Hühner und Hunde fliegen im Chaos und der Wiedergeburt - Kapitel 11
The little snake was placed on the table, then turned and crawled towards Zhou Qiang, its tongue flicking. Zhou Qiang leaned back and shouted, "Don't come any closer!" Xie Qifeng slammed his hand on the table, and the little snake turned to look at him. Xie Qifeng burst into laughter, saying, "Senior brother, congratulations on the birth of your son! This little snake is calling for your mother." Upon hearing this, Old Man Le Shui and the others all laughed. Only Zhou Qiang couldn't accept it and stood there stunned for a moment. The little snake crawled onto Zhou Qiang's hand, coiled up, and quietly fell asleep. ======================================================================================= Chapter Two: The Clever Seizure of the Yin-Yang Snake - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by
"You mean your adult white snake is afraid of this young snake?" Old Man Le Shui suddenly asked. "What does this young snake look like?" The other three then noticed the young snake's unusual appearance. Its belly was entirely pure white, while its back was pure black. The young snake's head was triangular, and its neck ribs expanded to form a hood, resembling a cobra. On its hooded back was a yin-yang symbol. Because the young snake's back was black, the yin-yang symbol wouldn't be noticeable without close inspection.
Xie Qifeng described the young snake's appearance and characteristics to Old Man Leshui. Old Man Leshui gasped in shock, almost unable to believe it, and exclaimed, "This young snake might be the legendary Yin-Yang Snake!" No one had ever seen a Yin-Yang Snake before, and Old Man Leshui's description piqued their interest. Zhou Qiang stroked the young snake in his hand and asked, "Master, what is a Yin-Yang Snake?"
"The Yin-Yang Serpent is a spiritual creature of heaven and earth. It consists of only two adult snakes: a female living in an extremely yin place and a male living in an extremely yang place. The offspring of these two snakes have a certain chance of developing into a mutated species—this is the Yin-Yang Serpent. The Yin-Yang Serpent possesses sentience; it doesn't eat inanimate or living things, but simply needs sunlight to absorb its energy. Furthermore, its most remarkable characteristic is its ability to see and attack ghosts." At this point, Old Man Le Shui's face was filled with a smile. "Many extraordinary individuals in ancient times tried to obtain the Yin-Yang Serpent, but all failed. I thought the Yin-Yang Serpent was just a legend, but I never expected… Yoshino, good lad indeed."
Zhou Qiang, flattered by the old man's praise, was at a loss for words, only able to habitually scratch his head and chuckle foolishly. Xie Qifeng glanced at the Yin-Yang snake, then at the Kongming fan in his hand, his earlier pride vanishing. Qin Shuang stared at the Yin-Yang snake in Zhou Qiang's hand, muttering, "What a beautiful snake." Seeing Qin Shuang's fondness, and since he himself didn't like the snake, Zhou Qiang handed it over, saying, "Qin Shuang, this is for you." Qin Shuang was about to reach for it when Xie Qifeng quickly stopped her, "Senior brother, you're being unfair! I want it too, why give it to him? Does a newly met woman really outweigh a brother you spend every day with? If that's the case, I've truly misjudged him. Humph." With that, Xie Qifeng snorted and turned away.
Xie Qifeng, true to his reputation for being a smooth talker, never utters a serious word normally, but at times like this, he's spouting off a string of idle chatter. His words were incredibly blunt. In terms of feelings, Xie Qifeng was definitely deeper than Qin Shuang, but no matter how deep the feelings, Xie Qifeng would never marry Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang was caught in a dilemma, unsure of what to choose. Old Man Leshui finished his bowl of porridge in one gulp, let out a satisfied burp, and said mysteriously, "Here's what we'll do. After you've eaten your fill, I have a method to let this Yin-Yang Snake choose its own master. Remember this well. Because the Yin-Yang Snake is sentient, it will only recognize one master in its lifetime." With that, Old Man Leshui leaned on his cane and slowly walked out of the kitchen.
Xie Qifeng and Qin Shuang exchanged glares, neither in the mood to eat, while Zhou Qiang, dragging the Yin-Yang Snake in one hand, shoveled food into his mouth with the other. It wasn't that he was greedy, but looking up at anyone at this moment would only annoy the other, so he decided to pretend not to hear. Once Zhou Qiang had finished eating, he lowered his head and left the room. Xie Qifeng followed him out, leaving Qin Shuang to wash the dishes alone.
After an incense stick's time, in Old Man Leshui's courtyard, Zhou Qiang handed the Yin-Yang Snake to him. Old Man Leshui faced the three men, standing about three meters away. Zhou Qiang, his fellow disciples, and Qin Shuang stood neatly spaced apart. Old Man Leshui said, "Now, the three of you use your own methods to lure this Yin-Yang Snake over. Stand still and don't move. Once the Yin-Yang Snake crawls into your hands, it belongs to you. If the Yin-Yang Snake doesn't choose any of you, then it belongs to me." At this moment, Old Man Leshui also had his own selfish thoughts. He only thought it was novel; anyway, when he passed away, he would still pass the Yin-Yang Snake to them. That was beyond question.
Old Man Leshui flicked the Yin-Yang Snake awake with his withered fingers and shouted, "Begin!" He gripped the snake's tail tightly with his little and ring fingers, preventing it from crawling towards the three. Qin Shuang then took out a flute from his robes and began to play beautiful music—a lure for the snake, of course. But some people would fall for it, like Zhou Qiang.
At this moment, Zhou Qiang was standing there dumbfounded, grinning foolishly, his mind filled with the sound of the flute. There's a saying, "Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders," and Xie Qifeng, even if he couldn't get the Yin-Yang Serpent, would rather Zhou Qiang have it than Qin Shuang. Seeing Zhou Qiang in a daze, Xie Qifeng poked him and shouted, "You pervert, hurry up and lure the snake over here!" Zhou Qiang then snapped out of his reverie. He quickly took out three incense sticks from his pocket, lit them, and stuck them in the ground. Then, he used the Soul-Destroying Thorn to draw a Qi-Guiding Soul Diagram on the ground and waited quietly.
Everyone has seen this method of summoning souls before, but the difference this time is that a Qi-drawing diagram was used instead of chanting incantations. Chanting incantations only applies to a specific ghost, while drawing a Qi-drawing diagram can summon any ghost.
