Section 2
Tang Tingyu shook his head: "Of course not"
Tang Tingyu slightly altered: "Rebuilding the hegemony of the Eastern Sea King? Even Black Dragon Island has submitted?"
His interest in Tang Tingyu grew stronger as he scrutinized him and said, "Mr. Meishan has indeed never mentioned that he has such a young junior disciple; I suppose he was too embarrassed to say so. He is old enough to be your grandmaster."
The smile at the corner of Tang Tingyu's mouth gradually deepened: "The personnel arranged by the Xuanwang Mansion in the East China Sea will take half a year to transmit intelligence back to Xuancheng; however, the Gusu Zhao Mansion only requires three months. Our information cannot be more current or detailed than that of the Gusu Mansion, so exchanging information essentially means asking Brother Zhao to share with me the news from the past three months."
Tang Tingyu merely smiled, noncommittal in response to Zhao Peng's remarks that were difficult to engage with
Zhao Peng pondered for a moment, then looked at Tang Tingyu and said with a smile: "You wouldn't happen to be the next abbot of Taiyi Temple, would you? If that is the case, you will have to be called Little Tang Tianshi in the future"
Zhao Peng was taken aback once again. Huayangzi is the current abbot of the Taiyi Temple on Jiuhua Mountain, and has been conferred the title of Huayang Zhenren by the imperial court. The identity of Tang Tingyu seems rather peculiar. The Taiyi Temple rarely accepts lay disciples. However, upon further reflection, it is not surprising; the Tang family from Xiangzhong is indeed the lineage of the two generations of Tang Tianshi from the Taiyi Temple. The reason the Taiyi Temple has attained its current prestige and scale is largely due to the significant contributions of both generations of Tang Tianshi. It is only natural that they would accept disciples from the Tang family as lay disciples.
He slowly stood up, gazing at the vast, dimly lit eastern sea, silently vowing to make this group of pirates regret for a lifetime for offending the Zhao family of Suzhou
The current master of the Suzhou Zhao family is the young Zhao Peng, a refined young gentleman who, at the age of ten, set sail and became accustomed to the tumultuous waves of the sea. The people of Lin'an widely recount his various tales of wealth and skillful dealings, as well as his graceful demeanor. However, it is said that his widowed mother, Madam Jiang, is the true mastermind behind the scenes, strategizing from within the confines of her chamber and achieving victories from a distance. She is a more mysterious and powerful figure in the Zhao family than he is. During the battle in the East China Sea, it was Madam Jiang who orchestrated the operations behind the scenes for the Suzhou Zhao family, and their ultimate victory was largely due to her meticulous planning and assistance.
Tang Tingyu shook his head again
Tang Tingyu smiled without speaking, thereby tacitly acknowledging his conjecture
Zhao Peng remained silent for a moment before saying, "This is precisely what I am concerned about. The Iga ninjas are not merely a name without substance, yet they were defeated by Yunmeng. If that Lady Lin is capable of producing a disciple like Yunmeng, whose cultivation far exceeds her own, it is highly likely that she could also cultivate other disciples who are not far behind Yunmeng. Then we would be in serious trouble"
Zhao Peng was taken aback for a moment, then sighed, "Good, good, the skilled labor while the wise worry, which is why everyone has taken advantage of me. Young Master Tang San, please listen carefully. In fact, the latest news is quite simple: the daughter of the King of the East Sea, Yunmeng, has unified the various islands of the East Sea and is preparing to rebuild the hegemony of the East Sea King"
On the 7th day of the 10th month in the 6th year of the Xianchun era of Emperor Song Duzong, three merchant ships from the Baohe Silk Workshop set sail from Lin'an. They encountered pirates on the East China Sea, just two days' journey from Lin'an, resulting in the complete looting of their cargo, with 17 dead and 23 injured. Survivors reported that the three pirate ships flew the flag of "The Rising Sun over the Vast Sea," which was the very banner of the Donghai King, who had been eradicated in this region twelve years prior. This incident marks the largest robbery on the East China Sea since the death of the Donghai King.
Due to the peculiar poison that caused the death of Chief Su, Zhao Peng took precautions and personally went to Wuxi to invite Fang Meishan to go to sea together
Tang Tingyu fell silent for a moment, then said: "Brother Zhao, do you find it strange that Madam Lin was actually injured by Chief Steward Su? How could such a master possibly teach a disciple like Yunmeng?"
