On a spring morning, mist still lingered in the mountains of Fujian, as a winding road cut through the mountain ridge ahead, leading to a small county town not far away. As they spotted a group of figures by a tea stall at the bend in the road ahead, both Qu Longjun and Ning Ji frowned.

"That... aren't those the same guys from last night..."

"They killed public servants last night, and now they dare to block people on the main road in broad daylight. They're tired of living, these bastards."

"Should we avoid them?"

"No need. Let's see what they're up to... Maybe they're not blocking us."

Although in terms of skill, he didn't care about these small-time bandits in the mountains, Ning Ji, who came from the southwest, was still somewhat shocked that these underworld figures, who had just committed a crime, dared to appear on the road so openly.

At this moment, Meng Biao, his face bruised and swollen, had already seen the two approaching – during the confrontation at night, Ning Ji was domineering and unmatched. Although young, everyone treated him as a great master with considerable Jianghu experience and the ability to maintain a youthful appearance. Now that it was daytime, and they could see clearly from a distance of several dozen feet, the expression on his face became one of suspicion and uncertainty. After he pointed them out, the surrounding companions also frowned and questioned him.

"Didn't you say they were two men with pointed mouths and monkey cheeks, who would hit anyone they saw..."

After being beaten up, the group had described the enemies as fierce and malevolent, but now that they saw them, it was a completely different story. But even at night, the image of one of the two wielding a sword and the other carrying double sabers was very clear. Looking at them now, it matched up. What's more, after exchanging glances, the young man carrying double sabers' eyes turned unfriendly, and he scanned the crowd fiercely, looking like he knew their background for sure.

"...If I had such looks, why would I commit any lewd acts? Where wouldn't I find a girl?"

Someone muttered in the crowd.

"Shut up!" Seeing the approaching figures, the leading brother gave a low command, then added, "These romantic figures from the Jiangnan region, that's called fun. What do you guys know!"

The crowd learned a new life lesson and stopped talking. They didn't know that it was because they were too far apart, and the other party couldn't hear their comments, otherwise there would inevitably be another conflict.

At this time, after both sides had sized each other up and confirmed that they were the same two men and a horse from last night, the leading brother cupped his hands in greeting, with a smile on his face.

"Two heroes, two young heroes." This leading brother was not burly in stature, and his appearance was thin and wiry, but his smile was amiable, and his voice was not too loud, carrying a strong sense of etiquette and propriety. He stopped at a place that was neither too close nor too far away, "Your presence graces Pucheng with brilliance. I was remiss in failing to welcome you properly. I am Yu Hezhang from Pucheng. Last night, I heard that some brothers offended the two heroes. Today, I've come specifically to apologize. Please forgive us, please forgive us..."

His attitude was polite, and his demeanor was measured, giving people a good impression at once. Ning Ji couldn't get angry anymore. At this time, he looked at the crowd again, frowned, and said angrily, "Why bring so many people if you're not looking for trouble? If you're holding a grudge, lay down the rules. I don't mind a fight."

"Absolutely no fighting, absolutely no causing trouble." The leading man named Yu Hezhang's attitude was unexpectedly gentle, and he didn't seem like a Jianghu person at all. He waved his hand. Seeing that the two seemed to have little interest in talking to them, he quickly spoke again, "To be honest, heroes, Yu is a native of Pucheng County. Passing this mountain road, the first house in the village over there is where Yu's home is located. I am a local landlord and have practiced martial arts since childhood. I have always admired heroes and chivalrous individuals. Whenever brothers from other places come here, Yu is willing to do his best as a host..."

His attitude was sincere. Ning Ji and Qu Longjun were unwilling to talk more, and just strode forward, "We have business to attend to and have no interest in making acquaintances. Are you going to force us?"

