MM Racing Chapter 146 Xu Qingya: I'm ranked 1st, who can be ranked 2nd?
Chapter 146 Xu Qingya: I'm ranked 1st, who can be ranked 2nd?
Chapter 146 Xu Qingya: If I'm ranked eleventh, who can be ranked tenth?
To His Excellency the Prince of Zhennan:
We have heard of your refined taste and noble character, and your reputation for cherishing beauty and tenderness is renowned throughout Yunnan. Now, our old acquaintances, Qin Hongmian and her daughter Mu Wanqing, have been traveling through the Cangshan and Erhai mountains. We admire their elegance and have specially invited them as honored guests, to stay in our secluded residences on the east and west sides of the mountain.
One place is called "Yunlongfeng Guanxia Pavilion", where the jade-like spirit is hidden in the pine waves and sea of mist;
One place is called "Lancang River Sunken Cliff", where the jade-like beauty is hidden among the snowy waves and reefs.
However, the world of martial arts is treacherous, and fearing that petty thieves might disturb the beauty's peaceful rest, Zhan had no choice but to make a simple agreement:
If one were to witness the sudden cry of a crane rising from the Xia Pavilion, the fragrant soul of Chenbi Cliff would instantly scatter.
If the waves at Chenbi Cliff surge with hidden dangers, then the jade pavilion at Guanxia Pavilion will be shrouded in mist and fragrance will vanish.
This is not something we should do out of compassion, but rather a consequence of the cruelty of heaven and earth, forcing us to use a beautiful woman as a warning. I hope you will forgive me.
Remembering the deep affection the prince expressed in writing on the handkerchief with his jade pen and pouring out his heart under the moon, we cannot bear to see this precious pearl tarnished.
We urge Your Highness to come alone to the appointment at the Moon Reflection Terrace on Erhai Lake at 3:45 PM. If you bring your fierce guards and hounds, or if you encounter the mighty Marquis Xu of the Han Dynasty or the eminent monk Tianlong—then we will return the hairpin left by the beauty and bid farewell with blood-stained tattered paper!
Beautiful times are fleeting, and beauty fades quickly.
Your Highness is well-versed in matters of the heart and knows that ten years of longing must eventually be repaid with a sincere heart, and will not let my journey be in vain.
"Spear and shovel flying together" - Zhan Yumu wrote this with clean hands!
An extortion letter was placed in Duan Zhengchun's study.
Zhan Yu and his two companions acted swiftly, quickly scouting the location before immediately capturing Qin Hongmian and Mu Wanqing and imprisoning them in different locations.
Originally intending to capture Gan Baobao as well, Zhong Wanchou returned home and immediately sealed off Wanchou Valley, refusing to see any outsiders and forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. Even the stone bridge outside Wanchou Valley was smashed by Zhong Wanchou, making it impossible for Zhan Yu to enter.
As for Dao Baifeng, there are imperial guards stationed near Yuxu Temple, making it difficult to capture him silently. Zhan Yu didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble, lest he end up losing everything.
The original plan was for the three to each guard a position, but now it's changed to two guarding and one delivering a message, which is quite suitable. Zhan Yu is highly skilled in martial arts and acts boldly, so he personally went to the Zhennan Prince's Mansion to deliver the message, leaving Duan Zhengchun completely bewildered.
Red Cotton — My Red Cotton —
Soon, Xu Qingya saw the ransom note.
Xu Qingya rubbed his chin: "Zhan Yu? That's incredibly fast! Uncle Duan, don't worry, their goal is to lure Duan Yanqing away from his prey."
Duan Zhengchun sighed, "I am not terrified, but I feel guilty. I haven't seen Hongmian for more than ten years. We just met, and she has been implicated because of me."
Xu Qingya said, "If I'm not mistaken, Zhan Yu's original target was me. Doubao'er's sense of smell isn't invincible. A dog can only chase one place at a time. If there are multiple targets, Doubao'er can only save one, and there's nothing it can do about the others."
Yin Susu said, "In other words, if Zhan Yu kidnaps the four of us and imprisons us separately, my lord can only rescue one of us. Wouldn't that be a real headache!"
