69novels Page 16
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【Fearless in Battle】: With the will to charge into battle, there is no chance of survival. When you use 【Powerful Attack】 while charging, you can change the attack reduction to defense reduction. For every -1 defense, you will gain +2 damage.
【Destructive Charge】: Combines powerful attacks with fearless charge. If you are using a two-handed weapon and initiate a charge or leap attack, you gain +4 damage for every -1 defense.
According to Zhou Tong, these three specializations are packaged together. Most of the more capable cavalry generals from the Song, Liao, and Western Xia armies would master these three moves: abandoning all defense and launching a devastating, all-out charge. Once your attack is accurate enough to hit the enemy and your damage is enough to pierce their chest, there's no need to worry about using Fearless Charge and exposing your weaknesses.
"Alright, your learning speed is frighteningly fast. You've already mastered four martial arts techniques and three specialties in just four months."
Zhou Dong nodded in satisfaction.
"Next, even if you repeat martial arts thousands of times every day, it will be difficult to make any progress. You must find your shortcomings in actual combat in order to continuously improve your skills. Wu Song is too strong, you can't spar with her. Wang Gui and the other two are too young. They may be able to fight when they grow up, but they are definitely no match for you now."
Zhou Tong thought for a moment, then his eyes darted around.
"Alright, starting today, stop practicing alone in the courtyard. Take two sticks wrapped in soft cloth and go spar with Yue Fei. I've been teaching him for a year and a half, and he's laid a solid foundation. The only thing he lacks is a worthy opponent. From today onward, you two will replace your daily training with real combat drills—just don't go all out."
"As ordered."
Liu Hong respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Yue Pengju Discusses Loyalty and Treachery, Ruler and Minister
Six months later, Liu Hong and Yue Fei clashed again in the courtyard. Half a year later, Yue Fei had grown quite a bit taller, almost 195 centimeters, and his level had also increased by one level. His terrifying Golden-Winged Roc ability had changed from a large number of attribute +1 to a large number of attribute +2. His young and immature face was still as mature and steady as before, like a little adult.
Yue Fei didn't use the Golden-Winged Roc's abilities, and Liu Hong didn't use the chivalrous Heavenly Gang Slash. The two of them fought using only the techniques taught by Zhou Tong. In the blink of an eye, they started with a combination of [Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix] and [Destructive Charge], launching a fearless charge at each other, abandoning all defense!
"Keng!"
The crisp sound of the two sticks clashing startled the swallows under the eaves. Both sides' attacks were entangled by the other's sticks. In the blink of an eye, the two simultaneously used the [Phoenix Falling Cloud Vortex], and the two wooden sticks stirred up a storm in the pavilion, blooming into thirty-six afterimages in the morning light, before collapsing into a sharp white rainbow piercing the sun.
The two sticks clashed violently together, their shafts arching upwards like living things, before snapping into four pieces with a crisp, ear-piercing cracking sound.
The two looked at the broken sticks in their hands, smiled at each other, and switched sticks to fight again. They fought from dawn until dusk before resting, and both of them made great progress in their combat experience.
"Senior Brother Yue, by the way, what exactly are those golden wings on your back?"
The two fought until the very end, exhausted, and lay down on the open ground in the courtyard, panting as they gazed at the sunset. Liu Hong finally had the chance to ask the question.
"Well, according to legend, all Han Chinese are descendants of an ancestral dragon. Some exceptional individuals may even revert to their ancestral form and awaken as true dragons, randomly awakening a true dragon power, such as having double pupils, transforming their bodies into lightning, or becoming a multi-headed serpent... all sorts of dragon blood powers are bizarre and wonderful."
"During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, this atavism was very common. Among the 50 million Han people, there were at least a thousand dragons."
"But as time goes by, fewer and fewer people can transform into dragons. Now the Han population is a full 100 million, twice the size of the population at the end of the Han Dynasty; while the number of true dragons is only 200, a five-fold decrease, making them increasingly rare."
Yue Fei proudly flapped his wings.
"And I am one of them! When I grow up, I will definitely join the army like my master, pacify the Liao Dynasty, destroy the Western Xia Dynasty, recover the Yan and Yun regions, and unify China!"