"Absolutely not." This Yu Hezhang followed along, "It's just that since last year, the situation in Fujian has changed drastically, and many things have happened in the Jianghu. The two young heroes came from out of town and encountered such a misunderstanding last night. Don't you have any curiosity about the reasons behind it? Heroes, we met by chance. I know there's nothing I can do to gain your trust immediately, but I have no malicious intent. I just know that the two heroes are highly skilled in martial arts. For the sake of the greater good of Fujian, I have some words I want to exchange with you. Firstly, it's to prevent the misunderstanding of last night from happening again, and secondly... I do have the intention of making acquaintances, but everything depends on your wishes. I guarantee that after we've said our piece, you can set off immediately. I'll offer you a small parting gift and won't bother you any further. Of course, if you want to stay in Pucheng and think I'm alright, then all the food, lodging, and entertainment can be arranged by me. How about it?"

The man's attitude was clear. Ning Ji and Qu Longjun looked at each other, feeling really puzzled, and frowned, "Just talking?"

That Yu Hezhang nodded: "Just talking."

Qu Longjun said: "We'll leave after we're done talking?"

Yu Hezhang said: "Absolutely no trouble."

He saw that the two were tempted and gestured towards the front: "My house is not far ahead, or... would you two like to move there?"

Qu Longjun shook her head and pointed at the tea stall: "Right here."

"The tea stall is also mine." Yu Hezhang smiled and spread his hands, "Absolutely no malice, please."

Ning Ji and Qu Longjun looked at each other, then walked to the tea stall next to them and sat down.

-----------------

The small tea stall was located at the bend in the road, just a small shed built by the mountain road. Overlooking the tea stall, one could see a walled village where mountain people lived in the mountain valley ahead. Yu Hezhang's house looked quite remarkable at a glance, and further away, the walls of Pucheng County were vaguely visible as the road extended.

Only pottery pots and bowls from the mountains were used at the tea stall. Yu Hezhang slowly brewed tea to show his sincerity, but Ning Ji and Qu Longjun naturally didn't drink it. After the hot tea was poured, Yu Hezhang said, "I don't know what the two young heroes are seeking in Fujian."

Qu Longjun looked at him coldly: "You said earlier that you had something to say. Now that we've sat down, it's become an interrogation?"

"Absolutely not." Yu Hezhang smiled, "It's just that some things would be easier to say if I knew your purpose... Alright, then I'll say it myself. I just don't know if you two are familiar with the situation in Fujian."

He picked up the tea bowl, took a sip, and this time didn't wait for the two to respond. He said, "Fujian has always been said to be seven parts mountains, two parts water, and one part farmland. There are many towering mountains and ridges here. Although the scenery looks nice, it's actually not a good place. In times of peace, it's a place of exile. In times of chaos, immigrants migrate from all over. Because they come from other places, they are called Hakka. Also, because large numbers of outsiders find it difficult to survive in these wild mountains, they live together in groups, and the clan is very united."

He smiled: "But, although it is such a difficult place to survive, my Fujian has always been loyal to the imperial court. In the past, every clan always regarded it as a first-class event to have a scholar serve in the emperor's court. This is the great righteousness that the people of Fujian understand. And speaking of these years, what is the biggest thing? The Humiliation of Jingkang, the fall of Jiangnan, and two years ago... the new emperor, desperate, came all the way by sea to Fuzhou, which is actually a joyous event that all the people of Fujian feel honored to have in their hearts."

"But, after this incident, things didn't turn out as well as we thought."

Yu Hezhang took a sip of tea and paused.

"Two young heroes, coming from outside, I don't know if you've heard of what happened here in the past. After the new emperor came here, most of us naturally supported him from the bottom of our hearts, but... many unpleasant things happened last year. Some people conspired, some assassinated, and some rebelled. In the middle of last year, several big sea merchants were attacked. At the end of the year, several big clans near Fuzhou, the Pu family, the Chen family, and the Rong family, committed heinous acts, assassinating the emperor. After being defeated by the new emperor, they were all raided, and the survivors of several clans are still being wanted by the court. To outsiders, it's probably truly a troubled time."

At this point, Qu Longjun on the opposite side smiled slightly: "But you all were shouting about killing the yellow dogs last night, I'm afraid you don't stand on the side of this emperor either."

