in our village were beaten to death, and my father broke his leg... With no labor in the house, my mother took me to the fields. A few months later, mountain bandits came down, my father died, and my mother... was violated, and went mad..."

"...Then... still at seven, my mother took me to the seaside, dazed and confused, and handed me over to a boat boss. I started going to sea. I haven't seen my mother since... Going to sea is good, Brother Zhou, you know, there are no rules at sea. Once you leave the land, life and death are up to fate. I swabbed the deck for two years and then started learning to use a knife... The ferocity was all learned at that time. But the boat boss was a good man, he taught me a few books, maybe because he saw that I wasn't stupid, and wanted me to see him off in his final days..."

"...Never got the chance to do that. When I was fourteen, we ran into trouble at sea. The boat was sunk. I jumped into the sea... I saw those who were caught being lined up on the ship's gunwale and killed one by one, dropping into the sea... I clung to a piece of wood and drifted at sea for who knows how long. I was lucky, I didn't die. After that, I didn't want to go to sea much..."

"...I tried to find my mother, but I couldn't... I was too young when I left, I didn't remember much. According to my later guesses, she probably went crazy... Being crazy is better than being dead... I didn't have any other ideas at the time. I went to the mountain bandits nearby. At fifteen, I infiltrated the bandit den that killed my father. When I was sixteen, I finally found a chance to make them fight among themselves. Then I poisoned them. I originally wanted to knock out the leaders, tie them up, and hang their family members one by one in front of them, but who knew their family members were quite tough too..."

"...A group of women and children came at me with knives and forks, almost killing me. I got ruthless and set fire to a few of their leaders. Only then did these women and children cry and run away... I was covered in blood, and I went to the dungeon and released some innocent people who had been captured. That's how I met Xiao Xiang'er. Xiao Xiang'er also saved me..."

"...Soon after, the Huang family came and rescued me back to the manor. After I woke up, they asked me what happened. I told them about my parents' revenge, and most of the Huang family called me Daxia (Great Hero), Zhan Yunhai Daxia, hehe..."

...

"...Later, I went to study and learned some stilted etiquette... Brother Zhou, have you ever met someone like that in your life? Someone for whom you want to live a new, good life, and not be like before... I'm telling you, Xiao Xiang'er is that person in my eyes. I've been fighting and killing in the greenwoods all these years. Sometimes, I get scared. At those times, I would think of her. When I'm out and about, I often see good things and bring them back to her..."

"...Brother Zhou, Xiao Xiang'er is my life. If the dog emperor dares to take her, I will kill the dog emperor... Hehe, Brother Zhou, don't think I'm annoying you. It's just too hot today."

"You're a local, and you're more afraid of the heat than I am today," Zuo Xingzhou said, propping his head up with his hands on the bed next to him.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, I treat you like my own brother... Actually, I'm a bit uneasy about such a big thing. I'm also worried, and I've dragged you into this mess..."

"What nonsense are you talking about at this time? Haven't we risked our lives together before? Besides, no risk, no reward. You gave me your share of the silver, what else can I say... At most, after I help you succeed in marrying that young lady, I'll give you a big red envelope."

"Hehe, then I'll take Brother Zhou's auspicious words... By the way, Brother Zhou, when you were outside, you must have had a good family background?"

"...Can you tell?"

"Slowly, I can see some... But you're different from those sons of noble families. You dare to fight and kill, just like me."

"You're not wrong. In the Central Plains, I was originally from a scholarly family." Zuo Xingzhou looked at the stars outside.

"Then..."

"What 'then'? I'm a son of a noble family, a son of a noble family that doesn't exist anymore..." Zuo Xingzhou turned his head to look at him. "Haven't you learned to risk your life yet?"

Zhan Yunhai was silent for a moment.

"...So that's how it is... Has the fighting outside been that terrible all these years?"

"..."

"All these years, I've seen some people fleeing here from outside with their families. I just think it's not that bad..."

Zuo Xingzhou sighed slightly.

"...For example, the gang of bandits you have a feud with. This time, they've surrounded the entire Fujian, and no one in Fujian can beat them. Everyone has to offer gold and silver, and even the women in their families. And... it's been more than ten years, and they still can't get revenge..."

"..." Zhan Yunhai was silent for a while. "That must be very hard."

