Chapter 8, striving to draw the strong bow and shoot the target

Qi Ren said: "Compared to the great hero Gong, he is somewhat inferior, but still quite remarkable. I do not understand much about swords, but Gong is known as the 'Sword God', so his swordsmanship must be extraordinary, unmatched in the world."

"Ge Ye, please do not be anxious," Guo Hanjie smiled and said to Qi Ren, "I do not know if you accept disciples, but I am willing to work like a cow or a horse, serving you for a lifetime." After saying this, he actually prepared to kneel and bow.

He spoke passionately, suddenly pulling open his collar to reveal a knife scar over a foot long on the left side of his neck. "In the fourth year of the Zhi Yuan era, I was only about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, young and impetuous, filled with hatred for Bo Yan's tyrannical rule. I once infiltrated the capital, intending to assassinate him. But this wound was inflicted by Tuo Tuo!"

"Good, " Qi Ren served him a large piece of horse meat, "First, have a piece of meat. The green sprouts were just stewed, and I was afraid they would get cold after the walk."

As the two gradually ascended the mountain path, Qi Ren inquired, "You just mentioned having passed through the Moon Gate and then encountered a master, but I do not know who it is?" Gong Bingfan replied, "It is 'Golden-Eyed Guan Suo' Xia Guojian. Have you heard of his name?"

Green Acacia reached out to take the meat and said to the Qi man: "Master Uncle, you accompany the great hero Gong for a drink, I will prepare the meat." "But, your health..." The Qi man expressed some concern. Green Acacia smiled sweetly and replied: "It’s nothing, I’m almost fully recovered—Little Tiger, go help your sister with the cooking."

The man from Qi laughed and said: "How would I know? Who is this noble son, or perhaps a relative of Bo Yan? Why would he want to save you?" Gong Bingfan smiled lightly and replied: "Indeed, he is the nephew of Bo Yan, the current Prime Minister—Tuo Tuo"

I had a brief encounter with him and was aware that this person was driven by greed. It was not surprising that he had joined the Bo Yan residence. At that time, I attempted to escape, and as soon as we met, I launched a lethal attack. He was forced to retreat repeatedly, yet he still blocked my way, and I could not get past him.

I know that in order to escape, I must cross the lotus pond. However, the pond is too small and the water is too shallow. Although I have some knowledge of swimming, if I were to jump in, there would be no chance of coming back up—they would immediately surround the lotus pond. What about walking on the floating leaves to cross the water? Yet, I do not possess such remarkable lightness of foot.

The man from Qi was not skilled in speech; upon hearing him praise himself, he did not know how to respond appropriately and could only ask, "Is it Leng Xieyu, or Leng Qian? Where is he now?" As he spoke, a sudden outburst of crying erupted from within the thatched cottage

"Mr. Iron Sword?" Han Bangdao said, "Gong Bingfan mentioned that he has heard of him, but alas, he has no chance to meet him. His swordsmanship was renowned as the best in Huai Dong over a decade ago, but he has lived in seclusion for many years, so the true extent of his skills is unknown."

Before I could comprehend the situation, he suddenly spread his hands apart and drew a long sword, as narrow as a willow leaf, from his fishing rod. With a swift motion, he thrust the sword into the throat of a guard

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In the midst of the fierce battle, I heard the guards of the Xiang residence refer to that fisherman as 'Mr. Mou'. Are there any skilled individuals with the surname 'Mou' in the martial world? I truly cannot recall. Although I am young, I have quite an extensive network of acquaintances. I speculate that this person may have come from the East China Sea or the South China Sea, as I have heard that many unnamed islands there are home to reclusive masters...

Sun Chaozong wanted to say something more, but was stopped by Li Zhongmian, who softly said: "The hero of the palace does not enjoy socializing, so let us not speak too much. Let us go." Sun Chaozong nodded dejectedly, and the two of them walked together towards the thatched cottage

"I called Xiao Hu to pick up the elder," Lǜ Ào replied from the kitchen, "At this hour, he should be back soon." Qǐ Rén complained, "He is still so young; what if something happens?" Lǜ Ào brought over a pot of braised horse meat and said, "He is quite familiar with that route; what could possibly happen? I am just worried that the elder, being older, might not be very agile on the mountain path, which is why I asked him to go—perhaps I should go take a look?"

