Martial Arts: Starting from a Seemingly Real System

Twenty miles north of Daye City there is a Aokou Ferry, a relatively large ferry along the Yangtze River. There are many merchant ships and ferries here, and it is very bustling with people coming and going and goods being shipped in and out.

Qiao Rui chose a large luxurious passenger ship that could carry horses. He didn't lack the money anyway. After paying the silver and getting on board, he asked the boatman to take good care of the Lilong horse and went straight back to his room.

Qiao Rui's lounge was a single cabin. Although it was not big, it was quiet. Life on the ship was actually quite boring. Except for strolling on the deck during meals, he spent most of his time in the room taking pills, meditating and practicing martial arts. The Shengyang Pills he had bought from the Grand Commander of the Qingtian Guards had been used up long ago. Later, he went to the shopkeeper Chen to buy a few bottles. This pill was very effective in practicing positive internal skills such as the Emei Nine Yang Kung or the Shaolin Heart Method. He practiced diligently every day, and his skills became more and more profound.

In the evening of that day, after finishing his training, Qiao Rui went up on the deck to get some fresh air. He walked to the side of the ship and stopped to watch. He saw the waves of the Yangtze River rushing eastward, and the willow trees on both sides of the bank were shady. In the distance, the sun was setting in the sky, dyeing the sky colorful with red clouds. A breeze blew slowly, blowing his clothes fluttering. It was really: the sunset was as beautiful as a painting, the breeze was intoxicated with the sunset glow, the water and the sky were the same color, and he was leisurely making tea.

At this time, a strong and fresh aroma wafted over, which was very tempting. Qiao Rui followed the scent and saw a small food table at the stern. On the table was a large bowl, which was emitting steam. When the breeze blew, the aroma spread everywhere. There were also several side dishes around the bowl. Two people were sitting on either side. They were Wu Tianquan's Feng Feiyan and Yuheng Xiao's Lin Wenyuan.

Qiao Rui came over suddenly, disturbing the peace. Just as he was about to turn around, he was seen by Lin Wenyuan. He waved at Qiao Rui and shouted, "Brother, come over and have a chat!"

Being discovered, Qiao Rui couldn't leave, so he came over, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "I am Qiao Rui from Longxing Prefecture, nice to meet the two heroes of Wudang!"

"You're welcome!" Lin Wenyuan asked Qiao Rui to sit down, and took new bowls and chopsticks from the boatman. He said with a smile, "I heard that the boatman caught a big fish this afternoon, weighing more than ten kilograms, which is really rare. I was greedy, so I asked the boatman to buy some to go with the wine. The pot has just been opened, but I disturbed Brother Qiao's elegant view of the scenery!"

This... Didn't I disturb you? What this gentleman said was really comforting. This is what a disciple of a famous sect should be like. Compared with this, the difference between the disciples of the Beggars' Sect and this is like heaven and earth.

Qiao Rui quickly said, "I am the one who is nagging you two!"

"What are you talking about? You two are just wasting time!" Feng Feiyan picked up the wine bowl with a hint of impatience, "Come on, drink!"

Qiao Rui admired Lin Wenyuan's calmness when he taught the Eight Heroes of Hejian a lesson in the restaurant, and was also impressed by Feng Feiyan's arrogance when she scolded Liu Dabiao at the city gate. Now that they were close to each other, he found that these two people were really straightforward. He smiled heartily, raised the wine bowl and clinked it with them, drank a full bowl, and sipped his lips slightly. The wine was a little bland and a little bitter in the mouth.

Feng Feiyan was happy to see Qiao Rui calm and not on guard against her fellow apprentices. She also saw his expression after drinking and knew that he was also a person who knew and appreciated wine. She said with some regret, "This wine lacks some strength, doesn't it? It's a pity that I drank up the last bit of my master's "Liehuoshao". From now on, I can only make do with these inferior wines!"

