"Think of our great Chinese nation. Since Pangu separated the sky from the earth and through the inheritance of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, up to now, it has a history of more than four thousand years without our realizing it. It is just like the surging and unceasing cold waters of the Yangtze River, existing since ancient times and enduring forever.

Time flies like a shuttle, and more than four thousand years have passed by in the blink of an eye. Countless dynasties have risen and fallen during this period. However, the heroic spirit of men who were 'born and grew up here' and fearlessly shed their blood, even sacrificing their lives, has never faded in the slightest. It can truly be said that they have captured the creation of heaven and earth and astonished the radiance of the sun and the moon!"

The one who said these words was a thin and completely white-robed old man.

From a distance, the old man was seen sitting slightly to one side in front of an octagonal table. He had a kind face, exuding an air of amiability and approachability that made people unable to resist getting close to him. Strangely enough, the old man's hair, eyelashes, and beard were all snow-white while he sat there serenely, making him look like an immortal descending from the heavens, which made people involuntarily yearn for him.

There was a large crowd surrounding the old man. People gathered around him as if the old man had an irresistible magic power.

All these people were attracted by the old man's words. His words were like the sweet rain from the sky, refreshing people's hearts.

Among these people, there were the elderly, children, middle-aged women, and young and strong men. Some were sitting at other tables, some were simply standing, and some were even sitting cross-legged on the ground.

But everyone listened quietly to the old man's words. The old man's words made it impossible for these people to close their ears, and they could only listen attentively.

The old man's words were like a clear spring between.

"Think of our great Chinese nation. Since Pangu separated the sky from the earth and through the inheritance of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, up to now, it has a history of more than four thousand years without our realizing it. It is just like the surging and unceasing cold waters of the Yangtze River, existing since ancient times and enduring forever.

Time flies like a shuttle, and more than four thousand years have passed by in the blink of an eye. Countless dynasties have risen and fallen during this period. However, the heroic spirit of men who were 'born and grew up here' and fearlessly shed their blood, even sacrificing their lives, has never faded in the slightest. It can truly be said that they have captured the creation of heaven and earth and astonished the radiance of the sun and the moon!"

The one who said these words was a thin and completely white-robed old man.

From a distance, the old man was seen sitting slightly to one side in front of an octagonal table. He had a kind face, exuding an air of amiability and approachability that made people unable to resist getting close to him. Strangely enough, the old man's hair, eyelashes, and beard were all snow-white while he sat there serenely, making him look like an immortal descending from the heavens, which made people involuntarily yearn for him.

There was a large crowd surrounding the old man. People gathered around him as if the old man had an irresistible magic power.

All these people were attracted by the old man's words. His words were like the sweet rain from the sky, refreshing people's hearts.

Among these people, there were the elderly, children, middle-aged women, and young and strong men. Some were sitting at other tables, some were simply standing, and some were even sitting cross-legged on the ground.

But everyone listened quietly to the old man's words. The old man's words made it impossible for these people to close their ears, and they could only listen attentively.

The old man's words were like a clear spring between heaven and earth, giving a glimmer of hope to those who had long been numbed by life.

Their hearts seemed to be filled with boiling blood, just like a swordsman who, upon encountering an unjust situation, would be filled with righteous indignation, ready to fight against the tyranny and uphold justice.

This was taking place in a teahouse. The teahouse was located in a market in Suzhou, and there were a great many customers coming and going.

Some of them were small vendors, some were customers, and some were women who came early in the morning to buy vegetables for their family meals.

There were also some underage boys and girls. When they were tired from playing, they would come to the teahouse to have a sip of cold tea to quench their thirst.

The business of this teahouse was really good. The old man had been telling stories in the teahouse for over a month. The old man seemed to be an immortal, and perhaps many people had already regarded him as a celestial being.

Perhaps it was precisely because they thought he was an immortal that they listened so quietly to the old man's fascinating stories.

Many of these people were already extremely familiar with the old man. They even traveled a long way just to hear his stories.

