[Wuxia] The Jade Bow and the Cloud Sea (Complete) - 1

In the first chapter of Liang Yusheng's *
The Jade Bow and the Clouds*, the poem reads:

"In the third month, the sun shines brightly, and the warbler's song is melodious and round. Whose courtyard is filled with delightful pleasures? Lost in the misty scenery of Jiangnan, I've completely forgotten the
vast I envy the elegant young masters of the Five Mausoleums, but do I remember the mad beggar who feigned madness and still stumbles? The ethereal clouds drift and the sea gleams, seemingly there but not
there—where is it? Let's listen to the flute music of Wu City, singing 'The Jade Bow and the Clouds' again."
The musical score is "Didi Jin." In late spring, in March, the grass grows long in Jiangnan, wildflowers bloom on the trees, and warbler swarms. This misty spring
scenery of Jiangnan in March has captivated countless poets, scholars, and nobles throughout history
. Even those who have never been to Jiangnan are naturally mesmerized by this intoxicating season of "apricot blossom rain that threatens to wet clothes, and willow breezes that are not cold on the face."
This young man, around twenty years old, had never been to Jiangnan before. He had a childlike face and
a childlike heart. He was currently looking around on the hillside, gesturing excitedly and shouting, "No wonder the master
longed to go home every day when he was in Sakya! Jiangnan is truly a wonderful place! Jiangnan is so good!"
A group of children followed behind him, laughing and joking. The eldest child suddenly led his companions in singing, "Shameless
, shameless: A mouse falls into a scale, praising itself without reason!" The boy, still bearing a childish air, made
a , pretending to be angry, and shouted, "How dare you little devils call me a mouse!" The
children retorted, "Didn't you praise yourself? We clearly heard you say 'Jiangnan is so good, Jiangnan is so good,' and you still say it wasn't a mouse
falling into a scale?" The boy laughed loudly, "I was referring to your Jiangnan place. But my Jiangnan isn't necessarily
bad, is it?"
It turned out that this boy, who had never been to Jiangnan, was named "Jiangnan." He was originally a pageboy to Chen Tianyu, the son of Chen
Dingji . Chen Dingji had been exiled to Tibet for over ten years. Later, due to his merit in welcoming the Jinbenba Ping, a
relative by marriage who was an official in the court petitioned the emperor for a pardon, allowing him to return to the capital and resume his original post as an imperial censor. Seeing the treacherous nature of officialdom, he served as an imperial censor for two years before retiring and
returning to his hometown. His home was in a rural area called "Mudu," about fifty or sixty li from Suzhou, facing Taihu Lake, with extremely beautiful scenery.
Jiangnan had been recognized as Chen Dingji's adopted son by Chen Dingji for his merit in carrying a message to the capital for his master, and was no longer a pageboy. However, because of his
past as a pageboy, he was very approachable and, having only been back in his master's hometown for two months, had already become quite familiar with the local children.
At this moment, Jiangnan, smiling, distributed handfuls of candy to the children and asked, "How about it? Am I not bad, Jiangnan
?" The children stopped laughing at him and cheered, "Jiangnan is so good! Jiangnan is so good!" Jiangnan suddenly asked, "Hey,
in your village, is there a girl who likes to play the hujia?"
Jiangnan's question amused the children again, and several of the older children playfully scratched his face, teasing him, "Hehe,
Brother is thinking about a girl!" Jiangnan said, "Nonsense, hey, hey, I'm being serious. Whoever tells me, I'll go to Suzhou tomorrow
and buy them a copper top." The children's mouths watered, but they were clearly confused by Jiangnan's question,
asking , "What is a hujia? What does a hujia look like?" Jiangnan gestured with his hands and said, "It's
a pipe made of long reed leaves, and it can make a very sharp sound when blown." They asked, "What do those reeds look like?" "
Is it fun to play them?" "Ha, ha, we've never seen this strange thing before."
The Hujia is a musical instrument of the nomadic peoples beyond the Great Wall. The children of Jiangnan had never seen it before, and no matter how Jiangnan explained it, they wouldn't understand
. However, they could name a whole bunch of girls who liked playing the flute and the xiao, which made Jiangnan both annoyed and amused. He thought to himself, "
Strange, even if I misheard, the young master wouldn't have misheard. Last night we clearly heard a sound that sounded just like the Hujia!"
