Martial Arts Crossover: My master tricked Huang Rong into becoming my wife!

The water in the bucket was dark and murky, with a layer of fine sludge at the bottom, impurities forced out from Chen Yanzhou's pores.

Hong Qigong reached out to test the water temperature, then squeezed Chen Yanzhou's arm and nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, that's enough." Hong Qigong straightened up and waved to Lu Youjiao, who was anxiously waiting there. "Go and get something to eat. After all this fuss, this old beggar's stomach is rumbling."

Lu Youjiao was taken aback, then pointed to Chen Yanzhou, who was sleeping soundly in the bucket: "That Yanzhou..."

"He won't die, he'll be fine after a good night's sleep." Hong Qigong urged impatiently, "Remember, there has to be meat and good wine! Don't try to fool me with that watered-down village brew, go to 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion' and get two jars of aged Shaoxing wine!"

"Hey! I'm going right now!" As soon as Lu Youjiao heard about food and drink, he knew that the gang leader was in a good mood. He didn't dare to delay and ran out in a flash with his bamboo cane.

Only the master and his apprentice remained inside the house.

After a stick of incense had burned, Hong Qigong looked at his disciple, who was soaking in the water like a dead fish, and chuckled.

He didn't bother with any gentle handling, so he reached out and grabbed Chen Yanzhou by the back of the neck, lifting him out of the bucket like a drowned rat.

"You're lucky enough to have one of the Five Greats serve you while you bathe."

Hong Qigong muttered something under his breath, then shook Chen Yanzhou off.

Then, he casually grabbed a sheet, wrapped the naked Chen Yanzhou haphazardly around it, and with a flick of his wrist, Chen Yanzhou flew through the air in an arc before landing steadily on the bed with a muffled "thud."

The movements were a bit rough, but the force was controlled extremely well.

Chen Yanzhou only showed his head as he lay on the bed. Hong Qigong clapped his hands, then slumped comfortably into the armchair, waiting for dinner to be served.

About 15 minutes later, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Before anyone even entered the house, a strong aroma of meat mixed with wine wafted in through the crack in the door.

Hong Qigong's eyes, which had been half-closed, suddenly widened, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and his air of superiority vanished instantly.

"Here it comes!"

Lu Youjiao pushed open the door and entered, carrying two large wine jars in his arms and a huge food box in his hand.

"Boss, here's your Shaoxing wine! Also, freshly baked braised pork knuckle, roast goose, and two pounds of sliced ​​braised beef!"

He placed the food on the table, and without even using chopsticks, Hong Qigong reached out and tore off a goose leg, taking a big bite.

"Mmm! Delicious! This is what life should be like!" Hong Qigong exclaimed, his mouth greasy, his words muffled. "Much better than those cold, unappetizing dishes in the imperial kitchen!"

Lu Youjiao didn't stand on ceremony; he broke the mud seal and poured out two large bowls of wine.

"Boss, this meal is on me." Lu Youjiao picked up his bowl and clinked it against the wall. "You've gone to all this trouble for Yanzhou."

"Don't give me that." Hong Qigong took a big gulp of wine and exhaled comfortably. "I'm his master, if I don't suffer, who will? Besides, if this kid ruins his training, where am I going to find another disciple who can make money and is smart like him?"

The two clinked glasses and exchanged toasts, their words flowing freely like a whirlwind.

After a few rounds of drinks, Lu Youjiao's face turned a deep purple, but his eyes cleared a bit. He put down his wine bowl, wiped his mouth, and leaned forward slightly.

"Boss, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Hong Qigong, gnawing on his pork knuckle, didn't even lift his eyelids: "I knew this wine wouldn't taste good. So, tell me, what are you planning to scheme against the old beggar this time?"

"How could that be?" Lu Youjiao chuckled, pulled a folding book from his pocket, and spread it on the table. "I was thinking of making a big splash at the Junshan Gathering this month, since it's almost the fifteenth."

"The Junshan Conference?" Hong Qigong frowned slightly. "Isn't it held every year? It's just eating and drinking, and incidentally resolving some disputes within the gang. What's so special about making a big deal out of it?"

"This year is different."

Lu Youjiao pointed to the leftovers on the table and said seriously, "Chief, look at our Xiangyang branch. Thanks to Yanzhou's 'righteous transport' method, we're rolling in money now. The brothers are wearing new clothes, living in new houses, and eating meat every meal. But what about the brothers in the other branches?"

Hong Qigong paused, then put down the bone in his hand.

"Our Beggars' Sect is known as the largest sect in the world, with hundreds of thousands of disciples. Apart from Xiangyang, our brothers in other places are still suffering from cold and hunger, fighting with wild dogs for a stale bun." Lu Youjiao sighed, "Since Yanzhou's method works, I'm thinking of taking advantage of this conference to promote this 'righteous journey' business to the other three major regions."

"We can't get involved in the Jurchen territory to the north, but in the vast lands of Jiangnan, Hubei and Hunan, and Guangdong and Guangxi, our Beggars' Sect will spread our logistics network across the entire region!"

Lu Youjiao grew more and more excited as he spoke, tapping his fingers on the table: "At that time, our Beggars' Sect will not only be the largest sect in the world, but also the richest! With money and provisions in hand, we'll have real confidence whether we're fighting the Jin or providing disaster relief!"