They would arrive early and secure their seats, all in order to listen to the old man tell stories that were full of philosophy and excitement.

Thus, the old man had become the "immortal" in everyone's heart. This title was by no means exaggerated, because in a certain sense, the old man was indeed an immortal.

The old man's words were things that the common people rarely heard in their daily lives. Some of them might never even hear such words in their entire lives, and there were also things that they would never know about.

This old man, it seemed, knew everything. He knew what people knew, and he also knew what people didn't know. Moreover, the old immortal could always expound on profound meanings.

Therefore, the old man had become the immortal in everyone's heart, and some people simply called him the old immortal.

Everyone held him in the utmost respect. This was not only because the old man's words were profound and broad, inspiring people's imagination and often enabling them to understand the past and predict the future.

More importantly, it was the old man's appearance. He was dressed all in white, as if untouched by the slightest dust, and his features were extremely elegant.

Everyone could tell that when the old man was young, he must have been an extremely handsome man. Although he was now in his old age, he still had a clear and delicate face, and there was an indescribable freshness between his brows.

Everyone was certain that he must have been a handsome man in his youth.

Some people in the crowd even felt inferior. They could hardly believe that such an old man could be so refined, so elegant, and so handsome.

Even the boys of seventeen or eighteen years old thought that the old man was extremely handsome, but they didn't dare to be jealous. Because in their hearts, the old man was an immortal, an all-knowing immortal. Everyone respected him so much that how could they possibly be jealous of the old man?

The old man's previous words were a general overview of China's more than four thousand years of history at that time. When he spoke, he was neither hasty nor slow, with a moderate tone. There was a hint of masculine righteousness hidden in his gentle voice.

The old man's eyes seemed very profound. Sometimes, when he reached the exciting parts of the story, his eyes would shine with a sharp light, just like a bright lamp illuminating the way ahead, exuding an overwhelming charm that could capture people's hearts!

When the old man told stories, he was full of energy. An infinite spiritual power was revealed between his brows. He was animated, talking and laughing freely, making the stories vivid and lifelike. This was also an important reason why everyone was willing to listen to his stories.

Over the past month or so, the old man had become a regular customer of this teahouse. Of course, the old man had also brought along quite a few regular customers.

Some people who usually didn't like to come to this teahouse to drink tea had to come here in order to hear the old man's stories. They would sit down, drink the cold tea, and listen to the old man's touching stories.

As a result, the business of this teahouse had become much more prosperous than before. This was all thanks to the old immortal. The owner of the teahouse really admired the old man.

He even hoped that the old man would live a long and healthy life. He truly wished that the old man could come to the teahouse every day, sit in front of this octagonal table, and tell thrilling stories one after another. Then, there would be no need to worry about the business of the teahouse.

The old man would come to this tea house every morning. He was going to tell his stories, and of course, the tea house was already crowded with people. Before the old man arrived, it was already packed like a sea of people.

The old man had already become the immortal in everyone's heart. Once one became an immortal, there would naturally be many people who would worship him. Perhaps at this moment, the old man was secretly delighted in his heart.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd asked, "Old immortal, what kind of story are you going to tell us today?"

The old man smiled slightly and said, "Don't be in a hurry. A story is a story. A story naturally has its causes and consequences. Let this old man tell you today's story bit by bit."

So, everyone listened quietly to the old man, waiting for him to tell this story...

The old man slowly said, "Back then, Yu the Great of Xia had remarkable achievements in taming the floods and became a god in the hearts of the common people. However, although the Xia Dynasty lasted for several hundred years, in the end, it was destroyed by King Tang of Shang.The Shang Dynasty also endured for several hundred years, but in the end, King Zhou of Shang was extremely tyrannical. He persecuted the loyal and righteous ministers in the court, and finally, he was deserted by his subordinates and incurred the wrath of all the officials.

