Chapter 999: Gathering of Heroes (Part )

"What a beautiful spearmanship! The 10-foot-long steel spear must weigh at least 50 to 60 kilograms, but you wield it with ease, releasing and controlling it with ease, and performing the powerful spearmanship that should have been performed in a secretive and cunning way. It is steady in urgency, fast in slowness, hard in softness, and established in destruction. It is really eye-opening and I can't help but applaud."

The middle-aged man looked up and down at Qin Wei, who was talking eloquently, with complicated eyes. The brief fight just now made him quite shocked. He seemed surprised that Qin Wei had such skills at such a young age, and seemed to be sighing that the Central Plains martial arts world was indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

"You are clearly better than me, yet you praise my marksmanship to the skies. Are you trying to show off your broad knowledge? Or are you trying to highlight your superior martial arts skills?"

"I'm just a little surprised. How could a master like you who has outstanding marksmanship make enemies with others just because of a pot of tea? As for what the bartender just said about 'extortion of money', I think it's nonsense." Facing the sarcasm of the middle-aged man, Chu Mao and the others all glared at him, but Qin Wei smiled and said, "I think there must be some misunderstanding. If you don't mind, the money for your tea today... is on me."

"Son..."

"No need to say more." Qin Wei looked straight at the serious-minded middle-aged man, and said to Chu Mao and the others without turning his head, "Apologize to him."

"What?" As soon as these words were spoken, not only did Chu Mao and the others change their expressions, but they also shocked the crowd watching the excitement. Even the middle-aged man couldn't help but look stunned.

"How can you fight with others in public because of a pot of tea?" Qin Wei said, "My friends are thirsty for a while, so what's the harm in giving them a pot of tea?"

"Sir, they were the ones who were rude first, and they have been provoking us..."

“I don’t want to say the same thing twice.”

Under Qin Wei's intimidating reminder, Chu Mao and the others were frightened. After hesitating for a long time, they finally gritted their teeth and bowed to the middle-aged man to apologize.

As the saying goes, "Don't hit a smiling person." Facing Qin Wei's humble attitude, the middle-aged man could not find an excuse to attack him even if he was dissatisfied.

"May I ask your name?" Qin Wei's voice sounded again, "Can we be friends?"

"This……"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Scholars are scholars. They are not surprised by praise or criticism, and they can bend and stretch. They are far beyond the reach of us vulgar people. If ordinary people are insulted like this, they will curse at least a few times, even if they don't fight. But this young man not only did not fight or curse, but he repaid the grievance with kindness and even wanted to make friends with the person who humiliated him. I admire you! I really admire you!"

Before the middle-aged man could hesitate, a teasing laugh suddenly came from the crowd. Then, a fat man with a naive look, surrounded by a group of burly men, staggered towards Qin Wei.

As soon as this person appeared, the eyes of the people around him changed, and they whispered to each other subconsciously. The quiet lobby gradually became lively.

"That person... seems to be the head of the Hexi Qin family."

"It's him! Following behind are the 'Three Heroes of the Qin Family'. I have the honor of meeting them once."

"Could he be the legendary hemp-robed swordsman Qin Ku, 'Ghost-Seeing Sorrow'?"

"You are talking about the 'old calendar'. In the past, Qin Ku wandered around the world, was poor and destitute, and could only wear sackcloth. Now he is rich and prosperous, with endless silk and satin to wear. He is no longer a 'sackcloth-robed swordsman', but a 'brocade-robed swordsman'."

"I didn't expect him to come. I heard that he and Liu Xunyi... are very close friends."

"Even a couple who share the same bed will 'fly away when disaster strikes', let alone friends? I heard that when Liu Xunyi went to Mongolia to escort her bride, Qin Ku colluded with Wudang to set up an ambush and kill her on the way, and for this reason... ruined the good deeds of the Jiangnan Lu Mansion."

"I've heard about this, too. At the time, Lu Tingxiang personally took action and was about to capture Liu Xunyi, but Qin Ku interfered. Rumor has it that Qin Ku and Lu Tingxiang had a fierce battle, and it was earth-shattering and inseparable."