The old master also laughed and said, "You two continue eating, I will go help a bit." He followed Green Acacia and Little Tiger to the kitchen. "This lady," Gong Bingfan asked, "is she your master's niece?"

The person from Qi asked: "Was that at the end of the year before last?" "Indeed," Gong Bingfan replied, "He came to my place in the twelfth month of the year before last, stayed for more than half a month, and we often practiced martial arts together, discussing matters related to you almost every day. After that, he headed south, saying he was going to travel in Jiangnan. Last August, I encountered him again in southern Shandong; he seemed to be going to Shanxi to visit friends. The matter of the 'Sword Saint' was something I heard him mention that day. Last August, I encountered him again in southern Shandong; he seemed to be going to Shanxi to visit friends. The matter of the 'Sword Saint' was something I heard him mention that day.

I asked him his name several times, but he refused to tell me. I questioned him, as a Han person, why he would serve the Tartars, and he merely smiled without answering. After battling through seventy moves, I had already grasped his peculiar techniques, making my attacks somewhat more effective. However, when I suddenly glanced sideways, I realized that I had been completely surrounded.

Another, slimmer guard had a solid foundation in lightness of body and quickly attempted to withdraw, but was caught by the fishing rod wielded by the man with the surname Mou, which snagged his nape and forcibly pulled him back. Then, with a sword strike from above to below, he met his end without shedding a drop of blood

This sword strike was both swift and fierce, and the guard fell without a sound. The other two guards, taken by surprise, had not yet managed to flee when he drew his sword like the wind, delivering another strike to seal the throat of the slightly heavier one.

Around the governor's residence, I had already surveyed the area during the day and found a way to retreat. At around the second watch of the night, I climbed over from the western courtyard and saw that below was a very large garden

Chen Qiren engaged in combat with Gong Bingfan, and with a single move, he forced him back. Relying on his dark iron kitchen knife, Qiren severed Gong Bingfan's treasured sword into two pieces. Instead of being angry, Gong Bingfan burst into hearty laughter. The onlookers were puzzled, not understanding the reason for his laughter, standing there in confusion. After his laughter subsided, Gong Bingfan's expression turned serious as he shouted: "This mere Lu Zhonglian has certainly made his mark. Is there anyone else who is not convinced and wishes to challenge? Step forward, step forward!"

Cautiously leaping onto an artificial hill, I surveyed the surroundings and discovered a small moon gate to the east, which I presumed led outside the garden, or perhaps directly into the inner residence of Boyan. Just as I was about to rush in that direction, I suddenly spotted a person.

Lu Yang asked, "Who is that person? With the great hero Gong, the 'Sword God', who would still dare to claim the title of 'Sword Saint'?" Gong Bingfan replied, "I have merely heard of such a person, who has gained considerable fame in Shanxi in recent years—there are mountains beyond mountains, and heavens beyond heavens. Since he dares to call himself 'Sword Saint', he must indeed possess extraordinary abilities. Brother Chen..."

The man from Qi nodded and asked Gong Bingfan, "You mentioned earlier that you had seen Leng Qian; how is he doing now?" Upon hearing him no longer refer to him as 'Hero Gong,' Gong Bingfan also refrained from modestly calling himself 'a mere individual' and replied with a smile, "You must have heard about the incident when he broke into the treasury to steal gold for a friend's urgent need. Coincidentally, that friend is also a close acquaintance of mine. Leng Qian lost his official position because of this matter and could no longer stay in the north, so he traveled south and once stayed at my place for a few days."

At that moment, my mind was in a state of confusion, and I unconsciously followed behind him. After passing a few houses, we arrived in front of a large guest room. The man with the surname Mou stepped forward to knock on the door: three light knocks, one heavy knock, followed by three more light knocks. The door creaked open, and a voice said: 'Hero Gong, please come in.'