Jiang Taigong, in accordance with the righteousness of heaven and earth, recruited many capable generals and assisted the Duke of Zhou. Following the will of the common people across the land, in the end, the army of King Wu of Zhou attacked Chaoge and overthrew the Shang Dynasty. Thus, the glorious Shang Dynasty that had lasted for several hundred years came to an end.

"What do you think is the root cause of all this?"

Among the crowd, there was a young and strong man who spoke in a very loud voice, as if he wanted everyone in the teahouse to hear him. The man said, "It's because King Zhou of Shang was greedy for beauty and doted on the demonic Daji, which led to the collapse of the imperial court and the anger of the ministers!"

After hearing this, the old man smiled slightly and said, "This young man only knows one aspect of the matter and not the other. Let me ask you, which man in the world doesn't love a beautiful woman?Even the monks in Shaolin Temple, I'm afraid, still have some worldly desires.

When I was young, I once fell in love with a woman.

However, between beauty and the country, King Zhou of Shang failed to weigh the pros and cons. Instead of saying that Daji was as beautiful as a fairy and more enchanting than a fox spirit,

it's better to say that King Zhou of Shang lacked self-restraint!

Just imagine, if King Zhou of Shang had been wholeheartedly devoted to the country back then, not being bewitched by women, and had been an upright person.

Then, how could King Zhou of Shang have been deceived by a mere Daji?

And thus, he would not have brought about the downfall of the Shang Dynasty?"

When the crowd heard this, they all clapped and praised.

In everyone's heart, when it came to the fall of the Shang Dynasty, they all believed that it was Daji's fault, whether it was from rumors or what they had read in books.

However, this old man directly pointed the blame at King Zhou of Shang. Everyone admired his courage and boldness.

People respected the old man even more. No one had ever said such words before, and the old man not only said them but also made a lot of sense!

The crowd was astonished by his words. No one could have imagined that the old man would say such things.

The old man seemed not to care at all about the crowd's astonishment and continued, "After King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty, he made great efforts to govern the country well. He enfeoffed many nobles and granted titles and lands to many meritorious ministers, allowing them to support their wives and children and rule over certain regions.

However, in the later period, the royal family of Zhou declined, and many heroes emerged. All the vassal states began to recruit troops and purchase weapons, fighting everywhere and seeking to dominate.

When the royal family of Zhou was in an extremely weakened state, in the end, King You of Zhou, in order to make a beauty smile, repeatedly played false alarms with the beacon fires, which made the vassal lords angry and everyone condemned him.

The prestige of the King of Zhou disappeared completely, which doomed the downfall of the Zhou Dynasty.

During the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, there were disputes among the states, and the world was in chaos. The seven states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, and Qin vied for dominance, and there were continuous battles between the states, causing great suffering to the common people.

Kings such as Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Wen of Jin, King Zhuang of Chu, Duke Mu of Qin, King Xiang of Song, King Helü of Wu, and King Goujian of Yue once dominated for a time.

Civil and military officials such as Sun Wu, Wu Zixu, Baili Xi, Confucius, Fan Li, Guan Zhong, Zhang Yi, Su Qin, Sun Bin, Pang Juan, Mozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Wu Qi, and Han Feizi all showed their talents, and a hundred schools of thought contended.

In the end, Qin Shi Huang unified the whole country and connected the Central Plains. His achievements will never be forgotten for thousands of years and are indelible!

What do you think of Qin Shi Huang's achievements?"

An old woman in the crowd said, "Although Qin Shi Huang unified the Central Plains, what he did was not satisfactory.

When he built the Great Wall, he mobilized hundreds of thousands of laborers, causing many families to be separated and disrupted. In this regard, Qin Shi Huang was completely wrong!"

After hearing these words, the old man seemed to be completely calm in his heart and simply said indifferently, "That's not right. Qin Shi Huang was both wrong and not wrong.

Of course, Qin Shi Huang did a lot of wrong things. He mobilized hundreds of thousands of laborers, and there was the story of Meng Jiangnu crying down the Great Wall.

This made many common people grieve. Qin Shi Huang burned books and buried scholars alive, which wronged many literati.

