Chapter 7: Encounter with Bandits

"Old Zuo, you are too polite; I shall not stand on ceremony then," Wang Lie laughed, noting that having a local native nearby would indeed be very convenient, as there were many things about ancient times that he was not very familiar with. Moreover, Zhao Xiaonian had also been responsible for taking care of Wang Lie when they were at Wuliang Mountain, so Wang Lie was naturally pleased to have such a familiar person by his side. Zuo Chaoqun was indeed a seasoned individual; with this move, he not only made a good sale but also indirectly supervised Wang Lie. Furthermore, Zhao Xiaonian had also been responsible for taking care of Wang Lie when they were at Wuliang Mountain, so Wang Lie was naturally pleased to have such a familiar person by his side. Zuo Chaoqun was indeed a seasoned individual; with this move, he not only made a good sale but also indirectly supervised Wang Lie.

"This doesn't seem appropriate; I will still address you as Brother Wang." Zhao Xiaonian hesitated for a moment, ultimately refraining from calling him by his name directly, as doing so at this moment would be somewhat disrespectful.

"Do as you wish." Wang Lie said helplessly

The combatants are vastly unequal in strength. One side consists of a group of masked individuals, approximately a dozen in number, all wearing red scarves over their faces and wielding large, thick-bladed knives. They have formed a circle around the other side, which comprises only four or five individuals who appear to be bodyguards. It is evident that the fight has been ongoing for some time, as the four or five bodyguards are already covered in wounds, with the most severely injured one barely able to stand.

"Yes, Master!" the young man replied respectfully

Thank you very much, Young Hero Wang! Zhao Xiaonian was quite happy as well; being with Wang Lie was much more comfortable than being with those fellow disciples. Wang Lie's attitude towards him was truly like that of a friend.

Wang Lie was unaware of Zhao Xiaonian's thoughts on the *Tu* book; he came from a future era where he believed in equality among all people. Concepts such as the world's number one expert or the leader of the world's largest gang held no significance for him. He was merely curious and felt no sense of reverence.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaonian has an optimistic personality and does not feel burdened at all. Instead, he diligently practices martial arts and works hard. Later, on one occasion, Wang Lie saw him being directed to do various tasks and, in a moment of inspiration, asked Zuo Chaoqun to bring him along as a guide.

Wang Lie looked over and indeed saw a stone tablet standing by the roadside, on which were inscribed the two large red characters "Xinyang"

Haha, we have finally arrived. I heard that Xinyang is the headquarters of the Beggar's Sect, but I wonder if the leader of the sect is here

"I can't believe it, it really is a robbery! I truly have the mouth of a crow," Wang Lie exclaimed upon witnessing the scene.

Zhao Xiaonian, however, wore a face full of bitterness, as it was indeed a troublesome matter; once one encounters such a situation, it becomes difficult to extricate oneself.

Without waiting for Zhao Xiaonian to say anything, Wang Lie had already charged forward with his long sword towards the bandits

"Little New Year, do you know the way to Shaolin?" Wang Lie, who appeared to be several years younger than Zhao Xiaonian, spoke to him in a tone befitting an elder. Zhao Xiaonian did not take offense, after all, he even referred to the head of their sect as Old Zuo.

Zhao Xiaonian wanted to stop him, but upon reflection, he realized he was unable to do so. Although one should not casually involve oneself in the bustling affairs of the martial world, he thought that his task was simply to follow Wang Lie, and thus he followed along.

You can rest assured, I am very reliable in handling matters said Wang Lie, patting his chest

Young Master Wang intends to travel around, and you will follow closely by his side to serve him. Whatever instructions Young Master Wang has, you must carry them out for me

At this moment, Zhao Xiaonian also looked over at him, clearly having heard it as well

Zhao Xiaonian! Having guaranteed to meet Wang Lie in an extraordinary manner, he called out loudly. A young man, around twenty years old, rode up from behind, performed a salute while on horseback, and called out, "Master!"

"Alright, Xiaonian, we will take the road to Xinyang," Wang Lie said to Zhao Xiaonian. "You lead the way, and when we arrive in Xinyang, I will treat you to a whole roasted lamb, haha—" Wang Lie patted the money pouch at his waist, which contained the travel expenses sponsored by Zuo Chaoqun.

Xiangyang and Xinyang, Xiangyang is the territory of Guo Jing, it seems to be rarely mentioned in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, whereas Xinyang appears to be the headquarters of the Beggar's Sect, which is definitely a place to visit. Wang Lie pondered for a moment

Let us go and take a look; in this desolate wilderness, could it be that someone is being robbed? Wang Lie's curiosity burned fiercely as he urged his horse towards the source of the sound

Indeed, the masked individuals from the book group have already discovered the two people. One of them, seemingly the leader, casually pointed, and four or five individuals broke away from the encirclement and rushed towards the two.

