The Demon Lords

Xiong Liqing poured a bowl of water for Lord Zheng,

Lord Zheng picked up the tea bowl,

and made a mock toast to the drunkard.

"Oh my, oh my,"

the drunkard hurriedly stood up, holding his wine bowl in both hands, bowing with a smile, and said,

"Please, please."

Lord Zheng took a small sip, then put down the tea bowl.

The drunkard, on the other hand, drank his entire bowl of wine in one go, showing that not a drop was left before sitting back down.

At this moment,

the lady warrior unconsciously shifted her gaze onto Lord Zheng, and then onto Xiong Liqing.

Xiong Liqing was not an exceptional beauty, but her good temperament made the lady warrior slightly displeased, for in this regard, she felt completely overshadowed.

The scholar shook his head and said,

"Since we’re out and about, we naturally shouldn’t judge by social standing. This sword, well, I really do want to see it today."

The drunkard stroked his beard and said,

"You shouldn’t, you shouldn’t. Some people rely on social status to get by; it’s their only support, always talking about their ancestors or fathers.

However, some feel more free and unfettered after leaving their status behind.

The same social standing; some see it as a door, others as a prison.

Behind the door raise chickens and pigs, inside the prison, a fierce tiger is confined."

"Hey, you drunkard, you always talk about him, why not talk about me?"

"You, uh, I can’t quite figure you out."

"Since you can’t see, why do you assume I’m not fit to see it?"

"Fine, let me tell you more. Beside the young master in black, the lady’s hairstyle is in the flowing cloud style, a noble style, and she’s wearing perfume worth its weight in gold; her entry was graceful, not something a pampered maid from a rich family could compare to, the former only has the splendor of pearls, the latter, a true noble lady, displays such dignified grace.

Even though she clearly disdains the dirty and shabby nature of this dive, she still sits with him;

when the tea bowl is served, she gently wipes it with her own sleeve, then pours tea to serve the young master. This is not just because she’s smitten, but out of fear.

If she’s like this, then what about the young master in black?

Let me give you another hint,

prior to entering, the young master’s stride and slightly tilted shoulders are from riding warhorses, necessitating constant maneuvers on horseback, practicing in small spaces to develop such habits;

when he picked up the tea bowl earlier, though neatly groomed, there was a fine layer of callus on his thumb and palm, indicating regular archery practice, and his preferred weapon is a saber.

Bow and saber at his side,

the young master must be a military man.

Furthermore,

the young master travels in civilian attire without armor, yet still dresses elegantly and richly. Not wearing armor to avoid drawing attention, not being overly simple for comfort; he doesn’t want to draw attention, but doesn’t fear being seen. Such an air of confidence, ha ha.

In the current Jin land, there are many Jin commanders, but the Yan people are the true powers in the Three Jin region now. Jin-born generals must live cautiously.

Therefore,

this young master in black must indeed be a noble from the Yan State."

Saying this,

the drunkard clasped his hands, saying,

"May the noble prosper."

Lord Zheng remained uncommitted, pondering whether this drunkard truly guessed his identity.

"A noble from the Yan region? A Yan State general? Hahaha."

The scholar suddenly laughed,

laughing so hard that tears almost came out,

and said,

"So, it seems I really can see the sword this time."

The drunkard no longer spoke, but coldly eyed the scholar.

The scholar turned to Zheng Fan and said,

"That sword, show it to me."

Lord Zheng propped his hands under his chin, looked at the scholar, and asked,

"Why should I?"

Suddenly, the accountant sitting next to the drunkard stood up,

in an instant,

the monk who had just sat down earlier also stood up abruptly.

Their energies clashed in that instant.

The accountant turned with his abacus, launching it forward.

At the same time, the young monk threw his wrist beads, which collided without a sound, instead sticking to each other.

However,

at that moment,

the young monk focused his gaze, giving a low shout.

"Buzz!"

The accountant was forced back into his chair, seated once more.

The young monk pulled the beads along with the other’s abacus into his hands, toying with it carelessly.

The drunkard narrowed his eyes,

praising,

"Mastery in both martial and external arts, the balance of straight and curved, reminds me of the Southern Marquis from Yan.

Back then,

outside the capital city of the Jin State,

the Southern Marquis had once dueled the Sword Saint from the Jin land, and the Sword Saint lost!

I visited the forest later to find the battlefield marks, discovering that the Southern Marquis was not only physically strong but also skilled in external techniques.

Thus, I surmise,

the Sword Saint’s defeat was not due to insufficient skill, but the Southern Marquis viewing their duel as a military clash, with backup tricks, hence the victory.

This young monk, mastering both arts, might one day follow the path of the Southern Marquis."

"Amitabha."

The young monk recited a Buddhist phrase, with a wave returning the abacus to the accountant, who caught it and placed it back on the table.

The drunkard pointed at the accountant and scolded with a smile,

"I told you to learn more fighting skills, but you didn’t, now I’m losing face here."

This accountant was likely a Qi cultivator, in the first round of confrontation, he clashed using external techniques with the young monk, but when the monk revealed his Martial Cultivator physique, it turned into a classic case of overpowering all skills, reversing the situation.

Seeing the brief conflict settle,

the scholar again looked at Zheng Fan,

and asked,

"You just asked me why should I?"

Lord Zheng nodded.

"Alright, let me tell you, we’re actually of the same kind. It’s normal you don’t recognize me because I rarely appear in public."

Saying this, the scholar took out a token from his pocket, showing it to Lord Zheng,

while saying,

"I am,

under the command of Lord Pingye of Yan,

Zheng Fanli, his first guest advisor."

————

Good night.