Chapter 77: with translation of chapter title

In the past six months, the Central Plains martial world has undergone sudden upheavals and endless major events; after the news kept spreading, it shocked heroes of all factions, leaving them tongue‑tied, trembling with fear.

Among the Five Top Martial Arts, the Northern Beggar Hong Qigong, deep in the desert, had his entire martial skill nullified by the little‑known young master Niu Dingtian; after returning to the Central Plains he disappeared, and Niu Dingtian rose to fame from that single battle.

Three of the Beggar Sect's four senior elders died tragically, leaving only the filthy‑clothed elder Lu Youjiao to temporarily assume the sect leader's position; unable to command the members, the Beggar Sect fell into internal turmoil.

Two more of the Jiangnan Six Monsters died; rumors claim one was slain by the Beggar Sect, the other by Quanzhen Sect's Qiu Chuji.

In the great Jin State, Prince Zhao's princess and his young prince were kidnapped late at night, and Prince Zhao Wanyan Honglie issued a Jianghu bounty.

In Taihang Mountain, the giant bandit Thousand‑Handed Man slaughtered Peng Lianhu, who met a tragic death at the hands of Niu Hao Tian; Niu Hao Tian now occupies Woniu Zhai, secretly poised to unify the Taihang Mountain range.

Outside Xiangyang City, massive construction is underway on Jiugong Mountain, and rumors claim a mysterious master will found a sect there.

Rumor has it that the Chan Sect's ancestral Shaolin Temple, already sealed off, was forcibly breached by a mysterious master who then escaped with ease.

Rumor holds that the "Yue Girl Sword" Han Xiao Ying has a close relationship with the young master Niu Dingtian; enraged for a beloved woman, Niu Dingtian then challenged the Northern Beggar Hong Qigong.

After a brief punishment, Niu Dingtian felt a sudden exhilaration, cast a sideways glance at the two people on the ground, let out a soft hum, then shouldered his hands and strode away.

Someone beside him heard that, lifted a hand to twiddle his chin while still staring at the portrait, shook his head, and wore a look of disbelief.

In the sixteenth year of Jiading, an official Zhoushan ferry was established, and the name Zhoushan gradually expanded to encompass the entire archipelago; Niu Dingtian's Peach Blossom Island thus falls within the Zhoushan Islands.

"Hehehe, that's hard to say; perhaps Wanyan Honglie is deficient in that regard."

"Oh oh oh~"

After only a few steps, he saw the tavern's junior waiter driving away a disheveled beggar at the door; seeing a guest approach, the waiter ceased the scuffle and hurriedly called out warmly to Niu Dingtian, who had reached the doorway:

"Young master, please come inside!"

"Fine wine and dishes, bring a few selections, and prepare a fine guest room as well."

Liangzhe East Road, Qingyuan Prefecture, Changguo County

As an island county seat, Changguo County borders Japan to the east, connects to Denglei in the north, stretches to O‑Min in the south, and links to Wu Hui in the west, making it a key transit hub for traveling merchants.

"Hmph!"

Niu Dingtian looked on, his heart raging; the Song officials have been licking people down to their necks—this useless court, what use does it have!

Two sudden strange wails startled the onlookers into a chaotic dispersal, and then, seeing more excitement on the ground, they gathered again to point and comment.

Niu Dingtian and Niu Hao Tian of Woniu Zhai appear to be brotherly, and when the giant bandit of Woniu Zhai emerges, masters of various schools steer clear of his blade.

Upon reaching the first floor's scattered seating, he directly selected a table and sat down.

Great Song Nation

"I'll sit right here!"

The beggar suddenly saw the arriving guest, made a sudden move with his hand, then, fearful, slipped to the side, while the disheveled one watched from a distance.

"Alas! Brother, have you heard? Rumor has it that the Jin State Prince Zhao's princess eloped with someone, rather than being kidnapped!"

"Ah ah!"

After a gentle nod of acknowledgement and a couple of instructions, Niu Dingtian went in first.

All manner of news and gossip spread like a blanket, continuously arriving and gradually becoming the talk of tourists in every tavern and teahouse, even the storytellers' business began to boom.

Changguo County is encircled by sea, and its winter temperature is considerably warmer than that inside Lin'an City. Niu Dingtian arrived beneath the city tower, glanced at the two characters "Changguo" on it, and then strode into the city.

Niu Dingtian gave a slight glance; his body was caked in mud, his face filthy, his features indistinct, and he paid no further attention—there are countless beggars in the Great Song, and when he someday needs to worry about them, it won't be too late.

"Young master, our establishment has a private room upstairs!"

"Your mother! My senior sister is also something you can imagine? Only I can think of that mother!"

He then calmly pulled a sour face, lowered his head to find two green stones on the ground, lifted his foot and kicked; with a "whoosh whoosh" they sliced through the air, hurling toward the two people.

Seeing those two's lewd appearances again, a surge of anger rose in his chest.

"So I'm already defined as a rebel?"

