Chapter 311 Autumn Pond Fishing
On the second day of October, dark clouds covered the sun and drizzled rain, adding a touch of chill to the late autumn city of Lin'an.

East of Lin'an City, there is a lake with a radius of dozens of miles, named "Qiutang". This place was once used as the emperor's palace for one night, so it is still under martial law and ordinary people are not allowed to approach it. Over time, this place became a place for the dignitaries of Lin'an City to relax and go outing.

Before daybreak, the Privy Council had already dispatched the Imperial Guard to seal off Qiutang, just because the Deputy Privy Councilor, Lord Qian, had a "sudden inspiration" and wanted to come here to relax and fish today.

In the early morning, the Qiutang area was covered with dark clouds and drizzling rain, and the sky looked like dusk.

The autumn wind is rustling and the rain is falling slantingly.

On the bank of Qiutang, Lord Qian, wearing a purple and gold cloak, sat motionless on a bamboo chair, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was dozing, or as if he was staring at the ripples on the lake. He held the fishing rod in both hands and said nothing.

Beside him stood a sturdy guard in silver armor, respectfully holding an umbrella for him to protect him from the rain.

About fifty meters behind the two men, hundreds of elite soldiers wearing armor and carrying swords stood in the rain, their bodies like steel spears and their faces like iron sculptures.

In front of the army, a middle-aged strong man in armor was pacing back and forth anxiously, sometimes looking at Mr. Qian's back, sometimes turning back to look into the distance. Looking at his impatient and restless appearance, it seemed that he was waiting for someone?

This person is none other than the Minister of the Western Palace, Bai Jin.

Back then, Luo Ningyu and Lin Fangda sneaked into Lin'an City because they were playful, and Bai Jin was ordered by Lord Qian to lead troops to hunt them down. Later, the Tianji Pavilion disrupted the situation, and Bai Jin and the Tianji Pavilion became enemies because of this.

"Asshole! What time is it now? Why haven't you shown up yet?" Bai Jin looked up at the sky and cursed angrily, "Except for the Emperor and the Privy Councilor, no one in the world dares to make Lord Qian wait for so long."

"Most of the bandits are rough and unruly, how can they understand so many rules?" The officer at the side advised, "Sir, please be patient. You see, Mr. Qian is in high spirits at the moment and has no intention of returning home. You may as well wait a little longer."

"Wait a minute!"

Bai Jin cursed subconsciously. Perhaps because his voice was too loud and disturbed the fish in the lake, Lord Qian's body moved slightly. Seeing this, Bai Jin's face changed immediately with fear, and he hurriedly covered his mouth and swallowed back the curse words that followed.

"Shh!"

Bai Jin lowered his voice as much as possible and said in a hissing voice, "Master Qian loves fishing. In the past, he would always get what he wanted and return with a full load if he cast the hook. Today, he has been sitting for a whole hour, but you can see that there is not even a single fish in the basket. Do you know why?"

"Why?" The lieutenant looked at Bai Jin blankly, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Stupid!" Bai Jin waved his hand and hit the lieutenant's head hard, cursing in a low voice, "If you can't even understand such a small matter, how can you rise to prominence in the future?"

The lieutenant was extremely terrified and said hurriedly, "Please tell me clearly, sir."

"The lack of fish in the basket means that Lord Qian is not at peace." Bai Jin said in a deep voice, "Fishing requires a calm mind. If you can't calm your mind, even loaches won't take the bait. Don't be fooled by Lord Qian's calm appearance. In fact, his mind must be in turmoil and his thoughts are in a mess."

"Great!" The lieutenant complimented with admiration, "Your Excellency is very perceptive and insightful. I admire you."

"Stop flattering me!" Bai Jin scolded, "The fish hasn't taken the bait yet. I'm afraid Mr. Qian's patience is running out."

"Why don't I take some people to dive underwater and catch fish..."

"Stupid." Bai Jin's eyes widened and he said, "Master Qian is not waiting for the fish in the pond, but the fish in the sea."