However, Qin Shi Huang's faults cannot overshadow his achievements. If it hadn't been for Qin Shi Huang's unification of the country, perhaps the world today would not be like this!

Qin Shi Huang created a new situation and unified the Central Plains. His merits outweigh his demerits."

After hearing this, the crowd was stunned, open-mouthed, and extremely surprised. They never expected that the old man would say such things.

In their hearts, Qin Shi Huang's faults had always been deeply ingrained. They thought that although Qin Shi Huang established the Great Qin Empire, his measures were not popular.

However, today the old man's words were like a bright light that illuminated everyone's hearts and made them suddenly see things clearly.

The old man said, "Originally, Qin Shi Huang once boasted that his descendants would rule the Great Qin Dynasty for generations to come. For thousands of years, the world would always belong to his descendants.

However, after Qin Shi Huang's death, the court officials were incompetent and corrupt, and the royal family was incapable. They were extremely overbearing and imposed heavy taxes and levies, which made the common people's lives miserable. In the end, the Qin Dynasty could not avoid the fate of being destroyed.

The common people all over the country rose up in rebellion, all wanting to overthrow the Qin Dynasty. Among them, the most outstanding were Xiang Yu and Liu Bang.

At first, they were both unknown, but after countless battles, they both became powerful lords in their own regions. Only these two could rival each other in the whole world.

But in the end, Xiang Yu, who had a large and powerful force, could not defeat the crafty and shrewd Liu Bang. Everyone thought that Xiang Yu would be the founder of the next dynasty, but Xiang Yu eventually lost to Liu Bang.

Xiang Yu felt too ashamed to face his fellow villagers in Jiangdong and his friends who had made an oath with him in the past. He failed to fulfill his oath and finally committed suicide by cutting his throat by the Wu River.

However, in this old man's heart, Xiang Yu is a true hero!

Although he committed suicide, some people said that Xiang Yu could have endured for ten years and tried to make a comeback, which was not impossible. However, if he had done so, he would not have been Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu was straightforward and honest and did not know how to play tricks. This is what a true hero is like, unlike the treacherous Liu Bang.

The heroic spirit and righteousness that were in Xiang Yu's bones are exactly what we men need. Xiang Yu embodied the justice of the martial arts world and the chivalrous way. This old man respects him deeply!"

After hearing this, the crowd all clapped and praised.

These words were like a clear spring and also like a magical thing that could stir up the blood in their bodies. They had an indescribable urge in their hearts.

Their blood was boiling, and their hearts had returned to that chaotic era of war along with the old man's words. They felt the tragic sentiment of Xiang Yu back then, and they also developed a deep sense of respect for Xiang Yu.

Perhaps it was the old man's words that made everyone's hearts come alive.

Someone in the crowd said, "Yes, Liu Bang is a villain, and Xiang Yu is a true great hero！"

The old man smiled slightly, seemingly happy that his words had touched the crowd.

The old man said, "Liu Bang established the Great Han Dynasty. But at that time, the Xiongnu in the north were powerful, and the weak Han Dynasty could not compete with them. Therefore, the emperor at that time adopted the policy of marriage alliances to relieve the pressure from the Xiongnu in the north.

The most famous case was Wang Zhaojun. For the sake of national righteousness and to ensure the stability of the Han Dynasty, Zhaojun was willing to marry the Xiongnu chieftain.

On the day when Zhaojun set out for the frontier, everyone wept. This was not only because Zhaojun's beauty was unparalleled in the world at that time but also because of her spirit of sacrificing for the country and the people. This was the heart of a heroic woman.

Zhaojun is a heroic woman. This old man calls her so. What do you all think?"

A thin man in the crowd said, "That's right. Zhaojun is a role model for all women in the world. For the sake of national righteousness, she sacrificed herself and married into the Xiongnu. Her qualities make even us men feel ashamed. Zhaojun is a true female hero!"

The old man smiled slightly, seemingly quite pleased with this person's words, and said, "This young man must also be a man of true feelings.