Suddenly, a mournful sound drifted from afar, like the cries of monkeys in the Three Gorges or the weeping of mermaids in the night. The sound was sharp and shrill, and even the children
could hear it clearly. Jiangnan's heart skipped a beat. He had been used to hearing the sound of the Hujia since he was a child beyond the Great Wall, and he was certain that he was not mistaken. He quickly
got rid of the children's entanglement and ran towards the hillside where the sound of the Hujia came from. He saw two fast horses galloping towards him from the bottom of the hillside. The children
called out behind him, "Brother Jiangnan, don't mess with them! They're Wang Laohu's thugs."
Jiangnan had been there for almost two months and knew that Wang Laohu was a local tyrant in Wu County and the leader of some gang. But Jiangnan
was a troublemaker; he didn't take Wang Laohu seriously at all, let alone his two thugs. Even if
they were complete strangers , if he knew they were Wang Laohu's henchmen, he'd probably provoke them anyway. Besides, he had already seen the two
thugs chasing after the girl playing the huqin on horseback.
The hills around Suzhou were nothing more than mounds of earth in Jiangnan's eyes. He took a deep breath and ran downhill, reaching
the foot of the hill . But what he was thinking about now wasn't how to deal with the two thugs, but rather wondering where the
girl playing the huqin had come from. Jiang Nan recalled that around midnight last night, Chen Tianyu and he were talking about the past of Sakya. Their conversation was so deep that neither of them felt sleepy.
When they were discussing the mad beggar Jin Shiyi, they suddenly heard a faint sound of a reed pipe, which disappeared after a short while. Jiang Nan
was suspicious and thought it was Jin Shiyi, but Chen Tianyu, skilled in music, said that the sound of the reed pipe was mournful and plaintive, and the player
was most likely a woman, not Jin Shiyi. Jiang Nan immediately wanted to run out to see, but Chen Tianyu, fearing to disturb his father, stopped him
. Therefore, Jiang Nan went out early this morning to inquire, and now he saw it—it was indeed a girl.
However
, the girl's face was covered by a black veil, and Jiang Nan couldn't see her face, which made him increasingly suspicious.
When , the two horsemen happened to catch up with the girl. Just as they passed in front of Jiang Nan, one of the thugs suddenly let out a twisted laugh,
and a steel claw flew out with a whoosh, grabbing at the veiled girl!
The thug threw out his steel claw, confident he could easily grab the girl. But in that instant, he heard a chuckle
. Just as he was pulling hard, his hand suddenly felt like it was being cut by a knife, and he fell off his horse. It turned out that Jiang Nan had
nimbly caught his claw, but the steel cable had gotten tangled in a tree.
The other thug, seeing this, was shocked and quickly dismounted to help his companion up. The fallen thug yelled, but Jiang Nan
laughed , "You fell down, what do I care? Who told you to grab that tree? What grudge does the tree have against you? Humph, humph, who are you cursing?"
The other thug, more cautious, stopped his companion and asked Jiang Nan, "Hey, which line are you from?" Jiang Nan
shook his head and said, "I don't know you guys. Who has any money dealings with you? How can you say we're
friends in terms of money?" He feigned ignorance, deliberately pronouncing "online" as "in terms of money," rambling on and on about money.
The thug sneered, "Are you really confused, kid? Do you know we're
under the command of Chief Wang of the Ocean Gang?" Jiang Nan replied, "No." The thug said, "Then do you know the rules of the martial world? This woman from out of town has an
unknown . Chief Wang wants to interrogate her. Why are you stopping him?" Jiang Nan said, "That's strange. What is a Chief? Is he
a high-ranking official like a prefect? I've seen many officials, but I've never heard of a Chief, let alone someone who can be arrested and interrogated simply because of their
unknown ." The thug snorted and said, "Where did you come from
, you scoundrel?" Jiang Nan said, "I'm also from out of town. Your Chief..." "Should we interrogate him?" The thug who had just fallen flew into a rage and called to
his companion, "This kid is clearly trying to mess with us. If we don't teach him a lesson, he won't know his place. Stop
wasting time talking to him and get him!"
Jiang Nan shouted, "You called me a bastard as soon as you came in, and now you call me a kid! A real man can't take it anymore!
