Chapter 803: Lu Xiaofeng and the Iron Shoe Bandit

A saying once circulated in the Edo: the one with the most real estate is the Hua Family of Jiangnan. The one with the most jewelry is the Guanzhong Yan Family, but the truly wealthiest person must be Huo Xiu.

It is just that both the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion of the Guanzhong Yan Family and the number one tycoon Huo Xiu were blown away by the wind and rain several years ago.

It is said to be related to Lu Xiaofeng, who is still very much in the limelight today, and also related to that martial arts legend.

Over these past few years, many tycoons have emerged in the Edo, but none have lasted long; I have watched them build high towers, I have watched them feast guests, and I have watched their towers collapse. Only the Hua Family of Jiangnan, with the most real estate, still stands tall in the Edo. Moreover, not only have they not declined, they have become increasingly prosperous, with famous heroes and experts emerging in every generation.

As for the Hua family's most praised real estate, some say that if the "King of Thieves" Sikong Zhaixing, who has the highest lightness skill, were to run from east to west for a day and a night, when he stopped to rest, he would still be on the Hua family's land.

The Hua family patriarch, Hua Ruling, has been famous for over forty years.

As the head of a martial arts family, the old master Hua's martial arts are naturally not bad; his lightness skill, sword techniques, and hidden weapons are all peerless. What is most praised is that when he was young, he united the five major sects to eradicate the "Iron Shoe Bandit," who committed the most rampant crimes, used the most bizarre methods, and possessed the highest martial arts.

For the past twenty years, the old master Hua has rarely made a move, but those who have seen him all believe that his spirit and energy are restrained, his presence as steady as an abyss or a mountain, and he is already a master-level figure, absolutely no less than the sect leaders of Wudang or Shaolin.

The old master Hua is not only skilled in martial arts but also adept at management; the Hua family may not be as rich as a nation, but it is not far off.

And for a person like this to hold a sixtieth birthday banquet, it is naturally crowded with guests, with carriages and horses like a flowing stream.

Experts from both the black and white paths would come to offer gifts and congratulations.

The banquet included both famous martial arts magnates from various regions and wandering heroes from across the world; even a few famous catchers from the Six Fan School came to offer their congratulations.

By the third day of the banquet, most of the guests had already left the Hua residence, and those who remained were all pivotal figures in the Edo. For example, the leaders of the five major sects, "Four Eyebrows" Lu Xiaofeng, the Divine Doctor Song who can bring the dead back to life, Eagle-Eye Lao Qi of the Twelve Chain Docks...

In fact, for this birthday banquet, the old master Hua had another intention, which was to help Hua Manlou remove the inner demon that was the Iron Shoe Bandit.

Hua Manlou has been blind since childhood, but in reality, it was caused by the Iron Shoe Bandit fifteen years ago. Although more than a decade ago, Hua Ruling had united the five major sects of the Edo to eradicate the Iron Shoe Bandit, in Hua Manlou's heart, the Iron Shoe Bandit had not died. Because of this, for over a decade, Hua Manlou had been deeply tormented by this psychological obsession.

Hua Ruling had good intentions, wanting to ask Lu Xiaofeng to disguise himself as the Iron Shoe Bandit and pretend to be killed by Hua Manlou.

However, this plan encountered an accident; it was one thing that Hua Manlou saw through Lu Xiaofeng's disguise, but the Hero Wu who had been invited by Hua Ruling to help was murdered. Everyone was filled with anxiety, suspecting that the Iron Shoe Bandit had not died back then.

After investigating and finding the culprit to be another hero, before that hero could reveal the mastermind behind the scenes, they were murdered.

Then, the Princess of the Hanhai Kingdom in the Western Regions and a group of Western Region assassins appeared; they had come for the Jade Buddha that symbolized the power of the Hanhai Kingdom, and a clash between the two sides was imminent.

"Hmph, you lot are worthy of threatening me!

When I was roaming the Edo, you were still in your mother's womb."