Xie Qifeng wondered what his senior brother was up to. He was being asked to lure snakes, not ghosts. Thinking this, he flicked his tongue at the yin-yang snake in Old Man Le Shui's hand, hissing. This was Le Xi Po's unique divination technique—the Art of Language. Le Xi Po had died in a hurry, before she could fully impart the entire art. But Le Xi Po was a clever man; she first taught Xie Qifeng some languages that were easy to use against humans and animals. This would greatly increase Xie Qifeng's chances of escaping animal attacks. Of course, this included snake language. At this moment, Xie Qifeng opened his arms, hissing, like a mother embracing her child. Qin Shuang, playing her flute and watching Xie Qifeng, thought, "You still say you're not a queen? So sullen!"
A moment later, a gust of cold wind swept over them. A wandering ghost stopped in front of Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang kicked the Qi Yi Diagram away and muttered to the ghost, "If you want to live, stand still and don't freeze, or I'll destroy you right now." With that, he raised the Soul-Destroying Thorn in his hand. The ghost was already trembling with fear and had no choice but to obey Zhou Qiang's orders.
At this moment, the Yin-Yang snake in Old Man Leshui's hand began to squirm. It slithered left and right, but unfortunately, Old Man Leshui maliciously grabbed its tail, rendering it unable to move. Suddenly, all the scales on the Yin-Yang snake's body bristled, cutting Old Man Leshui's little finger and ring finger. Old Man Leshui involuntarily loosened his grip, and the Yin-Yang snake jumped to the ground. As he put his hand behind his back, Old Man Leshui secretly marveled at how powerful the Yin-Yang snake truly was.
Even the most beautiful whispers cannot compare to the call of a kindred spirit, especially when Xie Qifeng calls to the Yin-Yang Serpent in a motherly tone. Just as the Yin-Yang Serpent was about to reach Xie Qifeng, it suddenly stopped. It arched its body, flicked its tongue at Xie Qifeng, and then turned to crawl back towards the flute music. Xie Qifeng collapsed to the ground; he had failed. When the Yin-Yang Serpent approached him, Xie Qifeng was overjoyed and began to ramble incoherently. At first, he simply said, "Child, I am your mother, come here." When the Yin-Yang Serpent reached him, he uttered the incoherent phrase, "Baby, come quickly!" This single sentence aroused the Yin-Yang Serpent's suspicion, and it turned to crawl back towards the flute music.
The Yin-Yang Snake hadn't gone far when it passed right in front of Zhou Qiang, who was squatting in the middle. In front of Zhou Qiang was a wild ghost. The Yin-Yang Snake had a penchant for ghosts. It opened its small, toothless mouth, seemingly about to devour the ghost. The ghost cried and begged Zhou Qiang, "Grandpa, stop playing around! If you keep playing, I'll die!" Zhou Qiang blocked the ghost with one hand, dragging it back, while the Yin-Yang Snake slowly crawled towards it. Only now did Xie Qifeng realize what was happening, secretly thinking how clever Zhou Qiang was.
Qin Shuang observed all of this. She put the flute in her bosom and casually took out a small bottle. She quickly opened the bottle and sprinkled some gray powder on the ground. This was a snake-attracting powder unique to the Miao people. Living near mountains and water, the Miao villages inevitably had some mountain and water snakes. If a practitioner of Gu magic saw a venomous snake of their choice, they would take out the snake-attracting powder, and the snake would be irresistibly drawn to it.
The Yin-Yang Serpent, unable to resist the temptation, turned and crawled towards Qin Shuang with lightning speed. Qin Shuang grabbed the serpent and said with a smile, "You're mine now." The serpent, still bewildered, was now in Qin Shuang's hand.
Zhou Qiang sighed and released the wild ghost. The ghost was crying as it drifted away. All of this was witnessed by the old man Le Shui, who possessed the Heavenly Eye. Le Shui stepped forward and said, "Ji Yan, using the Art of Words to lure the Yin-Yang Serpent, well done. Just a little restless, though." Zhou Qiang then made a face at Xie Qifeng, "Ji Ye, you used the wild ghost as bait to lure the Yin-Yang Serpent, excellent technique. Too bad you fell into Shuang'er's hands."
Zhou Qiang gazed at Qin Shuang with deep affection and said, "Yes, I really want to be in her clutches for the rest of my life." Old Man Leshui shouted, "You shameless thing!" Turning to Qin Shuang, he said, "Shuang'er, you tried to lure the Yin-Yang Snake with your flute, but failed. You even used Miao snake-attracting powder. You've got a variety of methods. The Yin-Yang Snake is yours now." With that, Old Man Leshui went into the house. Qin Shuang thanked him and began playing with the Yin-Yang Snake in her hand. Xie Qifeng also went into the house, looking dejected. Zhou Qiang, however, was unfazed. He never liked snakes anyway, and now he was actually relieved.
"Qin Shuang, get some rest." After saying this, Zhou Qiang also went back into the house. Although Qin Shuang held the Yin-Yang Snake in her hand, its eyes remained fixed on Zhou Qiang. Although Old Man Le Shui was knowledgeable, he didn't know that the Yin-Yang Snake had another characteristic: anyone who saw it for the first time would mistake it for its mother. ======================================================================================== Chapter 3 Invitation Letter for the Successor of Qi Yi - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by
The next morning, Qin Shuang got up early because she had to feed three grown men. After the food was ready, Qin Shuang knocked on the door of the room where Grandpa Le Shui and the others were staying, "Grandpa, come out and eat."
After finishing breakfast, Qin Shuang stood up, rubbing her stomach and smiling, "I'm full, Grandpa. I'm going to school. You two eat slowly. Tell that fake man to do the dishes." She glanced at Xie Qifeng and walked out of the house. Xie Qifeng, having suppressed his anger, finally managed to hold it in. Old Man Leshui leaned closer to the two of them, covering his mouth and whispering, "Shuang'er's going to teach. Who's taking her?" Zhou Qiang quickly finished his meal and said, "I'll go." Old Man Leshui asked Xie Qifeng, "Ji Yan, aren't you going?" Xie Qifeng snorted but didn't answer. Old Man Leshui knew that there was no hope for Xie Qifeng and Qin Shuang to be together.