Looking at the young man before him, Liu Hong noticed a hint of longing and pride finally appear on his usually composed and dignified face when he spoke of his ideals.
So that's how it is. According to Zhou Tong and Yue Fei's explanations, more than a thousand years later, the world's hierarchy was suppressed to a lower and lower level, and dragons became fewer and fewer. In my time, it had completely become a mortal world without demons.
However, I traveled back a thousand years, where the level cap was still twelve levels. Therefore, the dragon power hidden within me was reawakened.
"Junior brother, what about you? You train even harder than me, so eager to practice martial arts and gain power. But what is it for?"
The pride on Yue Fei's face vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual calm and composure.
"In order to find a way out."
Liu Hong gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"If it weren't for that rich man Zhang colluding with the county magistrate to do evil, I might still be selling steamed buns in Qinghe County now."
“Sigh, I’ve also heard about this from Junior Brother Wu. It’s not your fault that you were wanted for murder. This world is indeed terrible. There are notorious county magistrates in the local areas, and four treacherous officials in the imperial court: Gao Qiu, Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Yang Jian. They deceive the officials and make the people suffer.”
Many of the government's policies and ideas are good, but they've been distorted by these corrupt officials! When I grow up, join the army, become a general, a military governor, or even enter the central government, I will definitely kill all the wicked and help the government change this world!
Yue Fei patted Liu Hong on the shoulder to comfort him, then clenched his fist and solemnly swore an oath under the sunset.
"No, no, no, quite the opposite. It's not because there were treacherous officials first, and then the emperor was misled."
Liu Hong shook his head, rejecting Yue Fei's idea that he was too young. This wasn't Yue Fei's fault; people in feudal times certainly didn't have the same vision as people today.
"I have heard about Gao Qiu's life. He was a servant that the emperor's son-in-law presented to him after hearing that the emperor was fond of Cuju (ancient Chinese football). After he gained power, ruffians like Gao Yanei who followed him also rose to prominence and caused trouble for their neighbors."
Therefore, first there must be a hedonistic and incompetent ruler like the current emperor, then a hundred ministers eager to pander to his tastes, then a thousand scoundrels like Gao Qiu who only know how to have fun filling the court, then ten thousand Gao Qiu's sons running rampant everywhere, causing widespread suffering among the people, and finally a hundred thousand local officials resorting to any means to curry favor with Gao Qiu, exploiting the people's wealth.
"The Emperor Zhao was not blinded by treacherous officials; rather, they were the source of the corruption."
Upon hearing this, Yue Fei stared in astonishment—was this a topic that could be discussed?
"Be careful!"
Yue Fei roared, and the phantom of the Golden-Winged Roc behind him swelled to three zhang (approximately 10 meters). The gust of wind from its sweeping wings rustled the leaves of the early summer trees. For the first time, an expression of anger appeared on his face.
"Even if the Emperor has made mistakes, a subject should remonstrate with him to the death!"
Bathed in the might of the Golden-Winged Roc, Liu Hong was enveloped by the azure Seven Killing Stars that soared into the sky, seemingly protecting him with their cold light, leaving him unharmed despite the oppressive golden light.
"Senior brother, I am a dragon just like you, only my abilities are not as exaggerated as yours. Do you remember the yellow robe at Chenqiao Post Station? Why didn't the founding emperor die remonstrating against the emperor, but instead chose to seize power?"
Liu Hong's words instantly silenced all sound in the courtyard. Yue Fei's pupils contracted sharply to pinpoints. All the feudalistic loyalty to the emperor he had learned over the past eight years clashed violently with the out-of-time knowledge Liu Hong had brought him. Finally, he slumped down, gazing at his golden wings, and gave a bitter smile.
"So, you're a dragon too. Sigh, junior brother always manages to dissect people's hearts so thoroughly that they're left speechless."
“But you’ve only killed Master Zhang so far, you’re not at your wit’s end yet. You can hide here with us for now, and wait for the emperor to grant a general amnesty and clear your junior brother’s name. Then we can join the army together, serve our country together, and change the world together.”
"But if you get imprisoned for saying such things, that's an unforgivable crime of treason, the kind that even a general amnesty can't forgive! Then everything will be over."