Ah, yes," Qi Ren exclaimed, "If he perceives your intention, this move is merely a feint; what should we do then?" Gong Bingfan replied with a smile, "That is why I say this is a risky move. If his move is a feint, or if my center of gravity is unstable, I might tumble over or be thrown into the lotus pond. However, given the circumstances at that time, I had no choice but to take the risk. The young man was also quite bold. Looking back now, I can't help but feel a bit of fear.

The old master chuckled, "Master Chen, why worry about such trivial matters? They have left behind a few dead horses; I will send Xiao Hu to cut a few pounds of meat for you two to enjoy with your drinks." Xiao Hu, his eight-year-old grandson, upon hearing this, grabbed a curved knife and ran out with a grin.

Little Tiger chewed loudly while mumbling, "Grandpa went to Liu Mazi's place in the south to buy wine on credit..." "Buy wine on credit? Why?" Qi Ren asked in surprise. Little Tiger wiped his mouth and replied, "He said the village wine brewed here is not fit to entertain guests." With that, he bounced back into the kitchen.

Xia Guojian said, "That was the top swordsman from Hebei over a decade ago, but he has been missing for quite some time now." Gong Bingfan nodded and replied, "He was the one who went missing after our battle that time.

The man from Qi let out a sigh and said, "You've been discovered." Gong Bingfan tilted his head back, downed a cup of rice wine, and sighed, "Isn't that so? It was only after engaging with him that I realized his skills are on par with mine. At this moment, we were staring at each other, and he seemed to be a year or two younger than me, with a fair face and no beard, resembling a pampered noble son—who would have thought his skills were so formidable? His fishing hook can be used as a whip, a stick, a spear, a hook, or a chain hammer, each strike targeting my vital points. I had never seen such an unusual fighting style; I could hardly cope with just one sword.

This elderly gentleman is truly hospitable," Gong Bingfan inquired. Qi Ren, while serving him dishes, replied: "My wife and I are merely staying here temporarily. This elderly gentleman has a very kind heart, but unfortunately, his life has been extremely difficult. He lost his wife in middle age and his son in old age..." He briefly recounted the old man's misfortunes.

Gong Bingfan smiled and said, "That is merely friends in the martial world flattering me; in terms of swordsmanship, the Iron Crown True Man of Chaoyuan Temple is undoubtedly the best in this era..." Qi Ren interjected, "That is certainly the case." "As for others, Cheng Sutingtian from Sichuan and Lou Ying from Hanbei are also top-notch masters," Gong Bingfan continued, "My son Mengbi has made great progress in the past two years; in another four or five years, the title of 'Sword God' will likely be passed on to him."

The man from Qi was taken aback, and then immediately recalled, laughing, "Aren't you the ones who pursued Monk Peng Yingyu that day?" "Indeed, indeed," the other man quickly replied with a smile, "It was all a misunderstanding. Your skills are truly remarkable, and I, being ignorant, thought that you only had a swift blade back then, but today..." Before he could finish his sentence, he was pulled by another man with a dark face: "Let's go, what more is there to say."

"You? Your health has not yet fully recovered," Qi Ren pondered, "After such a long time, I hope nothing serious has truly happened..." Gong Bingfan replied with a smile, "Just right, I plan to take a few steps to walk off the wine. Let us go together to meet them and chat along the way"

After the two had eaten several pieces of braised pork, they walked out of the thatched cottage. Qi Ren looked at the garden, which had been ruined beyond recognition, and sighed, "This fellow, sigh, I will have to be busy for quite a while again—truly incomprehensible, why do people fight and kill each other when we are all human?"

After fighting for a while longer, I vaguely heard the sound of a gong being struck from the lumberjack's tower; it was already the third watch of the night. I knew that continuing to entangle myself with this person surnamed Mou would only lead to my own demise. In a state of helplessness, I resorted to a risky maneuver.

