Volume 2 Second round of hearing the bell
Fang Zheng said: "The leader's handling of the matter is very good. This is a time of trouble for the gang, so it is best to reduce big issues to small ones and small issues to nothing, without hurting the harmony among the brothers."
Qin Tianxiong smiled and said, "The leader can make the decision alone! The leader doesn't need to ask us how to deal with this matter. According to the rules of the gang, he should be punished. I was thinking that if I could be used, I would teach that guy a lesson on his behalf. It's too heartless! But after listening to what the leader said just now, I'm afraid he is more thoughtful than we are."
Zhang Liantao also smiled, and then said in a deep voice: "I'm afraid the gang leader is here for more than just this matter, right?"
Lin Longqing nodded and said, "Just now, the Beggars' Sect leader sent someone to say that there is a clue about what happened in the sect a few years ago, and asked me to go to Chang'an."
The three of them didn't expect that Lin Longqing would leave again after just a few days of returning to the gang. Fang Zheng said, "Excuse me for being blunt, but the gang members are in turmoil right now because of Doctor Cheng's incident. The leader really shouldn't travel far."
Lin Longqing sighed, "How could I not know? But since Gang Leader Nian sent people here from a thousand miles away, it must be very important. The opportunity to solve the mystery a few years ago is right in front of us, but I'm afraid it will be gone in a flash."
Qin Tianxiong said, "Boss, we all know that you were framed before, and Madam Cao and Miss Cao have returned to the Cao family. Why do you always think about that incident? There are so many major events in the martial arts world now, but you are always obsessed with the mysteries of the past. To be honest, what will change if the water is cleared or not?"
Lin Longqing couldn't explain that Cao Shujian's death was not caused by Doctor Cheng's poisoning but by someone else. The person who provoked the gang members to chase him that night might still be lurking in the gang. There was also a group of masters who besieged him in the waterside pavilion. All of them were related to the survival of the Kuangyi Gang. He could only slow down his tone and said, "Brothers, what you said is right. I plan to let Lan'er go for me. Tomorrow morning, I will go to Chang'an with the people sent by the gang leader. I can also find out the whereabouts of the two hall masters in Bianzhou and Yongzhou."
When the three heard that Lin Jianlan was going to go, they did not want to dissuade him, but they were a little worried. Lin Jianlan said, "We are just going to Chang'an with that big brother to get information. I don't think there will be any danger. Uncles and aunts don't need to worry."
Qin Tianxiong said: "Since the gang leader regards this matter so seriously, young master, you must not let the gang leader down. When you meet the old gang leader, you must ask him clearly." The three of them gave him a few more instructions before sending Lin Longqing and the other two out the door.
When he returned to his residence, it was already three o'clock in the morning. Lin Longqing was not sleepy at all, so he let Lin Jianlan stay in his room alone. He walked outside the room, took a deep breath, and felt a chill in his lungs. Thinking that Lin Jianlan would be away from the headquarters alone again, and he didn't know how long it would take for him to come back, he took out a fire bomb, exerted force to the air, and the fire bomb exploded silently in a moment.
Lin Longqing stood quietly outside the pavilion for about an incense stick of time before he heard barely audible footsteps. A dark figure jumped down from under the eaves and bowed, asking, "What's the matter, boss?" It turned out to be Tang Yan, the captain of the black team that had rescued the headquarters that day.
Lin Jianlan was about to fall asleep in the inner room when he heard a low voice outside. He was puzzled, thought about it, smiled, and flashed to the door, but heard Lin Longqing's cold voice: "Brother Tang, you need to keep a close eye on him!"
Then Tang Yan asked, "What about Madam Cao?"
Hearing Tang Yan mention Madam Cao, Lin Jianlan also wanted to know how she and Yin Yin were doing. Hearing Lin Longqing's voice soften, he said, "I wonder how she and Yin Yin are doing these days."
Tang Yan said: "Cao Shupeng is also ambitious, and he is hoping to make a big move with Madam Cao and Yin Yin, so he is very dedicated in taking care of her. But please forgive me for being frank, since Madam went to the Cao family, her temper has become more and more strange and hard to describe."
Lin Longqing sighed, "When I told the truth that day, I harmed Father Lin's family and overturned the belief that Hongfeng relied on for survival in the past few years. To this day, I still don't know whether what I did was right or wrong."
Tang Yan said, "The leader has been patient for three years and never told the truth. He has lived up to the brother-sister relationship. That day, Cao Shupeng took advantage of the presence of a group of Jianghu celebrities to question him about what happened that year, and the leader really had no other choice."
Lin Longqing nodded and asked, "How is Yin Yin?"
When Lin Jianlan heard the word "Yin Yin", she immediately remembered the situation when she dealt with the two old men side by side. She had had contact with them many times, but it was only that one time, but she would always remember it.
Tang Yan said: "The young lady is already very much loved by her grandfather. Among all the children of her generation, she has the most outstanding talent. Cao Yunhe personally teaches her whenever he has free time, and he also taught her the Thirteen Jade Characters."
