Green Mountain

Qigong picked up some red worms and threw them into the pond: "Do you know why our Three Mountains Association only recruits military veterans? It’s because we belong to the Lower Nine, once you step over our threshold, your descendants will no longer be eligible for the Imperial Examination. It’s clearly written in the Daning Law, if we assault good citizens, the crime is increased by one degree; if citizens assault us, the crime is reduced by one degree. If a good family’s daughter marries someone like us, the clan can remove her from the family registry."

Upon saying this, Qigong looked up at Qian Ping: "So, unless those veterans have no other way, our Three Mountains Association wouldn’t want to take them in. Back when you wanted to join us, I used this reason to refuse you, didn’t I?"

Qian Ping lowered his eyelids: "In that case, those people might not be from the Three Mountains Association, could they be from the Cao Guild? I heard Han Tong came to the Imperial Capital secretly and is hiding in Chongnan Fang, and the Cao Guild has suddenly become very active. This person usually operates south of the Yellow River, now that he’s suddenly in the Imperial Capital, could he have ulterior motives?"

Qigong pondered for a moment: "I don’t know what Han Tong is doing in the Imperial Capital, but he is like a startled bird at the moment, and the Cao Guild has never lacked Silver Coin, it definitely wouldn’t create trouble over money. Rest assured, he must be here for something else."

Qian Ping frowned: "Not the Three Mountains Association, not the Cao Guild, then who could it be?"

Qigong didn’t answer, but asked in return: "I hear that array is tricky?"

Qian Ping replied: "It’s both offensive and defensive. Yesterday when they used bamboo, the ruffians could still handle it. Today they switched to iron weapons, beating up Heji’s ruffians until they couldn’t find their way. I observed that the array is extremely suited for alley combat, if not for the fact that ordinary people can’t wield those iron weapons, even the Cavalry would find it troublesome. It’s just that these people aren’t coordinated enough, otherwise, they could easily kill the Jing Dynasty traitors."

"Oh?" Qigong finally looked up at Qian Ping: "Really? You’ve retired from the Longevity Army, don’t joke about this matter."

Qian Ping replied earnestly: "Not a word of it is false... Qigong, you have been away from the Longevity Army for forty years, why still dwell on military formations."