Gangzi twisted his ankle and almost twisted his tongue. What did his boss mean? Was it breaking a boulder on his chest, swallowing knives and guns, or breathing fire?
Serves him right! He shouldn't have been so talkative. Now look what happened! He only knows a smattering of kung fu. If he really wanted to wield a sword or spear, he wouldn't be alive or crippled if that stone came crashing down his chest.
It seems that instead of earning money to carry the coffin himself, he's the one having others carry his coffin.
"Boss, it's me..."
"What do you mean 'you'? Hurry up and think about where to get a good meal. We're going to pull off a big heist later."
Gangzi's legs were indeed a little weak, but since Yunling had already given the order, even if he died, he had to die with dignity.
He walked into a restaurant and ordered six hairy crabs, three smoked pigeons, a braised duck with chestnuts, a chicken stew with seasonal vegetables, two vegetable dishes, and a bowl of rice, filling the table to the brim.
Tang Ling was a little embarrassed and asked softly:
"Isn't this a bit too much?"
Gangzi regretted it after he had his fill of fun. This meal was quite expensive, and Yunling had just said that she wanted to make money, but he had just wasted it like this.
He picked up the hairy crab, thinking of returning it. After all, it was steamed, and they had never eaten it before. They could take it to another table or process it into other dishes. It wouldn't be a waste.
Seeing Gangzi behaving strangely, Yunling quickly called out to him.
What are you doing?
"I want to return the hairy crabs."
"Why are you giving up? You've been like a nun for days, not touching any meat or fish. I'm so abstinent that I want to shove mud into my mouth. I told you to have a good meal, so let's have a good meal. What are you afraid of? Hurry up and peel the crab."
Gangzi happily agreed, first peeling the crab for Yunling, then putting it in his own bowl, tentatively asking:
"Boss, where should we go to perform some martial arts later?"
"Hmm... a place of pleasure."
Now, not only Gangzi, but even Tang Ling was puzzled. Aren't those brothels all about creating a romantic atmosphere? If they were to go there and start wielding swords and spears, wouldn't that spoil the fun?
She feared that she would be chased out with a broom by the gatekeeper, but since Gangzi asked first, and Gangzi didn't continue to ask, Tang Ling couldn't very well say anything.
Gangzi saw that Tang Ling wouldn't say anything, so he didn't know what to say either, since his boss was always right no matter what he did.
After finishing her meal and paying the bill, Yunling borrowed two sheets of paper and a pen from the innkeeper. She folded the paper in half, then in half again, and then in half again, cutting it into long strips the size of four-character couplets.
Then they wrote on each of them:
"Shout 'Rise Up!' and you'll get ten coins."
"Clapping earns ten coins per instance."
"Clapping loudly earns you twenty coins."
"Shouting 'majestic and awe-inspiring' costs thirty coins per instance."
"Calling yourself number one in the world, one hundred coins each time."
"Shouting 'Stand Firm, Stand Tall' will earn you 500 coins."
"Shout seven times a night, one string of cash each time."
Yunling ignored Gangzi and Tangling's astonished looks. She packed a handful of rice, inquired about the city's biggest brothel, and then dragged Gangzi and Tangling there.
She first stuck simple "clapping" and "big clapping" onto Tang Ling's shoulders with rice grains, then gave Gangzi the bold "Number One in the World", "Unyielding" and "Seven Times a Night", while keeping "Rise Up" and "Majestic" for herself.
As night falls and the lights come on, they give the night a different look. The Fanxiang Tower is particularly special, with lanterns hanging all over the exterior of the seven-story building. Inside, the hall and rooms are filled with the glow of candles, making it as bright as day.
With more carriages and horses passing by on the street, people couldn't help but look at Yunling and her companions. Some curious individuals called out to Yunling:
"Hey, what are you doing with this?"
“Young man, this is an online announcement. Normally, it costs between ten and one string of copper coins per announcement. If you include your name in the announcement, the price will be five times higher.”
"Hey, are you trying to rob someone? You think you can make money just by shouting a few words? Even the beggars on the street are better than you. At least they know to lower their heads, hold their pockets, and beg. You're just trying to get something for nothing."
"That's not true. Besides, judging from his accent, he's from out of town. I wonder if he's just broke here and trying to fool us. Does he think we're idiots?"
"Ten coins is too much, and he still dares to ask for a string of cash. Hey, if I yell at you a few times, will you give me a copper coin?"
These words amused everyone present, and because there was something interesting to see, the area quickly became crowded with people.
Gangzi was displeased. What kind of people were these, daring to mock his boss like that? They really didn't know what they were doing.
"What do you know? Our great-uncle has received profound teachings from Laozi and has mastered a set of immortal arts. His mouth is as eloquent as a crow's; whatever he says is law. If you don't know what's good for you, then quickly leave and let the destined one come."
"Laozi? I'm the Jade Emperor! If you're going to lie, at least come up with a good excuse. You dare to use a trick that even a three-year-old could see through? You're making a fool of yourself."
"Where did I lie to you? I didn't take your money, and I didn't cheat you. Get out of here so you don't disturb our feng shui."
The man, feeling humiliated, was naturally unhappy and quickly pulled out ten copper coins from his belt, throwing them to the ground in a show of bravado.
"Come on, give me a shout of 'Xiong Qi' (a powerful shout from the front)."
Yunling was hit on the foot by the copper coin. To be honest, hitting someone with money, especially with a copper coin that is both cheap and hard, really hurts.
Yunling pulled back the impulsive Gangzi and said to the golden toad in front of them:
“Pick up the ten coins on the ground, add forty more, and I’ll call your name.”
"Call me if you want, otherwise get out."
"Rise up!"
Gangzi immediately covered the ancestral hall, cooperating perfectly with Yunling.
The man abruptly kicked aside the stone blocking his path, pointed at Yunling, and looked as if he wanted to devour her alive.
"You son of a bitch, you're lying to me!"
"What are you kidding me for? I was asking you to pay an extra forty coins to call your name, but you refused. I'm from out of town, how would I know your names? So naturally, the skill was sent to my side, right?"
Yunling's words were indeed reasonable, and the logic behind them was quite convincing to those present. However, most of the people there were not so much interested in reason as they wanted to watch the spectacle.
After all, who wouldn't want to see if it could really become powerful?
The man, forced into a position of power, reluctantly untied another forty copper coins from his belt, clearly dissatisfied.
“Come on, my name is Niu Sanbao, you shout ‘Xiongqi’ (meaning ‘Strong Rise’).”
“Hey, this number isn’t right. You just gave me ten coins, but I called out my name. Now you want to call me by my full name, so it’s fifty coins.”
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