After a while, he said, "Brother Zhou, do you think those Jurchens will attack Fujian?"

"...Why are you suddenly asking that?" Zuo Xingzhou looked at him.

Zhan Yunhai looked at the roof, thought for a while, and then smiled. "Actually... I'm just thinking about the future with Xiao Xiang'er. Before... when I was tired of fighting and killing outside, I would think, when will this life come to an end? Xiao Xiang'er also told me that if possible, it would be best to find a place where no one knows us and settle down peacefully... Actually, it's not that simple. In Fujian, life is not easy without following the clan, but I always think, we're not young anymore. I'm twenty-two, and Xiao Xiang'er is eighteen. After this is done, Xiao Xiang'er will marry me, and I don't want to go out and fight anymore..."

"..."

"When you have someone in your heart, you have more to worry about. Sometimes I want to retire from the world, and sometimes I think, those Jurchens are really fierce. They've conquered the Central Plains and Jiangnan. What will happen if they attack Fujian in the future? But I think, there are so many mountains in Fujian. Xiao Xiang'er and I can hide in the mountains. We should be able to survive..."

"..."

"...But, Brother Zhou, what about you? What do you think?"

"...Ah?" Zuo Xingzhou, who had been listening in silence, reacted with a bit of surprise. "What... what do I think?"

"Most people outside don't have any backbone, but you're different, Brother Zhou. You see, you come from a noble family, and your family is gone. If one day, the Jurchens attack Fujian, what will you do, Brother Zhou? Will you take up a knife and fight them, or will you follow us and hide in the mountains?"

"..." Zuo Xingzhou was silent.

Then, Zhan Yunhai said, "Brother Zhou, let's... become sworn brothers."

"...Huh?"

"Tonight, I'm just thinking, things should have some kind of ending. Xiao Xiang'er and I can go to the mountains. What about you, Brother Zhou? Then I also thought, I don't have parents, and you don't have family. We get along so well, so why don't we make a vow and become sworn brothers? That way, if you ever fight with your last breath to avenge your family, I can help you. If the enemy is too strong and we can go to the mountains, then we can go to the mountains together, and we can take care of each other."

The starlight was faint, and the wind was silent. In the quiet room, Zuo Xingzhou turned his head to look at him, his expression slightly moved, silent for a long time. He didn't know when, but he finally let out a sigh:

"...You're a lunatic."

"We're walking the Jianghu, we have to be a little crazy." The starlight seeped in, and the figure got out of bed. "Come, come, Brother Zhou, let's make a vow and form a Peach Garden Oath. Maybe in a hundred years, it will be a beautiful story..."

In the light of the stars and moon, two figures came out of the room again, made vows in the dilapidated courtyard, said some crazy words, and became brothers.

It was already the second half of the night. Most of the lights in Fuzhou city had dimmed, and the air was cool. It was the perfect time for people to sleep. In another hour or two, the first people to wake up would light some fires again. Officials would take their sedan chairs, and vendors would remove the door panels of roadside shops, welcoming the start of a new day.

May 22nd, the imperial court's morning assembly. The officials' court meeting began in the cool morning breeze, and as the sun rose, the situation in the palace seemed to become more lively with the weather.

The atmosphere of the morning assembly that day was tense.

Past midday, the officials dispersed to various places. Cheng Zhouhai gave some instructions and stayed in the imperial study for another half an hour before leaving and heading towards the Imperial City Guard on the side of the palace city.

The Imperial City Guard was now the command center of the Fujian court's Imperial Guards. Its duties were to ensure the safety of the palace and to command secret agents. The position of chief was currently held by Cheng Zhouhai in name, while the actual duties were handled by Deputy Envoy Tie Tianying.

As one of the outstanding officials left behind by the late Right Minister Qin Siyuan, Cheng Zhouhai was meticulous and deep. He had provided a great deal of assistance during Zhou Pei's tenure in the Princess Residence and could be considered Zhou Pei's half-teacher. He had also been involved in many shady secret agent affairs.

After the court fled south to Fujian, he, as a versatile figure, took on many tasks. Internally, he was responsible for connecting with various parties in the Princess Residence, managing secret agents, and overseeing coordination and shady transactions with various large families in Fuzhou. Externally, he had also successively made missions to the Southwest and to He Wen, among others... In short, he often appeared as a firefighter for relatively troublesome, sensitive, and core-oriented affairs. As for the Imperial City Guard's affairs, he rarely bothered with them, since Tie Tianying was quite capable.

