Chapter 165: Zhang Jie

"How can there be such a man in the world?"

Quan Guanqing, who saw the visitor's appearance clearly, muttered to himself, feeling inferior.

Although he was called the "Scholar of Ten Directions" by Jianghu friends, to show his upright appearance and wealth of knowledge,

in front of the visitor, it was simply the difference between a phoenix in the sky and a dead mouse on the ground.

The visitor had a face like a crown of jade, eyes like lacquer dots, a slender figure,

even though he wore the simplest green shirt without any other decorations,

Yet he was gentle and refined; the four words "elegant gentleman" seemed tailor-made for him.

In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Xie An (Grand Tutor Xie) asked his nephews:

"How do children get involved in human affairs, and why do you want them to be good?"

Xie Xuan replied: "Like a sesame orchid and jade tree,

I just want them to grow on the courtyard steps." This must be what it meant.

"You, are you the foster son of Zhang Laojiu, Zhang Jie?"

After carefully examining the visitor, Chen Zhanglao Guyan of the four elders asked uncertainly.

"It is I."

The visitor, or Zhang Jie, nodded.

Although he had become handsome and elegant under the influence of shared and increasingly profound skills,

this change was ultimately based on his original appearance,

and it was normal for people who were familiar with him to barely recognize him.

"Brother Chen, who is this Zhang Laojiu?"

The straightforward Elder Wu Qingfeng had a question and chose to ask directly.

At the same time, both Qiao Feng's camp and Quan Guanqing's camp pricked up their ears:

Zhang Jie's ability to appear like this meant his martial arts were beyond their imagination.

Such an expert, knowing even a little bit was good.

Otherwise, if they offended an expert because of some taboo like "going out and stepping with the left foot first",

that would be the end of it.

After all, with the martial arts Zhang Jie showed, killing any one of them wouldn't take a second move!

And this was just what was shown; seeing Zhang Jie so calm and relaxed,

the light-body technique just now was clearly not his limit.

Chen Zhanglao first looked at Zhang Jie, and seeing he didn't refuse, he spoke slowly:

"Zhang, Zhang Laojiu was an old beggar under my command.

And Zhang, Zhang Shaoxia is his foster son.

I had the honor of seeing Zhang Shaoxia a few times when I talked to Zhang Laojiu in the past."

Subconsciously, Chen Guyan used honorifics for

"What?

This Zhang Shaoxia is actually from our Beggar Sect?"

The scene suddenly became noisy.

A figure like Zhang Jie, just looking at his appearance, was a divine dragon above the nine heavens;

How could he have been cultivated in the muddy swamp that is their Beggar Sect?

Could it be that this is the legendary golden phoenix flying out of a sparrow's nest?

Zhang Jie smiled as he watched the Beggar Sect members, who were discussing heatedly and looking incredulous.

He had no intention of hiding the fact that he was born into the Beggar Sect in this life.

If it weren't for the foster father who had already passed away taking him in,

He likely would have frozen to death in some cold winter month before the Shared Space arrived.

Or perhaps, not knowing the rules, he would have been beaten to death by the beggar chiefs who occupied the begging resources of various regions.

Wherever there are people, there is Jianghu; wherever there are interests, interest groups will naturally breed,

Even among those who have always been looked down upon, this is true.

And this largest interest group in begging is known by Jianghu people as—the Beggar Sect!

Moreover, a divine dragon soaring above the nine heavens would never shy away from the experience of rolling in the mud when it was weak.

This is not his shame, but the path he came from.

The Ming Founding Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, who started with only a bowl, established the Great Ming Dynasty, recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun in the north,

And recovered Yunnan and Jiaozhi in the south, never shied away from his early experience as a beggar and a monk.

At that time, other rebel kings and generals had a tradition of finding themselves an illustrious ancestor after they became successful,

Such as the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, the Yang family of the Sui Dynasty, the Li family of the Tang Dynasty, or the Zhao family of the Song Dynasty.

Some even more shamelessly and directly claimed,

That they were the nth-generation descendants of ancient sage kings like the Yellow Emperor, the Flame Emperor, Yao, Shun, and Yu.

At the time, there were officials who, in order to curry favor with Zhu Yuanzhang, intentionally tried to attach him to a good ancestor,

Such as Zhu Xi, the Song Dynasty figure who proposed "preserve heavenly principles, extinguish human desires" and was revered as a sage.

However, he explicitly rejected all of this.

After Zhu Yuanzhang established the Great Ming Dynasty, it was no longer him being proud because his surname was Zhu,

But rather, all the people in the world with the surname Zhu were proud because of him!

Although Zhang Jie knew he was far inferior to that Ming Founding Emperor in official history, this did not prevent him from taking him as a role model.

Confucius said it well: "When you see a person of worth, think of how you may equal him; when you see a person of a contrary character, turn inwards and examine yourself."

"Haha."

"Since Zhang Shaoxia is also from our Beggar Sect, then naturally he is a brother of our Beggar Sect,

So participating in our Beggar Sect's internal affairs is nothing to be criticized."

Qiao Feng laughed heroically, brushing aside Bai Shijing's accusation that Zhang Jie was interfering in the Beggar Sect's internal affairs.

