The leader of the group approached the boy, lowered his voice, and asked curiously, "Brother Ni, can you tell me why Jiulong is suddenly in such a hurry to call us? Didn't he always complain about our appearance fees being too high?"
The young man turned his head slightly to avoid the gaze of those around him and replied softly, "I'm just a messenger. Lord Jiulong didn't tell you, so I shouldn't speculate. However, Lord Jiulong and Lady Susan's relationship has been rather strained lately. Moreover, on my way here, I saw the thugs' gang heading towards the City of Hearts, so something big seems to have happened."
Upon hearing this, the leader frowned, gently stroking the stubble on his chin. After a moment of contemplation, he muttered to himself, "The thugs... Is Jiulong really planning to break ties with Susan? This is no small matter... Why did Awen take on such an offensive job..."
Hearing the leader's mutterings, the boy's face tensed, and he asked softly, "Lord Zhuge Wu, are you saying... we might be going to war soon?"
Zhuge Wu patted the boy on the shoulder, "What are you afraid of? My Zhuge Hall is not just a name in the martial arts world. Having received so much money from you, we will definitely help you get things done."
As he spoke, he instructed his men to speed up.
Although Zhuge Wu's voice was firm, his speech was faster than usual, as if he was trying to hide his nervousness. His eyes scanned his surroundings, constantly alert to any potential danger. Although his steps were steady, the frequency of his strides revealed his inner anxiety.
Zhuge Wu's physique was not particularly robust. His arms were well-defined and his muscles were firm. However, apart from that, his body presented a more balanced rather than muscular physique, a typical fat-covered muscle body.
He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, which made him look slightly thin and gave him a reserved appearance.
Zhuge Wu's hands particularly caught Chuan Liu's attention.
These hands bear the marks of time; each knuckle is strong and firm, and the palms and between the fingers are covered with thick calluses. These calluses are not the result of a single day's work, but rather the imprint left by his years of in-depth research, meticulous manufacturing, and countless uses of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.
His subordinates were exactly the same as him.
It's clear that Zhuge Hall's overall strength lies primarily in long-range attacks, just like when Hou Yifan hired them to raid Chuanliu's villa. They are more adept at launching surprise attacks from a distance.
Therefore, if they were to face Sun Qianfan's henchmen head-on, the outcome would be uncertain.
Chuanliu jogged a few steps and caught up with Zhuge Wu again, saying seemingly casually, "Lord Zhuge Wu, why don't you teach me a couple of moves? In case I get into a fight with the thugs later, I can at least exchange a few blows with them."
The midday sun blazed down on the earth like a raging fire, and the sweltering heat made everyone in the procession drenched in sweat, their clothes soaked through.
Zhuge Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead haphazardly with the hem of his clothes, then waved his hand with a friendly smile on his face, "Don't keep calling me 'Sir,' it's too formal. You can call me A-Wu or Master Wu, that's what people in the underworld call me."
Upon seeing this, Chuanliu chuckled and then changed his tune, "Master Wudang, please teach me a couple of moves."
Then, with a look of eagerness to learn in his eyes, he waited quietly for Zhuge Wu's response.
Then, Zhuge Wu cleared his throat and began to talk at length about his experience and techniques in close combat.
Chuanliu appeared to be listening attentively, but in reality, he was assessing Zhuge Wu's close combat skills.
The assessment results were as she had expected.
However, as the saying goes, "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun," Zhuge Tang's Zhuge Repeating Crossbow was enough to support their foothold in Spade City.
After Zhuge Wu finished explaining his understanding of martial arts, Chuan Liu immediately handed him water, looking at him with admiration. "Master Wu is indeed worthy of being called Master Wu. I have learned a lot."
Zhuge Wu took a liking to the young man in front of him. He laughed and said, "Theory is theory, but looking at your small frame, you still need to exercise more."
Chuanliu nodded repeatedly. Seeing that the former was in high spirits, she continued, "Well, I've been on Paradise Island for over three years, and I've been talking about exercising every day, but I've never actually done it. Unlike you, Wudang Master, you fought so fiercely in the past two years, yet you still didn't forget to exercise. I really envy your muscles."
"Of course!"
Zhuge Wu rolled up his sleeves, showing off the muscles on his arms. "But fighting is also a kind of training. The situation was so tense a couple of years ago. We fought every day, every day, without even a chance to rest. My brothers and I were exhausted."
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Chuanliu's eyes. Taking advantage of the topic, she asked, seemingly out of curiosity, "I didn't see Master Wen this time. I wonder if Master Wen came out of seclusion back then?"
Zhuge Wu said, "Awen? He's not good at fighting; he's the one who's in charge of the rear."
He paused, patted Chuanliu on the shoulder, and asked casually, "You're such a clever kid, how come it took you so many years to make it big?"
Chuanliu looked embarrassed. "I was a coward before. After the internal conflict broke out in our Red Peach, I went into hiding. Fortunately, Lord Jiulong appreciated me and let me work at his 'Drunken Bar,' which is why I had the opportunity to meet you, Master Wudang, today."
Upon hearing Jiulong and "Drunk Bar," Zhuge Wu immediately scoffed disdainfully.
He had always looked down on the disgusting things the three Long Dongqiang brothers did, but he didn't want to show it too obviously in front of Jiulong's underlings. He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Brother Xiao Ni, if you want to live a good life, you can come out and take a look if there are other opportunities."
Chuanliu nodded with a puzzled look. She lowered her voice and deliberately asked, "Master Wu, I've always wanted to ask, when you Spades supported 'Hearts 10,' did you oust the former 'Hearts 9' and put our Brother Long in this position? If so, wouldn't Brother Long be guaranteed to win against Susan?"
Zhuge Wu looked at him with disdain, "Support him?"
Then, realizing his reaction was inappropriate, he straightened his expression and asked in confusion, "You don't know this? Where have you been these past two years?"
Chuanliu lowered his head in shame. "The ostrich went into the cave earlier."
Seeing the young man's candor, Zhuge Wu, speaking from experience, advised him: "Even if it's just me, don't say things like that carelessly in the future, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself!"
Then, he lowered his voice, "This has absolutely nothing to do with what you guessed! '10 of Hearts' is dead, '9 of Hearts' was promoted, and only then did it become Jiulong's turn."
"So, why did you support '10 of Hearts' back then?"
Chuanliu asked the question she really wanted to ask.
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