In the early days of the Han Dynasty, although the policy of marriage alliances brought temporary peace to the Han Dynasty, the threat from the Xiongnu in the north always existed, and people were worried, fearing that the Xiongnu would suddenly invade the Central Plains.

Just then, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, ascended the throne. Liu Che recruited capable generals, implemented an enlightened policy, and sent great generals such as Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to the Western Regions. They fought against the Xiongnu several times.

In the end, the Xiongnu were so terrified that they dared not invade the Central Plains again. Emperor Wu of Han's merits can be compared to those of Qin Shi Huang.

He dispatched Zhang Qian to the Western Regions, spreading the culture of the Central Plains abroad, showcasing the splendor of China. Sima Qian wrote books and established theories, and completed the great historical work "Records of the Grand Historian", which became the originator of later historians.

However, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, and the Han Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. Heroes from all over the country waged wars, all wanting to become the overlord of the world.

Among them were Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, etc. They kept fighting with each other. In the end, the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu divided the world, forming a tripartite confrontation that lasted for decades.

The Kingdom of Wei had many strategists, but Cao Cao was extremely suspicious by nature, causing many strategists to die unjustly. Its military generals included Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Cao Zhang, etc.

The Kingdom of Wu was located in Jiangdong, and it also had many talented people. Zhou Yu, Huang Gai, Lu Su, Lu Xun, Gan Ning, etc. were all great generals of the Kingdom of Wu.

As for the Kingdom of Shu, it had Zhuge Liang in terms of civil affairs and the Five Tiger Generals in terms of military affairs. Zhuge Liang knew astronomy above and geography below, and was proficient in all kinds of strange arts and military strategies. He was a military genius.

When Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times and met him, Zhuge Liang had already predicted the division of the world into three parts. As the saying goes, he determined the situation of the world without leaving his thatched cottage, and could plan strategies in the tent and achieve victory thousands of miles away.

Zhuge Liang's ability was unparalleled!

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao were all brave and skilled in battle, galloping on the battlefield and making great contributions to the Kingdom of Shu.

However, the tripartite confrontation of the Three Kingdoms did not last long. In the end, Zhuge Liang lost to the crafty and calculating Sima Yi and died at Wuzhangyuan.

The Three Kingdoms were finally unified by the Jin Dynasty.

During the period of the Three Kingdoms, there was another strange story that was not widely known. Today, the story that this old man is going to tell is related to the Three Kingdoms. "

When the crowd heard this, they were all extremely surprised. They were very familiar with the stories of the Three Kingdoms, but they were curious about how strange the story the old man was going to tell was.

Everyone was looking forward to it, because every time the old man told a story, he would start with some unimportant stories and then tell the real story at the crucial moment.

People were already used to this, but they were still a little surprised now.

A fat man in the crowd asked, "Old immortal, please tell the story quickly. We are all impatient. We don't know what this strange story of the Three Kingdoms is?"

The old man stroked his beard and said, "Do you know what kind of sword the famous General Guan, who was so powerful on the battlefield back then, used?"

A young and strong man in the crowd said, "I know. The sword that General Guan used back then was called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade."

The old man smiled slightly and said, "That's right. General Guan had extraordinary strength. This 82-jin Green Dragon Broadsword was as easy to handle as a chopstick in General Guan's hands.

Back then, General Guan shocked the entire army with this Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

However, people don't know that there is a little-known story hidden in this sword..."

After hearing this, everyone widened their eyes. They all had no idea what kind of astonishing story was hidden behind this famous broadsword that had once shocked the entire army.

The old man continued, "Back then, General Guan, Liu Bei, and Zhang Fei swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden. They vowed to serve the country loyally and bring peace to the people. They didn't ask to be born on the same day, but they hoped to die on the same day.

So, General Guan invited the most famous swordsmith at that time to forge this Green Dragon Crescent Blade for the purpose of killing enemies in the future.

This Green Dragon Crescent Blade was tempered for eighty-one days before it finally saw the light of day.

