nyslfriends Chapter 15 Captain Cheng Qing
Chapter 15 Captain Cheng Qing
The copper bells rattled, and a thick, inky aura of death, like a tidal wave, swept towards Song Quyou, carrying a stench that assaulted his face.
Seeing the overwhelming corpse energy, Song Quyou activated his sword technique, his sword energy solidifying like a rainbow. Then, with a swing of his longsword, the rolling sword energy caused the corpse energy to swirl back, knocking down the living corpses that were poised to pounce.
"Young Master Wang, I did not wish to antagonize you. I killed your living corpse and performed a ritual to help it pass on, entirely out of respect for a stray dog's loyalty to its master."
The rainbow-like sword energy made Wang Fuyin, hiding in the coffin, feel a sharp, knife-like pain on his skin. The living corpses at the forefront, blown about by the wind, had fine wounds on their bodies, oozing dark red blood.
"Shenxiao Temple is based on thunder magic, so why do you use swordsmanship instead of thunder magic?"
Song Quyou laughed loudly: "Thunder magic is the perfect counter to your living corpses, Young Master Wang. If I were to use it, all of your living corpses, except for those two hairy zombies, would turn to ashes. Wouldn't that deepen our conflict?"
Wang Fuyin frowned, his bloodless, dead face filled with solemnity. He thought to himself, "Shenxiao Temple is known for its thunder magic. If this boy is truly a disciple of Shenxiao Temple, and his sword qi is already so formidable, then his thunder magic must be just like Wang Xuan of Ghost Poison Mountain back then, who summoned a bolt of heavenly lightning to break through Danyangzi's protective cave formation and chase Danyangzi away everywhere."
"Since Brother Song is being so accommodating, we, Wang Fuyin, cannot be petty. Let's leave it at that for today, and meet again someday."
Song Quyou returned the greeting with clasped hands and shouted:
Until we meet again.
Watching the departing horde of zombies, Song Quyou breathed a sigh of relief. If they really started fighting, those two bronze-skinned, iron-boned zombies would be a real headache. Although he wouldn't necessarily lose the fight, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.
With no more worries about home, Song Quyou planned to head east to Jiangnan to see the prosperous land, meet more people with extraordinary skills, and see if he could complete the incomplete Heavenly Book.
……
A great river flows through Jiannan, rushing eastward to the sea. Song Quyou planned to first go to Jiannan County and then take a boat eastward from there.
The city was built by the water, with mottled blue stone walls and thick moss growing at the base.
This place reveres swords and wine; almost everyone dreams of being a chivalrous knight-errant, drinking and wielding a sword. Furthermore, the local specialty, Jiannan Shaochun wine, is extremely potent, and locals often engage in private fights due to drunkenness.
Song Quyou entered the city with his sword on his back. Wine flags fluttered on both sides of the street, red, green and black, rustling in the river wind. Each flag was embroidered with a large character for "wine" or "burning spring".
The strong aroma of wine wafted from the shops, and Song Quyou, who was not good at drinking, became somewhat tipsy after just a whiff.
Too much alcohol leads to trouble. Before Song Quyou had even passed the first tavern, he saw people arguing.
"You little rascal, we agreed on one bowl each, how come you drank two bowls?"
"Bullshit! You clearly scooped out an extra bowl, and I only drank one."
……
Two men, reeking of alcohol and with flushed skin, started fighting over who had drunk more or less.
Song Quyou didn't intend to linger and watch the commotion, and was about to walk around them. But the two men were already fighting, throwing punches and kicks, knocking over a wine table, and shattering wine bowls all over the floor.
Seeing this, the surrounding drinkers not only didn't try to dissuade him, but instead clapped and cheered, some even shouting:
"Well done! Whoever wins, this jar of Shaoxing wine is on me!"
Just as he bypassed the crowd, suddenly, a wine bowl, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, flew straight towards the back of Song Quyou's head.
