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If Ximen's master were here, he would definitely give Yang Guo a "you are not sincere" evaluation; if a swordsman were present, he would surely hammer the lesson of "as long as the sword exists, so does the person; when the sword is gone, so is the person" into Yang Guo's head; if it were Huang Ji from the Sword Hiding Villa, he would definitely smash Yang Guo into a meat pie with a "Setting Sun and Thunderbolt."
Bai Tang was not any of those people, so she merely felt sorry for the heavy sword for a moment. After seeing that there was nothing else to look at in the sword mound, she jumped down from it and returned to the cave. Feng Qingyang had not yet awakened from his meditation, and Bai Tang did not want to disturb him, so she walked straight out of the valley. It seemed that the Poshqu Snake had disappeared, as she had not seen a single one along the way.
Bai Tang made a big purchase in Xiangyang City, piling rice, noodles, oil, vegetables, dried meat, and other items into the cave. This old man Feng Qingyang did not take care of himself at all; he looked malnourished. Bai Tang guessed that this old man had no money and did not want to be discovered by the Huashan Sect, so he never cooked and only ate some wild fruits and vegetables, leaving himself looking like he could fall over with a gust of wind. Now that they had left Huashan, this old man could cook without worry! To prevent him from running out of food later due to lack of funds, Bai Tang left a few gold ingots on the stone table.
"Congratulations!" After Bai Tang tidied up the cave, Feng Qingyang also woke up from his meditation. Bai Tang immediately noticed that the old man's gains were substantial; previously, there had been traces of sword intent leaking from him inadvertently, but now there was nothing at all. He seemed like an ordinary old man. Returning to simplicity truly meant returning to simplicity!
"Thank you!" Feng Qingyang smiled and thanked Bai Tang, "If you have trouble in the future, come find me!"
The favor of an unparalleled expert—how many people wish for it but cannot obtain it? Bai Tang smiled and bid farewell to the old man.
With the wind brushing against the willows and flowers intoxicatingly fragrant, it was indeed the season of *brilliant light* in the southern country. On Ximen Street in Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, the bluestone road stretched straight out towards the west gate. In front of a grandly constructed mansion stood two stone platforms on either side with flagpoles about two zhang high, flying blue flags at their tops. The right flag bore yellow silk thread embroidered with a fierce lion with bared fangs and claws; as it waved in the wind, it made the lion appear even more vibrant. Above the lion's head was a pair of black silk thread embroidered Bat wings spread wide. The left flag was embroidered with four black characters: "Fu Wei Biao Ju," written with silver hooks and iron strokes—strong and vigorous. The mansion's vermilion gate had copper nails as large as teacups glimmering brightly; above it hung a plaque inscribed with four golden characters: "Fu Wei Biao Ju," with "Head Office" written horizontally below it. Inside the entrance were two rows of long benches where eight sturdy men sat upright, each exuding an air of bravery.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the back courtyard as an eight or nine-year-old boy came out accompanied by two big men. One of the eight men called out loudly to the boy: "Young Master is going out for a stroll?"
The boy nodded at the eight men: "There is a temple fair at Xuefeng Chongsheng Temple today; I want to go visit it and light some incense to ask Buddha to bless my parents and our escort agency."
Chongsheng Temple is located on the southern slope of Snow Peak Mountain in Dahu Township, Minhou County under Fuzhou. It has produced many eminent monks throughout history and is known as "the first temple in the south." Founded in the eleventh year of Tang Xiantong (870 AD), its founder Yizun first established an abode under a large dead tree (which is now known as Kumu Temple), making it one of Fuzhou's most famous temples. After lighting incense in the Mahavira Hall and donating merit money, Bai Tang exited the temple. Outside was bustling with activity; besides pedestrians coming and going, various stalls filled every available space outside the temple. Bai Tang's goal was to enjoy authentic Fujian cuisine: Tortoise Jelly, Flat Meat Dumpling, roasted meat dumplings, noodle soup, satay noodles, thousand-layer cake, Ding Bian Hu (a type of rice noodle dish), Fuzhou fish balls, Luo Hua (a type of rice noodle dish), White Rice Cake, oyster pancakes, Minnan spring rolls...
Flat Meat Dumpling is actually similar to northern wontons or southern dumplings but has been adapted in Minnan cuisine; Luo Hua is also a Minnan specialty that refers to mixed rice noodles. Tortoise Jelly is unique to Minnan cuisine and cannot be found elsewhere. The tortoise jelly does not come from mountain bamboo shoots but rather from a type of worm found on beaches known as sand worms by Minnan people. The sand worms are caught from the sand and kept for a while to purge impurities before being boiled down; because this ingredient has high collagen content similar to pig skin, it results in a sticky pot full of gooey liquid that solidifies into "tortoise jelly" once cooled in bowls. They are all white and translucent with tender meat that tastes fresh and fragrant—smooth and delightful when paired with good soy sauce, northern vinegar, sweet sauce, spicy sauce, mustard, garlic paste, jellyfish along with coriander, shredded pickled radish, chili strips, tomato slices—creating an exquisite culinary experience...