Hong Qigong listened intently, remained silent for a long while, and then nodded.

"That's a good idea." He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and said, "Yanzhou is indeed a clever man. Our Beggars' Sect has been poor for hundreds of years; it's time to change our way of life. This matter is approved."

Lu Youjiao was overjoyed: "Then please, Chief, be sure to show up and take charge!"

"puff--"

Hong Qigong spat out all the wine he had just drunk.

"Me?!" Hong Qigong glared. "You expect me to do such a trivial matter? I won't! I'm too lazy to move. You take your Dog-Beating Stick with you; seeing the stick is like seeing me, who would dare disobey?"

As he spoke, he reached for the jade staff at his waist.

Lu Youjiao grabbed his hand, his face contorted in a grimace. "Boss! Normally, if you gave me the stick, I could easily keep things in check. But this time is different!"

"What's different? Does someone dare to rebel?"

"This involves money!" Lu Youjiao lowered his voice. "You know those people. If it weren't for you, the big Buddha, keeping them in check, I probably wouldn't be able to control those old foxes with just my words and a stick."

"They'll definitely say we've broken the ancestral rules, and I can't handle the mess of dirty and clean clothes by myself."

Hong Qigong frowned as he listened.

The conflict between the dirty-clothed and clean-clothed factions within the Beggars' Sect has a long history, and he usually turns a blind eye as long as no major trouble arises. But now, this "righteous cause" concerns the future of the entire Beggars' Sect, and there is no room for the slightest mistake.

"Troublesome! So troublesome!"

Hong Qigong scratched his hair in frustration, then slammed his hand on the table, making the plates bounce around.

"All I want is a decent meal, why is that so hard?"

Lu Youjiao didn't say anything, just stared at him expectantly with an expression that said, "The rise and fall of the Beggars' Sect is entirely in your hands."

"Alright, alright! Don't look at me like that, it's creepy!" Hong Qigong rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "Fine, I'll go! I'll just sit there, and anyone who dares to bare their teeth, I'll knock their teeth out!"

Lu Youjiao was overjoyed and quickly filled Hong Qigong's cup with wine: "Chief is wise! With you in the Beggars' Clan, hundreds of thousands of brothers are blessed!"

"Stop flattering me." Hong Qigong snorted, picked up his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. "But speaking of which, now that we've expanded this operation, we'll have to change the gang's rules. We can't just focus on making money and forget what we're here for."

"That's natural," Lu Youjiao nodded.

Hong Qigong turned his gaze to the window, looking at the newly renovated courtyard, his eyes becoming somewhat profound.

"There's something else," he said slowly. "Once this winter is over, and we have enough money, let's set up a school in each of our branch headquarters."

"A school?" Lu Youjiao was taken aback.

"That's right." Hong Qigong pointed to Chen Yanzhou, who was still fast asleep on the bed. "Look at this kid. He studied with Old Scholar Xu for a few days, and his knowledge and skills are better than those of us old hands. The children of our Beggars' Clan can't be beggars for generations, illiterate and only able to beg for food."

"With schools, they can be taught to read and write, and to be good people. Even if they don't learn any martial arts or literary skills, it's still better for them to become accountants or managers in the future than to be treated like dogs on the street."

Hong Qigong sighed, his tone tinged with desolation: "That old beggar has no skills, all he knows is how to teach them to fight. But in this world, just knowing how to fight isn't enough."

Lu Youjiao felt a surge of warmth in his heart upon hearing this, and his eyes welled up with tears.

The gang leader may seem carefree on the surface, but he actually cares about his disciples and followers more than anyone else.

"Chief, I've thought about this for a while now," Lu Youjiao said with a smile. "I mentioned this to some of the elders a while ago."

"We've already discussed it. After winter, we'll start a pilot program in Xiangyang. Old Scholar Xu will be the headmaster, and we'll invite a few other failed scholars to teach. All the kids in the gang, regardless of whether they can practice martial arts, will have to study there for two years!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Qigong paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"well!"

He slapped his thigh hard, his face full of satisfaction.

Just then, the blanket on the bed suddenly moved.

"It's so noisy..."

A weak voice, tinged with resentment, came from under the covers.

Chen Yanzhou opened his eyes groggily and suddenly sniffed.

Hmm? This smell...

It has a rich, savory aroma and a strong, enticing fragrance of liquor.

Chen Yanzhou's eyelids, which had been drooping, snapped open instantly, and he sat up abruptly in bed, his stomach rumbling in unison.

His eyes gleamed as he stared at the half-eaten braised pork knuckle on the table, swallowing hard.

"Gentlemen, can't we have some sense of chivalry?"

Chen Yanzhou threw off the covers, not caring that he was still naked, and jumped off the bed. He darted to the table in a few steps, his movements so agile that he didn't seem like someone who had just escaped death.

"While I was out there risking my life, you were here feasting? Where's your conscience? Has it been eaten by dogs?"

Looking at his energetic disciple, Hong Qigong chuckled and scolded, "You brat, you've woken up just in time!"

Lu Youjiao quickly pushed the remaining plate of beef towards Chen Yanzhou: "Come on, eat something to nourish yourself. This was specially saved for you."

Chen Yanzhou didn't stand on ceremony and grabbed a piece of beef, stuffing it into his mouth.