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

Even in these chaotic years of war, the night market in Xiangyang still possessed a somewhat distorted prosperity.

In the backyard of Juxianlou, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

A clean, plump lamb lay across the rack, roasted until golden and glistening.

The mutton fat slid down the plump meat and dripped onto the charcoal fire, sizzling and sending up a cloud of white smoke, instantly releasing a rich, charred aroma.

Chen Yanzhou didn't let the cook do anything; he rolled up his sleeves and stood in front of the grill himself.

He held a handful of reddish-brown powder in his hand, which was cumin powder and chili powder that he had specially ground. In this era, this was a rare commodity.

"Sizzle—"

A sprinkle of seasonings, and the domineering aroma instantly exploded in the backyard.

Hong Qigong, sitting on the stone table to the side, had his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and his nose was twitching incessantly, like an old dog that had smelled a bone.

"Delicious! It smells fucking delicious!" Hong Qigong couldn't help but curse, his chopsticks clattering against the dishes. "Disciple, is it ready yet? The skin's already burnt; it'll be overcooked if you keep roasting it!"

"What's the rush? This is called the Maillard reaction... Never mind, you wouldn't understand anyway." Chen Yanzhou held a brush and brushed another layer of honey water onto the sheep. "Only when this last layer of caramel coloring is applied will the skin be crispy."

A moment later, a steaming hot and fragrant roasted lamb leg was placed in front of Hong Qigong.

The outer skin is an enticing jujube red, dotted with cumin seeds and sesame seeds. When cut open, it reveals tender and juicy lamb, still oozing glistening oil.

Hong Qigong no longer cared about his grandmaster demeanor and grabbed a leg of lamb, taking a big bite.

"Snap!"

The crispy lamb skin crackles between your teeth, followed by tender, juicy lamb meat. The unique aroma of cumin blends perfectly with the savory flavor of the lamb, creating an explosion of flavor in your mouth. The subtle spiciness of chili is like setting your taste buds on fire, making it irresistible.

"Ugh! Ugh!"

Hong Qigong hissed from the heat, but couldn't bear to spit it out, mumbling indistinctly, "Excellent! Excellent skill! This tastes amazing! Even better than what the chefs in the imperial kitchen make!"

Chen Yanzhou cut himself a piece of rib and slowly ate it, smiling as he said, "Master, this cumin is a good thing, it warms the stomach and dispels cold. It's a perfect match with this mutton. You should also have a shot of strong liquor with it..."

"Yes, yes, yes! Wine! Bring the wine!" Hong Qigong roared.

The shopkeeper, who had been waiting nearby, immediately brought out two jars of strong liquor upon hearing this.

The master and apprentice, one old and one young, were enjoying their meal by the charcoal fire.

After a few rounds of drinks, Hong Qigong's face was flushed, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused. Looking at his disciple, who ate with refined manners yet incredibly fast speed, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Over the years, he has lived a solitary and carefree life, but he has also inevitably felt lonely.

Now that I've taken this apprentice in, although he's a bit cunning and has a lot of ulterior motives, his filial piety and cleverness are genuine.

"Yanzhou," Hong Qigong hiccuped, clutching a smooth bone in his hand.

"I'm here, Master." Chen Yanzhou was struggling with a piece of cartilage.

"Your Yiyun Division's business has been making quite a splash lately," Hong Qigong said casually. "I heard that even merchant caravans from the Jin Kingdom have started asking you to escort their goods?"

Chen Yanzhou paused, put down the bone in his hand, picked up a cloth to wipe his mouth, and his eyes instantly cleared up.

"That's true." Chen Yanzhou nodded, not hiding anything. "Although the Jurchens are hateful, their silver is not. We can earn their silver, use it to feed the refugees of the Song Dynasty, and at the same time find out their strength and the movement of their supplies. It's a win-win situation."

Hong Qigong remained silent for a moment, gave him a deep look, and then grinned, revealing a set of greasy teeth.

"You little rascal, your scheme is so clever, even the heavens heard it."

He raised his wine jar and clinked it against the wine bowl in front of Chen Yanzhou.

"However, remember what the old beggar said. Business is business, but if those gold dogs really attack one day..."

"Then this disciple will use the money earned to forge swords and send them back to their hometowns." Chen Yanzhou replied quickly, his tone calm but revealing an undeniable coldness.