Take this slap!" He uttered the words "Take this slap" in the style of Peking Opera, his body swaying gracefully, making the children
watching laugh. The two burly men were furious. One threw a punch at his face, and the other grabbed his
arm. Neither of them touched him, but as soon as the word "slap" was uttered, two crisp slaps followed. Both thugs had
indeed received a slap from Jiang Nan.
The two thugs were apparently stunned by the beating. By this point, they should have known that Jiang Nan's skills far surpassed theirs by
more than ten times, yet they remained oblivious to the danger. They lunged at Jiang Nan from both sides, unleashing a flurry of punches. Jiang Nan lightly tugged at their
clothes, and several heavy blows rang out—they were hitting their own comrade, each mistaking
the other for an enemy. It took them seven or eight blows to realize their mistake.
Jiang Nan chuckled, "You injured yourselves, and all of you children are witnesses. Don't blame me!"
The two burly men were bruised and battered, their backs aching, their mouths agape. Jiang Nan said, "
Why are you still raising your eyebrows and glaring? Haven't you had enough? Want another round?" Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, and the two thugs,
terrified , fled in panic. Just then, a burst of laughter rang out!
Jiang Nan turned around and saw a large group of people at the intersection, all carrying weapons. Jiang Nan was taken aback, thinking it was reinforcements from
the Ocean Gang. But then the leading man stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Young hero, admirable and worthy of respect!"
Jiang Nan had never been flattered like this before. Hearing this, he was overjoyed and chuckled, "What kind of
hero Our young master and his friends are the true heroes of this era!" The man tilted his head, as if thinking
about something, then suddenly cupped his hands again and said to Jiang Nan, "My apologies! My apologies! Don't tell me yet, let me guess who your young master is.
Ha, I guessed it! It must be Chen Tianyu! Your name is Jiang Nan!" Jiang Nan said happily, "That's right, how did you know
?" The man said, "Your young master and I have been old friends for many years, how could I not know?" He paused, then added,
"We also know Chen's friends, one of whom we are closest to is named Tang Jingtian." Jiang Nan said:
"Yes, yes: Master Tang and our young master are best friends, practically brothers! Haha, I didn't expect him to be your
good friend too. Hey, do you know Jin Shiyi?"
The man said, "Hmm, Jin Shiyi? Ah, not bad, not bad, we've met a few times." Jiang Nan hurriedly asked, "When was the last time
you met?" The man said, "At the foot of Nyainqêntanglha Mountain, we went to visit Tang
Jingtian and happened to run into him there. After that, we came to Jiangnan. It was about half a year ago." Jiang Nan was overjoyed and said:
"So, Jin Shiyi isn't dead?" the man said. "Jin Shiyi is a bit old, but he's still in good spirits. I
think he could live at least another ten years. How could he be dead?"
Jiang Nan was taken aback, thinking, "Jin Shiyi isn't much older than our young master. How can he be considered old?" But
being of pure heart, once doubt arose, he quickly explained, "That's right. Jin Shiyi is very good at changing his appearance; he even impersonated a
leper before. It's not surprising that he would appear as an old man. But this group of people claims to be our young master's friends..." "But
why don't I recognize any of them?" The man seemed to know what he was thinking and rambled on, "That year, when Young Master Chen went to welcome Jin
Benba Ping, we lent him a hand. It's been six or seven years!" Jiang Nan said, "It's a pity that Young Master didn't take me with him that time.
I heard it was extremely lively, with countless extraordinary people from all directions. So that's how you became acquainted with our Young Master.
No wonder I don't recognize you." Upon closer inspection, the group consisted of thirteen people of varying heights, all with travel-worn faces,
and judging from their clothing, they seemed to be from beyond the Great Wall.
Jiangnan's suspicions were half dispelled when the leading man said, "You don't recognize us, but we've already heard of your great name
."
Jiangnan chuckled happily, "Really? It must have been our young master who mentioned it; he loves to praise me." The man
said, "Indeed, Young Master Chen said you are his most capable page, clever, quick-witted, and capable—truly
perfect ." Jiangnan, flattered, felt as if he had drunk a pot of fine wine, floating on air, and said, "There's
something else you don't know. I'm no longer a page; I'm honored that the young master thinks highly of me and we've become sworn brothers." The man quickly cupped his hands and said, "Second Young Master
Chen , my apologies, my apologies." Jiangnan was overjoyed and said, "You've come from afar; is there anything I can do for you?"
