Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 236 A bottle of wine
As the night deepened, the spring rain filled the house. The news that Zhao Wumian had declared war on Dao Kui spread throughout the capital at an extremely fast speed. It was believed that it would be known to everyone in the martial arts world soon. The martial artists on Bailu Street even had red faces. For some reason, they beat their chests and stamped their feet, and roared to the sky, as if they were the ones who were about to challenge Dao Kui.

The crowded Bailu Square was filled with cheers from the sky, and the martial spirit of Dali was prevalent. All the conspiracies and intrigues in the court, the political situation, and the coming of all nations could not be as satisfying as the declaration of war by the Sword Leader.

Since Emperor Jingzheng bestowed the plaque of the Ten Martial Champions, apart from Xiao Yuanmu beheading the old spear champion in Poyang Lake, there has been no case of a martial champion being defeated head-on in public...

These martial arts champions have probably fought with masters of the same level many times in private, such as the sword champion Yangshe Congyun and the leader of the Huanzhen Pavilion, and the encirclement and suppression of Wudamu in Taiyuan, but most people in the martial arts world are unaware of these fights.

One is fought in private, the other is fought in public, the meanings are completely different.

There are actually quite a few people like Zhao Wumian who have issued a challenge in front of the entire martial arts world, but most of them can't even pass the test of Wu Kui Men Shen.

But Zhao Wumian is different. His name has been circulating throughout the martial arts world since before the New Year. Now, two months have passed, and after he captured Turga, who is the unity of man and nature, the next rank he can move up to is the martial arts champion.

The alternation of the old and the new in the martial arts world is always an unavoidable and enduring topic in the world of martial arts.

Many impatient martial artists beat their chests and stamped their feet for a while, then threw down their oil-paper umbrellas, mounted their horses and rushed out of the city, not even watching the Banquet of All Nations. They just wanted to rush to Chengdu in Shu in advance to witness the battle between the old and new martial arts champions, for fear of missing it.

Zhao Wumian had already left Bailu Street and rode a horse with the little mute, leaving Bailu Square.

Ji Jianming flew over, holding Master Du San, and bowed slightly, his tone slightly angry, "This guy is no longer alive. We originally wanted to use him to find the remnants of Dong Yan and monitor Qing Liantian... Now I'm afraid our plan has failed."

Zhao Wumian waved his hand and said calmly:
"Since Dong Yan used him to throw dirty water on me, it is obvious that she is abandoning him. The connection with Dong Yan is already broken with him. As for Qing Liantian, I will rush to Shu after the Banquet of All Nations is over. If Dao Kui still has a little bit of Wu Kui's pride, he will not leave Shu at this juncture, otherwise he will be labeled as a coward for the rest of his life... Without Dao Kui, who can come to the capital to rescue Li Jingnan? Do you think our court is made of mud?"

Wudamu didn't have the guts to come to the capital to kill people. Tong Congdao only dared to hang out in the suburbs of the capital when he came to the capital. Daokui naturally didn't dare to enter the capital alone.

Ji Jianming pondered for a while, and looked up to Zhao Wumian in his heart. He thought that Zhao Wumian declared war just because he was hot-blooded, but he didn't expect that it was to control Dao Kui.

"My Lord Mingzhao, the remnants of Dongyan are still in the capital. If they insist on being cowards, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find them. We don't even know who the leader of Dongyan is at this stage. We don't have any clues at all. How can we find them?"

Ji Jianming sighed lightly, his face full of worry. He had just suffered a great loss and almost made a big mistake. He couldn't wait to make a contribution, but the remnants of Dong Yan were hiding deeply, and Luo Shuzhi was not stupid enough to leave behind any personnel roster or something like that... It was really hard to find.

"Who said there are no clues? Now that Third Master Du is dead, there is no middleman to help contact Wuchang City. Dongyan should either find another middleman or contact directly... Senior Song used to work in Wuchang City, and asked her to take some money to Wuchang City to follow the clues and catch the remnants of Dongyan..."

Ji Jianming's eyes lit up slightly. Wuchang City only cared about money and not people. Although the imperial court contacted the assassin organization, it was undermining its dignity. In addition, Wuchang City had assassinated important officials of the imperial court before, so the grudge was there... But this time it was just to catch Dong Yan. They pretended to cooperate, and once Dong Yan's remnants were wiped out, they would treat these assassins as they should.