As for Wenren Bu'er, who was more stable and tactful than his fellow apprentice, he had been sent by the little emperor to his most precious Ministry of Works to act as the emperor's incarnation in this regard and carry out his various ideas. This was beside the point.

Entering the courtyard of the Imperial City Guard and arriving at the room on the inside, Tie Tianying, Zuo Wenxuan, and Song Xiaoming, who was Tie Tianying's disciple and currently one of the chief constables of the Ministry of Justice, were already waiting there. Zuo Wenxuan had taken a palm-leaf fan for himself and was fanning. After Cheng Zhouhai came in, he also asked for one.

"...The morning court meeting was extremely chaotic. Elder Tie should know about it already. The situation inside and outside is tense. When it came to the case at the end of April, there was also talk about various rumors outside, including criticism of both the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial City Guard. His Majesty is also a bit anxious, saying it's just one woman, how come she still hasn't been caught? The rumors outside almost say that she's going to attack the palace..."

He paused slightly at this point: "Of course, the specific reasons are more than these. But now what do we know, what does the whole thing look like? I still want to discuss it with you all, so I can relay the situation to His Majesty."

As an official personally responsible for the emperor's safety, Tie Tianying had the authority to report on many matters. However, it was clear that the entire case was only half-pushed forward and there were no decisive developments, so Tie Tianying could not directly deliver various trivial intelligence and information to the higher authorities. However, because he had been challenged at the court meeting, it was necessary for several people to make a phased definition together.

After Cheng Zhouhai finished speaking, Tie Tianying nodded and gestured to Song Xiaoming, who stood up immediately.

"Reporting to Milord, the news circulating in the city seems to be mostly smoke and mirrors." Song Xiaoming said, "Since the Houguan County case at the end of April, this humble servant has arrested and interrogated many people in the city and has also inquired from various sources in private. I found that in Fuzhou city, although the rumors about Chen Shuangran are vivid and detailed, the activity on the streets is not significant. The various rumors she released in the city seem more like a smokescreen."

"Smokescreen... The thing hasn't been done yet, and she's making a big noise in the wind, what's she trying to do?"

Cheng Zhouhai's gaze looked at everyone.

"Elder Tie, and this humble servant, have discussed it earlier. There are two possibilities," Zuo Wenxuan said. "The first possibility is that Chen Shuangran, a woman of the streets, tasted the sweetness of the trouble at the end of April. She's naive and confident, and she really thinks she has come up with an airtight plan, so she wants to make a name for herself in one fell swoop; The second possibility is that, just throwing up a smokescreen before the thing is even done, then they themselves are just a bigger smokescreen."

"People of the greenwoods cannot be relied upon," Tie Tianying said. "This was a conclusion reached by Ning Yi during the Jinghan Dynasty. This old man feels it very deeply. Trying to lure a group of fierce men from the martial world with fame and fortune, wanting to assassinate and share in a great undertaking, such things are too easy to be infiltrated by outsiders. When Ning Yi was in charge of greenwood affairs in the Secret Intelligence Division, many assassinations were dismantled before they even began, and many people were even found at their doorstep by him, almost eradicated. We are doing these things now as well."

Zuo Wenxuan nodded: "The arrangement at the time was that after the Liangshan bandits were wiped out, a group of people were trained and two or three people were thrown into the greenwoods every month, often disguised as being short of money, greedy for fame, or fond of bravery. In fact, as long as you dare to fight, it won't be long before you're hired."

"So there's no definite news yet?"

"The situation on the mountain roads is a bit chaotic this year," Tie Tianying said. "Since the Fair Party's internal strife last year, Zhou Shang was the first to be defeated, and countless desperadoes under his command scattered like birds and beasts. Since the beginning of this spring, we have noticed many people living on the edge entering Fujian from the north. They want money, and their first choice is to kill government officials. Some large families are using this method to recruit troops. Our people can't get in touch with the core figures of these large families for a while, so we can't determine which clans are involved."

"There are some branches that we are 70% certain of now." Song Xiaoming said.

Cheng Zhouhai waved his hand: "It's not appropriate to raid homes and kill people again for the time being."

