Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

Lu Shou led his men, his steps swift and graceful, walking alongside the disciples of Nianhua Manor.

Ma Wude and Gao Yuan walked out together, and the group bumped into each other at the vermilion threshold in the main hall.

Lu Shou smiled warmly and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ma Wude: "Brother Ma, it's been a long time. I'm bothering you again. You won't be unwelcome, will you?"

"Brother Lu, what are you saying? Today, Brother Cui is hosting the banquet, and I am just cooperating as the host. If anyone is to be bothered, it is the young master."

Old Ma's eyes darted around, and a fake smile suddenly appeared on his face: "After all, a small temple can't accommodate a big monk. If it weren't for Brother Cui being here, even if I wanted to bother your gang, you wouldn't necessarily want to come."

Ma Wude's words were laced with barbs and sarcasm.

"Haha, Brother Ma, are you still holding a grudge about what happened last time? It was all a misunderstanding. In business, harmony brings wealth. Let's settle our scores over a drink another day."

Lu Shou immediately understood what had happened. Although he felt slightly apologetic, he still appeared completely unconcerned.

It was simply that a few weeks ago, an outbreak occurred on Fujian Road, leading to a shortage of medicines.

In the face of an epidemic, honeysuckle is both a life-saving medicine and a source of immense wealth.

Ma Wude had his own connections. He somehow acquired over thirty shi (a unit of dry measure) of honeysuckle, hoping to ship it to Fujian Road and then raise the price to make a fortune.

As luck would have it, the Tianyi Gang also set their sights on this resale business, buying up all the honeysuckle from Jingzhao Prefecture and neighboring prefectures.

When Shen Xuanmo learned that Lao Ma had stockpiled a batch of goods, he conspired with a local garrison commander to intercept them for him.

Ma Wude spent a lot of money to inquire and finally got confirmation from a key member of the Tianyi Gang; otherwise, he would still be in the dark.

"It's nothing, just a small amount of money. Old Ma can afford to lose it. Friends in the underworld know my character. Consider it feeding a beggar and doing a good deed."

"As for Chief Lu, defeating Tianyi with his fists and developing feelings for the young master is truly a remarkable story in Jingzhao. When you return, I'll definitely offer you two drinks. I admire you! I admire you!"

Ma Wude, with a forced smile, began to unleash his ultimate move.

"you......"

Before Lu Shou could speak, he interrupted, saying, "Chief Lu, please stop with the small talk. Brother Cui is inside. I'll come back to catch up later. Goodbye."

After saying that, he was about to leave with Gao Yuan across the threshold.

That kid surnamed Cui has made a name for himself in Jingzhao by stepping on his face.

Ma Wude's words struck a chord with him, and Lu Shou's face immediately fell as straight as a locked iron gate, without a trace of a smile.

Old Ma was ungrateful, so Lu Shou stopped trying to save face and snorted lightly before leading his men into the hall.

If it weren't for the complicated relationship with Ma Wude, Lu Shouzhen would have torn him to pieces; he was being incredibly ungrateful.

The eldest brother is very close to Hong Zhaoren and his gang, and as Cui Xiao'er's elder, he would never come in person. The second brother is not in Jingzhao Prefecture, and there are no other people in the gang.

Otherwise, he would never have come to save face for Cui Xiao'er on behalf of his elder brother.

He flicked his sleeve, about to lead his men into the hall.

As the group stepped past each other, Lu Shou glanced at the boy with Ma Wude.

Why does this look so familiar?

It was dark and the lights were dim. He only caught a glimpse of his profile. Although he felt a strange sense of familiarity, Lu Shouyi dismissed it as his imagination.

Before he could ponder his memories, he entered the hall in a few steps, and the noisy commotion of the hall reached his ears, interrupting his recollection!

Cui Poyun walked towards him. Lu Shou shook his head twice, preparing to deal with the man surnamed Cui first.

He forced a smile and rushed forward, pulling the young master aside to strike up a conversation.

Inside the hall, various martial arts figures were arguing heatedly, including those from the Nine Wings, the Fire Worshipping Clan, and the Beggars' Sect. Lu Shou was completely confused by what he heard.

Once they sat down and chatted in their small circle, Lu Shou learned that something enormous had happened.

Good heavens, the Nine-Winged Taoist of the Zoroastrian Church, with his Thunderous Nine Heavens Movement Technique, the Shu Road Difficult Iron Plate Technique, and the Thunder God's Block, is unfathomable. Yet he was actually taken down by this group of people?

