Chapter 28: 28 Bagua
"This jerk really deserves a beating."
Xigou stared straight at the middle-aged uncle with a smug look, his eyes filled with disdain, almost wishing he could bite him right there.
Just one bite, hmm!
Fang Zhixing watched as the middle-aged uncle walked away arrogantly. After a moment's thought, he followed at a leisurely pace.
Seeing this, Xigou sent a puzzled telepathic message, "Why are you following this douchebag?"
Fang Zhixing replied, "This douchebag is a lazy bum. Just by looking, you can tell he's idle and lazy. People like him, as soon as they have some money, will definitely go to a crowded place to chit-chat and waste their lives away."
Xigou was puzzled and somewhat incredulous, "Are you sure?"
Fang Zhixing gave Xigou a look and said bluntly, "Aren't you exactly like that?"
"..."
The man and the dog silently followed suit.
Soon, the middle-aged uncle ambled into a side alley and walked into a modest tea house that appeared suddenly before him.
The tea house was somewhat hidden, difficult to find unless you were a local.
Humming a tune, the middle-aged uncle entered the tea house and picked an empty table to sit down.
The tea house was small, with seven or eight tables and about a dozen customers.
The middle-aged uncle did not look at anyone. With a stylish flick of his sleeve and a snap of his fingers, he flicked away the coin Fang Zhixing had given him.
The coin spun in the air, landed on the table, and made a crisp, ringing sound.
Instantly, the sound attracted the attention of others in the tea house, who all turned their heads.
Someone laughed and called out, "Kong Erleng, where did you get the money? You didn't steal it from someone again, did you?"
Kong Erleng immediately widened his eyes and scolded, "Nonsense! How can you accuse me like that? I earned this money fair and square!"
With that, everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the tea house was filled with a merry atmosphere.
Such a scene...
Xigou was utterly speechless, even if reluctantly, he had to admit it.
Damn it, Fang Zhixing's brain works so fast. As soon as others bend over, he knows exactly what crap they're up to.
Thinking this, Xigou felt very uncomfortable and found Fang Zhixing even more annoying the more he looked at him.
Kong Erleng raised his chin and loudly called out, "Boss, bring a pot of tea!"
The owner brought over a hot pot of tea and a large teacup, placed them on the table, and took away the big coin.
Kong Erleng began to drink by himself, oblivious to everyone around him, and completely unaware that Fang Zhixing had also entered the tea house and was sitting at a table in the corner.
By this time, people in the tea house were already chatting idly.
"Have you heard? Old Master Chen is about to take another concubine."
"What, another one?!"
"Goodness, which wife will this be now?"
"The ninth!"
"Old Master Chen is seventy-two this year, right? Truly vigorous at an old age!"
The crowd buzzed, eagerly discussing the gossip of the wealthiest family in the town.
Kong Erleng suddenly sneered, "You guys know nothing, Old Master Chen taking nine wives and concubines isn't because he's energetically old."
The crowd turned their heads and clamored, "Oh really, it seems you know so much, well then tell us why?"
Kong Erleng simply shut his mouth and leisurely sipped his tea.
Seeing this, someone passed over a plate with five or six leftover peanuts.
Kong Erleng instantly smiled, picked up a peanut and popped it into his mouth. While chewing, he said, "Tsk, you only know one side of the story, Old Master Chen actually has his own unspeakable woes."
The person who offered the peanuts asked, "The Chen family piles up gold and wealth, what troubles could Old Master Chen possibly have?"
Kong Erleng clucked his tongue, "Haven't you all noticed, Old Master Chen only has one son, which is Big Coin, and though Big Coin has married three wives and concubines, he doesn't have a single child?"
The expressions of those present changed.
There are three unfilial acts, but having no progeny is the greatest!
Everyone had indeed noticed that Big Coin had no progeny and many rumors had circulated about this.
Someone muttered quietly, "That's true, does Big Coin have some hidden illness perhaps?"
Another person smacked their lips, "That can't be, Big Coin practices martial arts, he's strong and vigorous, he once killed a bull with one punch, could he really be unable to have children?"
Soon, someone speculated, "Could it be because of some special martial arts skill he practices? I heard that those who cultivate 'Child's Skill' cannot be near females."
"Are you stupid?"
Immediately, another person retorted, "If Big Coin cannot be near females, then why did he marry three wives and concubines?"
"Exactly."
Another person agreed, "Big Coin is a disciple of the Black Tiger Sect, and their secret skill is the 'Black Tiger Skill,' right? I haven't heard that this martial arts has any taboos!"
At this moment, an old man with a goat beard, cracking melon seeds, said, "My grandson also practices martial arts and is a disciple of 'Iron Palm Cheng Tianen'. That lad told me that practicing martial arts doesn't have many taboos, you can normally marry and have children."
The crowd was all talking at once, unable to conclude exactly why, and eventually, everyone looked towards Kong Erleng.
At this moment, Kong Erleng ate the last peanut, leisurely pulled out a dry pipe, and tapped the ashes against the table leg.
Then he kept tapping, kept tapping, the clinking sounding out.
Everyone soon realized that Kong Erleng had no more tobacco.
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
The old man with the goat beard sighed and pulled out a pinch of tobacco from his own pipe.
Kong Erleng, overjoyed, hastily stood up to catch it, lit it, took a satisfying drag and puffed out clouds of smoke, a look of enjoyment on his face.
Then he spoke up, "My aunt works as a servant in the Chen Family. She told me that Big Coin never spends the night in any of his wives' quarters."
The crowd couldn't help but feel suspicious, some already guessing something, smacked their lips, "Could that rumor be true?"
Kong Erleng chuckled, "Big Coin loves practicing his martial arts, he keeps four training servants, my aunt says, Big Coin spends all day with those four servants, as close as can be."
A wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
There were already rumors around the village that Big Coin was partial to the love between men, a fondness for severed sleeves.
With Kong Erleng's words, it seemed like a confirmation!
This gossip was too explosive, and the teahouse instantly boiled over with excitement.
"What does that mean, Big Coin likes men, he sleeps with men?"
Someone, naive and astonished, asked, "How can men sleep with men?"
Immediately, someone picked up two chopsticks and clacked them together, chuckling, "Get it?"
The uncomprehending folks stared in bewilderment, while those who understood laughed with a knowing look.
Fang Zhixing listened carefully, then suddenly raised his hand, saying, "Boss, bring a dish of peanuts."
"Right away!"
The boss quickly brought over a plate of peanuts, smiling, "Thank you for your patronage, five Big Coins."
Fang Zhixing slowly took out the money, simultaneously motioning for the boss to come closer.
Seeing this, the boss nodded in understanding and leaned down.
Fang Zhixing asked, "They just mentioned the 'Black Tiger Sect'; where is it located in the market town?"
The boss replied with a smile, "The Black Tiger Sect isn't in the market town, it's in Qinghe County."
Fang Zhixing nodded in comprehension, then asked, "What about 'Iron Palm Cheng Tianen', that old man just mentioned, where is he?"
The boss carefully looked Fang Zhixing over, then replied, "Hero Cheng lives on the west side of the town; his home has a whitewashed courtyard, with two stone lions at the front, and a banana tree planted at the entrance."
Having said this, he couldn't help asking, "Why, are you also thinking of seeking a master to learn martial arts?"