"Young Hero Long is perceptive." Yu Hezhang didn't hide it, smiled and raised his tea bowl, "To outsiders, the whole of Fujian is probably full of people who don't submit to the imperial court, always thinking of causing trouble for the new emperor, and are repeatedly exposed. But today, in front of discerning people, Yu will only say one thing: since the new emperor came, the tax revenue of the people in Pucheng County alone has more than doubled compared to the past. There have even been tragic incidents of soldiers and civilians killing each other."

"Why is this?" Qu Longjun asked.

Yu Hezhang paused before slowly opening his mouth: "...The reason, of course, is manifold, but the main one... is probably that the new emperor is young and vigorous, and is bewitched by the people around him, and uses new people extensively instead of old people. In the past two years, the officials sent down from above have acted tyrannically and brutally, often stirring up popular resentment and even killing many villagers. You see, Pucheng is a place with many mountains and little land, and life is difficult. Now, the tax has increased by almost double, and the mountain people of Fujian are living in misery..."

His words were filled with heartache and righteousness. Qu Longjun sneered, "Although I haven't investigated, I imagine that this double tax was not necessarily imposed by the emperor."

Yu Hezhang raised his hand: "Young Hero Long is perceptive, but regarding this matter, you two will understand as you travel south. Yu doesn't need to lie here. Fujian has high mountains and dense forests, and the mountain people in various places form walled villages to protect themselves, which is already a helpless situation. In the past, the taxes of the mountain people were collected by the local elders, and the taxes were taken from the people and used for the people. Much of the money collected was to be spent in their own villages. But after the new emperor came to Fujian, he brought as many as two hundred thousand soldiers. Where would he get the money to support them? He sent various officials to suppress the local elders under various pretexts, just wanting to collect the money to support the army... Waging wars and exhausting the people is the worst thing to do. You two will slowly understand these things."

He spoke with great confidence on this matter. Ning Ji also laughed: "No wonder. In short, Yu is doing the great work of rebellion. Don't you want to invite us brothers to join?"

"Absolutely not! Absolutely not!" Yu Hezhang waved his hand firmly, "Who would dare to do something like rebellion? Heroes, several families with long traditions in Fuzhou still have the bloody scent on their graves... The new emperor is a capable ruler who has fought on the battlefield. His Han Gong's Zhenhai Army and Yue Gong's Beiwei Army are all strong and well-equipped. Even if the entire Fuzhou force is combined, who would dare to stand in front of them? Don't even mention this. I stopped you two today, poured out my heart, and it is definitely not for such unwise things."

Ning Ji became interested at this time and didn't pretend to be aloof: "Then what do you want to do?"

Yu Hezhang lowered his head and held the tea bowl, silent for a moment: "This is related to the question I asked earlier."

He raised his head and looked at the two: "You two... the people of Fujian are suffering. His Majesty is deceived and uses people without investigation, leading to奸佞being rampant and the people living in misery. But even if we rebel? The Pu, Chen, and Rong families are lessons from the past. No one can beat His Majesty's army. Last year, some people even assassinated him, but Ah, the imperial dog, Tie Tianying, gathered a gang of evil bandits, rampaging and dominating. Many Jianghu heroes died under his ruthless hands."

"Tie Tianying." Ning Ji frowned and snorted coldly, "I do know this name."

"Young Hero has a past with him?" Yu Hezhang stared at Ning Ji.

"The older generation had some grudges that have not been resolved to this day." He said, his gaze turning cold. With a bang, he slapped the tea table, and the awe-inspiring killing intent was released and retracted in an instant. The teapot and bowls on the tea table were still, but a palm print had been left on the hard wood. He really wanted to kill someone. Seeing this, Yu Hezhang's eyes were filled with surprise. Ning Ji raised his eyebrows: "You say yours, don't mind me."