Zhao Peng was greatly surprised: "No way? I actually guessed this wrong? Wait a moment," he pondered for a while and said, "Could it be the Xuan Wang Mansion?"
In the spring of the following year, the fleet of Taizhou Taixiang Tea Company and Lin'an Yuanda Jewelry Company, returning from Nanyang laden with jewels and spices, was once again attacked. Survivors from Yuanda reported that the pirates intended to abduct the Prince of Champa who was on the same ship; however, the commanding ship issued orders to release the prince and returned a batch of jewels he carried as tribute. Subsequently, they sailed eastward, disappearing into the vast ocean.
Zhao Peng nodded and said: "Indeed. Since five years ago, Flying Fish Island has been engaged in battles and has already subdued the other islands, leaving only Black Dragon Island capable of resisting it. Five months ago, Black Dragon Island invited the Iga ninjas to assist in a decisive battle against Flying Fish Island; however, the top expert of Iga Island, Linbin Junyan, was killed by Yunmeng, and the second expert, Yokochuan Mu, vanished after his defeat. After the Iga ninjas and Black Dragon Island suffered a great defeat, the entire East Sea has submitted to Flying Fish Island." He turned to Tang Tingyu and said: "For Flying Fish Island to rebuild the hegemony of the East Sea King, it must accomplish one thing: defeat the Jiangdong martial arts community, avenging the humiliation of the East Sea King being exterminated by them in the past, and ensure that the Jiangdong martial arts community can no longer venture into the East Sea. The Xuan Wang Mansion has more work to do."
Tang Tingyu said: "These are Yaocha and Yaonu. Yaocha has been with me for ten years, and Yaonu has been with me for five years; they have become my right and left arms. Therefore, this time I have brought them along as well." As he spoke, the two attendants had already donned their cloaks and stood back behind Tang Tingyu.
Tang Tingyu said lightly: "I can actually only be considered an outer disciple of the Sage of Medicine, as I have not formally apprenticed. My official master is the True Man Huayang of the Taiyi Temple."
Chief Steward Su has perished
Zhao Peng glared displeasedly at the graceful youth, who seemed untouched by the mundane world, reminiscent of the noble scions of the past. How could Fang Meishan send such an inexperienced disciple to dismiss the sincerity of his personal invitation?
Zhao Peng further inquired, "How could you have been sent to study under the renowned physician of Mount Lu?" He had some knowledge of the governor of Xiangyang, Tang Ziwen, who hailed from the scholarly Tang family of Xiangzhong. The Tang family had a long-standing tradition of literary pursuits; how could they have sent Tang Tingyu to study medicine?
The two individuals removed their cloaks and stepped forward to pay their respects. Zhao Peng looked at them with some astonishment. These two servants did not appear to be Han people; one was stout, with a fierce countenance and strikingly curly red hair; the other was a boy with tousled blond hair, whose facial features were overly compact and narrow, making him quite uncomfortable to behold at first glance
Zhao Peng was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter. The youth's subtle brilliance was perfectly to his liking. He stood up and said, "I am honored, I am honored. Please, have a seat." He then immediately ordered the ship to set sail.
The Zhao family's fleet was imposing, well-equipped, and the sailors were well-trained. Even during the peak of the Eastern Sea King's reign, one would not dare to be complacent. Since the death of the Eastern Sea King, no one had dared to provoke the tiger's whiskers, and thus the ship that had become isolated due to sail repairs was somewhat careless. However, it was soon surrounded by three pirate ships, just half a day's journey from the fleet. The ship was under the command of Steward Su, an old servant brought by Madam Jiang from her family, who was simultaneously firing distress rockets for help while leading the sailors in a desperate resistance. Zhao Peng ordered the fleet to anchor and stand by, and he himself led five ships back to provide support. Upon arrival, he found chaos everywhere, with casualties scattered across the scene.
Fang Meishan, a disciple of the revered Medical Sage of Lushan known as the Celestial Doctor Star, is recognized throughout the regions of Jiangnan and Jiangbei. It is said that his medical skills have nearly reached those of the Sage, earning him the title "Mr. Meishan". In the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, he is well-known to all. However, despite Fang Meishan's high medical skills, his temperament is indeed difficult to commend, and he carries himself with considerable arrogance. Therefore, before seeking his services, patients often need to think carefully and assess whether they can tolerate the many peculiarities of this gentleman before approaching him for treatment
This year, there were a total of seven robberies, resulting in severe losses. It seems that this group of pirates disdain to target small, low-profit vessels, instead choosing to attack large merchants like Yuanda. The more the victims resisted, the more brutal the pirates became. Only a ship from the Jinyun Silk Store in Taizhou suffered no casualties because it did not resist; the pirates left them with half of their goods and then set sail eastward. This year, even a solitary ship from the Zhao family in Suzhou fell victim.