At that moment, when the broadsword was taken out of the furnace, a ray of colored light shot into the furnace from the sky. The sky, which had originally been a vast expanse of blue,

was now filled with rolling dark clouds, like turbulent waves. There were flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, and a downpour of rain, as if the Heavenly Lord was enraged.

Suddenly, three shining characters appeared in the sky! Guess what these three characters were?"

Everyone shook their heads, not knowing what those three characters were.

The old man said, "The three characters were 'Sword', 'Blade', and 'Moon'.

At that time, General Guan was greatly astonished when he saw these three characters. General Guan rubbed his eyes, trying to see clearly whether it was real or not.

But when General Guan looked up at the sky again, the three characters 'Sword', 'Blade', and 'Moon' were still clearly reflected in the sky.

Now, General Guan was even more surprised. Seeing such a strange thing, although General Guan was extremely brave, how could he not be afraid?

These three characters, 'Sword', 'Blade', and 'Moon', remained in the sky for about half the time it took to burn a stick of incense.

General Guan had also thought that this Green Dragon Crescent Blade was a weapon of killing. However, General Guan had a life of integrity and always behaved properly. He never believed in the words of ghosts and gods. Whenever he encountered an unjust situation, he would always draw his sword to help.

Although General Guan didn't know what the meaning of these three characters 'Sword', 'Blade', and 'Moon' was, he didn't pay much attention to it. In the end, General Guan dominated the battlefield with this Green Dragon Crescent Blade..."

After hearing this, everyone was shocked by this incredible story. They never expected that this Green Dragon Crescent Blade would have such a story behind it.

Someone in the crowd asked, "Old immortal, do you know what the meaning of these three characters 'Sword', 'Blade', and 'Moon' is?"

Suddenly, the old man's eyes shot out an infinite light, as if he was extremely alert. Then he looked around and saw a group of guards dressed in green clothes. In an instant, they surrounded the teahouse.

These people were very fast, and their movements were smooth and coordinated. Obviously, they were well-trained on a daily basis. These people were the Jinyiwei of the Eastern Depot.

The leader pointed at the old man and shouted, "Where did this crazy old man come from? How dare he talk nonsense here!"

Everyone had already been so scared that they dodged around. But the teahouse was very small, and there was no way to accommodate them. Some of the tea customers even crawled under the tables.

The old man didn't seem surprised at all. He remained calm and composed and said, "Every word this old man said is true. I'm not talking nonsense."

After saying that, the old man's gaze suddenly shot towards the leader of the Jinyiwei. His gaze was like a bolt of lightning and also like a sharp arrow.

When the man's gaze met the old man's, he fell down immediately and didn't move. He was dead, and he died very quickly. Everyone was horrified.

They never expected that a gaze could kill a person. Seeing this today, it was like they had entered a different world. The old man had actually killed this person with his gaze. This was really unbelievable.

Someone in the Jinyiwei stammered, "T... Tianxuan... Old Man!"

他的话一出，在场的所有人都吓坏了。

的确，这个老者就是郭浩天，天玄老人。传闻天玄老爷子可以窥探天界的秘密，天间万物都在他的预期之中。他是一个神话人物，也是一个非常神秘的人。

据说，郭浩天不仅能识得后，而且武功极其深奥。从来没有人见过他的武功，因为见过的人都已经死了！

郭浩天微微一笑，道：“你的视力不错。万万没想到，这世上居然还有人能认出这个老人。我想我的生命并没有白费。这个老头子要走了......”

说完，郭浩天便跃到空中，像鬼一样消失在众人的视线中......

锦衣卫没有追他，因为根本没有必要。郭浩天的轻功，在世上无人能及。他们只能静静地看着郭浩天渐行渐远......

In the capital city, there were beautiful lakes and mountains. The streets were bustling with people. Merchant ships and pleasure boats shuttled back and forth on the lake, and the sound of singing could be heard from afar. The cries of street vendors went on and on, and the bargaining and shouting in front of various small stalls filled the air, forming a unique melody. It seemed that there was no atmosphere of war at all.

