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

"Master, you're just angry out of embarrassment! A gentleman uses words, not fists!"

"I'm a beggar, not a gentleman! Stop right there!"

An old man and a young man moved through the forest. Although Chen Yanzhou was young and had no internal strength, he was agile and knew the terrain like the back of his hand, so he darted in and out of the bushes like an eel.

Hong Qigong said he was going to beat someone up, but he didn't really do it. He swung his green bamboo staff with great force, but he didn't even hurt many of the roadside weeds. It was just a way to digest his food after a meal.

The two chased each other all the way, and soon saw the shack at the foot of the city wall.

Chen Yanzhou darted into the shack and ran towards the council hall, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Grandpa Lu! Help! Master is going to clean house!"

The atmosphere inside the council chamber was gloomy and somber.

Several tables, missing arms and legs, were pushed together, with a few crumpled account books spread out on them. Lu Youjiao sat at the head of the table, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, clutching a few copper coins in his hand as if he wanted to squeeze water out of them.

Four or five ragged elders sat around him, all sighing and looking even worse than if they had just lost their begging bowls.

Upon hearing Chen Yanzhou's shout, Lu You's hands and feet trembled, and copper coins clattered onto the table. He looked up abruptly, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes: "The gang leader is back?"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yanzhou had already rushed up behind him like a cannonball, poked his head out, and made a face at the door.

Immediately afterwards, Hong Qigong, carrying a large red gourd on his back and a green bamboo staff, swaggered across the threshold.

"Boss!"

Lu Youjiao and several elders stood up in unison, and the dejected look on their faces instantly dissipated.

"Alright, alright, sit down." Hong Qigong glanced at Chen Yanzhou, waved his hand, put his green bamboo cane on the table, and ignored Chen Yanzhou hiding behind Lu Youjiao. He found an empty seat, picked up the broken teacup on the table, and took a sip of cold water. "Why is everyone looking like wilted eggplants? What happened?"

Lu Youjiao sighed and pushed the account books in front of Hong Qigong.

"Boss, you have no idea how tough these past few months have been."

Hong Qigong glanced at the densely packed numbers and felt his head spin. He quickly pushed the ledger back, saying, "Don't show me this, it makes my eyes dizzy. Get to the point."

"There's fighting again in the north," Lu Youjiao said in a deep voice. "The Jin dogs are doing nothing but burning, killing, and looting everywhere. Large numbers of refugees are heading south, and the roads are littered with corpses of the starving. Although our Beggars' Sect isn't a wealthy family, we can't just stand by and watch people die. In the past few months alone, we've taken in more than three thousand orphans and refugees."

"This is a good thing." Hong Qigong frowned. "Our Beggars' Clan is originally a home for the poor. With more people, there will be more members."

"There are more people, but there are also more mouths to feed," an elder surnamed Peng chimed in with a bitter face. "Chief, with over three thousand mouths to feed, just drinking thin porridge every day, the food consumption is astronomical. The little bit of food our branch has stored up is already gone."

"There's something even worse," Lu Youjiao pointed outside. "Winter is just around the corner. The winters have been terribly cold these past few years. Most of the brothers in our gang are only wearing a single layer of clothing. In previous years, we could manage by huddling together for warmth, but this year there are so many elderly, weak, women, and children. If we don't have warm clothes, this winter... I'm afraid many people will freeze to death."

The council chamber fell silent.

The only sound was the whistling of the wind blowing through the broken window.

Money, food, and clothing.

These three mountains weighed heavily on the group of heroes who usually roamed the mountains and forests, making it hard for them to breathe.

Hong Qigong's smile also faded. Although he was a peerless martial artist, and his Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms could make the Jurchens run for their lives, he couldn't conjure rice or flour with a single palm strike, nor could he produce cotton clothes with a single palm strike.

"Didn't you go to the wealthy households to 'beg for alms'?" Hong Qigong tapped his fingers on the table.

"It's all gone." Elder Peng spread his hands helplessly. "We've been to all the wealthy households within a hundred miles. Some of the more reasonable ones gave us some leftovers, but the heartless rich ones just unleashed their dogs. We can't really rob them, can we? That's what bandits do, not the style of our Beggars' Sect."

"Then let's take it from the corrupt officials!" Hong Qigong said again. "Those corrupt officials plunder the people's wealth, and it's only right and proper for us to take from the people and use it for the people."

"We've tried," Lu Youjiao said with a wry smile, "but it's just a drop in the ocean. Plus, the authorities have been cracking down hard lately, and several of our brothers have gotten themselves arrested. This isn't a long-term solution."

