In Shibalipu, three people were fighting from the entrance of the village to the end, and no one from any of the households came forward.

When it was impossible to tell who was better, a voice sneered, "Who do we have here? It's just three monkeys fighting. How interesting!"

The three stopped fighting and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a man wearing a veil and holding a folding fan sitting on the roof, watching everything.

"Who are you?" the three asked in unison.

"Who I am is not important! You should first figure out who you are and what you're doing here fighting. Is it worth it?" After saying this, the veiled man turned around, jumped off the roof, and disappeared.

The three were left staring at each other in bewilderment!

Of the three, the oldest was the one drinking inside.

He chuckled, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Two heroes, we've become friends through this fight. The young man is right! Let's call it a day. We'll meet again in the martial world if fate allows!" With that, he turned to leave.

The bald, burly man raised his hand and called out, "Please wait! I see that you are a man of principle. Could you leave your name so that I may address you when we meet again?"

He stopped and clasped his hands in greeting, replying, "My name is Jiang Ping, known in the martial arts world as the River-Turning Rat! May I ask your names?"

Upon hearing that the bald man was none other than Jiang Ping, the River Rat, a highly skilled martial artist in the Jianghu who was known for standing up for the weak and oppressed, the bald man immediately clasped his hands in response, "I am Yu Qing, the Mountain Rat!"

The burly man with the mustache nodded slightly and immediately clasped his hands in response, "I am Han Zhang, the complete scoundrel!"

After announcing their names, the three of them burst into laughter at the same time.

Jiang Ping said, "I thought it was those two, but it's you! I've long heard of your great reputation in the martial arts world, but I never expected to meet you in Shibalipu! What a coincidence! If you two don't mind, come to my house for a drink. We've become friends through this unexpected encounter."

Yu Qing and Han Zhang looked at each other and laughed heartily. "We brothers just got into a fight because of drinking, but we never expected to meet Brother Jiang Ping because of it! It's a pleasure to meet you! Since you've invited us, we won't stand on ceremony."

"please!"

"please!"

Back at Jiang Ping's temporary residence, the three of them drank several cups of wine before they started talking.

It turned out that Jiang Ping had offended many high-ranking officials and nobles because he often stood up for the weak in the underworld. This time, he was repeatedly hunted down by thugs hired by someone, and had no choice but to flee to Shibalipu to hide for a few days to find peace. After half a lifetime of wandering, he was still constantly on the run, which was truly a difficult life.

Hearing this, Yu Qing and Han Zhang sighed, agreeing with their sentiments. Having spent so many years in the martial world, they hadn't made a name for themselves, were constantly hunted by enemies, and dared not settle down or start a family—it was truly a miserable existence.

While I still have some strength, I can still hold my own in the martial arts world. But if I get older and my enemies come looking for me, I'm afraid I won't have a good time.

At this point, the three men felt a pang of melancholy. After a few more drinks, Han Zhang suddenly suggested, "We've done good deeds, but our methods are somewhat shady, which is why the martial arts world calls us rats. I think the three of us brothers should simply become sworn brothers and travel the martial arts world together."

Yu Qing immediately agreed, "That's a great idea! As the saying goes, a single chopstick can be easily broken, but a bundle of chopsticks held together is strong. The three of us brothers can simply look after each other from now on, which is definitely much better than fighting alone! We won't have to live this life of hiding and running away anymore!"

Jiang Ping shared the same idea, and slammed his hand on the table in response, "Alright! Since everyone is of the same mind, let's not delay any longer and become sworn brothers over this cup of wine!"

The three knelt in a row.

"We three brothers hereby swear an oath to Heaven and Earth. Today we are sworn brothers, sharing joys and sorrows! We will never betray or abandon our brothers. We do not ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year!"

They kowtowed three times in unison and drank the wine after smashing the bowl.

The three of them stood up, patted each other on the shoulder, and burst into laughter.

Jiang Ping suggested, "With two brothers still by my side, I don't want to keep hiding in Shibalipu and wasting my days. It's too windy and sandy here, and it's not a place to stay for long. Is there a good place where we can take over a hill and become mountain kings, all powerful and majestic!"

Han Zhang thought for a moment and said, "There really is a place! The scenery is superb, the water and grass are lush and the produce is plentiful, and there are few people. It would be perfect for us to stay here."

"Where?" Yu Qing and Jiang Ping asked at the same time.

“Trap Island!” Han Zhang said.

…

After listening to the conversation between the three, the veiled man hiding on the roof raised the corners of his mouth, and lightly jumped off the roof and walked towards the Guandi Temple.

Guandi Temple is an abandoned temple in Shibalipu, where refugees who temporarily stay for many years reside.

There is a person who has been stationed here for many years, and this is the person Qiu Zeyu is looking for.

When Qiu Zeyu arrived at the Guandi Temple, many people were sleeping haphazardly inside. At the very back of the temple, he finally saw a short man sleeping against a pillar, his face covered by a straw hat.

Qiu Zeyu nudged him with his foot!

He immediately woke up from his sleep and sprang to his feet.

Upon seeing that the person was Qiu Zeyu, he quickly put on his straw hat and followed closely behind him, walking towards the large rock outside the Guandi Temple.

"Master Qiu! What brings you here all of a sudden?" the short man asked.

"I have something urgent to discuss with you, Lu Fang. Do you have any updates on Nan Fangnan?" Qiu Zeyu asked.

“Yes! I heard that Nanfang Nan was attacked by unknown assailants in the forest and burned his face. His information hub, Hua Manlou, was also raided by the current emperor, and his confidante, Hua Yuhe, has died in prison. He is severely weakened and I heard that he fled to his stronghold, Xuzhou, but I don’t know his exact location in Xuzhou.” Lu Fang recounted all the information he had gathered about Nanfang Nan in Shibalipu over the past few days.

Qiu Zeyu took out a paper document from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, "Lu Fang, you have done a lot for Qiu Ming Manor. Now you are free! This is your identity document. Keep it safe from now on. I won't say much more, but after you get out, you must keep your mouth shut about anything you shouldn't say in order to ensure your peace for the rest of your life."

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