Chapter 4, The Peasant Man of Xujia Town
Why does this woman speak so arrogantly? It turns out that even the Iron-backed Flood Dragon recognizes who has arrived; it is none other than He Jiyue, the daughter of the leader of the Great River Phoenix Pool Sect
Having spoken, Xu Jie immediately rose again and leaped towards the Iron-Backed Flood Dragon, employing simple techniques, relying solely on powerful slashes, yet moving with a speed as swift as lightning
The Iron-backed Dragon was taken aback, calling out urgently: "Come quickly to save me, everyone, hurry up, hurry up."
Tonight, not only these men in their thirties and forties are sleepless; on the roads of the town, many young boys are running back and forth. Numerous individuals are also carrying knives and guns, some visiting each other's homes, calling friends, gathering to chat and laugh, while others are inside the ancestral hall, sharing a few sips of old wine with the elders.
As the crowd turned their heads to the east in response to the sound, none of the people on the ground seemed to have sustained any serious injuries. The pain subsided somewhat, and they all stood up, daring not to look at Xu Jie ahead of them, but instead averted their gazes towards the riverbank.
The individuals disembarking from the ship numbered around forty to fifty, all appearing robust and strong, with weapons in hand, including knives, guns, clubs, axes, halberds, hooks, and forks of various kinds
The gazes of the crowd were all drawn to the woman, the moonlight shining brightly, yet her face remained indistinct from afar, already captivated by her demeanor
Xu Zhongwen, upon hearing this, slowly walked forward a few steps with the aid of a cane, stopping only after reaching behind Xu Jie.
The Great Hua Empire faces threats from the Shuwen people in the north, and the Sushen tribes in the northeast who bring chaos from the jungles. To the southwest lies Tubo, and to the west are the Huigu. The Shuwen people are indeed the primary threat to the Great Hua Empire. After a major battle over a decade ago, both sides have since maintained peace, and minor skirmishes can hardly be considered significant.
But where is the time to react? One could only see the iron-backed dragon lying on the ground, still unable to rise. With another block, the weapon in hand was knocked away, and it could no longer withstand the young man's long sword
Yun Shuhuan nodded upon hearing this and slightly moved aside
The Iron-Backed Dragon felt a twinge of regret in his heart, regretting that he should not have spoken so boastfully in front of this young, impetuous lad. As he raised his weapon to defend himself, his steps had already begun to retreat, fully aware that he could not defeat this half-grown youth
Looking up again at that half-grown boy, he stood firmly in place and began to speak: "Iron-backed dragon, your strength is rather lacking; exert all your might and let the young master test his skills and strength."
The Iron-Backed Dragon has been traversing the rivers and lakes for over twenty years, and this is the first time encountering such a scene. In the world of rivers and lakes, face is paramount; only when conflicts of interest become unavoidable will one tear apart the facade. Thus, it is not always the case that one resorts to violence; rather, it is a mutual exchange of face. In this rich water lake and the great river waterways, the Iron-Backed Dragon is indeed facing such a situation for the first time, and the reputation of the Nanliu Sect seems to hold no value at all.
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. These individuals had traveled all the way from Fushui Lake, navigating over a hundred miles of waterways in search of someone. Only after receiving word did they head straight for Xujia Town. However, these ruffians from Fushui Lake would hardly regard the farmers of Xujia Town with any significance.
The Iron-backed Dragon suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, yet it turned back to take a glance. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, there was no room for hesitation. With a loud shout, it leaped a few steps forward, raising its long knife high and bringing it down in a swift slash.
Xu Jie’s words reflect his inner thoughts at this moment; this is indeed Xu Jie’s first genuine struggle with another person, and it is truly a notion of merely testing his skills.
The sound of metal clashing echoed, sparks flying in all directions
Looking again at the iron-backed dragon, it performed a backflip in the air, and after landing, it quickly retreated a few steps before finally coming to a stop.