Hong Qigong remained silent.

He grabbed the gourd to take a sip, only to find it was already empty. Frustrated, he slammed the gourd heavily onto the table.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice, and even a great hero can't be stumped by a penniless man.

If he were asked to kill a few Jin Dynasty experts or steal some imperial food from the palace, he wouldn't even blink. But to conjure up enough money and food to feed thousands of people out of thin air was something that truly touched on his blind spot.

"Chief, how about... we transfer some of the silver reserves from the main headquarters?" Elder Peng asked tentatively.

"No way," Lu Youjiao refused outright. "The headquarters isn't well-off either. The war in the north is intense, and our brothers there have suffered even more casualties. They need money even more to buy medicine and treat their wounds."

For a moment, everyone in the hall looked at each other and sighed.

Chen Yanzhou, who was hiding behind Lu Youjiao, poked his head out, his clear black and white eyes darting around as he scanned the worried faces of the crowd.

He knew exactly what was going on.

The Beggars' Sect model, to put it bluntly, is a primitive economic system that relies solely on "begging" and "robbing the rich to help the poor." It can barely make a living in times of peace and prosperity, but once chaos strikes and resources become scarce, this model immediately collapses.

What is the Beggars' Sect's greatest advantage? It's their sheer numbers! Their extensive network of information!

Such a huge human resource, and it's just used for begging? It's such a waste!

Chen Yanzhou cleared his throat, stepped out from behind Lu Youjiao, and patted off non-existent dust from his clothes.

"Master, Grandpa Lu, elders."

The child's innocent voice sounded particularly out of place in the somber council hall.

All eyes turned to him.

Hong Qigong raised an eyebrow, looking at his eight-year-old apprentice: "What? You little brat, you want to meddle in such an important matter? Go away, go play somewhere else, don't cause trouble."

"Master, you're looking down on us." Chen Yanzhou wasn't annoyed. He walked to the table with a grin, having to stand on tiptoe to see the account books. "As the saying goes, three cobblers can outwit Zhuge Liang. With so many of us here, we're surely better than Zhuge Liang, aren't we?"

"Hey, you little rascal, lecturing us now!" Elder Peng chuckled, then said with a wry smile, "Yanzhou, this isn't martial arts training; you can't just practice a few horse stances and expect to improve. This is money! Pure silver! Can you conjure it up?"

"I can't transform myself." Chen Yanzhou shook his head, then changed the subject, revealing a confidence and certainty that was beyond his years. "But I have a way to ensure that our Beggars' Clan will not only have enough to eat and wear this winter, but will also be rolling in money."

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, followed by a few suppressed chuckles.

"Rolling in money?" An elder shook his head. "This little brat has quite the nerve. Our Beggars' Sect has been around for hundreds of years, and we've never heard of anyone ever being rolling in money."

Hong Qigong chuckled and reached out to rub Chen Yanzhou's head, but Chen Yanzhou turned his head away to avoid it.

"Your boasting is even bigger than your master's," Hong Qigong laughed. "Alright, alright, since you say you have a way, then tell me, how will you get rich? Will you borrow treasures from the Dragon Palace, or pluck stars from the heavens?"

Everyone dismissed it as innocent childish talk and no one took it seriously.

Chen Yanzhou, however, put away his playful smile and pointed a finger at the group of beggars outside the door who were sunbathing and picking lice.

"Our biggest problem right now isn't a lack of money, but rather that we're too lazy."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

"Yanzhou! Stop talking nonsense!" Lu Youjiao hissed, "Our brothers brave wind and rain, every single one of them works tirelessly for a living. How can you call that laziness?"

"It's not that we're lazy with our hands and feet, it's that we're lazy with our brains," Chen Yanzhou said, making a startling statement. "We have tens of thousands of followers, spread all over the country. What a huge network that is! What a huge manpower it is! And what's the result? Everyone just knows how to beg for food, and only knows how to wait for a free lunch."

"That's interesting." Hong Qigong sat up straight, abandoning his nonchalant demeanor. "Go on."

Chen Yanzhou put his hands behind his back and continued speaking.

"We have people, and a lot of refugees? That's a good thing! As long as they have food to eat, they are the cheapest labor force."

Why keep them employed? Let them work! We can clear land, build roads, and take on the dirtiest, most tiring, but most manpower-starved jobs in town—emptying chamber pots, hauling garbage, and delivering goods!

"Besides, we have the information. Beggars' Sect disciples are all over the world. Which wealthy merchant needs to transport goods? Which escort agency needs to carry out a mission? Which young lady has lost her cat? Which master wants to take a concubine? This information is money! We can build an 'information tower' to sell information!"