The Green Jade Pavilion was a well-known brothel in the capital. At this moment, Wei Zhongxian, the favorite of the current emperor, was sitting inside. Wei Zhongxian was the chief of the Eastern Depot. He had martial arts skills and had a large number of highly skilled subordinates. He could manipulate the situation in the court and held great power. Many high-ranking officials tried to curry favor with him, hoping to gain benefits through him and dared not offend him.

This Green Jade Pavilion was a place they often visited. Now, around a large round table sat eight sycophantic officials. They were embracing beautiful women, enjoying fine wine and delicious food, and having a great time. Here, they didn't talk about court affairs and just indulged in pleasure.

The popular singer Cuixia was snuggling in Wei Zhongxian's arms. She had an oval face, delicate eyebrows, and beautiful eyes. She was extremely charming and alluring. She winked and laughed continuously. She picked up a small spoon, slowly scooped a spoonful from a plate of "Jade Emerald Braised Duck Soup" and fed it into Wei Zhongxian's mouth. She said coquettishly, "Lord Wei, how is this soup?"

Wei Zhongxian closed his eyes to taste it and then opened his eyes and said, "Delicious, delicious. The food that comes from your hands, even the stinky tofu on the street, would be refreshing!" Cuixia giggled and said, "Lord Wei really knows how to joke. No wonder you're so likable. Even the current emperor is completely under your thumb."

Sitting next to Wei Zhongxian was Lord Zhang. Beside him was a singer named Hongxia. She had a blushing face, cherry-like lips, and a pair of bright and clever big eyes. She smiled and said, "Lord Wei is the chief of the Eastern Depot, with high martial arts skills and great talent. I wonder if you can match a couplet of my little sister?"

Wei Zhongxian smiled and said, "I didn't expect there to be such a talented woman in a brothel. I'd like to see what wonderful couplet you have. Go ahead and say it." Hongxia slowly said, "The Great Wall, Shanhaiguan, with the dragon's head as the leader." When Wei Zhongxian heard this upper couplet, he couldn't help but be slightly shocked. He thought to himself, "Such a woman in a brothel actually has such heroic spirit. Could she be here to assassinate me?" He secretly observed Hongxia and saw that she was winking and smiling with a normal expression on her face. He really couldn't see anything strange about her.

The dancers were graceful, and the sound of the pipa filled the air. The singer was playing and singing "The Song of the Pipa". The melody was gentle and melodious, and the dancers wriggled their bodies to the rhythm of the song. While he was deep in thought, suddenly, a man jumped down from the beam. He was in his forties, with a short beard, a square face, and broad eyebrows. He shouted loudly, "The unique skills of Shaolin Temple are unparalleled in the world. Wei Zhongxian, give me your dog's life!" He brandished his sword and stabbed directly at Wei Zhongxian's throat. At the same time, Hongxia suddenly jumped up, took out a golden silk soft sword from her waist, and pounced on Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian seemed to ignore it completely. He was still laughing and chatting, being affectionate with the singer Cuixia. He was calm and composed without any sign of panic. Just when the two swords were only an inch away from his skin, suddenly, a man flashed out from the side. The three swords intersected, and he actually blocked the two long swords apart, just right, without harming Wei Zhongxian. The assassin and Hongxia turned over and landed steadily.

The assassin said, "Who are you? Why are you helping this scoundrel?" The man said, "I'm Han Tian, Lord Wei's personal bodyguard. Are you the Kunlun Swordsman Ge Zhenhai?" The man said, "That's right. Today, I'll kill you first and then this old scoundrel Wei!"

Hongxia sneered and said, "What a personal bodyguard. I didn't expect Han Tian, the Tianfeike who is famous in the northern region, to have defected to this old scoundrel Wei. Humph, today we'll kill you, these snobbish villains, for the common people of the world!" After saying that, the two of them thrust their swords forward.

