I am Zhao Zhijing, a poor Taoist priest, and I have disciples all over the world.

Chapter 169 Lu Family Manor

Dashengguan is located between Henan and Hubei. It was a strategic pass on the border between Song and Mongolia at that time. Outside the pass was the land occupied by the Mongolian Tatars.

Because of its dangerous terrain, it has always been a place of contention for military strategists. The markets and shops inside the pass are not prosperous, and most of the pedestrians and tourists passing by are in a hurry, fearing that they will be implicated in the sudden outbreak of war.

Zhao Zhijing went to a high place and looked over. He saw Mongolian tents arranged in a semicircle on the open ground north of Dasheng Pass. The tent in the center was more than twice as large as ordinary tents. He guessed that was where the commander-in-chief was.

The rest of the tents were stacked up tightly like stars surrounding the moon, guarding the main camp.

"The Mongols are very powerful. They probably got the news that the Beggars' Sect was going to hold a hero conference at Dasheng Pass, so they intentionally stationed troops here to show off their military power."

Zhao Zhijing roughly scanned the Mongolian camp and thought that Guo Jing's reputation as the "Golden Sword Prince Consort" was resounding throughout the grassland. The other party now dared to place the main camp in such a conspicuous position. There must be a trick.

Either he was confident that the masters on his side were capable of taking down Guo Jing, or he was pretending to be strong and deliberately luring the local masters to take the risk of assassinating him.

"Master, those people behind are still there."

After leaving the dilapidated temple, the Beggar Gang disciples must have suspected a few people. Several people named Huaer followed them from front to back, and when they were discovered, they pretended to be stupid and followed them from a distance.

"It's okay. According to the route given by Elder Lu, we will soon reach Lujiazhuang."

In fact, even if you don't have a direction at this time, you don't have to worry about not being able to find it. All the people in the martial arts world, whether riding horses or walking, are rushing in the same direction, and they are definitely heading to Lujiazhuang.

The four of them passed through the market and walked east for another seven or eight miles. A large manor surrounded by hundreds of ancient locust trees appeared before them. Before they got close, the people from all directions dismounted and walked slowly, showing great respect.

"I didn't expect that Lujia Village is so magnificent. There are so many houses stacked up next to each other that it's hard to count them. It looks like it can easily accommodate thousands of people."

Yang Guo followed behind his master, feeling secretly excited. The closer he got to Lu Family Manor, the more excited he felt.

For a moment, I thought that such a grand occasion would definitely involve martial arts competitions. It would be so impressive if it was my turn to show off my skills.
Then he thought that if he failed, he would make a fool of himself in public. Even if his master didn't blame him, he would have lost his face.

In this way, as the crowd approached the gate of the manor, they saw the farmhands in charge of welcoming guests coming and going, being attentive and considerate. Famous figures with wide social connections in the world talked and introduced their friends to each other.

For a moment, the place was bustling with noise and it was extremely lively. It seemed as if everyone was waiting for the arrival of some important person.

Zhao Zhijing looked at the scene and pondered for a moment, thinking that it would be better not to reveal his identity before settling Zhen Zhibing.

Besides, I didn’t have a hero invitation with me, so I was not in a hurry to enter the village. I wanted to wait until later when there were fewer people before making plans.

"Bang bang bang!"

At this moment, three salutes were suddenly heard, followed by the sound of drums and music. The farm servants who were receiving guests in front of the farm gate lined up neatly on both sides. It was obvious that a distinguished guest had arrived.

Not long after, a man and a woman walked out of the manor, both of them were around forty years old. The man was wearing a brocade robe, looking dignified and majestic, while the woman was wearing a purple silk shirt, looking like a well-mannered noble lady.

Someone among the guests present whispered, "This is the owner of Lu Family Manor, Mr. Lu, and Mrs. Lu." After them came a man and woman, none other than Guo Jing and Huang Rong. Guo Jing wore a coarse cloth robe, while Huang Rong wore plain clothes, apparently not wanting to overshadow the guests.

