Yours truly, Ouyang Feng

Chapter 84 Chapter 84, The Knight's Journey
Ke Zhen'e and Zhu Cong were discussing the attack on the Yuyang Gang in the cabin when they heard Seventh Sister's report. They did not ignore her warning because of her young age. They stood up and went out of the cabin and looked back, and they saw a small boat following them in the distance.

Ke Zhen'e was good at using hidden weapons, and those who were good at using hidden weapons generally had sharp eyesight. Now he was not blind, so he squinted his eyes, looked carefully, and immediately saw the three people on the boat.

"That young man is quite good at sailing a boat."

Seeing that the person rowing the boat was a handsome young man in blue, Ke Zhenwu praised him, then looked at the young man in white sitting at the bow drinking tea, and the man in black squatting by the small stove cooking something, and said:
"All three of them were unarmed. Perhaps they were two young masters from wealthy families who were out for a boat ride on the lake with their servants, and they happened to take the same waterway as us."

Han Xiaoying said:

"But they have been following us for quite a while. Even if they occasionally walk together, they shouldn't always follow us, right?"

Ke Zhenwu pondered and said:

"Seventh sister has a point. But what connection can a rich young man have with us?"

Zhu Cong waved his folding fan and said with a smile:

"Why not stop the boat first and wait for them to come over and ask for clarification?"

Ke Zhenwu nodded, "Well, let's wait for them to come over and ask them."

The seven monsters then slowly stopped the fishing boat, moored it on the water, and waited for the small boat to come over.

Soon, the boat approached the fishing boat, and the young man in green said loudly:

"Why aren't you leaving? Is the boat leaking?"

Hearing his question, Ke Zhenwu and others were very surprised, because this statement clearly indicated that the two young masters really followed them on purpose.

"I wonder if the two gentlemen have any advice for us?"

Ke Zhenwu clasped his fists and bowed, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Although he has a hot temper and a strange personality, he doesn't yell at everyone. He knows how to deal with people properly.

"We went to see a fight."

Huang Yaoshi's temper came and went quickly. Just now in the restaurant he was still thinking of breaking his brothers' legs, but now he was no longer angry. He spoke with a smile on his face, and with his handsome face, he looked quite likable.

"Watching a fight?" The Jiangnan Seven Freaks were startled. Zhu Cong shook his folding fan twice and asked, "Gentlemen, are you here to watch us fight with the Yuyang Gang?"

"That's right." Huang Yaoshi said with a smile, "My brother and I were just in the restaurant when we heard you guys shouting that you were going to fight with the 100-plus people from the Yuyang Gang. We got excited and followed you to take a look. After all, there are only seven of you. Your courage is truly admirable. If you lose, we can collect your bodies for you."

Well, he ended up being sarcastic as usual.

However, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan really had no reaction to his sharp tongue, because they themselves were sometimes very sharp-tongued, and words with a little bit of sting did not hurt them at all.

Besides, Huang Yaoshi looked only about sixteen or seventeen years old, and he was well-mannered, like a weak scholar. Although the Seven Freaks had some bad tempers and strange personalities, they really didn't like to bully the weak.

Otherwise, they would not have been able to make a name for themselves as chivalrous men in the market.

At that moment, Ke Zhenwu just frowned and replied:
"Sir, I appreciate your kindness. But the Yuyang Gang is just a small gang, and we, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, don't take it seriously. Sir, you should just help the Yuyang Gang collect the bodies when the time comes."

After saying that, he bowed and went back to the cabin.

Zhu Cong smiled and reminded:
"My two lords, the Yuyang Gang is a serious gang that does everything from murder to kidnapping and extortion. If you two follow us to watch our fight, you must be careful and beware of being kidnapped and used as hostages by the Yuyang Gang."

Huang Yaoshi smiled slightly and pointed at Wang Wu:
"Our bodyguard is so powerful that even hundreds of big men can't get close to him. I don't think the small Yuyang Gang can tie us up."

Hundreds of big men can’t get close to you?
Zhu Cong glanced with a strange look at Wang Wu, who was squatting in front of the small stove and fanning the fire skillfully. He saw that although this man had a fierce face and a strong frame, his body seemed a little thin. He was far from being as strong and sturdy as the fourth brother Nan Xiren, not to mention the fifth brother Zhang Asheng.

He just thought that this young man was pampered and had never seen the dangers of the world, and knew nothing about martial arts. He was just boasting nonsense here, so he smiled and shook his head:

"Although we are not afraid of the Yuyang Gang, they have more people than us. If a fight breaks out, we won't have the time to take care of others. If you two insist on following us, please take care of yourselves and take good care of yourself."

After saying this, he bowed to the two of them and went back to the cabin, fanning himself.