Seeing that others addressed him as "Young Master," he imitated his master's tone, offering a refined and polite greeting.
The man said, "I was just about to ask you to lead the way. Young Master Chen must be at home." Jiang Nan replied, "Yes, yes, he must be at home.
We Your information network is quite impressive!" He led the way,
but after taking just one step, he suddenly remembered something and called out, "Wait a minute! Hey, where did the woman playing the huqin go?" Hearing Jiang Nan's
shout, the men looked around and indeed the woman was nowhere to be seen. The man laughed and said, "That woman must have been terrified, so she
hurriedly ran away." "Does Young Master Chen want to find her? That's not difficult at all. After we meet with the eldest young master, we'll split up and
search ." Jiang Nan found it a bit strange. The terrain here was flat, with a small hill behind it. If the woman had escaped up
the hill, with this large group of people blocking the road, there was no way she wouldn't have been seen. If she had run forward, he should have
noticed But now she had vanished without a trace. Unless the woman also knew light-footed kung fu and
had run several miles away in the short time he was speaking, it would be hard to explain.
The group of people watched Jiang Nan walk into the village. Jiang Nan was a little uneasy at first, but when he heard them praising
him one after another, he smiled and said, "You've been to Nyainqêntanglha Mountain and met the great hero Tang
and his wife. Did you know that my young master is related to the great hero Tang?" The leader of the group said, "Is that so?" Jiang Nan said, "Of course! My young master's
wife is the maid of Lady Tang, who is known as the Ice Maiden. Ha! Don't underestimate the maid. The Ice Maiden is a princess,
and her maid is the daughter of a high-ranking official in the country. She is not only well-read and skilled in swordsmanship, but also possesses the Ice Soul Divine Bullet, unique to
the Ice Palace !"
Jiang Nan had a habit of talking since he was a child. When he was in Sakya, the yamen runners gave him the nickname "Talkative
Jiang Nan." Now that he was an adult, his talkative nature remained unchanged.
The leading man exchanged glances with his companions and smiled slightly, "Is that so? That's wonderful!" Jiang Nan was taken aback and
was about to ask him why it was "wonderful" when he realized they had arrived at his home. The gatekeeper, Eunuch Wang,
was quite surprised to see Jiang Nan with such a large group of people and came forward to ask him what was wrong. Jiang Nan shouted, "Quickly, go and inform the young master that a group of his good friends from beyond the Great Wall have arrived!"
Overjoyed, he didn't wait for Chen Tianyu to come out and greet them, and took it upon himself to lead the group into the inner courtyard. Just as he was stepping onto the steps, he suddenly saw
Chen Tianyu standing there, his expression very strange!
The leader of the men laughed and said, "Young Master Chen, you never expected us to come to visit you so quickly, did you?"
Chen Tianyu angrily said, "Zhao Lingjun, what do you intend to do?" The leader of the men said, "With Tang Jingtian backing you up, what can we do?
We just want you to taste the feeling of having your collarbone pierced." Jiang Nan was shocked and shouted, "So you are my young master's
enemies !" He leaped up and lunged at the man's throat. The man kicked out, and Jiang Nan exclaimed, "How powerful!"
He turned around in mid-air, and with a "thud," Jiang Nan's buttocks were kicked solidly. Fortunately, he turned around quickly
, otherwise, if he had been kicked in the chest, he would have been dead.
It turns out that Zhao Lingjun was the leader of the Kongtong Sect. Six years ago, outside Zhalun City in Tibet, they besieged
Lei Zhenzi of the Wudang Sect. Chen Tianyu and You Ping happened to witness this. Chen Tianyu bravely drew his sword, and You Ping injured Zhao Lingjun's
eye
. Later, Tang Jingtian also came to help, unleashing thirteen Heavenly Mountain Divine Light bolts that injured Zhao Lingjun and his twelve junior brothers. The divine lights pierced their collarbones, crippling their martial arts and expelling them from Tibet.
