Knife splashing

Chapter 41: Qin and Han War Drums, Jinbao Casino

It’s bleak in early autumn and the old streets are getting chilly.

The cold wind blew through the bluestone streets, pushing the fallen dead leaves to fly and rustle against the ground.

With a creaking sound, an ox cart slowly drove from the end of the old street. Against the morning light, it seemed to be covered with a layer of gold.

Three big drums were placed steadily on the ox cart.

Each of these drums is more than one meter wide, mottled with black paint, and has a dark yellow cowhide drumhead, looking old and heavy.

Although it has a long history, it still reveals an unconcealable aura, as if it can make heart-stirring drum sounds at any time.

Before they got close to the Taoist Hall, Li Yan and his two companions came out to greet them.

Wang Daoxuan stepped forward, bowed and said with a smile: "Mr. He, thank you very much."

The driver was an old man with gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a dog-skin hat. He sat sideways on the shaft of the cart and smoked a tobacco pipe.

Seeing Wang Daoxuan, he also jumped down quickly, first shook the reins to stop the old cow, then clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Master, you are too polite. You saved the lives of my family, so what are these worldly possessions worth?"

After coming out of Zhang's martial arts school, Li Yan said he wanted to find the Qin and Han war drums.

The process of making a high-quality drum from material selection to production, and then drying and painting, takes a long time. There is simply not enough time, so I had to borrow it from someone.

Fortunately, Wang Daoxuan said he knew an old artist and borrowed a drum.

The old man’s surname is He, and he is also a man of the underworld.

Not all people in the underworld know martial arts or make a living with knives. Most of them are petty thieves, cheaters, or rely on a skill to travel around.

This old man He formed a drum band. Whenever a store opened or there was a big event in various places in Xianyang, he would perform to liven up the atmosphere and earn some money from tips.

In the martial arts world, all the operas, dramas, and drum singing belonged to the Liu family, so they got to know Wang Daoxuan.

After receiving the message, he came in person to deliver the drum.

Li Yan also thanked him politely and walked forward to take a look.

These three war drums are quite old, but still well preserved. Although they are slightly worn, it does not affect their use. After some maintenance, they are as majestic as ever.

He stroked it gently, and the more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

The Qin and Han war drums are a type of drum music that was popular in Xianyang. Legend has it that a Qin soldier who held the flag returned home and passed on the war drum tune to the villagers, who passed it down from generation to generation.

When the First Emperor conquered the six kingdoms and when the King of Han conquered the world, they all used this to boost the morale of their troops.

Seeing his appearance, the old artist showed a trace of relief in his eyes, "It can be seen that you are also a drum lover. Giving it to you is also appropriate."

Li Yan waved his hand quickly, "It's just borrowed. How dare I take it from the old man who eats with me?"

"It's no use keeping it."

The old man waved his hand slightly, stroking the war drum reluctantly, and sighed: "When I was young, I didn't know how high the sky was and how deep the earth was. I always wanted to be the drum king and be famous all over the world. I wasted half of my life and could only make a living. I didn't even take care of my family."

"I wanted to pass it on to my kid, but he hated the drums because I loved them, so he didn't want it at all. He just wanted to go to Tianjin to make a living."

"I am old now, so I will go with him again and talk to him about the rules of the underworld, which can be regarded as making up for the past debt."

Wang Daoxuan frowned, "Mr. He, your body..."

The old man waved his hand and said calmly: "It's not that important to return to your roots. It doesn't matter where you die."

"Besides, the Qin Shi Huang's war drums shook the land of China. Under this sky, wherever the sun and moon shine, there is no place that is not my home."

“The old man is open-minded.”

"Hahaha, what do you mean by open-minded? I just let it go..."

The old man waved his hand, smiled, and turned away.

The few people could not resist and stuffed some silver into their pockets, saying it was free travel expenses. Only then did they watch the old man's hunched figure and the creaking ox cart disappear into the sunlight of the old street...

…………

Boom!
In the small courtyard, the sound of drums rang out.

Li Yan tapped it lightly with his hands to feel the vibration.

The day for the competition is set for the day after tomorrow. It would be extremely difficult to improve your skills or experience in such a short time.

The only possibility is to master the divine drum's cloud and thunder sound as soon as possible, at least to be able to control the hidden power and use it at the critical moment.

The so-called cloud thunder sound is a louder thunder sound.

The war drums of the Qin and Han dynasties were the most powerful and most suitable for practicing the divine drum cloud and thunder sound.

In the booklet passed down by Master Zhou’s ancestors, the sacred drums used for cultivation all need to be specially made, from leather drums to wooden drums, and finally iron drums, and there are methods for making them.

There is no time now, so I can only use ordinary war drums for now.

Thinking of this, Li Yan took a horse stance, his abdomen contracted and pumped, his diaphragm moved up and down as if compressed, he took a few breaths in succession, and suddenly opened his mouth.

"Hum——!"

Hōng (hōng) is the six-syllable mantra of Buddhism, which sounds the same as thunder.

The Great Cloud and Thunder Sound is a secret method of Buddhism and Taoism. This sound is used as the standard during practice.

According to the book, some Buddhist masters practice this method, often when the wind and clouds are changing and thunder is roaring. It is difficult to master it without outstanding qualifications.

Once you have control over it, there are many benefits.

Not only can it vibrate the fascia and internal organs, but the thunder sound combined with mantras can also cleanse the soul, eliminate distracting thoughts, and condense the boxing intent.

But this method also has a flaw, which is that the weather cannot be controlled.

Therefore, the ancestor of the Zhou family combined his own skills with the sound of drums. Although it was not as mighty as real thunder, it was better in that it was gradual and could be practiced at any time.