On the south side of the county town lies a small hill that serves as a docking point for ships entering and leaving the town; the town's prosperity creates a spectacular scene of boats and sails gathering around the hill, and the locals thus call it "Zhoushan".

Here is a bounty from the great Jin State Prince Zhao: the princess and heir have been seized by Jianghu bandits; anyone who rescues them will receive a thousand gold as reward, and anyone who shelters or hides them will be guilty of treason!

"Damn!"

"The seal still reads the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice!"

"Young master, are you just stopping by for a snack or staying the night?"

In the tiny county town, the blue‑stone avenue is crowded with merchants, traffic bustling, the liveliness nearly rivals that of Lin'an City's market streets.

That person leaned close, lowered his voice, then chuckled, his smile as lewd as possible.

"If that's the case, what you say might be possible, but the portrait of Prince Zhao's princess truly makes one... shiver~"

"We must first gather information about Peach Blossom Island."

"Eloping? Would you abandon heavenly riches to run off with someone?"

That person, unsure of what they were thinking, almost shivered all over.

The junior waiter bowed forward, his face beaming with smiles, and said, "This young master's bearing is too grand for here."

A glance revealed that the portrait prominently depicted his sister‑in‑law Bao and Yang Kang's nephew, with a caption beside it:

Just after entering the city gate, Niu Dingtian saw a crowd gathered by a wall, all debating the two portraits posted on it; among them, some remarks were especially lewd.

Strolling through the main street, soaking in the era's atmosphere, after a while Niu Dingtian spotted a fairly sizable tavern ahead and stepped toward it.

Since leaving the desert that day, Niu Dingtian rode southward, reaching Xuzhou City within Jin State, boarded a ship at Xuzhou Port, drifted southward for ten days, and finally arrived at Qingyuan Prefecture's Changguo County within the Great Song realm.

"Otherwise, why is there only one heir after all these years? I wonder if it's his seed; this matter is still uncertain!"

Niu Dingtian waved his hand to decline; this place is filled with various low‑rank Jianghu folk, who, though not respectable, have keen information.

"Alright then, young master, please wait a moment!"

After the junior waiter left, Niu Dingtian half‑closed his eyes, sat in a meditative monk's posture, and began to perk his ears to eavesdrop on the surrounding conversation.

Strictly speaking, he should be counted as listening, a righteous act; why call it stealing words? He heard from a distance, unavoidable; no longer a scholar, the notion of "impropriety" means nothing to him!

"Brother Wang! Brother offers you a drink! Today I'm the host, so don't be overly polite!"

My wife's womb hasn't shown any sign in ten years, and after renting Brother Wang's house we conceived right away; seems the house's feng shui helped. Brother, thank you!

Ahem, Brother Yang, you're courteous—let's work together! Work together!

Damn!

Muttering a curse, Niu Dingtian turned toward the next table.

I didn't expect the illustrious Five Absolutes to be defeated like this; I heard people from the Beggar Sect say that Niu Dingtian is very young and even boasted of wanting to replace the position of the Central Divine Skill, but Niu Dingtian is far too ruthless—why discard a person's martial arts? Such behavior is no different from a demon lord!

Is Hong Qi your father?

The young man at the neighboring table immediately snapped back.

Bang!

Kid, what did you say?

I said Hong Qi is your father!

You're courting death!

Afraid of you?

Hey hey hey! Alright! Alright!

Someone immediately intervened and shifted the topic:

But I heard that the day before yesterday someone sneaked into Peach Blossom Island again, and only a corpse floated back.

Hmph! The people of Peach Blossom Island are too overbearing! They occupy an island and forbid anyone else from entering?

Alas! Brother, watch your words! This must not be spoken! Absolutely must not be spoken!

Niu Dingtian half‑squinted as he listened to the few people's conversation, a smile involuntarily tugging at his mouth. He hadn't expected the notorious reputation of Peach Blossom Island to be so great around the Zhoushan area.

Sir, your wine and dishes are ready!

Please enjoy!

After the young waiter placed the wine and dishes, Niu Dingtian didn't immediately pick up his chopsticks; instead, he rose, lifted the wine jar, and slowly walked to the table where the conversation had been.

Ignoring the surprise on their faces, he cheerfully refilled their already empty wine cups one by one, then asked with a smile:

Do any of you heroes know about Peach Blossom Island?

Do you know where one can find a route to enter the island?

The moment he spoke, the surroundings fell silent, the patrons' expressions froze, and then they stared at Niu Dingtian in astonishment.

Fine wine!

Sniffing the aroma, the few at the table came to their senses; one of them, looking hesitant, deliberated a moment before asking:

Young brother, are you going to Peach Blossom Island?

Niu Dingtian smiled and nodded, then said:

Please, hero, inform me. I will not be stingy with my reward!

The man thought for a moment and then advised:

It seems the young brother is an outsider; no need for a reward. However, Peach Blossom Island is a forbidden place for those from outside our island—no outsider has ever emerged alive. If you intend to go, be extremely cautious!

