Chapter 4, The Fire of a Thousand Gates

It is rumored that towards the end of the Sui Dynasty, a strange person appeared in the rivers and lakes, defeating all with a single move known as the Black Tiger Prowling Heart. At that time, even the leader of the thieves, Shan Xiongxin, was injured by this individual. Later, the Fire General of the Thousand Gates challenged him to a duel, using a move called the White Crane Spreads Its Wings, which decisively defeated the Black Tiger Prowling Heart. After the battle, the Fire General of the Thousand Gates remarked: "With the emergence of the White Fist, there is no martial artist in the world!"

In the segment of "Water Margin" concerning the clever heist of the birthday tribute, it is merely the trickery set up by the Eight Generals of the Thousand Doors. However, the authentic techniques of the Thousand Doors have already been lost. Among the Eight Generals, apart from Wu Yong and Bai Sheng, the others have not learned the genuine skills of the Thousand Doors and Eight Generals.

"Awei! Get out of the way. Do you really think you can fight with them?" The person disguised as a waiter stepped into the crowd and pulled the eager-to-fight Brother Wei aside, softly scolding him.

White Fist is a signature skill of the Qianmen Fire Generals, said to have been passed down by the ancestral figure Fuxi. Anyone who has read martial arts novels should be familiar with such techniques as "Black Tiger Prowling Heart." How can one counter this move? Of course, it is "White Crane Spreading Wings," which is well known to all. There is also a historical anecdote behind this, which is widely circulated in the orthodox martial arts community.

As he touched the corner of his mouth, Hualiang revealed an eager smile

Before Gao Yang could respond, Shi Yao interjected, saying: "On Mount Penglai, the eight incense sticks, each one longer than the handsome flag, in the wild and desolate mountains, a single tree is unworthy to be compared in length before the incense!"

The man named Wei laughed and said: "Alright! Alright! What do you want to bet on, and how much per round? I, Wei, will match it all!"

Gao Yang had always acted with a carefree demeanor, but his head full of white hair was indeed eye-catching. At this moment, as he was crossing into a different field of work, it was a time for discretion. Thus, he wore a hat. However, upon seeing Shi Yao, who had also changed to a head of white hair to accompany him, Gao Yang felt it unnecessary to conceal himself further. Therefore, when he went downstairs, he did not wear the hat.

Wei Ge pinched his nose and took a deep breath, then said, "Well, I won't hold back!" As he spoke, he bent down to strike the cue ball, but after positioning himself to aim, he realized that the cue ball he had just placed beside him had vanished.

The Thousand Doors have always been the most mysterious profession in the Jianghu, thus being synonymous with the most enigmatic Penglai among the mountains. The meaning of '施妖' is quite evident. Simply put, it means that your status does not qualify you to inquire about us

Gao Yang saw that the person was standing there in a daze, unsure of what to do, and smiled as he said: "Mountains connect with mountains, all are lands of rivers and lakes, indistinguishable between seeking knowledge and leisure!" After saying this, he stood up first and turned to leave.

Hearing Shi Yao's helpless curse in the room, the two exchanged a smile.

The legend is indeed true: "Deer skin wrapped in snow does not melt, tears frozen in fire do not dissolve." Hualiang took the bundle of deer skin from Gaoyang's hands and gently unfolded it on the coffee table

At that moment, Shi Yao glared with fury as she walked out of the room and said to the two, "No one is allowed to drink!"

When Gaoyang entered the room, he had already noticed this person. After hearing Shiyao's reminder, Gaoyang said softly, "Let's wait a moment and see if they intend to clarify things face to face." After saying this, he pulled Shiyao to an empty table inside, took out two guns from the gun cabinet, and began to play with them.

Gao Yang and Shi Yao showed no concern for the gazes of those around them, engrossed in playing and chatting. Just as Shi Yao served, he executed a beautiful break shot. The waiter had just taken out the box of balls from under the table and had not yet set it down when suddenly a hand blocked him.

Upon returning to the room, Shi Yao saw the two of them opening the ice and - map - book box to drink, and could not help but feel angry, saying: "What are you doing? Is it customary to start off with a fight?"

Shi Yao cast a fierce glance at the person and then quickly got up to follow. The short-haired young man who remained did not move; he lazily tapped the table and said, "I don't like to drag these things out. Just tell your leader that the Eight Generals of the Thousand Gates never act in secrecy. If we had any intentions towards your Thieves' Gate, we would have already sent word. It wouldn't be done quietly like this." After saying this, he also turned and left.

The four individuals arrived at a nearby lounge, and after finding a secluded spot to settle down, one of them spoke first: "On the front row of the Kunlun Mountains, one can easily reach out to touch the great banner. Friends from other mountains come to pay a visit. May I ask if you are here to seek advice or for leisure?"

Gao Yang nodded, then went to the cabinet to take out his backpack. When he pulled out a bundle of deer hide balls from the backpack, Hua Liang couldn't wait any longer and rushed forward.

Hua Liang, after listening, hurriedly presented the snowball to Gao Yang with a smiling face: "Open it, open it, I want a share!"

Mo Xiaoqi was taken aback when he heard Shi Yao mention Penglai Mountain. After listening to the words of the short-haired young man, he became even more certain that these individuals were undoubtedly from the Qianmen sect

Gao Yang nodded, then took a few steps forward, patted his shoulder, and whispered in his ear: "We'll talk later; it seems the Thieves' Guild has something to discuss with us"

These two individuals not only have striking appearances but also possess considerable skills in billiards. In this type of small-scale national standard billiards, it is generally a one-shot clearance, and in no time, they attracted a large crowd of onlookers

Gao Yang shook his head and then said helplessly: "You just need to know that there is only this one cup to drink!"