"Brother Wang, you go ahead, I will hold them off," Zhao Xiaonian swiftly drew his sword and stood in front of Wang Lie. He also felt a bit regretful that they had left their horses at the foot of the hill, as it might have allowed them a chance to escape. Now, seeing the speed of this group, it was evident that they would not have time to return to their horses.

There are still more than two months until the Wulin Conference, so there is still time. Zuo Chaoqun stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, "With so many of us, it would be quite inconvenient to travel leisurely. Moreover, arriving a bit earlier would allow us more time to communicate with other sects. Since Brother Wang has said so, let us split into two groups. You must remember the time; we must arrive at Shaolin Temple before the Wulin Conference begins"

On this day, the two rode horses for half a day. Just as Wang Lie was becoming somewhat impatient, Zhao Xiaonian pointed ahead with excitement and said, "In front is the boundary of Xinyang!"

"We will meet at the Shaolin Temple, Old Zuo!" Wang Lie said loudly, as he rode off on a separate path

"That's not right, there are sounds of fighting." Just as Wang Lie was about to speak, he heard several clashes of swords and blades nearby

"I have already said not to call me 'young hero'. What kind of young hero am I? That was just to fool your sect leader. You can call me Wang Lie and 'Tu Shu', or just A Lie will do," Wang Lie said, adding in his heart, "Actually, Old Wang is fine too; the Old Wang next door is quite famous."

In the past, when my late father was still alive, I once accompanied the family caravan to Kaifeng. Zhao Xiaonian replied, "We have just passed Jingzhou; to the north, we can go through Xiangyang, then to Nanyang, and further north we will arrive, or we can take the route through Xinyang and Luohe; the distances of the two routes are not significantly different."

"Old Zuo, this journey is too dull. How about this: you all go ahead, and I will wander around for a bit. Shall we meet at Shaolin Temple?" After traveling with the Wuliang Sword Sect for over ten days, Wang Lie could no longer endure it. Spending the whole day on the road was truly not in line with his desire for exploration.

The distance from Jingzhou to Xinyang is about four to five hundred li. As the two traveled, they would walk and stop intermittently. Whenever they encountered a city, Wang Lie would insist on stopping for the night, followed by eating, drinking, and leisurely wandering about. This journey lasted for more than ten days, and they did not encounter any significant troubles; rather, Wang Lie was increasingly adapting to the lifestyle of ancient times.

"Nonsense! In times of difficulty, we stand together. How could I, Wang Lie, abandon my friends and flee alone!" Wang Lie rebuked angrily. He was indeed not afraid; back in his university days, he had once subdued a thug with his bare hands. Although he had not yet mastered the One Yang Finger technique, he had acquired some internal strength. Dealing with two mere robbers was not a big deal.

The two had not walked far when they came over a small hill and saw a group of people fighting

Zhao Xiaonian was taken aback, "The Beggar's Sect is the largest sect in the world, and the leader of the Beggar's Sect is a figure of great stature that we cannot fathom." However, upon reflection, he thought that Wang Lie was a friend of Murong Longcheng, who was reputed to be the number one expert in the world. It seemed that the leader of the Beggar's Sect might not be too far off either. This Brother Wang indeed has a remarkable background, no wonder the sect leader has to handle him with caution.

Zhao Xiaonian hurriedly saluted Zuo Chaoqun and quickly followed Wang Lie. Speaking of Zhao Xiaonian, he is nominally a disciple of the Wuliang Sword Sect, but in reality, he is more like a servant. Zhao Xiaonian was originally the son of a merchant in Puer City; his family was not particularly wealthy, but their conditions were decent. Unfortunately, after his parents passed away, the family fell into decline. Zhao Xiaonian has loved martial arts since childhood and eventually found his way to the Wuliang Sword Sect. However, what he learned from those wandering martial artists was merely superficial skills. By the time he joined the Wuliang Sword Sect, he was already seventeen or eighteen years old, past the optimal age for martial arts training. Moreover, his talent was not outstanding, so Zuo Chaoqun naturally looked down on him. In the end, he did not manage to apprentice under a single master within the sect, and could only learn some rudimentary skills. Without any backing and with his skills being subpar, he naturally became a target for bullying, with all sorts of menial, dirty, and laborious tasks being pushed onto him.