The Qi man said: "These three moves are indeed remarkable, yet with your abilities, how could you possibly be unable to counter them? If he were to strike with the first sword, you only need to..." Gong Bingfan smiled and replied: "That was over ten years ago. At that time, my swordsmanship was not even forty percent of what it is today."

The person from Qi hurriedly grabbed him, unsure of how to refuse, and could only smile and say, "Well, I have something to attend to, let's talk about it another day." Guo Hanjie anxiously replied, "You are often elusive; where will I find you in the future?"

"No, she is my master's niece by marriage," Qi Ren said while persuading him to drink. "In fact, his father is quite well-known as well, the 'Iron Sword Master' from Haozhou. Have you ever met the great hero of the palace?"

I only heard that person laugh and say: "The great hero of the palace indeed possesses remarkable skills, but to think of causing trouble under the feet of the emperor is somewhat immature." I thought to myself, oh no, it turns out I have already been noticed by someone, and even my name has been inquired about. But who is this person? I fought with him for four or five dozen exchanges, yet I still could not figure out that there was such a peculiar martial art in the Central Plains. He appeared to be a Han person, not someone who had endured the hardships of the borderlands.

"Alas, with treacherous ministers in power, the people are suffering!" Gong Bingfan sighed deeply, took a sip of wine, and said, "Tuo Tuo, that traitor, I regret not being able to personally execute him!" "Tuo Tuo?" Qi Ren asked, "Wasn't he once known as a 'virtuous minister'?" "'Virtuous minister'?" Gong Bingfan scoffed, "That was during the time when Wang Mang honored the worthy and respected the talented! That was fifteen years ago, and in these fifteen years, ha—"

Once everyone had left completely, Gong Bingfan approached *Tu* Shu and said: "Brother Chen, it is rare for us to meet today. I would like to invite you to a tavern at the foot of the mountain for a drink, to chat for a while. May I ask if you would honor me with your presence?"

This "treachery and usurpation of power" refers to Tuo Tuo and his uncle Bo Yan. After the palace's singing and explanation, it was stated, "Initially, Bo Yan ordered the complete extermination of the five surnames of Han people, namely Zhang, Wang, Liu, Li, and Zhao, as well as the southern people. After Tuo Tuo took office, he abolished this wicked decree. However, he introduced the issuance of paper currency, leading to skyrocketing prices, with 'a斗米斗珠' (a unit of measurement for rice and pearls). The number of people harmed by this is hardly less than that of your uncle's actions"

It was not until things became slightly easier that we realized we had already been surrounded by forty to fifty guards from the minister's residence, tightly packed to the point where not even a breeze could pass through. There was only a gap in the northeast corner, which led to the lotus pond

Gong Bingfan then bowed to the Qi person and said: "May I ask if you are the Chen Qi person from Henan, Brother Chen?" The Qi person, surprised, asked: "How does the great hero Gong know my name?" Gong Bingfan smiled and replied: "I have a slight acquaintance with Leng Xielv, and he has repeatedly praised Brother Chen's skills, which are rare in the world. Today, I am fortunate to meet you and can confirm that his words are indeed not false."

Gong Bingfan chuckled self-deprecatingly and continued, "I tiptoed over. From the perspective of the rockery, the lotus pond seemed right in front of me, but only upon walking down did I realize the winding path was quite peculiar. After much effort, I finally reached behind that person, just as I was about to seize him by the throat, suddenly that person burst into loud laughter, turned around, and the fishing hook flew straight towards my face"

The man with the surname Mou could no longer contain himself, letting out a long howl as he lunged towards me. He was still in mid-air, but the fishing hook had already reached my face. I swept my sword horizontally, and suddenly felt a heat in my left eye, catching sight of a red cloud rising in the southeast corner

I only just realized that the red cloud was actually the glow of fire from the back courtyard of the Xiang residence. How coincidental is this? Is it truly the heavens aiding me, or is there another expert secretly assisting me? Xia Guojian and a group of guards have already fled far away, and I am left to contend alone with that person surnamed Mou, having fought for over ten rounds without a clear victor.