Han Xiaoying looked at the smiling and good-looking Huang Yaoshi, and then looked at Ouyang Feng, who had been sitting at the bow drinking tea without saying anything. He looked a little cold and hard. Suddenly, he drew out his short sword, and played a few sword moves at the two of them in the air. Then he asked with a smile:
"Can you see clearly?"

Huang Yaoshi felt amused, but said seriously:

"Of course I can see that. You stabbed twice, cut three times, and stirred it. Your swordplay is quite beautiful."

"You are just bragging. You clearly didn't understand my moves. Since you don't know martial arts, you'd better go back early, or you'll really be kidnapped by the Yuyang Gang! Then we seven brothers and sisters may not have the time to rescue you."

Han Xiaoying said this crisply, sheathed her sword, made a face at the two of them, and skipped back to the cabin.

Huang Yaoshi chuckled and waved his folding fan, "The little girl is quite kind-hearted."

Ouyang Feng asked: "Pharmacist likes children?"

Huang Yaoshi shook his head: "My father once said that children are the cutest before the age of two, and the older they get, the more annoying they become. This little girl is past the age of being cute and lovable."

Ouyang Feng asked: "Is there a possibility... that your father's words were only directed at you?"

"..."

Huang Yaoshi shook his fan vigorously and changed the subject very abruptly:
"The girl is using the Yue Girl Sword, which was passed down from the Yue Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. Unfortunately, she only got the form, not the spirit."

Ouyang Feng asked: "Pharmacist also knows the 'Sword of the Yue Girl'?"

“I know a little bit.” Huang Yaoshi said, “Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Yue Kingdom, the swordsmanship of the Yue Maiden was gifted by nature. She herself did not know how to teach, so the swordsmen of the Yue Kingdom could only learn from her moves. However, they only learned a few similarities, which can only be regarded as the ‘shadow’ of the Yue Maiden’s sword. The swordsmanship that has been passed down is also in form but not in spirit.

"However, the inheritors of later generations have derived many new changes based on their own understanding, which are very different from the ancient Yue Girl Sword. From the few moves that little girl made, it is hard to tell which lineage of Yue Girl Sword she is from, but judging from her posture and technique, her swordsmanship foundation is pretty solid. If she practices for another ten years, she might be able to achieve some success."

Ouyang Feng said: "Since you know the Yue Girl Sword, and the little girl has a good foundation in swordsmanship at such a young age, why don't you teach her a few tricks?"

Huang Yaoshi rolled his eyes:
"Am I the kind of person who casually accepts disciples? If she doesn't have extraordinary talent and understanding, I won't even bother to take a second look at her." "Do you think that little girl has talent and understanding?"

"How can I tell that?"

"That's it. Talent and understanding are hard to tell with the naked eye. One has to feel the bones to know the root, and understanding can only be known after being taught. So, maybe she is a good seedling?"

"Then why don't you teach her a few tricks?"

"I am used to using a knife, so my swordsmanship is not as good as yours. Besides, I only accept male disciples. The female disciples will be taught by Sister Lin."

"Your mom-and-pop shop is really convenient!"

"Envy?"

"I'm not envious! Women are restrictive, buddy, don't you understand? With a woman, you can't expect to be free and easy!"

"I will tell my sister-in-law about this in the future."

"It's up to you. I'm not afraid." Huang Yaoshi snorted and said, "By the way, Brother Ouyang, you seem to have a different view of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan?"

"Although I am not a chivalrous person, I still admire the true chivalrous people."

"Do you think they are truly chivalrous men?"

"There are only seven of them. They have no conflicts of interest or personal grudges with the Yuyang Gang. They just heard about the evil deeds of the Yuyang Gang and immediately rushed to challenge them. They are not afraid of the other party's large numbers and do not care about personal gains and losses. Isn't this behavior a chivalrous act?"

"But I think they are just young and impulsive, and they don't know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is. Bringing a little girl to fight with more than a hundred people, hey, it's really amazing that those brothers could do it."

"When you broke into the Jin Camp with your sword alone, wasn't it because you were young and impulsive?"

"What martial arts do I have? What martial arts do they have? How much preparation did I make before I broke into the Jin camp? There are hundreds of reinforcements outside the Jin camp who are ready to fight to the death for a chance to survive. How can they be the same as those seven guys who drank three bowls of wine, threw the bowls down, and rushed forward with their heads raised?"

"That's true. However, a promise is made after three cups of wine, and the five mountains are nothing. Isn't that the way of a knight? If the government can use upright knights like them to patrol the market and investigate lawlessness, those underworld gangs, local tyrants, and even corrupt officials who bully people and bully men and women will at least be more restrained, even if not everyone is in danger..."

"Although there are some people in Jianghu who have learned literary and martial arts and traded with the emperor, most of them are free and easy people in the mountains who are used to being free and don't want to have anything to do with the government. In my opinion, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan don't seem to be willing to be the pawns of the government."

