Villains: Starting with the Landlady

Lingyun placed several items of food into Cheng Lingsu's hands. The food felt heavy in her palm, and the aroma of the high-calorie foods filled Cheng Lingsu's nose, making her mouth water and wishing she could eat them immediately.

But she was afraid that her wolfing down her food would be too embarrassing, so she secretly glanced at Ling Yun.

Ling Yun sat down in front of her with his arms crossed, insisting on watching her finish eating.

Cheng Lingsu licked her slightly dry lips and tentatively took a bite. Instantly, a rich aroma burst in her mouth, and the girl's eyes brightened considerably by the campfire. She then chewed the food voraciously, even choking a little in the process.

"Eat slowly, no one will compete with you."

Ling Yun found it amusing, took out a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and Cheng Lingsu took it and drank it all in one gulp.

After she finished eating, she let out a cute burp, which made Lingyun laugh for a long time.

"Brother Ling, I'm full. You won't... run out of food, will you?"

"How can it be."

Ling Yun took out a roasted lamb leg from his spatial storage and placed it over the campfire to roast: "My appetite is bigger than a cow's!"

Chapter 253 The storm is coming

The two returned to Yanziwu the next afternoon. Cheng Lingsu was already in poor health, and the journey had been too fast, so she went back to her room to rest.

Inside the reception hall, the four chief retainers and Wuyazi sat opposite Lingyun, their eyes fixed on the two books in his hands.

"This Nine Yin Manual, although it may not be as domineering and miraculous as the Northern Darkness Divine Art, has the advantage of having no side effects. Moreover, in addition to methods such as the Yi Jing Bone Forging Technique to accelerate cultivation, it also contains lightness skills such as Snake Walking and Fox Turning, as well as a bunch of martial arts. It can be considered a comprehensive collection."

Ling Yun opened the Nine Yin Manual, which was originally divided into two parts and was written by Huang Shang, but the version inside the Heaven Sword was naturally the complete version.

"This manual is too powerful. To prevent it from being leaked to the Manchus and making it more difficult for us to restore our country in the future, Brother Deng will help select trustworthy martial artists who are loyal to our Murong family to learn it first!"

"Yes, young master!"

Deng Baichuan solemnly accepted the Nine Yin Manual, and then Ling Yun handed the Wumu Legacy to Gongye Qian: "Second brother, this contains the military strategy knowledge recorded by General Yue. The wealth I brought back this time is enough to expand a group of troops, so you will be in charge of the arrangements in this regard."

"Don't worry, young master! I feel that it won't be long before I see you restore the Great Yan and ascend the throne again!"

"Alright, stop setting unrealistic expectations for me. In short, work hard, and you'll reap the rewards later!"

After the four retainers had left, Wu Yazi looked at Ling Yun with her beautiful eyes, her lips curving slightly, and said with great interest, "I'm really curious, are you really the legendary extraterrestrial being?"

"Extraterrestrials?"

"Hmm." Wu Yazi sat dignifiedly. "At my level, my intuition is often very sensitive. There is a group of people in this world whose martial arts are beyond the mundane. They have spontaneously formed an organization to try to find a way to completely bring peace to this world, and they are working hard for it."

"Back then, I lived in seclusion in Wuliang Mountain, but because of my outstanding abilities, I was invited by them. However, I am of a detached nature, so I declined."

"And, among these people is the author of this secret manual!"

Ling Yun sat down beside her, put his arm around her slender waist, and pulled her into his arms: "You came here and didn't learn anything else, but you did learn how to set traps for people, didn't you?"

"I'm just thinking about recovering my full strength as quickly as possible, because only by recovering can I continue to improve and better help you in the future."

"Tell me, who are they?"

"I won't go into details, one of them is the author of the Nine Yin Manual."

"Huang Shang?"

"Yeah, you didn't expect him to still be alive, did you? And his martial arts skills are probably even better than mine now."

Ling Yun held Wu Yazi and sat him on his lap. The woman turned her head to look at him and said, "There was another person with the surname Dugu who came with him to find me."

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According to Wu Yazi's inquiry at the time, that mysterious organization could be considered to have gathered all the extraordinary people in the world, and their martial arts skills were at least at the S-level.

Bodhidharma, Dugu Qiubai, Zhang Sanfeng, Huang Shang... even the author of the Tai Xuan Jing, Tai Xuan Zhenren, is among them!

Many people may not have a direct understanding of the Tai Xuan Scripture, but in the original work, Shi Potian learned the Tai Xuan Scripture and reached the legendary "demigod body". No one dares to say that they can surpass him in terms of internal strength.

The founder, Master Tai Xuan, was probably even more terrifying in strength, and was also among the extraordinary.

As for "people from beyond the heavens," it's just their speculation; a powerful manor lord with influence throughout the martial arts world seems to be one of them.

Wu Yazi wiped away the marks on her body, frowned and said, "Sigh, the stronger I am, the slower I recover. I don't know how many more times I'll have to trouble you."

"It's alright. Training people isn't something that can be done overnight. You've waited all these years, why rush it now?"

