bookbashuk Chapter 13 The Real Jianghu
Chapter 13 The Real Jianghu
Those who had secretly criticized Qiao Feng out of jealousy were especially struck dumb, their minds going completely blank.
them……
Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?
As the sworn brother of Xu Zhu, the chosen one, Qiao Feng's life was so full of hardship and tragedy.
"This...is this really Qiao Feng?"
"This is terrible... I've never heard of anything like it!"
"He is probably the most heartbreaking hero since the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking was first established."
"That's right, no one can surpass him!"
"If he were just an ordinary person, perhaps I wouldn't be so heartbroken, but he's Xu Zhu's sworn brother..."
"His biological parents died early, his adoptive parents and mentor were murdered one after another, and after years of investigation, the enemy he personally killed turned out to be his lover's father?"
"And that woman is the one he has fallen deeply in love with, yet now, because of national and personal vendettas, he is forced to turn his sword against his own brother?"
"If Xu Zhu is the protagonist destined for glory in the story, then Qiao Feng... is the tragic hero crushed by fate."
"I thought Yang Guo's plight was already heartbreaking, but now it seems he was much luckier than Qiao Feng!"
Within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, the Divine Eagle spread its wings and soared through the sky.
Yang Guo sat upright on the eagle's back, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, and sighed softly:
"Indeed... the suffering in the world is like a wildfire in the wilderness, which will never cease to spread."
"I once thought my life had been extremely turbulent, but compared to Qiao Feng... at least the years I spent with Long'er were real and warm."
"She was only separated from me for sixteen years; she didn't leave me forever..."
Yong'an is in front of the gate.
Xu Nian slammed his hand on the table, his face filled with shock:
"My goodness! Qiao Feng's willpower is simply astonishing!"
"He lost all his relatives, his adoptive parents and master all passed away, and in the end, he even caused the death of his beloved."
"His lover happens to be the daughter of his father's killer, and now, because of the confrontation between the two countries, he must stand on the opposite side of his sworn brother..."
"If it were me, I probably would have broken down and gone insane by now..."
Lu Xiucai crossed his arms and sneered:
"Ha, you?"
"Save your breath. With your level of cultivation, you'll never even face this kind of choice in your lifetime!"
"Even if you really go crazy, you'll just get killed with a single sword strike. No one will give you a chance to act."
"Ouch—it hurts!"
Before he could finish speaking, Lü Xiucai gasped sharply as his ear was twisted tightly.
Guo Furong stood behind him, her eyebrows furrowed, and said angrily:
"snort!"
"Qiao Feng has already suffered so much, and you're still here making sarcastic remarks?"
Lu Xiucai hurriedly waved his hands and begged for mercy:
"I'm innocent! Furong, how dare I speak ill of Senior Qiao Feng? I was clearly talking about Prince Xu Nian!"
Ling Tian sat upright in his chair, watching the playful scene unfold before him with a smile.
Having spent too long in the high-pressure cage of the 996 work schedule in his previous life, he cherishes this relaxed and warm daily life all the more.
That being said—
Qiao Feng and Xu Zhu were truly two extremes of fate.
One seems to be blessed by heaven, with everything going smoothly; the other seems to be burdened by the shackles of fate, with every step filled with blood and tears.
In the imperial court of the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Gou's expression was complicated, and he remained silent for a long time.
He had no goodwill toward small states like the Liao and Jin dynasties that frequently violated his borders, and naturally he also harbored prejudices against the Khitans.
Although Qiao Feng was of Khitan blood, he grew up in the Song Dynasty and his heart was always with the Central Plains. He always considered the Han land as his homeland.
What's even more moving is his life story—
She tirelessly worked for Song, but was repeatedly misunderstood because of her identity; she was wholeheartedly devoted to doing good, but stepped into the abyss of tragedy step by step.
At this moment, the barrier between Zhao Gou and the "Khitans" quietly crumbled.
He composed himself, his voice steady and solemn:
"Gentlemen, although Qiao Feng is of Khitan origin, his heart is with the Song Dynasty, and he has no other ambitions!"