"Yes." Yu Hezhang cupped his fist, "Besides Tie Tianying, there are many evildoers around the new emperor who help him do evil, such as the great Confucian Li Pin, who is good at telling lies, and the eldest princess Zhou Pei, who is good at winning people's hearts, and many other dogs and vicious people gathered together. Therefore, a head-on confrontation will lead to certain death."

"So what can we do in this situation?" He spread his hands, "...Until the end of last year, after the Pu, Chen, and Rong families were wiped out, the great chivalrous man Cao Jinlong, who received grace from the Pu family, killed seven officials of various kinds sent down from above in Putian. His family also died at the hands of the dogs, which shocked the entire Fujian. We in the green forests also slowly had a backbone."

"Starting from the end of last year, under the encouragement of the great chivalrous man Cao Jinlong, Pu Xingui, the son of the Pu family, Chen Shuangran, the daughter of the Chen family, and other righteous children, the green forests of our entire Fujian began to respond to this righteousness and spontaneously rose up to kill the yellow dogs. Think about what a feat this is, the entire Fujian people spontaneously gathering... The official soldiers are powerful, and the dogs are strong. No large clan or large family can say that they want to rebel. We have always been loyal to the imperial court, but we can't stop these many angry people and green forest heroes. They kill a tax official and run into the mountains of Fujian. Where can they be chased... This is the great righteousness of our Fujian today!"

Yu Hezhang said this, revealing his true intentions and making a deafening statement. Ning Ji and Qu Longjun looked at each other, finally understanding many things. Qu Longjun then frowned slightly: "Could it be... just for righteousness?"

Yu Hezhang smiled: "The most important thing is naturally for righteousness. But on the other hand... our various large families in Fujian, although they can't openly say that they have opinions on His Majesty, there are countless people who understand righteousness in private. Even if they can't offer any support on the surface, they all have rewards flowing out in secret for the heads of the yellow dogs. In addition, the righteous people in various places, when they kill奸贼and encounter any difficulties, there are also many people willing to lend a helping hand. Therefore, whether it is fame, fortune, or righteousness, our current Fujian will not disappoint righteous people."

He paused slightly: "Actually, the land in Fujian is barren, and there haven't been many heroes from outside in the past. These things have happened in the past two years, but what about outside? There are martial arts tournaments here, and there is a flowery world. After these things happened last year, we thought, ah, can we go outside to find some heroes to help us beat Tie Tianying and his gang of lackeys? We even thought about inviting Lin Zongwu, the number one in the world, to preside over justice, but we couldn't invite him."

"...At the end of last year, I heard that Yue Fei's pair of children, one named Yue Yinping and the other named Yue Yun, set up a ring in Fuzhou. They were invincible throughout the Three Mountains and Five Peaks. Alas, it is heartbreaking and chilling. Oh, I heard that the woman named Yue Yinping is beautiful, but relying on her official family and her father General Yue's power, no man in Fuzhou dares to win against her. It's really... lacking discipline!"

When he spoke about Yue Yinping's matter, he stared at the two people in front of him for a while.

Ning Ji nodded: "General Yue is the closed-door disciple of Iron Arm Zhou Tong. His children should have obtained the true inheritance of Five-Step Thirteen Spears and Turning Fist. If they have also read widely, it's not surprising that you can't beat them."

Qu Longjun looked at the other party: "Keep talking."

"Oh." Yu Hezhang nodded, "I, Yu, am located on the key roads connecting north and south, and I admire the efforts of the various heroes in Fujian today, so I always want to do something. Therefore, whenever heroes pass by from north and south, I can't help but tell them these things. Just as I said earlier, there was a misunderstanding, and it's natural for the two heroes to be wary. But if these heroes who come to Fujian are willing to take action, whether for righteousness or for fame and fortune, or if they just do something casually, that's a great thing for the country and the people..."

"Heroes, I, Yu, am not hiding anything. In Fujian, we are loyal to the imperial court, and no one is rebelling. But everyone can't stand these corrupt officials around the emperor, so they can naturally be killed. From here to Fuzhou, heroes, as long as the heads of the yellow dogs fall, the large families in various places will offer travel expenses and hard work fees. As long as you two observe carefully, there are loyal people like Yu in various places. This is the reason why I asked you two earlier what you are seeking in Fujian..."

