Chapter 120 Meeting an Old Friend, Sun Deming of Ping City

Sun Deming offered a few more compliments before taking out a wooden box from the boat. "This is a specialty herb from Ping City called Three-Year-Old Training. It strengthens the bones and muscles. Seeing as you have children on board, this is the perfect thing to lay down a solid foundation for them."

At the mention of children, Wang Ming immediately accepted it.

Sun Deming looked at their small boat. Wanting to form a good relationship, he suggested, "I see you have quite a few people on board, and the goods we’re escorting this time aren’t that many. Brother Wang, if you don’t mind, how about switching to a larger boat?"

Wang Ming looked at Xu Guang, who was sitting at the bow, clearly tempted by the offer.

Indeed, this boat was just a fishing vessel Xu Guang had hidden away a long time ago. It was only about ten square meters. With all their valuables on board, the space was incredibly cramped, and it only had a small cabin to shelter them from the wind and rain.

Xu Guang looked at his eldest sister and his wife, then nodded. "Then we’ll have to thank you, Sun the Leader."

Saying so, he took out dozens of gold coins and offered them to Sun Deming.

Sun Deming refused to take them. "Brother Xu, aren’t you embarrassing Old Sun by doing this? How can I accept money after you saved our lives?"

Xu Guang looked at Sun Deming, a thoughtful expression on his face. Judging from the reactions of the rest of the group, they didn’t seem to be brutal or harboring dark secrets. At the very least, they were people who valued good deeds and order. So, he stood up and took a step forward.

"I have my family, including women and children, on this boat. Elder Sun, would it be convenient for Xu to board your ship for a chat?"

A moment later, Xu Guang stood on Sun Deming’s small boat. Only a young man, around twenty years old, was rowing.

Noticing Xu Guang’s gaze, Sun Deming looked at the young man with a hint of pity. "Han is hard of hearing. Brother Xu, you can speak your mind freely."

"Elder Sun must have noticed that we are not from You State. I just wanted to ask if you know much about the major factions here?" Xu Guang asked softly. Out of caution, he didn’t ask about Yuan City.

Hearing this, a look of realization dawned on Sun Deming’s face. He replied, "So that’s how it is. Brother Xu, you’ve asked the right person. Although Sun’s strength is meager, I have traveled extensively and seen a lot. I actually do know things that others don’t.

"If we’re talking about the strongest faction in You State, the Red Lotus Holy Land comes first. It is said that this Holy Land is located near You State’s Jingbian City, resisting the invasion of Barbarians from the Northern Desert. The people of the Holy Land dress like Buddha, bearing a red lotus mark between their brows. Anyone whose every action exudes a Buddhist nature belongs to the Red Lotus Holy Land.

"Next is the Medicine Demon Gang, notorious not just in You State but throughout the Great Qian. It’s filled with heinous individuals. Rumor has it that their inner Cultivation Techniques are incomparably exquisite, capable of condensing the body’s Power, Vitality, and Blood into something as translucent as jade and exceptionally pure, allowing fellow disciples to perform Refinement on them without any obstacles. The gang follows the path of Gu Cultivation, and their Cultivation Techniques are mostly bloodthirsty and cruel. The tragedy in Yu Chun City in the past was their doing. The gang members dress differently, but they all wear a Medicine Saber. You must be extra careful if you encounter them.

"The third is..."

Xu Guang listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a question.

After all, Sun Deming was an experienced veteran of the Martial World when it came to escorting goods, and his range of activity was incredibly vast. According to him, he always enjoyed making friends, so he had some connections with the factions in several major cities along the way. Gradually, Xu Guang gained a general understanding of You State.

This place was considered the easternmost territory of the Great Qian, bordering the endless Northern Desert to the east, and it was frequently invaded by the Northern Barbarians. Because of this, almost every household in You State raised horses. The martial ethos was strong, and the people were fierce. The strongest faction, the Red Lotus Holy Land, emphasized ascetic cultivation in order to endure the Red Lotus Karma Fire. They usually focused solely on dealing with the Northern Barbarians, practically ignoring the turbulence of the outside world.

The Medicine Demon Gang stirred up trouble everywhere, but they were jointly resisted by all the Sects and Noble Families in You State. As a result, interactions among the sixteen major cities within You State were very frequent, mostly in the form of martial arts exchanges. Consequently, all kinds of factions and schools converged here, giving birth to a variety of powerful Martial Arts.

In You State, families like the three great families of Feiyun City couldn’t even be called Noble Families. A so-called Noble Family was one that possessed a stable and renowned Noble Family bloodline. An example was the Nether Hand Ding Family, one of the six major factions in You State, who possessed the widely spread and envied Nether Hand bloodline.

Sun Deming spoke eloquently and endlessly. From the factions to the local customs of each major city, he shared everything he knew without holding back.

Later, Wang Ming also came over, joining Xu Guang in asking questions. In Xu Guang and Wang Ming’s eyes, the image of this Great State, You State, gradually became fully fleshed out. Because communication between cities was convenient, the factions here were intricately intertwined. The majority of the factions in each major city were rooted in more than just one city. This point was clearly much better than the closed-off Qing State. However, Xu Guang could also understand. Lin Yu’s purpose in going to Qing State was impure, so naturally, he didn’t want more people going to Suiyang City, lest they ruin his plans.

By the time the three parted ways, it was already the early morning of the next day.

"Thank you, Elder Sun, for clearing up our doubts. Otherwise, we would likely be completely lost upon arriving in You State and take countless wrong paths."

"It’s just a trivial matter, completely incomparable to the life-saving grace you two have shown us. It will take me about three months to finish escorting these goods. If you two brothers don’t mind, you can settle down in Ping City later. I have a bit of face in that city," Sun Deming said enthusiastically.

This old man’s personality was somewhat similar to that of Sixth Senior Brother, Xu Sanduo. Full of chivalrous loyalty, it was easy for him to make people feel a sense of goodwill with just a few words. Furthermore, compared to Xu Sanduo, he understood the ways of the world better and was more articulate. No wonder none of the other Darts Masters opposed him, even for something as major as switching boats.

Xu Guang and his group had already switched to the large boat, making them much more comfortable.

"Erlang, if what Elder Sun said is all true, then we can open a Martial Arts Hall when we arrive in Yuan City. It’ll be a good way to make a living," Wang Ming whispered from the side.

Xu Guang pondered this in his heart, feeling that it made sense. After all, You State advocated martial arts, and none of the major cities rejected foreign Martial Artists. It was just that... in You State, opening a Martial Arts Hall came with the tradition of receiving challengers. However, if they wanted to live comfortably, they had to reveal some of their strength to avoid being looked down upon by petty thieves and scoundrels.

"Once we reach Yuan City, we’ll ask around about the situation first. If it’s feasible, opening a Martial Arts Hall wouldn’t be a bad idea."

Back in the day, when Zhao Fu opened a Martial Arts Hall in Feiyun City, the money came in quite fast. Taking precautions, Xu Guang felt that once his family arrived in Yuan City, they would also need to earn money to purchase cultivation resources.

No matter where they were, money was always a good thing. Opening a Martial Arts Hall was indeed a good profession. Not only would it allow them to flex their muscles to the outside world, but it would also provide a legitimate way to earn money...

Wang Ming rubbed his hands together, his mind already fantasizing about arriving in Yuan City and challenging all the major Martial Arts Halls there.