"Secondly, we have 'power.' Your name, Master, is the biggest golden signboard. We don't have to rob, but we can collect 'protection fees'... oh no, I mean 'safety fees.'"

"Collecting 'peace fees'?" Hong Qigong frowned, shaking his head. "What's the difference between that and those thugs who collect 'protection money'? We're the Beggars' Sect, not mountain bandits. This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Chen Yanzhou curled his lip; this old man's sense of justice was sometimes as stubborn as a rock in a latrine.

"Master, don't be so quick to glare at me," Chen Yanzhou explained calmly. "The 'peace money' I'm talking about isn't about extorting money from door to door. Those common folk are penniless; it would be a sin for us to take their money. What we're going to collect from are the wealthy, rolling-in-money merchants."

"That won't do either." Lu Youjiao shook his head, his expression grave. "The imperial court is currently levying exorbitant taxes and levies, making life difficult for the common people. Although merchants are wealthy, if we also take advantage of them, how will the Beggars' Sect maintain its standing in the martial arts world?"

Chen Yanzhou sighed; these older folks still couldn't grasp the concept.

"Grandpa Lu, think about it. What are those big merchants most afraid of when transporting goods? Mountain bandits, river pirates, and those nameless petty thieves. Our Beggars' Sect disciples are all over the world. As long as we put our flag on their cargo ships and carriages, or ask our brothers to keep an eye on them, we can ensure their safe journey. They will pay for it willingly. This is called a 'service fee,' not a 'protection fee.'"

The group exchanged glances, their expressions softening slightly.

"Furthermore," Chen Yanzhou continued, "we're not accepting this money entirely for ourselves. The number of refugees in the north is increasing every day. We'll use this money to buy food and cloth to help the disaster victims. This is called taking from the rich and using it for the poor—it's a noble cause!"

Elder Peng slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming: "Hey! You know what, this kid has quite a few twisted arguments, and some of them actually make sense."

Hong Qigong pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "The first two options, clearing land and selling information, seem feasible to me, Old Beggar. But this last one involves money and business, which could easily corrupt the brothers' character. Our Beggars' Sect seeks freedom; if we're obsessed with money all the time, what's the difference between us and those corrupt officials?"

Seeing Hong Qigong's resolute attitude, Chen Yanzhou knew that this matter couldn't be rushed; the old man's bottom line was still firmly upheld.

"Alright, alright, you're the leader, you decide." Chen Yanzhou shrugged, looking helpless. "Then let's do the first two things first. As long as we can mobilize those three thousand refugees, at least no one will starve to death this winter."

Lu Youjiao nodded and echoed, "Chief, although Yanzhou is young, he has a sharp eye for problems. This method can indeed solve our urgent problem."

"Not bad, this method is novel." Elder Peng nodded in agreement, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at Chen Yanzhou. "Yanzhou, how did you develop such a clever mind? So many twists and turns."

Chen Yanzhou chuckled, revealing a set of white teeth: "I was just thinking randomly. Actually, in this world, as long as you use your brain more, there are always more solutions than problems. Gentlemen, you're all too honest; just being tall without using your brains won't do."

The council chamber fell silent for a second.

The elders were stunned, then realized that they had been looked down upon by a mere child.

"You brat!" Elder Peng laughed angrily, making a move to grab him. "You dare to make fun of us?"

"Hey, can't I even listen to the truth?" Chen Yanzhou nimbly dodged and hid behind Hong Qigong.

Hong Qigong was both amused and exasperated. His disciple was good in every way, except for his mouth, which he sometimes really wanted to sew up.

"Get out of here!" Hong Qigong raised his foot and lightly kicked Chen Yanzhou in the buttocks. "You're so young and you're already learning bad habits, daring to talk about your elders. Go out and practice your boxing."

Chen Yanzhou ran out of the council hall cursing, his voice echoing in the empty courtyard.

Watching Chen Yanzhou's disappearing figure, Hong Qigong's smile gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

It has feet.

"Your subordinate is here." Lu Youjiao bowed.

"You should personally implement the method this child suggested. Especially the 'labor' issue. Find a few reliable brothers and organize the refugees. Remember, you can't force them. You have to pay them, even if it's just a few hot meals, make sure they work willingly. We are the Beggars' Guild, not heartless foremen."

"Yes, boss, don't worry."

"And that 'News Tower'," Hong Qigong stroked his chin. "Have the branch offices in various places gather all the strange tales and official news they hear on a daily basis. Don't rush to sell it for money; let's see just how deep this water really is."

"clear."

……