Eagle-Eye Lao Qi of the Twelve Chain Docks had the most explosive temper; he let out a cold snort and struck out with a backhand palm, the force surging like a boiling mountain flood, submerging everything before him.

The ferocity of this strike and the rigidity of the force were such that, throughout the entire Edo, few could execute it. This strike even carried the sound of deep wind and thunder; relying on such a palm, Eagle-Eye Lao Qi had blasted to death countless experts, many of whom were famous for decades and possessed illustrious reputations.

Therefore, Eagle-Eye Lao Qi did not take this Princess of the Hanhai Kingdom and her assassins seriously.

Secretly playing tricks is one thing, but daring to appear so brazenly—then go to hell!

The Princess did not expect Eagle-Eye Lao Qi to strike so quickly; in her haste, she received the blow and was immediately shaken into retreating repeatedly, her face turning slightly pale, a trace of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"Heh." Eagle-Eye Lao Qi gave a ferocious laugh and reached out with a backhand toward the Hanhai Princess's throat.

Who would have thought that the Hanhai Princess would pull out a Qiang flute from somewhere and blow into it, immediately emitting a sound like the wailing of a fierce ghost. Eagle-Eye Lao Qi suddenly felt his Qi and Blood surging, his True Qi uncontrollable, his hands and feet feeling floaty; his strike, which should have had ten parts of force, was left with only three. It was easily dodged by the Hanhai Princess.

As for Hua Manlou, Lu Xiaofeng, and the others, they were the same.

"Not good, there is poison in the banquet wine." Hua Manlou was also a quick-witted person and soon guessed the reason.

The wine at today's banquet came from the Hanhai Kingdom and was unusually fragrant; I fear that the fragrance was just to cover up the poison within.

Just at this moment, there was another clattering sound in the courtyard, and from every corner, twenty or so people sprang out, each holding a crossbow.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Almost at the same time, a dense rain of arrows shot toward Eagle-Eye Lao Qi, Lu Xiaofeng, and the others.

Those present were all top-tier martial arts figures with superb skills; usually, everyone would have at least seven or eight ways to deflect a rain of arrows, but at this moment, they could only retreat in a sorry state, and one person was even shot in the thigh, blood gushing out like a spring.

"Retreat to the main hall."

Hua Ruling's vigorous internal energy was also unable to be mobilized, and his face was pale.

Everyone retreated into the main hall in a sorry state. Just as they were preparing to block the main gate and, under Hua Ruling's lead, sneak into the secret passage, they heard the sound of strings and bamboo coming from afar, playing leisurely. In the wind, which carried a slight scent of blood, a rich fragrance of flowers suddenly wafted over.

Everyone could not help but be stunned, deciding to see what new turn of events had occurred.

Lu Xiaofeng pushed open the window and looked through it, seeing nine women in white as snow sweeping in from afar.

These nine women not only had superb lightness skills, but their clothes fluttered, like fairies in flight.

The two leading women were playing the xiao and the flute, the music melodious and pleasant.

The two women behind them were carrying flower baskets, scattering flowers all the way from afar.

The four women behind them were actually carrying a sedan chair.

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head as he watched; having such delicate beauties carry a sedan chair was truly a waste of natural gifts, a lack of appreciation.

At the same time, he always felt this style was somewhat familiar.

Then, he saw the little girl who was not scattering flowers, not playing the flute or xiao, and not carrying the sedan chair.

The little girl smiled like a flower: "Little nephew, grand-nephew, how are you all."

Lu Xiaofeng gave a bitter smile.

Even Hua Manlou gave a bitter smile.

The little nephew was Lu Xiaofeng, and the grand-nephew was Hua Manlou.

"It's a pity Ye Gucheng didn't see this." A leisurely sigh came from behind the curtains.

……

PS: I recently caught up on the Lu Xiaofeng movies, so I'm using the original Iron Shoe Bandit plot here; don't worry about the timeline.