Chapter 1 You Think You're Someone Special?

What onion do you think you are? Do you think you're the emperor?

Years ago in Beifeng County, that line would have been: Do you think you're the Marquis of Zhenbei?

Now, hearing that said near Jindong actually proves that in Jindong, the Marquis of Pingxi is the local emperor.

No wonder Marquis Zheng laughed. It hit the right spot.

Maybe the one-eyed man shouldn't have hit the shopkeeper earlier;

But frankly, what is hitting someone to Marquis Zheng, who has more than once killed prisoners on the battlefield to make jingguan (corpses piled in a pyramid)?

If he's in a bad mood today, he'll beat up the shopkeeper;

If he's in a really bad mood, he'll burn down the whole inn;

So what?

He doesn't do it because it's pointless and tasteless, not because it's wrong. For someone at Zheng Fan's level, right and wrong have long been blurred, no, lost altogether.

If you really want to talk about right and wrong, wouldn't all the wronged souls drowned when he decided to breach the Wangjiang River to attack Chu have to crawl out one by one to settle accounts with him?

Unconsciously, the flattery worked, and the one-eyed man looked pleasing to the eye.

Marquis Zheng raised his head,

His gaze swept over the guards with their swords drawn. Many were retired soldiers.

"Put your swords away."

This wasn't a request, it was an order.

Presence is invisible and intangible, but it exists.

When Marquis Zheng stopped watching the show and smiling, and instead adopted the attitude he used to give orders in the army;

The others in the inn just felt that this richly dressed young master seemed to have changed, becoming unfathomable and dignified;

But to those who came from the Dayan military,

This aura, this presence, this feeling,

Was all too familiar.

Those who have been hardened in the military may seem dull, but in some ways, they are far more perceptive than ordinary people. And these people have fought on the battlefield, they're not greenhorns.

They exchanged glances but began to sheathe their swords. Although they didn't know who this person was, although he didn't show any token, didn't wear armor, and didn't display any flags,

Instinct told them,

Now,

They should be obedient.

The one-eyed man, who was being suppressed by Xu Chuang, looked at Zheng Fan as if he'd seen a ghost, then silently lowered his head.

The Senior Official Gao was even more direct. He was still on duty, so after sheathing his sword, he folded his hands and took half a step back, saluting:

"May I ask who you are?"

There are many swindlers in this world. The low-end ones mooch food and drink, the high-end ones can fake an identity and pretend to be seven or eight parts real. He's observed and studied various industries, and he can imitate and act;

For example, Zheng Fan once met someone from the Hun Sect under Tianhu Mountain who deceived himself before deceiving others;

But how can you observe and study the temperament nurtured on the battlefield, and how can you imitate it?

So,

Senior Official Gao was almost certain that he had encountered a big shot, and definitely a big shot in the military.

But he didn't dare to guess that this person was actually the Marquis of Pingxi. The gap in status was too great, he didn't dare to think about it.

Marquis Zheng ignored Senior Official Gao and instead looked down at the one-eyed man,

And asked:

"Come, what's your name?"

The one-eyed man wanted to resist, but facing Marquis Zheng, he couldn't suppress his instinctive fear, and said:

"Lu Daniu."

A very down-to-earth name, like the name of Sword Saint's stepson, Liu Dahu.

The common people are uneducated, and the nicknames Doggy and such are everywhere. When they need a proper name, oh, they just use Daniu or Dahu.

"Lu Daniu, mm."

Marquis Zheng reached out, picked up the bowl of fish soup he had put down earlier, and took two sips.

"This soup is really delicious. Do you know why it's so delicious?"

Lu Daniu's face began to twitch, with instinctive anger and instinctive awe colliding and twisting within him.

He wanted to lose his temper and curse this man's mother, but he didn't dare. He had a premonition that if he cursed this man's mother, he and his brothers might...

"Hehehe."

Marquis Zheng smiled again,

Then,

He leaned forward,

Holding the bowl, he moved his face closer to Lu Daniu,

And said:

"Because the fish the shopkeeper got this time grew up eating the flesh and blood of the Chu and the savages, that's why it tastes so delicious, isn't it?"

Lu Daniu swallowed. Could that be true?

But it seemed to make a lot of sense.

Most importantly, thinking like that made him feel better.

Zheng Fan waved his hand to Xu Chuang,

Xu Chuang got up and released Lu Daniu.

Lu Daniu also got up and instinctively stood up straight, then instinctively hunched his shoulders;

For some reason, standing in front of this person was less comfortable than kneeling.

"May I ask who you are..."

Senior Official Gao saluted and asked again.

In fact, Marquis Zheng didn't plan to reveal his identity.

