Nightfall, Dyers' Street, Double Osmanthus Lane.
Night Jing Tang led an old horse through dim alleyways, scanning left and right.
Having wandered around all day, Birdie's mood was good. It lay on the saddlebags atop the horse, claws reaching for the sky as it gazed at the stars, humming a little tune:
"Chirp chirp~..."
Just from the name Dyers' Street, one could tell it was a poor area crowded with manual workshops. Though not completely desolate yet, there were only a few small workshops nearby, and once night fell, it was rare to see any people around.
Double Osmanthus Lane was even more deserted. No one paid attention to it year-round, with leaves accumulating on the ground, making a faint rustling sound when stepped on.
Having just toured the talent market, there were indeed many jobs available, but those offering a monthly salary of three guan were highly sought after.
As the saying goes, "poverty follows literature, wealth follows martial arts." Night Jing Tang, as a martial artist, could earn quite a bit of silver just by purchasing various martial arts equipment. Not to mention the exaggerated appetite of martial artists, these jobs were obviously not suitable.
Although he hadn't found a job, he had found a place to stay. Night Jing Tang initially thought that with just two taels of silver, he couldn't find a place to stay in the capital at all. But after some inquiries, he discovered the gem that was Double Osmanthus Lane— a whole row of courtyards, all owned by the same landlady. For two taels of silver a year, one could choose any building to live in.
After paying half a year's rent, Night Jing Tang didn't even get the landlord's key. When he arrived, it was as expected— ten or so dilapidated old courtyards, with hardly any walls that weren't cracked, and only two or three doors that were intact. It seemed like hardly anyone would be willing to live here even if they weren't paid.
Night Jing Tang and Birdie were both full and not hungry, and they didn't care about such things. He found a courtyard that looked decent and pushed open the door.
The courtyard was littered with fallen leaves, with windows and doors all open, and there was only a bed frame inside, without even a table or chairs.
"Chirp..."
Birdie jumped down from the horse's back and after circling inside the house, looked back at Night Jing Tang with its big, round eyes, as if suggesting, "Shouldn't we go back to Big Sister's place to stay?"
Night Jing Tang ignored Birdie, tied the horse in the corner of the courtyard, fed it some fodder, and then carried down the bedding from the horse's back.
Clang clang...
The fire flint struck, sparking a dim yellow light, illuminating the cold and empty shack.
Night Jing Tang leaned his sword against the wall and looked around the empty room. Suddenly, he noticed that the floor was quite clean, with the straw bedding showing some slight depressions. Upon closer inspection, he even found a long strand of hair.
"Hmm?"
Night Jing Tang picked up the strand of hair and examined it— the texture was quite good, indicating it wasn't too old, and someone had recently stayed here.
But in this era, both men and women had long hair, so he couldn't determine the owner's gender.
Could it be from the previous tenant...
Night Jing Tang felt a bit puzzled, but didn't pay too much attention to it. He threw the hair outside the door and proceeded to lay out the bedding.
Birdie, on the other hand, was mischievous, pecking at a small parcel, trying to get the dried meat inside.
"You still want to eat, even though we're staying in this shabby place? If I can't earn any money soon, I'll have to sell you next month to make ends meet."
"Chirp~"
Birdie hopped a few times, indicating that it was not worth much even if it were sold.
Just as Night Jing Tang was smoothing out the bedding, he suddenly heard a slight noise outside:
Whoosh...
Like a gentle breeze blowing into the courtyard, stirring up the fallen leaves on the ground.
Night Jing Tang frowned, gripping the handle of his sword, and looked out through the decorative window, the only source of light.
There was an extra figure in the courtyard!
In the dim light of the moon, casting shadows, the moonlight that peeked over the wall only illuminated half of the courtyard.
The figure stood between light and shadow, wrapped in a cloak, wearing a bamboo hat, making it impossible to see whether it was male or female. They held a long spear wrapped in black cloth diagonally.
The figure remained motionless, silent, obviously not a friendly visitor.
Night Jing Tang discreetly signaled for Birdie to quietly find his subordinates, while also placing his sword across his waist and approaching the door:
"Who are you? Is this your residence?"
The cloaked figure, naturally, was Pei Xiangjun, who had come in the middle of the night to visit her little brother.