Lin Longqing frowned and said, "It's not appropriate for such a young child to practice such vicious and fierce moves. I heard that Cao Yunhe invited Master Wuxue from Tianshan to teach Yin Yin. How is the progress?"
Tang Yan said: "Young lady naturally learns very quickly, because she has been using two swords since she was young. Master Wuxue specially created a set of sword techniques for her, named 'Shuangzhanxue'."
Lin Longqing smiled and said, "Master Wuxue is naturally cold and difficult to get close to, but Yinyin suits her personality, so the name of this sword technique is quite appropriate. Alas, I just remember that Yinyin was not so cold when she was a child."
Lin Jianlan felt sad when she heard this, thinking about the tragic events that happened in Yin Yin's family, her father's sudden death from poisoning, and her mother's constant reminder to her every day that she should practice martial arts well to avenge her father. How could she, at such a young age, bear this burden? She wondered if she had ever truly laughed heartily in all these years.
Tang Yan added: "Since the gang leader asked me to monitor that person, if nothing unexpected happens, I can still take care of Madam Cao and the young lady in secret. But if something unexpected happens, who will the Jade Sword Sect send?"
Lin Longqing said, "From what you said just now, they are not in danger at Yujianmen for the time being, so you don't need to distract yourself to look after them. I just hope that this person is not really as I thought. Alas, the Kuangyi Gang can no longer withstand any more trouble. Before that, I have to entrust you with a task. Send this letter to the three nearby branch halls immediately, and ask the heads of these branches to put aside the reconstruction work for the time being. I have important matters to attend to when I return to the main hall."
Tang Yan nodded, took the letter and put it away carefully, then quietly disappeared into the night.
Lin Longqing rubbed his temples and felt a little tired. He pushed the door open quietly and saw Lin Jianlan still sleeping soundly on the bed. He leaned against the desk to rest a little, but heard the fourth watch struck outside. The quiet hall gradually became filled with the sounds of people coming and going, patrols everywhere changing shifts, and the sounds of shouting and fighting could be faintly heard from the martial arts field. He actually had a sleepless night.
Lin Jianlan heard the noise outside, but he didn't dare to let Lin Longqing find out that he was pretending to sleep. He just lay stiffly on the bed for a while. When he heard the movement in the main hall, he jumped up from the bed and began to pack his belongings for the journey. After a while, he came out with a small bag on his back. Seeing Lin Longqing's haggard face, he felt sad and said, "Uncle Qing, don't worry about me. I have walked a lot of long distances by myself, and I will not cause trouble."
Lin Longqing smiled and said, "I trust you to handle things, but you still lack experience in the martial arts world. After meeting the old gang leader, just pass the letter to me. There is no need to rush back. It will also be good to walk around outside more."
Lin Jianlan nodded and said goodbye. After having a quick breakfast with Lei Kan, he quietly left the Hangzhou headquarters when the sky was just beginning to turn white in the east.
Hangzhou was still quiet, with a little fog in the long street. Only the sound of the two horses galloping, mixed with the sound of the bamboo stick in Lei Kan's hand, made the long street seem even more desolate. Lin Jianlan knew that the Beggar Gang branch in Hangzhou was not small, so he asked, "Brother Lei, would you like to take this opportunity to visit the brothers in the Hangzhou branch?"
Lei Kan, however, looked solemn and said, "This trip was secretly requested by Gang Leader Nian . No one else in the gang knew about it, so it was inconvenient for me to go."
Lin Jianlan nodded and didn't ask any more questions, but thought to himself, "It seems that the matter that the gang leader inquired about last year was not mentioned to anyone." He immediately realized that this was his good intention to take care of the overall situation of the Kuang Yi Gang, and he was afraid that if the news leaked out in advance, it would cause some changes in the Kuang Yi Gang.
As they were marching, they heard a very loud bell sound in front of them, which was somewhat similar to the bell in Lei Kan's hand. Turning around, they saw a look of surprise on Lei Kan's face. The two of them reined in their horses and slowly urged them forward a few steps. They saw a group of people emerging from the fog. They were all in tattered clothes and holding bamboo sticks. Most of the people at the back had only one bell on their sticks, and only the dozen or so people in the front had four or five. The leader was an old man with messy, dry and thin hair, but his expression was very majestic and fierce. There were eight bells hanging on the stick in his hand. He was the helmsman of the Hangzhou branch.
Lin Jianlan turned around and smiled, "Brother Lei, although you don't want to visit them, they heard the news from somewhere and came to greet you. Well, you can catch up."
Lei Kan smiled and nodded, saying, "I didn't expect that I would have to trouble Dharma Protector Zhu to come and greet me. Master Lin, this is Dharma Protector Zhu Chenghong, known as the 'Slender King' in the martial arts world. I'll introduce him to you later." After he got off his horse and was about to greet him, he saw Zhu Chenghong slam the staff in his hand. The Beggar Gang disciples behind him immediately dispersed slowly to both sides, and soon surrounded the two of them in the middle, and the bamboo staffs in their hands knocked on the ground in unison, making bursts of noise.