Old Man Le Shui's house was about a fifteen-minute walk from the new school, so Zhou Qiang wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang hadn't gone far when Zhou Qiang eagerly caught up. Looking at the grinning Zhou Qiang, Qin Shuang asked, "What are you doing here? Don't you need to practice your skills?" Then she continued walking on her own.
Zhou Qiang, sensing the situation, walked alongside Qin Shuang and asked, "Qin Shuang, do you like my junior brother?" Qin Shuang smiled and said, "Do I look like someone who would like someone who is neither male nor female?"
"So what do you think of me?" Zhou Qiang asked shamelessly, avoiding direct eye contact with Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang looked straight ahead and said, "You seem too ordinary, not attractive at all. The man I have in mind isn't like you."
"But I really think I'm pretty good." Even after saying this, Zhou Qiang was still unwilling to give up. Seeing that Qin Shuang ignored him, Zhou Qiang rushed in front of her, blocking her way, and raised three fingers of his right hand, saying seriously, "If you agree to date me, I swear I'll take good care of you for the rest of my life, make you happy, and never let you be sad or cry. If I break this promise, may I be struck by lightning!"
Oaths shouldn't be taken lightly. But seeing Zhou Qiang's serious expression, no one would believe he was lying. However, things rarely go as planned. A clump of bird droppings landed squarely on Zhou Qiang's raised finger. Qin Shuang burst into laughter at the sight. Zhou Qiang was truly furious. He looked up and saw a crow circling overhead. Without a word, Zhou Qiang picked up a stone and threw it. The crow dodged, squawking at Zhou Qiang as if mocking his foolishness. Seeing his attack fail, Zhou Qiang focused his energy, forcing the ghost relic down his throat. Zhou Qiang shouted, "Water!" and opened his beak, spewing out a jet of water. The crow, never having seen a human like this before, was drenched in the water vapor.
Zhou Qiang picked up the crow and noticed a small tube tied to its leg. Qin Shuang also came over, and the two looked at each other. As Zhou Qiang removed the tube, he said, "This idea—using a crow instead of a carrier pigeon. Who's so creative?" Opening the tube, he found a letter inside with six large characters: "To my nephew, Le Shui." It was a letter from his master! Without hesitation, and ignoring Qin Shuang, Zhou Qiang picked up the crow and ran home. Qin Shuang wanted to call out to Zhou Qiang, wanting to give him a chance, but by the time she called, he was already far away. Qin Shuang felt both angry and amused, frowned slightly, and turned to walk towards the school.
When Qin Shuang returned home at noon, Old Man Le Shui was discussing matters with the village head. Seeing Qin Shuang enter, the village head said, "Teacher Qin, you don't need to go to school for now. Thank you for taking care of the children in our village these past few days. I've already hired a new teacher." Qin Shuang, feeling wronged, opened her large, watery eyes and asked, "Why? Is it because I'm not a good teacher?"
Old Man Leshui coughed and said, "Shuang'er, don't lose your temper. Things aren't as you think." Under Qin Shuang's vicious gaze, the village head didn't dare linger. He muttered a few words and left without looking back. As the village head closed the door, Old Man Leshui took out a letter from his pocket. Qin Shuang looked closely and saw it was the letter the crow had delivered. Old Man Leshui placed the letter on the table and said, "Shuang'er, take a look." Qin Shuang picked up the letter and began to read.
The content is as follows:
My dear nephew Le Shui, how are you? It's been sixty years since we last met; I wonder if you're still alive. I doubt you, my rascal, could have possibly ended the Qi Yi School's lineage. A few days ago, I observed the stars and discovered that the Yin Star was also in your area. Amazing! I still vividly remember your magical duel sixty years ago. If even a rascal like you could defeat all your rivals, I imagine your beloved disciple will surely surpass you, one generation after another, each one higher than the last.
To get to the point, the sixty-year period has ended, and so has your Qi Yi Sect's reign over the supernatural world. I hope you will inform your beloved disciple to attend this magical duel. The location remains the same; latecomers will not be waited for. Signed Xia Zhenqiang, March 9th, Dinghai year. This was precisely the day Zhou Qiang and his group entered Liu Shan's tomb.
"Grandpa, is this an invitation?" Qin Shuang carefully folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and handed it to Old Man Le Shui. Old Man Le Shui took the envelope and put it in his pocket, saying, "That's right, your master went that year too. If I'm not mistaken, your Gu Technique Sect was also invited. Shuang'er, go with Ji Ye and Ji Yan tomorrow." Zhou Qiang ran out of the smoke-filled kitchen, coughed a few times, and called out, "Master, Qin Shuang, come eat!"
At the dinner table, Zhou Qiang picked up a crow's leg and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with relish. He asked, "Master, is it delicious? My junior brother and I made this together." He then placed a piece of crow meat into Old Man Le Shui's rice bowl. Old Man Le Shui picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, saying, "Not bad, not bad. Make me some pigeon meat another day." Qin Shuang also picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, chewing it a couple of times before saying to Zhou Qiang, "The taste is really good. Your and your junior brother's cooking skills are quite good."
"You all eat more, I'm full." Old Man Leshui wiped his mouth. "I'm going to write a reply to Master Xia. By the way, Jiye, was the letter delivered by a crow? Where is that crow?" Zhou Qiang almost spat out the crow meat in his mouth and said, "Master, I'm sorry, that crow is in our stomachs, and you have one too." Old Man Leshui exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, you brat, why did you eat that crow?" As he spoke, he walked over, leaning on his cane.
Seeing this, Zhou Qiang quickly begged for mercy, saying, "Master, I was wrong. Don't hit me!" Unexpectedly, Old Man Leshui sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and took another bite of crow meat, saying, "Who said I was going to hit you? Since you've eaten it, don't waste it." The other three exchanged smiles and continued eating. After finishing, Xie Qifeng washed the dishes, while Zhou Qiang helped Old Man Leshui, asking as they walked, "Master, where are we going? When do we set off?"
