Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

The next day, just as dawn broke, Gao Yuan received a message from Ma Wude.

The gist of it is that Cui Poyun has arrived, and a banquet will be held at Huifenglou that evening to welcome him, inviting him to join Lu Er'er.

After a slight hesitation, Gao Yuan politely declined Lao Ma's invitation to the banquet.

Looking at the servant who was going back to report, he was exceptionally clear-headed.

Cui Poyun caused chaos in Jingzhao as soon as he arrived yesterday.

At least for now, it seems he can't shake off the title of "rising star" of the capital.

The banquet that evening will surely attract many martial arts figures.

Approaching at this moment would be tantamount to exposing oneself to the spotlight of the underworld in Jingzhao.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, unless he's out of his mind, he would never go.

Old Ma is very tactful; he must know what I mean by refusing, at least he won't show any anger on the surface.

Anyway, let's hold on for a few more days. On the way, I'll try my best to be a good background figure for Cui Sanshao. It would be best if we could all part ways safely when we arrived in Yunnan.

With Cui Sanshao drawing aggro in front of him, he felt his safety level rising rapidly.

Feeling relaxed, Gao Yuan didn't stay in the inn any longer. Under the innkeeper's disapproving gaze, he hummed a little tune and went out.

Seeing children gathered around the sugar painting stall, I watched them laugh and stroll by. When I reached the study, I stopped and flipped through two pages of a newly printed storybook. Then, I was drawn in by the tune coming from the restaurant at the end of the alley.

The tall, vermilion walls of the wealthy family's house had patches of green extending outwards, while inside, colorful autumn leaves swayed, and laughter could be heard coming from within.

On Zhengyang Street, two groups of thugs agreed to fight, each with twenty or thirty men. Perhaps this is what the martial arts world is like in their eyes.

Seize territory, become a sworn brother, and if you are lucky enough to be recruited into a gang and learn their martial arts, you can turn your life around.

Gao Yuan sat down at a roadside inn and ordered a pot of wine. He noticed that both groups of thugs were teenagers around seventeen or eighteen years old, and their clubs were ruthless, showing no regard for whether anyone would die.

Sumeru, the victorious group, their faces covered in blood, walked arm in arm with their brothers.

The young man leading the group was full of vigor and urged his companions to go to the tavern for drinks; the group was quite large.

The waiter, with a cloth turban tied around his waist, could only force a smile and offer them wine and food, while the manager looked worried about being charged extra.

Before long, a pretty young girl dressed in coarse ramie cloth and with her hair styled in double buns came to the tavern looking anxious.

It was the younger sister of the young man who was leading the group. Upon seeing the crowd, she grabbed her brother and tried to go back, her face full of worry.

She looked at her brother, while one of the tallest and most daring young men under her brother's command secretly watched her.

Gao Yuan's desk was not far from them, and he heard their conversation clearly.

At the crowded dinner table, the young man, emboldened by alcohol, berated the young woman for being ignorant and said that his brothers would one day have their own territory in the capital.

Then we can offer our services to the local gangs, learn martial arts, drink and eat meat, and have no fear of government officials.

Then we'll see if the disciples who once looked down on them will dare to look at them askance again, or have the guts to spit on them again...

The boy's tongue was tied in knots, but everyone listened with rapt attention, their saliva flying everywhere.

He drank and vomited, and in his drunken stupor, he could vaguely see his brothers all around him. He felt that this was the way to live, the way to be a human being!

The girl looked haggard and began to sob.

All she knew was that the family was about to starve, but her older brother had stolen the money meant for their mother's medical treatment to treat people to drinks.

Even his father was so angry he collapsed!

She was just a poor girl, and she probably didn't understand her older brother's ambitions.

But she knew... that peace and tranquility at home were a blessing.

The girl just wanted her family to be together, and she didn't mind living an ordinary life.

Gao Yuan left the tavern silently.

As I walked to the street corner, I glanced back and it was as if I saw my former self.

If it weren't for Mr. Fan's help and the discovery of the martial arts secrets in the jade tablet, I might not have survived as well as they did, even without Guo Jie.

How long could I possibly survive alone in the Northern Song Dynasty?

They'll probably freeze to death in the winter.

It's also possible that on some unlucky day, they might offend someone they can't afford to offend, and then their body might be abandoned in the wilderness—who knows?

Gao Yuan withdrew his gaze and continued walking.

Inside the tavern.

One sharp-eyed teenager joked, "There was a pretty boy at the next table who stared at us for a long time. Could he have his eye on you, big brother or little sister?"

The already drunk man slammed his fist on the table and said, "How dare he! I'll kill him! Believe it or not, our little sister is going to marry into a wealthy and powerful family, or at the very least, become the wife of a gang leader and live a life of luxury."

"Last time, Brother He from the Tianyi Gang said he wanted to take my little sister as a concubine, but we didn't agree. A pretty boy with delicate skin, what's he? As long as I'm alive, nobody can even think about it..."