Normally, even with the best doctors, it would take more than ten years of arduous training to recover from a pierced collarbone. However, by chance, they
bought a thousand-year-old bone-setting device from a Persian merchant, and a highly skilled elder from their sect helped them reconnect their bones and restore
their original strength. In less than five years, they were completely healed, their martial arts even surpassing their former abilities.
This battle was a great humiliation for the Kongtong Sect, one they could never forget. After recovering from their injuries, they sought revenge, but because Tang Jingtian and his
wife were far too skilled in martial arts, they dared not provoke them easily. So they chose to bully the weaker ones first, searching from north to south for
a year . Finally, with Jiangnan's guidance, they found Chen Tianyu.
Jiangnan got up; Chen Tianyu was already engaged in combat with the large group. Sword energy crisscrossed, blades gleamed, and
the clang of metal on metal was deafening. Chen Tianyu held the steps, preventing them from advancing. In the midst of the fierce battle, a "snap" was heard as Chen
Tianyu wounded a Kongtong disciple. Immediately afterward, a "hiss" was heard as Zhao Lingjun tore Chen Tianyu's shirt. Jiangnan, filled with remorse
, quickly went around to the backyard to fetch reinforcements.
Although Chen Tianyu's swordsmanship was exquisite, he was no match for thirteen Kongtong masters. In a short time, he
was struck by Zhao Lingjun's palm. Enraged, Chen Tianyu swung his sword horizontally, but Zhao Lingjun dodged. This strike severed the finger of his junior brother
behind Taking advantage of this moment, Zhao Lingjun launched a series of palm strikes, causing Chen Tianyu to lose his footing. Another Kongtong disciple immediately
followed up with a fatal blow, striking him squarely in the shoulder, causing blood to gush out.
Suddenly, an aged voice cursed, "You bunch of dogs, you dog bandits..." Before he could finish, he collapsed to the ground.
It was Chen Tianyu's father, Chen Dingji, who had come to investigate upon hearing the commotion. Seeing his son injured, he was filled with anxiety and anger, uttered a curse, and then
collapsed.
Zhao Lingjun laughed heartily, "You dare to curse me? You deserve your retribution! Fine, let's pierce this old thief's collarbone too!"
Chen Tianyu fighting a bloody battle, unable to hold back. Several people had already bypassed him and rushed up the steps. Chen Tianyu cursed angrily,
which only fueled their anger, and they laughed even louder.
Suddenly, a shout rang out, "Who dares to harm my father-in-law!" Instantly, a cold light flashed, and a chill filled the air.
The laughter of those people, which hadn't yet closed their mouths, seemed to freeze. It turned out that You Ping had arrived too quickly. Although they were prepared, they
were caught off guard, and each of them had been shot into the mouth with an Ice Soul Divine Bullet. Their tongues were stiff and cold, and they could no longer laugh.
With a bang, Youping slammed the door shut and launched several more Ice Soul Bullets. This time, Zhao Lingjun also reacted in time.
A series of hissing sounds filled the air, followed by the soft cracking of shattered beans. Clusters of cold light and chilling energy
spread out, like a net of mist. It turned out that Zhao Lingjun had spent years honing her Plum Blossom Needle technique to defend against these unique and unparalleled Ice Soul
Bullets, a weapon of the Ice Palace. Before the bullets even hit her, she used her needles to puncture them. With
their skill, if the ice bullets struck their acupoints, the chilling energy would be unbearable. However, puncturing them early, although
the intense cold was still enough to penetrate the skin, their internal energy was already quite advanced, allowing them to withstand it.
Zhao Lingjun, having achieved her goal, laughed heartily, "How many Ice Bullets do you have left? Should we ask the Ice Goddess for help?" These Ice Soul
Divine Bullets were forged by the Ice Goddess from the thousand-foot-deep ice cave beneath the Ice Palace, extracted from the essence of ice. When Youqing descended the mountain,
she carried a hundred, but after so many years, only twenty-eight remained. Ten more were just used, leaving her with less than twenty
. However, there were thirteen enemies. Youping's heart tightened; she wanted to save the remaining Ice Bullets for last-ditch defense. A moment's
hesitation, and she was immediately surrounded.
Youping cried out, already drawing a gleaming longsword. This sword was neither gold nor iron, but a
jade sword forged from ten-thousand-year-old jade steeped in the cold springs of the secluded valley. Although not as powerful as the Ice Goddess's Ice Soul Cold Light Sword, it still emitted a
chilling aura when wielded, enough to overwhelm anyone untrained by internal energy cultivation.