"I'm afraid of being a burden to you."

Wu Yazi leaned back in Ling Yun's arms, stroking his cheek with his hand: "Many people know that you are preparing for the restoration of the country. The Qing Dynasty is not stupid either, and the conflict may start ahead of schedule."

"Then let's do it. I just don't want to make a move too early, lest the game lose its fun."

Ling Yun said something that Wu Yazi couldn't quite understand. If he were really allowed to let loose, he would have already run to the Qianqing Palace and set off firecrackers, but that wouldn't be fun.

He has a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder and strives for perfection in everything he does. If he can achieve a smooth victory without using modern weapons, he will avoid using them as much as possible.

Once the mission is completed, there will be no more restrictions, and you can go straight to Kyoto for a party.

The following day, Ling Yun went to Mantuo Manor again and had a deep and simple conversation with Madam Wang. She also used all her connections to help the Murong family cover up for them while dealing with Qing Dynasty officials.

Ling Yun stayed in Suzhou for a while. On this day, which was also the third month since he came to this world, the invitation to the martial arts tournament was sent to Yanziwu.

This martial arts tournament was jointly initiated by many Han Chinese sects, but the one who spearheaded it was the former leader of the martial arts alliance—Guo Jing.

Guo Jing is now in his forties. He once served as the Golden Knife Prince Consort, but eventually returned to the Central Plains and married a young lady from an ordinary family. Because he had no ties, his martial arts skills improved rapidly, and he was already considered a top-tier master in his time. He had learned the Nine Yin Manual and the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms from Hong Qigong, the former leader of the Beggars' Sect, which is why he became the previous leader of the martial arts world.

Rumors are circulating that the young Emperor Kangxi doesn't seem to intend to let the Han Chinese martial arts world settle peacefully in the Qing Dynasty, and is preparing to take action against these martial arts figures.

Coupled with the frequent rebellions of the Heaven and Earth Society, the conflict between the two sides grew increasingly intense, almost escalating into open armed conflict.

The convening of this martial arts conference was actually an attempt by the Han Chinese martial arts community to unite and resist the Qing Dynasty, in order to create some space for the Han people who were already under great pressure to survive.

Although the Murong family's goals were different from theirs, everyone shared the same interests—to resist the Qing Dynasty—so they also sent him an invitation.

Recently, some things have happened in the martial arts world again. The Beggars' Clan, the number one gang in the land, has experienced internal conflicts. Many masters in the martial arts world have been assassinated. Based on clues, it is generally believed that Qiao Feng, the leader of the Beggars' Clan, is responsible. Elders within the Beggars' Clan have also fallen victim to his cruelty, and the widows of the elders tearfully accused Qiao Feng.

Finally, the conflict escalated, and under the guidance of Master Zhiguang of Shaolin Temple, Qiao Feng's identity as a Khitan was exposed, leading to his withdrawal from the Beggars' Sect.

But then rumors spread that Qiao Feng, having heard that the person who framed him would also be attending the martial arts tournament, would most likely come as well.

A martial arts tournament that already held profound significance was further enriched by Qiao Feng.

Chapter 254 Walking with Beauty

"Young master, everything is ready."

The two maids, Azhu and Abi, came to Lingyun's side. Naturally, he couldn't go to the martial arts tournament alone; he needed people to support him.

Accompanying them were Deng Baichuan and Feng Bo'e, one a seasoned veteran with top-notch skills, and the other a fighter, both well-suited for this martial arts tournament.

Gongye Qian needs to thoroughly understand the military manual of Yue Fei before instructing his soldiers, while Bao Butong is a chatterbox who likes to argue with people. With so many experts around this time, what if he offends someone? He'll be driven crazy by this.

In the original novel, the four main retainers had practically watched Murong Fu grow up, so they sometimes didn't fully obey his orders. Deng Baichuan relied on his seniority, Gongye Qian was a master of slacking off, and Bao Butong even denounced Murong Fu as "disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust" in the later stages of the story, ultimately being beaten to death by Murong Fu in front of the other three retainers. The eldest, Deng Baichuan, used this as a pretext to break with the Murong family along with the other two.

However, the four great retainers of this world are extremely loyal; otherwise, Ling Yun would probably have cleaned up their ranks as soon as he returned to Gusu.

"Let's go, let's get to Xiangyang as soon as possible before the middle of this month."

The entourage nodded and rode in luxurious carriages to the venue of the martial arts tournament.

The horse pulling the carriage was naturally Feidian. This horse knew the Central Plains well and had its own GPS navigation. Lingyun didn't even need to watch it; he just had to tell it to slow down. Otherwise, Deng Baichuan and Feng Bo'e in the carriage behind wouldn't be able to keep up.

He traveled with Azhu, Abi, and Wang Yuyan, and the spacious carriage did not feel crowded for the four of them.

"Cousin, you're sure to come out on top at this martial arts tournament and win the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader!"

If we're talking about who has the most confidence in Ling Yun, it's undoubtedly the devoted fan Wang Yuyan. This girl's heart is completely devoted to Ling Yun. Although she accidentally discovered Ling Yun's affair with her mother, she pretended not to know anything about it and longed to travel far away with Ling Yun.

