Chapter 747: Meteor, Butterfly, Sword (Part 1)

Chapter 747: Meteor, Butterfly, Sword (Part 1)



【A lengthy chapter, with a different style】

【Keywords: Overpowering, Speedrun】

———

"Finally, I've become the heir to a renowned aristocratic family..."

"Although it's a bit dilapidated, it's still the Nan Gong Clan."

Nan Gong Yuan stretched lazily, taking in his surroundings.

He was currently in a carriage, six feet wide and nearly ten feet long, crafted entirely from small-leaf purple sandalwood. The carriage was lined with thick Persian carpets, and he was covered with a spotless white sable fur.

On a small table next to him was a beautifully cast bronze incense burner, emitting a gentle, wafting smoke with a rich sandalwood fragrance.

Beside the incense burner was an ancient guqin, its tail engraved with small seal script, indicating its age.

Nan Gong Yuan picked up the wine flask next to the guqin and took a sip, savoring the taste. "Fifteen-year-old Shaoxing Daughter Red, truly a fine wine."

Just as he was about to put down the flask, he noticed a piece of paper underneath it. He reached out, picked it up, and found it to be a silver ticket from Heng Tong Money House, with the words "Five Thousand Taels" written on it, indicating its value.

Then he remembered where this silver ticket came from—it was given to him by Lu Xiang Chuan.

"So this is the world of 'Meteor, Butterfly, Sword'..." Nan Gong Yuan shook his head. "The story's background involves two gangs fighting, with the main plot being a killer falling in love with the daughter of a gang leader, who then helps the gang leader deal with traitors. The main themes throughout are friendship and betrayal."

"My summary is still so insightful!" Nan Gong Yuan snapped his fingers and couldn't help but sigh.

Rather than calling it a martial arts film, it's more like a gangster movie.

Although Sun Yubo had gradually started to reform, the gang's dark past couldn't be washed away. Despite having many followers and a grand presence, even the Three Friends of Yellow Mountain didn't give him face during his birthday banquet.

Throughout the novel, aside from Nan Gong Yuan himself, no other prominent martial arts sects or aristocratic families made an appearance.

As for himself...

A dying camel is still bigger than a horse. Although the Nan Gong Clan had declined, its connections, influence, and heritage remained. They still had considerable assets and properties, but for several generations, they hadn't produced any exceptional martial artists, and the expenses for maintaining their image were simply too high.

Thus, the Nan Gong Clan, situated in the upper-class circles, found common ground with Sun Yubo, who had a gang background but wanted to reform.

The same logic applied to Wan Peng Wang.

In the original story, when Wu Lao Dao's son fell in love with a maid from Phoenix Fortress, Wan Peng Wang separated them. Wu Lao Dao sought help from Sun Yubo, who sent Lu Xiang Chuan to retrieve the maid.

In fact, the Twelve Phoenix Gang and Sun Mansion were already the two major gangs in the Jiangnan region, and they had been wary of each other. Sun Yubo's attempt to retrieve the maid was a test to see if Wan Peng Wang would yield and if the two powers could coexist peacefully.

Lu Xiang Chuan asked Nan Gong Yuan to act as a mediator, offering five thousand taels of silver, and Nan Gong Yuan made an effort to reconcile the two sides. However, Wan Peng Wang refused to meet with Lu Xiang Chuan.

Since that was the case...

Nan Gong Yuan looked at the silver ticket in his hand, then opened the carriage window and asked the attendant outside, "Any news from Phoenix Fortress today?"

"Yes!" The attendant bowed in reply.

"What news?" Nan Gong Yuan asked.

"It's said that Wan Peng Wang sent the maid Dai Dai from the fortress to Zhen Wu Escort Agency in the city," the attendant replied. "Wu Lao Dao is preparing to hold a wedding for his son and that maid tomorrow."