Able to bend and stretch.

Zhao Wumian paused for a moment and added, "I have no money. You can report this to the emperor and ask her to help me. This is also considered official business."

Ji Jianming was slightly stunned and couldn't help laughing a few times in his heart.

People like Wei Ming Hou are perfect in everything...but he has no money and no house, so he has to ask the emperor for everything.

Luo Xiangzhu, who had been sitting obediently behind Zhao Wumian, was stunned for a moment when she heard this. After pondering for a while, she rummaged in her arms, took out a cute little purse, and then took out ten rolled-up silver bills worth one thousand taels from it.

She gently waved the ten thousand tael bill in front of Zhao Wumian's face as a gesture.

Zhao Wumian was silent. He probably didn't expect that the princess, who was so fussy even when eating candy, could be so rich.

Seeing that Zhao Wumian didn't take it, she poked Zhao Wumian's face with the banknote, indicating that all the money was given to him to catch the thief.

The Prince of Yan has only one daughter, Luo Xiangzhu, so he dotes on her. As expected, she will inherit the throne of the Prince of Yan in the future and own several states of Yanyun... Perhaps among all the women Zhao Wumian knows, only Luo Chaoyan is richer than her.

In a villa in the capital, Chen Shuhan, a remnant of Dong Yan, and a white-robed scholar sat in the lobby, listening silently to the message from the spy.

What he was talking about was naturally what Zhao Wumian did in Bailu Street.

Chen Shuhan's face was a little gloomy. Unlike the white-robed scholar, he was a pure man of the world. He had been thinking about killing Zhao Wumian until now, just to repay Luo Shuzhi's kindness in recognizing his help. Naturally, he also strictly abided by the rules of the world of martial arts that one should not bring harm to one's family.

But those who accomplish great things do not care about trivial matters, so he acquiesced to the white-robed scholar's vicious plan. However, he did not expect that the white-robed scholar's plan, which was so vicious, would still fail.

Chen Shuhan tilted his head to look at him, "Although this method is insidious, if it works, Dao Kui and Zhao Wumian will indeed fall into the trap... Why are you so anxious? If you wait another half a month, even Zhao Wumian may not be able to find any clues."

The white-robed scholar sipped his tea, his eyes calm, and nodded his chin.
"I am indeed anxious, but you don't know that Mr. Du Sanye, that idiot, has long been targeted by someone. There are plainclothes officers from the Detective Department monitoring the courtyard... If we wait any longer, who knows what will happen?"

Now the plan is not completely failed. Zhao Wumian has to go to Shu next month. The sky is high and the emperor is far away. The sword champion is not a wolf in sheep's clothing. After the battle for the championship is over, Zhao Wumian will definitely be seriously injured... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "

This is not meant for Chen Shuhan.

On the beam above their heads, a man in green was lying on his back, holding an unopened wine gourd in one hand and one foot hanging from the beam, swaying back and forth. His every move made him look like a cynical playboy.

But this person is the Lord of Wuchang City. His age and name are unknown. Only his code name is known as 'Lan'.

He appeared out of nowhere during the Jingzheng period, and assassinated Wan Zhiyuan, one of the former Five Mountains who was in his prime at the time, and seriously injured him. Afterwards, Wan Zhiyuan fled and his whereabouts disappeared. No one knew whether he died of his injuries, or was found by his enemies, or his spirit was broken and he completely retired to the mountains.

The Five Mountains were the five most powerful warriors in the previous dynasty who were the bridge between heaven and earth.

Xia Chengsong, also known as Eunuch Lin, is dead.

Li Jingnan was captured.

Ding Jingcheng is in the Western Regions, and is suspected to be the master of his father-in-law, Master Qin Sanye.

Wan Zhiyuan was assassinated by the Lord of Wuchang City and disappeared.

There is only the last one left, who retired from the martial arts world early after the Jingnan Campaign and became a background figure in the eyes of the people in the martial arts world, or "the reclusive old monster."