As he was talking, his head hit the table hard, and he passed out drunk.

The girl couldn't pull her older brother back, so she stomped her foot hard, ignored his crazy ramblings, and hurried home without looking back.

The boy who had just been peeping at the girl suddenly fell silent after hearing his older brother's words. He seemed both annoyed and resentful. He took a sip of wine, but it tasted bland.

Throughout the day, Gao Yuan traveled at various stops, observing many aspects of everyday life in the city.

As he passed a brothel, some women upstairs struck up a conversation and made flirtatious remarks. One of them threw him an embroidered handkerchief and exclaimed, "Handsome boy, come up and sit down. I'll treat you to tea. Sit on my lap."

Upon hearing the words, Gao Yuan looked up and saw that the women on the balcony, seeing his handsome appearance, immediately started making a ruckus, spewing lewd remarks.

Gao Yuan retorted with a witty retort, which made the woman upstairs cover her mouth and giggle. Although his words were risqué, he simply refused to go inside.

Just before dinner.

Gao Yuan returned to Shuichi Street and turned to "Jin Ke Lai" when he suddenly narrowed his eyes.

A gaunt little girl crouched beneath the stone lion at the inn.

She instinctively stood up, raised her head, and despite having prepared her thoughts, she didn't dare utter a single word.

When Gao Yuan saw her, he suddenly thought of the days when he and Little Scarface begged together.

He asked with a laugh, "No food left?"

The little girl blinked and nodded vigorously.

Realizing he hadn't eaten either, he sighed and gestured for the girl to follow.

We sat across from each other at the table and ordered some home-style dishes.

Gao Yuan didn't say much and started eating.

She only started eating after Gao Yuan began to eat, occasionally picking up a piece of food from the side dish with her chopsticks, very carefully.

"Thank you!"

She wiped the grease from her lips, her face full of sincerity.

Gao Yuan will be leaving Jingzhao Prefecture soon.

Looking at her, Gao Yuan had a sudden thought:

If she waits a few days without food and then comes back to this place, will she be disappointed if she can't find herself?

Thinking of this, he blurted out as if possessed, "If you wait a few more days, even if you come back, you won't have anything to eat."

The little girl nodded; she was quick-witted and knew that Gao Yuan was about to leave Jingzhao.

No one stays in an inn forever.

After the meal, Gao Yuan paid the bill. Seeing that she was dressed in rags and her face was flushed, he took out half a tael of silver and put it into her pocket.

"Go buy some warm clothes."

Winter is coming, and for beggars and orphans, every winter is a death knell, when many people freeze to death.

For some reason, he inexplicably hoped that she could live to see spring.

"I will repay you!"

The little girl was unusually serious.

"unnecessary."

The little girl retorted, "It's your business if you don't need it, it's none of your concern."

"The shopkeeper said your name is Gao Yuan?"

"kindness."

Gao Yuan thought for a moment and then asked, "What about you?"

"Chang Ying, 'Chang' as in 'always smiling,' and 'Ying' as in 'hero,' sounds nice, doesn't it?"

When she mentioned her name, the little girl's dark face immediately broke into a smile.

……

Outside Jingzhao Prefecture, on Dragon Head Mountain.

Five or six people stood in the darkness, with an old Taoist priest on horseback wearing a wide robe and sporting a three-inch beard.

His temples bulged slightly, and his aura surged to the four corners of his head, clearly indicating that he possessed considerable internal energy. At this moment, he gazed at the outline of Jingzhao in the night sky.

Beside him stood a broad-shouldered, burly man with a wild air about him; he was none other than Hong Zhaoren, the leader of the Kuangfeng Sect, who had come to lend his assistance.

The remaining few were disciples of Penglai.

Hong Zhaoren's voice was as rugged as his appearance as he slowly began to speak:

"Senior, news has come back from the five prefectures of Jingdong, Huainan Road, and Liangzhe Road, but no one has found this person's whereabouts. Jingzhao Prefecture is just west of the border of Song-Xia Kingdom, so this person probably did not come from the west."

Turin gave him a cold glance.

"We've searched all this way; how can we give up halfway just because of the word 'perhaps'?"

His gaze swept down over Jingzhao, then glanced at the distant mountains.

"Regardless, if we find no trace of him in Jingzhao and Fengxiang, we'll ride back, but perhaps..."

"Is he in Beijing or Fenghuang?"

The world is vast, and there are countless talented and ambitious people. If one is determined to live in seclusion, where can one find them?

Hong Zhaoren frowned, but dared not retort to Du Lingzi. He could only silently hope that this was the case.

"Master Hong, the two prefectures are not far apart. Tomorrow, you will take two people to Jingzhao, while I will go to Fengxiang. If you find anything, send a letter to inform us immediately."

Hong Zhaoren scratched the back of his head and nodded in agreement. After all, his Kuangfeng Sect needed to rely on Penglai.

He was useless and could only serve as a slave to Master Du.