After he said this, Song Xiaoming nodded and said nothing more.

On the side, Tie Tianying took a stack of files from the desk.

"In addition to Chen Shuangran stirring up trouble in the city and causing panic, we can confirm two more things. First, the pigeon house's tip confirms that Pu Xinguie and Cao Jinlong have come north to Fuzhou. Moreover, on May 13, we once discovered traces suspected to be Cao Jinlong outside the city, but he's good at martial arts and escaped after injuring several constables..."

"Second, although there's not much activity in the city for the time being, in places like Putian and Jian'ou, some large families have begun to instigate the bandits who killed officials earlier to come to Fuzhou, saying they're going to make a fortune. Although we can't see any big figures for the time being, as Xiao Zuo said, this should be a bigger smokescreen. People of the greenwoods can't achieve much, but to incite so many people to come here is not something that Pu Xinguie and Chen Shuangran can do alone."

As Tie Tianying spoke, he took out the files from the bag one by one. Cheng Zhouhai picked them up and looked at them, frowning. "It seems to be similar to what everyone expected. Another one, or several, large families are trying to take advantage of this excitement to do something."

"There's nothing new under the sun," Zuo Wenxuan said. "After arriving in Fuzhou, in more than two years, Elder Tie personally thwarted more than 120 assassination attempts, large and small. Even the dumbest people should have learned something. According to Mr. Ning's past saying, this can't rely on rabble. Forging iron is nothing more than being strong yourself. To cause damage in Fuzhou, either the large families send their own direct descendants, or Chen Shuangran uses a few people she trusts. With too many people, there are no secrets..."

"But with so many people coming, we still have to have our own preparations. After Elder Tie and Song Xiaoming exchanged intelligence with us, we also activated some arrangements we had in the past. There are a total of twelve main routes for entering Fuzhou from other places. Among them, two routes have been the most problematic in the past investigations. This humble one privately released rumors, and it's been a year since it took effect. Many smuggling veterans, or people with identity problems, mostly enter and exit through these two routes. And since the beginning of this month, we have arranged for people to keep an eye on these two routes. We have indeed registered some suspicious people..."

As Zuo Wenxuan spoke, he also threw out a file record.

Cheng Zhouhai nodded. After a moment, he said, "So what we know now is this?"

No one spoke again.

After another while, Song Xiaoming, as the chief constable, left first. Cheng Zhouhai, Tie Tianying, and Zuo Wenxuan were left in the room. Cheng Zhouhai took a sip of water and then said, "A storm is brewing. The court was arguing fiercely today. It looked like it was about His Majesty taking a concubine. Some people said that His Majesty should not take a daughter of a merchant family, as this would corrupt the people's hearts. Some people said that he should not take a daughter of an official's family, as this could lead to a disaster for the empress's family. But in fact, they all mentioned that someone was stirring up trouble in the dark. The rumors are everywhere, and everyone can hear them. It can only be said that it's the result of the times."

As the core circle of the Fuzhou court, the other two people in the room understood what he was saying.

The emperor's concubine selection was aimed at finding some money from the outside to fill the empty national treasury. When the time came, in order to win over friends and divide enemies, some news was released to the outside, saying that this concubine selection would consider a daughter of a local gentry official, a daughter of a merchant, and a daughter of a commoner. The rumors also said that once the concubines entered the palace, the emperor would forgive past grudges.

On the other hand, although it was said that the daughters of gentry officials and merchants were fixed quotas, the daughters of commoners had great potential for operation. Or, the royal family was now short of money, and the quotas for the three concubines might be changed to four... In short, the emperor used a means of division to the various clans in Fujian, while trying to raise money, and some people were anxious about this matter, so they wanted to fight back.

"But the root cause is ultimately on the sea trade fleet," Zuo Wenxuan said. "If the court's fleet returns in the second half of the year, we will be able to get through this breath. Now is the time when everyone is most anxious. Everyone is panicked, which is not surprising. Chen Shuangran is actually thinking a bit ahead. The various rumors she released are hitting everyone in the court at the most anxious time. Everyone feels that something happening is not surprising, so it is indeed easy for something to happen."

"I can guarantee His Majesty's safety inside and outside the palace," Tie Tianying said. "But for the time being, there's really no certainty to catch Pu Xinguie and Chen Shuangran."

