Volume 1 Chapter 11: Odd for Righteousness
Lin Longqing had long noticed that the two were following him, and thought that the Ding brothers' martial arts alone would not be able to do anything to him, so he did not show it on his face, but was secretly on guard. He did not expect that the two would dare to come to him openly today. After a little thought, he knew clearly in his heart that the two must have found external help today, so he asked: "What kind of help did you two ask for? Why are you hiding and not coming out?"
I heard a man outside the elegant hall say leisurely: "I am not hiding, but the elegant hall is small, and there are many friends. I am afraid there is no place for me to stay, so I had to stay outside just now. Although no one outside invited me to drink for free, no one sought revenge, so I felt comfortable."
When the Ding brothers heard what this person said, they all relaxed, and turned aside, smiling as a man came in. The man had a very gaunt face, five long wisps of beard, a pair of rather sharp eyes, and wore a plain robe with a pair of judge's pens on his waist.
Lin Longqing thought to himself, "It's only been three years since I left the society, but there are so many new figures in the martial arts world. I wonder who this person is?" He looked carefully and saw that the pair of judge's pens on his waist were very special. Generally, martial artists use judge's pens made of fine copper or iron, but this person's judge's pens are no different from ordinary brushes. The pen body is dark green, but it is cut from better bamboo . You know, the highest realm of martial arts is to pick flowers and flying leaves to hurt people. This person only uses ordinary bamboo pens as weapons, but it seems that he no longer relies on sharp weapons. He should not be underestimated. Lin Longqing was startled. Although he did not show any expression on his face, he secretly gathered strength and was on full alert.
The man smiled and said, "My name is Lu Mengsheng. I haven't been in the business for long, but I am very particular about fairness. My friends in the martial arts world have praised me and nicknamed me 'Green Forest Judge'. May I ask your name, senior?"
When the Ding brothers saw him come in, they did not take any action but started talking to Lin Longqing. They could not help but show a little anxiety and unhappiness on their faces, but they had no choice but to stare at Lin Longqing hatefully.
Seeing Lu Mengsheng asking for his name, Lin Longqing said, "My name is not something you should tell others. Since you want to take revenge on the Ding brothers, why bother asking? Just do it!"
Lu Mengsheng said, "I have said that I value fairness the most. I am not here to avenge them. If you really robbed Xinjiazhuang and handed over the silver, I will not make things difficult for you."
Lin Longqing was puzzled and thought: "This man seems to be making excuses for me. Well, I didn't want to cause trouble this time. I'll just do him a favor and see what he intends to do." Then he said: "The owner of Xinjia Manor is a wicked man who bullies the people in the village. I don't know which hero robbed the manor. I admire him very much, but it was not me." He thought: "Lin Longqing is not 'I', so I can't be considered a liar."
Lu Mengsheng said: "This brother from the Ding family insisted that you were the one who robbed the village and injured two of his brothers."
The brothers of the Ding family blushed when they heard this. That night, Lin Longqing sneaked into the courtyard. They noticed it at the first time. They thought that if it was an ordinary thief, the servants would have sent him away. But there were screams outside. The two of them took their weapons and jumped into the courtyard. In the moonlight, they saw that the other party was an old man with his sleeves hanging down. A long sword as bright as the moonlight stretched out from his sleeves. Although his identity was unknown, it was estimated that his kung fu was not bad. It was just right to try out the Dragon Crane Jue that they had practiced together. Thinking of this, the two of them were very happy that someone came to test their skills, so they jumped into the field. Only after fighting did they realize that the other party should not be underestimated. Ding Shui counted the martial arts masters in his mind and had no impression of them. He became more and more scared. When Lin Longqing saw the two of them, he knew that they were hiding here to protect the courtyard, but it was just an excuse. Most of them were hiding here to practice kung fu. However, he did not injure them, but there was a huge gap in strength. Seeing that they had almost performed their new moves, Lin Longqing flew over and slashed with his sword, cutting the belts of the two men to prevent them from chasing him, and then left Xinjiazhuang.
