Chapter 320: Life and Death Talisman and Xiaoyao Pill

A half-moon shines on the ordinary streets.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of the past, Hongxiu Street is as quiet as water tonight, and the scent of powder is temporarily covered by the smell of blood.

Last night, a major case happened in the Qun Yu Lou in front. The news has already spread throughout the streets and alleys. This did not have much impact on ordinary people. On the contrary, because the brothels were closed for rectification, the business of several small food stalls at the east end of Hongxiu Street increased by more than 40% to 50%.

In the rivers and lakes, the water is deep, the waves are fast, and the whirlpools are dangerous.

But as long as you stand on the shore and don't go into the water, there will be no problem.

"The emperor knew that the oriental girl's singing voice was more moving than the music of heaven, so he sent three thousand Jinyiwei to Hengshan City in the south to capture her and bring her back to sing for the civil and military officials in the Taiji Hall..."

"That's not right. The emperor is far away in the capital. How would he know that there is an oriental girl with a beautiful singing voice in Hunan?"

"Ignorance! He is a man of great intelligence and vision. He knows everything about the world without leaving his house."

"I see. Please continue!"

Two old lanterns were supported on a bamboo pole and a short and fat old man had a white towel draped over his shoulders. He put ten wontons into the milky white bone soup, boiled them for a while, and then used a bamboo hook to quickly scoop them into a large coarse porcelain bowl, put two slices of green vegetables on it, and poured a ladle of boiling soup on it.

"Okay, enjoy your meal, sir."

The man in black robe had been standing in front of the stall for a while. He smiled and asked, "Boss, business is good. How many bowls did you sell tonight?"

"There are about thirty bowls, and the ingredients are almost used up. It's a good thing that the young man came in time."

"Okay, add more chili..."

The man in the black robe was obviously a northerner, carrying a black bag on his back, as if he was on a long journey. He deliberately spoke with a Hengshan accent, which made people laugh. He held a large bowl and found an empty table to sit down.

"…The leader is none other than the current uncle of the emperor, Marquis Zhongwu, General Jianwei, the imperially appointed supervisor of the Nanzhao Prison Department, and the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Wan Chonglou!"

There were already two tables of guests sitting in front of the snack stand. A middle-aged scholar in a silk robe was talking about the big events that happened in the Qun Yu Tower last night. The diners around were listening with great interest and didn't even notice that the wontons in their bowls were clumping.

The man in black robe drank a mouthful of hot soup, raised his head and asked, "So many people have come, who is the leader?"

The middle-aged scholar was immediately choked with anger: "You...you are really uneducated. Where are there so many people? I...I am too lazy to explain to you."

Yuan Laoguan laughed and said, "Mr. Qian, he is deliberately making a joke. Just continue talking and ignore him."

The middle-aged scholar was about to speak when suddenly there was a sound of dense footsteps at the entrance of the alley, and about twenty yamen runners hurried past.

The man in black robe shouted, "Mr. Qian, please tell me! Who is this bastard who likes Oriental girls who can sing?"

The middle-aged scholar glared at the man in black robes and ate his wontons. When the yamen runners passed by, he slammed his chopsticks on the table and said angrily, "You have bad intentions, you want to kill me, don't you?"

The man in black robe laughed.

The middle-aged scholar rolled up his sleeves, picked up the porcelain bowl, and was about to come up to fight. Fortunately, Yuan Laoguan, who was selling wontons, persuaded the scholar to stop, otherwise, with the savage temper of Hunan men, there would have been blood all over the floor.

"Mr. Qian, you are a scholar with great knowledge. Don't argue with him."

"Humph! For your sake, Mr. Yuan, but how much does this bowl of wonton cost..."

Mr. Yuan smiled and said, "No thanks, no thanks, Mr. Qian, please continue. It will bring me more popularity, which is much better than a bowl of wontons."

Mr. Qian looked at him strangely: "Still talking about girls? Old Yuan, do you want to kill me too?"

Yuan Laoguan said hurriedly: "Which girl he likes, whether it's a dancer or a singer, from the East or the West, it's all his business, and has nothing to do with us ordinary people. Mr. Qian, just tell me, what are these yamen runners doing? In one afternoon, three or four groups of them came over one after another. It really makes people panic. Could it be that some bandits have come to Hengshan City?"

Mr. Qian chuckled, "You don't know this, do you? Just this afternoon, another incident happened. A nobleman disappeared. I heard that it was related to the underworld people. We can't afford to offend both sides. The master is very anxious..."

The man in the black robe left at some point. When Mr. Yuan was cleaning up the dishes, he found the money for the two bowls of wontons and thought to himself, "He's really a particular person."

………………

At the west end of Hongxiu Street, there is a courtyard. The door lock is covered with thick dust, and it is obvious that no one has lived in it for many years. The courtyard is overgrown with weeds. Two figures are standing by the well, four or five steps apart, looking towards the gate from time to time, as if waiting for someone. From time to time, the footsteps of yamen runners can be heard running outside the door.