Cheng Zhouhai waved his hand: "Actually, everyone knows, how can Chen Shuangran and others not have one or two families covering them up? Wanting to rebel but not daring to do it openly, Pu Xinguie and Chen Shuangran are the masks they've set up. When the fleet returns in the second half of the year, the court will be able to get through a period of time, so they can't help but take the risk. Thinking about it, the most crucial time recently is the concubine selection..."

"This humble one thinks we need to prevent several possibilities at the same time," Zuo Wenxuan said. "Chen Shuangran seems arrogant, but the methods she shows are actually not bad. As the daughter of a pirate, although she looks like she's being used by various large families, isn't she also using these large families at the same time? People of the greenwoods can't be relied on to do big things, but relying on the clans behind them, they can mobilize people who have killed officials in various places to come to Fuzhou to cause trouble. This is a problem that we need to divide our strength to prevent no matter what."

"At the same time, Chen Shuangran must also have her own plans. I think either she's using elites or she's using her own direct descendants. This is the second level of problem that we need to prevent. Moreover, in the news that came earlier, although it hasn't been verified, the enemy is targeting the princess, Mr. Li, and the envoys who have returned from the Southwest. They may attack the periphery first if there's no hope of assassinating His Majesty. This is indeed a consideration that needs to be guarded against."

"As for the third level... Will the large families behind Chen Shuangran completely trust Chen Shuangran? With Pu Xinguie and Chen Shuangran deliberately putting up two layers of smokescreen, what are these large families planning? This is something we haven't sensed much yet. In fact, if it were just a matter of being upright, mobilizing some officials to write letters and have a few arguments, that would be the simplest problem..."

It was approaching noon, and cicadas were chirping non-stop in the trees outside the courtyard. There was almost no wind. The three people in the room chatted for a while longer. After they had discussed the basic outline, Cheng Zhouhai returned to report to Jun Wu. In fact, everyone had realized that before the sea trade fleet returned in the second half of the year, the entire court might be subjected to wave after wave of attacks.

For some large families who are used to the power of the clan, everything is already clear: The existence of the new emperor does not conform to their interests.

So before everything is settled, they must take a risk.

...

The midday sun baked the city of Fuzhou, making it muggy and hot.

Ning Ji and Qu Longjun were strolling around the city, and went to a riverside restaurant on the west side of the city to eat. The sun was bright, and the pedestrians and vendors on the street were all languid. The restaurant had windows on all four sides, and a breeze from the river came in, with half of the sunlight shining in, illuminating the edge of the table. They ate to their heart's content, and sat by the window watching the scenery near the city. The sound of cicadas also came in, creating a lazy and peaceful afternoon.

"The Jiangnan I imagined when I was a child... is like this."

Qu Longjun smiled and talked to him about the things she did as a child. She had a beautiful oval face, and she also had dimples when she smiled.

Ning Ji looked at her and thought of the idiom "content to forget home", and then felt that he seemed to have discovered the true meaning of the idiom.

His homework has improved again.

Fuzhou is pretty good too...

...

When leaving the courtyard, Zuo Xingzhou left a simple password.

He and Zhan Yunhai, his newly sworn brother, walked through the streets and alleys of Fuzhou.

They also prepared some fallback plans.

According to Zhan Yunhai's estimation, Huang Shengyuan wouldn't necessarily attack him, but this job with Pu Xinguie and Chen Shuangran might not be so easy to do. This time, if everything goes smoothly and they sell their lives to them, that's fine, but if there's any mess in it, the two brothers have to be prepared to leave.

Although the identity cannot be revealed, Zuo Xingzhou didn't have any dissatisfaction with the brotherhood of the two. Zhan Yunhai is very loyal, and his temperament is to his liking. Both sides have had several quite satisfactory cooperations in the past. He had thought before that if there was a chance, he could persuade him to turn over a new leaf. It might not be better than Xiao Hei and the Cripple, known as the "Black Mad Duo" in the Southwest, if the two formed a partner in the future.

But these are all later words. The most important thing right now is still the information about the rebels like Chen Shuangran.