Song Quyou turned his head slightly, the bowl brushed past his ear, and with a loud crack, it smashed to pieces against the wall.
"Oops, I dropped it..." The man who threw the bowl was still drunk and tried to reach for it again, but his companion held him down.
"You little bastard, how could I let you get away with this today?"
Song Quyou sighed softly, ignored it, and walked along the main street to the east of the city.
The river bends east of the city, its surface wide as a lake, the river breeze carrying the pungent smell of fish. Several large ships are moored at the dock, their masts like a forest, their sails half-rolled up, awaiting merchants heading east.
"The ship will set sail early tomorrow morning," a boatman-looking man leaned against the railing and struck up a conversation when he saw Song Quyou staring at the ship.
"Sir, are you heading east? Why don't you stay in the city for the night and try our Jiannan Shaochun? I guarantee you won't regret it."
"How much is the fare to the river mouth?"
"The river mouth is the final stop. It will cost one tael of silver, which will include a hot meal on the boat."
"When will the ship depart?"
"Please come here at 5:00 AM tomorrow."
Song Quyou nodded, "Then I will come again tomorrow."
After leaving the dock, Song Quyou planned to go back into the city for a stroll, find a place to eat some snacks, and spend the night in a secluded spot at Cuisong Hutian. After all, he didn't want to waste his meager savings on staying at an inn again.
Once inside the city, I went into a tavern, ordered a few dishes, and listened to the lively sounds of drinking games, laughter, and the clinking of porcelain bowls. I then ate alone in a corner.
Song Quyou slowly picked at the green vegetables on his plate. The surroundings were noisy and bustling, but he seemed to be in another world. He only occasionally raised his eyes to glance at the wandering swordsmen who were slapping the table, drinking wildly, and singing with their arms around each other.
While he was eating, he suddenly felt someone sit down opposite him.
"Young Taoist priest, would you like to share a table?"
Song Quyou looked up and saw a swordsman dressed in green, with an exquisite longsword hanging at his waist and a piece of warm, lustrous jade hanging from it.
"Please go ahead."
The swordsman pushed over a plate of braised meat and brought over a pot of wine, saying:
"My name is Shang Qing, and I also admire swords. Today I saw the blue longsword at the young Taoist priest's waist and I really like it. I would like to try my hand at it."
Song Quyou ignored the braised meat that was pushed towards him, picked up one of his own green vegetables, ate it slowly and deliberately, and only after swallowing and taking a sip of tea did he reply:
"Judging from your attire, you must also be a swordsman, so you should know the principle of never parting with your sword."
"Young Taoist priest, I haven't introduced myself yet."
Song Quyou raised an eyebrow. "You are..."
"I am Cheng Qing, a military officer of Jiannan Commandery."
Song Quyou paused slightly in his chopsticks; this was the first time in his life he had ever seen such a high-ranking official.
"Sir, you didn't really ask me to share a table just to see my sword, did you?"
Cheng Qing sat at the table, poured himself a bowl of wine, picked up a slice of braised meat, chewed it carefully, and swallowed it before replying, "I not only want to look, but I also want to buy."
"It seems the captain intends to rob it."
Cheng Qing took a sip of wine and smiled, "So what if it is? You little Taoist priest, just obediently submit and hand over that sword, and I can even give you some money."
Song Quyou's eyes turned slightly cold, and a sword aura flew from his eyes toward the wine bowl that Cheng Qing had raised. With a crisp sound, the wine bowl shattered, and the amber-colored Jiannan Shaochun wine inside splashed onto Cheng Qing's face with the remaining force.
The guards who were eating and drinking at his table immediately stood up, drew their long swords, and looked furious, as if they wanted to tear Song Quyou to pieces.
Undeterred, Song Quyou activated his sword technique, unleashing a torrent of sword energy from his entire body. The swords of all the swordsmen in the tavern trembled in unison, emitting a resounding clang. A chilling aura permeated the tavern, sending shivers down one's spine.
"slow!"