50: On the way south, they encountered Hong Qigong.

The small town's streets were so empty that one could hear their own footsteps. The wind swirled withered leaves across the stone pavement, and there wasn't even a single street vendor. Xie Hui reined in his horse and was about to warn everyone to be careful when Huang Rong suddenly poked her head out from beside the saddle, her nose sniffing hard: "Something's wrong! There's a scent! It's the smell of beggars chicken!"

"How can you think about eating at a time like this!" Xie Hui was both annoyed and amused, but he followed suit and sniffed carefully—there really was a savory aroma mixed with the fresh scent of lotus leaves drifting over from the east end of town. Hua Zheng gripped her Scimitar: "Could it be a trap by Ouyang Feng? Intentionally using the scent to lure us over?"

Mu Nianci also nodded: "Better to be safe than sorry. Let's split into two groups. Big Brother Xie and Huang Rong will go to the east end to check it out, while Hua Zheng and I keep watch outside the town. If there's danger, release a signal flare."

"No need for all that trouble!" Huang Rong had already jumped off her horse and was running toward the source of the scent while holding up her skirt. "I learned how to identify poisons from my father. If there's a problem, I'll definitely be able to tell! Xie Hui, hurry up and follow me; if you're late, the beggars chicken will be all gone!"

Xie Hui had no choice but to let Hua Zheng and Mu Nianci wait at the town entrance while he followed Huang Rong to the east end. Turning a street corner, they saw a beggar sitting under an Old Locust Tree—his tattered straw hat was pulled down low, and in his hand, he held half a golden-roasted beggars chicken. Oil was dripping through his fingers. Who could it be but Seventh Hero Hong?

"Seventh Master!" Xie Hui was surprised and delighted, quickly running over. "What are you doing here?"

Seventh Hero Hong looked up, stuffed the last piece of chicken into his mouth, and wiped his face: "Isn't it because of the mess you kid caused! I heard you beat that Old Poison Ouyang Feng on the grasslands and even burned the Jin Kingdom's supplies, so I came specifically to see the excitement." He caught sight of Huang Rong, and his eyes instantly lit up. "Little girl, are you hiding another beggars chicken in your arms? Take it out quickly, or I'll tell everyone about the time you stole my chicken leg!"

Huang Rong's face turned red, and she quickly pulled an oil-paper bundle from her bosom: "I knew you'd want to eat! I saved this specifically for you, and I even added Jiangnan's osmanthus honey. It's even more fragrant than the ones you roast!"

Seventh Hero Hong took the oil-paper bundle, opened it impatiently, took a huge bite, and said indistinctly, "Not bad, not bad. It's even better than what your father roasts. By the way, where are you all going? Why come to such a broken-down little town?"

"We are returning to my hometown." Xie Hui was about to explain when he heard Hua Zheng's shout from the town entrance: "Xie Hui! This is bad! Ouyang Feng has come with his men!"

The three of them rushed to the town entrance and saw Ouyang Feng from afar, leaning on his snake staff and leading dozens of Men in Black, surrounding Hua Zheng and Mu Nianci. "Xie Hui! Let's see where you run this time!" Ouyang Feng chuckled sinisterly, the venomous snakes on his staff flicking their tongues. "Seventh Hero Hong, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business, or I'll finish you off along with them!"

Seventh Hero Hong stuffed the oil-paper bundle into Xie Hui's hand and rolled up his sleeves: "Old Poison, what kind of skill is it to bully juniors? If you have the ability, fight a round with me!" As he spoke, he charged toward Ouyang Feng, the power of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms making the ground tremble.

Xie Hui took the opportunity to lead Huang Rong, Hua Zheng, and Mu Nianci back into the town, finding an abandoned Inn to hide in. "Seventh Master can handle Ouyang Feng alone, but what about those Men in Black?" Hua Zheng frowned, gripping her Scimitar tighter.

Huang Rong pulled a small porcelain bottle from her bosom and shook it: "Don't worry, I have a way! This is my newly made 'Soul-Confusing Powder.' As long as it's sprinkled on the Men in Black, they'll lose all their strength, leaving them at our mercy!"