Yet Xu Jie did not need to look to know who was standing in front of him, and he had already spoken: "Young Yun, let this young master have a try first."
The iron-backed dragon swaggered forward a few steps and opened its mouth to ask: "Who is in charge? Come out, you old man!"
The Iron-Backed Dragon was taken aback upon hearing this, as he never expected that the one speaking on behalf of the Xu family town was such a young lad. He was somewhat surprised, yet even more disdainful, and said: "I want the corpse, and I want the contraband. Hand them all over."
Everyone around laughed heartily, doubling over in amusement, and someone spoke up, saying: "Master, the people of Xu Family Town are merely trying to bolster their own courage."
Xu Jie stared in a daze at the people wailing on the ground, turning back to look at Xu Zhong, seemingly unable to believe that he possessed such combat prowess. In the past, when he fought with the townsfolk or even sparred with Yun Shuhuan, he had never achieved such an effect. It was truly an unexpected turn of events
Xu Jie indeed found this woman extremely beautiful, but while she was beautiful, her complexion was too cold, and she appeared somewhat too proud, so Xu Jie did not look at her for long.
In the late hours of the night, around eighty to ninety men in their thirties and forties were still awake, gathered in the ancestral hall with knives and guns in hand. Beside them were bottles of liquor and some side dishes, as they encircled several braziers, waiting for the arrival of guests this night
At this moment, a voice came from beside: "A ship is coming from the east!"
Xu Jia Town, with a history of over 200 years, is even older than the era of the Da Hua Dynasty by several decades. However, it is only in these past 200 years that Xu Jia Town has become the most united Xu Jia Town.
Listening to the Iron-backed Dragon mutter: "Damn it, for a matter of a few hundred taels of silver, this woman actually came in person."
"Young man, do not be so ignorant of your own limitations, or you will have no one to blame but yourself for the consequences." The words of the Iron-Backed Dragon were indeed a threat, and it was clear that the situation had become quite serious.
The person at the back continuously rowed vigorously, and the boat, moving upstream, swiftly approached the dock under the strength of just one individual
Although Xu Jie has recently practiced martial arts less frequently, he has trained for many years and possesses a solid foundation. He has also sparred with Xu Zhong and other men in the town on numerous occasions. Furthermore, with the changes in strength brought about by the so-called breathing techniques, Xu Jie is quite confident in himself.
Upon reaching the archway of the town, and arriving beneath the old tree, one could hear a burly man with a thick, curled beard bellowing loudly: "The Iron-Backed Flood Dragon of the South Mountain Gang is here, and the person in charge of the town should come out to speak."
Upon seeing the Iron-backed Dragon, he had already come to a halt, and the action of holding the knife with one hand immediately transformed into that of holding it with both hands, as if facing a formidable enemy
Having finished speaking, the iron-backed dragon had already drawn its sword, heading straight towards Xu Jie, intending to teach this clueless young man a lesson. In this remote and impoverished countryside, a few ungrateful rascals had indeed emerged.
The small boat approached the shore, and a figure in white leaped down, already a distance of more than two zhang. A cold voice came over: "I will take the items with me. If you want them, have the leader of the Nanliu Sect come to Fengchi Mountain to retrieve them."
Looking at Xu Jie again, he slowly drew out the long knife polished to a gleaming cold light by Yun Shuhuan, made a preliminary stance, and said: "Young master, let us exchange a few moves."
He Jiyue naturally could not hear this sentence, but Xu Jie, who was nearby, faintly heard it. He turned to look at the woman in white and thought to himself that this woman was likely not an ordinary person
The man with the long beard, who called himself the Iron-backed Dragon of the Book, looked at the farmers emerging from the town under the moonlight. To his surprise, each of them was holding knives and guns, and his expression changed slightly. However, he soon laughed again, glanced around at the people beside him, and said with a smile: "Brothers, take a look, is Xu Family Town trying to put on a show for us?"