"Fish from the sea?" The lieutenant looked confused and asked in astonishment, "How can fish from the sea appear in the pond? Lord Qian is fishing for sea fish by the lake, isn't that putting the cart before the horse..."

"Forget it!" Bai Jin waved his hands impatiently, "You won't understand even if I tell you. Go to the back and see if anyone is coming."

"Report."

Before the lieutenant received the order, a soldier came running from a distance and reported, "Master Bai, someone outside wants to see the Deputy Envoy of the Privy Council."

Hearing this, Bai Jin's eyes lit up and he quickly asked, "Who is coming?"

"A man dressed like a woman, calling himself something like... 'Yijian Qinghong'."

"Yijian Qinghong?" Bai Jin was overjoyed and said hurriedly, "Let him in quickly."

After saying this, Bai Jin, full of joy, trotted towards Lord Qian.

When they arrived at the shore, Bai Jin suddenly slowed down his pace, tiptoed behind Lord Qian, suppressed his excitement, and stood quietly by the side, not daring to disturb him rashly.

"call!"

Suddenly, the float on the water sank, and the sculpture-like Lord Qian moved suddenly, holding the fishing rod tightly with both hands, and then swung his arm, and a two-foot red fish broke out of the water, flew high, and was finally pulled into Lord Qian's hand by the fishing line. "Haha... to catch a big fish, you really have to cast a long line." Lord Qian looked at the red fish with a smile, and his face was full of pride.

"Your Excellency is wise." Seeing that the fish had been hooked, Bai Jin, who had been holding his breath, immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said with a flattering smile, "Such a big fish must be very cunning. Only your Excellency has such patience in the world. Haha..."

"Jiang Taigong fishes, and those who are willing will take the bait." Lord Qian threw the red fish into the basket and said meaningfully, "We regard others as fish, and others also regard us as fish. As for who can catch whom, it depends on their own ability."

Bai Jin nodded repeatedly and said, "Hard work pays off. Sir, you have been fishing for such a long time, and today you finally caught a big fish."

After saying that, Bai Jin stretched out his hand and pointed towards the distance, and saw a "seductive" man in a pink robe, holding a sword in his left hand and an umbrella in his right hand, coming slowly, led by two guards.

Wherever this person passed, there was a strong and greasy fragrance left behind. With her rosy cheeks, slender eyebrows and slim waist, she was even more graceful than a woman.

The person who came was Ding Qinghong, a disciple of Peach Blossom Sword Island who had fought with Liu Xunyi before.

A few meters away, Lord Qian had already smelled the pungent scent on Ding Qinghong's body and couldn't help but frown. Seeing this, Bai Jin quickly stepped forward and blocked Ding Qinghong's way with his arm.

"you are late."

Lord Qian glanced at Ding Qinghong, then turned around and threw the fishing hook into the autumn pond again.

"If you hadn't urged me, I wouldn't have wanted to come today. After all, this is a matter of life and death, and my island master should think about it carefully." Ding Qinghong was not angry at being despised by Master Qian, and smiled softly, "What's more, Master Qian has broken his promise once, how easy is it to win his trust this time?"

"It was not that I broke my promise last time, but that you failed to do your job properly." Lord Qian said without turning his head. "If you had been able to capture Luo Ningyu that day, how could I be in trouble today?"

"The Privy Council controls all the military forces in the world, and even the current emperor has to give way to them. How can there be any 'trouble'?" Ding Qinghong said, "In the final analysis, Lord Qian just doesn't want to watch the East Palace make great contributions to the court. And you, the West Palace... can only watch in vain."

"Since you know, why doesn't your island master come to see me in person?" Lord Qian said in a deep voice, "I have humbled myself and am on equal footing with you common people, but he is putting on airs instead. It's really ridiculous."

"It's not that the island master is arrogant, it's just that the situation forces us to not act rashly." Ding Qinghong explained, "Your Excellency should know that the previous island master of Peach Blossom Sword Island once swore to the heavens that he would never set foot in the Central Plains again..."

