Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th of August.

The martial arts school gave everyone a day off.

"Sister Qin, take this ten taels of silver. You won't have to worry about making a living for a while."

Hong Lang received a total of sixty taels of silver from Cao Jin, and immediately became very wealthy.

This is an enormous sum of money! Even if he saved for decades without eating or drinking, he might not be able to accumulate it by chopping wood alone.

Qin Jiuzhen took the heavy silver coins, her eyes filled with doubt, and asked, "Xiao Lang, where did you get this silver? This is no small amount."

"Don't worry, Sister Qin, it came from a perfectly clean source. It was given to us by the leader of the Chang Le Gang. There's nothing else involved," Hong Lang said vaguely. She didn't want Qin Jiuzhen to worry, so she simply picked the simplest excuse.

Although Qin Jiuzhen still had some doubts, seeing that Hong Lang was unwilling to say more, she wisely refrained from asking further questions.

"Tao'er, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I promised to take you to town to eat something delicious. Today, instead of going to the martial arts school to practice, let's go to town together. Just tell me what you want to eat or buy!" Hong Lang said to Li Tao'er beside him.

Li Tao'er's eyes lit up instantly, and she cheered, "Great! I want to go to Songhelou!"

Qin Jiuzhen laughed and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's have a good celebration today and share in the joy of the Mid-Autumn Festival."

The three arrived in town just as it was getting busiest.

Every household hung up big red lanterns, and children carried lanterns and played in the streets, their laughter ringing out.

The aromas of sugar paintings, osmanthus cakes, and flaky pastries mingled together at the street stalls, drifting far away on the wind.

Hong Lang led the two to the front of Songhe Tower.

The waiter leaned against the doorframe, his eyes sweeping over the three men's clothing. He immediately dropped his languid expression, revealing impatience.

"Get out of here! No strangers allowed! Songhelou isn't a place where just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come in!"

Li Tao'er's joyful smile instantly froze on her face. Qin Jiuzhen said in a low voice, "Xiao Lang, why don't we go to another restaurant? Sihaiju isn't much worse than Songhelou."

The waiter completely ruined my Mid-Autumn Festival mood!

Hong Lang frowned, took out a copper coin from his pocket, and with a slight force, the coin popped out with a "whoosh," causing the waiter's hat to fall to the ground and his hair to fall down.

Xiao Er trembled with fright. Seeing the coldness in Hong Lang's eyes, he froze on the spot.

"You snobbish bastards! Let's go!" Hong Lang said in a deep voice.

Only after the floodwaters receded did Xiao Er dare to bend down and pick up his hat.

Sihaiju was not far from Songhelou, and the three of them arrived in less than a quarter of an hour.

Unlike the snobbish and mean-spirited atmosphere of Songhelou, the waiter at Sihaiju greeted the three guests with a beaming smile as they entered: "Please come in, gentlemen~ Private room or the main hall?"

Hong Lang's anger subsided considerably, and he said, "I want the best private room."

"Alright~" The waiter led the three of them to a private room on the second floor.

"Bring out all your signature dishes and warm a pot of your best wine." Hong Lang took out ten coins and handed them to the waiter.

The waiter took the money, his face beaming with joy: "Please wait a moment, sir. Your food will be here shortly. My name is A-Yuan. Please let me know if you need anything!"

Before long, the dishes were served.

Crab-stuffed oranges, five-treasure sashimi, fried spring rolls... a table full of delicious food.

Li Tao'er couldn't contain herself any longer. She picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth, saying indistinctly, "Mmm...delicious! It's better than anything I've ever eaten before!"

Qin Jiuzhen also gently picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth, a satisfied look on her face.

The three sat around the table, and Hong Lang told them interesting stories from the martial arts school.

"Our master's wife is quite something; she wields a long halberd... When Master returned, his face was injured..."

Li Tao'er laughed out loud upon hearing this, the unpleasantness from Songhelou earlier completely forgotten.

As they were chatting and laughing, a commotion of voices came from the lobby downstairs.

Hong Lang frowned slightly and called out, "A-Yuan! What's going on outside? It's so noisy and disturbs the peace."

Ah Yuan hurried over, bowed, and said with a smile, "Please forgive me, sir, but today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and our manager has specially invited a storyteller from the city to entertain you all."

He had barely finished speaking when a strong, resonant voice came from downstairs:

"Gentlemen, wishing you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Today, I am honored to be invited by the manager of Sihaiju Restaurant. I have come here to share some anecdotes from the martial arts world to entertain you and add to the festive atmosphere!"

"Bravo!" the crowd cheered.

The storyteller cleared his throat and continued:

"As you all know, our Great Chu Dynasty occupies seventy-two states across the land, with a vast territory, numerous martial arts sects, and many schools. However, when it comes to the best among them, there are only two Taoist sects, three Buddhist temples, six unorthodox sects, four schools, eight sects, nineteen clans, and twelve aristocratic families."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning somber: "However, not all sects within this community are righteous. Twelve sects act cunningly and ruthlessly, earning them the name of the demonic path. And among these twelve demonic sects, the most feared is the Asura Temple!"

Upon hearing this, the noise in the lobby downstairs immediately subsided somewhat.

"Dear readers, to tell the origin of the Shura Temple, we must go back to ancient times. At that time, martial arts flourished, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant, and martial saints gathered together. It was a magnificent scene that had never been seen before."

"But prosperity inevitably leads to decline, and things reach their extremes before reversing. Not long after this golden age, a shocking sword technique appeared in the martial arts world—"

He deliberately dragged out his words, emphasizing each syllable: "That is one of the moves in the Nine Swords of Creation."

"And this 'Nine Swords of Creation' has an astonishing origin! It is said to be the supreme sword path that the first Martial Saint of the human race condensed after exhausting his life's cultivation and comprehending the laws of heaven and earth. With a single strike, it can split mountains and rivers and move stars, and its power is boundless."

"The appearance of such a heaven-defying sword technique naturally attracted heroes from all over the world to fight over it, with both the righteous and the evil factions getting involved. In order to seize the sword technique, everyone was blinded by rage, the order of the martial world collapsed, and in the end, a catastrophe that swept across the world was caused by the chaos of the primordial martial world."

"This turmoil affected the entire world, even disrupting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The once glorious era of martial arts collapsed overnight. The world fell into endless war, with warlords ruling in their own territories and ordinary people displaced."

Snapped!

The storyteller slammed his gavel down:

"Just when the world was on the verge of destruction, an unparalleled martial saint appeared out of nowhere. This person was none other than the Supreme Martial Saint! His cultivation was unmatched in the world. He defeated all the separatist forces and finally unified the world, ending this catastrophe."

"After unifying the world, the Supreme Martial Saint established the Heavenly Court, integrated all sects, regulated the martial arts order, and restored peace to the chaotic world. From then on, the ancient era ended, the medieval era officially began, and martial arts were able to slowly recover."

At this point, the storyteller's tone became tinged with regret:

"However, things can change unexpectedly. The Supreme Martial Saint has a senior disciple named Yan Han, who is exceptionally talented and has mastered the Supreme Martial Saint's true teachings. He was the most promising person to inherit the position of the ruler of the world, but he disagrees with the Supreme Martial Saint on the same principles."

Having experienced turmoil, the Supreme Martial Saint deeply understands the importance of peace. Therefore, he advocates that martial arts should be benevolent and that everyone should be equal. However, Yan Han believes that people are divided into different classes, and that the world should be divided into different classes for easier governance.

"The two argued incessantly, and in the end, Yan Han chose to betray the Heavenly Court."