After the court entered Fujian, the new emperor was determined to learn from the pain and was determined to rejuvenate. Developing Gewu (scientific study) and promoting maritime transport were secondary. The most important thing was that he was even making early preparations to enlighten the people in many directions. For those who had returned from the Southwest, this was actually what made them the most excited and willing to work hard for.

Among the "Four Principles" in the Southwest, nationalism was a slogan calling for unity, while the people's livelihood and civil rights were the actual interests, but the most fundamental core of these two items was still tied to the "wisdom of the people" of the entire society. If the wisdom of the people cannot be improved, things will be briefly handed over to the people - just like the peasant equal land distribution from ancient times to the present - and will eventually be plundered.

As returnees from the Southwest core circle who have been educated, even if their theoretical learning is deep or shallow, they probably all know that what Mr. Ning wants to do is to systematically improve the entire society with means unseen for thousands of years, so that some benefits can be held in the hands of the people. In this process, indeed, no one can say for sure which step is the right measure.

If the emperor truly wants to open up the people's wisdom and eventually move towards "constitutional monarchy," then the Southeast court is actually a "comrade" in this huge social reform initiated by the Southwest. Only in this way can he get the wholehearted help of those who have studied in the Southwest.

Or, there may still be a small possibility. If one day the Southwest goes too fast and collapses, who knows that the Southeast court, which occupies the "orthodox righteousness," will not bring the entire society into a new era through "constitutional monarchy."

Having seen the magnificent waves from the Southwest to the Southeast, the Zuo family members actually want to be the protagonists.

The whole process is certainly difficult.

Especially in Fujian, even Zuo Xingzhou can feel the intensity of various policy frictions in the local area. Every fragment of the power struggle is not gentle, and after a year or two, the various large families have finally slowly adapted to the court's methods. Therefore, starting in April, they launched a counterattack through Chen Shuangran, Pu Xinguie, and others.

These people must be found and killed as soon as possible...

According to the rules of the greenwoods, after finding the contact person that day, they verified their identities and were taken through several streets and alleys.

After further confirming that no one was following them, the two got into the carriage. In the closed carriage, they traveled for a long distance.

Finally, they left the city towards the south of Fuzhou.

That afternoon, the two were led to a place in front of a manor in the south of Fuzhou.

This should be a private residence of a large clan. When the carriage stopped, it was already in the courtyard. A man who looked like a steward made a handover with the coachman before leading the two towards the inside.

Soon after, the two entered the backyard.

It was approaching evening. This was a courtyard with a rockery and a pool. Two rows of tea tables were set up in the middle of the courtyard. As soon as Zuo Xingzhou saw the people at the head, his heart was beating fast. He saw that one of the two people in front was actually Pu Xinguie, for whom the government had a clear image, and the girl sitting next to him had slightly dark skin, but a delicate and beautiful appearance, which must be Chen Shuangran, who was rumored to be from a great pirate family.

Originally, they thought they would have to go through many passes before they could gain trust and contact the two people who had been pushed to the front, but who knew that things could go so smoothly. He adjusted the nature and status of Huang Shengyuan among the rebels in his heart, and then looked to both sides.

On both sides were some greenwood figures of various backgrounds. Zuo Xingzhou noticed that the first person below Pu Xinguie was Cao Jinlong, the "Daxia" known for killing yellow dogs. With him as the leader, Zuo Xingzhou could also recognize two people who had made a name for themselves following Cao Jinlong's Fujian knights. As for the other side, the first, second, and third people below were all unoccupied. The next three people, two men and one woman, besides carrying weapons, didn't seem to have too many characteristics at first glance.

After the steward brought Zhan Yunhai and Zuo Xingzhou, Chen Shuangran clapped her hands: "Good news for all heroes to know, these two young heroes are helpers introduced by a senior whom I trust very much, 'Tiger Shark' Zhan Yunhai, and the other 'Mixed Yuan Axe' Zhou Xing..."

Chen Shuangran's voice had strange pauses. After introducing the two, the two also greeted everyone according to the rules of the Jianghu. After that, Chen Shuangran spread her hands and began to introduce the others in the courtyard to the two.

"...On Pu Shao's side, the first one probably doesn't need much introduction, 'Four Seas Daxia' Cao Jinlong Cao Hero, I don't know if you've met him before... Below Cao Hero is 'Wenhou Sword' Qian Dingzhong, his swordsmanship is famous in Tiannan..."

