The First Volume of Qīng State Chapter 121: Husband and Wife Soldiers

  Xiao Guanshi's eyes were bloodshot, and he charged out of the broken house like an enraged bull, holding two spirit tablets in his arms. Tears streaming down his face, he exclaimed: "Young Master, Old Xiao has found Madame's spirit tablet, Madame's spirit tablet..."

  He choked with emotion and couldn't speak, Xia Yu looked into his arms and saw that the spirit tablet of Yang's wife had been wiped by Xiao Guan Shi with his sleeve for half a day, but there were still many stains on it, which were the traces left by the dried chicken shit.

  Although Xia Yu wasn't Yang Xu himself, seeing this scene made the anger that was already hard to control in his heart surge to its peak. He smiled coldly and said, "Old Xiao, put away my mother's memorial tablet, don't clean it."

  Xiao Guan was stunned and asked incredulously: "What? The lady's spirit tablet has been desecrated like this, isn't it going to be cleaned?"

  Peng Ziqi said, "Xiao Guan Shi, the official wants to sue the Yang family, this...this...the ancestral tablet of the grandmother is a piece of evidence, and it cannot be destroyed now."

  Xia Yu Dao: "Zi Qi, you're wrong. I won't clean it myself because I must let the master of the Yang family in Juling personally clean up this filth. After that, I will..."

  He turned to his family members who were slowly gathering around him and said word by word: "Leave the Yang family of Yiling, establish your own hall name!"

  Since he saw the situation at home, he knew that he had no way out. From now on, this is his home, these people are his own, and if the backbone of this family's master does not stand up straight, then this big family will not be able to live as human beings again. This time, they must fight, whether they want to or not!

  Xiao Guanshi choked back tears and said: "Alright, alright, Old Xiao will listen to Young Master, Old Xiao will do whatever Young Master says."

  At this time, a distant clamor came, the Yang family lived in the same town, and the brothers' houses were even built next to each other. Before long, a large group of angry men and women carrying hooks and clubs rushed over with great momentum.

  Xia Jiang picked up a whistle stick, slowly walked out of the door, stood at the door and shouted in a low voice: "Those who don't understand boxing skills retreat to the yard to clean up the animal corpses in the house and courtyard. Others stand inside the gate and guard both sides of the gate. Anyone who dares to rush forward will be beaten away by me with a chaotic stick!"

  Peng Ziqi raised an eyebrow and walked up to his side with big strides. Xia Jie glanced at her, Peng Ziqi's face was flushed, but she bravely said: "Brothers in battle, husband and wife in the army. I will fight alongside you."

  Xia Liu smiled and her eyes sank to her waist again, saying: "Don't easily use a knife."

  Xiao Ding shouted: "Peng sister!"

  Peng Ziqi turned her head and saw Xiao Ding snatch a whistle rod from someone's hand, which was already flying towards her. Peng Ziqi raised her hand and grasped the whistle rod with a loud crash, then took a step forward, slightly turning sideways, and stood in an outer Ba Zi shape with Xia Jiu, each holding a rod in their hands.

  "Who is it? Who killed the cow in my house?"

  "Our family's mule..."

  "What a big dog's gall, my family's old sow is about to give birth..."

  "My sixth aunt, those few old hens in our house lay eggs every day."

  A large group of men and women, scolding and shouting at each other, arrived in front of him. Xia Yu's tongue burst forth like a spring thunderclap, and he suddenly let out a loud shout: "Shut up, all of you!"

  This roar actually stunned those people, and after a moment of silence, one of them shouted: "Who are you, daring to enter my Youling Town, slaughtering other people's livestock? Under the bright sky, aren't you afraid of the law?"

  Xia Liu slammed his staff on the ground and smiled: "Wang Fa, you're joking. I was just about to ask, if you knew Wang Fa, how would my home become like this? You ask me who I am? This is my home, what do you think I am? I, Yang Xu, left home at a young age and returned today, but I don't know where all these wild donkeys, wild cows, wild chickens, and wild sheep came from. A group of uncouth men and women have turned my home into a chaotic mess!

  Even the ancestral tablet of my mother... has been desecrated by filth. As a son, how can I not feel a piercing pain in my heart? You must be either my neighbors or relatives from the same clan. I'm very sorry, but my home is currently in disarray and it's inconvenient to receive guests. Please return for now, and when Yang Xu has some free time, we will make sure to visit each of you one by one, whether near or far, relative or neighbor."

  The crowd suddenly burst into an uproar, and it was only then that they suddenly remembered that this house had an owner. However, the family who lived here had left in a hurry many years ago and had not been heard from for over ten years, leading their relatives to assume that Yang Dingkun's household had perished. Who would have thought that he would return today? The little boy who used to be bullied by his cousins every time he went out had grown into such a majestic and powerful man.

  "Don't pretend to be stupid, making ambiguous remarks and scolding people! What kind of wild donkey or cow are you, not knowing the rules? You...you..., this is a cattle pen and pigsty, sheepfold and chicken coop, don't you know that someone takes care of them? With just one sentence about wild animals, do you want to shirk responsibility? You killed three pigs from my family, if you don't explain clearly today, apologize and compensate for the loss, I recognize you as a relative, but the dung fork in my hand doesn't recognize you!"

  Although some people feel guilty and speechless, most people don't care. In the past when Yang Dingkun was around, wasn't the whole family being bullied by their own relatives to the point of not being able to hold their heads up? Now that the old man is nowhere to be seen, he's probably dead, leaving behind a young one who can still hold his head high and speak with confidence in front of his relatives.