Liu Hong didn't think he could change Yue Fei's values, which he had gradually built up over time, with just a few words, so he changed the subject.
"I didn't say that it was wrong for you to join the army and serve your country. I just wanted to remind you: if one day you encounter something like this, remember to be careful. Some corrupt emperors are not blinded by treacherous officials and you can just go back and explain. On the contrary, these corrupt emperors just cherish their own reputation and dare not do anything that would anger the world. So they promote some treacherous officials as their scapegoats, let them do the work and take the blame, so that they can still appear as a benevolent ruler in the eyes of the people."
Liu Hong subtly reminded his senior brother of his future fate—but the Fengbo Pavilion incident, in which Yue Fei was wrongfully killed in history, was too far removed from his own life. He should focus his attention back on the present. Even if he couldn't persuade him, what if he trained himself to break out of prison?
"Junior brother, where did you learn all this from?"
Yue Fei stared at Liu Hong in shock, wondering where these rebellious thoughts of his came from.
"This kind of thing is recorded throughout the history books, but my senior brother just didn't notice it."
Liu Hong randomly selected a few cases.
"Did Emperor Jing of Han not want to reduce the power of the vassal states? He did, but he was unwilling to bear the blame for fratricide. So Chao Cuo became his scapegoat, so that the history books would only record Chao Cuo's deeds of instigating and inciting Emperor Jing of Han to reduce the power of the vassal states, thus sparing himself the infamy of killing his relatives and clansmen."
Why did Wu Zetian employ so many cruel officials? Because those officials were tasked with things she genuinely wanted to do, but couldn't due to reputational concerns; therefore, she delegated these tasks to people like Lai Junchen. She herself remained seated on the dragon throne, completely absolving herself of any responsibility.
Yue Fei was even more stunned. Who taught him this rebellious way of thinking? But thinking about it carefully, it actually made some sense.
The group discussed history again. Yue Fei had only read a few books with the scholar hired by Master Wang, and his knowledge was nowhere near that of Liu Hong, a history major. His junior brother was knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and could tell the history from the pre-Qin period to the Tang and Song dynasties in a fluent and logical way, just like a story. He could also explain the basic logic of climate change and water level changes, which captivated Yue Fei. He spoke in more detail than a teacher in a private school and was more exciting than a storyteller on stage.
Each historical event was presented in a vivid and engaging way, far removed from the dry and tedious descriptions found in historical records. Like Sima Qian, they told their stories with great detail and excitement. As they chatted, they unknowingly talked until late at night. When they got excited, they even exchanged their biggest secret: the true nature of their dragon blood abilities. Only then did Yue Fei reluctantly go home to sleep.
From then on, the young Yue Fei became attached to Liu Hong. Every day after their practice sessions, he would beg Liu Hong to tell him stories, and he even skipped his private tutor's lessons.
The mother-in-law was furious. She picked up a broom and went to find Yue Fei, who had skipped school, intending to spank him. However, she discovered that he was listening to a lecture by Liu Hong. The amount of information revealed in just a few words was even more astonishing than that of the schoolteacher in Qilin Village. Only then did she nod in agreement. From then on, the two brothers stayed together day and night, and their feelings for each other grew stronger with each passing day.
After two wonderful months, in the sixth month, Liu Hong embarrassingly discovered that he was out of money. A middle-class family in the Northern Song Dynasty would spend about 15 taels of silver a month. However, due to his family's special circumstances, with two martial arts practitioners having huge appetites, their expenses had increased to 20 taels of silver, and sometimes even more.
When he escaped, he only had 130 or 140 taels of silver with him, which he spent completely within six months.
After careful consideration, Liu Hong realized that he had a place where he could make money quickly—Zhu Gui of Daming Prefecture was well-informed and spread all kinds of underworld information. Wu Song sometimes went there to make money. It seemed that he still had to take a boat back to the Ghost Fanlou underground in Daming Prefecture to make some money through shady dealings. Anyway, it would only take two and a half hours to get there, and if things went smoothly, he could be back in two days.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The True Traveler Drunkenly Enters the Ghostly Pavilion
Without further ado, Liu Hong first asked his master for a few days' leave, then packed his gear, slung a waist knife over his shoulder, picked up a two-meter-long iron rod, and was about to go to Daming Prefecture to steal from the enemy. Just as he was packing, Wu Song came in with a concerned look on her face, bent down and cupped Liu Hong's face in her hands, her beautiful face revealing deep concern.
