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

The master and his apprentice entered the city one after the other.

The city of Xiangyang was bustling with activity at this time of day, with lanterns lit up and vendors' cries echoing along the streets.

Chen Yanzhou is now a figure who can shake the ground with a single stomp in Xiangyang. Although he wears coarse clothes, his composure is impossible to hide.

In contrast, Hong Qigong was covered in patches, his greasy hair matted together, looking exactly like someone who had just crawled out of a garbage dump.

But when this group walked down the street, no one dared to show the slightest disgust.

When the patrolling constables passing by saw Chen Yanzhou, they clasped their hands in a salute from a distance and addressed him as "Young Master Chen".

He also felt a deep respect for Hong Qigong standing next to him—who knows which reclusive master could walk alongside this "little god of wealth," even if he was dressed like a beggar, he was still "experiencing the mortal world."

Upon entering Juxianlou, Manager Liu personally came out to greet us, bowing so low that he almost pressed his face to the ground.

"Young Master Chen, Elder Hong, the private room has been prepared long ago. As per your instructions, we have declined all other guests for the next few days, and are waiting exclusively for the two of you."

Without any ceremony, Hong Qigong swaggered to a window seat on the second floor. Before even picking up his chopsticks, his nose twitched: "Hmm, this tastes right! It's still the aged Shaoxing wine from back then, without any water."

Before long, the table was laid out in a flowing pattern.

Although it was a dinner invitation to his master, Chen Yanzhou didn't prepare any fancy delicacies; instead, he served only substantial, hearty dishes.

The braised pork hock was stewed until tender and falling off the bone, with a rich, savory sauce flavor; two beggar's chickens had just been cracked open, and the fragrance of lotus leaves mixed with the aroma of chicken oil hit you right in the head; and there was a jar of Daughter's Red wine that had been sealed for twenty years, and as soon as the mud seal was patted, the aroma of the wine instantly filled the entire private room.

"You really understand me!"

Hong Qigong tore off a chicken leg, took a big bite with skin and meat, and mumbled indistinctly. His eating manner was rough, yet it exuded a bold and unrestrained spirit, making everyone's appetite soar.

Chen Yanzhou poured himself a glass of wine, not in a hurry to eat, and just watched with a smile.

For the past four years, he had been busy with accounting, practicing martial arts, and dealing with officials and merchants. Only now, seeing his master's greedy expression, did the tension in his heart finally ease.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The pork hock on the table was reduced to bones, the two chickens were gone, and even the wine jar was empty. Hong Qigong let out a satisfied burp, leaned back in his chair, picked his teeth, and stared blankly into the distance.

"That feels good... but I'm a bit sticky all over." Hong Qigong tugged at his collar, frowning in disgust. "The wind and sand are strong up north, and I haven't had a chance to wash up on the way back. Plus, I got into a fight with you earlier, so I'm covered in mud."

As he spoke, his eyes darted around, and he looked at Chen Yanzhou with a half-smile: "I heard from Lu Youjiao that you started some kind of 'Charity Health Center'? And something about... 'Emperor's Set Meal'?"

Chen Yanzhou nearly spat out the wine he had just drunk. He put down his cup and laughed, "Elder Lu, you really don't know how to keep your mouth shut. But since Master has spoken, we must make arrangements. Don't even mention an imperial set meal; even if the Jade Emperor himself came, we'd have to make room for you."

"Stop talking nonsense and lead the way!"

……

Yiyun Health Center is located on the next street. It is a three-story building with a simple and elegant decoration. Two large red lanterns hang at the entrance, and the four characters "Guests Feel at Home" are written in a flamboyant style on the lintel.

This place is now a den of iniquity in Xiangyang City. Countless wealthy merchants line up to give money, just to soak in it and enjoy the legendary medicinal bath that can "prolong life".

As soon as Chen Yanzhou led Hong Qigong through the door, the lobby manager—who was formerly an eight-bag disciple of the Beggars' Sect—was so startled that he dropped the account book in his hand.

"help……"

Chen Yanzhou raised his hand to stop him from speaking and threw a sign over: "Top-tier room, clear the room. Prepare the best 'Emperor's Rejuvenating Soup,' make sure there are plenty of herbs and the water is piping hot. Also, find two strong therapists to loosen the old man's bones."

"Alright! You can hold it!"

The top-floor rooms are extremely luxurious.

In the center of the room stood a large sandalwood tub, big enough to hold four or five people, steaming with heat.

A thick layer of medicinal herb packets floated on the water's surface. Even before getting close, a rich yet not pungent medicinal fragrance wafted over.

This is not the kind of "chili water" that costs a few dozen coins. This contains real 50-year-old ginseng, sliced ​​deer antler, and Ganoderma lucidum spore powder. The cost of just this one bucket of water is no less than a hundred taels of silver.

Hong Qigong stripped naked, tested the water temperature, nodded in satisfaction, and jumped in with a splash.

"Hiss—ha—!"

A long sigh escaped from the old beggar's lips as he stretched his limbs in the water, his face etched with enjoyment in every wrinkle.

"Good stuff, truly good stuff..." Hong Qigong closed his eyes, feeling the warm medicinal power seep into his bones through his pores. "This medicinal power is gentle and mellow, able to remove cold and dampness from the body and nourish the meridians. It's even better than the hot springs served to the emperor by the eunuchs in the imperial palace!"

Chen Yanzhou sat on a soft couch by the pond, peeling an orange in his hand, and said with a smile, "The imperial physicians in the palace are cautious and dare not use strong medicine. We are from the martial arts world, and we value quick results. I have improved this prescription and added a few spices from the Western Regions, which can calm the nerves and help with sleep."

