Chapter 6, Under the Sea of Jianghu

As the saying goes, a half-filled cup of tea and a full cup of wine, tea should not be poured to the brim. The word "tea" sounds like "to inquire" in Chinese. When people from the rivers and lakes meet for tea, it carries the intention of inquiry, a mutual questioning of the underlying matters. However, one must always leave some room for discretion; no one is willing to lay bare their entire heart for others to see. Thus, the tea is poured to seven-tenths full, signifying the unspoken power left for the other party, allowing them to refrain from answering questions they prefer not to address. This embodies what is referred to in the rivers and lakes as the principle of "three discussions and three non-discussions." When people from the rivers and lakes meet for tea, it carries the intention of inquiry, a mutual questioning of the underlying matters. However, one must always leave some room for discretion; no one is willing to lay bare their entire heart for others to see. Thus, the tea is poured to seven-tenths full, signifying the unspoken power left for the other party, allowing them to refrain from answering questions they prefer not to address. This embodies what is referred to in the rivers and lakes as the principle of "three discussions and three non-discussions."

The gate slowly opened, and about five hundred meters away in a four-story villa, four individuals emerged. Wang Longsheng squinted and said in a low voice: "Li Yating did not come out; this is his subordinate, Chuan Liu, Tian Ma, and Si Jiang."

Li Yating hesitated for a moment and said, "I would like to know the purpose of your visit!"

Outside the Nanjiao Development Zone in Shanghai, there is a proliferation of high-end entertainment venues, such as golf courses and ski resorts. These industries have consequently led to an increase in high-end villa communities in the area. The place where the tuna meets with others is the most remote of his three properties in Shanghai. The car stopped outside the railing, and Wang Longsheng extended his hand out of the car window, with his thumb and little finger interlocked, while forming a simple mountain shape with the other three fingers. The place where the tuna meets with others is the most remote of his three properties in Shanghai. The car stopped outside the railing, and Wang Longsheng extended his hand out of the car window, with his thumb and little finger interlocked, while forming a simple mountain shape with the other three fingers

Gao Yang smiled and said: "The eight incense sticks on the mountain peak, each one grows the same; I am the person in charge"

Li Yating's expression shifted between gloom and brightness as he listened. He had been wandering the martial world for quite some time, having encountered numerous storms and waves, and was recognized as a master of the Thousand Doors by his peers. He did not expect that today someone would come to see him claiming to be the legitimate head of the Thousand Doors. After hesitating for a moment, he continued to ask: "May I inquire what goods you are carrying?"

Before the man in black could finish speaking, he noticed that the detector he had been holding had inexplicably moved to another hand in front of him. At the same time, this hand was slowly tightening its grip, causing the metal casing of the detector to gradually deform in his grasp

After pouring tea for Gao Yang, Li Yating then respectfully offered a cup to Shi Yao and others. Only after everyone finished their tea did Li Yating set down the teapot and sit back down, saying: "The righteousness of the various sects comes first, and the three and one are interconnected. Stepping onto the mountain makes one a guest; I, Li, will serve another pot!" After saying this, he stood up and took out 8 teacups from the box beside him, arranging them in a straight line.

Seeing Li Yating remain silent, Gao Yang understood the reason behind it and immediately said: "Is Li Dangjia interested in inspecting the goods?"

Gao Yang nodded slightly and said in a low voice: "Go in!"

When drinking, it must be filled to the brim. We all know that when we drink, it should be filled up, filled up. Why must it be filled? The wine symbolizes enduring feelings. It signifies the unchanging bond between friends, thus it must be filled before drinking.

The four men all took a turn and found no large metal objects. Just as the man with the detector was about to check the施妖, Gaoyang suddenly grabbed his arm and said, "It would be better to let the girl be, considering the inconveniences."

"What are you doing?" Zhang Lei raised his hand and grabbed the square instrument that the other party had extended, asking coldly.

Seeing Li Yating finally speak in plain language, Zhang Lei let out a long breath and thought to himself: "Is it time for me to demonstrate my value now?"

Li Yating is a disciple of the Yanmen lineage. He has only heard of the existence of the authentic Eight Outer Styles and is not familiar with the genuine techniques of the Qianmen. When he heard Gaoyang report on the goods, he thought that Gaoyang was boasting when he mentioned the Nangtian Bagua Diagram he brought with him

Although Zhang Lei did not understand what Hualiang meant, seeing that both of his elder brothers, Gao and Wang, had stepped forward to undergo the inspection, he felt it inappropriate to say much. He could only stand numbly in front of the burly man in black, waiting for him to shake him. At the same time, Zhang Lei stole a glance at Shiyao behind the crowd and, noticing that she was not looking in his direction, felt somewhat relieved, secretly thinking: "This cannot be blamed on me; it was Brother Liang who agreed to it. Shiyao, you must not cause trouble for Tuo'er because of this!"

