Chapter 8: There are always seniors to guide you in every endeavor
The Grand Steward tightened the reins with his right hand to steady his mount, while his left hand lifted to adjust his hat. His expression showed only surprise, yet there was not a trace of panic, not resembling fear at all. Nian Shansong exerted force at his waist, heavily sinking down. The mount, unable to bear it, immediately became docile, its front hooves lowered as it stepped back a few paces, snorting several times before finally standing firm
Nian Shansong pointed at Ma Siyuan and said: "Who are you? What audacity you have to dare to attack our family in broad daylight, do you not fear the law?"
The four little eunuchs lying on the ground let out a long sigh and all exclaimed, "Thank you for your heroic assistance!" They then began to curse the group of masked bandits, wondering where these scoundrels had come from, daring to attack the palace attendants as if they were tired of living. Caught up in their anger, they also started to berate the city patrol officers, questioning how they could be so incompetent as to allow bandits to commit crimes in broad daylight within the capital. Upon returning to the palace, they were determined to report this to the Emperor and deal with these good-for-nothing officials who were being paid by the imperial treasury yet failing to do their jobs.
Although the ruffians had the upper hand, they were nonetheless unable to bring Nian Shansong down. When Li Le rushed out, it was clear that this favor could not be reciprocated in a significant way, and Nian Shansong would not necessarily be very grateful to Li Le. However, given the current situation, they had to grit their teeth and see the performance through to the end
Ma Siyuan felt a tightness in his heart, but at this point, the brick had already been thrown; whether to fight or not, they had to engage. He exchanged glances with the others, and the ruffians immediately dispersed to confront the four young eunuchs, leaving only Ma Siyuan and the other two leaders to deal with Nian Shansong
He was lost in his thoughts, yet he said, "The elder misunderstood; I did not impersonate Yu Wen Muzhou, I truly am myself!"
Nian Shansong let out a snort, and he immediately exposed Li Le's "clever scheme." However, he was not angry at being mocked; instead, a faint smile appeared on his face. Seeing that Li Le was still stubborn at that moment, he even felt a sense of appreciation. The look in his eyes had a hint of viewing a "rising star." He said, "Young man, do you know who I am, and do you know what I did before entering the palace?"
The ruffians rarely engage in prolonged fights; victory is often determined within just a few moves. It is true that Ma Siyuan and the other two leaders suffered losses, but the remaining ruffians had the upper hand. Only Nian Shansong possessed any martial skills, while the other four young eunuchs were defenseless. In no time, they were dragged off their horses and subjected to a brutal beating on the ground.
This grand eunuch clearly possesses martial arts skills
Hearing the cries of the young eunuchs, Nianshan Song's expression changed. He swung his whip in a large arc in the air, forcing back Ma Siyuan and the others. He dismounted from his horse, tossed aside the whip, and stood with his feet slightly apart. In a somewhat sharp voice, he said: "Heroes, we have no grievances in the past and no enmity in the present. I do not know who has instigated you to attack my family. I will not hold it against you, but retreat quickly, otherwise, I will show no mercy!"
Li Le kept muttering to himself: "Old horse, old horse, you have worked hard, give it your all! As long as you bring this person down, I will act immediately, without any delay!" He was anxious in his heart, yet could not go up to help.
The young eunuchs were crying and wailing, some stubbornly threatening, while those more pliable had already begun to plead for mercy from the bandits
Li Le was immediately amused. He had just been pondering how to address this matter, but unexpectedly, Nianshan Song inquired on his own, which saved him a great deal of trouble. He said, "I am the eldest grandson of Duke Xu, Yu Wenmu of the state of Xu. Yu Wencheng is my younger brother! Your Excellency, this place is not far from my home. I did not expect this incident to cause you such alarm and distress. How about I accompany you..." He was articulate, having thought about this statement for quite some time, so when he spoke, it came out fluently.
The ruffians were taken aback when they saw the eunuch reveal his hand. They realized that this high-ranking eunuch was not skilled in horsemanship; otherwise, he would have been able to evade the brick thrown at him by riding away. After dismounting, he did not calm the chestnut horse using the reins and his legs, but instead forcefully subdued the horse into submission.
Li Lefei rushed forward and swung his fist at a thug. The thug did not dodge or evade, instead spreading his arms wide, resembling a sumo wrestler, seemingly attempting to tackle Li Le. With his arms extended, his chest was left wide open, and Li Le struck him squarely in the chest. The thug let out a loud cry, as if he had sustained a severe internal injury, flailing his arms and retreating repeatedly, losing his balance and sitting down abruptly on the ground
This street is rather desolate, with few pedestrians. Suddenly, a fight breaks out, or rather, a group of masked bandits is "doing business." The common people, fearing for their safety, quickly flee and hide at a distance to watch, with no one daring to approach.
Ma Siyuan was overjoyed, thinking to himself that this time he would surely make you fall flat on your face! Just as he was about to rush forward, he noticed that Nian Shansong had not fallen off his horse!
In the alley, Li Le took a deep breath, realizing it was almost time and that he could not delay any longer; if he did, the city patrol would arrive. Slowly exhaling the stagnant air from his chest, he shouted, "Who dares to be a bandit in my territory of Yuwen Muzhou? This is unacceptable! Come, come, let me show you the power of the Yuwen family's eldest grandson's fist!" Amidst the shouts and curses, he charged out of the alley!
Li Le almost fell to the ground after hearing this. No wonder they weren't fooled; after all this time, I have encountered a senior!