Xu Qingya waved his hand: "That won't happen. I have at least one person with me. Zhan Yu would never kidnap this person. Besides, Bai Feng is highly skilled in martial arts, and Ling Su is good at using poison. It would be too difficult to kidnap them."
If Zhan Yu wants to target me, he should randomly choose two out of Su Su, Nan Qin, Ling'er, and Duan Yu. The easiest target is Brother Duan, because he is too kind and doesn't guard against outsiders.
Furthermore, based on the extortion letter, I was somewhat wrong in my assessment of the Heavenly Mandate Sect. Shan Yuru had a very high degree of control over the Heavenly Mandate Sect, and Zhan Yu and the others did not run away under such circumstances, but instead fought to the death.
For someone like Zhan Yu to willingly obey orders, either he must be able to take their life at any time, or he must have a fatal weakness that he can turn into reality at any moment. I tend to believe the latter.
The simplest way to threaten people in the underworld is through the Six Doors constables. It seems that some of the Six Doors constables are not clean and are cooperating with the Heavenly Mandate Cult.
Uncle Duan, you don't need to worry.
Zhan Yu has a gloomy personality. He acts without leaving any room for maneuver, yet he also leaves room for maneuver. He dislikes direct killing.
All we need to do is follow the plan and ask Senior Duan to go undercover so we can lure the three of them out.
"Given the strength of the high-ranking monks of Tianlong Temple, Zhan Yu and his companions are nothing to fear. The only thing worth paying attention to is that mysterious and unpredictable large branch sect, and the senior aunt of the Heavenly Fate Sect Leader, Shan Yuru. Just who is this person?"
Countless thoughts flashed through Xu Qingya's mind.
In Xu Qingya's memory, Shan Yuru only had one senior uncle named Zhong Zhongyou, an octogenarian demon. Pang Ban's famous battle was when he defeated this guy in ten moves. He lost his spirit after being defeated by Pang Ban and went into hiding under an assumed name. It is highly likely that Shan Yuru cultivated the elixir for him.
When Zhong Zhongyou's body weakened and he could no longer fight, Shan Yuru would pick the fruit.
Similarly, if Shan Yuru were seriously injured, Zhong Zhongyou would definitely take advantage of her misfortune and profit from her.
Shan Yuru's aunt?
Does the Heavenly Mandate Sect have such a person?
Duan Zhengchun asked, "Nephew, you just said that Zhan Yu does things without leaving any room for maneuver, yet leaves room for maneuver as well. What do you mean by that?"
Should we leave any room for maneuver?
Xu Qingya explained: "Zhan Yu is ruthless and likes to kill people by borrowing their knives or using hidden force to injure people. He rarely causes direct killing. About three or four years ago, Zhan Yu fought a duel with the leader of the Danqing Sect, and the battle ended in mutual injury."
Afterwards, Zhan Yu recuperated for two or three months and recovered his health. The leader of the Danqing Sect recuperated for half a month and fully recovered. Everyone felt that Zhan Yu had lost the battle, and Zhan Yu also expressed his willingness to admit defeat.
Six months later, the leader of the Danqing Sect suddenly fell ill and his health deteriorated day by day. After examination by a divine physician, it was discovered that Zhan Yu had injured his internal organs with hidden force, which had now become a chronic condition. He had at most one or two months to live.
Zhan Yu is on the "blacklist," but he has killed fewer than a hundred people with his own hands. He has indirectly harmed so many people that even he himself cannot count them. Uncle Duan, rest assured, even if Zhan Yu uses hidden force to injure people or poisons them, the power of the Dali Duan family's One-Finger Divine Skill can definitely eliminate the hidden force.
Let's just proceed according to plan.
I have a feeling that Zhan Yu's goal isn't to rescue Elder Duan, but rather to eliminate his two companions, sell out the Heavenly Mandate Sect branch, minimize the threat posed by Shan Yuru, and then immediately flee.
Duan Yu asked, "What is the Black List?"
Yin Susu explained: "The Black List is a list that evaluates underworld masters. However, the underworld masters on the list do not agree with this list. Underworld masters are all ruthless and lawless people. How could they let others manipulate them?"