Is Gao Yuan the boy who was with Ma Wude earlier?

Lu Shou frowned again, trying hard to recall.

To everyone's surprise, the young master smiled and said, "Brother Lu, I offended you the other day. Sparring is all about skill, not about seniority in the martial arts world. Please don't hold it against me."

Lu Shou's lips twitched; Cui Poyun's smile always gave him a sly, mischievous feeling.

That kid... he couldn't have done it on purpose, could he?

Before long, Ma Wude led Gao Yuan to the gate of the mansion. The moon was just beginning to appear, and its clear light shone on the stone drum, exuding a sense of beauty.

"Brother Gao, I feel very guilty for the delay, but it was a last resort. Fortunately, all the miscellaneous matters here have been resolved."

"Brother Ma, there's no need for that."

Gao Yuan thought he was a wonderful person. He probably didn't have any bad intentions, but he was also not at all honest or simple-minded.

Old Ma is the kind of person who speaks to people in a way that suits them, and he may have good intentions, but in the underworld, no one would actually take him for a fool. They'd probably be betrayed without even realizing it.

It was late at night. He said goodbye and left, turning and disappearing into the night.

But after walking less than a hundred paces, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching rapidly behind him.

Looking back, in the streets and alleys, one could see a thin, frail little figure running desperately, her small feet making a soft "patter" sound as she stepped on the gravel.

A few rays of moonlight illuminated the road, and from a high vantage point, one could see clearly who it was but the little girl Chang Ying.

Gao Yuan noticed the anxiety in her eyes and turned to walk towards her.

"what?"

Gao Yuan was tugged at the corner of his clothes

She was panting heavily, unable to utter a single word.

Then, she raised her eyes, and a hint of panic could be seen in them.

The two, one big and one small, stood there for a while.

Gao Yuan found it amusing, ruffled her hair, gave her a smile, and said, "Are you out of food again? Why bother running? I can't run."

Chang Ying pulled him down to squat down, her breath coming in gasps from the rush of running, making her words broken and intermittent.

Gao Yuan only heard her say:

"Run...run...run, the Tianyi Gang is looking for you."

Chang Ying touched her chest, took a deep breath, and finally finished speaking.

Gao Yuan was startled, but suppressed his doubts and patiently asked.

It turned out that she had been strolling around the restaurants and teahouses on the main street during the day when the members of the Tianyi Gang happened to be resting and drinking tea.

Seeing that she was dressed in tattered clothes and looked down on her because of her young age, the group paid no attention to her and continued chatting about their search.

She squatted in a corner by the door, listening intermittently to things she couldn't understand, such as "searching people," "Penglai," and "Dulingzi."

She got bored during the time and got up to go home.

Just then, one of the leaders took out a portrait and examined it from a distance.

The man had his back to her, but she saw him clearly as she turned around.

That portrait...

The portrait bore an uncanny resemblance to Gao Yuan, bearing about 80% of his features.

......

At 9 PM that night, the banquet ended, and Lu Shou led his men back home.

The surroundings were quiet, and the night wind blew through the alley, carrying a chill that dispelled most of his drunkenness.

Suddenly recalling what everyone had just said, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Gao Yuan, who had killed the Nine-Winged Taoist. He was just afraid that he had no foresight and that Ma Wude had left with his men.

Otherwise, such a young man should be befriended.

"Brother, did you drink too much at the banquet? You don't look too well."

A trusted aide beside him noticed his thick eyebrows furrowing frequently and asked in a low voice.

Lu Shou shook his head without answering, Gao Yuan's profile repeatedly appearing in his mind, and he felt a strange sense of familiarity with it.

"Brother, all the brothers in the gang have dispersed in the past two days, but we haven't found a single clue. Could the person the gang leader asked us to find not even be in our Jingzhao Prefecture?"

"Shut up! We do what the boss tells us to do. Whether he's here or not, or how long it takes, is none of your business. Are you really tired of living?"

"Keep your mouths shut. If this gets to the gang leader's ears, even if you call me your own father, not only will you be in trouble, but you won't be able to save yourself."

The confidant, terrified by the scolding, quickly shrank back and dared not utter another word.

and many more......

Portrait of a boy.

The image of the boy in his memory began to merge faintly with the person he had just met in his mind.

Damn it!

It's him!

"Turn around, turn around, and come with me to see the gang leader immediately."