The Villain's Counterattack

"May I ask, Brother Seven, should people like this be expelled? Morality is what Young Yang wants to maintain. Beggars shouldn't exist in a prosperous age. Even in places like Zhoushan, beggars should earn a stable income with their own hands, rather than huddling in a corner counting lice to gain sympathy in exchange for a meal earned through others' hard work."

Huang Yaoshi didn't explain the second half of Yang Kang's words. There shouldn't be beggars in troubled times, so what should there be? If the first half of the sentence talks about self-reliance, then the second half is probably about passion or iron-bloodedness.

Hong Qigong was still upset after hearing this. He snorted coldly and said, "That doesn't mean Zhoushan is a good place. An old scholar, a disabled soldier, and an underage girl are all required to work hard in public. This shows how cold-blooded you are."

"It's better than the gray-haired scholar from Song State who still studies hard every day, waiting for the next chance to break through the Dragon Gate, while his wife sews and mends under the oil lamp, working hard for half a bowl of rice for the next day. If he can give others a penny, it means he has more money. The wounded soldiers are properly accommodated. Even if they don't work, they won't starve to death. Working will only make their lives better. A day's wages can buy braised beef and roast chicken. Do you think his life is bad? A girl of fourteen or fifteen can support her entire family with just embroidery, and can even buy luxuries like meat buns for her brother. Do you think her family doesn't have enough rice?"

Yang Kang's questions made Hong Qigong realize that there was a lot of detail in this description. Thinking carefully about the scenes he saw in Ryukyu and Luzon, it seemed to be true. Those people could not be said to be rich, but they definitely had enough food and clothing.

"It would be great if you were a minister of the Song Dynasty." Hong Qigong suddenly sighed.

"Seventh Master, although I look down on you, I have never thought of hurting you. Why do you want to kill me?" Yang Kang shuddered all over when he heard this, and withdrew from the perception of the vast blue waves. He was obviously frightened.

"Hey, you kid..." Hong Qigong really wanted to beat someone up this time. It was rare for him to be in such a state of worrying about the country and the people. He had finally gotten into the state, but was beaten out by this kid's words. He didn't know that he also destroyed Yang Kang's enlightenment.

Huang Yaoshi laughed and said, "Seventh Brother, just as Young Master Yang just said, anyone who dares to generously give alms to beggars in Zhoushan will be driven out of Zhoushan. If he practices benevolence and righteousness in Song State, bringing welfare to the common people, then all the powerful landlords, the entire court, and even the Emperor of Song State will not let him go. They will not be at peace until he is dead and his entire clan is wiped out. Because such a person is too dangerous."

Hong Qigong was not a real fool. He couldn't help but sigh when he heard this, his eyes full of loneliness. This was his homeland, the place where he had fought for decades, and it was also a place where he would still need to sacrifice his life in the future.

"I suddenly understand what Yang kid did, but I would rather not understand him." Hong Qigong sat on the bow of the boat and watched the warship sailing through the waves, but he felt no motivation at all.

"Being in the minority is always dangerous, so I'm secretly expanding my group. One day, when we become the majority, I won't have to worry so much." Yang Kang "comforted" Hong Qigong, then turned to Huang Yaoshi and said, "Island Master Huang, I just observed the vast blue waves and gained a new understanding of the 'Blue Wave Palm Technique' you taught me. I also have a deeper understanding of the insights you gained when you created this technique. Island Master Huang is truly an extraordinary master."

Yang Kang pulled Huang Yaoshi aside and started to talk about his feelings after watching the vast blue waves. He also tried to incorporate these feelings into the "Blue Wave Palm Technique" to discuss which moves would be more suitable. Huang Yaoshi's eyes sparkled when he heard this. He only saw the vast blue waves, and that was when he was standing on the reef of Peach Blossom Island, but this kid saw the vast blue waves on the warship.

Haha, do you have the same feeling as me?

Boy, you are indeed an eagle in the sky. What you see may seem the same as what I, a swallow, see, but there is a world of difference between them. However, these things are of great help to me. I will just nod in agreement and then slowly digest and absorb them.

This kid is extremely talented. How about teaching him a few more Kung Fu skills, and then taking him to the place where he gained enlightenment in the past? Maybe he will gain something different. The greedy Huang Yaoshi looked at Yang Kang as if he saw a big piece of fat meat!

A courtyard with a sign saying Luzon Envoy Post Station appeared on Zhoushan, surrounded by military camps and government offices. Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi and everyone met. Everyone was respectful to Huang Yaoshi, but frowned when they saw Hong Qigong, which made Hong Qigong helpless.

Huang Yaoshi easily won over this group of civil and military officials from Shandong through his discussions of civil and military affairs. However, apart from his martial arts skills, Hong Qigong knew almost nothing about governance, especially when it came to flexibility. Officials from Shandong were not pure Confucian scholars. Their evil nature was the same as Yang Kang's. They did good deeds under the banner of justice, but their methods were somewhat unacceptable. Do you believe that they would cheat and deceive just to do good deeds? Yet, they all did just that.

Huang Yaoshi agrees with this point very much. As long as the starting point and the result are good, the process and means are not important. Why do I need your approval for doing things? This is Huang Yaoshi.

Hong Qigong inspected Zhoushan and, based on what Yang Kang and Huang Yaoshi had said, he discovered that there were indeed scholars busy with accounting and writing, but the oldest was no more than fifty years old. There were also soldiers with missing limbs, but most of them did easy tasks like guarding the gates and standing guard. No one with only one arm would carry a bag. Girls aged fourteen or fifteen were good at embroidery, and there were girls as young as twelve or thirteen.

The only thing missing here is beggars. There shouldn't be beggars in a prosperous age. Hong Qigong saw that the people here tried hard to dress neatly. If beggars really appeared, it would probably be very ugly. Zhoushan is already under the rule of His Royal Highness the King of Qi of Shandong. Outsiders need to pass through multiple checkpoints to enter, and beggars cannot enter.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. This is common sense that Hong Qigong still has. Before anything else, he called Huang Rong, Guo Jing and their family over. When everyone gathered together, Huang Rong jumped for joy to see her father. It had been a year since her father left. Although she knew that Yang Kang would definitely not let anything happen to her father, she still couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"You're such a grown-up, and your child has already run away. How can you still act like a child?" Although Huang Yaoshi scolded, his eyes were full of love and concern.