The arrogant Yan Kuangtu, ranked first on the list, declared: "Who do you think you are? You dare to criticize me? Let me test your fists and see if they're hard enough! Let's see how many punches you can withstand!"
Yan Kuangtu pursued Xuanfo, a top-ranking underworld figure on the Black List, for thousands of miles. He first severely injured Xuanfo, and then, right before Xuanfo's eyes, he slaughtered all of Xuanfo's disciples and followers, destroying their lineage, ruining their power, and seizing their Dao hearts.
When Xuanfo was in utter despair, Yan Kuangtu released him, indicating that he would not kill the walking corpse. Xuanfo had just rekindled his hope for survival when Yan Kuangtu blasted him into dust with a single punch. People with hope for survival cannot be called walking corpses; killing such people is meaningful.
From then on, no one ever mentioned the blacklist again.
Until fifteen years ago, Yan Kuangtu was besieged by hundreds of masters in Wuyi Mountain. The two sides fought fiercely, and blood flowed like a river. Yan Kuangtu fought his way in and out seven times with his iron fists. Ninety-eight percent of these masters perished, and less than ten survived. Yan Kuangtu was seriously injured and fled to an unknown place. He has not been seen for fifteen years.
With the loss of the peerless madman Yan Kuangtu, the Black List has been brought up again. Currently, the number one spot is held by Pang Ban, the Palace Master of the Mongol Yuan Demon Master Palace, while Zhan Yu is ranked tenth.
There are countless underworld masters in the world, and they value their reputation even more than those in the legitimate world. The fact that Zhan Yu can consistently rank among the top ten speaks volumes about his difficulty. However, Zhan Yu's difficulty lies mainly in his agility and strategy; his martial arts are barely at the level of a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang. If you, my lord, were to encounter him, you could defeat and capture Zhan Yu alive in seven or eight moves at most.
Qin Nanqin added, "The ranking on the Black List is extremely unfair. It only lists individual abilities and does not consider the forces to which they belong. Otherwise, given the immense power of the Sky Eagle Sect, the Eagle King would definitely be in the top ten."
Cheng Lingsu said, "For a period of time, someone ranked my master in the top ten. My master personally went to the person who made the list to reason with them, and then they removed him from the list. The so-called black list is not as fair as you might imagine. As long as you are strong enough, you can change the ranking at any time."
Hua Baifeng scoffed, "Ninth on the list is Lian Ni Chang, the White-Haired Witch, leader of Mingyue Village on Dingjun Mountain. From a gangster's perspective, she's unworthy of the title."
Zhong Ling asked, "Brother Xu, the underworld has its own black list, but does the legitimate world have a list? Where does Brother Xu rank?"
Is it the best in the world?
Qin Nanqin replied, "The righteous heroes don't have a fixed list; instead, they default to following the Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends list. Master is currently eleventh on the Heavenly Stars list. If you defeat a few more renowned masters, you'll be in the top ten."
Who is in tenth place?
"The leader of the Emei Sect, Dugu Yihe."
"I've long wanted to experience the power of both sword and saber."
In the adventure stories of Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang, there are many masters who are defeated in a very "unjust" way. Dugu Yihe may not be the most unjust, but he is still defeated in a very frustrating way. He first loses half of his power and his spirit is severely damaged. Then he fights fiercely against Ximen Chuixue and suffers a frustrating defeat.
As for top masters such as Mu Daoren, Huo Xiu, Yuan Suiyun, and Shi Guanyin, some prefer to hide their skills, some are in the Western Regions, and some are overseas. They have no battle records to support their rankings, so they cannot be recorded or their rankings are relatively low.
The person who compiles the list is not omnipotent and cannot possibly investigate every detail of the information. Even if a time traveler were to compile the list, there would be no way to do so.
Martial arts masters are not homebodies; they don't stay at home in seclusion to cultivate their skills. Most masters like to travel around the world, experience new martial arts, seek out the traces of their predecessors and sages, and comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth. The more outstanding a master is, the less they can afford to be complacent.