But Pei Xiangjun did not speak. Instead, she slid the long spear out of its cover, holding the spear's tail with one hand, lifting the spear horizontally to draw a semicircle in the old courtyard, pointing it at Night Jing Tang, while also raising the bamboo hat, revealing a ghostly mask on her face.
Holding the spear's tail with one hand and lifting the nine-foot-long spear with the other required solid skills.
Seeing this, Night Jing Tang took a step back without changing his expression, gripping the sword handle with his left hand and standing ready.
But the other party did not directly attack. Instead, they lightly shook their wrist, causing the spear to make a cracking sound.
Snap—
In the moonlit alley, there came the sound of a whip cracking.
The black cloth wrapped around the spear instantly split apart, revealing the black lacquered spear shaft.
The silver spear tip emitted a chilling light under the moonlight. After the black cloth was torn apart, one could hear the faint tremor of the spear tip, akin to the roar of a dragon:
Hummm~~
Night Jing Tang's eyes widened slightly, realizing that while he could wield a spear single-handedly, tearing apart the fabric with such force was beyond his capabilities.
Realizing he was outmatched, Night Jing Tang's expression changed slightly, and he looked towards the door:
"Brother Wang?!"
Pei Xiangjun quickly turned her head to look.
Bang—
Night Jing Tang stomped on the ground and leaped up, jumping onto the roof, running madly towards the bustling street.
Unfortunately, this move might work against ordinary martial artists, but the visitor this time was not an ordinary person!
Night Jing Tang jumped onto the roof, but he didn't hear any footsteps behind him. Instead, there was a violent rush of wind from above.
Swoosh—
Night Jing Tang's blade unsheathed. With the corner of his eye, he was astonished to see that the cloaked figure, who had been motionless just now, had jumped ahead of him. Even though they were three zhang (9 meters) high in mid-air, they held the spear with both hands and chopped down with the
strength of Mount Hua, aiming at his head.
The house was only one zhang (3 meters) high, so this jump was like jumping three stories high. Night Jing Tang had never seen anyone jump this high in his life, and he couldn't help but feel amazed!
Faced with the overwhelming attack, Night Jing Tang quickly held his sword horizontally above his head, while also pressing his right hand against the back of the sword.
Dang—
Clang—
In the moonlit alley, there came the sound of metal clashing.
The dilapidated roof collapsed in an instant.
Night Jing Tang's spear was smashed into the house, feeling the spear containing an unstoppable force, and even after landing, his feet still tingled with pain.
"Master, please slow down..."
Night Jing Tang wanted to say something, but the unexpected visitor didn't give him a chance. They jumped into the house from the hole in the roof, and the spear directly stabbed towards Night Jing Tang's face.
Clang—
Night Jing Tang's sword swung horizontally, and amidst a loud noise, a few sparks burst out in the house, also extinguishing the flickering candle.
The spear that had pierced through the roof like an iron pillar was knocked slightly to the side after being hit.
Seizing the opportunity, Night Jing Tang leaped up, holding the sword in both hands, aiming to strike at the cloaked figure's fingers.
However, as soon as the spear tip touched the ground, it flipped back onto the roof, lightly landing on the roof. The spear tip pointed diagonally at the courtyard, without making another aggressive move.
Night Jing Tang stopped in his tracks, holding the sword in front of him with both hands, ready to defend against any attack.
Thump, thump, thump...
The courtyard was enveloped in silence under the moonlight, with the sound of an impending explosion-like heartbeat clearly audible.
Night Jing Tang's forehead was covered in sweat, his sword motionless, staring at the figure on the roof.
After a moment of confrontation, the person on the roof slightly lifted their bamboo hat, revealing a hoarse voice that sounded neither male nor female:
"Don't you know the 'Eight Steps Mad Blade'?"
Night Jing Tang frowned. He had been trained in martial arts by his adoptive father since childhood, learning only normal sword and spear techniques, and had never heard of the Eight Steps Mad Blade.
As for related manuals, he had never come across them either. The books that described the martial world in the border towns were mostly novels like "Tears of the Heroine," "Erotic Tales of the Martial World," and "Legendary Heroines," which he had read a lot of, but he hadn't learned any techniques from them, only mimicking the postures...
"I am just a humble escort, I have never heard of the Eight Steps Mad Blade. I know a few miscellaneous moves, but I'm afraid you've got the wrong person."