Next came Guo Fu and the Wu brothers. The three of them rushed back overnight, so they arrived earlier than Zhao Zhijing and his companions.

Amid the sound of drums and music, the crowd came out from the manor and came to the four Taoists. One of the old Taoists had a purple face, and he was Hao Datong, the Guangning Zhenren among the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. The other old Taoist nun with gray hair was Sun Buer, the Pure and Pure Wanderer.

The other two Taoists were Li Zhichang and Cui Zhifang.

Mr. and Mrs. Lu addressed Sun Buer as "Master" and bowed deeply to him together.

"So it's Uncle Master Hao and Uncle Master Sun who have arrived. No wonder Master Lu and his wife personally came to greet them."

When Zhao Zhijing saw who was coming, he understood what was happening. However, Zhen Zhibing lowered his head and turned sideways, hiding in the crowd, fearing that he would be recognized by his teachers and fellow disciples.

The owner of Lujia Manor is Lu Guanying. His father Lu Chengfeng is the apprentice of Huang Yaoshi, the owner of Peach Blossom Island, and his wife Cheng Yaojia is the disciple of Sun Buer.

The two of them originally lived in Guiyun Villa in Taihu Lake, and Lu Guanying was the leader of a group of bandits in Taihu Lake. However, after Ouyang Feng burned down Guiyun Villa, the whole family moved north and settled in Dashengguan.

By this calculation, Lu Guanying is one generation lower than Guo Jing and Huang Rong. When Cheng Yaojia was abducted by Ouyang Ke, she was able to maintain her innocence thanks to the help of the Beggars' Sect.

So this time the Beggars' Sect sent out a call to heroes from all over the world, and Lu Guanying and his wife took the responsibility and set up the venue for the heroes' conference in Lujia Village.

After Master Lu and his wife stood up, Guo Jing and his wife, along with Guo Fu and the others, came forward to greet them one by one. Hao Datong stroked his beard and said, "After receiving Gang Leader Huang's invitation, Master Brother said that it was his duty to protect Song and resist Mongolia. Unfortunately, Master Brother has been in poor health recently, and Senior Brother Qiu and the other two need to help him circulate his Qi, so they are unable to be present. We have to apologize to Gang Leader Huang."

Although Hao Datong was much older than Huang Rong, Huang Rong was the leader of the Beggars' Sect, the largest gang in the world, so he was extremely respectful in his words.

After the formalities, Guo Jing was very concerned about Ma Yu's situation and could not help asking. As they talked, they walked in hand in hand. The guests who were waiting outside the manor followed them in one after another.

"Let's just follow him in and find a chance to meet up with Hero Guo."

Zhao Zhijing saw the opportunity and blended into the crowd and went in. There were so many people that the Beggar Gang disciples who had been following them all the way could not find any trace of the four people.

It was already evening. Big red lanterns were hung inside and outside the Lu Family Manor, and countless bright candles were lit in the hall. The Lu couple, Guo Jing and his wife, accompanied Hao Datong and others to sit in the main guest seats. The rest of the guests were led to their seats by the farmhands according to their seniority and reputation.

Zhao Zhijing followed the crowd, looked around, and chose a seat in the corner of the hall to sit down. His table mates were all housekeepers and accountants, people who had nothing to do with the Heroes Conference.

In the martial arts world, Quanzhen Sect and Beggars' Sect are the largest sect and the largest gang respectively, and they have always been equally famous.

Hao Datong and Sun Buer are both members of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, and are well-known throughout the world. They are considered the most important guests of this Heroes Conference. As soon as they arrived, today's banquet was announced to begin.

Guo Jing was the first to propose a toast to the distinguished guests. After three rounds of drinks, Huang Rong, as the leader of the Beggars' Sect, said loudly: "The main day of this hero banquet will be in three days. At this time, there are still many heroes who have not arrived yet, so please drink to your heart's content tonight, and don't leave until you are drunk!"

(End of this chapter)