The martial arts world is vast, with external sects having their own realms, and internal sects represented on https://m.hetushu.com. However, during the Ming Dynasty, the external martial arts world underwent significant changes, with the Eight External Sects almost vanishing simultaneously. At the same time, various new trades emerged in the martial arts world, referred to as: "The Four Greats of Wind, Horse, Wild Goose, and Sparrow, and the Eight Small of Gold, Skin, Color, Hanging, and the Troupe of Liu." These were innovations created by small artisans from the external sects who, unable to perform industry practices individually, devised new activities after the division of the Eight External Sects. From the early Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, these trades dominated the external martial arts world. These skills originated from the Eight External Sects but were often incomplete, with some even becoming distorted. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the authentic Eight External Sects gradually re-emerged in the martial arts world. However, it was observed that these early scattered and chaotic skills had developed over hundreds of years, resulting in large scales and teams, making unified planning extremely difficult. The practitioners of the Eight External Sects, helpless, allowed them to develop freely.

When Gao Yang and the others had not yet entered the room, they could already see a person sitting at the very back of the living room, facing away from the main entrance. Even after Gao Yang and the others entered, that person still did not turn around. Wang Longsheng exchanged a glance with Zhang Lei, then looked at Hua Liang and pointed towards the door. The Eight Generals of Qianmen each performed their duties, with each individual having their own tasks. In fact, Wang Longsheng was simply not making any introductions, and now everyone was clear about what they should do. Even after Gao Yang and the others entered, that person still did not turn around. Wang Longsheng exchanged a glance with Zhang Lei, then looked at Hua Liang and pointed towards the door. The Eight Generals of Qianmen each performed their duties, with each individual having their own tasks. In fact, Wang Longsheng was simply not making any introductions, and now everyone was clear about what they should do.

The thin man jogged a few steps to catch up with the hurried Zhang Lei, opening the main door for him. Upon opening the door, a vast living room was revealed, where a tall man in a black suit with short hair was waiting by the door with a metal detector. Seeing Zhang Lei rush in directly, the man raised his hand to swing the detector towards Zhang Lei.

The Dasha Yande is divided into five types of gestures, each representing different meanings. The gesture called "Yan" displayed by the sorcerer at the train station is primarily used for greeting when people from the martial world pass by each other. It is similar to how we acknowledge someone we are not very familiar with by nodding our heads as we pass by. At this moment, Wang Longsheng's gesture signifies a bowing motion, with the thumb and little finger interlocked, symbolizing a respectful greeting to the host. Logically speaking, the identity of the tuna is far from sufficient for one of the Eight Generals of the Qianmen to perform this gesture. However, the current martial world is vastly different from the past, where people seek favors from one another, hence the need for such greetings.

This must be Mr. Li. I apologize for the unannounced visit, and I hope for your understanding! Zhang Lei spoke as he walked ahead, without yet seeing the person's face.

Little did he know, Gaoyang still did not allow him to speak, but instead answered himself: "Light the fire to see the brightness, measure the length with a ruler, in the mountains of Penglai, there are still three incense sticks missing"

Zhang Lei knew it was time for him to step forward. Since Shi Yao had previously issued a stern warning to him on the way here, Zhang Lei chose not to engage with these individuals. After getting out of the car, he took the lead and walked straight to the main entrance, fearing that responding to them would diminish his status and tarnish the reputation of Qianmen.

Li Yating let out a bitter smile after hearing this, the Bagua Diagram of the Heavens... This tone is truly too grand. Over the years he has roamed the martial world, he has encountered many prominent figures, yet he has never met anyone so audacious.

At first, everyone was concerned that this person called Tuna was not one of the old acquaintances from the underworld, having long forgotten these rules. Therefore, when Zhang Lei entered the room, he spoke in plain language throughout. Unexpectedly, Li Yating turned out to be an old hand who was also well-versed in the language of the deep sea

The tall figure in black paused for a moment and said: "You must undergo an inspection before meeting my elder brother"

Hualiang tossed the egg-shaped detector back into the hands of that person and pretended to be surprised, saying, "Oh! How did it end up like this?" Gaoyang ignored Li Yating's subordinate, who stood at the door with his mouth agape in astonishment, and called out, prompting everyone to enter the living room

Until the car stopped in front of the villa, the four people who had come out early from the door welcomed them. As the four approached, they each opened one of the four car doors. A man with a sharp face said, "My elder brother is waiting inside the house, please come in, mhetushucomcom"

Upon hearing Gao Yang's announcement, Li Yating was momentarily stunned. He, too, belonged to an old lineage of the martial world, but was classified according to the ranks of "Wind, Horse, Goose, and Sparrow." He had long heard that within the martial world, there existed a true lineage, the Outer Eight Trades, which were considered the ancestors of the true martial world. However, the Outer Eight Trades did not accept wandering practitioners; they were all authentic inheritances. Hearing Gao Yang mention such ethereal terms and claim to be of the Qianmen lineage left him astonished. He saw Gao Yang taking the lead in the tea ceremony and could not help but inquire, "Are you one of the Three Elders or the Four Young Ones from the mountains?"