The remaining ruffians, sensing the situation was dire, abandoned the little Tai and rushed forward together, surrounding Nian Shansong and launching a fierce assault on him. It is true that Nian Shansong possesses martial skills, but he has not yet reached the level where one person can defeat more than ten strong men. As the saying goes, two fists cannot contend with four hands; a brave man cannot withstand the numbers, and even a fierce tiger cannot bite down on a pack of wolves. In the blink of an eye, the fight escalated into a brawl, leaving Nian Shansong with only the ability to defend himself, unable to retaliate.
Nianshan Song stood there, panting as he looked at Li Le, yet he did not utter any words of thanks. Li Le felt a slight sense of unease, but still took a step forward and cupped his hands in greeting, saying: "Esteemed elder, I wonder if the bandits harmed you during their attack? I am Yu Wen Muzhou, and I extend my respects to you here."
Although their movements were swift, they were still seen by Nian Shansong. Nian Shansong slightly frowned and gestured for Li Le to stop speaking. He said: "Young man, you dare to perform your tricks right under our roof; it seems you have quite a bit of courage! As for Yu Wen Muzhou, I do not know who he is, I have not heard of his name, nor have I had the fortune to meet this hero. However, since you are impersonating him, he must surely be a formidable character in the capital!"
Li Le was taken aback, stepping back in surprise, thinking: "Did we overact just now, and he saw through our flaws, or is the trick of saving a beauty already worn out since the Sui Dynasty? But this trick has been repeatedly validated in movies; no matter how clichéd, it still works! Whenever a beauty encounters this trick, her IQ immediately drops several points! But why did the one with the surname Nian not experience a drop in IQ? Could it be because he is a eunuch and not a beauty?"
Nian Shansong Dao: "I am originally from Cangzhou. When I was about your age, I relied on my skills to dominate the local area, becoming a notorious figure in the streets of Cangzhou! At that time, my close brothers and I often intimidated traveling merchants from other places, only to later come to their rescue, tricking them into giving us their gratitude! Hey, less with the *tu* and *shu* young man, I have used this trick countless times over the past twenty years!"
The situation had escalated to a point of no return. Even if one wished to retreat, it was already too late. Ma Siyuan's fierce and unruly temperament flared up as he charged forward, throwing a powerful punch aimed directly at Nian Shansong's nose. Nian Shansong sidestepped to avoid it, and immediately followed up with an elbow strike that hit Ma Siyuan squarely in the chest, causing the large thug to double over in pain. The other two leaders, witnessing this, shouted as they rushed in to join the fray. Nian Shansong showed no fear, countering with punches and kicks. Not only did he hold his ground, but he also managed to throw the three of them into disarray, eliciting cries of pain from them.
The remaining ruffians, upon witnessing this scene, all shouted in unison: "Isn't this the eldest son of the Yuwen family? The renowned hero of the capital, Yuwen Muzhou! Run, run! This person is invincible and courageous; we are no match for him!" As they shouted, they fled in a hurry, and in the blink of an eye, they had disappeared completely, leaving only a ground full of eunuchs
Little did anyone know that although Nianshan Song lived a life of comfort and privilege, he was not lacking in experience when it came to fighting. As Ma Siyuan charged at him, he wielded the riding whip in his hand, striking three swift blows. With two loud clatters, the iron ruler fell to the ground, and Ma Siyuan's hands turned red and swollen as he was knocked down. Immediately afterward, he cried out in pain, and the third lash struck his shoulder.
Li Le, who was watching from a distance in the alley, was utterly astonished. He had calculated everything but never anticipated that this eunuch would possess martial arts skills. Not only did he have such skills, but it also appeared that he was a master in combat, making Ma Siyuan no match for him at all
Ma Siyuan and others rushed forward without saying a word, directly engaging in a fight. They did not bring any suitable weapons, and there were hardly any wooden sticks, but in a brawl, weapons are always plentiful; as long as one is willing to bend down, there is no fear of lacking something to strike with
Li Le seized the opportunity with a swift move, launching a kick at Ma Siyuan! Ma Siyuan seemed as if he had been struck by a slow spell from another realm; as Li Le lifted his leg, his movements appeared to slow down. Consequently, the kick landed squarely on his shoulder! Ma Siyuan let out a cry that echoed through the heavens, his arm hanging limply, resembling a dislocated joint
A brick flew in, striking the waist of the pine tree on the mountain; the chestnut horse, startled, let out a whinnying sound, raising its front hooves and rearing up!
The script does not follow Li Le's line of thought, and he has no choice but to brace himself and ask: "May I ask what your esteemed position was in the past?"
Li Le used three punches and two kicks to drive away a group of "ocean bandits," truly deserving of the title of formidable and heroic. The onlookers in the distance cheered in unison, applauding him loudly
Nian Shansong was taken aback, thinking to himself: "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, how could so many fierce and menacing figures suddenly appear beneath the feet of the emperor in the capital? Could they be bandits from outside?"
Ma Siyuan, however, remained silent. Grasping two short iron rulers in his hands, he advanced forward and swung the rulers to strike! Among the ruffians, his martial skills were considered the highest. In every brawl, he was the most formidable; claiming to take on ten opponents might be an exaggeration, but being able to take on three was no boast! According to Ma Siyuan's thinking, even if this eunuch had some skills, he was after all someone accustomed to a life of luxury and comfort, and his fighting experience was certainly not on par with his own. He should be able to bring him down!
Before he could finish speaking, two burly men came running down the street, panting heavily. They were the same two thugs who had fallen behind Nianshan Song earlier. Their intention was to scout Nianshan Song's whereabouts, but Li Le and the others took a shortcut and arrived ahead of them, rendering their efforts ineffective. Upon reaching the street corner and seeing that the deed was done, they immediately covered their faces with their sleeves and turned to slip into an alley.
Nian Shansong let out a sound, eased his breathing, and asked: "You just claimed to be the grandson of the Yuwen clan; may I ask if you are from the lineage of Duke Xu?"