"Young Master will definitely do it!" A'Zhu smiled, her eyes crinkling, then blushed and pushed away Ling Yun's large hand.

Although Lingyun hasn't yet taken advantage of the three beauties traveling with him in the carriage, he's still gotten his share of the benefits.

However, the astute A'Zhu still felt slightly resistant to engaging in intimate actions with Ling Yun in front of the other girls. It wasn't that she was unwilling, but rather that she worried the other two girls would have reservations about her, affecting their sisterly relationship.

"Little A'Zhu, do you perhaps not like me, young master?"

Ling Yun smiled faintly and moved closer to her cheek, gently inhaling the girl's delicate fragrance.

“Young master, both Abi and Miss Wang are prettier than me, why do you only treat me like this… only me like this.”

"Haha, little sister Azhu, I never said I was going to let them go." Ling Yun hugged Azhu tightly, unfolded his folding fan and waved it. "This trip is expected to last fifteen days. I'm going to have a good taste of my three little sisters."

"Son!"

Azhu and Abi simultaneously let out shy, coquettish cries. Wang Yuyan covered half her face with her sleeve, seemingly ashamed for her cousin who had "revealed his true colors."

"Look, your young master is a little thirsty. Who will feed me some water?"

Ling Yun deliberately emphasized the last two words, but the three innocent girls did not understand his true meaning. Abi quickly handed the water pouch to Ling Yun, but he suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her red lips.

When Ling Yun released her lips, Abi shyly covered her face with her hands.

"Not bad, Abi's saliva tastes really good."

"Cousin, how...how could you do this..."

Wang Yuyan was so embarrassed that her forehead was steaming. The three of them were not martial arts practitioners and were women, so they were quite conservative in their thinking and could not accept Ling Yun's behavior.

"What, cousin, you want to try some too?"

Wang Yuyan shook her head like a rattle-drum, and then, under the pretext of watching the horses, climbed outside.

Ling Yun was a little worried about her, so after giving some instructions to the two maids, he also went to the driver's seat of the carriage.

"Cousin, are you angry?"

"No." Wang Yuyan lowered her eyes and slowly shook her head. "I just feel that my cousin is very popular with girls, and I'm worried... that you won't like me anymore."

"How could I? How could I bear to abandon such a beautiful cousin?"

Ling Yun embraced her slender waist, letting her lean gently against his chest: "When I return, I will marry you. You won't be able to escape me for the rest of your lives."

Wang Yuyan nestled in his arms, closing her eyes to enjoy his tenderness.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the six of them arrived in Xiangyang City, which was also where Guo Jing lived.

After a long and tiring journey, the three delicate young women were exhausted and went straight to their rooms to rest after Lingyun found an inn to stay in.

"Young master, shall I register you first?"

"can."

Ling Yun sat imposingly at a table in the inn. After listening to Feng Bo'e's story, he chuckled and was about to get up to leave when Ling Yun called him back.

"This martial arts tournament is full of masters. If you want to fight someone, you can, but don't let it interfere with the important matters. Otherwise, don't blame me for giving you a beating."

The stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork was brought to Yanziwu by Ling Yun. The four retainers noticed his rapid progress in martial arts and wanted to learn from him. Among them, Feng Bo'e was the one who stood out, but he was whipped twelve times on the buttocks by Ling Yun with a bamboo ruler and had to lie on the bed for a whole day to recover.

Sure enough, after hearing Ling Yun's words, Feng Bo'e felt a slight pain in his buttocks and gave an awkward smile: "Don't worry, young master, I know what I'm doing."

"Go."

Ling Yun watched him leave with a smile.

“Young master, I, Old Deng, traveled the world extensively in my youth. I just caught a glimpse of many old friends.”

Although Deng Baichuan was loyal to him, his personality hadn't changed much. Ling Yun knew his old-fashioned nature, so he gave him a break to meet up with old friends and gather some information for him.

Deng Baichuan beamed with joy, cupped his hands in greeting, and left the table.

Now only Ling Yun remained. He drank some wine alone. Although his handsome appearance made him the center of attention even without him saying a word, this was, after all, a martial arts tournament, mostly attended by men. Can you imagine what it feels like to have a group of men staring at you with great interest?

Ling Yun disliked it, even feeling as if he had entered the den of some club, and immediately got up and left the inn.

The martial arts tournament is just a few days away, and the inns in the area are almost full. I almost couldn't find a room.

Just as he took a few steps while fanning himself, he suddenly heard a commotion from the crowd ahead. He used his X-ray vision to see an old man dressed like a beggar, walking rapidly with his hands upside down on the ground. He seemed to have bumped into some people, who were now surrounding him and about to argue with him.

"Hey old man, you bumped into me, and you think you can just leave without giving me some compensation!"

"Old man?" the old man said in a daze, then asked, "And who is 'Grandpa'?"

"Are you playing dumb with me? I am who I am! What's your name, you old geezer?"

Chapter 255 The First Appearance