Damn it! Are you losing your patience? Wei Ge feels that in such a situation with many people watching, it is very embarrassing for him, so he picks up the cue and is ready to strike

Seeing Gaoyang smiling silently beside him, Shiyao felt no reservations and said with a laugh: "Alright! But what's the point of finishing it? Why don't we bet on something instead!"

"You should be a bit more polite!" The sudden voice from behind startled Wei Ge. He stood up and turned around to see that the cue ball he had just placed on the table was now in the hands of a person wearing a pure white shirt, adorned with a flame emblem on the shoulder. The person's short hair, about the length of a thumb, stood upright, giving a refreshing first impression. However, the tone in which he spoke was filled with a sense of laziness.

Shi Yao laughed and said: "Winning money is so vulgar; why not bet on stripping instead? For each round lost, one piece of clothing will be removed, until completely bare. If the loser still refuses to accept it, we can continue; if they lose again, we will peel off their skin!"

Certainly, the "Black Tiger Steals Heart" and "White Crane Spreads Wings" mentioned here are definitely not as straightforward as we might intuitively imagine, simply striking at the heart or pushing outward with one or both hands.

The person did not expect that the sorceress would say such a thing. After a moment of surprise, he replied, "Sister, you have some spirit. It seems you are also a person of the rivers and lakes. Alright, Brother Wei will play a few rounds with you!" With that, he removed the ball box and set up the billiard table.

That person laughed and said, "With him, there is no way he qualifies to play ball with the demon girl." After saying this, he looked at Gaoyang and asked, "Is the matter with Seventh Master resolved?"

The waiter was taken aback for a moment, then turned around and immediately smiled, saying: "Hello, Brother Wei!"

Hualiang let out a sigh after putting down the empty wine bottle and said, "What does the little girl know? Go buy some wine for the brothers. This foreign wine is really terrible!"

This person speaks the language of the rivers and lakes, which is a form of coded communication used between practitioners of the ancient rivers and lakes and those involved in the arts of divination. In ancient times, the professions within the rivers and lakes were often associated with specific mountain names. We frequently hear phrases like "paying homage to the mountain" that have originated from this context. The thieves' sect has always regarded itself as the ancestor of all mountains, identifying with Kunlun.

Hua Liang suddenly opened his eyes in shock and exclaimed, "Liu Qi is dead?"

The Fire General in the Qianmen Eight Generals is specifically responsible for combat. Liu Tang, the Red-Haired Ghost of Liangshan Marsh, is the Fire General of Qianmen. However, during the Northern Song Dynasty, the transmission of Qianmen was temporarily interrupted. Although Liu Tang held the title of Fire General of Qianmen, he did not learn the true skills of the Qianmen Fire General.

When the two arrived at the billiard hall on the basement level, the strange hair color immediately attracted countless gazes. This was an auxiliary facility of the hotel, so it was somewhat inferior to the amenities of a proper entertainment venue. Shi Yao frowned upon noticing that there were no private rooms available. Just as she was about to pull Gao Yang out to find a more legitimate billiard hall, she suddenly saw the person who had just disguised as a waiter from the Thief's Door sitting on a nearby resting chair.

Hurry and bring it to me to taste. You must have gotten this wine from Liu Qi!

"Drunken fool, why are you meddling in others' affairs?" Shi Yao glared at the newcomer, expressing her displeasure.

Gao Yang said with a bitter smile: "Who is competing with you? I won't help you open it? Can you do it yourself? If you waste the fine wine with your clumsy hands, don't blame me!"

Gao Yang was taken aback by Shi Yao's words, then smiled wryly and said, "Don't worry, I won't just disappear randomly anymore." This statement was ambiguous, neither confirming nor denying his absence, and Shi Yao understood his predicament. As long as he said he wouldn't go missing without reason, that was enough for her. She then stood up and said, "Let's go play billiards."

A sudden coolness instantly permeated the entire room. It turned out that the deer skin bag and the books were wrapped around a large snowball

What this person means by speaking is, "I am considered a prominent figure in the underworld, so the head of the family sent me to inquire. What are you here for?"

Upon hearing this, Hualiang immediately held the snowball in his arms and said, "You must have drunk a lot, so don't try to take it from me!"

Mo Xiaoqi gazed at the three figures, softly murmuring: "Qianmen? Shàng Bā Jiàng?" After repeating it twice, a flame pattern on the shoulder of the short-haired young man's shirt suddenly flashed in his mind. Mo Xiaoqi couldn't help but gasp in shock: "Qianmen Fire General!"

Hualiang was a childhood companion of Gaoyang and has also acquired the authentic skills of the Qianmen school, having reached the pinnacle of mastery in the White Fist technique

The person blocking the waiter was a man around thirty years old. He ignored the waiter's greeting, pulled over the ball box with one hand, and then pressed it onto the table while looking at Shi Yao and said, "Sister, you play quite well. How about playing a few rounds with your brother?"

Gao Yang smiled and said: "Having three cups every day is no longer possible; this recipe will likely be lost to time in the future"

The demon ignored the two people and continued to talk about drinking, so he angrily slammed the door and returned to his room. "Drink yourselves to death! Hmph!"

Brother! Look!

At that moment, the fake waiter approached respectfully and said: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, this is not a place for conversation; let us find another place to discuss!"

Gao Yang also downed a bottle in one go, and after a light cough, said: "I got you a small bottle of 'blood pressure'; I'll bring it over for you to try later"

"You take the kick!" Shi Yao walked over and stood beside Gao Yang as he spoke

It is said that Tan Sitong was sent off with three cups of 'blood pressure' wine at the moment of his death. If I could drink such exquisite wine every day, I would willingly face execution myself, Hua Liang said, pressing his hand on the snowball, closing his eyes, and speaking in a state of intoxication