In short, regardless of whether Wan Zhiyuan was killed by the Lord of Wuchang City, the fact that he could achieve this level of record has already proved that his strength is extraordinary. Even if he looks at the entire martial arts world, he would probably be ranked in the top 30.

Lan did not speak. After a moment's silence, he said calmly, "I came to the capital with a group of men, but you wanted me to return empty-handed and wait for Marquis Weiming to go to Shu before plotting to assassinate him?"

The white-robed scholar frowned, "Why? Do you still want to fight him in the capital? Don't forget that you are an assassin, not an ordinary martial artist... Everything should be based on successfully assassinating the target."

These words were spoken to Lan, but Chen Shuhan remained silent for a moment, feeling a deep sense of fatigue in his heart.

Being good at calculating, playing with people's hearts, treating people like chess pieces, and manipulating the game are what a "chess player" like Luo Shuzhi should do. Chen Shuhan is just Dong Yan's red flower stick and a thug. Instead of always scheming against Zhao Wumian, he actually wants to have a real fight with Zhao Wumian.

With his strength alone, he is enough to be a top figure in the martial arts world, but in front of a figure like Zhao Wumian who stirs up the martial arts world, he is not as good as others.

He and Zhao Wumian fought with real swords and guns, but could he last even ten moves?
He really had the will but not the ability, which was why he hid behind the scenes and plotted against Zhao Wumian.

As the white-robed scholar finished speaking, his vision went dark in an instant, and he saw that the man in green had been sitting on the table in front of him, looking down at the white-robed scholar from above, their faces only five inches apart.

Chen Shuhan came back to his senses, frowned and turned his head to look, then his expression changed slightly, but he saw that although there were eyes, nose and mouth outlines on Lan's face, there were no details... There were no frame in the eyes, no hole in the nose, and no seam in the mouth, just like a man with a human skin draped over his face.

If you go out in the middle of the night, you might be mistaken for a "faceless ghost" and scare passers-by to death.

Lan was very close to the white-robed scholar, staring at him with his head tilted, and said calmly:

"I am an assassin, and you are not. Are you qualified to teach me how to assassinate a target? You are just a sponsor, so just fulfill your duties as a sponsor and give me money honestly. I will take care of the rest."

The white-robed scholar frowned slightly. Although he was being stared at by the faceless ghost, his expression remained unchanged. He said coldly, "Anyone can say nice things. The key is whether we can successfully assassinate Zhao Wumian... The city lord should not be a useless person who only knows how to talk."

"I am not a 'sir'."

After he finished speaking, Lan did not use any earth-shattering martial arts to disappear, but casually jumped off the table, hung the wine gourd in his hand around his waist, and left with his hands behind his back.

After Lan left, the white-robed scholar snorted lightly, "These warriors who have achieved unity of man and nature, even the top warriors, all have strange tempers. They are very stubborn and won't listen to others."

Chen Shuhan picked up the teacup, took a sip, remained silent, and stood up after a moment, "We can't go to Bailu Street anymore, and it's best not to use this yard. Let's find another place tomorrow."

A cunning rabbit has three burrows, that's why it is hard to catch.

Chen Shuhan left the villa, rubbed his face with his rough hands, then held up an oil-paper umbrella, walked through the streets and alleys, and came to a wine shop.

The wine shop is not big, with only a few small tables. It is too late at this time, so there are not many customers. There are only four or five people sitting together drinking at the square table.

Chen Shuhan knew these four or five people. They were the owners of liquor stores on several nearby streets... As the saying goes, colleagues are enemies, but there are always some people who are naturally free and easy and get along well with each other.

Basically every few days, these wine shop owners would get together and talk about the interesting things they encountered.

Among them was the wine shop owner whom Zhao Wumian had met during the Lantern Festival.

Chen Shuhan had been in the capital for more than ten years and had been to many wine shops, so they were all familiar with each other.

The lady boss was holding a chicken bone in her mouth, with one foot on the chair, half squatting, sitting in a proud posture. She glanced at Chen Shuhan and joked, "Hey, Chen kid is here again, this place is not my shop, the wine you used to love to drink is the same here."

The other bosses also greeted Chen Shuhan when they saw him... They were all old acquaintances, and Chen Shuhan always came to patronize their wine shops.

Chen Shuhan shook his head slightly, "Bring me a pot of Shaodaozi."