The old man from Leshui said calmly, "We'll set off early tomorrow morning for Anyang, Henan." ================================================================================== Chapter 4 of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - Xiajia Village - The Spirit of Brother Yi - Collected and organized by
Nothing happened that night. The next morning, five people were standing at the entrance of Yinfeng Village. Old Man Leshui said to the three of them, "Remember this: when you arrive at the destination, you must wait until 11 PM. Only then can you enter the inn. Do not fight with anyone on the way. If you die, the reputation of the Qi Yi Sect will be ruined. If you encounter any danger, take out the paper figure I gave you." Qin Shuang touched the paper figure in her pocket, thinking of what Old Man Leshui had told her the night before.
"Shuang'er, come here." Old Man Leshui called to Qin Shuang, holding a paper figure. Qin Shuang came out of the house, and Old Man Leshui handed her the paper figure, saying, "Shuang'er, in previous years, the Gu Technique Sect always came in last place in the martial arts competition because you only had the ability to control poisonous creatures, and couldn't even see the most basic ghosts. So I'm giving you this paper figure; if you encounter any danger, it can save your life. Also, I'll now teach you how to open your third eye, so you can avoid attacks from evil spirits in time. Plus, you have the Yin-Yang Snake with you, so you should be fine."
Looking at the old man she had only known for a few days, Qin Shuang felt an indescribable surge of emotion. As the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving; although Old Man Le Shui had an ordinary appearance, he possessed a kind heart. She suddenly understood why her master had liked this old man in the first place. After thinking for a moment, Qin Shuang said, "Thank you, Grandpa." Old Man Le Shui smiled and then told Qin Shuang the incantation and techniques for opening her third eye.
"Master, please take care." Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng looked at Old Man Leshui with some reluctance, after all, he had only been back for a few days and was about to leave again. Zhou Qiang turned to the village head, "Uncle, please take good care of my master. His meals are all on you. I'll repay you properly when I return." The village head patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me! Mr. Leshui has done so many good things for our village, it's only right that I take care of him. You can go without worry." The other three nodded and turned to leave.
The three walked to the street, hailed a taxi, and after arriving at the train station, they excitedly boarded the train. "Senior brother, I wonder which sects will be participating in this martial arts competition?" Xie Qifeng asked idly, leaning back in his seat. Zhou Qiang smiled and said, "There should be the Maoshan Sect and the Jiangtou Sect, I only know those two. Zhang Xiaolong of Maoshan is a sworn brother of mine." Qin Shuang's eyes widened as she asked, "You know the Maoshan Taoists too?" Having finally managed to strike up a conversation with Zhou Qiang, how could Zhou Qiang easily let this opportunity slip by? So he began to boast, "Of course! Last year in Beijing, my master, Master Zhang from Maoshan, and his disciples, together we exterminated a demon."
"What is a demon?" Zhou Qiang's question piqued Qin Shuang's curiosity. Even Xie Qifeng was drawn in, leaning forward involuntarily. He had only heard of, but never seen, top-tier ghosts like demons. Seeing their interest, Zhou Qiang launched into a long, detailed explanation, including some boasting about himself. He was completely absorbed in the story, even as the train sounded its whistle to stop, much to his embarrassment that Xie Qifeng and Qin Shuang had fallen asleep.
After getting off the bus, Zhou Qiang checked his phone and saw it was already 6 PM. Without delay, Zhou Qiang and his group hailed a taxi outside the station. The taxi driver opened the door and asked, "Where are you going, sir?" Zhou Qiang pulled out the small piece of paper the old man from Le Shui had given him and read aloud, "Xiajia Village Ghost Inn!" The driver shook his head repeatedly, saying, "I've never heard of such a place in Anyang. You'd better find another driver." He slammed the door shut and drove off. Zhou Qiang and his group tried several more taxi drivers, but they all either said they didn't know the place or were crazy. At this point, Zhou Qiang started to get anxious: "Frustrating! Where exactly is the Ghost Inn? Why doesn't anyone know it?"
Xie Qifeng's stomach started rumbling, and he frowned, saying, "Senior brother, let's go buy some food first." Zhou Qiang nodded, and the three of them found a small stall outside the station and bought a few sesame seed cakes. Qin Shuang, being the quick-witted one, casually asked, "Master, do you know how to get to Xiajia Village?"
“Xiajia Village? Xiajia Village doesn’t seem to exist anymore. It’s been renamed Qiutian Village now. Look at that old man over there.” The vendor pointed to an old man sitting on a tricycle not far away. “He’s from Qiutian Village. Go ask him.” Qin Shuang thanked him, and the group walked towards the old man.
The old man was thin and looked to be over sixty. He wore tattered clothes and shivered from the cold, looking quite pitiful. Zhou Qiang approached the old man and asked, "Sir, do you know Xiajia Village?" The old man quickly smiled and said, "Oh, I'm from Xiajia Village, but it's now called Qiutian Village. Are you going there? I can give you a ride; it'll only cost three yuan, much cheaper than a car." As he spoke, he couldn't help but look at the flatbread in Zhou Qiang's hand. Since Zhou Qiang wasn't hungry, he reached out and gave the flatbread to the old man. The old man thanked him and wolfed it down. This scene made Zhou Qiang feel uneasy, not because he regretted the two flatbreads, but because seeing such an old man still out there driving a tricycle was truly pitiful. Zhou Qiang's kindness was touched again, and he said to the two people behind him, "You two get on the vehicle." Turning to the old man, he said, "Sir, you get on the vehicle too. Let me pedal the tricycle; I haven't had a chance to move around in ages." As he spoke, he stretched lazily.
After finishing his flatbread, the old man hurriedly said, "How can this be? How can we let a passenger pull the cart?" Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qiang forcefully lifted the skinny old man onto the back seat of the tricycle, then strode onto the tricycle himself, smiling as he turned back and said, "Sir, could you point me in the right direction?" And so, Zhou Qiang, sweating profusely, stared intently at the tricycle from the front, humming a little tune now and then, while the old man on the back pointed and gestured, like a general commanding his troops. Qin Shuang witnessed all of this. Looking at Zhou Qiang's retreating figure, she suddenly felt her heart race, and her face flushed involuntarily.
Seeing this, Xie Qifeng grinned mischievously and asked, "Qin Shuang, have you taken a fancy to my senior brother?" Qin Shuang snapped out of her daze, straightened up, and rolled her eyes at Xie Qifeng, saying, "None of your business." Xie Qifeng thought to himself, "I tried to be nice, but no one appreciates it. I was just being a smart aleck." He thought back to before he joined the army, how many rich kids would scream for his looks and physique, and now he'd ended up like this. He couldn't help but sigh.