Xu Zhong walked slowly with a crutch, thus falling behind the others. Xu Jie accompanied Xu Zhong as they went along, but he did not extend a hand to assist his disabled uncle. This was because Xu Zhong had never allowed anyone to support him while walking. Perhaps this was also a reflection of Xu Zhong's inner pride; even with only one leg, he did not want others to help him walk
As night deepens, Xujia Town is situated with mountains at its back and water in front, with only one way in and out. Two roads lead to the river in front of the town. The road heading east runs along the river, and a dozen miles away lies Qing Shan County in Da Jiang Prefecture
With a single strike, the Iron-Backed Dragon retreated several steps. Looking up, it saw the long blade in the air coming again. Frightened, the Iron-Backed Dragon quickly rolled on the ground, not caring about the dirt that got on its body.
Xu Jie, upon hearing the tone and words of this person, did not become angry. He merely replied expressionlessly, "The body will be brought here shortly for you to claim. As for the contraband, you will have to wait a bit; whether you can take it away depends on your own abilities."
Xu Jie took a few steps forward, approaching within four or five steps of the Iron-backed Flood Dragon, and then spoke: "If I ask you to wait a moment, you should wait. Once the people from Jiangjun arrive, the ownership of this creature will be for you to contest among yourselves."
As Xu Jie retracted his blade, he already heard a cry from the ground: "Young hero, spare my life, young hero, spare my life!"
Though the sound emanates from the mouth, it resonates with a buzzing tone, akin to that of a great bell, carrying far and echoing throughout the skies above Xujia Town
A man with a crutch walked out of the crowd, accompanied by a young boy of about half his size. The boy was naturally Xu Jie, who glanced at the iron-backed dragon not far in front of him, squinted slightly, and asked directly: "Do you want the corpse or the contraband?"
As Xu Jie kicked out his leg, the iron-backed dragon had already flown seven or eight steps away, and one could still hear Xu Jie exclaiming with satisfaction: "Young master, I spare you a dog's life"
What was originally a disaster, yet there was no atmosphere of impending calamity in Xujia Town at all
Xu Jie naturally does not understand what the Southern Willow School is, nor has he traversed the rivers and lakes. However, when it comes to great scholars and literary figures, Xu Jie can speak of them in detail. As for the sects of the rivers and lakes, Xu Jie is mostly at a loss.
At the bow of the ship stood a person, tall and slender, holding a long, thin sword in hand. As she approached, the crowd could see that the newcomer was a woman, her long hair flowing, standing proudly with her head held high.
The Iron-Backed Dragon, realizing that he was no match for the young man, naturally refrained from stepping forward to seek his own suffering after sheathing his sword. Therefore, he stood up and said: "Young man, although our Nanshan Gang is merely a smuggling gang operating on Fushui Lake, behind our Nanshan Gang stands the Nanliu Sect. You may want to consider whether you can bear the consequences of this!"
The road leading west follows the river and leads to the Fushui Great Lake, which is located beside Fushui County of Fushui Prefecture, approximately a hundred miles away
As soon as the ship docked at the pier, someone exclaimed, "What a beautiful woman!"
Under the Great Hua Dynasty, there are twenty-three provinces, with one hundred and nineteen prefectures beneath them, totaling one thousand two hundred and fifty-five counties. The territory extends from the eastern coastline to the Yumen Pass in the west, and from the lower reaches of the Yan and Yun Great Wall to the southern regions of Guangxi and Yunnan. This constitutes the map of the Great Hua Empire. The Dajiang Prefecture is located at the southwestern edge of the Huainan West Road, with the Dajiang River flowing through it. Following the Dajiang River downstream leads directly to the Jiangnan region. Heading north, one can reach the capital city of the Great Hua Dynasty, Bianzhou. It cannot be considered an exceptionally prosperous area, but it is not deemed barren either. The Dajiang Prefecture is located at the southwestern edge of the Huainan West Road, with the Dajiang River flowing through it. Following the Dajiang River downstream leads directly to the Jiangnan region. Heading north, one can reach the capital city of the Great Hua Dynasty, Bianzhou. It cannot be considered an exceptionally prosperous area, but it is not deemed barren either
Until the crescent moon slowly moved eastward, the river surface reflecting the bright and pure moonlight finally welcomed three sizable boats, which gradually approached the small dock
At that moment, a figure leaped up and, in the blink of an eye, jumped to the front, standing in front of Xu Jie, with a long knife in hand already gleaming with sharpness, ready to engage in battle with the iron-backed dragon.