Gao Yang and others, walking behind, couldn't help but chuckle at Zhang Lei's arrogant posture in front of the door. Youthful indeed; maintaining one's face is not achieved in this manner. Noticing that the two parties had yet to begin their discussion, the atmosphere at the entrance was already charged with tension, with the possibility of a confrontation at any moment. Hua Liang, feeling helpless, quickly stepped forward to Zhang Lei's side and said to the man in black, "Let's keep it civil! I won't let you be put in a difficult position!" After saying this, he gently pinched Zhang Lei's arm.

Since Zhang Lei only arrived last night, everyone forgot to inform him that the other party required a metal detector check. Therefore, when Zhang Lei saw the tall man approaching with the metal detector, he felt a surge of anger and thought to himself: "Aren't you just making me lose face? If you wave that thing around, how will I ever maintain my reputation in the future?"

Gao Yang said: "I possess nothing of value, only carrying the Bagua diagram of the Eight Trigrams passed down from Fuxi."

When Li Yating poured tea, he lightly tapped the teapot twice in mid-air, a gesture known as the "Phoenix Nodding." However, there are many interpretations of the Phoenix Nodding. In contemporary novels and films, it is often exaggerated to three nods when offering tea or wine, yet few realize that the number of nods holds significant meaning. A single nod signifies a severance of feelings. When brothers or friends are parting ways, they may cut ties and share a drink. A second nod indicates a greeting, commonly used when meeting strangers. The well-known three nods of the Phoenix signify respect, typically employed only when a younger person serves tea or wine to an elder. When brothers or friends are parting ways, they may cut ties and share a drink. A second nod indicates a greeting, commonly used when meeting strangers. The well-known three nods of the Phoenix signify respect, typically employed only when a younger person serves tea or wine to an elder.

After the tea set was brought up, Li Yating noticed that Gao Yang was seated in the center among the five people opposite him. He then pushed an empty teacup with three fingers towards Gao Yang and the *Tu* book in front of him. After that, he raised the teapot and poured tea into the cup until it was nearly full, then stopped.

Zhang Lei glanced sideways at the man in black and said loudly: "Then he also wants to see who has come!"

After pouring the eighth cup of tea, Li Yating raised his hand and asked, "May I ask, my friend, what kind of plaque is hanging at your waist? What words are inscribed on the plaque?"

Upon hearing human speech, the person feigned a look of surprise, turned around to see the crowd entering, and hurriedly stood up, saying: "Esteemed guests, please take a seat. I apologize for the inadequate reception, I apologize for the inadequate reception"

In the realm of martial arts, drinking tea can lead to profound discussions. It is laughable that a certain small Eastern nation, having merely scratched the surface, dares to claim the title of "tea ceremony." Chinese tea culture boasts a history of nearly 10,000 years, during which countless thoughts, philosophies, and meanings have been infused by our ancestors into this small cup of clear tea. The tea in the hands of those in the martial arts world is often used for mutual inquiries, encapsulated in the saying: "Raw tea, cooked wine." This means that upon first meeting, it is customary to drink tea, while only close friends share a table with wine.

Li Yating appeared to be in his thirties, with a square face and straight eyebrows. He had short facial hair on both his cheeks and jawline, and his eyes were sharp, giving him a shrewd appearance. After Gao Yang and the others took their seats directly opposite Li Yating, he signaled to his subordinates to bring out the tea set.

Negotiations of this nature should ideally be conducted by someone else, but since Zhang Lei has been pursuing a law degree at university since entering the field, although he has some knowledge from the underworld, he cannot claim to be proficient. Helplessly, Gao Yang can only take on the opponent's long snake formation himself. He picked up a cup of tea from the front of the formation and said: "Hanging a three-character plaque at my waist, the characters on it are ethereal and elusive, my surname is Yan." After saying this, he drank the tea.

Gao Yang smiled as he picked up the teacup from the table, using his four fingers to completely cover the cup. Then, he gently dragged one hand along the bottom of the cup, allowing about one-third of the cup to emerge from his hand before tilting his head back to drink.

Responding to each move, Gaoyang also used the three middle fingers to assist with the teacup, only withdrawing his hand when the opponent had filled it to seven-tenths full

Li Yating's eyes brightened upon hearing this, but soon, as if he had thought of something, his expression became unpredictable. After a long pause, he finally said in a deep voice: "Inspect the goods"