"We're here!" the old man said cheerfully. Zhou Qiang also breathed a sigh of relief and slowly climbed off the tricycle. After getting off, Qin Shuang said to the old man, "Sir, is there a place called 'Ghost Inn' in your village?" The old man shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, who would name their place 'Ghost Inn'? It's too scary." Zhou Qiang took out his wallet, found a hundred-yuan bill among the loose change, handed it to the old man, and asked, "Sir, do you have change?"
"I can't make change." The old man's face darkened as he finished speaking. This was exactly what Zhou Qiang had expected. "Never mind if you can't make change, I'll give you everything. I don't have any change here, just hundred-yuan bills." With that, Zhou Qiang pulled Xie Qifeng and Qin Shuang away. Watching their departing figures, the old man's eyes reddened, and he muttered, "Good people."
Zhou Qiang then took out his compass, observed that the needle pointed east, and began walking eastward. Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng walked side by side, with Qin Shuang following behind them. "Senior brother? You said you didn't have any change? I reckon you only brought less than three hundred yuan. Why didn't you give that old man a ten-yuan note?" Zhou Qiang replied with a smile, "That's right, why didn't I give that old man a ten-yuan note earlier?" Seeing that Zhou Qiang was being evasive, Xie Qifeng stopped talking.
Qin Shuang gazed at Zhou Qiang ahead, her heart pounding again, almost uncontrollably. She suddenly felt that Zhou Qiang was even more imposing than she had imagined. A feeling of love slowly began to blossom within her. ===================================================================================== Chapter 5 of "The Transcendent of Qi Yi" - The Spirit of Brother Yi - Collected and organized by
The three walked along a country road and arrived at a desolate place. Zhou Qiang looked down at the compass in his hand, which was now spinning in all directions, indicating that they had reached their destination. "Senior brother, this is..." Xie Qifeng stammered, looking at everything before him. Zhou Qiang then looked up and saw that they were in a graveyard. Numerous graves stood like small mountains, with withered weeds stubbornly clinging to them. A cold wind blew, causing the paper money in front of the graves to flutter, creating an exceptionally desolate atmosphere.
Zhou Qiang said, "There's nothing to be afraid of. We've slept in cemeteries before." He took out his phone and checked the time; it was 9 PM. They still had to wait there for four hours. Zhou Qiang looked around and spotted a large tree. "Let's sit there," he said. Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang, without thinking twice, plopped down on the ground near the tree. At that moment, Qin Shuang took two flatbreads from her backpack and handed them to Zhou Qiang, saying softly, "Zhou Qiang, are you hungry? Here, have some." Zhou Qiang took the flatbreads and thanked her. Although Zhou Qiang was usually mischievous, he knew what was important and this wasn't the time for flirting.
Xie Qifeng was quite dissatisfied and hurriedly said, "Hey, why don't you give me a sesame seed cake?" Qin Shuang turned her head, staring at Xie Qifeng with eyes as sharp as needles, and said, "Didn't you just eat one?" Xie Qifeng didn't dare to look Qin Shuang in the eye, thinking to himself that the saying "women are like tigers" was absolutely true. After thinking for a moment, he took out his Kongming fan and started fanning himself.
Time ticked by, and the group sat there for an hour. A thick fog rose from the graveyard, blurring the distant scenery. "Senior brother, I'm so cold," Xie Qifeng said, hugging himself tightly. Zhou Qiang gave him a cold look but didn't say anything. Zhou Qiang was even colder now, as he had draped his green cotton-padded coat over Qin Shuang. Footsteps approached in the distance, and Zhou Qiang drew his Soul-Destroying Thorn, ready for any eventuality. The footsteps grew closer, and gradually a figure appeared, slowly approaching Zhou Qiang and the others.
As the figure approached, Zhou Qiang's lips curled into a smile. The figure was a young man in his early twenties, with slightly dark skin, large, bright eyes, and full lips. He wore a Taoist robe with Bagua symbols, carried a peach wood sword on his back, and had an exaggeratedly large compass slung over his left shoulder. This was Zhang Xiaolong, the young Taoist priest from the Maoshan Sect. Zhang Xiaolong was unusually excited to see Zhou Qiang, and walked over, opening his arms wide, saying, "Senior Brother Jiye, how have you been?"
Zhou Qiang went over and gave Zhang Xiaolong a hug, saying with a smile, "Hehe, not bad. Xiaolong's grown taller." He then introduced Xie Qifeng and Qin Shuang to Zhang Xiaolong. Zhang Xiaolong glanced at Qin Shuang's cotton-padded coat, then at the shivering Zhou Qiang, and said with a mischievous grin, "Senior Brother Ji Ye, you've got some skills. You've even managed to win over such a beautiful girl?" Zhou Qiang shook his head repeatedly, saying, "You can't say things like that lightly, or we'll both be in danger."
"Tch, what danger?" Zhang Xiaolong scoffed. But Qin Shuang overheard him, and coincidentally, the white snake at Qin Shuang's waist poked its head out for a breath, which Zhang Xiaolong then spotted. Zhang Xiaolong's body jolted, speechless. Zhou Qiang gestured for Zhang Xiaolong to sit under a tree and asked seriously, "Which sects are participating in the martial arts competition this year?"
Zhang Xiaolong pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "I heard there seem to be more sects this year than sixty years ago. Besides Qi Yi Maoshan and Gu techniques, there are also black magic, Buddhism, Tibetan Tantric lamas, and even more." Zhou Qiang nodded gravely. The group chatted for a while longer before Zhou Qiang's phone alarm rang. They stood up, and in the blink of an eye, the thick fog over the graveyard dissipated, revealing a large inn in the center of the graveyard, as wondrous as a mirage. The inn lit up, six lanterns hanging high on either side, illuminating the inn's signboard—"Yinfeng Ghost Inn."
The group gasped, exchanged glances, and headed towards the Ghostly Inn. The inn's door creaked open, and a boy of about eighteen years old stepped out, shouting, "Open for business!" His voice was incredibly penetrating, echoing throughout the deserted place. Zhou Qiang stepped forward and said to the boy, "Young brother, we've come to have a duel." The boy sized up the four people before him and asked, "Where do you come from?" The voices of Maoshan, Qi Yi, and Gu Shu answered in unison. The boy smiled and gestured for them to proceed.