Huo Xiu, being an extremely wealthy man, possessed countless martial arts techniques, including many that required enormous resources, which he could freely practice.
Huo Xiu could easily buy the Golden Bell Cover and Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill, two of the five great Shaolin skills. Not to mention his own foundation in virginity, even if he used spiritual medicine to accumulate power, he could still upgrade the Golden Bell Cover to the eleventh level and the Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill to the highest level. If one cart of ginseng wasn't enough, he could just get another cart of lingzhi mushrooms. He could eat elixirs and magic pills as food.
Such a person, unless he actively reveals his abilities, will remain unknown to anyone, and will often rank relatively low on the Heavenly Stars List.
Xu Qingya and the others chatted in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, which influenced Duan Zhengchun.
Duan Zhengchun quickly regained his composure.
Duan Zhengchun was by no means a foolish or incompetent person. If he had panicked and waited for help in the face of trouble, how could he have won the sincere love of so many beauties? It was just that concern made him confused, and his emotions overwhelmed his reason, which is why he appeared flustered. Once he regained his senses, he immediately went to the palace to discuss the plan to deal with the Heavenly Mandate Sect with Duan Zhengming.
Duan Yu asked, "Brother Xu, what should we do now? Are we just going to wait around in the palace?"
Xu Qingya joked, "Brother Duan, Qin Hongmian is your mother's rival in love, and she tried to kill her. Now that she's been caught, you should kick her while she's down!"
Duan Yu hurriedly waved his hand: "Brother Xu, the feud between Aunt Qin and my mother is a matter for our elders. Ultimately, it was my father who was in the wrong. Now that Aunt Qin is suffering because of this, if I were to take advantage of her misfortune, what right would such a despicable and shameless person have to be the crown prince?"
Yin Susu smiled and said, "Brother Duan, now I understand why my husband called you brother as soon as he met you. You are a gentleman, and it is always pleasant to be friends with a gentleman."
"Sister-in-law, you flatter me."
"This is not an exaggeration. You deserve this praise. There are too many despicable and shameless people in this world, and even more ungrateful wretches who betray their principles for personal gain. Those who do not actively harm others are few and far between. A virtuous and upright gentleman like you, my brother, is extremely rare."
Yin Susu gave Duan Yu a thumbs up.
Duan Yu was a little embarrassed by the praise.
Isn't this something a normal person should do?
Why is it worthy of such high praise?
Duan Yu was unaware that in this chaotic world of demons and monsters, "normal people" were few and far between, let alone "gentlemen."
Furthermore, Duan Yu's character is that of a true gentleman among upright people. In the original story, Duan Yu was even able to forcibly resist the effects of the "aphrodisiac".
How many people in the world can resist the urge to take aphrodisiacs through sheer willpower? This has nothing to do with the protagonist's halo, but rather with character. In the judgment system of the "protagonist's halo," aphrodisiacs are not a negative influence.
The higher the degree of the "protagonist halo," the lower the tolerance to aphrodisiacs. In the judgment system of the "overpowered protagonist halo," "aphrodisiacs" are considered a serendipitous encounter.
When faced with aphrodisiacs, the protagonist's halo not only doesn't provide support, but actually has a serious negative impact.
Duan Yu's ability to withstand the aphrodisiac through sheer willpower makes him an absolute gentleman among gentlemen. People of all kinds, good or bad, like to associate with gentlemen. They may have different opinions on certain things, but they don't need to worry about the other party betraying them, so they can let their guard down.
Xu Qingya laughed and said, "Brother Duan, find the map based on the contents of this extortion letter, and I will devise a corresponding strategy based on the map."
"Okay! I'll go find a map right now."
Duan Yu turned and left.
With seductive eyes, Yin Susu asked, "If we were kidnapped, what would you, my lord, do?"
Xu Qingya sneered: "I'm sure that before Zhan Yu and the other two kidnapped Qin Hongmian, their first thought was to kidnap you, but they overturned it themselves. The success rate of this plan was zero from the beginning."
Hua Baifeng, a sorceress from the Demonic Sect, immediately understood Xu Qingya's meaning: "What the Marquis means is that separating them into different prisons can indeed deal with Doubao'er, but no matter which position the Marquis attacks, the opponent will surely die."