Hong Qigong was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Good! What a wonderful idea to send them back to their hometown!"

Hong Qigong tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, exclaiming with boundless pride, "Just for what you said, this mutton meal wasn't a waste! The last three blows, in a couple of days... no, tomorrow! I'll teach you tomorrow!"

Chen Yanzhou's eyes lit up, and he immediately picked up his wine bowl: "Master is wise! Then it's settled, a gentleman's word!"

"A swift horse, a whip!"

Under the moonlight, the crackling of the charcoal fire illuminated the flushed faces of an old man and a young boy.

"Boss! Ten more skewers of grilled kidneys! Extra spicy!"

……

Under a bright moon and sparse stars, on the bluestone road of Xiangyang City, two figures walked arm in arm, swaying and leaving a long trail of shadows.

"Master, your appetite is truly unmatched." Chen Yanzhou hiccuped, supporting the unsteady Hong Qigong. "Five catties of mutton and two jars of strong liquor, all gone into your bottomless pit. It's only because I, your disciple, am now wealthy and powerful; otherwise, you would have eaten someone out of house and home."

Hong Qigong, his face flushed, still held his emerald green dog-beating stick in one hand, patting his belly with the other, chuckled: "Enough nonsense. This old beggar is giving you face. Besides, that mutton... burp... was really well-roasted. Especially that cumin, absolutely amazing!"

"That was bought from the Western Regions at a high price." Chen Yanzhou rolled his eyes. "Only someone like you would I be willing to take it out."

The two bickered all the way back to the branch headquarters.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Hong Qigong slumped into the tattered rattan chair as if he had no bones left, waving his hand like he was shooing away flies: "Alright, stop lounging around, you old beggar, you need to sleep. Tomorrow... tomorrow I'll teach you the last three moves."

After saying that, he began snoring loudly.

Chen Yanzhou looked at his cheap master who had fallen asleep in the blink of an eye, shook his head helplessly, found a thin blanket to cover him, and went back to his room to rest.

……

Time slips away silently, like sand through your fingers.

More than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The old locust tree in the backyard of the branch office suffered a terrible fate.

"call--"

A sudden gust of wind arose.

Chen Yanzhou moved like lightning, weaving through the falling leaves. He didn't deliberately use his lightness skill; he simply relied on the explosive power of his legs. With each step he took, the ground trembled.

"Dragon's Tail Swing!"

Chen Yanzhou suddenly turned around. This move was not as fierce and straightforward as before, but carried an extremely tricky tenacity. His right palm, using the power of his waist and abdomen rotation, pierced through his ribs and struck the void behind him.

"Snapped!"

The air was abruptly sucked out, producing a crisp sound.

Immediately afterward, without stopping, he struck out with both palms in quick succession, his momentum building up layer upon layer, like a river bursting its banks, one wave higher than the next.

"The ram butts against the fence!"

"Loss brings sincerity!"

The last three moves of the Eighteen Palms are the final touches of the entire palm technique, and also the most complex and obscure in terms of power.

If the first fifteen palm strikes are like a heavy hammer that splits mountains and shatters rocks, then the last three palm strikes are like a soft whip hidden behind the heavy hammer, impossible to defend against.

After finishing a set of palm techniques, Chen Yanzhou stood up and stopped.

Dust filled the courtyard, and the poor old locust tree, which was once lush with branches and leaves, was now mostly bare, with the few remaining withered leaves trembling in the wind.

"It's done."

Chen Yanzhou looked at his hands, his eyes gleaming with a restrained sharpness.

For the past ten days or so, aside from eating and sleeping, he has been practicing day and night.

With his exceptional comprehension, he had already grasped six or seven tenths of the essence of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

As for the Dragon-Capturing Technique, he didn't slack off either, but he practiced it in secret...

After all, this is my trump card, and I must not reveal it unless absolutely necessary. If my master finds out and becomes prepared, it will be extremely difficult for me to succeed.

"Kid, you're having a lot of fun practicing."

A lazy voice came from the roof.

Hong Qigong lay on his side on the roof ridge, holding a handful of peanuts he had gotten from who-knows-where. He popped them into his mouth while glancing sideways at his apprentice below.

Chen Yanzhou looked up, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Master, you've woken up just in time. I'd like to find someone... cough, I'd like to ask Master for some guidance."