Throughout the ages of war, it is the common people who suffer. Gong Bingfan nodded and said, "However, this cycle of killing and fighting, I believe, will not cease even after a hundred or a thousand years. When Song Taizu donned the yellow robe at Chenqiao Post, Chen Tuan, the old ancestor, applauded and exclaimed that the world was at peace—could the world truly be at peace? The Liao and Xia eye the north, while the Tang and Han are divided in the south, and still, wars break out incessantly. Has there ever been a day of true peace?"

At this moment, the distant clamor grew increasingly loud, and there were only three guards from the Xiangfu observing my fight with the man surnamed Mou. After exchanging blows for a while, I suddenly heard him shout, 'Hold on,' and one of them tumbled out of the ring.

In this manner, to attempt to assassinate Boyan is nothing but a delusion. Just this trail of water can lead the enemy here. At this moment, the guards have encircled from the west, and I had no choice but to flee to the east. Who would have thought that as soon as I stepped out of the moon gate, I encountered another master...

The man from Qi laughed and said: "The son inherits the father's business, and the student surpasses the master; this is indeed a cause for celebration." Gong Bingfan waved his hand and laughed, saying: "This is self-praise and self-admiration, which might make Brother Chen laugh—do you know of a person named 'Sword Saint' Lu Yang, Brother Chen?"

As he spoke, he reached out to lift the wine jar, but after pouring for a while, he had barely filled half a cup. "Oh," Qi Ren turned his head and called out, "Xiao Hu, has your grandfather returned with the wine on credit?"

The man from Qi lowered his head and thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "This is unavoidable; in order to save his life, he had no choice but to sacrifice his left hand. To be able to think of this in such a hurried moment is quite remarkable." Gong Bingfan shook his head and said: "How could he be willing to sacrifice his left hand? His hand was actually covered with steel armor. At that moment, with a 'clang,' he managed to deflect my sword. I quickly changed my move to 'Poisonous Dragon Fetching Water' and made a three to four-inch cut on his leg. His hand was actually covered with steel armor. At that moment, with a 'clang,' he managed to deflect my sword. I quickly changed my move to 'Poisonous Dragon Fetching Water' and made a three to four-inch cut on his leg.

I allowed him to force me to the edge of the lotus pond. With a few quick strikes, I separated the fishing line and rushed into the circle. He could only respond with his fishing rod. Taking advantage of his horizontal sweep, I flicked my sword at the tip of the rod, using a gentle force to soar towards the opposite bank of the lotus pond

The person from Qi truly had no intention of entangling with him, but seeing that this individual was simple and unrefined, he found it quite agreeable to his taste. He felt somewhat embarrassed to refuse outright, so he could only casually say: "Well then, let’s meet a month later, at..." He turned to glance at Lu Ao, "at Han Family Village, east of Haozhou City."

"How wide is the lotus pond? Can we leap across it?" Qi Ren inquired. Gong Bingfan dipped his index finger into the wine and drew a line on the wooden table: "The lotus pond is crescent-shaped. I am on the west bank, and the distance to the east bank is at least seven or eight zhang. On a usual day, I can muster my energy to leap only about three or four zhang. However, with a little momentum, I could fly out five or six zhang. Fortunately, there is a lotus leaf right where I would land. If I lightly touch down with my right foot, although my legs get splashed and soaked, I would still reach the opposite bank.

The man from Qi was worried about the safety of Lu Ao and hurriedly rushed over, only to see Sun Chaozong and others carrying Zheng Yan's corpse out. The two men in coarse clothes followed at the end, and one of them, whose face bore scars, suddenly bowed to the man from Qi and said: "This gentleman, indeed, you possess remarkable skills. Do you still remember me? My name is Guo Hanjie; we had a fight outside Luoshan City."

I remember it was a certain night in midsummer, when Gong Bingfan looked up at the sky, immersed in meditation, and slowly said, "I am dressed in a night cloak, carrying a treasured sword, stealthily entering the residence of the Right Chancellor of Boyan...

***

Ah, suddenly Qi Ren remembered something and asked the old master: "Did they use your bow and arrows during the fight just now?" Glancing outside, he realized that both parties had already taken away the bodies. "How will we hunt in the future like this?"