The child led the group into the Ghostly Inn. The first thing they saw was a ten-meter square arena in the center of the inn. Zhou Qiang and the others looked around and saw that the surrounding area was filled with tables and chairs. It was like a theater. Xie Qifeng was exhausted. He looked at the empty chair on his left and plopped down. The child quickly said, "Brother, this isn't a good place for you. Please sit on the right."
"Why? This isn't a place for people to sit, is it a place for ghosts to sit?" Xie Qifeng asked with a displeased expression. The child replied with a smile, "Hehe, brother, have you been to the Yin Wind Ghost Inn before? How do you know that all the seats on the left are for ghosts? Left is yin, right is yang, that's the rule of our inn." Upon hearing this, Xie Qifeng immediately jumped up and followed Zhou Qiang and the others to sit down at the table on the right.
"Young man, do ghosts ever stay at our inn?" Zhou Qiang asked with a smile, intrigued by the novelty. The child, having finished wiping the table, replied, "Ghosts certainly won't stay, but they will come to watch your duel. The victor among you will be greatly feared by the ghosts. Because the victor has defeated all the supernatural sects, he is undoubtedly the strongest. So, when the victor tries to catch ghosts again, the ghosts will naturally back down upon hearing that it is the winner of a supernatural duel. This way, you can both gain fame in the ghost realm and reap considerable benefits in the mortal world." The child looked up at Zhou Qiang. "You're from the Qi Yi Sect, aren't you? Sixty years ago, your master, Master Le Shui, won the duel, so the ghost realm trembles at the mere mention of Le Shui's name. But people eventually grow old and die, so the duel held once every sixty years is necessary."
"Oh, I see. Thank you so much," Zhou Qiang said with a simple, honest smile. The child also seemed to like Zhou Qiang very much, firstly because he addressed him as "brother" so politely, and secondly because Zhou Qiang didn't seem to put on any airs. The child smiled and extended his right hand, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Meng Linglang, the one with the ability to see ghosts." Zhou Qiang shook the boy's hand and said, "May I ask, what is the ability to see ghosts?"
Meng Linglang wasn't annoyed by Zhou Qiang's barrage of questions. He explained, "The ability to see ghosts is simply being able to see with the naked eye. There are two types: congenital and acquired. Congenital ghosts are those who are born with the ability to see ghosts; most children have this, which is why babies always cry. However, this ability usually disappears after the age of three. Acquired ghosts are those whose retina can no longer filter out supernatural magnetic fields due to a head injury or other reasons, so they can also see ghosts." The little boy patted his chest. "And I'm congenital, and my ghost eyes haven't disappeared." Zhou Qiang smiled and said, "You're amazing."
Just as the child was about to speak, a strange bark rang out, and a man entered. A young man in his twenties rode in on a ferocious, giant Tibetan mastiff. Judging from his attire, he wore a red and yellow Tibetan robe, carried a light scroll, and wore a golden image of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism around his neck. The child ran forward and asked the Tibetan youth, "Where do you come from, sir?"
The Tibetan youth jumped down from the Tibetan mastiff's back and said, "@#￥%…………". Zhou Qiang, who was listening nearby, was completely bewildered. He simply stood up and shouted, "Hey buddy, can you speak Chinese?" The Tibetan youth smiled apologetically and said in broken Chinese, "I'm from the Tibetan Lamaist Tantric sect. I'm here to compete." As he spoke, he took out a crow from his pocket and handed it over, "Here, this is your messenger." The boy took the crow and gestured for the Tibetan youth to sit at the table next to Zhou Qiang and the others. After saying that, he ran to the back room to put the crow away.
The Tibetan youth walked with a gait that resembled a slow-motion replay in a movie, making Zhou Qiang and the others feel uneasy. Once the Tibetan youth sat down, the giant Tibetan mastiff knelt at his feet. Zhou Qiang walked over in a friendly manner and greeted him, "Hello, I am Zhou Qiang from the Qi Yi School. May I ask your surname?" The Tibetan youth, with his eyes slightly closed, replied, "My secular name is Qi Zijun." Seeing the giant Tibetan mastiff glaring at him menacingly, Zhou Qiang wisely returned to his seat.
"Junior Sister, how have you been?" a figure said from the doorway. There was only one woman in the room; it must be speaking to Qin Shuang. The figure approached, and Qin Shuang stood up to examine it closely. It was none other than another sect that had branched off from their ancestor. This sect possessed diverse magic, but it was all collectively known as evil magic. This was the chilling sorcery known as black magic. Qin Shuang said disdainfully, "Senior Sister Qiuyue, hello."
Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng were puzzled; when had Qin Shuang acquired a senior sister? They couldn't help but look towards the figure. They saw a stylishly dressed young woman, who appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. This woman not only had a well-proportioned figure but also an ethereal beauty. Zhou Qiang, kicked by Qin Shuang, snapped back to reality. Xie Qifeng, however, seemed to have taken an interest in the woman. The woman put down her package and unceremoniously sat down next to Qin Shuang, opening her bright red lips with a smile, saying, "Hello everyone, my name is Qian Qiuyue. I am a successor of the art of black magic. Please guide me." She then extended her slender hand.
Zhou Qiang also wanted to step forward and shake hands, but Qin Shuang's eyes held him back. One of her small hands extended another large, fair hand, which grasped his – Xie Qifeng's hand. Xie Qifeng said with a grin, "Hello, my name is Xie Qifeng. I'm the second disciple of the Qi Yi Sect. If it's convenient, Miss, could you leave your phone number?" Qian Qiuyue withdrew her small hand, shook her head, and said nothing more.