"The old man is still the old man, I didn't expect Wan Peng Wang to yield as well, breaking the rules of Phoenix Fortress." The attendant joked.

Nan Gong Yuan raised his eyebrows, "What rules does Phoenix Fortress have?"

"Once you enter Phoenix Fortress, you can never leave." The attendant answered, "Phoenix Fortress is Wan Peng Wang's lair, and Dai Dai is a maid who serves Wan Peng Wang. She knows the secrets of the fortress, so how could Wan Peng Wang let her go?"

Nan Gong Yuan shook his head and sighed, "Lack of confidence."

The attendant smiled apologetically, "They're not Shaolin or Wudang, or our Nan Gong Clan. They've only been around for a decade or so. Who knows how many enemies they've made on their rise, and they sleep with one eye open. How dare they relax?"

Nan Gong Yuan smiled slightly and didn't refute.

As gangs involved in the gray industry, Bai Tianyu alone stopped the Demon Cult Leader, and Shangguan Jinhong wanted to witness the Small Flying Dagger. In comparison, Wan Peng Wang and Sun Yubo's spirit seemed somewhat lacking.

Hmm... So Bai Tianyu and Shangguan Jinhong died in the original story, but Wan Peng Wang and Sun Yubo didn't.

Nan Gong Yuan: ╮(╯▽╰)╭

Nan Gong Yuan sighed, not intending to continue watching the show.

This world wasn't one for entertainment; it was filled with bloodshed from start to finish, with too many deaths, most of them being ordinary people.

Although Lu Xiang Chuan and Tu Dapeng, these two ambitious men, eventually died as they deserved, but if you say that Wan Peng Wang and Sun Yubo, these two major bosses, were innocent, that's just a joke.

"Rarely have I had a few good years. Ambition truly harms people!" Nan Gong Yuan thought for a moment, then said to the waiting coachman, "Let's go to Phoenix Fortress."

"Young Master, you're not going to comfort Wan Peng Wang, are you?" The attendant was a bit worried. "Wan Peng Wang had to yield, and his mood now is probably not good. Let's not tempt fate."

Although the Nan Gong Clan had a higher status, the Twelve Phoenix Gang was currently at its peak, and the attendant was still a bit afraid of Wan Peng Wang.

"Wan Peng Wang's mood is indeed not good, but I'm not going to advise him." Nan Gong Yuan smiled.

Although the attendant was puzzled, he didn't dare ask further. He sat next to the coachman and drove the carriage to Phoenix Fortress.

...

Phoenix Fortress was built from an abandoned ancient fortress, with a cliff and a deep ravine behind it. In front was a moat several zhang wide, and beyond that was a vast, open plain.

Nan Gong Yuan's carriage slowly arrived outside Phoenix Fortress. The attendant called out, "The young master of the Nan Gong Clan has come to pay respects to Wan Peng Wang. Please inform him!"

Nan Gong Yuan was once a close associate of Wan Peng Wang, so when the guards at the gate saw him, they hurriedly went to inform their leader.

But after a while, the drawbridge at the gate was raised.

"Young Master Nan Gong, the leader said he doesn't want to see you, please leave!" A figure appeared on the city wall and spoke to Nan Gong Yuan.

"How arrogant!" The attendant was furious. He turned to persuade Nan Gong Yuan, "You came here with good intentions, but he doesn't appreciate it. Why give him face? Let's just leave."

Nan Gong Yuan shook his head and sighed, "Wan Peng Wang is indeed smart. He guessed that Lu Xiang Chuan, pretending to be Gu Hua Xuan, entered Phoenix Fortress on my suggestion."

"But he shouldn't take it out on me.

Nan Gong Yuan's lips curled slightly, and he said calmly, "If he dares to take his anger out on me, then it's time to teach him a lesson."

The book boy furrowed his brows, a little confused.

"You wait here, I'll go in and see the Ten Thousand Eagles King." Nan Gong Yuan stepped down from the carriage.