With a flick of her ice sword, Youping unleashed a devastating attack, "Ten Thousand Miles of Frost," followed immediately by "A Thousand Mountains of Falling Leaves." These two moves were incredibly powerful
, resembling a flurry of frost and snow, filled with the chilling aura of winter, sending shivers down one's spine! Zhao Lingjun hurriedly stepped forward, her wide sleeves billowing...
With a swift movement, Tang deflected Youping's ice sword, but Chen Tianyu seized the opportunity to counterattack, joining forces with Youping as well.
The couple stood side-by-side, their courage amplified, unleashing the Glacier Sword Technique, their combined swords repelling the enemy. Zhao Lingjun and her group, in their desperate
struggle , were unable to advance. However, Youping's skill was still relatively shallow, relying solely on the Ice Soul Jade Sword. Now, she dared not use her ice bullets,
and the power of the Cold Jade Sword could not be fully utilized under the siege. As time passed, she gradually found it difficult to cope.
Chen Tianyu's skill was slightly deeper, but he had been injured beforehand and, after a long and arduous battle, was already panting heavily, sweating profusely. A rapid attack from the Kongtong Sect
disciples forced them to retreat two stone steps. Youping seized the opportunity to thrust her sword, missing Zhao Lingjun by only half an inch,
but was instead struck by a palm strike from ten other Kongtong disciples. Fortunately, Youping dodged quickly, only managing to graz his shoulder with a palm strike,
but this caused them to push her up two more stone steps.
Zhao Lingjun coldly said, "Would you rather have your collarbone pierced or your head severed?" Chen Tianyu and Youping exchanged
a glance . The couple understood each other perfectly; in that instant, they both thought, "To die together is to
have a bond, what is there to fear?" With a calm heart, they fought back desperately. In an instant, a cold light flashed on the ground, sword energy like a rainbow, forcing
Zhao Lingjun and his group down one stone step.
Although the couple fought back with one heart and one mind, they were already at their limit. Before long, they were
forced and his group, retreating three stone steps in a row.
Just then, Chen Tianyu suddenly noticed a strange fragrance in the air, as intoxicating as wine. Chen Tianyu's heart skipped a beat: "Where does
this Devil's ?" Back in Tibet, he had heard a martial arts master named Long Lingjiao mention
a flower in the icy valleys of the Himalayas called the Asura Flower. "Asura" means "devil" in the Hindu language, hence its other name, the Devil's Flower. Ordinary people
who smell its fragrance immediately fall unconscious. Even those with a strong foundation in internal energy will become weak and
intoxicated by its scent, rendering them unable to use their martial arts skills. Long Lingjiao had once been captivated by this flower and captured by Nepalese warriors.
At this moment, Zhao Lingjun and the others also noticed the anomaly and sneered, "So Young Master Chen knows how to use the most low-level bewitching incense in the martial world!
But you've misjudged us. We're not afraid of bewitching incense!"
Before they finished speaking, Chen Tianyu suddenly shouted, "Quickly, fire the Ice Soul Divine Bullets!" Youping leaped up three
stone steps , used the "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers" technique to reflect the ice bullets, which she had been holding, onto everyone's acupoints. Zhao Lingjun continued to use plum blossom needles to hit
the ice bullets, but although the ice bullets shattered, the coldness suddenly intensified several times over. Even Zhao Lingjun, who had the highest skill level, was trembling,
his skin like it was being cut. Several of the weaker ones were even frozen unconscious on the ground. Zhao Lingjun was greatly surprised, not understanding why his skill had suddenly
decreased so much. It turned out that they had inhaled the Devil's Flower Incense, which had obstructed their true energy circulation. This imbalance caused them to feel the increased coldness of the ice bullets.
Chen Tianyu and You Ping, having received cultivation techniques from the Ice Maiden, were immune to the extreme cold. Moreover, they were prepared; upon the release of the ice bullet, they
immediately held their breath and rushed down the stone steps, launching a rapid sword attack. At this moment, Zhao Lingjun and her companions, their muscles numb and bones weak, shivering uncontrollably from the cold, were utterly unable
to resist. In an instant, four or five people were struck by swords and fell to the ground, and Zhao Lingjun herself lost two fingers. Zhao Lingjun hurriedly ordered a retreat.