Qiao Rui smiled and said, "I have a winery in Longxing Prefecture, producing a kind of wine. It smells rich and fragrant, and is full-bodied and sweet at first, but it is also strong and mellow when you go down the throat. It deserves the title of fine wine. If you two have time and pass by Longxing Prefecture, you might as well come and have a taste!" Although he didn't know whether the winery had been built or whether it could produce good wine, at least he had the "Blue and White Wine" left over from Wen Shuyan's family as a backup, so he was not afraid of not having good wine to entertain them.

Feng Feiyan's eyes lit up when she heard this. Her throat moved unconsciously, and she swallowed her saliva and said, "Really?"

Qiao Rui nodded, told them the address of Yunlai Inn, and promised to treat them to a good drink if they went to Longxing Prefecture.

Lin Wenyuan smiled and said, "Although the wine here is not very good, the food is indeed delicious." He picked up a piece of fish belly from the big bowl and tasted it carefully, then sighed, "The pink stonehead is still boneless, and the snow-white pufferfish is not poisonous. The Yangtze River catfish is really a must."

After hearing his exaggerated words, Qiao Rui also took a taste. It was indeed tender and delicious, and his mouth was full of fragrance. He praised: "It is really a delicacy in the world."

Hui fish is the Yangtze River catfish, which has a pink body, fat meat and thick fins, and tastes extremely tender and delicious, with an endless aftertaste. Together with shad and knife fish, it is known as the "Three Fresh Fishes of the Yangtze River" and is a famous fish.

The three of them gathered around the big bowl full of delicious food, eating and drinking while chatting, looking at the scenery along the way. Occasionally, the river breeze blew by, and they felt refreshed and comfortable.

Everyone gradually became familiar with each other, and there was less estrangement in their conversation. Lin Wenyuan asked, "Where are you going this time, Brother Qiao? Are you going on a tour or returning?"

Qiao Rui said, "We will go down the river to Xunyang and then return to Longxing Prefecture. If there is a ferry crossing in a town along the coast, I will go down and stay there for a few days."

"Looking for someone?" Lin Wenyuan asked.

Qiao Rui was stunned and wondered how he knew that, but he nodded anyway.

Seeing his confusion, Lin Wenyuan said with a smile, "I heard some of your conversation with the woman in the restaurant before. A few days later, I saw you looking for someone in the city. But it's too hopeless for you to keep searching like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

"There's nothing we can do!" Qiao Rui took a big sip of wine, and while breathing out the alcohol, he briefly described the situation of Jiang Xueyun and Liu Xinyue. Finally, he said, "There are six hundred cities in Daxia. I will search them one by one, and I will eventually find them!"

Although Qiao Rui said it lightly, Feng Feiyan and Lin Wenyuan were deeply moved. They had seen Qiao Rui tirelessly searching for someone in the city a few days ago, so they thought he was a good guy. Later, when Qiao Rui broke the Lotus Fall Formation of the Beggar Gang at the north gate of Daye Prefecture and killed Liu Dabiao, the leader of the Qingmu Hall of the Beggar Gang, showing his extraordinary martial arts and extraordinary intelligence, they were even more fond of him, which led to the invitation just now. Now, when they heard that Qiao Rui wanted to travel around the world just to find someone, it was not something that could be accomplished overnight and it required great willpower and persistence. They felt that this man was truly upright, loyal and righteous.

Lin Wenyuan said solemnly: "Brother Qiao is a man of deep affection and loyalty. I admire him. But I do have an idea that may be of help to Brother Qiao."

"Oh?" Qiao Rui's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Please let Brother Lin know. I will be very grateful!"

"Sit down, sit down!" Lin Wenyuan said with a smile, "Recently, a large number of independent martial artists have appeared in the martial arts world. I think Brother Qiao also knows about this."

Qiao Rui nodded. Of course he knew about this. Aren’t they the people he was talking about?

Lin Wenyuan continued, "Although most of these martial artists have only mediocre skills, there are still some experts among them who are proficient in various martial arts. As a result, all the major martial arts sects heard the news and sent their disciples down the mountain to recruit those martial artists who are proficient in their own martial arts to prevent the loss of their own martial arts."

"You mean, my friend might have been taken away by some sect?" Qiao Rui asked excitedly.