"This man is not only Xu Zhu's sworn brother, but also wholeheartedly protects the Song Dynasty. At this moment, he is stationed outside Yanmen Pass to resist the Liao army."
"Such a loyal and courageous hero, if I do not reward him, would it not discourage all those who serve the country?"
"Immediately issue an imperial edict to bestow upon Qiao Feng the title of Hero of the Great Song Dynasty, granting him the same honor as Xu Zhu and Yang Guo!"
……
[Qiao Feng has been ranked twenty-third on the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking and is bestowed with a Life-Giving Pill—as long as his breath is not completely exhausted, he can instantly recover!]
"!!!"
"A life-saving pill? It can bring the dead back to life as long as there's even a sliver of breath left?"
"This...it's practically a miraculous medicine! A true miraculous medicine!"
"To obtain this elixir is tantamount to gaining an extra life!"
"Such a rare treasure will surely attract the covetous eyes of countless powerful figures throughout the world!"
"Covet it? Open your eyes and see who won this award! A peerless master ranked twenty-third on the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking, with his sworn brother Xu Zhu backing him up. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on him, don't blame anyone for leaving their corpse unburied!"
Within the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
Not far from the Forbidden City.
An elite army quietly assembled and drew closer step by step.
Zhu Wushi, the leader, narrowed his eyes slightly, about to order a direct attack on the imperial city, when suddenly, the sky split open, and golden light revealed characters.
"Clang..."
The moment Zhu Wushi saw the reward Qiao Feng received, the military tally in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground, his body trembling violently!
"Vitality Pill!"
"If I had this elixir, Su Xin could be reborn!"
"How unjust is Heaven! Why wasn't this divine medicine given to me?!"
at the same time.
Outside Yanmen Pass in the Song Dynasty.
Qiao Feng stared at the pill in his palm, which was shimmering with spiritual light, his eyes momentarily dazed.
If there is still a trace of life left, can one be completely cured?
Why...
Why wasn't the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking displayed sooner?
Why didn't this life-saving pill arrive when A'Zhu still had a breath left?
If such an elixir had existed back then, how could A'Zhu have perished so tragically?
His expression shifted unpredictably, and Duan Yu and Xu Zhu, seeing this, quickly stepped forward to inquire with concern:
"Big brother."
"Brother, are you alright?"
Qiao Feng suddenly snapped out of his daze, put the pill into his pocket, smiled nonchalantly, and forced a heroic air:
"Hahaha! Second brother, third brother, don't worry!"
"The past is gone with the wind; I have already let go of everything!"
"That's good."
Duan Yu nodded, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes, and said softly:
"My eldest brother and third brother both made the list, leaving me here below, looking up at you all..."
"Second brother, there's no need to worry about it."
Qiao Feng patted him on the shoulder and comforted him:
"Your strength is also extraordinary. If you can devote yourself to comprehending the Six Meridians Divine Sword and other supreme techniques, it will not be difficult for you to enter the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking in the future."
Duan Yu smiled calmly and waved his hand, saying:
"Brother is just joking. I don't have much of an obsession with martial arts competition."
"Da da da..."
The three were talking.
In the distance, the sound of galloping hooves echoed, raising clouds of dust.
A troop of Liao cavalry, surrounding the Liao emperor, slowly rode towards them.
"Hahaha!"
The Liao emperor rode up on horseback, looking at the three with a broad smile:
"Congratulations, my sworn brother, on making it onto the Heavenly Ranking, your name resounds throughout the land!"
"This must be young brother Xu Zhu! He truly possesses remarkable talent!"
He then turned his gaze to Duan Yu and said with a smile:
"This must be Duan Yu, the young master of Dali? Meeting him today, he is indeed as gentle and refined as jade, a dragon among men."
Qiao Feng's expression hardened slightly, and he called out in a low voice:
"Big brother."
Immediately getting straight to the point:
"During the war between Liao and Song, the people suffered terribly and their misery was beyond words."
"I implore you, elder brother, to withdraw your troops and end the war in the world."
The Liao emperor smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said loudly:
"Haha, my sworn brother is absolutely right!"
"Now that the Song Dynasty is producing so many outstanding talents, our Liao Dynasty is truly no match for them."