Chen Shuangran introduced them like this, and Zuo Xingzhou remembered them in his heart. Naturally, he greeted each person with a long admiring bow. Just as Chen Shuangran was about to finish introducing the people on Pu Xinguie's side, her gaze suddenly froze.

The others' gazes suddenly changed as well.

Zuo Xingzhou and Zhan Yunhai, who were standing in the center of the field, suddenly felt their hair stand on end.

At this moment, a figure had appeared silently behind the two of them.

The two almost drew their knives and axes to chop back in the first instance.

But they saw that everyone in front showed a smile, that smile was complicated, some respect, some flattery. They only heard Chen Shuangran smiling, "Master, you're back."

"Mm..."

Appearing in the rear was a long nasal sound. Zuo Xingzhou looked back, and what came into view was a tall, thin, bald monk. His eye sockets were deep, and his eyes were deep. The skin on his face and head looked smooth and delicate. At first glance, he looked like an old monk, but a closer look made it difficult for people to grasp his age. This was a symbol of extremely high-level inner strength.

Since leaving the Southwest, Zuo Xingzhou had rarely seen a master with such a high level of cultivation. Even Tie Tianying, who is now guarding the Great Interior, may still be inferior to him because he is burdened with worldly affairs.

The monk was holding a hot towel in his hand, standing less than half a step away from the two of them, bowing his head to wipe his hands, his voice muffled.

"This humble monk was in the latrine and took some time. I hope I didn't disturb everyone's elegant conversation, but this humble monk doesn't care about these things anyway."

"That's right, Master's Buddhism is profound, and he is casual and natural, which is admirable." Chen Shuangran smiled and then introduced Zhan and Zuo to the monk before introducing the other party to the two.

"...I'd like to tell you two that the person in front of you is like the Taishan Beidou in today's martial arts world, a peerless master who once discussed martial arts with 'Iron Arm' Zhou Tong and can stand side by side with Lin Zongwu, the leader of the Manichean sect, the host of Yanguisi Temple in the north, Divine Monk—"

"—Devouring Cloud Master!"

...

Devouring Cloud...

...

After Chen Shuangran finished speaking, Zuo Xingzhou quickly snapped on this piece of information in his heart.

Just about to clasp his hands in greeting...

...

The Devouring Cloud Monk raised his eyes and raised his right palm towards the front, splitting it down...

...

Bewilderment flashed in Zhan Yunhai's eyes as he tried to retreat...

...

A frenzy roared in Zuo Xingzhou's heart. At this moment, some training in the Southwest took effect. Although he didn't know what was going on, he almost subconsciously drew the axe from his back and chopped it out with all his strength—

...

With a bang, the axe collided with metal. The inner strength that rolled back was like a great wave. The axe flew out. Zhan Yunhai cried out and was grabbed by the chest by the other party and pulled over—

...

Zuo Xingzhou threw himself up with all his strength. The next moment, tearing, punching, elbowing, and sweeping... The two sides fought frantically in an instant. Everything seemed to be a wild reaction between life and death. At one point, there was a bang on Zuo Xingzhou's head, and the view in front of him shook. He fell out of shape. While still in the air, he almost did his best and subconsciously threw another axe towards Chen Shuangran—

...

With another bang, on the other side of the field, the Devouring Cloud Monk's robe sleeves were raised high, like the wingspan of a giant bird, carrying the axe into the sky.

...

Zuo Xingzhou rolled a few times on the ground and barely stood up. At this time, all the martial artists in the courtyard had gotten up and surrounded him in all directions. He turned his head. Zhan Yunhai was spitting blood a few feet away. He was cursing loudly, with bewilderment and confusion in his eyes. Zuo Xingzhou's mind was still buzzing. He heard a voice from the front.

...

"...We agreed to unload their weapons. Why didn't Miss do it?"

...

"Hehe... This humble one also wants to see the power of the Divine Monk..."

...

"Why—we brothers are here to sell our lives. Why harm me—"

...

In the courtyard, everyone was smiling non-committally, and there was silence for a while. Chen Shuangran raised her chin slightly and looked this way.

...

"I heard that Brother Zhan and the Huang family's eldest daughter, Sister Xiang'er, are on good terms in private... Seeing 'Tiger Shark' today, you really deserve your reputation. You are indeed a heroic