  Xia Jie's eyes widened fiercely, and he let out a loud roar: "Who raised you? Which dog's mother raised you? The lock on my family's gate was put up by my father! The deed to this house is still in Yang Xiu's pocket, who dares to smash the door of my home, occupy my courtyard and house? Empty out my family's estate, desecrate my mother's spirit tablet, and turn the Yang family into a pigpen and sheepfold? You say!"

  "So you did it on purpose?"

  The man who spoke sneered: "Well, Yang Xu, you little brat, you're more capable than your dad! Returning to your hometown, not even hiding your tail, daring to make such a big move, well! This account, I'll settle with you clearly."

  "Where did you come from, you wild dog?"

  That man was only a few years older than him, tall and sturdy, and shouted upon hearing the sound: "Little beast, I am Yang Wenwu, do you remember?" As he spoke, he swung the shovel in his hand and smashed it over.

  Xia Jiang saw him take action, and naturally didn't hold back either. With a flick of his wrist, the tip of his baton stabbed towards Yang Wenwu's spearhead. As soon as they saw Yang Wenwu take action, those originally awkward Yang family members immediately started fighting fiercely. As long as they could knock Yang Xu down, who cared about reason? They would be the ones calling the shots.

  Peng Ziqi saw them wielding knives, guns and clubs at her husband, and she was furious. Her apricot-shaped eyes widened, and with a loud shout, the baton in her hand spun around freely, moving like a wheel, sweeping horizontally towards them.

  Xia Liu and Peng Ziqi's staff styles are different, but equally sharp and cool. The power of the staff lies not in strength, but in technique. As the saying goes: "Fists fear the young and strong, while staves fear the old and cunning." In hand-to-hand combat, brute force can be an advantage, but when it comes to staff fighting, the situation is different. Staff techniques emphasize skill and method over brute force, combining hardness and softness.

  When using a stick to strike, consider the length and shortness of the two sticks, measure the distance between them, calculate the speed and slowness of time, clarify the changes in the life and death sticks, the approach and avoidance of the life and death gates, the advance and retreat of the old and soft sticks, control the point of force, and the inner and outer points of counterattack. Mastering these is considered to have learned the superior stick method, and can gain the upper hand in combat. Therefore, although the two people's stick methods each have their own clever techniques, they appear roughly the same on the surface.

  Only two people saw the same progress and retreat, coordinating with each other, the two sticks in their hands were like two dragons, opening their teeth and dancing their claws, wherever they went, it was like boiling water splashing on a snow lion, those rough and unskilled fighters how could be their opponents, wherever the two rushed to, there would be chaos, the seemingly powerful opponents immediately fell to the ground, wailing continuously.

  Those women who were eager to make a scene, seeing the two of them taking action without mercy, didn't care whether you were male or female, and were so scared that they had long since retreated far away, not daring to rush up and get themselves into trouble.

  There were Xia Liu and Peng Ziqi, these two sticks. Although many came, not a single person could step into the courtyard. Xia Liu and Peng Ziqi's offense and defense coordination became more and more tacit, and their fighting was also getting smoother and smoother. At this time, an old voice shouted: "Stop! Stop!"

  Immediately afterwards, more people followed and shouted: "Stop it, old master is here, stop it all."

  Now, only three or four of the Yang family's young and strong men are left. It is no longer them surrounding Xia Xiu, but rather being chased by Xia Xiu and Peng Ziqi. As soon as they hear the shouting, they quickly retreat, taking advantage of the opportunity to escape. Xia Xiu and Peng Ziqi put away their sticks and stand shoulder to shoulder at the entrance. A white-browed old man in his seventies, wearing a mandarin jacket, is hastily led over by others. Seeing his clansmen lying on the ground, he wails and rolls around, so angry that his breathing becomes labored.

  Someone leaned over and whispered a few words to the old man, who raised an eyebrow and shot a sharp glance at Xia Jiu. Xia Jiu remained calm and unruffled, standing there with a faint smile on his face.

  "Are you... Yang Dingkun's son, Yang Xu?"

  The old man spoke up, and Xia Yu nodded: "That's right, which one are you?"

  An old man had not spoken, a Confucian scholar in his middle age who was supporting him shouted loudly: "Impudent little boy, I am the head of the Yang family from Yiling, one generation older than your father. When you see an elder of your clan, don't you know to salute and pay respects?"

  Xia Liu raised his eyes to the sky and said lightly, "Sorry! Yang Xu left his hometown when he was very young and didn't know the elders of the clan. Can't you just bring an old guy who is on his last breath and say he's my elder, and I'll have to pretend to recognize him?"

  The old man was furious and pointed at him, saying: "You... what are you talking about?"

  "When interacting with others, one should be kind and generous in their actions, and offer constructive advice when they see someone doing something wrong. This is the way a superior person treats others. A superior person should have a demeanor that makes people look up to them. When younger generations are in front of their superiors, they should be humble and respectful, and willing to learn from them. If it's one's own family members, they should educate their children and protect their relatives, being fair and impartial, and upright in their behavior, this is the way a superior person should behave."

  Yang Xiu had been away from his hometown for over a decade, and when he returned today, he found that his family's house had been occupied by others and turned into a cowshed and pigsty. Not one of his relatives came forward to stop this. His mother's memorial tablet was discarded in a corner, stained with chicken and goose droppings, and still not one of his relatives came forward to take charge of justice. When Yang Xiu cleaned up his family's property, those who had forcibly occupied the houses came together to beat him up, and again not one of his relatives appeared. Now, suddenly a relative from his own clan has emerged, so how can Yang Xiu trust you?

  Xia Jiang shouted and raised his whistle, pointing it at the old man's nose tip, with a severe expression and tone, he loudly asked: "You said you are my elder, go to the wellhead and take a look at your old face from head to toe, which part of you looks like an elder?"