At this time, there were already some pedestrians on the street. Seeing this situation, none of them dared to step forward. They avoided it from a distance and took a detour. Some of the braver merchants on the street just quietly opened a small crack in the door and hid behind to watch.
Seeing these Beggar Gang disciples acting in this way, Lin Jianlan gradually stopped smiling, his expression became more solemn, he turned around and looked at Lei Kan, who was the same. At this time, those four-bell and five-bell disciples with slightly higher status had been divided into eight directions, with solemn expressions, as if facing a powerful enemy.
Lei Kan's face darkened, and he stopped in front of Lin Jianlan and said, "Protector Zhu actually set up the 'Snake Catching Formation', what does this mean? Do you know who is next to me?"
Zhu Chenghong slowly walked to the center of the formation and said, "I naturally know that this is Master Lin from the Kuangyi Gang." After that, he clasped his fists and bowed to Lin Jianlan, and said in a deep voice, "Please invite Master Lin to come out!"
Lin Jianlan was puzzled and walked out of the formation slowly. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Zhu Chenghong's face became agitated, his lips trembling, and he said angrily: "Our gang has captured the traitor Lei Kan, and all the outsiders should disperse. Master Lin, this is an internal matter of our gang, please do not interfere!"
Lin Jianlan was shocked and looked at Lei Kan, but he saw that Lei Kan was also confused and angrily said, "Protector Zhu, I came here on the orders of Gang Leader Nian. What do you mean by calling me a traitor?"
Zhu Chenghong's eyes were red at this time, and he cursed loudly: "You traitor! The word 'traitor' is already a sympathetic word, it's not an exaggeration to say that you are a criminal of our gang!"
Lei Kan's eyes widened as he said, "Protector Zhu, even though I am only a disciple of the Six Bells, and I am not as skilled in martial arts as you, nor do I have a higher status, you cannot slander me like this. Tell me what happened, and show me the real evidence! Otherwise, I was ordered to come here to pick up Master Lin of the Kuangyi Clan to go to Chang'an. If you delay him, can you explain to Clan Leader Nian?"
Zhu Chenghong tightly grasped the bamboo stick in one hand, veins on his hand were knotted, and the bell on the end of the stick made a faint sound. He gritted his teeth and said, "Boss Nian, Boss Nian... Of course I have to take you and give him an explanation!" After that, he shouted "Start the formation" and went forward with the stick!
The Beggar Gang disciples outside the formation heard the command and formed a three-layer circle inside and outside the formation. They did not attack, but circled back and forth between the circles, knocking the ground with their staffs, and suddenly there was a very noisy sound of bells.
The Snake Catching Formation was originally created by the predecessor of the Beggars' Sect. The Beggars' Sect disciples have been living with snakes and insects for years . In the past, there were also people who begged by playing with snakes. More than half of the ten Beggars' Sect disciples were good at catching snakes, so this formation was called Snake Catching Formation. It has developed to this day, and it is an extremely powerful formation. The disciples surrounded by three circles walk in opposite directions, complementing and restraining each other. The bamboo sticks are intertwined like dog teeth. If there is an approach, they will sweep, pick, poke, and chop with sticks to assist the Beggars' Sect in the formation to fight the enemy. The four-bell and five-bell disciples in the outermost circle are responsible for suppressing the people in the formation in the air, and it is even more difficult to perform Qinggong. In addition, the ringing of bells is deafening all around, disturbing the mind, and the ringing of the Beggars' Sect in the formation is covered up. Not only is it difficult to distinguish the direction of the attack, but it becomes more and more confusing. It is difficult to parry in this formation, let alone break through easily.
Lin Jianlan was anxious and confused at this moment. He didn't know what big mistake Lei Kan had made in the Beggars' Sect that attracted the Dharma Protectors to lead the others to arrest him. Zhu Chenghong didn't look like he was lying, which showed that something big had happened in the Beggars' Sect. But Lei Kan was also stunned, and it was hard to tell. He didn't want to interfere in the affairs of the Beggars' Sect, but the message from Nian Yongshou that Lei Kan brought with him involved the big change in the Kuangyi Gang a few years ago, which was really of great importance.
Thinking of this, Lin Jianlan looked up. Lei Kan was just an ordinary Liuling disciple. His martial arts skills were very poor. How could he be Zhu Chenghong's opponent? Now he could only defend himself and dodge everywhere. He thought to himself, "Uncle Qin said before he left that I must not let Uncle Qing down. But now I stand by and watch Lei Kan being captured by Protector Zhu, and then try to interrogate him about the agreement between him and Gang Leader Nian. Is this the act of a real man?" After thinking it over, he shouted, "Protector Zhu, wait a minute!" and jumped into the formation.
