Chapter 62

Jiang Ping raised his eyebrows and said: "Even if he has a chance to succeed in the Martial Examination, he doesn't have the courage to make a move when he meets us. Why waste a meal on him?"

Gu Fang nodded: "That's also true."

Xu Yang entered White Stone Ward with the evening glow. Before he reached home, he saw a group of people at his door.

Surrounded by four or five burly men, a man in his twenties sat firmly like a mountain, holding a small teapot in his hand, looking like an old man.

Xu Yang saw clearly that among the four or five people standing, one was his cousin Xu Zheng.

His door was closed, he didn't see Xu Qing's figure, and the nearby neighbors also had their doors closed, not seeing a single person.

Xu Yang's heart sank, and he quickened his pace.

"Young Gang Leader, he is Xu Yang," Xu Zheng said in a low voice.

"I've been waiting for him for so long, and he finally arrived."

Zhang Tong still sat firmly, drinking tea unhurriedly: "No tea left, add some water."

Xu Zheng understood and turned to the house: "Xiao Qing, add some hot water for the Young Gang Leader."

"Right away."

Xu Qing's voice came from the house, and then the door was opened. She carried a teapot of hot water and carefully added hot water to the teapot in Zhang Tong's hand.

After adding the water, she didn't go home but ran behind Xu Yang, who had already walked over with long strides, and hid.

"Xu Yang, this is the Young Gang Leader of the Si Shui Gang, an expert at the Great Success of Qi Refining. Why don't you hurry over and pay your respects?"

Xu Zheng spoke first, no longer calling Xu Yang "Brother A-Yang," but calling him by his name directly.

"That idiot Li Sanhe!"

Xu Yang cursed in his heart. Li Sanhe said Zhang Tong was at the Small Success of Qi Refining; that was simply farting.

Fortunately, he decisively slaughtered Li Sanhe. If he had gone to face an expert at the Great Success of Qi Refining head-on, even if he had mastered the Wind-Thunder Force, it would have been dangerous.

He also understood why Li Sanhe wanted to kill Zhang Tong. The Si Shui Gang had two experts at the Great Success of Qi Refining; if Li Sanhe didn't want to die, he could only strike first.

Glancing coldly at Xu Zheng, Xu Yang looked at Zhang Tong: "Young Gang Leader, visiting my humble home, I don't know what advice you have?"

Zhang Tong still sat firmly, revealing a smile, and said: "Don't be nervous. I'm not here to find trouble with you, just that my Si Shui Gang has taken over the Three Harmonies Gang's territory, and I heard there is a person like you in White Stone Ward, so I came to see."

I'm afraid he's here to beat me down!

Xu Yang was expressionless on the surface and said: "Compared to the Young Gang Leader, what kind of person am I?"

Zhang Tong nodded: "That's the truth, but my Si Shui Gang has to beg for food here after all. If I don't come to greet you local celebrities first, and a conflict arises one day, others will say my Si Shui Gang doesn't understand the rules."

So crazy!

However, with both father and son at the Great Success of Qi Refining, and facing him, someone at the Small Success of Qi Refining, he indeed had the capital to be crazy.

Xu Yang took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said: "How dare I? The prestige of the Si Shui Gang is like thunder in my ears. I only have admiration; how could I dare to have a conflict?"

"Brother Xu speaks really well!"

Zhang Tong asked suddenly: "I heard you and Li Sanhe had a good relationship?"

So it was because of Li Sanhe!

Xu Yang shook his head: "Relationship is not worth mentioning, but after I refined Qi, Gang Leader Li came twice."

"Brother Xu, don't worry. I just asked casually. The sky is late, so I won't disturb you."

Zhang Tong stood up, revealing a smile: "In the future, the Si Shui Gang will make a living here, so I ask Brother Xu to take care of us. Your sister's tea-making skills are good. When I have time, I will definitely come to taste it again."

"Young Gang Leader, go slowly!"

Was this using Xu Qing to remind him, or did he have ideas about Xu Qing?

In nearly a year, under his feeding of food without stinting, Xu Qing had already grown into a graceful young lady. Plus, with reading and writing, she had also cultivated some temperament, looking completely unlike a country girl.

Xu Yang narrowed his eyes, watched Zhang Tong leave with Xu Zheng and the others, and only then returned home with Xu Qing.

"They didn't do anything to you, did they?" Xu Yang said.

