Martial Arts Showdown: My Wife Asked Me to Be the Champion

Chapter 10 I am Ding Dian, greetings!

"Master Lei, another bowl, please!"

"Alright! The handmade wide noodles are coming right away!"

Master Lei responded and busied himself skillfully in the kitchen. His hands didn't seem to be making hand-rolled noodles, but rather like a master painter, moving with fluid grace like a work of art.

I've been in Beijing for three or four days, but I haven't had a chance to explore the city properly or sample any of its delicacies.

Xu Qingya dislikes fancy restaurants and prefers hidden gems in alleyways. When she asked Zhui Ming for recommendations, Zhui Ming suggested Master Lei's Noodle Shop in Yun Que Alley on Zhu Que Street.

According to Zhui Ming, Master Lei's noodle-making skills were even better than those of the imperial chefs. The noodles were of high quality and inexpensive, costing only three coins a bowl, enough to keep a hard worker going all day.

The Four Constables are too straightforward, and their only income is the salary from the Six Doors, which is not high. This Master Lei's Noodle Shop is their "canteen".

The missing child was found, Feng Qiwu and Mai Jing were brought to justice, and the mastermind behind it all was hiding in the shadows, most likely the wife of an official, which Xu Qingya could not easily investigate.

The same applies to chasing life!

No matter how famous the Four Great Constables are, it is only their reputation in the martial arts world. In the officialdom, they are just four constables who are often subject to various constraints.

Fortunately, martial arts are popular in the world today. Several noble ladies from wealthy families like to practice martial arts. They admire the Four Great Constables and some of them have become female constables.

For example, Cheng Xiaodie, the only beloved daughter of Cheng Yantang, the prefect of Luzhou; Longshelan, the niece of the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice; and Guo Furong, the daughter of the "God of Catchers" of the Six Doors.

Zhui Ming asked the female constable for help with the investigation, while he himself searched for files related to the Lianghu Longsha Gang.

As a time traveler, Xu Qingya knew that the Longsha Gang of Lianghu had not been destroyed, and that Ling Tuisi, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, was the leader of the Longsha Gang and was very likely the mastermind behind it.

Unfortunately, Xu Qingya had no evidence.

Ling Tuisi entered officialdom through the imperial examination and became a respected figure in the court. Not to mention the constables of the Six Doors, even if Zhuge Zhengwo came to his door to exchange flower-growing experiences, Ling Tuisi would not give them a friendly look.

How should I go and cause trouble for Ling Tuisi?

Xu Qingya has a hundred ways to deal with Ling Tuisi, the leader of the Longsha Gang, but dealing with Ling Tuisi, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, in the capital city is much more difficult!

"Clatter!"

Master Lei placed the noodles in front of Xu Qingya.

"Young master, don't worry about anything. Have some noodles! A big bowl of noodles will warm you up! As long as there are noodles to eat, there's nothing to worry about!"

"Master Lei! That's a high level!"

"What kind of level am I at... I don't understand! I only know that a hungry person can't think of a solution! The most important thing in the world is to fill their stomach."

"Master Lei, I've heard that Luoyang's peony festival is the best in the world. Is this year's festival being held on Zhuque Street? Where can tourists go to admire the flowers?"

"I know absolutely nothing about flowers and plants, all I know is that they're like cows chewing on peonies. If you want to see flowers, you can go to Ruyi Lane, Jixiang Lane, Wanfu Lane across the street..."

"Thank you so much for showing me the way, Master Lei!"

"Young master, please eat your noodles first! They won't taste good if they clump together! Besides hand-pulled noodles, I can also make stewed noodles, he luo noodles, knife-cut noodles, and oil-splashed noodles..."

Master Lei rattled off dozens of types of noodles as if reciting a menu, describing them with vivid detail. Even Wang Yuyan, when explaining martial arts secrets, couldn't have done it with such fluency.

Xu Qingya treated Master Lei's "reciting the names of dishes" like a storytelling performance. He picked up his bowl of noodles and chopsticks, and like the Yangtze River flowing, he sucked all the noodles into his mouth.

"My biggest wish is to develop a type of noodle that won't fall apart when cooked, but I always fail."

"Master Lei, I think your research direction is wrong. Noodles are made of flour, and there are no noodles that can't be cooked through. You should be researching..."

"What are you researching?"

"Noodles that can be stored for a long time."

"Long-term storage?"

"Exactly! If there were noodles that could be stored for a long time like flatbread, we wouldn't have to eat dry rations when we're out and about; we could just boil water and cook noodles instead!"

"Hiss~~"

Master Lei gasped, feeling as if he had been enlightened. He danced with excitement, a grown man in his thirties, as excited as a child.

Xu Qingya put down a few copper coins, led his beloved dog Doubao'er by the leash with his left hand, and carried the spirit bird Tangdun'er on his right shoulder, leaving the noodle shop with the posture of leading a yellow dog on the left and holding a falcon on the right.

Zhuque Street is a "commercial district". With the arrival of the Peony Festival, tourists from all over the country and martial arts masters with knives and swords flocked here.

The street scene from "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" slowly unfolded before Xu Qingya's eyes, bustling with unparalleled liveliness.

The first thing you notice is the aroma.