They sat down by the ship's window, and the two attendants beside Tang Tingyu did not leave, standing behind him. Tang Tingyu said: "Go and meet Young Master Zhao."
Zhao Peng tapped his head: "I should have thought of this earlier. The banner of the East Sea King has reappeared. Who else, besides the Zhao family of Gusu, would be most concerned about this matter? Of course, it would be the Xuan Wang's residence! How about we exchange some information?"
Zhao Peng sighed and said: "Naturally, the Zhao family of Gusu is the first to bear the brunt. Do you know that the white-clad masked man who was injured by Chief Steward Su last time is actually the teacher of Yunmeng? She is referred to as Lady Lin in the East China Sea. After the death of the King of the East China Sea, the young male warriors of Feiyu Island are trained by the King’s only disciple, Gu Chuan, while the females are trained by Lady Lin, who can be considered half the island's master. Last time, Lady Lin was injured at the hands of Chief Steward Su, and given the East China Sea pirates' tradition of settling scores, I fear that Yunmeng will personally come to assassinate us this time."
Zhao Peng crouched down to examine Chief Su's wound. The sword of the masked figure was coated with a deadly poison. Was Chief Su unwilling to accept his fate because he did not fall due to inferior skills, but rather succumbed to the poisoned blade? Despite Zhao Peng's extensive experience, he was unable to identify the type of poison used.
The survivor said that among the pirates who came this time, there were several exceptionally skilled individuals. They joined forces to attack Chief Su, while the sailors were entangled with others and unable to come to his aid. Chief Su wielded a pair of Five Tiger Claws, tearing the throat of one assailant, injuring another's back, and kicking one into the sea, who never resurfaced. Suddenly, a figure in white robes and a mask floated out from the pirate ship, and a long sword, green and fragrant, eerily entered the fray, causing the remaining two to withdraw and allow him to face Chief Su alone. It seemed as if this person had a deep-seated grudge against Chief Su, wielding the sword with a strange and ruthless style, each move carrying the momentum of mutual destruction. Chief Su managed to tear the left shoulder blade of this person, but he himself was struck by a sword on his shoulder, causing his face to change color. After just a few more exchanges, he fell to the ground, convulsing. The masked figure leaned down and whispered a few words in his ear, but no one could hear.
Zhao Peng gazed at the astonished, contorted face and wide-open eyes of Chief Su, wondering what unbelievable secret he had heard that left him unable to close his eyes in death. Yet, he would never be able to reveal it.
Zhao Peng patted his chest, appearing to breathe a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, it is not like this; otherwise, my face would be too big, so big that I wouldn't even dare to believe it"
Although Fang Meishan is not easy to talk to, it is still necessary to give face to the Zhao family of Gusu. Moreover, Zhao Peng personally came to visit, bringing generous gifts and humble words, which made him feel that he could not possibly refuse to go.
Jiuhua Mountain's Taiyi Temple has long been revered as the North Star of the martial arts and Taoism in Jiangdong. Wherever the abbot of Taiyi Temple goes, it is as if he is welcoming nobility, which is why Zhao Peng expresses such sentiments.
Tang Tingyu pondered for a moment and asked, "Brother Zhao, do you think the primary rival for Feiyu Island will be the Gusu Zhao family or the Jiangdong Wulin?"
However, when the autumn wind began to rise, as the Zhao family's fleet set sail from Lin'an, Fang Meishan did not come as promised to pick up his servant. Instead, he brought along a young man who appeared to be just over twenty, accompanied by two attendants wrapped in cloaks, their heads and faces completely covered.
He immediately sat up straight, his expression serious, and said: "This time, it was actually the Taiyi Sect that sent you here, wasn't it?"
Zhao Peng pondered that the elderly servant must be the medicine fork, while the young boy was likely the medicine slave. He truly could not understand where Tang Tingyu had found such oddly featured servants; no wonder they had been cloaked all the way, unwilling to let anyone see them
The young man seemed to discern his thoughts and smiled slightly, saying: "I am a junior disciple of Master Meishan, my surname is Tang, my given name is Tingyu, and I am the third in line. My father is currently the governor of Xiangyang." The implication was that my status does not seem to disgrace you, does it