It didn't matter that he left, but the two brothers Ding Lei and Ding Shui suffered a great humiliation. Since they came to Xinjiazhuang, they relied on their status as famous figures in the martial arts world and looked down on other martial artists. They were even arrogant and domineering. This time, Lin Longqing cut their belts with just a few moves. The other martial artists laughed loudly at them. Some said, "So the so-called 'famous masters' only have these few moves!" Some even said, "I was wondering what kind of skill they have. It turns out they can only take off their pants!" Some even laughed and said, "No one will watch two old guys if they take off their pants. If you friends want to see it, I'll treat you tonight. Let's go to Huayue Tower to see the young girls!" The two were both ashamed and annoyed. They had never suffered such humiliation since their debut. They wished they could cut Lin Longqing into pieces. Without saying a word, they went back to their room to pack up and chased after Lin Longqing in the direction he had left. The Xin family owner had lost his silver, and was very unhappy to see the two old men, who had been well fed and fed for several years, were about to leave. He tried to stop them, but Ding Lei was very angry and smashed a hole in the courtyard wall with his stick. The owner was so scared that he sat down on the ground and dared not say anything anymore. He just cursed his bad luck in his heart.
When the two chased him halfway, they met the outlaw Lü Mengsheng blocking the road. Just as they were about to attack, Lü Mengsheng kept shaking his hands, saying that the Xinjiazhuang case was now known to everyone in the martial arts world, and that he was willing to seek justice for them. Although the two had never seen Lü Mengsheng take action, they felt that he was quite skilled in martial arts from his demeanor. Naturally, they were overjoyed to have a powerful helper, so they followed him all the way to the Qiyun Tower.
Lin Longqing said: "Friend Lu just needs to ask the two of them what happened that night, and then he will know the answer."
The Ding brothers were humiliated by Lin Longqing that night and said angrily: "How can I not remember? Your swordsmanship is so powerful that you knocked other martial artists to the ground with just a few moves. We fought with you for dozens of rounds and were almost seriously injured by your swordsmanship. We were unable to defeat you and it was because we brothers underestimated the enemy. Humph!" But they concealed the fact that the belt had been cut.
Lin Longqing shook his head and said, "Alas, I am also a martial artist, but please come closer and see, can I hurt them with my swordsmanship?" Lu Mengsheng walked forward, but saw Lin Longqing lifting his sleeves, and his two thumbs were cut off. Lin Longqing said again, "I trust you, the hero, and I'll let you watch, but you can't tell anyone else. If it gets out and my enemies know, I'll die!" Lu Mengsheng said, "But please rest assured, senior, I won't reveal a word!" He turned around with a serious look, and said to the Ding brothers, "You two said he has great swordsmanship?"
The Ding brothers didn't know why he asked this question and said in surprise: "Really?!"
Lu Mengsheng burst into laughter and said, "I understand. You two should go back and find someone else. This old man is definitely not the one who robbed the village that night! You two said that he is good at swordsmanship, but you don't know that this senior only has eight fingers. You are also first-rate masters. If you say that you all together cannot beat an old man who can't hold the sword firmly because he is missing a thumb, I'm afraid no one in the world will believe it. You have traveled thousands of miles to chase your enemy, but you have chased the wrong person!" Although these words showed that he would no longer help the Ding brothers to seek revenge on Lin Longqing, and he also praised the Ding brothers as first-rate masters, he was really flawless and smooth. After that, Lu Mengsheng turned around and bowed to Lin Longqing and said, "Sorry to bother you, senior!" He then left gracefully.
When the Ding brothers saw Lu Mengsheng leaving, they knew in their hearts that the man who robbed the village was undoubtedly Lin Longqing, but they could not fight him, so they could only say bitterly: "My dear, you will get what you want! We'll see on the road!" After that, they left slowly one after another.
Lu Man and the other two in the hall heard the "knock knock" sound gradually fade away, and they couldn't help but feel relieved. Looking at Lin Longqing again, they saw him staring at his palms without saying a word. Lu Man stood up and said, "I have been ordered by my mother to do something else, so I can't accompany you, senior. I'm leaving now!" Lin Longqing looked up and said, "Okay, when you see your mother again, don't mention me. You are new to the world, so you must not be arrogant. You must know that there are people above you, so be careful not to get into trouble." Lu Man said, "Thank you for your teachings, senior. I will keep it in mind. The Ding brothers failed to seek revenge. Although they are leaving now, I'm afraid they will still follow you like a maggot attached to your bones. You should be more careful and take care!" The three bowed to Lin Longqing again, paid the store owner for the wine and the damaged door and chair fees, and then left.
Lin Longqing was disturbed by the drinking mood for no reason. He walked downstairs in a daze and walked slowly towards the courtyard he rented. He felt very confused. If he walked for a few more days, he would reach the headquarters of the Kuangyi Gang. How could he enter the hall to find Lin Jianlan and bring him out safely? What would he say if he saw his sister again? He had no idea in his mind. While he was thinking about it, he saw a person standing on the road in front of him. His plain robe fluttered slightly, and a pair of bamboo pens on his waist were as green as jade. It was the "Green Forest Judge" Lu Mengsheng just now.