Under another table, a giant Tibetan Mastiff sniffed Qian Qiuyue's package and let out a low growl. Qian Qiuyue turned sharply, glaring at the Mastiff on the ground with a vicious look. The Mastiff, equally defiant, was about to stand up when Qi Zijun, with his eyes closed, said, "Zhuiming, don't be rude." The Mastiff obediently lay down. Qian Qiuyue turned to a smile and continued chatting with Xie Qifeng and the others. ====================================================================================== Chapter 5 of "The Successor of Qi Yi: The Ghostly Inn of Yin Wind" - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by
The three walked along a country road and arrived at a desolate place. Zhou Qiang looked down at the compass in his hand, which was now spinning in all directions, indicating that they had reached their destination. "Senior brother, this is..." Xie Qifeng stammered, looking at everything before him. Zhou Qiang then looked up and saw that they were in a graveyard. Numerous graves stood like small mountains, with withered weeds stubbornly clinging to them. A cold wind blew, causing the paper money in front of the graves to flutter, creating an exceptionally desolate atmosphere.
Zhou Qiang said, "There's nothing to be afraid of. We've slept in cemeteries before." He took out his phone and checked the time; it was 9 PM. They still had to wait there for four hours. Zhou Qiang looked around and spotted a large tree. "Let's sit there," he said. Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang, without thinking twice, plopped down on the ground near the tree. At that moment, Qin Shuang took two flatbreads from her backpack and handed them to Zhou Qiang, saying softly, "Zhou Qiang, are you hungry? Here, have some." Zhou Qiang took the flatbreads and thanked her. Although Zhou Qiang was usually mischievous, he knew what was important and this wasn't the time for flirting.
Xie Qifeng was quite dissatisfied and hurriedly said, "Hey, why don't you give me a sesame seed cake?" Qin Shuang turned her head, staring at Xie Qifeng with eyes as sharp as needles, and said, "Didn't you just eat one?" Xie Qifeng didn't dare to look Qin Shuang in the eye, thinking to himself that the saying "women are like tigers" was absolutely true. After thinking for a moment, he took out his Kongming fan and started fanning himself.
Time ticked by, and the group sat there for an hour. A thick fog rose from the graveyard, blurring the distant scenery. "Senior brother, I'm so cold," Xie Qifeng said, hugging himself tightly. Zhou Qiang gave him a cold look but didn't say anything. Zhou Qiang was even colder now, as he had draped his green cotton-padded coat over Qin Shuang. Footsteps approached in the distance, and Zhou Qiang drew his Soul-Destroying Thorn, ready for any eventuality. The footsteps grew closer, and gradually a figure appeared, slowly approaching Zhou Qiang and the others.
As the figure approached, Zhou Qiang's lips curled into a smile. The figure was a young man in his early twenties, with slightly dark skin, large, bright eyes, and full lips. He wore a Taoist robe with Bagua symbols, carried a peach wood sword on his back, and had an exaggeratedly large compass slung over his left shoulder. This was Zhang Xiaolong, the young Taoist priest from the Maoshan Sect. Zhang Xiaolong was unusually excited to see Zhou Qiang, and walked over, opening his arms wide, saying, "Senior Brother Jiye, how have you been?"
Zhou Qiang went over and gave Zhang Xiaolong a hug, saying with a smile, "Hehe, not bad. Xiaolong's grown taller." He then introduced Xie Qifeng and Qin Shuang to Zhang Xiaolong. Zhang Xiaolong glanced at Qin Shuang's cotton-padded coat, then at the shivering Zhou Qiang, and said with a mischievous grin, "Senior Brother Ji Ye, you've got some skills. You've even managed to win over such a beautiful girl?" Zhou Qiang shook his head repeatedly, saying, "You can't say things like that lightly, or we'll both be in danger."
"Tch, what danger?" Zhang Xiaolong scoffed. But Qin Shuang overheard him, and coincidentally, the white snake at Qin Shuang's waist poked its head out for a breath, which Zhang Xiaolong then spotted. Zhang Xiaolong's body jolted, speechless. Zhou Qiang gestured for Zhang Xiaolong to sit under a tree and asked seriously, "Which sects are participating in the martial arts competition this year?"
Zhang Xiaolong pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "I heard there seem to be more sects this year than sixty years ago. Besides Qi Yi Maoshan and Gu techniques, there are also black magic, Buddhism, Tibetan Tantric lamas, and even more." Zhou Qiang nodded gravely. The group chatted for a while longer before Zhou Qiang's phone alarm rang. They stood up, and in the blink of an eye, the thick fog over the graveyard dissipated, revealing a large inn in the center of the graveyard, as wondrous as a mirage. The inn lit up, six lanterns hanging high on either side, illuminating the inn's signboard—"Yinfeng Ghost Inn."
The group gasped, exchanged glances, and headed towards the Ghostly Inn. The inn's door creaked open, and a boy of about eighteen years old stepped out, shouting, "Open for business!" His voice was incredibly penetrating, echoing throughout the deserted place. Zhou Qiang stepped forward and said to the boy, "Young brother, we've come to have a duel." The boy sized up the four people before him and asked, "Where do you come from?" The voices of Maoshan, Qi Yi, and Gu Shu answered in unison. The boy smiled and gestured for them to proceed.
The child led the group into the Ghostly Inn. The first thing they saw was a ten-meter square arena in the center of the inn. Zhou Qiang and the others looked around and saw that the surrounding area was filled with tables and chairs. It was like a theater. Xie Qifeng was exhausted. He looked at the empty chair on his left and plopped down. The child quickly said, "Brother, this isn't a good place for you. Please sit on the right."
"Why? This isn't a place for people to sit, is it a place for ghosts to sit?" Xie Qifeng asked with a displeased expression. The child replied with a smile, "Hehe, brother, have you been to the Yin Wind Ghost Inn before? How do you know that all the seats on the left are for ghosts? Left is yin, right is yang, that's the rule of our inn." Upon hearing this, Xie Qifeng immediately jumped up and followed Zhou Qiang and the others to sit down at the table on the right.
"Young man, do ghosts ever stay at our inn?" Zhou Qiang asked with a smile, intrigued by the novelty. The child, having finished wiping the table, replied, "Ghosts certainly won't stay, but they will come to watch your duel. The victor among you will be greatly feared by the ghosts. Because the victor has defeated all the supernatural sects, he is undoubtedly the strongest. So, when the victor tries to catch ghosts again, the ghosts will naturally back down upon hearing that it is the winner of a supernatural duel. This way, you can both gain fame in the ghost realm and reap considerable benefits in the mortal world." The child looked up at Zhou Qiang. "You're from the Qi Yi Sect, aren't you? Sixty years ago, your master, Master Le Shui, won the duel, so the ghost realm trembles at the mere mention of Le Shui's name. But people eventually grow old and die, so the duel held once every sixty years is necessary."