After eating three servings of Tortoise Jelly without feeling satisfied yet and just about to order a fourth serving, she noticed a young boy riding a horse accompanied by two servants approaching through the mountain gate. Bai Tang dropped a silver ingot and followed after him. The boy first went to light incense in Mahavira Hall and donated three hundred taels as merit money; delighted by this generosity, the supervising monk kept inviting him to stay for lunch at the temple. However, being playful and someone who could not enjoy meals without meat, he waved off the monk's invitation and exited through the temple gate.
Once outside the gate, his true nature was revealed as he joyfully weaved through crowds; one momentary lapse caused him to lose track of his two servants. Dressed luxuriously with ornaments made either of gold or jade adorning his headpiece while spending lavishly on goods made him appear like an easy target—he quickly caught someone's attention.
The brothers Luo Hu and Luo Bao were notorious bandits responsible for countless deaths; their hands were stained with blood beyond counting. Both possessed decent martial arts skills ranking them among second-tier experts in Jianghu (the martial arts world), allowing them to succeed in their crimes repeatedly. Now they had set their sights on this young boy.
After indulging himself with food until his belly was full and feeling contented enough to squeeze out from behind a large tree for some privacy when nature called—the boy suddenly found his path blocked by two fierce-looking men.
"Who are you? How dare you block my way? Step aside!" The child raised his head defiantly. He believed that having learned martial arts from his father meant he could easily handle anyone—even those escort agency guards—and thought these two petty thieves would be no match for him! He was determined to teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget!
"Grandfather? Rabbit Lord?" Luo Hu sneered, "Second brother, look at this kid, delicate and tender, even prettier than a girl. Could it be that he’s a young lady in disguise?"
Luo Bao chuckled, "Eldest brother, we’re lucky today to encounter such a gem. Regardless of whether this kid is male or female, he can fetch a good price!"
"That’s not how it works. I’m not interested in Rabbit Lord," said the eldest brother.
The boy resembled his mother, with clear brows and beautiful eyes, exceptionally handsome. Usually, if any man dared to leer at him, he would surely retaliate with a slap. But now, hearing these two men call him "Rabbit Lord," he could no longer hold back. He swung his fist toward the two of them. Unfortunately, his punch was intercepted halfway by Luo Bao. The boy's parents had some reputation in the martial world, but their skills were only average; naturally, their child was no match for two second-rate experts. After just two exchanges, he was already at their mercy. At that moment, the boy realized what his father often said: "There are always people better than you." He had been arrogant at home, but now he understood that those bodyguards and escorts had merely let him be. Filled with regret, he resolved to learn martial arts diligently once he escaped.
"Let me go quickly; otherwise, my father won’t spare you! My father is Lin Zhenan, the head of the Fortune and Glory Escort Agency!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Hu and Luo Bao burst into laughter. Luo Bao said, "Fortune and Glory Escort Agency? What great power! With Lin Zhenan’s skills, I could take him down with one hand! Back when Lin Yuantu was around, you might have intimidated people; now…"
Luo Hu suggested, "Second brother, how about we use this kid to exchange for the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?"
Luo Bao gave a thumbs up: "Eldest brother, great idea!"
The boy shouted, "My father would never give you the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual!"
Luo Hu grinned wickedly: "Not willing to hand it over? Then let your father collect your corpse!"
The boy's eyes widened in anger: "Bastards! Let me go! Let me go!"
His cries turned into sobs; after all, he was still a child under ten years old. Initially relying on his family background to hold firm, he now felt fear as he heard the two villains dismissing the Lin family entirely and showing no regard for his life.
"Two big men bullying a child—don’t you feel ashamed?" A clear voice echoed in the ears of the three men, yet no one appeared around them.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" The Luo Brothers felt a jolt of surprise.
"Heh heh, if you want me to come out just like that, wouldn’t that be embarrassing for me?" The voice seemed to come from all directions, making it impossible to determine where the speaker was hiding.
The Luo Brothers exchanged glances, and Luo Bao pulled the boy in front of him, his other hand gripping the boy's neck. "If you don't come out now, I'll strangle this kid!"
They thought the newcomer was a master sent to protect the boy and wanted to use his life as leverage. Unfortunately, they misjudged the identity and skills of the newcomer. In an instant, they felt a blur before their eyes, and the boy in Luo Bao's hand had vanished.
"I'm in a good mood today and don't want to harm anyone! You can leave now!"
The two brothers were stunned by the newcomer's unpredictable skills and dared not linger, scurrying away with their tails between their legs.
Once their figures had completely disappeared, a young man jumped down from a tree, holding a boy.
"High Master, please take me as your disciple!" The boy knelt before the young man as soon as he landed, looking at him with adoration, clearly determined not to get up until he received an answer.
"You are Lin Pingzhi from the Fortune and Glory Escort Agency? The great-grandson of Lin Yuantu?"
"I am!"
"If you become my disciple, you won't be able to learn your family's Evil-Repelling Sword Technique. Are you still willing?"
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