Thus, Xu Jie turned to look at Xu Zhong, and seeing that Xu Zhong showed no sign of response, he turned back and said: "Regardless of which faction you belong to, on the territory of Xu Family Town, you must abide by the rules of Xu Family Town. Just wait!"
Upon understanding the words of the Iron-Backed Dragon, his expression turned furious, and he scolded, "You brat, it seems you are tired of living!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Jie took a few steps forward with his knife in hand and exclaimed: "Then let us fight again! Let us see today who is seeking their own demise!"
Xu Jie truly had not contemplated the act of murder. Looking around at the individuals approaching from all sides, they had already fallen to the ground one after another, wailing incessantly as Xu Jie moved with agility.
In the world of martial arts, this is mostly the case. Gangs and similar organizations work hard to earn money. However, they must also be protected by truly formidable sects, and the hard-earned money must be submitted for their support, ensuring that they maintain a genuine reputation in the martial arts community. The Nanliu Sect is clearly one of those powerful forces with a deep-rooted heritage in the world of martial arts
Xujia Town is considered the junction of Dajiang County and Fushui County; however, Xujia Town is under the jurisdiction of Qingshan County, which is part of Dajiang County
A small boat is sailing upstream against the current, and at this moment, the wind is not favorable as it comes from the east, so the small sail has been lowered. There are only two people on the boat, one in front and one behind, separated by a black canopy.
In the blink of an eye, the figure leaped a distance that left the Iron-Backed Flood Dragon astonished, its eyes wide with shock. Such a movement is beyond the capabilities of ordinary farmers; it is evident that this is the work of someone who has trained for many years.
Xu Jie had also long since activated, drawing his long knife and blocking in mid-air.
Upon hearing the phrase "Iron-Backed Dragon," all the men from the Xu family in the audience furrowed their brows, their expressions turning extremely grim. However, no one spoke up.
As for the remaining borders, there are no major battles, and minor skirmishes occur occasionally. From this perspective, the Great Huazhao can be considered a nation of peace and stability.
Most of the people in the ancestral hall also heard the sound, and then saw Xu Zhong raise his head to signal. The numerous men who had been drinking, joking, and chatting all stood up, taking their knives and guns as they headed towards the town entrance
The Ironback Dragon did not understand and waved the knife in his hand in the air, asking loudly: "Hurry up, I don't have the time to waste with you, quickly hand over everything to me."
The people on either side were momentarily taken aback by the words, yet a few of them still stepped forward with their knives to offer assistance
Xu Jie is clearly not afraid of these matters, but he knows that regardless of who it is, both parties must have a witness present. In this way, he can remain aloof and detached, allowing others to handle the matters of fighting or killing as they see fit
Xu Jie missed his second strike again, and seeing the Iron-backed Dragon rolling on the ground, he took a few steps forward and swung his blade to chop down.
The title "Jiao Long" is also a nickname commonly adopted by men who make a living in these waterways, and the addition of the words "Tie Bei" clearly indicates that this person likely possesses outstanding skills in martial arts. While there are many schools of martial arts in the world, practices such as the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt can be considered exceptional skills that are not lacking in quality.
Xu Jie was inside the ancestral hall, gathered around the brazier for warmth, accompanied by a group of boys around fifteen or sixteen years old. The tall and robust Xu Hu was naturally by his side, along with the clever-looking Xu Gou'er. There was also a delicate-looking man named Yun Shuhuan.