Ge Zhenhai's long sword danced like a mass of snowflakes, erratic and unpredictable. He stabbed the long sword fiercely towards Han Tian's abdomen. Han Tian brandished his long sword and blocked it obliquely. The sound of the swords clashing was clear. Hongxia's soft sword had also stabbed over. Han Tian pinched the soft sword she thrust with his thumb and index finger, pushed it forward to slow down its momentum, and then leaped into the air. In an instant, he was behind the two of them.

The two of them quickly turned around, and Han Tian's long sword had already lashed over. He slashed horizontally at their chests with the sword. Ge Zhenhai had rich experience in combat. He quickly pointed the tip of his sword upward to block the incoming sword. With a clang, Han Tian took three steps back and secretly thought that the strength in the opponent's hand was extremely powerful.

Ge Zhenhai exerted more force in his hand and used up the unique skills passed down by his master, the "Eighteen Swords of Kunlun". Hongxia waved her soft sword, creating an impenetrable defense. The two of them fought together and soon forced Han Tian into a corner.

At this time, all the singers had already fled without a trace. The eight officials huddled together, shivering with fear, for fear that the merciless sword net would hurt them. Wei Zhongxian sat on the chair, looking calm. Suddenly, he said, "Han Tian, step down. Let me fight them myself!"

After saying that, he leaped into the air and rushed forward to fight the two swords with his bare hands. Han Tian had to retreat to the side and concentrate on watching the fight. Wei Zhongxian took a step forward with his left foot, held his right palm horizontally in front of his chest, and raised his left fist, assuming a starting posture.

When the two of them saw Wei Zhongxian coming forward on his own, they didn't say a word and pounced forward to fight. One attacked from the left and the other from the right. One sword stabbed at his abdomen and the other at his right eye. Wei Zhongxian quickly flicked his hands and knocked the two swords aside.

He passed between the two of them and slapped his palms towards their backs like huge mountains. When the two of them saw that Wei Zhongxian had disappeared, they had already expected that he would launch a sneak attack from behind. So they simply took a few steps forward, turned around suddenly, and stabbed their swords at his palms again. If Wei Zhongxian continued to strike with his palms, they would be pierced by the swords. This was called attacking the opponent in a way that they had to defend. Sure enough, Wei Zhongxian suddenly stopped his palms and retracted them.

Taking advantage of the fact that his palm strength had weakened, Ge Zhenhai and Hongxia stabbed their swords forward. Again, one attacked from the left and the other from the right, coordinating with each other tacitly. Wei Zhongxian ducked down to avoid the incoming swords and struck his palms at the two of them from below. Ge Zhenhai slashed his long sword back at his forehead, aiming for a mutual destruction. If Wei Zhongxian continued to strike with his palms, even if he hit the two of them, his own head would be in danger.

Wei Zhongxian stopped his palms and rolled out at the critical moment. The two of them slashed their swords randomly, but the swords were only a few inches away from his body and couldn't stab him. Wei Zhongxian rolled to the corner and stood up. At this moment, the two swords were already three inches away from his chest.

Wei Zhongxian's hands were as fast as lightning and thunder. He respectively clamped the two swords and secretly channelled his true energy. With several cracking sounds in succession, the long sword and the soft sword broke into several pieces and fell to the ground. The two of them lost their strength in their hands and quickly retreated. Unexpectedly, Wei Zhongxian was really fast. His palms had already struck the two of them respectively.

The two of them spat out blood but didn't fall down. They staggered back a few steps and stared at Wei Zhongxian angrily. They never expected that Wei Zhongxian's martial arts skills would be so powerful. Today, it seemed that they were going to die here. But if they failed in the assassination and lost their lives instead, wouldn't it be a great injustice? The two of them endured the pain and broke through the window and fled.

At the same time, a voice came: "Old scoundrel Wei, we'll spare your dog's life for now today. If you harm Marshal Yuan and persecute the loyal and good people in the future, we will definitely come to take your dog's life!" Han Tian didn't chase after them either and let them escape...