"I lost this round!"
He was motivated to fight because of the chaos in the Song Dynasty and the Mongol invasion.
But right now, not only have the Mongols been repelled by the mysteriously appearing Condor Hero,
Even Qiao Feng has made it onto the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking, and Xu Zhu is there to help him—
Both of them were protected by golden light, and I was powerless to resist their combined power.
Since that's the case, there's no point in continuing the fight.
"In that case, thank you for your understanding, elder brother!" Qiao Feng's expression brightened, and he said loudly.
"We're brothers, no need for formalities!"
The Liao emperor waved his hand, put one hand on Qiao Feng's shoulder, and laughed:
"To my shame, there was a slight misunderstanding between us before. Now that we've reunited, how can we not drink a few jars of wine to express our feelings?"
"Haha, brother is absolutely right! We must drink to our hearts' content today!"
Qiao Feng waved his sleeve with a heroic air and then introduced the Liao Emperor to Xu Zhu and Duan Yu.
And this massive campaign quietly came to an end amidst the laughter of a banquet!
After Qiao Feng appeared.
The Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking was shaken once again, with golden light like a waterfall cascading across the sky and illuminating heaven and earth.
All the people of the entire Nine Provinces stopped and looked up, holding their breath and watching every movement of the mysterious list.
One after another, reclusive masters of extraordinary talent, never before heard of, appeared before the world.
A series of grudges, love stories, and legendary tales spread throughout the martial arts world along with their names, deeply moving countless ordinary martial artists and common people.
"Who is this eighteenth one? I've never heard of him before..."
"Mid-stage Grandmaster! There are already seven or eight mid-stage Grandmasters on the list!"
"Indeed, back when the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking had not yet appeared, there were only a handful of grandmasters known throughout the land!"
"The most glorious dynasties today are probably the Ming and Song dynasties, aren't they?"
"Qiao Feng, Xu Zhu, and Yang Guo, though they never served in the imperial court, held deep affection for the Song Dynasty. This is the combined strength of three grandmasters!"
"Who in the world can compare?"
"Three? The Ming Dynasty had four!"
"Hahaha, but of those grandmasters of the Ming Dynasty, only one is truly loyal. The others are probably plotting how to rival the Ming Emperor!"
"It's quite pitiful, really. Emperor Ming had hoped they would be his saviors, but they ended up being the last straw that broke the camel's back. Who could bear such a fate?"
"Brilliant! This is what a true martial arts world looks like!"
"Compared to the remarkable lives of these predecessors, we are truly too shallow."
"If one day I could also be listed on this Heavenly Ranking of the Nine Provinces, I would die without regret..."
In the Qin Dynasty, within the city of Xianyang, towering pavilions and towers stood in abundance.
The black flag fluttered in the wind like surging ink clouds.
Ying Zheng stood with his hands behind his back on the highest pavilion, overlooking half of Xianyang, his gaze distant and his tone slightly somber:
"Eighteenth now..."
"The Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking has a total of thirty seats, and thirteen people have already appeared."
"Although the rewards bestowed were all extraordinary, no true immortal treasures were found, nor was there any secret to achieving immortality."
"In fact, the strongest among all those on the list is only at the mid-stage of the Grandmaster level."
"Could it be... that this is where the pinnacle of this world truly ends?"
"Or perhaps, the true pinnacle is still that of my own betrayed Sword Saint?"
That concludes the discussion.
His deep, unfathomable gaze slowly fell upon a magnificent mansion in Xianyang City.
"An immortal..."
"I wonder if Xu Fu's voyage this time will bring back a glimmer of hope."
……
Deep within the Imperial Garden of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin and Yuan Tiangang strolled slowly along the flower-lined path, surrounded by heavily guarded soldiers, with even more unscrupulous individuals lurking in the shadows to protect them.
Stepping onto the path, Li Shimin suddenly spoke:
"Imperial Preceptor, you have reached the eighteenth position on the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking."
"Hmm." Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly, his eyes flashing slightly, and said:
"Since Yang Guo appeared in the world as a half-step Grandmaster, a series of mid-stage Grandmasters have emerged in the blink of an eye..."