When Lu Mengsheng saw Lin Longqing walking slowly towards him from the other side of the road, he just smiled slightly without saying a word or moving forward. He waited until Lin Longqing walked in front of him before he bowed.
Lin Longqing knew that Lu Mengsheng was most likely coming for him. He had just been very caring towards him in Qiyun Tower, but he didn't know what his purpose was. It was still unclear whether he was a friend or an enemy, so he pretended to be surprised and said, "It turned out to be my friend Lu! We just parted ways, and we meet again by chance. What a coincidence! Haha!"
Lu Mengsheng said, "I came here just for you, Senior!" He then laughed and said, "Senior, you put on a good show, got the advantage and left! Didn't you consider that I also had a part in this show today?"
Lin Longqing's heart skipped a beat, but his face was still confused. He said, "My friend Lu, what you said is confusing to me! I have hated those babbling things since I was a child. How can I act in a play?"
Lu Mengsheng still had a smile on his face and said, "Others may have been deceived by your hands, but am I also so foolish? Today, the Ding brothers suffered a loss, but it was also thanks to my intervention. You don't have to pretend to be stupid in front of me, senior!"
Lin Longqing said: "Oh?"
Lu Mengsheng raised his lips slightly and said, "According to my thinking, although you are missing a pair of thumbs, you still have many ways to fix the sword on your wrist. With your sleeves hanging down, those who don't know your sword skills may think you have all ten fingers . Even if the Ding brothers are only second-rate characters in the martial arts world, I don't believe that they followed the wrong person after traveling thousands of miles. I firmly believe that the one who robbed the village and stole the silver must be you!"
Lin Longqing thought to himself, "I knew this guy's behavior in Qiyun Tower was too strange. He must have bad intentions to stop me now. I came back to Central Plains to find Lin Jianlan. After all, it's not appropriate to cause too much trouble. It's better not to take action." Then he bowed and said in a low voice, "I am also grateful to my friend Lu for his help. Otherwise, it would not be easy to get rid of these two dogs. How about I owe my friend Lu a favor? I will definitely repay it when I have the chance in the future!"
Lu Mengsheng waved his hand and said, "Let's not beat around the bush. If you really want to repay me, why wait until tomorrow? The Xin family in Xuzhou is indeed a wicked man. They robbed the village and stole the silver. It's not just you, senior. Everyone can do it. I just don't know how you are going to spend the 70,000 or 80,000 you robbed?"
Lin Longqing thought to himself: "I was wondering what the Green Forest Trial was? Turns out they were here for money too!"
Seeing that Lu Mengsheng was not in a hurry and his pair of shining eyes were just staring at him, Lin Longqing smiled and said, "It was indeed the silver that I robbed that night. Mr. Gongpan asked how I spent the silver, but I forgot."
Lu Mengsheng could not help but hear the sarcasm in Lin Longqing's voice, but he still smiled and said, "Since you are grateful to me, please understand my helplessness. My name 'Green Forest Judge' sounds good, but I have sacrificed a lot for the word 'public'. Now I have even pawned my weapons and had to carve a pair of bamboo pens to make up for it. Now I can't even have a decent meal!"
Lin Longqing said: "Those who plant trees before will enjoy the shade. It turns out that Mr. Lu wants to take advantage of a ready-made opportunity. What a wishful thinking!"
Lu Mengsheng said leisurely: "I will not embarrass you, Senior. I think 30,000 out of 70,000 or 80,000 is not a lot, right?"
Lin Longqing thought to himself, "This Lu Mengsheng seems to be older than me, but I have never heard of him before. He has made a name for himself in the underworld in the past three years. He should be a big shot, but why is his character so terrible? It seems like he is doing a business of robbing other gangs. Although I don't want to cause trouble, if Lu Mengsheng keeps pestering me, it will definitely be beneficial to my future actions." He endured it until now, and finally said angrily, "He is really asking for too much. Let alone thirty thousand, I don't even have thirty taels on me!" After saying that, his eyes lit up, and he secretly exerted strength with his claws, as powerful as a hook.
Lu Mengsheng said, "Oh, this is an official road! People are coming and going, it's not good for an old man to be too angry!" Although his face was unmoved, he pulled out a pair of judge's pens from his waist, quickly said "I'm sorry" and flew forward, the tip of the pen moved lightly, and pressed towards the shoulder well acupoints of Lin Longqing's arms. Seeing that he was coming very fast, Lin Longqing immediately pulled back his left elbow, twisted his body to avoid it, and grabbed the bamboo pen in Lu Mengsheng's hand with his right hand.