He lowered his voice at this point. Qu Longjun on the opposite side had a frank gaze, but Ning Ji had already laughed: "You just want to rebel. Cao Jinlong and Pu Xingui, etc., are they your superiors?"

"Hey, they are all righteous acts. How can there be superiors? In fact, most of these righteous people who are really at the front will die if they can't escape the search of the dogs. Although we are loyal, we are only fighting against some corrupt officials and dare not really offend the emperor."

"But it doesn't matter, I'm not a good person either." Ning Ji raised his head, "What you said is really interesting."

I knew you weren't a good person... Yu Hezhang said in his heart, but smiled on his face, and then gave a rough introduction to the rewards for killing "yellow dogs" in various places, before saying:

"Actually, I wouldn't dare to interfere with what you two young heroes want to do. It's just that I know that you two are skilled, and now there's a commotion that I want to tell you about... You two heroes also know that Fuzhou is now a dangerous place where the dogs gather. Heroes from all sides have gone there many times to fight against Tie Tianying, Yue Yinping, Yue Yun, and others, and they have all returned defeated in the past. But of course, this kind of thing won't stop after one or two times. Now, Cao Jinlong, whom I mentioned earlier, and the righteous children such as Pu Xingui and Chen Shuangran are all said to be in Fuzhou, gathering strength and waiting for an opportunity to do something big... If you two are interested in these big things, such as what I said earlier, if the young hero wants to kill the heinous Tie Tianying for his elders, you might as well go to Fuzhou and find some companions. I have some clues about this, such as: Tongfu Inn..."

At the tea stall, Yu Hezhang lowered his voice and gave a detailed account. Of course, he wouldn't talk too much about the specifics, but as long as the two had the intention to "kill the yellow dogs" or go to Fuzhou to assassinate the emperor, it was enough for them to find some contact clues. After these topics were finished, Yu Hezhang asked again if the two intended to stay in Pucheng County for a while and try killing a few "yellow dogs", but after receiving a negative answer, he didn't pester them any further and turned around and had someone send a parting gift of ten taels of silver.

When the two left the tea stall and went to the county town, they finally understood a large part of the current situation in Fujian. In Fujian today, almost no one dares to come out openly to oppose the small court in Fuzhou, but the large clans and families in various places are secretly supporting countless desperadoes, starting to assassinate the officials sent down from above. These "righteous people" are all acting as individuals, but the clans in various places are secretly giving out rewards and sheltering these "righteous people" to escape and hide.

The little emperor, who was trying to launch the lower classes with the slogan of "respecting the king and expelling the barbarians" to seize power from the large families, was now submerged in such a strange ocean of "people's war."

It was just unknown how intense this kind of thing was in various parts of Fujian.

Qu Longjun had read books and naturally understood the significance of these things. As for Ning Ji, who had received more similar knowledge in the southwest, both sides felt strange when they talked about it. Qu Longjun smiled: "Then... do you think they went to Fuzhou to kill the emperor or to kill the lackeys around the emperor? And... what do you want to do, Little Dragon?"

Ning Ji thought for a while: "Actually... this little emperor has a pretty good reputation in the southwest, and there's also a bunch of Zuo brothers who participated in the Chinese Army who are helping them with reforms. Of course, I'm going to help them kill Cao Jinlong and other dogs who want to sabotage. But..."

He paused, then looked at Qu Longjun, his expression slightly complicated: "If possible, I want to meet the Yue siblings, and then... kill that dog thing called Tie Tianying."

Qu Longjun also looked at him, then understood the meaning in his eyes, smiled, and took his hand.

"It's okay."

She said.

"When the time comes, I'll hide first."

In the morning, there were not many pedestrians on the mountain road, so Ning Ji squeezed her hand. He laughed foolishly...

As the two entered the city, their expectations for Fuzhou finally became concrete...