Mu Nianci also pulled several pieces of broken silver from her sleeve pocket: "The second floor of this Inn has windows. We can sprinkle the Soul-Confusing Powder down from there. Big Brother Xie and Hua Zheng will be responsible for dealing with any Men in Black who aren't hit by the powder, and I'll help by handing you medicine for your wounds."

Xie Hui nodded and was about to make arrangements when he heard Seventh Hero Hong's shout from outside the Inn: "Xie Hui! I've lured Old Poison into the alleyway. You guys hurry up and deal with those Men in Black!"

The four of them moved quickly. Huang Rong and Mu Nianci ran to the second floor, while Xie Hui and Hua Zheng guarded the Inn's entrance. Seeing that Ouyang Feng had been lured away, the Men in Black indeed charged toward the Inn. Xie Hui drew his Scimitar and charged forward with Hua Zheng. The two coordinated perfectly, knocking down over a dozen Men in Black in no time.

Huang Rong and Mu Nianci had a clear view from the second floor. Taking advantage of the Men in Black's confusion, they sprinkled the Soul-Confusing Powder onto them. The Men in Black hit by the powder instantly lost their strength and collapsed to the ground, unable to move. Before long, the dozens of Men in Black were completely dealt with.

"Done!" Huang Rong clapped her hands and jumped down from the second floor. "Let's go help Seventh Master quickly, don't let Ouyang Feng get away!"

The four of them ran into the alleyway. Just as they turned the corner, they saw Seventh Hero Hong and Ouyang Feng engaged in a fierce battle. Seventh Hero Hong's Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms were immensely powerful, but Ouyang Feng's Toad Skill was not to be outdone. The two were locked in a stalemate.

"Seventh Master, we're here to help!" Xie Hui shouted, charging forward with Hua Zheng, while Huang Rong and Mu Nianci helped from the side, occasionally throwing some itching powder onto Ouyang Feng. Ouyang Feng was thrown into a frantic state and, in a moment of carelessness, was struck by Seventh Hero Hong's Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. He spat out blood, turned, and fled.

"Don't chase him!" Seventh Hero Hong stopped Xie Hui. "Old Poison is injured; he won't come looking for trouble again for a while. You all should hurry on your way to avoid further complications."

Xie Hui nodded and took an oil-paper bundle from his bosom, handing it to Seventh Hero Hong: "Seventh Master, this is the beggars chicken Huang Rong specially roasted for you. Take it to eat on the road. If there's a chance in the future, we'll treat you to something even better!"

Seventh Hero Hong took the oil-paper bundle and said with a smile, "Good! I'll be waiting! Be careful on the road. If you run into trouble, go to the Beggars Sect Branch in the north and give them my name. They will help you."

After seeing off Seventh Hero Hong, the four continued their journey. On the way, Hua Zheng couldn't help but ask, "Xie Hui, what is your hometown actually like? Is there really a lot of delicious food and fun things to do?"

Xie Hui said with a smile, "Of course! My hometown has skyscrapers, Automobiles that run faster than horses, and airplanes that can take people into the sky. When we arrive, I'll take you to eat hot pot and barbecue, and to the Amusement Park to ride the roller coaster. I guarantee you'll have a great time!"

Huang Rong's eyes lit up: "What is a roller coaster? Is it more exciting than riding a horse?"

"Much more exciting than riding a horse!" Xie Hui nodded. "You'll know when the time comes."

Mu Nianci also showed an expectant smile: "I've never seen skyscrapers or Automobiles. I really want to go and see them soon."

The four of them rode their horses, galloping toward the direction of Xie Hui's hometown. The setting sun bathed them in light, as if draping them in golden armor. Although they didn't know what difficulties lay ahead, their hearts were full of confidence—as long as they were by each other's side, there was no problem that couldn't be solved.

However, they didn't know that an even bigger surprise was waiting for them in Xie Hui's hometown. When they passed through the final space-time gate and saw the scene before them, they were all stunned—skyscrapers stood in rows, Automobiles sped along the roads, and people wore strange clothes, holding glowing squares (mobile phones) in their hands and speaking words they couldn't understand.

"This... this is your hometown?" Hua Zheng's eyes widened, and the Scimitar in her hand almost fell to the ground.

Xie Hui nodded with a smile: "Yes! Welcome to my world!"