"It's just some old things, why bring it up?" Lord Qian sneered, "Don't tell me that your island master intends to respect his teachers and abide by his ancestors' teachings?"

"Of course not." Ding Qinghong smiled, "It's just that the Central Plains martial arts community is eyeing my sect covetously, especially after my identity was exposed, Luo Tianjin even issued a hunting order. Anyone who encounters a disciple of Peach Blossom Sword Island in the Central Plains must be killed without mercy. Therefore, if the island master comes here at the risk of his life, I'm afraid there will be many inconveniences."

"How can you survive in the martial arts world if you are so timid?" Lord Qian said contemptuously, "Luo Tianjin just moved his mouth and scared your island master into a coward. Don't you feel ashamed?"

"Shame on you! But it's better to be embarrassed than to lose your life." Ding Qinghong shook his head and smiled, "Last time, the Lord promised us that Peach Blossom Sword Island would be able to rule the Central Plains legitimately, but in the end, it didn't work out. I worked hard for the Lord, but in the end, I ended up fleeing everywhere. When I was being hunted by Luo Tianjin's men, the Lord abandoned me. With this lesson, how can we believe in the Lord's sincerity again?"

"Since ancient times, wealth and honor have been sought in danger. You understand this principle, don't you?" Lord Qian said calmly, "I agreed to help you return to the Central Plains only because you worked for me. But you didn't do your job well last time, so why did I take the risk to save you? In the final analysis, you and I are just cooperating, not coexisting. You were lucky last time and saved your life. If you don't work hard this time, your end will be even more miserable."

"That's why the island owner has to consider it carefully." Ding Qinghong nodded and said, "When cooperating with a smart person like Lord Qian, we have to be very careful."

"Don't think that I have to use you. It's not that I don't have anyone to use. The Privy Council has millions of soldiers under its command..."

"Master Qian, there's no need to provoke me." Ding Qinghong sneered, "If you can mobilize a million soldiers, why would Master Qian care about a mere Peach Blossom Sword Island like us? Just now you were talking about lowering your status, why are you showing off your power now?"

"Ding Qinghong, you are so bold!" Bai Jin's eyes turned fierce and he shouted angrily.

"The truly daring person is not me, but the East Palace. One day, if the East Palace really makes great contributions to the court, the emperor may give military power to Yu Zhongshu." Ding Qinghong sneered, "By then, I wonder if Lord Qian can still boast of having a million soldiers? Haha..."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures." Lord Qian took a deep breath and said quietly, "It is not convenient for the imperial court to intervene in the affairs of the martial arts world. If you step in, it will be more convenient."

"It would be best if Lord Qian could recognize this." Ding Qinghong said, "Now, the East Palace is using Shen Dongshan to actively reconcile with Luo Tianjin and secretly recommend him as the leader of the martial arts world. Jin Fuyu is a descendant of the Jin Kingdom and has ulterior motives. The six major sects and the four great families are all in the hands of these two people. Even if the West Palace wants to participate, I'm afraid it will be impossible to get involved. Right now, the martial arts conference is just around the corner. Who else can Lord Qian trust except us?"

"Just tell me!" Lord Qian put down his fishing rod, turned around and stared at Ding Qinghong, and said bluntly, "What are your conditions, the island master? Do you want to rule the Central Plains? Or unify the martial arts world? Or do you want me to open the door for you?"

At this point, Lord Qian suddenly changed the subject and said, "However, I can only help you secretly. Now the emperor has ordered that all matters in the martial arts world be handled by the East Palace, and the West Palace has no right to interfere. Therefore, I cannot blatantly use the power of the court to help you..."

"Your Excellency is worrying too much." Ding Qinghong shook his head and smiled, "The conditions you mentioned are all old things. Your Excellency just said, 'Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.' Times are different now, so the island owner's intentions have naturally changed. He doesn't want 'money', 'people', or 'convenience'."

"Oh?" Lord Qian raised his eyebrows and asked suspiciously, "Then what does your island master want this time..."

"I want an official position!"

……

(End of this chapter)