Having said that, seeing Niu Dingtian's lack of response, he continued:

As for the route onto the island, most old boatmen near Zhoushan know it, but all the sea vessels and fishing boats around Zhoushan fear Peach Blossom Island as if it were a serpent and scorpion, and they dare not approach within forty li; no matter how much gold or silver you spend, they will never take a youngster there.

Having obtained the information he wanted, Niu Dingtian placed the wine jar on the table and, clasping his fists, smiled:

Thank you, hero, for the information. I have not touched this wine, so I give it to you all!

However, what the hero just said, I agree with; I also think Peach Blossom Island's approach is somewhat overbearing.

Farewell!

After speaking, he turned, tossed a piece of broken silver onto his own table, and slipped out of the tavern.

Business is urgent; perhaps this trip will still make it in time for Huang Lao Xie's family's dinner.

The others were stunned by his bizarre speed.

Bang!

At another table, the young man who had snapped back earlier seemed to suddenly recall something, stood up abruptly, slammed the table, and shouted:

He is Niu Dingtian!

Damn! I keep thinking why does he look so familiar!

I swear, I've seen this hero's portrait in the Beggar Sect!

At first he only thought the face was somewhat familiar, but being too young he never considered it; now having witnessed such terrifying lightness skill with his own eyes, he was suddenly enlightened, yet already regretted it to the point of wanting to crush his own feet and chest.

The surrounding martial artists murmured in amazement.

Niu Dingtian? Damn it! Niu Dingtian poured me wine!

Is that Niu Dingtian? Is he the one who ruined Hong Qi Gong's martial arts?

What? You damn it, you don't accept? I've been displeased with you for a while! You just called him a demon lord, hahaha! Clean your neck! He will definitely remember you!

Niu Dingtian never imagined the patrons' reaction; they are like two parallel lines that may never intersect again.

After leaving the city, he darted straight toward the dock, the very place he had just come from.

Young master, where do you wish to go? Need to take a boat?

Before even seeing the sea, just as he smelled the sea breeze, a boatman began beckoning passengers.

Peach Blossom Island!

Niu Dingtian halted abruptly, glanced ahead, and said lightly.

The boatman's smile froze on his face, and he quickly waved his hand, saying:

Young master, perhaps you should find someone else! I, the junior, don't know that place!

Really don't know?

One hundred taels of silver!

Niu Dingtian stared at the boatman with a half-smile, then immediately spoke up, adding to the bet.

Sir, spare me! Don't even mention one hundred taels—even two hundred taels of silver I wouldn't dare go! Taking this money, I'd have no life to spend it!

Seeing Niu Dingtian's reaction, the boatman also knew he was a straightforward person, and bluntly said with a sorrowful face, "I don't dare go."

Niu Dingtian was about to speak again to persuade him, when suddenly something came to mind; his eyes flashed, and he then said:

"All right, I'll charter the sea vessel; still one hundred taels of silver—just take me to Shrimp Stand Island, we can set off now."

Hearing that, the boatman's heart instantly relaxed, the smile on his face suddenly breaking into a grin as he hurriedly bowed and greeted Niu Dingtian:

"No problem, sir, come with me!"

After walking less than a quarter hour, Niu Dingtian once again saw the spectacular sight of countless sails gathered. Sea breezes blew in gusts, continuously bringing the salty fishy smell ashore; waves surged in gusts, making the sea and fishing boats rock incessantly; seabirds cried out in gusts, their calls mingling with the merchants' clamor, further highlighting the place's vibrant prosperity.

"Sir, please this way!"

The boatman led Niu Dingtian to the seaside dock, finished the paperwork, then searched among the sea vessels for a while, found a not-so-new sea vessel, and called for Niu Dingtian to board.

"Boatman, where to?"

Inside, there was also a boatman.

"To Shrimp Stand Island, set off now!"

"All right!"

After the sea vessel set sail, Niu Dingtian went into the cabin, closed his eyes to rest and cultivate, while also pondering in his mind how to deal with Huang Lao Xie after landing on the island.

Thinking thus, he involuntarily recalled the legendary Huang Rong, not knowing what she looked like now.

Is she a yellow-haired girl?

Or

Hiss~

Important business! Important business!

After gathering his thoughts, Niu Dingtian shouted loudly toward the cabin exterior:

"Master! Have we left Odd Head Sea?"

"Almost there, sir! We'll be out soon!"

The sea wind was too strong, so their conversation had to be shouted.

Upon hearing that, Niu Dingtian immediately closed his eyes and sat there again, like an old monk entering meditation.

After a moment, the boatman's shout suddenly came from outside the cabin:

"Sir! We've already left Odd Head Sea!"

Hearing that, Niu Dingtian couldn't help but raise his brows slightly, the corners of his mouth slowly curving downward.

PS: This is a combined chapter; I'll adjust the schedule soon to have two chapters on day six and one chapter on day four.

(End of chapter)