You can buy a pot of Shaodaozi for just a few cents. No matter if you are a small-time entrepreneur or an ordinary farmer who wants to satisfy your craving for wine, this wine is the best choice.

No matter what era, the majority of people live a harder life...but if people couldn't find joy in misery, then this species would have become extinct long ago.

The owner of this wine shop is an old man. He was a little surprised and said, "Today is not the right day, right? There are still three days to go."

"You can go whenever you want. Why bother sticking to certain dates?"

The old man smiled slightly, "That's right." He filled a pot of Shaodaozi for Chen Shuhan and handed it to him. Then he looked at Chen Shuhan's departing back, with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"When he first came to the capital, he was still a young man. Now he has established a family and has become the main pillar of the family."

Chen Shuhan's ancestral home is in Tangshan. His family has been poor peasants for three generations. During the Jingnan Campaign, his father died and his mother cried herself blind. It was Luo Shuzhi who discovered him and brought him and his mother back to the capital for resettlement and training.

As for Shaodaozi, it was bought by Chen Shuhan's mother for his father to drink, and she would drink some occasionally.

Chen Shuhan had only seen his mother drink Shaodaozi.

So when he was craving for a drink, he would go to the wine shop and always buy Shaodaozi for his mother. At that time, he was young and ignorant, and thought that his mother only drank Shaodaozi and that she just liked it.

But for the mother, even if her son becomes successful, she always wants to save a little for him.

So Chen Shuhan bought his mother a ten-year-old Shaodaozi.

Eight years ago, when his mother passed away, Chen Shuhan still often bought shaodaozi to commemorate her. For this reason, he went to various wine shops in the capital, just to let his mother taste different flavors of shaodaozi.

The wine shop owners tilted their heads to look at Chen Shuhan's back, and felt that he had not changed much since he first came to the capital more than ten years ago.

At least, no matter how many years he has been in the underworld, he is still a filial son.

Chen Shuhan stood in the cemetery, holding an oil-paper umbrella, sprinkling burning ink on the tombstone with an expressionless face.

More than ten years ago, he was a young man from a farm family. He first came to the prosperous capital. When he learned that he was working for the prince and had a great talent for martial arts, he was naturally eager to make a big career and become a big figure talked about by word of mouth.

What about now? He didn’t become a big shot, but just a small person hiding behind others.

Chen Shuhan knew that if he wanted to avenge Luo Shuzhi, he had to use any means necessary, but emotionally, it was not so easy to accept.

At this moment, someone behind him suddenly spoke up, "Is this your mother?"

Chen Shuhan felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy. He turned around suddenly and saw the man in green clothes with no facial features sitting cross-legged on a tombstone next to him, with a wine gourd on his legs, staring at Chen Shuhan with an emotionless face.

He didn't have an umbrella and was drenched in the rain, with his clothes and hair soaked.

Chen Shuhan frowned slightly, pressed the long sword on his waist, and said coldly: "You followed me? Were you bribed by the court?"

Lan laughed dumbly, "To make it in the martial arts world, the first thing you need is strength, and the second is trustworthiness. If someone could make me switch sides by offering a high price, then this Wuchang City would have been rotten decades ago, not to mention..."

Lan paused for a moment, then suddenly chanted: "The sword leans against the sky, the flute leans against the building, the shadows of the clouds are long and the shadows of the cranes are long and long. There are not many Jianghu masters who can make the Jade Palace have a book review, not even this seat, why do you think it is?"

Chen Shuhan was a little unsure of what Lan meant by coming to him all of a sudden. After thinking for a while, he said, "You lack heroic spirit. Since the battle that made you famous, you have always been hiding in the dark to assassinate people. I'm afraid that this behavior is extremely shameful to the Jade Palace. They look down on assassins like you... Even Zhao Wumian only gave this evaluation after he broke into the palace alone."

"Yes, that's absolutely right." Lan smiled slightly, "Hiding behind others, with great concentration, he can accomplish great things, but he can't become a man of the world."

Chen Shuhan was silent for a moment. This seemed like a sarcastic remark to him, so he shot back, "You are an assassin, so don't you hide behind people and stare at their butt cracks every day?"

Lan: "..."

