Chapter 1 The Situation

As the days deepened into winter, the turmoil in Huyang gradually subsided.

The Greenwoods Path all knew that Chen Feng had gained a firm foothold in Huyang, standing in opposition to the other two Jiao (dragons), but with winter being a time for truce, they all remained inactive for the time being.

Because Chen Feng seized Fan Zong's territory close to winter, the cold weather and frozen waters made it difficult for the other two Jiao to move their troops easily. They did not launch a large-scale joint attack while he was still unstable, which gave him time to rest and reorganize.

The Greenwoods turmoil temporarily subsided, but a rumor spread like wildfire throughout the martial world.

It was said that the eight great sects of the world would hold a martial arts tournament on Yunxia Mountain in Huyang next spring. The purpose was to gather the world's experts to compete with the devilish Chen Feng.

The news shocked the martial world.

The eight great sects had been famous for many years and enjoyed great prestige. They were giants of the martial world, and had never before united in such a high-profile manner just to deal with one person.

Wouldn't this be the same as making more than half of the martial world his enemy?

This was a big scene!

For a time, martial artists from all over the world were excited and flocked to Huyang, all wanting to join in the excitement and not miss such a martial arts event.

On the other side, as the prefects of Huyang reported the situation, the turbulent situation here also reached the imperial court.

…

The capital city, the imperial palace, the Hall of Purple Extremity.

The emperor had not returned, and Crown Prince Wang Jing was now in charge of the country.

Except for major events such as conferring official positions, mobilizing troops, and foreign tributary missions, which needed to be reported to the emperor, the crown prince was in charge of all other routine matters.

On this day, he went to court as usual, discussed matters as usual, and soon talked about the banditry.

"The banditry in Yanbei and Taidong has been plaguing us for years. Before the emperor went south on his autumn tour, he entrusted the matter of enlisting them to Prime Minister Qin. I wonder how it's progressing?"

Wang Jing looked at Right Prime Minister Qin Song and spoke in a calm tone.

He was about twenty-three or four years old, with a dignified appearance and extraordinary bearing. As the saying goes, one's environment shapes one's character, and he had an air of nobility about him, obviously accustomed to a life of comfort.

Qin Song stepped forward and said, "I have not failed His Majesty's expectations. This old minister has already sent people to meet and talk with the Tianwang (Heavenly King) stronghold, the leader of the Greenwoods in the north. Although these people have fallen into the Greenwoods, they all have a heart of loyalty and patriotism. As long as they are given amnesty and rewards, they are willing to serve the court, send troops to suppress bandits, and pacify the banditry in Yanbei and Taidong. All matters have been negotiated, and we are only waiting for His Majesty to return to the capital to issue an edict."

"Prime Minister Qin is truly a pillar of the nation. Thank you for your hard work." Wang Jing nodded with a smile.

"Your Highness is too kind. This old minister is only doing his best, and I dare not accept such praise."

Qin Song cupped his fist and responded politely.

"Of course you deserve it. If the banditry in the north is eliminated, Prime Minister Qin will be credited with the first功."

Wang Jing nodded in agreement.

At this moment, an official stepped forward and said, "This minister has something to report. Today, most of the banditry in the world is in Yanbei and Taidong, but recently the prefects of Huyang have reported that there are also signs of unrest among the bandits in Huyang. Chen Feng, the thief who caused chaos among the people in Jiangchun, has fled to Huyang and gathered in the mountains. In just a month or two, he has gathered tens of thousands of people. In the future, he will surely become a serious threat. Please send troops to suppress him."

Wang Jing pondered upon hearing this.

"The mobilization of troops requires a request to the emperor. I have no power to issue an edict. However, the emperor has always implemented a policy of enlisting bandits and is unwilling to use force rashly. Why not try to enlist this Chen Feng?"

"Your Highness, absolutely not!"

The civil and military officials spoke out in unison to stop him, their emotions were agitated, and they rarely agreed.

Qin Song cleared his throat and said in a deep voice:

"This Chen Feng has harmed the people and killed dozens of court officials. His crimes are heinous and cannot be forgiven according to the law, otherwise the court will lose its prestige!"

Privy Councilor Pang Hong stepped forward and suggested loudly: "That's right! This kind of outrageous thief must be publicly executed to uphold the court's authority. In my opinion, we should immediately muster troops and march to suppress this bandit."

"Privy Councilor Pang, don't be impatient. The matter of mobilizing troops must be reported to the emperor and cannot be decided by us."

Wang Jing quickly spoke to appease him.

Then, he looked around at the crowd and pondered:

"I understand what you mean. This Chen Feng cannot be enlisted and must be suppressed. However, the court's troops cannot be moved easily. Perhaps we can let the Tianwang stronghold, which has been enlisted, go to deal with this person?"

Qin Song thought for a while and shook his head: "The north is far away from Huyang, and distant water cannot quench a fire nearby. Moreover, the Tianwang stronghold should prioritize dealing with the banditry in the north and cannot spare the time for now. This old minister has a plan."

"Please speak."

Qin Song smiled and said, "This plan is quite simple. There are many water bandits in Huyang. Besides Chen Feng, there are two other major bandits, each with tens of thousands of troops under their command. Why not enlist these two and let them deal with Chen Feng? At the same time, the various states of Huyang can酌情send troops to join the attack and eliminate this person in one fell swoop. Compared to the court suppressing the bandits alone, this method can save a lot of expenses, which is in line with the emperor's intention to reduce spending."

Wang Jing thought about it and felt it was good, so he nodded:

"Then let's do that first. I will report to the emperor, and if the emperor has an order, we will act accordingly."

Seeing this, Pang Hong's face was not very good. He glared at Qin Song and secretly hated him in his heart, but helplessly retreated back into the ranks.