Xu Qing shook her head: "They didn't do anything, just that Xu Zheng was somewhat annoying, always ordering me to boil water for that Young Gang Leader."

"Don't have a conflict with him. With Brother here, he won't dare to do anything to you."

Xu Yang nodded and got up to cook.

Recently, he had been eating exotic beast meat, so he didn't eat at the Weiyuan Hall, and he ate dinner when he returned.

In the past, Xu Qing would cook it, and he could eat when he returned. Today, because Zhang Tong and the others appeared, Xu Qing had no heart to cook.

"At most, by the end of this month, I should be able to reach the Great Success of Qi Refining," Xu Yang pondered secretly.

After spending the seventy taels obtained from Li Sanhe, he should be able to reach the Great Success of Qi Refining, which was two or three months earlier than the time he had expected before.

The next day, Weiyuan Hall.

Sun Tao heard his master calling him, so he left the outer court disciples he was guiding and soon arrived at the courtyard where Lin Cheng was.

He saw Lin Cheng practicing his stance, so he stepped forward and bowed: "This disciple pays respects to Master. I don't know why Master called this disciple here; what instructions do you have?"

Lin Cheng's gaze swept over Sun Tao, secretly satisfied.

After a round of fighting in the mountains, this disciple of his had grown a lot; his aura was fierce, and his martial dao should have improved.

He stopped his stance, took the towel handed over by the concubine beside him, wiped the sweat off his face, and said: "You have gained a lot from entering the mountains this time, and your mentality has also changed. In the future, you don't need to be responsible for the affairs of the outer court. You just need to practice with peace of mind and fully respond to the Martial Examination. I will let An Ye be responsible for the guidance of the outer court disciples."

Sun Tao shook his head: "Master, these small matters won't delay this disciple. Junior Brother An Ye is still young, and this disciple is not at ease handing over the outer court affairs to him. Let this disciple share the burden for you for these few months."

"After this disciple succeeds in the Martial Examination, then Junior Brother An Ye can take over."

Lin Cheng thought for a while and nodded: "Then as you wish."

Sun Tao cupped his hands: "If there is nothing else, this disciple bids farewell."

Lin Cheng seemed to have remembered something and said: "I have already waived Xu Yang's tuition the day before yesterday. Don't go looking for him to ask for it in the future."

The Weiyuan Hall was not a charity hall. When it was time to pay tuition, if there was no record, Sun Tao would have to urge them.

Sun Tao was stunned: "Why would Master waive Junior Brother Xu Yang's tuition?"

In the vast Weiyuan Hall, only he and An Ye, who would take over his affairs later, didn't need to pay tuition. The others, even if they had reached the Great Success of Qi Refining, still had to pay the tuition of two taels of silver every month on time.

"Don't worry about it, just do as I say."

Xu Yang hadn't reported grasping the Wind-Thunder Force to Lin Cheng. As a master, he naturally wouldn't talk too much and tell the matter.

"Yes, this disciple bids farewell."

Leaving the master's courtyard all the way, Sun Tao's mind was full of why Master would waive Xu Yang's tuition. Was Xu Yang Master's illegitimate child? Or had Master already taken Xu Yang as a personal disciple?

"Junior Brother Sun, why do you look absent-minded?" Gu Fang's voice rang out.

Sun Tao looked up and found that he had been lost in thought and had almost bumped into Gu Fang without noticing.

"Senior Sister, why do you think Master would waive Xu Yang's tuition?"

Gu Fang was stunned. This was a treatment she didn't have. Although she didn't care about these two taels of silver, the meaning was extraordinary.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" she pointed at Xu Yang who had just entered.

"Forget it, if Master doesn't tell me, I'd better not ask." Sun Tao resisted the urge to step forward.

Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng stepped into the inner court, only to see that the place where their small group often practiced together had only Qiu Wenjie today; Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong were not there.

"Where are Junior Brothers Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong?" Wu Yongfeng asked.

"Over there!"

Qiu Wenjie pointed in a direction at will. Xu Yang followed his gaze and saw Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong sitting in the pavilion with Jiang Ping and the others, talking and laughing happily, with bursts of laughter coming from time to time.

Besides the two of them, several other disciples who performed well during the mountain sweeping were also in the pavilion.

"They actually associated with Senior Brother Jiang Ping and the others." Wu Yongfeng showed envy.

Squeezing into the circle of these young masters like Jiang Ping would make their martial dao path smoother in the future.

Xu Yang was not jealous, nor envious, and set up his stance to start practicing his stance.