"No, I must tell this news directly to the lord. Otherwise, what if we are recruited by the Lu Shan bandits?"
...
Soon, the three of them, wearing veils and carrying swords, arrived in the city. After making some inquiries, they learned that the place was called Guangzhou, the provincial capital.
Inside an inn, the three were eating. After all, while grandmasters are incredibly powerful, they are still human, not yet beyond the realm of humanity. Even if there are legends of them remaining energetic even after not eating for half a month, those are rare exceptions and shouldn't be taken literally.
"Well, I've taken a look around, and these ordinary people are managing to survive, albeit with great hardship. Besides, people are short-sighted; as long as they can survive, who would want to rebel?" Shi A said calmly, recalling what he had seen and heard since entering the city.
It's really infuriating. Since entering the city, Shi A has asked many people about their opinions on the imperial court and the Han people. As a result, most of them just nodded and agreed.
It wasn't that he lacked any independent judgment; rather, he assumed Shi A was a traitor to the Hongmen and simply made his way away. Several times, Shi A almost got caught by the constables, which was quite embarrassing.
Lin Yang had, of course, anticipated this. The Qing Dynasty, which ruled this world, engaged in literary inquisitions and used the rigid eight-legged essay system, its aim being to treat the common people like pigs. Under such circumstances, naturally, no talented individuals could emerge.
Lin Yang felt even more fortunate to have arrived in the Great Han Dynasty, a wonderful world where everyone strives for success and becomes a dragon among men.
In the main world, although there are various class distinctions, it is much better than in the later Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
However, at that moment, a loud commotion suddenly broke out in my ears.
"Mr. Hu has arrived."
"Hey, Lao Hu, what story are you planning to tell today?"
"Yes, we're just waiting for you to tell your story."
The subject of everyone's discussion was an elderly man with white hair. The old man looked quite old, but he was very energetic.
To outsiders, this old man was just an ordinary person. However, under Lin Yang's divine eyes, he could clearly see the man's destiny.
The aura is deep red with a wisp of yellow in the center; this is the mark of a peak second-tier expert, with the potential to reach the third tier. In the terms of this world, this is equivalent to a peak fourth-grade expert. In the terms of the main world, this is equivalent to a peak innate expert.
After entering, the old man casually glanced around, then his gaze lingered briefly on Lin Yang and the others. Though brief, it was enough to make him noticeable.
Seeing this, Shi A smiled and gave him a meaningful look. The old man knew he had been discovered, but he didn't care. He quickly turned around, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Today, we'll tell the story of the second son of the Li family in Guanjiangkou, who split the mountain to save his mother."
"A long, long time ago, there was a fairy named..."
As they were talking, several more guests entered the restaurant. However, these people were all quite extraordinary. Among them, the man in brocade robes was the leader, and even when he entered the restaurant, he was very cautious, as if he was carrying something.
In terms of strength, the attendants beside them were all innate masters. As for the leader, he was a third-rank grandmaster, which was quite interesting. It seemed that news of their rescue had already spread. However, they wondered whose men had returned this time.
"Ahem, Old Hu, you've heard the story of Erlang splitting the mountain to save his mother countless times. Can't you come up with something different?" the man in brocade said. As he spoke, he tossed over an ounce of silver.
Old Hu's eyes lit up at the sight of the silver. He then smiled and said, "Whatever you want to hear, just say it. I'm not bragging, but among all the storytellers in Guangzhou, none knows more than me."
"Hehe, I'm tired of hearing these things. Besides, they're mostly about heroes from ancient times. How about this, why don't you tell me about the heroes of today?" The man in brocade robes pretended to think for a moment before speaking.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire restaurant fell silent.
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Chapter Thirty: The Four Famous Bandits of the Land
The room fell silent upon hearing the man in brocade robes' words. If the heroes of today speak with a hidden meaning, then things get interesting.
Upon hearing this, the old storyteller inquired, "Well, there are many heroes and valiant men these days. I wonder what kind of story you would like to hear?"
"Have you ever heard of the Four Great Bandits?" the man in brocade asked with a smile.
hiss
The moment the words left his mouth, everyone gasped in unison. Who hadn't heard of the Four Great Bandits, renowned throughout the land? Judging from his tone, this man in brocade robes was most likely one of them.
Immediately, many people left. As for whether they went home to avoid trouble or went out to inform on others, that was a matter of opinion.
Upon hearing this, the old man carefully looked around, then deliberately widened his eyes to glance at the man in brocade, before laughing and saying, "Haha, I've naturally heard about the Four Great Bandits. However, once it's revealed, I'm afraid we won't have a place to stand in Guangzhou. We'll be eating in the open, sleeping under the stars, wandering the world. I, Old Hu, am getting on in years. My legs aren't as strong as they used to be. If I suddenly had to leave..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man in brocade robes tossed over a silver ingot. It looked quite large. Some sharp-eyed observers immediately noticed the inscription: "Imperial Made, Fifty Taels, in a Certain Year, Month, and Place."
"Official silver".
"This is government silver."
After accepting the silver, the old man, his eyes red, shook his head and said, "It's not enough."
Seeing this, the man in brocade robes threw a gold coin over. The coin was engraved with a human head, giving it a somewhat Western feel.
"I left in a hurry and didn't bring much silver. Here's a gold coin, worth fifty taels of silver. If that's not enough, I can add more," the man in brocade said with a smile.
"Oh, so this is the Ming Gong coin. It's said to be made of gold, and the portrait on it is of Ming Gong himself. This Ming Gong gold coin weighs five taels, but it's exquisitely crafted and can be exchanged for at least sixty-five taels of silver on the market."
"My lord? Isn't that the pig demon from the Four Great Bandits?"
"Go away! This is Guangzhou, the headquarters of the Hongmen. Do you have a death wish to talk like that?"
"Brother is right, I was just being cheeky."
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd and glancing at the silver and gold coins in his hand, the old man finally made up his mind and then smiled and said, "Alright, since the guest wants to hear, then this old man will tell you about the four great bandits of this dynasty."
"The emergence of the Four Great Bandits is inseparable from the current situation. For some reason, since last year, the whole country has been in chaos. Countless people have risen up in rebellion. And these Four Great Bandits are the best among these rebels."
"They are respectively the Pig Demon (Zhu Jishi), the Silver Demon (Wei Ze), the Lushan Bandit (Chen Ming), and the Long-haired Rebel (Hong Xiuquan). Of course, this is the official court's version. Their titles in the martial arts world are respectively the Overseas Emperor, the Living Sage, the Restoration Emperor of Han, and the God Descended to Earth."
"This is Guangzhou, the territory of the Hongmen, so let's start by talking about this overseas emperor."
"It can be said that in Guangzhou, anyone with a bit of power knows about the Hongmen. Whether they are officials, businessmen, or even landlords from the countryside, they all know about it. The Hongmen is the real power behind Guangzhou."