"But they..."

Before the book boy could finish his sentence, he saw Nan Gong Yuan take a step, and the whole person seemed to float slowly but swiftly across the moat, which was several zhang wide.

Then, as if taking off from the ground, Nan Gong Yuan leaped and landed on the main gate tower of the Phoenix Fortress, standing in front of the big man who had spoken earlier.

The big man's eyes widened, and he stared at Nan Gong Yuan, as if he were looking at a celestial being.

All the guards at the main gate of the Phoenix Fortress looked at Nan Gong Yuan with awe, as if they were gazing at a deity.

They never imagined that such light body skills existed in the world. In the blink of an eye, Nan Gong Yuan had crossed the five or six zhang wide moat and the three or four zhang high gate tower, appearing suddenly before them.

If it weren't for the bright sunlight at this moment, they might have thought they were seeing a ghost!

Nan Gong Yuan patted the big man's shoulder and said, "Everyone saw that I came here on my own, so you don't have to worry about the Ten Thousand Eagles King punishing you."

"You..."

The big man had barely uttered a word when Nan Gong Yuan's figure disappeared before his eyes.

He turned around instinctively and saw that Nan Gong Yuan had already descended from the gate tower and was heading towards the fortress.

"Squeak!"

"Bang!"

The guards were so terrified by Nan Gong Yuan's celestial-like light body skills that they almost collapsed. How could they dare to let such a person go and see the Ten Thousand Eagles King?

After all, the Ten Thousand Eagles King had just refused Nan Gong Yuan's request for an audience, which was considered an offense. Who knew if he harbored resentment and would act against the Ten Thousand Eagles King!

The big man blew the whistle hanging on his chest.

Hearing the whistle, the guards instinctively rang the bronze bell at the gate.

"Enemy attack!"

The next moment, the entire Phoenix Fortress seemed to come alive.

Some guards who were still stationed at the gate drew their swords and chased after Nan Gong Yuan. Arrows were shot from the treetops of several large trees near him, and hidden weapons flew out from the grass beside him.

However, all the arrows and hidden weapons missed their target, and the guards at the gate were getting further and further away from him.

Nevertheless, about a dozen guards appeared on the main road leading to the ancient fortress, staring at Nan Gong Yuan with predatory eyes, finally blocking his path.

In the next moment, a sword, a knife, a pair of judge's pens, a tiger-head hook, and a nine-section whip were brandished towards him. Two others had already grasped hidden weapons in their hands, waiting for Nan Gong Yuan to stop.

But Nan Gong Yuan didn't stop; he swiftly passed by, entering the ancient fortress and leaving behind a trail of painful cries.

The sword wielder was stabbed in the left shoulder, the knife wielder's right arm was hooked, the hook wielder's chest was struck, the pen wielder's neck was entangled, and the whip wielder's thigh was pierced.

The two hidden weapon users had already stabbed their hands full of hidden weapons into their palms, blood dripping, but they still couldn't see Nan Gong Yuan's figure clearly or find an opportunity to strike.

The other besiegers could only stand there, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at the chaotic scene before them.

"Who... who is that?"

"It seems to be... Nan Gong Yuan..."

"The Nan Gong Yuan who is usually polite and only drinks tea, gambles, and admires horses and antiques with the leader of the Phoenix Gang?"

"It's him!"

"How could it be him?"

"Is this the strength of one of the Four Young Masters of the martial world?"

"The Nan Gong Clan, one of the great martial families... is so unfathomable!"

Everyone tried to suppress the fear in their hearts, and it was then that they remembered the Ten Thousand Eagles King was inside the ancient fortress.

Of course, there were also members of the Twelve Phoenix Gang in the ancient fortress, but even knowing that their opponent was alone, they didn't dare to stay and gawk. Instead, they turned around and rushed into the fortress.

However, the speed of their pursuit was a matter of perspective.

...