Maybe ordinary people like to watch emperors on secret tours change into dragon robes and be worshiped by everyone around them, finding it very satisfying;

But the emperor, oh no, Marquis Zheng, is used to being worshiped and no longer finds it satisfying.

In fact, it would be annoying if all the civil and military officials of the county came to greet him like pugs.

Again, his threshold is too high.

Seeing that Zheng Fan didn't respond, Senior Official Gao immediately said:

"I think today's matter is just a knot in the heart. Once the knot is untied, the matter will be over."

As soon as Senior Official Gao finished speaking, Lu Daniu suddenly blurted out:

"You're right, this fish grew up eating the flesh and blood of the savages and the Chu. I want to drink it, I want to eat their flesh!"

Lu Daniu directly reached out and picked up the basin of fish soup from the table.

The fish soup had been sitting there for so long, it wasn't as hot as it had been at first, but the temperature was definitely not low. Even the Sword Saint had to blow on it when he drank it earlier.

But this reckless man just put his mouth next to the basin,

"Glug glug!!!!!"

He poured the entire basin of fish soup into his mouth, then let out a heavy burp, his face a mixture of pain and pleasure.

"Too bad, I really can't eat the meat."

"Hehe, oh dear."

Marquis Zheng was amused again.

Then,

Lu Daniu walked to the shopkeeper, first took out a tael of silver from his pocket, and threw it in front of the shopkeeper.

Then,

He raised his hand,

"Slap!"

And slapped himself in the face!

"Apologize? No way. I told you not to serve fish, but you did. That's bad service, and it deserves a beating. This slap is to end this matter!"

"Yes, yes, yes."

The shopkeeper's emotions had also subsided, and he didn't have the same tough attitude he had when he was full of grievance.

Lu Daniu's face was flushed, showing that the slap had definitely not been light. He turned to face Zheng Fan and saluted:

"Thank you."

Marquis Zheng had also worked his way up from the bottom. Although he hadn't slowly built up his qualifications in the capital, he faced the most elite and difficult people in Dayan, oh no, in the entire world;

So,

Marquis Zheng knew that Lu Daniu's behavior was not an act. He didn't recognize his identity, not even now;

But he was able to show that kind of bold and unrestrained spirit, currying favor with himself.

At this time, the trend, oh no, the trend throughout history, is that bold men are most welcomed by those in power.

Marquis Zheng himself also liked to hang out with people like Hero Chen.

But regardless of whether this performance was deliberate or not, it showed that this person had a brain. He was able to build up such a security company after retiring from the military, relying not only on so-called connections.

"Let's go."

Marquis Zheng stood up and walked towards the backyard.

Lu Daniu and Senior Official Gao exchanged glances and immediately led the crowd to the backyard. Senior Official Gao also ordered his men to stop irrelevant people.

In the backyard, three tables were set up, and many sisters and young men were standing there waiting.

Lu Daniu immediately took out silver again and quickly sent them away, urging them to leave quickly.

Xu Chuang pulled out a chair and let Marquis Zheng sit down.

The Sword Saint stood in the corner, hugging the Long Yuan wrapped in cloth, full and satisfied, squinting his eyes.

Si Niang grabbed some melon seeds and peanuts from a table and handed them to Zheng Fan.

When outside, everything Zheng Fan ate was first handled by Si Niang, including the fish soup he had earlier. There was no choice, it wasn't easy to get to this point, so he had to cherish his life;

Moreover, he had many opponents and people and forces who would be happy to see him die suddenly. Being careful was also a form of respect for them.

The backyard was quickly cleared up,

Marquis Zheng said to Si Niang while cracking melon seeds:

"We have people in Yingdu, right?"

"Yes, there's a restaurant, but not many people."

The power of the Marquis of Pingxi's manor is still limited to Jindong. Even in Yingdu, it only maintains a simple presence like a liaison point.

"Not enough."

"Does Master want to recruit this Daniu?"

Zheng Fan shook his head, "He's lucky to be in the right place at the right time. We'll just give him some good fortune. Also, that official next to him is a bit interesting.

But that's about it."

Didn't you see that Xu Chuang can only be a thug and a lackey now? The Marquis of Pingxi's standards for evaluating people are very high now. Lu Daniu really didn't make him feel like he wanted to take him under his wing.

But maybe it's just fate, and he wouldn't mind planting a willow branch here, who knows what it might be used for in the future.

Si Niang smiled and nodded.

"Remember to mention it to the Blind Man later, I think I'll forget when we get back."

"Yes, I understand."

Over there, it was cleaned up.

Lu Daniu and Senior Official Gao stood side by side in the first row, while the others stood in the back two rows.

Marquis Zheng waved his hand.