"What's wrong, little brother? I heard from Master that you took a few days off. Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's alright, sister. It's just that I don't have enough money. I plan to go to Daming Prefecture to earn some so I can buy meat to eat."
Liu Hong continued packing the packages.
"You're a wanted criminal, why are you running around in a big city like Daming Prefecture? How are you going to make money... Oh~ you're looking for Zhu Gui, right?"
Wu Song also realized that when he was fleeing in dire straits, he had also made money through Zhu Gui by taking on some shady deals at the Ghost Fanlou.
"Going to Guifanlou alone is too dangerous for you. Wait a bit, I'll tell Master, and we'll go together!"
Wu Song ran off in a flash, asked his master Zhou Tong for leave, then took a staff that reached his eyebrows and two knives at his waist. The brother and sister bid farewell to their brother and Pan Jinlian, and rowed Liu Hong's fishing boat down the Zhang River towards Daming Prefecture.
Wu Dalang watched the backs of the siblings, feeling both happy and worried. "Oh well," he thought, "these two little devils are both incredibly strong, why should I worry?"
With the early summer southeast wind blowing and Daming Prefecture located below Qilin Village, the fishing boats sailed smoothly and quickly, arriving at Daming Prefecture in less than two hours. Liu Hong moored the fishing boat at the harbor and went to Zhu Gui's inn again.
"Gentlemen, are you here for a meal or to stay the night... Oh! Isn't this Sister Wu Song and Brother Liu Hong? You two have finally reunited! How are you and your wife doing now?"
Zhu Gui looked up and saw two old acquaintances. He smiled and hurriedly came out to greet them. His dark green snake-scale dress trailed dangerous yet beautiful streaks in the air.
"There are too many people around here, let's find a quiet place to talk."
Wu Song cautiously looked around, and Zhu Gui nodded, leading the two to a well-soundproofed guest room.
"I can't bring myself to force women into prostitution or traffic them, but I can do jobs killing bandits for people downstairs at Ghost Fan Tower. I wonder if Sister Zhu Gui has any similar work available?"
Liu Hong got straight to the point.
“We have settled down, but we are short of money.”
"Yes, yes, do you remember that Ghost Fanlou restaurant that Suo Chao massacred?"
Zhu Gui took out a booklet from the drawer and carefully examined it.
"After the wealthy man failed to recruit you, he recruited another group of bandits to fill the Ghost Pavilion. But recently, a girl seized the Ghost Pavilion below his brothel and tried to use the tunnel to attack the brothel on the surface. This has forced him to send people to guard the cellar at all times to prevent the girl from leading a large number of bandits to rush out of the Ghost Pavilion underground and attack his brothel, just like squatting in a golden latrine."
That girl, nicknamed "Little Protector" because she imitated Li Cunxiao, one of the Thirteen Protectors, was the one who took over the Ghost Fanlou we saw last time, threatening the brothel above her from underground—she's even more powerful than the first and second bosses, Ren the Elder—let me see, the brothel's owner in the underworld has offered three hundred taels of silver for her head.”
"We'll accept. No matter how powerful she is, she's still stronger than us, brother and sister."
Wu Song didn't take it seriously.
"Brother and sister, be careful. That guy's self-comparison to Li Cunxiao is not unfounded. She really is a Shatuo person—Shatuo people who have drifted to Daming Prefecture in Hebei are very rare."
Were the Shatuo people very powerful?
Liu Hong was somewhat puzzled. The Shatuo people in history were a group of nomadic tribes who originally lived in the deserts of the Western Regions. Later, they migrated to the Central Plains. They valued family relationships very much. The famous Li Keyong even adopted twelve sons, making a total of thirteen sons with his own biological sons, known as the Thirteen Protectors. This tradition of adopting sons and daughters to increase family members was very popular among the Shatuo people.