"Oh, I see. Thank you so much," Zhou Qiang said with a simple, honest smile. The child also seemed to like Zhou Qiang very much, firstly because he addressed him as "brother" so politely, and secondly because Zhou Qiang didn't seem to put on any airs. The child smiled and extended his right hand, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Meng Linglang, the one with the ability to see ghosts." Zhou Qiang shook the boy's hand and said, "May I ask, what is the ability to see ghosts?"
Meng Linglang wasn't annoyed by Zhou Qiang's barrage of questions. He explained, "The ability to see ghosts is simply being able to see with the naked eye. There are two types: congenital and acquired. Congenital ghosts are those who are born with the ability to see ghosts; most children have this, which is why babies always cry. However, this ability usually disappears after the age of three. Acquired ghosts are those whose retina can no longer filter out supernatural magnetic fields due to a head injury or other reasons, so they can also see ghosts." The little boy patted his chest. "And I'm congenital, and my ghost eyes haven't disappeared." Zhou Qiang smiled and said, "You're amazing."
Just as the child was about to speak, a strange bark rang out, and a man entered. A young man in his twenties rode in on a ferocious, giant Tibetan mastiff. Judging from his attire, he wore a red and yellow Tibetan robe, carried a light scroll, and wore a golden image of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism around his neck. The child ran forward and asked the Tibetan youth, "Where do you come from, sir?"
The Tibetan youth jumped down from the Tibetan mastiff's back and said, "@#￥%…………". Zhou Qiang, who was listening nearby, was completely bewildered. He simply stood up and shouted, "Hey buddy, can you speak Chinese?" The Tibetan youth smiled apologetically and said in broken Chinese, "I'm from the Tibetan Lamaist Tantric sect. I'm here to compete." As he spoke, he took out a crow from his pocket and handed it over, "Here, this is your messenger." The boy took the crow and gestured for the Tibetan youth to sit at the table next to Zhou Qiang and the others. After saying that, he ran to the back room to put the crow away.
The Tibetan youth walked with a gait that resembled a slow-motion replay in a movie, making Zhou Qiang and the others feel uneasy. Once the Tibetan youth sat down, the giant Tibetan mastiff knelt at his feet. Zhou Qiang walked over in a friendly manner and greeted him, "Hello, I am Zhou Qiang from the Qi Yi School. May I ask your surname?" The Tibetan youth, with his eyes slightly closed, replied, "My secular name is Qi Zijun." Seeing the giant Tibetan mastiff glaring at him menacingly, Zhou Qiang wisely returned to his seat.
"Junior Sister, how have you been?" a figure said from the doorway. There was only one woman in the room; it must be speaking to Qin Shuang. The figure approached, and Qin Shuang stood up to examine it closely. It was none other than another sect that had branched off from their ancestor. This sect possessed diverse magic, but it was all collectively known as evil magic. This was the chilling sorcery known as black magic. Qin Shuang said disdainfully, "Senior Sister Qiuyue, hello."
Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng were puzzled; when had Qin Shuang acquired a senior sister? They couldn't help but look towards the figure. They saw a stylishly dressed young woman, who appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. This woman not only had a well-proportioned figure but also an ethereal beauty. Zhou Qiang, kicked by Qin Shuang, snapped back to reality. Xie Qifeng, however, seemed to have taken an interest in the woman. The woman put down her package and unceremoniously sat down next to Qin Shuang, opening her bright red lips with a smile, saying, "Hello everyone, my name is Qian Qiuyue. I am a successor of the art of black magic. Please guide me." She then extended her slender hand.
Zhou Qiang also wanted to step forward and shake hands, but Qin Shuang's eyes held him back. One of her small hands extended another large, fair hand, which grasped his – Xie Qifeng's hand. Xie Qifeng said with a grin, "Hello, my name is Xie Qifeng. I'm the second disciple of the Qi Yi Sect. If it's convenient, Miss, could you leave your phone number?" Qian Qiuyue withdrew her small hand, shook her head, and said nothing more.
A giant Tibetan Mastiff under another table sniffed Qian Qiuyue's package and growled softly. Qian Qiuyue turned sharply, glaring at the Mastiff with venomous eyes. The Mastiff, equally fierce, was about to stand up when Qi Zijun, with his eyes closed, said, "Zhuiming, don't be rude." The Mastiff obediently lay down. Qian Qiuyue smiled and continued chatting with Xie Qifeng and the others. ======================================================================================= Chapter Six of "Qi Yi Successor: Ready to Launch" - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by
A moment later, Meng Linglang brought several bowls of hot tea from the back room and served them to the group. Xie Qifeng picked up his blue-and-white porcelain teacup and took a couple of sips. Zhou Qiang was surprised to find a small cut on Xie Qifeng's palm, from which a little blood was seeping out; it was easily missed if one didn't look closely. So Zhou Qiang asked Xie Qifeng, "Junior brother, what happened to your hand?" Xie Qifeng looked at his palm, scratched his head, and said with a smile, "Hehe, I don't know when I got it; I don't feel any pain at all." After saying that, Xie Qifeng wiped the blood off his hand and continued to sip his tea.
Zhou Qiang turned to Meng Linglang and asked, "Brother, is everyone here? When does the competition begin?" Suddenly, a voice came from the doorway: "Amitabha, benefactor, please don't be impatient, I'm late." A bald young man dressed in casual clothes walked in. The young man had his hands clasped together, and a striking yellow dot was painted on his forehead. Meng Linglang hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Little Master, where do you come from?" The young man closed his eyes slightly and slowly replied, "From where I came from."
"Then what are you doing here?" Meng Linglang continued, unwilling to give up. The young man pointed to the arena but remained silent. Zhou Qiang, unable to contain himself any longer, stood up and called out, "Young man, judging from his appearance, he must be a Buddhist. Don't ask any more questions." Meng Linglang, at a loss with the bald man, stepped aside and gestured for him to proceed. The bald young man took a crow from his yellow cloth bag and handed it to Meng Linglang, saying, "All things have a life. Take this. Remember to treat it well." He then smiled and walked towards the table and chairs near Zhou Qiang.