He opened the stopper of the wine gourd, raised his hand and gently pulled on the face, pulling open the human skin to reveal the mouth underneath, and took a sip of wine. This action made this man seem not so scary... At least he was just wearing a human skin mask without facial features, not really having no facial features.

Lan said calmly: "I have been stuck in the unity of heaven and man for ten years, but I have achieved nothing and have reached a bottleneck. Over the years, I have thought a lot and suddenly realized that the martial arts champion should be heroic when it is time to be heroic, and hide when it is time to stare at people's buttocks. Only by being able to bend and stretch, and do what you want, can you connect heaven and earth.

Instead of just thinking about how to maximize benefits... He is not a human being, but just a calculating puppet. I heard that Luo Shuzhi doesn't know martial arts, but I'm afraid that even if he learns martial arts, his upper limit is just that... He doesn't have the ambition of a Jianghu man."

Chen Shuhan had understood something from what he heard, but his face darkened when he heard this. "Does the prince need your evaluation? What on earth do you want to do by coming to see me?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Lan closed the gourd plug, stood up, tapped the tombstone with his boots, and stood with his hands behind his back. "I have my own ideas about assassinating Zhao Wumian. Don't interfere and mess with me... You are much more approachable than that showy guy in white robe. You are half a gangster. That's why I want to talk to you."

"Why half?" Chen Shuhan asked with a frown.

Lan tilted his head, looked at Chen Shuhan, and glanced at the knife on his waist. "You use a knife, are you a swordsman?"

Chen Shuhan was slightly stunned, and answered with a bit of pride: "This sword and sword technique were all given by the prince. Naturally, what I learned are all the top sword techniques in the martial arts world. Even the Wushan Sword of Huanzhen Pavilion, Qingliantian's Shudao Nan, and the Yanyun Sixteen Swords of the Sword Sect, I have dabbled in them. However, these three sword techniques are the best in the martial arts world. It is easy to learn, but difficult to master them..."

Lan raised his hand to interrupt Chen Shuhan and asked him in confusion, "You are a swordsman, so why didn't you feel the slightest bit of excitement or the ambition to replace Zhao Wumian after hearing that he was determined to challenge him and take the title of Sword Master?"

Chen Shuhan's expression changed slightly. He looked at Lan standing on the tombstone, but remained silent for a long time.

The raindrops hit the oil-paper umbrella, making crackling sounds.

Seeing that Chen Shuhan remained silent, Lan smiled slightly, "Many people, after practicing martial arts for a lifetime, don't know what they want...so they are not worthy of the unity of heaven and man."

After the words fell, Lan raised his hand and threw out his wine gourd, "Although you are a bit dull, it is fate that we cooperate. When we meet next time, either I die or you die, and it is more likely that you die... Let's have a drink."

As he spoke, Lan raised his hand towards Chen Shuhan, meaning for him to bring over the Shaodaozi and exchange it for some wine.

Chen Shuhan glanced at him and said, "This is for my mother."

"..."

At the Sword Sect branch, Mu Lier, wearing a white dress, sat properly in front of a bronze mirror, looking at the person in the mirror.

Although she is still as beautiful as ever, there are dark circles at the corners of her eyes... This is not the way Luo Chaoyan drew it. It is obvious that Mu Lier has not had a good sleep these days.

She sighed softly, stood up and looked out the window. The wintersweet trees were swaying gently in the rain. The bright yellow fallen leaves on the ground were wet by the rain and stuck to the ground like golden waves. The evening breeze blew into the house, making the yellow lights inside sway gently in the wind. Raindrops hit the window sill, making slight sounds.

Mu Lier sighed again. It was true that she was a free and easy person, but she was extremely conservative when it came to matters between men and women. After so many years in the world, she had not had much interaction with any men.

In previous years, both the Mu family and the Sword Sect had thought about finding a blind date for her. After all, she was already 26 years old, which was old enough to be a nanny in the palace. However, Mu Lier never gave them face and never went on a blind date.

Her concept on matters between men and women is very simple... She doesn't ask for martial arts, family background, or looks, she only asks for virtues that match hers and whether he can make her heart beat.