"The 'Eight Steps Mad Blade' was created by the former blade leader of the previous dynasty and passed down by the master of blade techniques, 'Zheng Feng.' When you displayed your blade at the Mingyu Tower today, your initial stance resembled the Eight Steps Mad Blade, and the court will probably come looking for you soon. But since you really don't know, there's no need to worry. At most, I'll test your skills thoroughly."
"?"
Night Jing Tang could vaguely infer that 'Zheng Feng' was the pseudonym of his adoptive father, Pei Yuanfeng, in the martial world. He didn't expect his adoptive father to be a true master.
But if you have such an awesome blade technique, why didn't you teach me earlier?
Not teaching is not teaching, but why did you demonstrate the initial stance? How can I handle this if someone recognizes it...
Looks like I can't burn paper for you this year...
Night Jing Tang's mind was in turmoil, but his expression remained natural. Seeing that the other party seemed to be giving a friendly reminder, he inquired:
"I have never heard of these things. Who are you?"
"I am Hong Caishen."
Night Jing Tang recalled and was secretly shocked— he had heard of 'Hong Caishen,' the title of the owner of the Red Flower Tower in the martial world, also known as the 'Spear Leader,' ranked seventh in the world, even higher than the archenemy of his adoptive father in the martial world.
Although he had heard rumors in the martial world that the 'Spear Leader' had changed, a thin camel was still bigger than a horse. No wonder this person was so formidable...
"So it's the owner of the Red Flower Tower, I have long admired your name. I wonder why the senior has come to me, a junior, to give advice?"
"I see you as a promising talent. If you're interested, do you want to learn spear techniques?"
Night Jing Tang was taken aback. "Does the senior want to take me as a disciple?"
Pei Xiangjun held the long spear with one hand and pointed it at the ground, her demeanor befitting that of a grandmaster:
"The Hegemon's Spear is only passed down to one person in a generation, and they must also take on the leadership of the Red Flower Tower. We have just met, and we don't know each other. It's too early to take you as a disciple. First, show your ability and character. If you're qualified, then I'll consider teaching you the techniques and telling you the details of the Red Flower Tower."
The Red Flower Tower was different from other forces like the Green Bandits or the Flat Heaven Sect. It was an extremely low-key force in the martial world, focusing on managing its own territory and not appearing on the government's list of targets for eradication.
Night Jing Tang, coming from a background in the escort business, was already someone who traveled the rivers and lakes. Being able to enter such a righteous force in the martial world and being trained by a martial arts giant to become a successor was like reaching the sky in a single bound.
Night Jing Tang didn't have the intention of seeking a master to learn martial arts, but with no place to settle down at the moment, this big opportunity was right in front of him, and for a while, he couldn't find a reason to refuse. After thinking for a moment, he inquired:
"I've heard of the senior's great reputation. If I have the chance to learn a good spear technique, I would be honored. I wonder what the senior's impression of me is?"
"Red Flower Tower is a business, and martial arts skills are important, but understanding 'human relationships and world affairs' is even more important. Today, when you went to the Pei family, it seemed like there was some connection, and in the past, when you helped the Pei family, I will observe your abilities and character in secret."
"?"
Night Jing Tang blinked, feeling something was off, and carefully examined the figure's body, but unfortunately, he couldn't see anything...
"Father asked me to hand over the family business to the Pei family, and there are no more ties between us..."
Pei Xiangjun said seriously, "Father asked you to help out, to do things for money, and it's not like he asked you to be a rich family's son. You really can't
bear it. At worst, you won't take the money and just help out a relative. Are you not even willing to do that?"
The tone of her voice was hoarse, but she had the air of a master, yet these words sounded more like a woman's coquetry...
Night Jing Tang speculated in his heart, but he couldn't be sure. He nodded after thinking for a moment:
"I understand, I'll follow the senior's instructions. However, I am straightforward by nature, and martial arts to me are like 'shoes.' Whether the shoes are good or bad doesn't matter to me; I only look at the person who wears the shoes. If I find later on that the senior is not suitable, please forgive me."
"Jianghu people should be like this. I came here suddenly, delaying your time, and whether it succeeds or not, I won't let you have false hopes."
Having said that, Pei Xiangjun's figure disappeared from the roof, blending into the night...