The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 2: Chapter 18

On the way, Zhu Que said, “The culture of the Jingjue Kingdom is truly not to be underestimated. Whether it’s painting, sculpture, or the craftsmanship of mechanical artisans, there are many aspects we can learn from. Unfortunately, it has been buried by the desert brought by nature. Before long, the wind and sand will once again bury the ruins of the ancient city of Jingjue, leaving only the paintings on the cave walls for the world to reminisce about. To prevent those who might take risks in search of treasure from damaging the relics of Jingjue, we will claim that the sand in the two boxes on the camel is the treasure itself. When others see us taking away the treasure, those who come after will naturally not seek it anymore.”

Fuying sighed and said, “I don’t have your great aspirations. To be honest, when we go back this time, carrying these two heavy boxes, which of the green forest heroes (1) wouldn’t want to take a share of the spoils?”

Zhu Que laughed and said, “When soldiers come, we’ll block them; when water comes, we’ll cover it with earth. It’s been a long time since I’ve stretched my muscles and bones.”

Fuying also surged with boundless ambition and said, “Then let’s return in high spirits and see who will be the first to catch lice on the tiger’s head……”

When the two passed through Welltown, they left most of the camels with the townspeople, keeping only four camels for themselves.

The owner of the teahouse and the inn naturally treated them like Bodhisattvas, and when Fuying hit the teahouse owner, everyone just laughed it off.

The plump owner of the inn actually wanted to kill the thin dog for them to eat, but Zhu Que declined with gratitude.

After leaving the desert, the two sold their camels, bought horses, and hired a cart to load two boxes of sand onto it.

The traveler asked what was in the boxes, and Zhu Que naturally “truthfully” replied that they contained treasures found in the desert. From the outside, the sand looked heavy, pressing deep into the wheel ruts, indeed resembling two boxes filled with gold and silver treasures.

Sure enough, within a few days, some shrimp soldiers and crab generals heard the story of treasure found in the desert and came to seek them out. However, intimidated by the great name of Zhu Que, they did not dare to act but were reluctant to leave, so they followed along, hoping that someone bold and skilled would seize the treasure, allowing them to benefit as well.

The carriage of Zhu Que and Fuying became a remarkable sight on the road, with more and more people following behind until finally, someone was the first to take action.

This man was dressed in luxurious clothing, in his thirties, with an unremarkable appearance, but his face bore a somewhat sorrowful expression, almost resembling that of a hanged ghost, making it hard to believe he was a strongman, road robber.

This person even politely performed a bow and said he wanted to borrow some travel expenses, not being greedy; one box of treasures was enough for him. He only needed to take one box.

Fuying looked at the man with cold eyes and said, “Since you know who we are and still dare to come here, you must not be an unknown person. State your name. If you are a friend, I can give you a box without hesitation. If not, then there is no need for further courtesy.”

This person smiled and said, “I am Ximen Zhu.”

Fuying’s expression changed, and he said, “Are you the Ximen Zhu from Guanzhong, the one who stole from a thousand households in one night?”

Ximen Zhu said proudly, “It is I. I wonder if I could establish a friendship with you?”

Ximen Zhu was also a notorious thief, said to be extremely ruthless and merciless, a character who would even devour bones. The petty thieves behind him, upon hearing his name, were so frightened that they kept their distance, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.

Fuying pointed at Zhu Que and said to Ximen Zhu, “You know he is Zhu Que, yet you dare to be so arrogant. It seems you must have some real skills. Do you know who I am?”

Ximen Zhu said, “It’s precisely because I do not know that I wish to seek your guidance.”

Fuying said to Zhu Que, “Leave this person to me. In this line of work, there are still those who don’t know who I am. Truly, the world is declining, and people’s hearts are no longer what they used to be.”

Turning to Ximen Zhu, he said, “If I reveal my name and it doesn’t scare you away, that would be embarrassing. Let’s stop with the titles and see the real skills.”

After saying this, he leaped off the horse and performed seven somersaults in the air, using both hands and feet to attack Ximen Zhu. Ximen Zhu never expected that this person would strike so suddenly, and the fighting style was even more bizarre. While in mid-air, he had already thrown four punches and kicked six times at him, leaving Ximen Zhu flustered and unable to draw his weapon in time.

However, Ximen Zhu quickly calmed down. Taking advantage of the opportunity to retreat, he drew a soft whip from his waist. The whip was not long, only about seven feet, and it was both soft and hard, indeed a formidable weapon.

When Fuying saw Ximen Zhu drawing his weapon, he also unsheathed the precious sword from his waist. Ximen Zhu noticed the shimmering brilliance flowing on the sword, like a bright mirror, and felt a stir in his heart, saying, “Could this sword be…?”

Fuying said, “Indeed, this is the Firefly Sword. Prepare to receive my strike!”

Ximen Zhu heard the sound of the Firefly Sword and felt a chill in his heart, already knowing who it was. Seeing the opponent execute an extremely complex sword technique, he momentarily didn’t know how to evade it and hurriedly met it with his soft whip. He heard a faint sizzle sound, and his soft whip was already reduced to half. Ximen Zhu quickly leaped back and said, “Wait!”

Fuying refrained from attacking and merely watched Ximen Zhu with a cold smile. Ximen Zhu tossed aside the half-broken soft whip in his hand and said, “I didn’t know the Red Tassel Gentleman was here. I apologize for any offense caused. I will make amends in the future. Farewell.”

Having said that, he turned and left.

Fuying did not pursue; instead, he leaped back onto his horse, looking triumphantly at Zhu Que as if to say: “People are not afraid of you, Zhu Que; rather, they retreat at the mere mention of my name, Fuying.”

Zhu Que took the opportunity to flatter him a bit, “I didn’t expect you to have such great authority in your line of work, being called the Prince of Thieves. Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance, nor can one measure the sea by a single bucket.”

Fuying could clearly sense that there wasn’t a shred of sincerity in his words; it felt more like he was speaking in sarcasm. However, he didn’t know how to refute him at the moment, so he had to change the subject and said, “There are people along the way who are eyeing us, and that’s not a solution. If a master appears that we can’t handle, we might end up making a mistake and falling into a trap. By the way, where are you planning to take these two boxes?”

Zhu Que said, “Just follow me. Once we reach our destination, we can report back.”

Fuying asked, “What destination?”

Zhu Que didn’t say anything, and the two took turns guarding the carriage, driving away those who coveted the treasure chests. It was exceptionally difficult, but fortunately, there were no truly top-notch experts among those who had their eyes on the treasure chests, allowing the two to handle the situation with ease.

(1) the green forest heroes — refer to martial artist wanderers