"Give me pointers?" Hong Qigong chuckled, chewing on a peanut. "I think you're asking for a beating."

"Whether you're asking for a beating or not, you'll only know after you try."

With a light touch of his toes, Chen Yanzhou soared like a roc spreading its wings, hurtling straight towards the rooftop.

The person is in mid-air, and their right palm is already poised to strike.

"The dragon soars in the sky!"

This palm strike, delivered from a superior position, used the momentum of the fall to create an extremely fierce wind, faintly carrying the sound of wind and thunder.

Hong Qigong didn't even lift his eyelids, remaining lying there. Just as the palm strike was about to hit him, he casually flicked the peanut shell in his hand.

"call out!"

A few light peanut shells, amplified by Hong Qigong's internal energy, emitted a sharp whistling sound like hidden weapons, heading straight for Chen Yanzhou's acupoints in the palm.

Chen Yanzhou's pupils contracted, and he forcefully twisted his waist, changing his move extremely quickly. The originally fierce palm force instantly subsided, transforming into a soft force, in an attempt to pry open the peanut shells.

"The dragon appears in the field!"

However, the moment he changed his move, Hong Qigong made his move.

Without any apparent effort, he appeared like a ghost beside Chen Yanzhou, lightly tapping Chen Yanzhou's wrist with the unpeeled peanut in his hand.

"Smack."

Despite the seemingly casual tap, Chen Yanzhou felt a numbness in half of his body, and his accumulated internal energy instantly dissipated.

Immediately afterwards, I felt a pain in my buttocks.

"Get down!"

Chen Yanzhou fell from the roof like a kite with a broken string, landing with a "thud" on a haystack in the yard, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Cough cough..."

Chen Yanzhou scrambled to his feet, covered in dust and rubbing his backside, which looked like it had been smashed into eight pieces. He said with a resentful expression, "Master, you were too ruthless! Were you trying to make your disciple childless?"

Hong Qigong sat on the edge of the roof, swinging his legs, a look of disdain on his face: "Inflexible moves, no adaptability. Flying Dragon in the Sky is for using momentum, not for offering yourself up as a target!"

Chen Yanzhou patted the grass clippings off his clothes, not discouraged, but rather lost in thought.

For a brief moment, he did indeed feel a deep sense of powerlessness.

The feeling was as if he were a brute wielding a sledgehammer, while Hong Qigong was a master craftsman holding an embroidery needle, who could easily break his immense power with a gentle flick.

"Again!"

Chen Yanzhou gritted his teeth and charged forward again.

This time, he learned his lesson and no longer pursued brute force blindly. Instead, he used the Free and Easy Wandering Steps, his figure elusive, circling around Hong Qigong.

"The dragon that soars too high will regret it!"

"A hidden dragon should not be used!"

"It came out of nowhere!"

Palm shadows danced, a blend of reality and illusion.

However, the outcome remained unchanged.

"Too slow!"

"Slap!" Chen Yanzhou received a slap on his left shoulder.

"Too light! Didn't you eat?"

"Bang!" Chen Yanzhou's right leg was kicked.

"You've turned this 'Shocking the Hundred Miles' move into swatting mosquitoes! How embarrassing!"

"boom!"

After an incense stick has burned.

Chen Yanzhou lay sprawled in the yard, his face bruised and swollen, his bones feeling like they were falling apart.

Hong Qigong landed gracefully, his clothes were neat and tidy, and not a single strand of his hair was out of place.

He walked over to Chen Yanzhou and nudged his shin with his toe: "Alright, stop pretending to be dead. Go find something to eat. I haven't had lunch yet."

Chen Yanzhou lay on the ground, looking at the azure sky above him, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Old man, you're really going all out..."

Although he suffered a crushing defeat in that battle, it made him realize the gap between himself and top-tier grandmasters.

This gap cannot be bridged by a few special techniques; it requires the ultimate control over timing, force, and environment.

Moreover, he never once considered using the Dragon-Capturing Technique.

Even when he was being beaten the worst, he endured it.

Because he knew that was his only chance to turn things around.

If you're not absolutely certain of success, and Hong Qigong sees through your plan, then you'll only be able to dream about using that dog-beating stick.

"Just wait!"

Chen Yanzhou gritted his teeth and got up. "I'm going to buy chicken! Extra chili peppers, enough to kill you, you old bastard!"

……