"Mr. Lu is ranked third on the Dragon Elephant Ranking, and Palace Master Qin is ranked fourth. Their martial arts are equally matched, so if they fight, it will definitely be a draw."

……

As the people around him whispered, Qin Wei's eyes turned towards Qin Ku and became more cautious and solemn.

In fact, he had heard of Qin Ku's name a long time ago, and he also knew that he and Liu Xunyi were close friends. Because of this, when Qin Ku stood up to "rescue" the middle-aged man, Qin Wei felt a sense of foreboding in his heart.

It seems... the root cause of today's "misunderstanding" is not as simple as a pot of tea.

"Master Yan, since they ask you your 'name', just answer it. You are not a young girl waiting to be married, so there is no need to be shy about introducing yourself. Hehe..."

Qin Ku's teasing immediately caused a burst of laughter.

The middle-aged man was not surprised by Qin Ku's appearance, but he breathed a sigh of relief. In an instant, the coldness and hostility on his face disappeared, and he bowed to Qin Wei politely: "I am Jizhou Yanshun."

"Jizhou Yan Shun?" Qin Wei was stunned at first, then suddenly realized, "Are you the head of the Jezhou Yan family, one of the 'Four Prefectures of Shangjing'? No wonder your spear skills are so superb, it turns out that you are the famous 'Jizhou Xiao Luo Cheng'." "This young man is really knowledgeable and even knows my nickname." Yan Shun replied with a smile, "I bet that the people present today have heard of my name... At most, only 20% or 30%. Your word 'famous' really makes me ashamed."

"Master Yan is too modest."

At this moment, Qin Ku, who was so close to him, was like a poisonous thorn covered with thorns, or a cold sword, staring at him eagerly, ready to make a move. Qin Wei was uneasy, so he had no time to greet Yan Shun.

"I guess this is the Lord Qin of the Hexi Qin Clan. I've heard of your great name for a long time!" Qin Wei pretended to be calm and bowed to Qin Ku. "I've heard that Lord Qin is a young and promising man, a great hero of the time. It's a great honor to meet you today."

"Hey! I am just lucky enough to inherit my family business. Thanks to the love of my friends in Jianghu, I can live a carefree life with a full stomach and wait for death. Hehe, I am afraid that I am not even one ten-thousandth of you in terms of real talent and knowledge. It is really not worth mentioning." Qin Ku waved his hand and cleaned up a messy table. Then he sat on it, crossed his legs without caring about his decency, looked at the polite Qin Wei with a playful smile, and sighed to Yan Shun, Qin Da and others around him, "Look at him, then look at me. We are both men, and we are of the same age. He has sword eyebrows and star eyes, and he is handsome, while I..." At this point, Qin Ku patted his big belly with his hand, pretending to be wronged, "I am like a woman who is pregnant for ten months, and I am pregnant with twins."

"Ha ha……"

Qin Ku's self-deprecating remarks once again caused everyone to burst into laughter.

"Alas! It's true that 'people are damned when compared to others, and goods are thrown away when compared to others'." Qin Ku said helplessly, "Forget it! Forget it! Seeing that you are handsome and extraordinary, and the warriors around you are also tall and strong, vigorous and powerful, I guess you must be no ordinary person. May I ask your name, brother?"

"Under..."

Qin Wei looked around inconspicuously, and saw unfamiliar faces everywhere. After a slight hesitation, he bowed and said, "I am... Qin Shang, from Yangzhou, an unknown person in the underworld."

"Qin Shang? So you and I are from the same family. What a fate." Qin Ku's eyes lit up and his smile became even brighter. "Your last name is Qin, and mine is Qin too. We were one family five hundred years ago."

"Qin is born in a humble family, how dare I marry someone of such a high status?" Qin Wei couldn't figure out Qin Ku's real intention, so he didn't dare to respond carelessly. He could only respond perfunctorily, as if he wanted to end this meaningless conversation as soon as possible.

"If you think about it, our Qin family is also full of talents." I wonder if it was intentional? Qin Ku ignored Qin Wei's impatience and still enthusiastically counted on his fingers to make friends with him, "The Hexi Qin family is just a group of rough men who can't read a word and can only wield swords and guns all day long. They are just famous for nothing, so let's not mention them. You are different. You are gentle and elegant, and you have extraordinary conversation. You can tell at a glance that you are a rare talent. By the way! There is another great person in our 'Qin family'. He is both civil and military, and both wise and brave. Do you know?"