Soon, the people in the back two rows also left the courtyard, leaving only Lu Daniu and Senior Official Gao standing there.

Zheng Fan looked at Senior Official Gao and asked;

"What's your name?"

"Gao Zhunpang, patrol captain of Shangchuan County."

"Oh."

Marquis Zheng nodded and pointed at Lu Daniu, saying:

"How many people do you have under you?"

"Thirty people who eat for free."

Eating for free here means those who follow him in the security company year-round. Those who drink porridge are temporary manpower called in to fill the numbers.

"Is business good?" Zheng Fan asked.

"It's okay, enough for some wine and meat," Lu Daniu replied.

"Mm, I heard someone say that you have connections in the military?"

"I used to be there, and I have some acquaintances. It's easier to say hello when passing checkpoints." Lu Daniu said truthfully, pointing to Gao Zhunpang standing next to him, "Senior Official Gao started this business, and I'm responsible for running it. Senior Official Gao has more connections than me."

"I see."

Gao Zhunpang has an official position and it's not suitable for him to run a business himself, so he let Lu Daniu come forward to manage the security company for him. He has some brains.

Zheng Fan smiled and said:

"What are you doing standing there?"

"Huh?" Gao Zhunpang.

"I..." Lu Daniu.

"Kneel," Marquis Zheng said.

Gao Zhunpang "plop"

Knelt down directly while Lu Daniu was still hesitating.

"This general greets Your Excellency!"

Seeing this, Lu Daniu immediately knelt down as well, secretly annoyed at himself for kneeling too slowly. What was he hesitating about!

Would kneeling wrong cost him a piece of meat!

"Maybe you two are really destined to meet this marquis today. This marquis..."

"Plop!"

The kneeling Lu Daniu was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground, prostrating himself, his body twitching slightly.

Damn it,

This marquis...

Gao Zhunpang's face also began to turn red, and then, he glanced at Zheng Fan in disbelief, then quickly lowered his head again. Finally, he gritted his teeth and slowly stood up.

Zheng Fan watched the patrol captain stand up in front of him,

The other party didn't dare to look at him again,

But reached out his hand,

His head lowered,

And said:

"It's my duty, please show your token to verify your identity!"

"Oh? Didn't you just kneel? Why do you need to see the token now?"

"No, I knelt just now for my wealth and life, because I guessed that you should be a noble in the military, but since you use this title, then I..."

Gao Zhunpang stammered a few times, took a deep breath,

And continued;

"Then it's my duty to verify your identity. I'm not trying to show off in front of you."

The meaning is,

If you're pretending to be other nobles, that's fine. We'll kowtow when we need to kowtow, and we'll admit defeat when we need to admit defeat;

But since you call yourself "this marquis," then I have to confirm your identity and do my duty, because the identity of the Marquis of Pingxi is different and cannot be tolerated at all.

After all,

The Marquis of Pingxi can directly mobilize troops!

Zheng Fan nodded and turned to ask Si Niang:

"Is the token with you?"

"Master, it's with Ah Ming."

"Oh, I forgot."

He traveled too quickly, and the things were not prepared properly. Of course, it was also because he had arrived in this area, which was equivalent to arriving at his own doorstep, and there was nothing to worry about.

"Lao Yu, let me borrow your sword."

"Buzz!"

Long Yuan flew out and directly pierced the ground in front of Zheng Fan. The sword energy was restrained, but it could give people a direct sense of sharpness.

Long Yuan is very famous in the martial world. Young swordsmen nowadays are proud to have swords of the same style as Long Yuan.

To have the Sword Saint of Jin as a bodyguard,

In this world,

There is only one!

Gao Zhunpang immediately knelt on one knee and saluted:

"This general greets the Marquis of Pingxi, may Your Excellency be blessed!"

And Lu Daniu, who was kneeling earlier, struggled to get up and changed his kneeling posture.

"This marquis will continue what I said earlier. Since we have a destiny, let's make a good connection. Are you two willing to work for this marquis?"

"I am willing to die for the Marquis!"

"I am willing to die for the Marquis!"

"Then that's settled. Someone will come to you in a while and give you some assignments."

"Thank you for your promotion, Marquis!" Gao Zhunpang immediately thanked him.

Marquis Zheng nodded,

And sighed,

This scene,

Suddenly made him feel a little dazed, a familiar and unfamiliar feeling.

Because back then,

He himself had knelt before Marquis Jingnan, expressing his loyalty, hoping to get Old Tian's support.

Alas,

Time.

Marquis Zheng sighed.

At this time,

There was another commotion outside:

"Hey, didn't you say there weren't enough people? Didn't I call more people here? That won't do. Theirs is theirs, and we haven't been paid for this batch yet. I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving. Pay me, and I'll leave. We came all the way from the market and didn't get a deal, we can't go home empty-handed!