Only by sending troops could he gain military merit and benefits, but Qin Song was in the emperor's favor and always managed to scratch the emperor's itch, repeatedly hindering him from sending troops.

The two had different political views and different interests, and they had always been at odds.

Seeing bandits being enlisted again and again, Pang Hong felt very distressed… In his eyes, these bandits were all silver, and once they were enlisted, he would lose the opportunity to make a big profit.

At this moment, Pang Hong was secretly annoyed and couldn't help but pray in his heart:

"This Chen Feng must not be easily eliminated. It would be best if he grew bigger and bigger and became a major threat to the court, so that I can have a place to use my talents…"

…

Huyang, Cangshui (Green Water) Stronghold.

Many leaders gathered in the main hall. The leader of the stronghold, Tan Peng, sat in the main seat, propping his chin with his hand, sizing up the person who had come to visit.

"You're here to convey a message from the imperial court?"

Tan Peng narrowed his eyes and spoke in a strange tone.

He was one of the three Jiao of Huyang, nicknamed "Bronze Head Dragon King". He was burly, with a bald head that was shiny and bright. He had practiced orthodox external martial arts, and his head could split monuments and crack rocks.

"Greetings, Stronghold Leader Tan. I am a secret guard from the Xunwu (Patrol Martial) Division, and I have a waist tag as proof."

The person who came to visit spoke and took out a token, showing it to everyone.

This person was dressed in a martial uniform, looking like a Jianghu (Martial World) person, but was actually a government official.

The Xunwu Division was a special institution with low rank, responsible for monitoring the martial world for the court, mainly acting as intelligence personnel. They usually disguised themselves as Jianghu travelers, and were generally responsible for secretly contacting certain Jianghu and Greenwoods heroes and delivering messages for the court.

Tan Peng glanced at the Xunwu Division's token and casually asked, "We are wanted criminals of the court. I wonder what you are here for?"

"I wonder if Stronghold Leader Tan is willing to serve the court? The court intends to enlist and reward you, pardon your crimes, and give you a clean slate."

This Xunwu Division secret guard had been in the Jianghu for many years and knew that Greenwoods people were impatient, so he didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his intentions.

"The court wants to enlist me?" Tan Peng rubbed his bald head and sneered, "There must be conditions!"

"That's right, the court needs you to pacify Chen Feng's gang. If you agree, you can be enlisted."

"Hmph, Chen Feng is so difficult to deal with. The court wants me to risk my life with just a mere title of enlistment? That's absurd! Show me some real benefits, otherwise there's no need to talk. Anyway, I'm squatting in this Yue Shan Lake, and you can't do anything to me. I don't need to look at your court's face."

Tan Peng snorted.

The Xunwu Division secret guard said in a deep voice:

"This Chen Feng has always been domineering. He entered Huyang on his own and rose to power at an unprecedented speed. He is a great threat to Stronghold Leader Tan. If you are enlisted, the court will join hands with you to suppress this person and remove this thorn in your side for the stronghold leader. In addition, Stronghold Leader Tan and the brothers in the stronghold can all receive official positions and rewards from the court. Not to mention anything else, the stronghold leader can be a bingma dutongzhi (military commander), in charge of the troops of several states in Huyang."

The faces of the leaders changed, and many people were a little tempted.

Tan Peng, however, remained noncommittal: "We are very comfortable and carefree. Why do we need the court's appointment and look at the faces of those dog officials in the future? However, this Chen Feng is indeed a threat, and I don't mind getting rid of him."

"Then I wonder what requirements Stronghold Leader Tan has?" The Xunwu Division secret guard asked patiently.

Tan Peng said carelessly: "Enlistment? I'm not interested. You want to send me away with some official titles? Dream on! I want silver, armor, and grain. Let's just treat it as a business deal. Your court shouldn't think of using us as tools. Only when we see you sending troops to suppress Chen Feng will I follow up with troops."

"This… I can't make the decision."

"I know you can't make the decision. Go back and ask your master. Anyway, these are my conditions. If you agree, we can talk further, otherwise get lost."

Tan Peng slapped his bald head and smiled quite evilly.

The Xunwu Division secret guard's face was uncertain. He cupped his fist and took his leave.

Seeing the person leave, Tan Peng snorted coldly and said:

"Enlistment, enlistment, enlist my ass! When I dominate the Huyang Greenwoods, the first thing I'll do is attack your state capital and become king of the mountain!"

The leaders exchanged glances, their eyes subtle.

At the same time, a similar scene was also playing out in the other Jiao's stronghold.

However, the final result was different.

…

The sun rose and the moon set, winter passed and spring came.

Xinghe twelfth year, the beginning of spring.

After a winter of reorganization, the men Zhou Jing had recruited had stabilized a lot and recognized him as their new boss.

He was also generous with various martial arts manuals, without setting any thresholds. From the leaders to the嘍囉(followers), they could practice if they wanted to. This move made his position in the stronghold much more stable.

This behavior also had a chain reaction… The poor people in the surrounding villages and counties all learned that the stronghold was teaching martial arts for free. Some people, thinking of learning a skill to make a living, simply went up the mountain to join Zhou Jing.

At the same time, because of his own reputation, many famous Greenwoods experts came to join him. Now he had some new faces among his leaders, but the truly talented ones were still limited.

On the other side, because of the rumors of the martial arts tournament, the Huyang area was now full of Jianghu people from all over the world, especially the counties near Yunxia Mountain, which were packed with inns and crowded with people.

As the date of the duel on March 18th approached, the martial world was surging, and the atmosphere became more and more restless.

The teams from various major sects, after a long journey, also arrived at Yunxia Mountain one after another.

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