"Master Tian, when can Mr. Zhang come?"

"He won't refuse to give me the antidote, will he?"

"I...I would rather die than suffer any more."

Tian Boguang held the iron knife and looked at the anxious Pi Renqiu with an impatient look on his face: "You ask me, who should I ask? If you want to die, just jump into the well yourself, don't bother me here."

"You brought me here? How could you not know whether Mr. Zhang would come? Mr. Tian, please don't play with me!"

After Pi Renqiu was hit by the Life and Death Talisman, he had an attack on the spot, which was then suppressed by Bei Ming's true Qi. Today, there are red spots under his ribs, and he feels hot and cold at times. There are already signs of another attack, which is why he is so anxious.

Tian Boguang glanced at the short and fat man and sneered, "I am just following orders, and I only play with girls. I am not interested in you."

Pi Renqiu had a sad face and was extremely anxious. As long as he could get the antidote to the Life and Death Talisman, he would be willing to be toyed with a few times. The Qingcheng Sect was far away in the mountains, and he had also heard about the mutual comfort between fellow disciples when they could not go out.

"Master Tian, that kind of pain, where you can neither live nor die, you won't understand it if you haven't experienced it. If I don't wait for Mr. Zhang today, I will die..."

"Shut up! I'm also waiting for the antidote. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will kill you first."

Pi Renqiu had heard of the name of Tian Boguang, a rapist with great martial arts skills. He didn't dare to say anything and could only sigh.

"suddenly!"

There was a slight noise outside the courtyard wall. Tian Boguang looked up and saw a figure in a black robe spreading his arms, climbing over the wall, and landing in front of the two of them as if falling from the sky. It was almost silent. It was not until he opened his mouth to speak that Pi Renqiu realized that there was an extra person there.

"They're all here."

"I've met Mr. Zhang."

Tian Boguang bowed and saluted, his expression much calmer.

"Ah~Daddy Zhang, Grandpa Zhang, spare me, spare me, please give me the antidote quickly."

Pi Renqiu was not a tough guy. When he saw Zhang Yu show up, his legs went weak and he knelt down, kowtowed on the ground.

He didn’t know if it was a psychological effect, but the more excited he was, the faster the life and death talisman seemed to take effect.

Zhang Yu couldn't help but chuckle when he saw this ugly scene. If it wasn't for the chance encounter, a guy like Pi Renqiu wouldn't be worth wasting his life and death talisman on. At least the guy would have to be Hou Renying, the leader of the Four Beauties of Qingcheng, to be barely qualified.

"Stop howling, the antidote is here!" Tian Boguang and Pi Renqiu looked over quickly, and saw two scarlet pills lying on Zhang Yu's palm. They were the size of soybeans, with a rough outer skin, not very round, and without any smell. They looked very ordinary.

"Is this the antidote?"

Zhang Yu closed his palms and said with a smile: "It's called Xiaoyao Pills, the only antidote in the world that can remove the life and death talisman. Unfortunately, this one pill can only work for one year."

Tian Boguang suddenly felt a desire in his heart. Originally, he only had this impulse towards beautiful girls, but since he planted the life and death talisman, his impulse towards girls seemed to have diminished a little.

"Grandpa Zhang, can you please give me the antidote?"

Pi Renqiu knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, begging bitterly.

Zhang Yu walked to the edge of the well, looked at the half moon in the sky, and slowly sat down: "I plan to set up a gang, and from now on, I will recruit martial arts masters. The name is... Xiaoyaotang, and they will only obey me."

Pi Renqiu quickly expressed his opinion: "I am willing to join, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Zhang Yu looked at Tian Boguang, a strong man among the second-rate masters.

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Although I, Tian Boguang, am a lecherous villain despised by everyone in the martial arts world, I never break my promise easily. During the Hengshan competition, I lost, so I will keep my promise and serve you."

Tian Boguang spoke sincerely, but his eyes were fixed on Zhang Yu's hand holding the Xiaoyao Pill.

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "Great, with the two of you joining us, Xiaoyaotang is finally open. Don't worry, you will have more and more brothers and sisters in the future."

Tian Boguang was quick-witted and understood the hidden meaning behind the words of the man in black robe. Looking at the smile on the man's lips, he felt a chill in his heart.

Once you are hit by a mysterious hidden weapon like the Life and Death Talisman, no matter how skilled you are in martial arts, you will become a pitiful creature. In order to obtain the Xiaoyao Pill, you can only work for Xiaoyao Hall. Over time, this person's power will spread all over the world...

He thought to himself, "In the martial arts world, besides Dongfang Bubai and Zuo Lengchan, when did this kind of hero appear? Given time, I'm afraid he will not be inferior to those two. Born in such a martial arts world, it seems that my dream of being a rapist in peace and security will not be realized. What a pity, the world is so big, and the martial arts world is so vast, but there is not enough space for a stable... bed!"

Seeing that they knew how powerful he was, Zhang Yu threw two Xiaoyao Pills over to them.