Hey, I say, don't bully people like that. I even brought my newly adopted godson here, a virgin boy who just came from Shengle City, how about it..."

"Hey, hey, don't push me, don't push me..."

Gao Zhunpang immediately pushed Lu Daniu, signaling him to quickly resolve the matter.

Earlier, everyone had eaten, drank, and celebrated their birthdays, and some people had clamored that the young men weren't good, so they wanted to call another batch, but how could they do that in front of the marquis after this happened?

Lu Daniu immediately got up and went out to take out silver to settle the matter. He had just grabbed a thick thigh and couldn't ruin his image.

Marquis Zheng didn't care. The wind in Jin is already boisterous.

"Alright, this marquis has to go, no need to see me off."

"Yes, Marquis."

Gao Zhunpang naturally wouldn't shout out the Marquis's presence here. He had to cherish his nobleman, his fortune in life.

He got up, pulled out Long Yuan, handed it to the Sword Saint, who took the sword and said:

"Interesting?"

Obviously, the Sword Saint thought this was quite meaningless.

"Hey, we work so hard and do so many interesting things, just so we can take the time to do some meaningless things, right?"

The Sword Saint didn't speak again.

Marquis Zheng continued: "You have to believe in fate. Every drink and every peck is destined. Who knows, we might use it in a few decades?"

"That's the saying that Qi refiners like. Do you believe in that?"

"So-so."

Zheng Fan and the others walked out. Lu Daniu helped to clear the way on the periphery.

At this time, the old madam who had just received the money saw Zheng Fan and the others walking out of the courtyard and immediately put on a smiling face. She knew when to act shamelessly and when to be amiable. The people walking out of here, their clothes and demeanor, especially the one in front, were definitely nobles.

The old madam subconsciously pushed her newly adopted godson, who had just been tidied up, in front of her,

As if pushing her goods,

And muttered in her heart:

Noble, take a look, noble, take a look.

The children of large families in Jin like this kind of thing, thinking it's a matter of elegance, and they love to spend money on it.

The corner of Marquis Zheng's eye also swept over here, and then, he paused.

Seeing Zheng Fan's gaze cast over, the old madam immediately showed a happy look.

And Gao Zhunpang and Lu Daniu standing behind him were secretly surprised to see this. It turned out that the Marquis of Pingxi liked this kind of thing in addition to married women?

Zheng Fan not only looked, but also walked straight over.

He pulled the boy from the old madam's hand,

"Hey, sir, this is my godson, a virgin boy, sir, this..."

"Shut up!"

"Buzz!"

Xu Chuang's knife was directly placed on the old madam's neck, and the old madam immediately quieted down.

Zheng Fan reached out and touched the boy's face,

The boy stared blankly at Zheng Fan.

Then,

Zheng Fan also pulled back the boy's hair, which had been deliberately pulled up, and sure enough, he saw the traces of the ordination marks hidden under it.

This newly adopted godson in the old madam's mouth, this boy, was none other than the little monk Fan who he had seen in Xuehai Pass!

Two years ago, he had sent their master and apprentice to Xueyuan to preach, with remarkable results. A year ago, because of the prophecy brought by Hu Bamei, which vaguely referred to the far west of Xueyuan, he sent someone to send them a message, asking them to explore that side and see if they could find anything.

The follow-up of this matter was handled by the Blind Man, so Zheng Fan had long forgotten, but it was obvious that something must have happened to this master and apprentice.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why this little monk was not in Xueyuan, not in Xuehai Pass, not in Fengxin City, but mysteriously appeared here and became a godson adopted by an old madam!

Marquis Zheng squatted down and looked into the little monk Fan's eyes. His eyes were still a little dull, like a puppet.

"Fan, where's your master? What happened to you in Xueyuan? What... did you find?"

Something must have happened in Xueyuan. The old madam had also said that Fan had been brought in from Shengle City.

"In" here means importing.

There, there is a road through the Tianduan Mountains to Xueyuan.

There, the slave trade is still a pillar industry, and it was the foundation he laid when he was the General of Shengle.

But why did Fan return to Jin from there instead of going through Xuehai Pass?

When their master and apprentice were traveling in Xueyuan, they must have had followers around them.

"Master... Xueyuan... Xueyuan... Master..."

These few words seemed to stimulate the little monk Fan.

The little monk's eyes slowly focused at this time, looking at Zheng Fan. He should be thinking, recalling;

Then,

His body trembled, as if he had thought of something terrible, his expression began to twist extremely painfully,

He opened his mouth and screamed:

"Ahhhhh!!!!!"