Obviously, she hadn't met such a person in all these years, but that night when the cold poison took effect, she told Zhao Wumian a lot of true words. After she talked about the topic thoroughly and analyzed her inner thoughts, Mu Lier suddenly realized...

She didn't know what was affection, nor did she know what was love, but if she had to choose a husband, that person would definitely be Zhao Wumian.

Assume that everyone would do this. Comparing Zhao Wumian with other men, Mu Lier would only choose Zhao Wumian. However, she didn't know whether this was just "picking the tallest one among the short ones" or whether she really liked Zhao Wumian... After all, she had never been in love and couldn't explain her thoughts at all.

If you like someone, when did this feeling begin to develop?

When Xinzhou became a disciple, he did not worship incense but worshipped himself?
In the battle between Qin Fengshan and Gui Shou Zhenren, did he risk his life to protect him?

Or was it in Taiyuan city, surviving the disaster and hugging each other after reunion?

Or was it that when I was suffering from the cold poison, he held me in his arms for warmth?
There seemed to be many opportunities, and Mu Lier didn't know.

I was probably thinking about the night when the Imperial Master gave me an aphrodisiac. Although nothing happened, after that night, I no longer considered Zhao Wumian as a junior, but as "the opposite sex".

If it weren't for that night, Mu Li'er would never have developed any feelings for Zhao Wumian in her life... After all, everything is difficult at the beginning. Once the buds are germinated, once the beginning begins, the road will only go further and further astray...

But whether he likes Zhao Wumian or not doesn’t seem to be that important at the moment, because there are more important things to pay attention to.

Zhao Wumian was impeccable in terms of martial arts, appearance, and moral character. Although her background was unknown, Mu Lier didn't care whether Zhao Wumian was a poor man or a child of a wealthy family...but he was her apprentice.

Back in Xinzhou, she frankly said in front of countless colleagues in the martial arts world that Zhao Wumian was under her protection and was her true disciple, and that this sword would be handed over to Zhao Wumian in the future.

As a result, in the blink of an eye, he and his apprentice were rolling on the bed, making love. If this matter were to get out, Mu Lier would be labeled a "slut", and Zhao Wumian would also be unable to escape the infamy of "a rider who disrespects his ancestors".

In this vast world, the only place where incest between master and disciple occurs is in our sect.

This is the etiquette and law of this world.

Even if the two of them didn't care, wandered around the world without shame, what about the Sword Sect? What about the Mu Family? The Sword Sect taught her martial arts, and the Mu Family raised her, and this is how she repays them?
This is undoubtedly a shame for the sect and the family.

Selfish or not?
Unless...the two of them are having a secret affair, pretending to be master and disciple in public, but treating each other like husband and wife at home.

But who would be willing to hide it for the rest of their life if they could have a status?
Mu Lier sighed again. This was the way the etiquette and the world were, and it was hard to say what was in her heart. She was very confused at the moment and couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. Even if she met Zhao Wumian, she would be the most embarrassed.

It would be better to escape to Yanyun and hide for a few months...but this is not Mu Lier.

Deep down, she really wanted to have a good talk with Zhao Wumian again to put this matter to rest... Oh, no, it has already been put to rest.

She herself said that night that tonight was still dark, but after dawn, she had to pretend that nothing had happened.

Master and disciple are still master and disciple, and they cannot cross the line in the slightest. Otherwise, Zhao Wumian will be expelled from the sect and they will never see each other again.

But now that we have done that, can we really pretend nothing happened?

The evening breeze gently blew Mu Lier's skirt. A few raindrops hit it, bringing a sense of wetness, making Mu Lier recall the heat of that night. It was scorching, hard, turbid, wet, and even straight and a little upturned?
Her face instantly turned red and she called herself a "slut!"

"Slut?" A familiar voice suddenly came from outside the window. The Queen Mother, wearing a gorgeous palace dress, tilted her head and looked at Mu Li'er, her little face full of curiosity.

"Sister, who are you scolding? Zhao Wumian is such a treasure to you. Could it be that some wild woman seduced your disciple? I understand. He is now the Marquis of Weiming. His appearance is impeccable. It is normal for women to like him. But you are the dignified sword master here. If any wild woman dares to climb into Zhao Wumian's bed, can't you just stab her to death with your sword?"

  (End of this chapter)