The aroma of freshly baked sesame cakes, the sweet scent wafting from the sugar figurine stall, the refreshing fragrance of steaming black tea in the teahouse, and of course, the fragrance of peonies.

The fragrance is both assertive and elegant, intense yet not vulgar, carrying the essence of prosperity and wealth, powerfully blending into the vibrant atmosphere of the streets.

The shops lining both sides of the riverbank became a backdrop for the peonies, with peonies displayed in front of each shop, under the eaves, and even on temporary bamboo scaffolds.

While other homes are filled with the sounds of wind, rain, and reading, here the air is thick with the aroma of food, tea, and peonies. Doubao is so overwhelmed by the fragrance that her nose twitches every now and then.

The streets were teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder.

Noble ladies dressed in fine silks and satins, merchants traveling from place to place, porters in coarse clothes, peddlers selling their wares, street performers, magicians...

Doubao clung tightly to Xu Qingya's trouser leg to avoid being pushed away by the tourists, while Tangdun stood steadily on Xu Qingya's shoulder, its big eyes looking left and right.

Suddenly, Tangdun'er spread its wings, touched Xu Qingya's forehead with its little head, pointed its wings at the beggar who was performing snake tricks in front of it, and screamed twice.

Xu Qingya looked over the wings.

A beggar in his forties, dressed in tattered clothes, was performing snake tricks on the street. He had a green snake coiled in his hand and a large black snake with white stars wrapped around his shoulder.

The two snakes moved up and down, left and right, sometimes coiled around the shoulders, sometimes climbing to the top of the head, and sometimes dancing back and forth to the sound of the flute, very lively.

Several children watched from the side.

The beggar pulled out a black cloth bag: "Come and see, this is full of fun things!"

A child was about to approach when he suddenly felt his body lighten and he was lifted high into the air. As he landed on the ground, he was gently caught by a hand.

Xu Qingya said softly, "Be careful! Never climb into a stranger's bag!"

The child looked at Xu Qingya, then at the snake charmer beggar, and instinctively hugged Xu Qingya.

The two men were too different in appearance, and the child instinctively gravitated towards the handsome one. The beggar, his face contorted with anger, asked menacingly, "Mushroom, which way are you wandering?"

Xu Qingya sneered, "You old bastard! You think you're worthy to discuss martial arts with me? Are you going to the Six Doors yourself, or do I have to carry your corpse there?"

The beggar angrily retorted, "Young master, snakes have their paths and rats have their routes. I haven't offended you, so why are you so aggressive towards me? Do you know who I am?"

The beggar pointed to the small bags on his body, tattered "cloth bags," of which he had five hanging.

These small cloth bags are the symbol of the Beggars' Sect. Wearing five bags indicates that one is a disciple of the Beggars' Sect with five bags.

Under normal circumstances, the highest rank in the Beggars' Sect is a nine-bag disciple, while a five-bag disciple is a minor manager.

The gang leader belongs to the "Ten Bags" group.

Xu Qingya sneered, "I don't think the Beggars' Sect has anyone like you. Even if they did, based on that deal you were just trying to make, even Qiao Feng couldn't save you!"

"Who...who are you...?"

"Xu Qingya!"

"I... am looking at poisonous snakes..."

The old beggar was certainly not a member of the Beggars' Sect. He was Elder He of the Wushan Gang, who was skilled at taming venomous snakes, loved magic tricks, and could conjure up people with a black cloth bag.

Some time ago, in the struggle for the Dragon Slayer Saber, the Wushan Gang suffered a heavy blow. The gang leader decided to lead the Wushan Gang to seek refuge with the Snake King in the capital and let He Laosan come to discuss the terms.

He Laosan was extremely lucky; he met a generous big shot who asked him to kidnap a few children.

He thought it was a sure thing, but unexpectedly he encountered Xu Qingya. Xu Qingya had a fearsome reputation for shaving Mai Jing to the bone, so how could He Laosan dare to resist?

He Laosan waved his hand and threw out two poisonous snakes, then turned and ran. Before Xu Qingya could make a move, Tang Dun'er on his shoulder flew up and viciously clawed down.

He Laosan's black snake is named "Black Star". It is extremely venomous and is known as the "Ten-Step Snake". Such a large venomous snake is obviously not to be underestimated.

However, Black Star dared not resist in the slightest in front of Tang Dun'er. A flash of red light passed by, and Black Star collapsed softly to the ground, its belly ripped open by sharp claws.

With a venom sac in its mouth and a blackish-purple snake gall in its claws, Tangdun'er tilted its head back and swallowed it. After swallowing the gall, its feathers became even shinier.

He Laosan didn't see the terrifying scene and only wanted to escape as quickly as possible. With a "bang," he bumped into a burly man and was grabbed by the man's hand.

The burly man was in his twenties, tall and strong, with incredibly powerful hands, like a pair of iron clamps. He firmly gripped He Laosan's wrist and lifted him up.

Xu Qingya bowed and said, "This old man tried to kidnap a child. Thank you for your righteous help, brother."

"It was nothing, just a small favor!"

The burly man suddenly exerted force with his five fingers, breaking He Laosan's wrist bone. He then returned the greeting to Xu Qingya in a gentle manner, acting more like a poor scholar than a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world).

"May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

"My name is Ding Dian. Greetings!"