"Antidote, antidote, finally there is an antidote..."

Pi Renqiu had planted the Life and Death Talisman for a longer time, and the Beiming True Qi in his body that suppressed the medicinal effect had loosened and was on the verge of an attack. He hurriedly stuffed the Xiaoyao Pill into his mouth and swallowed it. After a moment, the unbearable pain receded like a tide.

"Xiaoyao Pills, they really are...effective!"

The Pi man survived the fall and knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, like a drowning man who had been freed. Perhaps only at this moment did he understand how accurate the name Xiaoyao Pills was.

When Tian Boguang saw Pi Renqiu's appearance and remembered what happened to him that day, he couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. He didn't want to happen again, so he carefully picked up the red pill and swallowed it.

"Thank you, Hall Master, for giving me the antidote!"

Since ancient times, the only way to survive is to die. The two of them are greedy for money and lustful, and they don't look like they have the courage to never give in.

As long as they didn't dare to commit suicide on the spot, they could only obey orders.

The seniors of the Xiaoyao sect who delved deeply into the talismans of birth and death must have a deep understanding of human nature.

Once the life and death talisman is planted, one will not die immediately. Even when it attacks, the pain will not be extreme the first time. Instead, one will experience eighty-one days of agony, and then the symptoms will gradually subside. After another eighty-one days, the pain will start again.

This cycle repeats itself endlessly, and even the strongest steel will become as soft as a thread.

Zhang Yu looked at the two of them and smiled gently: "If you work hard, you will be given an antidote every year. It won't hurt at all. In fact, as long as you don't have any second thoughts, this life and death talisman will not only be harmless, but beneficial!"

Pi Renqiu nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "What the hall master said is absolutely right! Ever since I planted the life and death talisman, I feel much better and all my illnesses have disappeared. It turned out that I was not used to the local climate and had a cold, cough, diarrhea, etc., but in the past two days, I have recovered completely. If the hall master hadn't said it, I would not have thought that this life and death talisman is really a good thing. I can't wait to plant it earlier."

Zhang Yu sat by the well, nodded gently, and thought to himself: "This life and death talisman is not wasted. Pi Renqiu's martial arts are ordinary, but he has other talents. He is qualified to be a court writer and write odes. Every gang is full of such people. They are lackeys in the eyes of their comrades and punching bags in the eyes of the gang leader."

When Pi Renqiu saw Zhang Yu nod, he felt encouraged. He knelt on the ground and looked up at Tian Boguang.

"You didn't say a word. Didn't you get any benefit from planting the life and death talisman?"

"benefit?"

Tian Boguang glanced at Ren Qiu, clenched his teeth, and gripped the knife handle tightly, wishing he could chop off this disgusting head.

Zhang Yu chuckled and said, "Everyone has their own destiny. It's not certain. Everyone can benefit from it."

Tian Boguang retracted his gaze and forced a smile on his thin face: "Master, I have also gained benefits. It's not just runny nose, cough, diarrhea, or loose stools, but truly huge benefits!"

Zhang Yu became interested and asked, "Tian Boguang, tell me what great benefit you got?"

"Ever since I planted the life and death talisman, I haven't thought about women much!"

These words shocked everyone, even though there were only two people present.

Pi Renqiu hadn't realized that this life and death talisman had such a 'benefit', so he asked, "Is this... also considered a benefit?"

Tian Boguang glared at him and said with a smile: "Of course!"

He continued, "Master, you know that I was a pervert in the martial arts world. Actually, it's not all my fault. It's mainly because I was impulsive when I saw a pretty girl. Now that I've planted the life and death talisman, I'm not impulsive at all. It seems that God wants me to change my ways. Isn't this a great blessing?"

Pi Renqiu thought to himself, "This damn rapist is even more ridiculous than me!"

Zhang Yu nodded slightly: "Yes, you have all benefited from it. Being able to taste the sweetness from the Coptis chinensis is what a real man should be like."

The two of them bowed and said, "It's all thanks to the Hall Master's advice."

"No need to be polite. I have two things to do for you."

"Please give your orders, Hall Master."

Zhang Yu looked at Pi Renqiu and asked, "Are Lin Zhennan and his wife imprisoned in Baitang Town?"

"What the hall master said is correct. The hall master released the couple in Hengyang that day. After the old thief Yu Canghai got the news, he kidnapped them again by the Xiangjiang River. In order to conceal their whereabouts, they were secretly imprisoned in a place in Baitang Town, and guarded by Deng Tiegong and his subordinates and disciples. I was just about to report this matter to you, hall master, you are..."

"Humph, there's no need to waste time talking nonsense. I have my own information channel. Pi Renqiu, you must return to Baitang Town immediately and rescue Lin Zhennan and his wife after midnight."

Pi Renqiu was shocked and asked, "Master, is this just one of your subordinates?"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Don't worry, there is already a group of people waiting there, just lead the way."

(End of this chapter)

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