"Oh?" Faced with Qin Ku's inexplicable and irrelevant remarks, Qin Wei became suspicious, but pretended to be ignorant on the surface, "I wonder who the Lord Qin is talking about?"

"He became a high-ranking official in the court at a young age. Last year, he was conferred the title of 'Marquis of Tianji' by the emperor. He is very successful in the officialdom." Qin Ku shook his head and said confidently, "This man is called Qin Wei. When Liu Xunyi set up a plan to assassinate King Beixian, he was also among the assassins. It is said that Qin Wei was just an unknown little person before, and he gradually became famous after he participated in the assassination of King Beixian."

As Qin Ku continued to talk, the faces of Qin Wei, Chu Mao and others all changed color. They looked at Qin Ku with increasingly unfriendly eyes, and the swords in their hands couldn't help but tighten a little.

"I also heard that... Qin Wei and Liu Xunyi have known each other since childhood, and they were originally a pair of good brothers who shared weal and woe. But in order to get promoted, he actually took advantage of the unlucky Liu Xunyi. Not only did he step on his good brother to climb up, but he also used tricks and swindled to seize all the high positions, wealth and honor that originally belonged to Liu Xunyi. He is so shameless!" At this point, Qin Ku seemed to be unable to express his inner resentment and contempt in words. He slammed his fist on the table with a "bang", smashing a hole in the thick tabletop, and said, "If this continues, Qin Wei will soon become the second big man of our 'Qin family' who is 'under one person and above ten thousand people'. Although he has power and influence, but... I always feel a little... ashamed to be of the same surname as such a shameless and heartless person."

After saying that, Qin Ku raised his eyelids, stared at Qin Wei, who looked gloomy, with a fake smile, and asked meaningfully: "Mr. Qin, do you also feel ashamed to have the same last name as Qin Wei?"

"This……"

"Master Qin, who is the 'previous big shot' you are talking about?" Before Qin Wei could answer, a curious person in the crowd could not help but ask loudly.

"Who else could it be? Qin Hui!" Qin Ku curled his lips with a look of disgust.

"Ha ha……"

At this moment, the laughter around him entered Qin Wei's ears like a rain of arrows piercing his heart.

The fact that Qin Ku compared him to Qin Hui, who was condemned by thousands of people in public, made him feel even more heavy-hearted and his expression even more gloomy. The look in his eyes when he looked at Qin Ku revealed a chilling murderous intent that was difficult to conceal.

"To be honest." Seeing Qin Wei's expression becoming more and more unnatural, Qin Ku's smile became more and more weird. "When I first saw you, I thought you were the greedy and treacherous Qin Wei. Because your age, aura, and martial arts are quite similar to that bastard. After all, it is unbelievable that a young talent like you who is 'better than his master' is actually unknown in the world. Haha..."

Qin Ku's words sounded like a joke, but actually they contained a hidden meaning.

At least, after his "reminder", the people around who were watching the fun had some thoughts, and the eyes they looked at Qin Wei were no longer as pure and curious as before, but with a bit of intriguing scrutiny and doubtful suspicion.

"Master Qin, Master Qin is young and inexperienced. He is just here to join in the fun today. Why do you have to misidentify and exaggerate? Aren't you afraid that the heroes of the world will laugh at you for bullying the weak? Moreover, Liu Xunyi is the public enemy of the martial arts world and everyone can kill him. But you keep saying that you are injustice for him. Aren't you afraid that the heroes of the world will call you a masked man with a broken heart and unable to distinguish right from wrong?"

Just when Qin Wei couldn't stand Qin Ku's cunning and harshness anymore and wanted to retort, an old voice suddenly sounded from the second floor.

Then, Gu Yue, with a beaming face, walked slowly out of the private room accompanied by several Wudang disciples. He bowed and greeted his friends from all directions, then walked down the stairs leisurely and headed straight for Qin Ku.

……

(End of this chapter)