Qin Nanqin understood immediately: "In other words, at least one person has to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others. Who is willing to do such a thing? Who has that kind of character?"
Cheng Lingsu said, "If they are upright gentlemen, the more intelligent they are and the more people they have, the stronger they are. If they are evil demons and heretics, the more intelligent they are and the more people they have, the weaker they are. They drag themselves down."
Yin Susu said softly, "That's why! Whether they are demonic witches or righteous heroines, they are all willing to stay by your side, my lord. You are a virtuous gentleman."
Xu Qingya whispered, "I'm different! I'll betray you, I'll betray you ruthlessly!"
Yin Susu and Qin Nanqin blushed deeply.
Hua Baifeng and Cheng Lingsu looked resentful.
Zhong Ling: My older brother and sister-in-law are whispering to each other. They won't tell me. They must have some big secret!
Erhai Lake, Moon Reflection Terrace!
Duan Zhengchun went to the appointment alone.
There were neither the four great guards of fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars, nor the Imperial Guards, nor Xu Qingya and Doubao'er. Duan Zhengchun held a long sword, his eyes flashing with determination.
"Zhan Yu, I'm here! Release them!"
Duan Zhengchun glared fiercely at Zhan Yu.
Zhan Yu sneered: "Prince Duan, I only said that I wanted you to come to the appointment, I never said that I wanted to release anyone. My target is you. What use is capturing Qin Hongmian? Only by capturing you, the crown prince, can we threaten Tianlong Temple."
Duan Zhengchun said disdainfully, "Zhan Yu, you've miscalculated! I'm no longer the crown prince. Emperor Baoding just issued an edict stripping me of my title and demoting me to a commoner. Do you want to see the imperial edict?"
Duan Zhengchun took out a scroll of imperial edicts.
The content is simple: Duan Zhengchun, as a prince, had an immoral private life, disturbed the Han envoys, damaged diplomatic relations, and committed an unforgivable crime. He was stripped of his princely title and demoted to a commoner.
Zhan Yu said coldly, "Duan Zhengchun, do you take me for a fool? Stripping him of his throne and demoting him to a commoner—such a huge matter can be accomplished in just one afternoon?"
Duan Zhengchun explained with a smile, "Dali is completely different from the Han Dynasty. Dali is a small and weak country, and its requirements for a crown prince are not high. I am not that important!"
"If you're not the crown prince, what about Duan Yu?"
"Of course, he should be adopted by the Emperor of Baoding!"
"Are you willing to part with it?"
"If I could exchange the throne for Hongmian's life, I would do it willingly. Let alone the throne, I would gladly exchange my life for Hongmian's life."
"As expected of the notorious womanizer, Prince Duan, his skill in using sweet words is truly remarkable!"
"No, if I were lying, how could I have won the sincere love of so many beauties? Every word I spoke was true; not a single word was false!"
"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"Zhan Yu, are you joking? If I were afraid you'd kill me, why would I have come alone?"
"I can kill you first, and then send Qin Hongmian and Mu Wanqing to the Heavenly Mandate Sect. They are both beauties, and they are mother and daughter. The Heavenly Mandate Sect will definitely like them very much."
"I don't think you can do it."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, while we were rambling on and on, Qin Hongmian and Mu Wanqing were already rescued. I am your only bargaining chip."
"Duan Zhengchun, don't force me!"
"No, no! Zhan Yu, it was never Duan Zhengchun who forced you, but Xu Qingya!"
Before he could finish speaking, "Duan Zhengchun" lightly wiped his face and removed a disguise mask.
"Xu Qingya, I've learned my lesson!"
Xu Qingya chuckled as he looked at Zhan Yu: "I want to know if your spear-shovel combo can outrun my Wind God Leg. Zhan Yu, I'll give you two choices: either confess all the secrets you know, or this place is so beautiful, it'll be your perfect grave!"
"You think you can take me down?"
"Whether you eat it or not is not important; what's important is whether you have the ability to evade Tangdun'er's pursuit!"
>