https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-448-The-Cold-Jade-Swordsman-and-the-Cloud-Dual-Swords/12536688/
Chapter 449: The Big Boss and His Three Iron Subordinates
Chapter 449: The Big Boss and His Three Iron Subordinates
And so, three more people joined the escort team.
Yuan Feiyun and his brother were returning home, and Cao Hanyue, along with the Yuan brothers, were friends who were also visiting Jinling. So it was convenient for them to travel together.
"There are seven swords on Mount Wudang, but only the Four Spirits and Double Jade are famous now. I wonder who the seventh person is?" Tie Kaicheng asked curiously.
"Master recently accepted a new junior disciple, so it's now the Four Spirits and Three Jade. However, the junior disciple's martial arts skills are not yet proficient, so he cannot descend the mountain," Cao Hanyue replied.
"Wudang Sect is truly blessed with talented individuals. I am impressed!"
"You're too kind, Tie brother. It is I who admires you for carrying on Old Master Tie's legacy and making the Red Flag Escort Agency even more prosperous," Cao Hanyue managed a faint smile.
The Cao family was a prominent clan in Xianghan, with numerous branches. One of Cao Hanyue's cousins, Cao Bing, had joined the Diancang Sect and was known as the "Heartless Youngster." However, he had died a few years ago at the Divine Sword Manor, so the Cao family's hopes now rested on Cao Hanyue, who had joined the Wudang Sect.
Cao Hanyue did not disappoint. Although the most renowned member of the Wudang Sect was still Ouyang Yunhe, known as the leader of the Four Spirits, Cao Hanyue was confident that he could surpass him within five years.
As for why he was so confident?
Cao Hanyue thought of that woman. With the Heavenly Venerate's financial resources, connections, and influence, as long as his martial arts skills weren't too far behind Ouyang Yunhe's, the position of the future leader of the Wudang Sect would be within his grasp!
"The Purple-Clothed Yuan Family has deep roots in Jinling, but I wonder what the situation is like in the Jiangnan martial arts world nowadays?" Tie Kaicheng asked.
Cao Hanyue and the Yuan brothers had their own reasons for getting close to him, and Tie Kaicheng could guess their intentions. However, he had his own reasons for agreeing to let these three stay with the escort team.
The Red Flag Escort Agency lacked sufficient personnel in Jiangnan and needed more information about the local martial arts world. And now, they had someone who could provide them with exactly that.
To gain Tie Kaicheng's trust, the Yuan brothers gave him a detailed introduction to the current state of the Jiangnan martial arts world and even offered to help the Red Flag Escort Agency establish connections if they wanted to expand their business into Jiangnan.
Tie Kaicheng neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he asked, "In the Central Plains, I've heard about a big boss in Jiangnan who, despite not being from a noble family, controls an entire town."
"There are many big bosses in Jiangnan. Which one is Brother Tie referring to?" Yuan Feiyun asked.
"The most powerful big boss, or the richest one?" Tie Kaicheng inquired.
"The most powerful big boss controls not just a town, but an entire small city," Yuan Ciyun said with a hint of admiration. "He may not be able to expand his influence beyond the city, but within those walls, he's the undisputed ruler."
"How so?"
"Because all the restaurants, gambling houses, and brothels in the city are under his name. In fact, every profitable business in the city has to give him three-tenths of their earnings," Yuan Feiyun explained.
Cao Hanyue was quite familiar with such arrangements, as the Cao family, though not dominant in any single city, was still a powerful clan with immense wealth and influence.
"Because he's so wealthy, he also has several formidable bodyguards at his disposal," Yuan Ciyun continued. "As long as he doesn't leave the city, no other force dares to provoke him."
"How formidable are they?" Cao Hanyue was also curious about this.
"You might not get an answer if you ask others, but you've asked the right people," Yuan Ciyun smiled. "He has three of the most formidable bodyguards, known as Iron Tiger, Iron Head, and Iron Fist."
At this point, Yuan Feiyun, who was standing beside him, glanced at Tie Kaicheng and thought to himself, 'You're also an 'Iron' like them.'
Tie Kaicheng didn't seem to mind, but he knew he had indeed asked the right people. So he asked, "Which city's big boss are they talking about, and what makes these three bodyguards so formidable?"
"He's a former disciple of the Kongtong Sect, known as Shi Shanyong, the 'Iron Handed Mountain Opener'," Yuan Ciyun revealed.
"Shi Shanyong?" Cao Hanyue was genuinely surprised. "I heard that he killed four monks from the Shaolin Temple and... and two swordsmen from the Wudang Sect when he descended the mountain years ago, only to be expelled by the Kongtong Sect. But then he disappeared seven years ago."
"Rumors in the jianghu say that he was killed by a joint effort of the Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Sect, but in truth, he fled on the very day he descended the mountain," Yuan Feiyun said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"The Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Sect searched for him for half a year but found no trace. They assumed that Shi Shanyong would never dare to show his face in the jianghu again, so they spread the news of his demise," Yuan Feiyun explained.
"But he never dared to show himself again, didn't he?" Cao Hanyue said calmly.
"Indeed," Yuan Feiyun acknowledged. "The Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Sect are not to be trifled with. If he continued to roam the jianghu, death would be his only fate."
"If Shi Shanyong is the weakest of the three, then who are Iron Tiger and Iron Head?" Cao Hanyue inquired.
"Iron Head practices the Iron Head Skill," Yuan Ciyun said, raising an eyebrow.
"Shaolin Temple is most famous for the Iron Head Skill," Cao Hanyue's eyes flickered. "Could it be that Iron Head is the 'Four Precepts Monk' who broke his vows and left the temple over a decade ago?"
"It's him," Yuan Ciyun confirmed. "The Four Precepts Monk was known for his abstinence from greed, anger, stupidity, and doubt. But later, he broke all four precepts and became known as the 'Four Unrestrained', unrestrained in drinking, meat, gambling, and prostitution, wreaking havoc in the jianghu and tarnishing Shaolin's reputation.
It is said that Shaolin Temple sent out a group of warrior monks to capture him, forming the Shaolin Arhat Formation, but they returned empty-handed."
"So he was also expelled and disappeared," Cao Hanyue sighed. "I never expected him to end up under that Tongcheng tyrant. This man does have some skills."
Yuan Feiyun conceded, "Although he rarely shows himself, he is very generous when he does, so he has gained quite a reputation in Jiangnan."
"Shi Shanyong, the Four Precepts Monk... They were both figures who once stirred up the jianghu. If they can only rank second or third, then who is this Iron Tiger?" Cao Hanyue asked, intrigued.
Yuan Feiyun and Yuan Ciyun fell silent.
After a moment, Yuan Ciyun spoke, "Iron Tiger also cultivates an exceptional physical art, and his martial arts surpass both Shi Shanyong and the Four Precepts Monk. However, we couldn't find out his identity. Rumors say he might be the 'Cloud Kong Vajra' of Liaodong, Cui Jifeng, the third brother of the Cui family, but it's not confirmed."
Tie Kaicheng and Cao Hanyue exchanged meaningful glances with the Yuan brothers.
From Yuan Ciyun's earlier statement about asking the right people and their detailed knowledge of Iron Head and Iron Yong, it was clear that the Yuan family had deep insights into the big boss.
As for the reason...
Well, it wasn't hard to guess.
...
Tie Kaicheng steered the conversation away from the topic of the Tongcheng big boss and onto other matters. The journey proceeded without further incidents, and they safely entered the territory of Hui Huai.
(End of Chapter)
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