Just as Li Yan uttered the "Hum" sound, his hands also clapped down, vibrating the drum surface and making a roaring sound.

There was a sudden loud bang in the small courtyard, with an extraordinary sound.

"it is good!"

Sharifei immediately applauded loudly.

"What a bird."

Li Yan laughed in silence, then shook his head slightly and said thoughtfully: "This method may be more difficult than I thought."

According to the secret manual, there are three difficulties in playing the divine drum. The first is the timing of the strike, the drum sound and the mantra must resonate.

The second is to breathe in and stimulate the body, using oneself as the drum to produce thunderous sounds.

The third is degree. The sound of thunder is mighty. Only by mastering the degree can you avoid hurting yourself.

This first step may require some effort.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
Li Yan struck it a few more times, carefully feeling the vibration of the drum surface.

Sharifei, who was standing by, felt bored. He rolled his eyes and said, "The food here is too vegetarian. I'll go get some beef to replenish my body for the next two days!"

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the yard.

Li Yan had already been fully focused, frowning and thinking, and didn't pay any attention to what he said.

Soon, intermittent drumbeats could be heard in the yard again.

…………

On the other side, Sharif flew out the door and walked around the old alley a few times to make sure no one was watching him or leaving any special marks before he staggered away.

He was very familiar with the city of Xianyang. He did not walk along the crowded streets, but instead turned left and right in the alleys, choosing to walk through secluded places.

Soon, we arrived at Xicheng Paifang Street.

This place got its name from a large archway of the previous dynasty. Both sides of the street were lined with brothels, taverns and casinos. It was the most lively but also the most chaotic place in Xianyang city.

This street is relatively southward, and wealthy merchants from the north and south who come to the ferry would always come here to spend the night. Also, swordsmen who work from day to day and do not know how to make ends meet would throw most of their earnings here.

Therefore, all kinds of people gathered together, good and bad people mixed together.

It was still early in the morning and most of the brothels were still closed after a night of activity. The faint smell of cosmetics wafted out through the open windows.

From time to time, there are women in thin clothes combing their hair in front of the window.

But Sharifei didn't even look at it.

He walked quickly to a two-story building, looked up, and saw that the door was wide open. Two tall and strong men were guarding the door. It was a cold day, with bare arms and cowhide copper-studded wrist guards on their wrists.

The plaque above clearly reads "Jinbao Casino" in four large characters.

Some are lustful, some are addicted to gambling.

In the huge city of Xianyang, from high-ranking officials to peddlers, no matter they are gangsters or government servants, there are always some who are addicted to this.

The whole street was still deserted, but the gambling house was already bustling with people.

It’s not that the guests came early, but that they gambled all night!
Wow!

Just as Sharifei was about to enter the door, he saw a large cloth curtain shaking, and a middle-aged man was pushed out, stumbling to the ground and falling flat on his face.

Half of his face was rubbed to the point of bleeding, but he didn't care. He turned around and got up, begging: "Lend me some more, lend me some more... I'll pay you back double if you make a profit!"

"Master Lu."

A man in white walked out. He had sweeping eyebrows and narrow eyes. Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes were very cold, which made people feel uncomfortable no matter how they looked at him.

He squatted down and patted the middle-aged man's face, sneering: "Calling you Young Master is a compliment. Listen to my advice and stop playing. Besides, you have nothing to bet."

The middle-aged man's eyes were bloodshot, "I... I still have a life!"

"Your life is worthless!"

The man in white stood up and gave a wink. The two men at the door dragged the middle-aged man and threw him into the alley next to him.

At this time, he saw Sha Lifei standing in the distance again. His expression changed and he put on a flattering smile, "Hey, Master Sha, what a rare guest. Are you here to play a few games today?"

"Fuck off!"

Sharifei ignored him and walked straight into the door.

He knew the background of the man in white and that he was a con man from the "Hua Family".

They have a cooperative relationship with the casino.

The first is to "play tricks", observe people's behavior, find those young masters with rich families, and use sweet words to lure them into joining.

The second is to “wake someone up” by cheating to make them lose everything they have.

This group of people even formed their own gangs, including "Swallow" who used her beauty to deceive people, Lao Rong who specialized in fraud and theft, and even Xing Guazi who used violence.

Whenever you suddenly become rich, you will be targeted by these people.

This has been true throughout the ages.

They have many means at their disposal, including greed, beauty, family ties, friendship, sympathy... As long as you have a weakness, there will be a corresponding scheme. Even a seasoned veteran will be fooled if he is not careful.

The young master of the Chunfeng class fell into the trap of this kind of people.

Sharifei naturally didn't bother to pay attention to him and pushed him away and entered the gambling house.

The man in white behind him snorted and followed closely behind.

The casino hall was filled with smoke.

Lanterns were hung above each gambling table, and gamblers surrounded them. Their clothes were disheveled, their eyes were red, their faces were ashen, and they looked like hungry ghosts in the dim candlelight.

The smell of sweat and cigarettes made Shalifei stagger.

"What a coward..."

Sharifei cursed inwardly, then he stuck his head out and shouted, "In the life and death contest the day after tomorrow, is there anyone in your Jinbao Casino who will be the banker?"

The shout immediately attracted a lot of people's attention.

"What's it called?!"

The wooden door of the Accord on the second floor was kicked open.

Several men in black came out of the room, escorting a man.

The man was not tall and looked to be in his thirties, but he had albinism. His face was pale and dark red, his eyebrows and beard were snow-white, and his hair was thick.

It looks like a white ape...

(End of this chapter)