"Knock, knock, knock."
"Come in."
The gray-haired elder gently pushed the door open to see Xiang Wudi, dressed in a loose, black practice attire, kneeling in the center of the quiet room, silently wiping his red tasseled spear.
The quiet room was spacious, the light from several oil lamps barely enough to illuminate the walls, serene and settled...
"Young Master."
The gray-haired elder bowed slightly and spoke softly, "Yang Erlang has sent a message, asking you to set the time and place for the duel as soon as possible."
Xiang Wudi’s hands steadily continued to wipe the spearhead, and after a long silence, he said, "Let it be set for three days from now, please find a secluded place outside the city."
The gray-haired elder hesitated and confirmed, "Outside the city?"
Xiang Wudi nodded, "Outside the city."
The gray-haired elder paused for a few moments, his face tinged with worry as he asked in a low voice, "Young Master, what are your chances of winning?"
Xiang Wudi looked up at him and replied slowly, "The only thing I can be sure of is... if I do not intend to kill, he will not strike to kill."
The gray-haired elder had no words to respond.
He took a deep breath, somewhat incredulously asking, "That Yang Erlang, is he really so formidable?"
Xiang Wudi smiled, "Even Wang Lin of the White Lotus Sect has fallen to his blade; why do you still feel he is not strong enough?"
The gray-haired elder sighed, "He is too young!"
Xiang Wudi, "That’s what’s more terrifying, isn’t it?"
The gray-haired elder opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, he closed it again.
Even though he didn’t speak, Xiang Wudi still knew what he wanted to say...
But for this matter, he had no solution either.
If they were to seek revenge for Uncle Xiang Feilong, they would have to intend to kill.
If they intended to kill, Yang Erlang would surely strike to kill.
Wang Lin, carrying the title of East King of the White Lotus Sect, couldn’t even escape with his life.
The Jiangdong the Xiang Family, far inferior to the White Lotus Sect...
After a long silence between the old and the young, the gray-haired elder finally sighed regretfully, "What a pity, if it weren’t for this affair, you and that Yang Erlang could have become good friends."
Xiang Wudi silently put away his red tasseled spear, and whispered, "Why must we share the same views to interact..."
...
The day Fang returned to Lu Ting, a light rain began to fall in Hangzhou.
Eight hundred imperial guards escorted seventy-nine coffins to board the ship, and countless citizens of Hangzhou came spontaneously to bid farewell.
Braving the rain, they crammed into the dock with various specialties, pushing and shouting as they stuffed freshly baked cakes and newly steamed dumplings into the arms of the imperial guards, repeatedly urging them to visit Hangzhou often...
Fang, dressed in black, stood at the stern, his gaze moving through the surging crowd, searching for something...
After searching for a long time, his gaze finally settled.
There, Yang Ge, with a plain face, leaned crookedly against a column, flanked by Yang Tiansheng and Li Jincheng.
Seeing Fang looking their way, Yang Ge grinned and raised his right arm high to wave at him.
Yang Tiansheng and Li Jincheng, upon seeing this, also raised their hands high to wave goodbye.
Under the gloomy sky, three handsome young men lined up amidst the crowd, their arms swinging neatly from side to side like seaweed swaying in the breeze, a scene filled with humor.
Seeing this, Fang unconsciously grinned but soon his expression grew dim again.
He meticulously adjusted his attire and solemnly bowed deeply in the direction of Yang Ge, appearing to others as if he were bowing to the moving crowd below.
The crowd, noisy, returned his gesture, their boisterous voices gradually blending into shouts of "Safe travels, Lord Fang."
Yang Ge smiled and nodded his head, then, arm in arm with Yang Tiansheng and Li Jincheng, walked away from the dock.
Fang watched their retreating figures, murmuring to himself, "You, making a home-loving snake forsake even his own home, who else but you deserves to die..."
It wasn’t until their figures disappeared into the crowd, no longer visible, that he lifted his gaze to the misty, rainy sky and let out a long breath.
Another storm is brewing!
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...
Meanwhile, the brothers, unbothered by the rain, walked arm in arm among the busy passersby, heading toward the Ming Sect’s lodging.
Yang Tiansheng joked, "Little brother’s gone, you must feel a great relief, huh?"
Yang Ge glared at him, "With the two of you still around, how can I feel relieved?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Why should I leave?"
Li Jincheng chimed in, "Yeah, why should this young master leave?"
Yang Ge, "Do you really think the court is blind? They can’t get me, but can’t they get you?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Think you’re underestimating us? If the court could have touched the Ming Sect, we would have been history hundreds of years ago!"
Li Jincheng, "Exactly..."
Yang Ge, "Exactly what, even if they can’t touch the Ming Sect, can’t they touch your Lianhuan Fort? Don’t you know the situation with your father?"
Li Jincheng, "I am aware, which is why this young master is still here waiting to see you fight Xiang Wudi. After you’ve beaten him, who else would dare to threaten our Lianhuan Fort?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Bright, Yang Ge is here to resolve issues for your Lianhuan Fort."
Yang Ge, "So after I fight Xiang Wudi, you better hurry up and leave, the quicker the better!"
Li Jincheng, "Leaning in when there’s benefit and backing out when there’s trouble, is that still human?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Good brother, that’s loyalty!"
Yang Ge, "Are you two idiots? If you can’t join the excitement, why stick around and attract hatred? Had enough yet?"
Yang Tiansheng, "If we leave and the emperor really sends secret guards to kill you, what will you do? Do you really think all the secret guards are like Wei the eunuch, a mere silver-headed spear? If the Zhao Family only had these few tricks, the world would have changed hands long ago!"