"The Sect Leader is wise!"

The four great elders and others echoed in unison.

It was good not to offend an expert like Zhang Jie, but wouldn't it be even better if they could win him over?

If they could win Zhang Jie into the Beggar Sect, they would be able to stand a little straighter when walking in the Jianghu in the future!

Then they would see if those guys who boast of being from famous orthodox sects would still dare to mock them as a bunch of beggars!

"Sect Leader Qiao is magnanimous."

Zhang Jie praised.

Come to think of it, he had a very good impression of Qiao Feng.

Besides the fact that he was a book-reader who accidentally transmigrated into the book,

Becoming someone who knew Qiao Feng's ups and downs, yet heroic life story,

It was also because he had indeed received Qiao Feng's kindness in this life.

The Beggar Sect, to be honest, what kind of place is it?

It is a place even more filthy and corrupt than temples like the Western Shaolin,

Which preach "put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot,"

Yet take in countless people who have only put down the butcher's knife on the surface,

While secretly keeping the butcher's knives in their hearts and hands just the same.

Holding the dog-beating stick, singing the lotus song, causing trouble at various shops, and forcing them to pay money was very common,

And kidnapping, breaking children's hands and feet, and then making them beg was also not rare.

Since ancient times, the Beggar Sect has been a den of iniquity for human trafficking and the trade of contraband.

If it weren't for Qiao Feng vigorously rectifying these heinous acts after taking power, killing many people for it,

He, who had not yet awakened his memories, might not have lived to see the arrival of his golden finger with all his limbs intact.

"Bai Zhanglao, you seem to be brooding over what I just said?"

After praising Qiao Feng, Zhang Jie looked with a half-smile at Bai Shijing, who was somewhat restless.

"Ho, how could that be?

Zhang Shaoxia is so supportive of our Beggar Sect finding and severely punishing the murderer of Deputy Sect Leader Ma,

I am too happy to be, how could I harbor resentment?"

The muscles on Bai Shijing's face twitched, and he forced out a smile.

It was just that this smile was several times uglier than a mournful face.

"Heh!"

"What I said was no lie.

The person who murdered Deputy Sect Leader Ma will definitely die a horrible death!"

Zhang Jie continued to stare at Bai Shijing, unrelenting.

According to the original work, among those who murdered Ma Dayuan,

Bai Shijing was eventually killed when Xiao Yuanshan, disguised as the ghost of Ma Dayuan, crushed his throat.

Kang Min, that woman with a heart like a scorpion, was severely injured by A Zi,

And because she was so proud of her beauty, she died of anger upon seeing her disfigured appearance.

Of course, since he had come, the ending would not change,

But the process could definitely be omitted in part!

Zhang Jie: If I hadn't come, the plot would be like this;

I came, and the plot is still like this, then wouldn't I have come for nothing?

"Brother Zhang, do you think Bai Zhanglao is the murderer who killed Brother Ma?"

Qiao Feng, who could manage such a large sect as the Beggar Sect, was naturally not a simple-minded,

Strong-limbed brute; he instantly heard the subtext in Zhang Jie's words.

"Yes, and no."

Zhang Jie first nodded, then shook his head.

"What is this situation?"

Chen Zhanglao and the others were confused for a moment, puzzled.

Since when could a murderer be both, and not be?

Could it be that Deputy Sect Leader Ma had two lives and was killed by different people?

"Since you suspect that someone learned the 'Throat-Locking Grappling Hand' to kill Deputy Sect Leader Ma.

Then besides Brother Qiao, who could obtain the 'Throat-Locking Grappling Hand' through the authority of the Sect Leader,

Isn't there one more person who could more easily obtain the 'Throat-Locking Grappling Hand' from Deputy Sect Leader Ma?"

Zhang Jie said calmly.

The four great elders and Qiao Feng heard this and couldn't help but look at the plain sedan chair,

Or rather, at Ma Dayuan's widow inside the sedan chair, Kang Min.

If anyone could obtain the 'Throat-Locking Grappling Hand' from Ma Dayuan more easily than Qiao Feng, then it had to be Kang Min.

Ma Dayuan's doting on Kang Min, his young wife who was more than a dozen years his junior,

And his obedience to her every word, was something the entire Beggar Sect had heard of.

Let alone the 'Throat-Locking Grappling Hand', even if Kang Min wanted the stars in the sky,

Ma Dayuan would have tried every possible way to satisfy her request without hesitation.

Chen Zhanglao said somewhat incredulously:

"Could it be that Bai Shijing and Kang Min conspired to murder Deputy Sect Leader Ma?"

"Exactly."

Zhang Jie nodded slightly, indicating confirmation.

Qiao Feng frowned, muttering:

"Brother Ma was so good to her, why would she want to murder Brother Ma?"

It wasn't that they believed Zhang Jie so easily.

It was that with the martial arts Zhang Jie displayed, there was absolutely no need to toy with them.

Plus, ever since Zhang Jie asked who else could obtain the 'Throat-Locking Grappling Hand' more easily than Qiao Feng,

Bai Shijing's face turned ashen, and Kang Min in the white sedan chair remained silent,

Which also revealed that things were not as simple as they had previously imagined.