Sun Chaozong stepped forward to express his gratitude. Gong Bingfan said: "There is no need to inform your esteemed teacher about this matter upon your return; just convey my humble regards to him." Sun Chaozong nodded in agreement. Gong Bingfan continued: "You all should hurry along; those who need to return to Yingzhou should return to Yingzhou, and those who need to go back to the temple should go back to the temple."

The old master was taken aback and repeatedly replied, "I dare not, I dare not." Just as he was being modest, Little Tiger walked in holding a large piece of horse meat, saying, "Uncle Chen, is this enough?" Qi Ren laughed and said, "It's more than enough; it can last for three or four meals." He was about to look for an apron to start cooking.

While they were conversing, Xiao Hu brought a plate of stir-fried vegetables with horse meat: "Sister said there is also braised pork, which needs to be stewed for a longer time, so you all eat this first." "Xiao Hu is so well-behaved," Qi Ren said with a smile as he picked up a piece of meat for him, "Here, have a piece—call your grandfather to come and join us for a drink too."

He suddenly raised his head and sighed deeply: "If this person were still alive, I wonder what level of martial arts he would have reached by today..." After a pause, he continued: "I was still in a state of confusion when I heard that person with the surname Mu laugh and say: 'Hero Gong, please follow me,' and then he turned and dove into the flower bushes.

These three moves are each faster than the last, leaving only a faint red mark on the throat of each guard. At first, I thought his skills were peculiar and that his true abilities should be slightly inferior to mine. However, upon seeing this, I couldn't help but feel both astonished and ashamed—if he had used this technique to fight me just now, how could I have possibly defended against it

Guo Hanjie was overjoyed and was about to bow down to pay his respects to his master when Qi Ren stopped him, saying: "This matter, let us discuss it later. You should first return with your elder brother." Guo Hanjie performed a deep bow and said: "I am truly sorry to trouble you, esteemed elder. One month later, in mid-March, I will definitely arrive in Haozhou to await your arrival." Having said this, he left in high spirits.

After more than thirty exchanges, Xia Guojian was left with only the ability to defend, having lost all capacity to counterattack. The man with the surname Mou repeatedly urged him to step down and rest, but with each strike, he found himself unable to withdraw. In the heat of battle, I executed a move called 'Hong Jian Yu Lu', using the hilt of my sword to deflect Xia Guojian's short knife, allowing the blade to follow through and slice at his shoulder and neck. That fellow was indeed quick, managing to use the back of his left hand to deflect my long sword amidst the chaos.

The man from Qi interrupted him with a smile, saying: "Sir Gong, you are being overly modest. What is this 'Brother Chen' business? You are older than I am, so just call me Qi. " Gong Bingfan also smiled and replied: "You keep calling me 'Sir Gong'; isn't that a bit immodest? Since we have a rare affinity, why don't we just call each other by our names?"

"Horse meat has little flavor," the Qi man suddenly recalled the pork he had bought, searching the entire house, but in the chaos, he had no idea where it had ended up. Gong Bingfan laughed and said, "Horse meat is also acceptable. I have heard that Brother Chen is renowned for his excellent skills in cooking in Shenqiu, and the horse meat he prepares must surely have a unique flavor."

Green petals held up half a jar of homemade village wine, filling the cups for the two. The old host then brought over a plate of cured meat, smiling as he said, "In a poor family, there isn't much to offer, so please make do with this, Sir Gong." Gong Bingfan replied, "Very good, very good. There is no need for you to be busy, why not sit down and share a drink with us?"

He took a sip of wine, pinched a bamboo chopstick between two fingers, and sang while striking the plate: "In the grand Yuan dynasty, treachery and usurpation reign supreme, the opening of rivers brings forth the root of calamity, provoking countless Red Turbans. Officials are rampant, the laws are harsh, the common people are filled with resentment. People devour one another, money buys money, when has this ever been seen? Thieves become officials, officials become thieves, mixing the foolish with the wise. Alas, how pitiful!" This was the popular tune "Drunken Peace" that spread throughout the land at that time, and the common people were also familiar with it. At this moment, he accompanied his deep and sorrowful singing with a light sigh.