After Nan Gong Yuan broke two long spears, dismantled three crossbows, dispersed a cloud of poison, and sent four steel knives into four people's shoulders, he finally met the Ten Thousand Eagles King.

The Ten Thousand Eagles King was still sitting in the highest chair in the ancient fortress.

His tall figure, combined with his elevated position, made him seem like a celestial being looking down.

His gaze remained sharp and calm, filled with confidence, but when he looked at Nan Gong Yuan, surprise was already involuntarily revealed in his eyes.

Nan Gong Yuan waved his sleeve, dispersing the non-existent dust, and then sat down in the guest seat to the left of the Ten Thousand Eagles King.

"A guest has come from afar, and even without wine, at least offer a cup of tea," Nan Gong Yuan said with a smile.

The Ten Thousand Eagles King stared at Nan Gong Yuan and said coldly, "You're here because of Sun Yubo?"

Nan Gong Yuan replied in a low voice, "I'm here because of that horse."

The Ten Thousand Eagles King's eyes flashed with cold light, "You know?"

Nan Gong Yuan nodded, "The Phoenix Fortress isn't as impenetrable as you think. Among your subordinates, there are not only Sun Yubo's people but also others keeping an eye on you."

In the original story, the Ten Thousand Eagles King would purchase antiques on the first day of every month. With Nan Gong Yuan's hint, Lu Xiang Chuan pretended to be Gu Hua Xuan and entered the fortress, meeting the Ten Thousand Eagles King. However, the Ten Thousand Eagles King refused to bow to Sun Yubo.

Then, Lu Xiang Chuan gathered his men and killed the Ten Thousand Eagles King's beloved Akhal-Teke horse, presenting its bloody head as breakfast on the Ten Thousand Eagles King's table.

The Ten Thousand Eagles King pretended to bow his head, and at this time, he had already sent Daidai to the Zhen Wu Escort Agency. If Nan Gong Yuan hadn't come today, the Zhen Wu Escort Agency would have been wiped out tomorrow, and the Ten Thousand Eagles King and Sun Yubo would have officially gone to war.

Hearing Nan Gong Yuan's words, the Ten Thousand Eagles King frowned, "Wasn't it Lu Xiang Chuan who told you?"

Nan Gong Yuan tapped the table with his index finger, "Using an Akhal-Teke horse to achieve his goal, Lu Xiang Chuan deserves to die."

"Hmm?" The Ten Thousand Eagles King's eyes flashed, and he didn't quite understand Nan Gong Yuan's meaning.

Nan Gong Yuan said calmly, "Lu Xiang Chuan deserves to die, but Wu Lao Dao and the others don't deserve to die."

"Are you here to plead for Wu Lao Dao?" The Ten Thousand Eagles King asked in disbelief, "Do you have a relationship with Wu Lao Dao?"

"Not just Wu Lao Dao," Nan Gong Yuan said truthfully, "I'm here to stop your war with Sun Yubo."

The Ten Thousand Eagles King's eyes flashed with cold light.

"You're not someone who surrenders easily. Killing your horse will only anger you."

Nan Gong Yuan said, "Sending Daidai to the Zhen Wu Escort Agency is just a delaying tactic. As I expected, tomorrow's wedding at the Zhen Wu Escort Agency will turn into their funeral."

The Ten Thousand Eagles King stared intently at Nan Gong Yuan.

Nan Gong Yuan said calmly, "You don't need to doubt; anyone who knows you a little can guess what you're planning. The Ten Thousand Eagles King's vast empire didn't come from nothing. How could they possibly surrender without a knife to their necks?"

Ten Thousand Eagles King's lips curled in a sneer, and he said coldly, "I'll send their bodies to Sun Yubo."

"But have you ever thought about one thing?" Nan Gong Yuan asked. "Sun Yubo's current status isn't due to stupidity. Lu Xiang Chuan is his top advisor and an exceptionally wise man. How could he not know what kind of person you are?"