"That's because the Song State only values ​​scholars and despises warriors. If the government treated warriors better, instead of treating them as guards to protect the security and intimidate the people, they could be inspectors and night watchmen who specifically target corrupt officials, lawless gentry, and evil people in the underworld, and not restrict them with the rules of the officialdom, they might not be unwilling to work for the government."

"What is the 'night watchman' that Brother Ouyang is talking about? It shouldn't be the night watchman, right?"

"Well, I imagined a government office to manage the people of Jianghu."

"Brother Ouyang, although you are a duke, you can only manage Gaochang in the Western Regions, not the Song Dynasty! Besides, how could the Song Dynasty allow warriors to monitor civil officials? So... Brother Ouyang, are you thinking too much?"

"Yes, a little..."

While the two were chatting, the Seven Devils' fishing boat had started again. Huang Yaoshi also went to the stern of the boat and continued to row. After rowing a few times, he called out to Wang Wu impatiently:
"Is the tea ready? If it's ready, come and learn how to row a boat! How can the uncle row the boat while the nephew sits idle?"

Wang Wu quickly poured tea for his master, then ran to the stern of the boat and started learning how to row with Huang Yaoshi.

Ouyang Feng sat at the bow of the boat like an old man, enjoying the cool lake breeze, admiring the last season of lotus flowers, and occasionally hearing the graceful singing of the lotus-picking girls. He felt very comfortable for a while.

……

The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan had made an appointment for a fight with the Yuyang Gang, and yesterday they asked someone to formally issue a declaration of war - this of course also made it easier to catch the Yuyang Gang in one fell swoop.

So, when they arrived at the agreed battle location, more than a hundred people from the Yuyang Gang were already there. They had also hired several ruthless underworld boxers who only cared about money and not people. It can be seen that the Yuyang Gang took this agreed battle very seriously.

After all, the letter of challenge written by the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan was too impolite, with words like "the main culprit must be punished, and those with notorious evil deeds must be punished", and they also threatened to distribute all the money extorted by the Yuyang Gang to the victims or their families.

This aggressive posture of catching the Yuyang Gang in one fell swoop made the entire Yuyang Gang angry and secretly frightened. They tried to find out the news about the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan" overnight, but found out nothing. It seemed that the so-called "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan" were just unknown people.

However, although they failed to find out the specific information about the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, the Yuyang Gang did not take it lightly.

The other party dared to challenge him to a fight openly, so no matter how you think about it, it is impossible that he is really a fool who is nothing, right?
So the Yuyang Gang was well prepared.

Not only did he gather all the gang members who could fight and kill, he also hired a few underworld boxers, and spent a large sum of money to get two Xiangjun war bows, which he gave to the two brothers with the best archery skills in the gang. They hid in the woods by the river and were ready to shoot arrows at any time.

However, when the fishing boat of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan docked and seven people, six big and one small, came down from it, the members of the Yuyang Gang, who were on high alert, were suddenly dumbfounded.

Are these seven the “Seven Freaks of Jiangnan” who are going to challenge them?
The oldest one looked to be only in his twenties. Although the others were some burly men, they all looked like teenagers. What was even more outrageous was that there was even a little girl who looked to be only seven or eight years old...

The members of the Yuyang Gang did not dare to believe that these seven people were the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, and they were still looking into the river. However, on the small boat following behind them, there were only two young masters and a man dressed as a martial artist and guarding the courtyard. No matter how many people they counted, they could not make up seven heads.

Just when they were wondering, Ke Zhen'e and his group strode up to the Yuyang Gang's formation and stopped twenty steps away from the Yuyang Gang.

Afterwards, Ke Zhenwu slammed his whistle stick to the ground, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice:
"Are all the members of the Yuyang Gang here?"

"..."

After hearing this question, the members of the Yuyang Gang looked at each other in confusion for a while.

Then a man with half-open shirt, hairy chest, and a face full of flesh, holding a big knife, separated the crowd and shouted:
"I am the leader of the Yuyang Gang, 'Little Black Wind' Li Da. Are you seven the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan who challenged us to a duel?"

"Yes, we are the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan."

Ke Zhenwu said in a deep voice:

"My name is Ke Zhenwu. They are my sworn brothers and sisters Zhu Cong, Han Baoju, Nan Xiren, Zhang Asheng, Quan Jinfa, and Han Xiaoying. We heard that your Yuyang Gang started out as a fishing gang that bullied the market, and gradually degenerated into a gang that killed, robbed, kidnapped, and raped women. Today, I have come to give you retribution!"

Zhu Cong waved his fan and smiled:

"Rumors may be wrong. We have not witnessed your evil deeds, so you can defend yourself. If we have misunderstood the rumors and misunderstood you, we can avoid fighting. But if the rumors are true, after today's battle, your Yuyang Gang will no longer exist."

(End of this chapter)