Cleverness prevails

  "It stands to reason that after Song Jingang's defeat, he secretly returned to Luoyang and hid for several years. If no one had deliberately investigated, no one would have known that he was the defeated general of that year. Even if someone knew his true identity, without a high-ranking official ordering a thorough investigation, Song Jingang might not have been exposed. This shows that Zhen Ming's thoughts were meticulous and her background was not simple, having carefully planned out Song Jingang's next move."

  The old storyteller paused, with a slow and deliberate tone: "With these two chips in hand, Song Jingang thought he couldn't help but compromise. But unexpectedly, Zhen Mingku proposed a trial to Song Jingang, saying that if Song Jingang won, not only would he let Song Jingang's family leave safely, but also hand over the deeds of sale and appointment documents. However, if he won, Song Jingang would have to write a divorce letter with his own hands, divorcing Zhang Shi. Think about it, comparing martial arts with the number one warrior, isn't that like lighting a lantern in a toilet, looking for shit?"

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  The old storyteller was inspired, and his words flowed more freely: "Song Jingang didn't even consider it, afraid that Zhenming would regret it later. He agreed on the spot, wrote a divorce letter to Zhang's family in front of everyone, signed and stamped it, found a few people as witnesses, and the two handed over the sales contract and the divorce letter to the witnesses. Only then did they begin their formal duel..."

  At this point, the old storyteller became somewhat excited: "Everyone, pay attention, think about it, these two people, one is eight feet tall, strong and powerful, with arms as thick as a bucket, even if he were to run into a bull, he could still grab it and snap it in two. The other is skinny, pale, and wounded, what's the outcome going to be? If I were him, I'd grow four legs and run away as fast as I can, let alone try to compete. Guess what happens?"

  He slammed his hand on the wooden table, his voice excited: "I never thought it would be like this! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it even if you killed me. It's not just a miracle, it's a divine sign, breathtaking! At the start of the match, no one knew what was going on, but then Zhen Mingke gave a push and a send, his foot stumbled, and Song Jingang, despite having the strength of a thousand pounds, had nowhere to apply his force. He fell forward with a thud, just like a falling wooden stake, and even Zhen Mingke's clothes were out of reach."

  The storytelling master spoke vividly and used gestures, waving his hands and feet wildly as he spoke. His words were like flying foam, and the people below listened with rapt attention.

  "What kind of person is Song Jingang? Although he can't do anything about that fate for the time being, that fate also seems to have no effective means of attack. As long as Song Jingang doesn't take the initiative to attack, it also has no way to deal with him."

  "It was all because after Song Jingang was thrown a few times, he became more and more flustered, his attacks becoming increasingly fierce. He punched the air with a loud whooshing sound, but unexpectedly, the harder he hit, the heavier he fell. Later on, everyone thought they were seeing things, only to see a big man punching at thin air, unable to land a hit, like someone drunk, beating himself bloody. Although he wasn't seriously injured, his appearance was quite wretched. I, an old man, couldn't help but think about it, trying to figure out how the opponent did it... his footsteps were steady and orderly, not chaotic in the least..."

  "It was only later that I found out, the young man's kung fu was a kind of divine skill called Tai Chi Push Hands, which anyone can practice. It is said that there is also a mantra, let me recite it for you..."

  "With a serious and meticulous attitude, the upper and lower parts move in tandem, making it difficult for others to intervene. No matter how great the force is, I can use four ounces of strength to deflect a thousand pounds..."

  "This martial art emphasizes the use of borrowed force to counterattack, using softness to overcome hardness, and stillness to control movement. It's like a ball of cotton, no matter how strong the punch is, it won't hurt the opponent at all. The practice of this martial art also emphasizes a calm and peaceful mind, like still water, clearly observing every move of the opponent. If one becomes impatient and loses clarity of mind, they can't exert their full strength. Song Jinqiang's strength was boundless, he could split a stone tablet with one palm, but facing such a weak and slender young man who was as soft as a willow catkin, he was at a loss..."

  Later, Song Jingang's wife Liu Ermei appeared, a woman with a vicious face and a rough appearance. It is unknown what Song Jingang saw in her that made him fall for her. Seeing that Song Jingang was unable to defeat Zhen Mingshu after a long time, she secretly took out a hidden weapon and struck Zhen Mingshu's vital spot. The crowd booed at the despicable move, thinking that Zhen Mingshu would surely lose...

  But unexpectedly, the hidden weapon hit his body and made a "ding ding dang" sound, as if it had hit a metal plate. Liu Ermei didn't expect that the opponent would have thought of this too, and had worn metal armor inside his clothes in advance. Seeing that one move was not successful, Liu Ermei was about to launch a second wave of hidden weapons at his face, but unexpectedly, Zhen Mingxu also suddenly used his hidden weapon at this time. The hidden weapon was extremely strange, seemingly worn on the wrist, and Old Zhang saw clearly that it was two steel needles shot out from the two sleeve openings, one towards Song Jingang and one towards Liu Ermei. Song Jingang and Liu Ermei didn't expect him to have such an unstoppable hidden weapon either, and before they could dodge, they were both hit by the two thin needles...

  "In an instant, the two of them were like they had been poisoned, falling to the ground, convulsing all over, foaming at the mouth, and soon fainted. Just then, a giant of a man emerged from the crowd, rushed to Song Jingang's side, and hoisted the two onto his shoulders. The onlookers saw that it was none other than Eryi Ironworks' boss, the leader of the Miner's Guild, Eryi Jingde..."

  The storyteller took a sip of tea and continued: "That young man seemed to know Wei Zhengde, and didn't stop him. He just took the divorce paper signed by Song Jingang from the witness's hand, put it in his pocket, and said to Wei Zhengde, 'Don't let me see these two people again in Luoyang City.' With the momentum of the previous battle, this sentence was naturally powerful and sonorous. As the leader of a gang, Wei Zhengde didn't show any temper, took Song Jingang away, and sent him out of Luoyang City overnight. In just a few days, the city was filled with wanted posters from the Mining Gang, privately recruiting soldiers and hoarding weapons, intending to rebel...

  The storyteller spoke with flying spittle, his expression agitated, as if he had seen it all with his own eyes. The people below the stage were also enchanted, occasionally bursting into applause.

  The owner of the teahouse had a smile on his face, this story has been told by the storyteller dozens of times, he can recite it from memory. He doesn't care what kind of story the storyteller is telling, the more exaggerated and sensational the story is, the better the business will be.