Ten Thousand Eagles King's face turned cold. "Perhaps it's just because he's too confident."

"There might be another possibility," Nan Gong Yuan said.

"What possibility?" Ten Thousand Eagles King asked.

"Lu Xiang Chuan doing this isn't Sun Yubo's intention," Nan Gong Yuan explained.

Ten Thousand Eagles King let out a mocking smile, looking at Nan Gong Yuan with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Since Sun Yubo sent Lu Xiang Chuan, whatever Lu Xiang Chuan does is Sun Yubo's intention."

Nan Gong Yuan nodded. "If Lu Xiang Chuan is still loyal to Sun Yubo, that's indeed the case."

"Hmm?" Ten Thousand Eagles King's eyes flashed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Lu Xiang Chuan isn't stupid. He knows what kind of person you are, and he knows that doing this will only provoke you, causing you to take the initiative against Sun Yubo and seize the advantage," Nan Gong Yuan explained.

"You're saying Lu Xiang Chuan betrayed Sun Yubo? That's ridiculous!" Ten Thousand Eagles King scoffed. "He's not a fool. What benefit would he get from betraying Sun Yubo?"

Lu Xiang Chuan was Sun Yubo's top advisor, and his betrayal led to Sun Yubo's defeat and consumption by Ten Thousand Eagles King. Even if he defected to Ten Thousand Eagles King, he would only exist as a surrendered vassal, which was far less comfortable than being under Sun Yubo.

"In theory, that's indeed the case," Nan Gong Yuan said with a smile. "But since he has done something so contrary to his wisdom, there must be a reasonable explanation, like..."

"Like he's confident that the Twelve Phoenix Gang won't be able to take over Sun Mansion's business," Nan Gong Yuan said with a smile.

Ten Thousand Eagles King smiled arrogantly. "I..."

"Not you, but the Twelve Phoenix Gang," Nan Gong Yuan interrupted.

Ten Thousand Eagles King was slightly startled, and then his pupils suddenly contracted.

"The Twelve Phoenix Gang and Sun Mansion, as two major factions in Jiangnan, have long been wary of each other and even have designs on each other."

Nan Gong Yuan spoke as if it were obvious. "Lu Xiang Chuan betrayed Sun Yubo and collaborated with an ambitious person under your command. They took this opportunity to incite conflict between the two factions, intending to replace you after weakening your forces."

"Without you, the weakened Twelve Phoenix Gang would naturally be unable to take over Sun Mansion's business," Nan Gong Yuan said, clapping his hands and smiling. "Do you think what I'm saying makes sense?"

Ten Thousand Eagles King stared intently at Nan Gong Yuan, unsure if these were his guesses or if he had received some information.

"In fact, many people are happy to see you and Sun Yubo go to war," Nan Gong Yuan said calmly. "Only when the Twelve Phoenix Gang and Sun Mansion are both severely weakened can they take advantage of the chaos and fish in troubled waters."

"They must have the ability!" Ten Thousand Eagles King said coldly. "And I will eventually have a battle with Sun Yubo."

"But I don't want to see that battle," Nan Gong Yuan sighed. "You and Sun Yubo are certainly not good people, but under the rule of the Twelve Phoenix Gang and Sun Mansion, there is already some order."

"Even the most oppressive order is better than chaos," Nan Gong Yuan said. "If you and Sun Yubo go to war, many more people will die."

Ten Thousand Eagles King's eyes flickered. "Is that all you're concerned about?"

"Isn't that enough? I'm a kind person," Nan Gong Yuan said with a smile. "Okay, maybe there's one more thing."

"What is it?" Ten Thousand Eagles King asked.

"You and Sun Yubo have at least built your reputations with your own fists and feet. I despise traitors," Nan Gong Yuan said. "Making friends with you and taking money from you is much more comfortable than making friends with traitors and taking money from them.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end