At this moment, two burly technicians walked in. They were both personally trained by Chen Yanzhou, and they knew acupoints and had great strength.

The two didn't say much, and began massaging and pressing the major acupoints on Hong Qigong's shoulders and back.

"Ouch...yes, right there! Push harder! Push a little harder!" Hong Qigong groaned comfortably. "These past few years sleeping in snowdrifts up north, these old bones of mine were almost frozen solid, but this press, hey, it's come back to life!"

After all that commotion, Hong Qigong was completely red, like a boiled shrimp, but his energy was frighteningly good.

He waved the technician away, leaned over the edge of the tub, and looked at Chen Yanzhou, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.

"Tsk tsk, I originally thought you were just a little clever, but I didn't expect your methods of making money to be so unique." Hong Qigong sighed, "Only someone with your brain could come up with a business like this where people have to thank you after spending money. Our Beggars' Clan has been holding onto their golden rice bowls and begging for food for hundreds of years, and not a single one of them has figured it out."

Chen Yanzhou handed over the peeled orange: "Times have changed, Master. Loyalty alone can't fill our stomachs. With money, we can do more. Half of the monthly revenue from this health center is sent to the northern branch, where it's exchanged for food and cotton clothing."

Upon hearing the word "north," Hong Qigong's smile gradually faded.

He took the orange, but didn't eat it. He just held it in his hand and played with it, his gaze seemingly looking into the far distance through the rising steam.

"The north..." Hong Qigong's voice lowered a few degrees, "These past few years have been truly miserable."

Chen Yanzhou sat up straight: "Master, what exactly was it like when you went north this time?"

Although the intelligence network of the Righteousness Bureau has been established, it can only transmit dry texts, which are nowhere near as real as what Hong Qigong saw with his own eyes.

Hong Qigong sighed, stuffed the orange segments into his mouth one by one, chewing very slowly, as if trying to suppress the bitterness in his heart.

"It's worse than you think."

"North of the Yellow River, nine out of ten houses are empty. The Jurchens don't treat the Han people as human beings. They seize land for horse racing, and if anything goes wrong, they massacre entire villages. This time, I traveled all the way north and arrived near Dadu. The snow there was really heavy, a vast expanse of white, but it couldn't cover the blood on the ground."

Hong Qigong gestured with his hand, "In that snowy field, there were corpses of people who had frozen to death. Some of the children weren't even as tall as the buckets our gang used to hold leftover food, and they were just huddled in the arms of their dead mothers, stiff as rocks. Even though I, an old beggar, have seen countless deaths, seeing that scene still makes my heart ache."

Chen Yanzhou remained silent. The few words "the people are suffering" in history books translate into countless lives lost in reality.

"And then there's the Jin Dynasty's 'Iron Pagoda' and 'Hooked Horses.'" A glint of light flashed in Hong Qigong's eyes. "I've fought with several Jin Dynasty masters. Their style is fierce and brutal, every move aimed straight for vital points. It's a skill forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood. If our Song Dynasty's soldiers are still so weak and cowardly, then this country... is in jeopardy."

At this point, Hong Qigong suddenly slapped the water's surface, creating a splash.

"However, we Han people aren't entirely broken! In Shandong, I encountered a righteous army led by a man surnamed Xin, who was an excellent swordsman. He led several hundred men to fight the Jin invaders in the mountains. Although life was tough, their spirit and morale were a hundred times stronger than those decadent officials in Lin'an!"

"Oh, right, there's another group of martial arts masters who formed a righteous army. Their leader is surnamed Lin, and he's said to be an elder of the Iron Palm Clan. He broke away from the Iron Palm Clan and is leading many martial arts experts to kill Jin Gou."

Chen Yanzhou was thrilled; it was Xin Qiji!

"Master, I want to go and see," Chen Yanzhou blurted out, his eyes burning with determination. "What kind of martial arts world is it to stay in this gentle paradise of Xiangyang all day? I want to go north, to meet those righteous armies, to encounter those Jin masters!"

Hong Qigong looked at the young man in front of him.

The skinny child from four years ago has now grown into a tall and handsome young man.

"Want to go?" Hong Qigong's lips curled into a playful smile.

"I want to go!" Chen Yanzhou answered decisively.

"Going there now would be suicide," Hong Qigong said, pouring cold water on the idea without any mercy. "Do you think you can survive in front of thousands of troops with your half-baked Xiaoyao You skills and rudimentary internal strength? The Jin army's arrow formation doesn't care if you're the Beggar Clan's little money god or some other deity."

Chen Yanzhou paused, about to retort, but was interrupted by Hong Qigong raising his hand.

"but……"

Hong Qigong stood up from the water with a splash, kicking up a spray of water droplets.

He stepped barefoot out of the wooden tub, casually grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around his waist. His well-built muscles gleamed with a bronze luster under the lamplight. He looked nothing like a frail old man; he was clearly a lurking tiger.

"As long as you can withstand my next palm strike," Hong Qigong turned around, his eyes blazing, "next time we go north to slaughter the Jin dogs, this old beggar will take you along!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanzhou abruptly stood up, grabbed the clothes beside him and threw them to Hong Qigong, hurriedly saying, "What are you waiting for? Stop soaking and teach me first!"

As he spoke, he quickly dried himself off and changed his clothes.

"No, is it in such a hurry? I haven't soaked it long enough yet. The medicinal properties will be wasted if I don't soak it for a little longer..."

However, Chen Yanzhou paid no attention and pulled Hong Qigong out of the health center.

Before long, two figures, one after the other, soared out of the city wall of Xiangyang like large birds, heading straight for the secluded bamboo forest outside the city.