Moreover, the Shatuo people were historically very brave and skilled in battle, especially cavalry. The last cavalry glory of the Tang Dynasty was won by the Shatuo people, who were even granted the imperial surname Li and became members of the Li Tang royal family, allowing the Shatuo people's power to gradually reach its peak.
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, emperors such as Shi Jingtang and Liu Zhiyuan were all Shatuo people.
By the Song Dynasty, the entire Hedong region, which is now Shanxi Province, was dominated by the Shatuo people. One of the most formidable armies of the Song Dynasty, the Hedong Army, was also a Shatuo army.
What would this race be in this fantasy world?
"The Shatuo people are indeed powerful. They are called Shatuo people in the Central Plains, but in the Western Regions, they have another name - Blue Dragon, the dragon of the west. It is said that two hundred years ago, the third son, Li Cunxu, had wings that were a hundred meters wide when spread out, covering the sky and the sun. Just flapping his wings could cause sandstorms, and he was unparalleled in his fame."
The thirteenth prince, Li Cunxiao, had a wingspan of an astonishing two hundred meters! He was twice the size of Li Cunxu! On the battlefield, his charge was so fierce it eclipsed the sun and moon, dimmed the stars, and annihilated all who struck him! Just standing there, he was like a towering blue mountain, terrifying his enemies into trembling fear. People said that only the Hegemon-King of Western Chu a thousand years ago could rival the Thirteen Protectors of two hundred years ago.
"The Imperial Guard Cavalry under the command of the Shatuo people, Hengchongdu, is a legion of half-dragon offspring born from the mating of blue dragons with other creatures. This terrifying behemoth cavalry force is still fighting and grinding against the Western Xia army on the border between the Song Dynasty and Western Xia."
Wu Song's expression was somewhat solemn, but his brows relaxed.
"However, a blue dragon that lives in the sewers can't be that big; it's about the size of a cow at most."
"Yes, she is indeed very small, probably a young dragon, but older brothers and sisters must be careful, she is very difficult to deal with, so please be extra cautious."
After Zhu Gui finished his tense instructions, he gave the two a map of Ghost Fanlou. Liu Hong and Wu Song then rowed their small boat and headed into the dark and cramped underground world once again. On their second visit, Liu Hong had gradually become accustomed to the stench in the darkness and the rats in the sewers. After turning left and right, they arrived near Ghost Fanlou for the second time. There was no trace of the massacre that Suo Chao and his government troops had carried out. Ghost Fanlou, which had been slaughtered, had returned to its former prosperity, as if nothing had ever happened.
The imperial court's crackdown on Gui Fanlou was like the tide at the beach. No matter how turbulent the tide was, as soon as it receded, the bandits, as numerous as grains of sand, would once again cover the beach.
Wu Song anchored his boat on the shore early on, and the brother and sister quietly crept along the shore toward the Ghost Fanlou.
As they approached, Wu Song used her slender fingers to lift the lid of the wine gourd, tilted her head back, and drank it down! The murky wine surged through her throat with a roar like a dragon entering the sea, and a blush of peach blossoms spread across her snow-white jade neck; her smile, like that of an ancient painting, rose like two rosy clouds.
The woman's natural fragrance mingled with the rich aroma of rice wine, becoming indistinguishable.
"Sister, you're drinking before a fight? Is that alright?"
Liu Hong looked worriedly at Wu Song, whose face was flushed from drinking. Her attribute chart now showed an additional negative status.
[Slightly tipsy]: Attack -10%, Defense -10%.
"No, don't be afraid! My demon is very powerful, the more drunk she gets, the stronger she becomes."
The drunken Wu Song smiled seductively, unleashing her fists and kicks, brandishing two steel swords and adopting the attack stance of drunken boxing. Amidst the swirling wind, the flush on her face was no longer the shy blush of a drunken girl, but rather the bloody omen of a calamity before the city was set ablaze.
And the status table has changed as well.
【Drunken Fist】: All the negative debuffs from being drunk are turned into positive buffs.
(Slightly tipsy): Attack +10%, Defense +10%.
At the same time, an extremely terrifying energy rose from within Wu Song's body, allowing Liu Hong to see clearly what her demon truly was.