The room was not large, and the furnishings were quite simple. As soon as I entered, the one surnamed Mu locked the door. The one who opened the door was originally a young gentleman, draped in a light fur coat, with an unusual appearance. "Gong Bingfan suddenly turned to Qi Ren, 'Do you know who this person is?'"

The shouts of the guards behind me grew increasingly closer, and I realized with alarm that trouble was at hand. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept by my face; it turned out that the man surnamed Mou had arrived. He valued his own status and refused to join in the ambush, instead choosing to strike me once, thereby relieving Xia Guojian from a predicament. He then stood to the side and simply asked, 'Brother Jian, how about taking a break? Let me deal with this fellow first.'

In an instant, I exchanged seven or eight moves with the man surnamed Mou. I heard him call out: 'Zhang Hu, quickly take someone to the back courtyard to put out the fire, I will take care of this fellow.' After a few more exchanges, he called out again: 'Brother Jian, you should also go take a look, in case this fellow has any accomplices. If anything happens to the master, neither of us can afford the consequences.'

***

Xia Guojian would never concede his achievements to others. Seeing the guards closing in on him, he was not afraid of my escape and replied, "Brother Xuan, just help me break through the formation, and I will capture this audacious thief." My anger grew deeper; I thought it would be difficult to retreat unscathed. Drawing my long sword, I unleashed a series of offensive techniques, vowing to fight the enemy to the bitter end.

"You are too polite, Master Gong," Qi Ren hurriedly said, "It is rare for Master Gong to hold me in such high regard. There is no need to look for any tavern; wouldn’t it be fine to drink in this thatched cottage? I will prepare a couple of simple dishes for you to accompany the wine."

The heavenly army of demons cannot bring peace, the discontented kill the discontented, the discontented kill those who are discontented, exterminating all discontent leads to no peace. As the saying goes, "If we truly drive the Tartars out of the Central Plains, will the common people be able to live peaceful and prosperous lives?" Gong Bingfan coldly snorted and said, "Who knows? Changing emperors and court officials, the common people will still not have enough to eat or wear. Do not expect a wise ruler like Yao or Shun to appear any time soon"

I could only see the figure of that person; he was sitting by the lotus pond, seemingly fishing. In this dark night, dressed in casual clothes, could it be that he was the very Ber Yan himself? Or perhaps a close friend of his? I intended to approach and catch this person to inquire further, only to realize... the residence is indeed far too large; the palace I had imagined might not even be as vast. Initially, I could only grit my teeth in hatred, thinking of how much Ber Yan, that scoundrel, has extorted from the common people. At this moment, I recalled how immense the residence is, and where could I possibly search for him?

Wang Baobao understood that staying any longer would yield no results. He had just danced on the edge of life and death, and was already disheartened. He then cupped his hands in salute and said, "Thank you, Master Gong. I take my leave now." He exchanged a glance with Weng Chila and Wo Erwen, and mounted his horse to leave. Upon witnessing the earlier exchange between Gong Bingfan and Chen Qiren, Weng Chila and the others no longer dared to step forward and challenge; they too left with their heads hung low.

Gong Bingfan laughed heartily and said, "Excellent, excellent, I was just about to savor Brother Chen's culinary skills." The two of them entered the thatched cottage hand in hand. The old hunter and his grandson had already tidied up the interior of the house, continuously expressing their gratitude to Qi Ren and Gong Bingfan while wiping the table clean and setting out the bowls and chopsticks.

I was so engrossed in the fierce battle that I remained completely oblivious to the situation around me. Alas—this flaw has always been difficult for me to change; it is due to my inherently dull nature, which has led to an excessive obsession with martial arts. In fact, I should have noticed it long ago; the lanterns and torches illuminated the surroundings as brightly as day, so how could I remain indifferent? Yet at that moment, it did not register in my mind.