Those who were uninjured and those with minor injuries carried the seriously wounded and collapsed, escaping over the wall. Chen Tianyu and You Ping achieved a resounding victory, but it was a victory they won
in a confused and inexplicable way!
Youping sheathed her sword, flicked her sleeve to dispel the chilling aura, tore off a piece of her clothing, and used it to bandage her husband's wounds. She said,
"I wonder which master secretly lent us a helping hand? Hmm, are you in pain?" Chen Tianyu replied, "Luckily, no
bones . Eh, that Asura flower's fragrance is really strange!" Youping was about to ask what an Asura flower was when Jiangnan
suddenly limped out, his face filled with fear, and cried out, "Young Master, I mistakenly led your enemy home! Please punish me!"
Chen Tianyu frowned and said, "Be more careful next time! Quickly call the family to clean the courtyard: wash away the bloodstains on the ground.
Don't tell anyone about what happened earlier."
Jiangnan responded, then suddenly seemed to freeze. Looking towards a corner of the courtyard,
the cold mist emanating from the Ice Soul Divine Bullet had dissipated with the wind. Following Jiangnan's gaze, Youping saw
a a withered flower in her hand. The flower was a peculiar mix of red and white.
In the Ice Palace where Youping had lived before, there were all sorts of exotic flowers and rare herbs, but she had never seen such a strange flower! A thought struck Youping: "Could this
be the Asura Flower?" But the girl's head was bowed, her hair disheveled, and she trembled incessantly, petals falling to the ground,
seemingly unable to withstand the lingering cold, appearing to be freezing stiff.
Jiang Nan froze for a moment, then exclaimed, "It's her! The girl who played the huqin!" Chen Tianyu exclaimed in
surprise You Ping hurriedly ran over, took out a Yanghe Pill that could ward off the extreme cold of ice and snow, and went to the girl's side, softly
saying, "Thank you, sister, for helping us repel the enemy." Filled with gratitude, she held the Yanghe Pill to her lips, about to
lift her veil and teach her to take it. Suddenly, the girl leaped up, letting out a chilling laugh. In an instant
, You Ping screamed and fell to the ground, a short, gleaming black arrow embedded in her chest, its fletching still trembling!
In that instant, Chen Tianyu was stunned. He heard the girl laugh wildly, "What I can't have, you'll never have either
!"
Chen Tianyu leaped forward, executing a move called "Flying Eagle Pouncing on Rabbit," swooping down from mid-air to grab the girl's shoulder.
He shouted in a trembling voice, "You, who are you? Why did you do this?" After the fierce battle and inhaling the fragrance of the Devil Flower, he was already exhausted
. This forceful pounce caused his shoulder wound to reopen, making him lose his footing and drag the girl to the ground.
The girl suddenly tore off her veil, revealing a pair of watery eyes that seemed to be neither crying nor laughing. She stared at Chen Tianyu without uttering
a sound. Chen Tianyu, as if he had encountered a ghost, cried out, "You, you are Sang Biyi!" The girl suddenly burst into wild laughter, and after a long while said,
"That's right, you recognize me. Your fiancée has come to find you. Let's go together!"
Suddenly, she pulled out a short arrow and thrust it into Chen Tianyu's throat. Jiangnan cried out, but it was too late.
Chen Tianyu's face turned ashen, and he sighed inwardly, "A tragedy, a tragedy!" He closed his eyes to wait, and suddenly heard a "pop." When
Chen Tianyu opened his eyes, he saw that the short arrow was not in his throat, but in the girl's chest.
The girl sighed and said in a hoarse voice, "Tianyu, hello! You don't want to come with me, do you?
Fine, I've already killed her anyway, so I'll leave you to grieve alone in this world. Hmm, Tianyu, let me tie your
shoelaces ." Her voice grew weaker and weaker, and her body bent down like a reed, resting on Chen Tianzi's knees, her hands pressing on his
boots.
The veiled girl was none other than Sangbiyi, the former daughter of the Sakya chieftain. Chen Tianyu's father, Chen Dingji, when he served as
the Sakya Pacification Commissioner, was coerced by the chieftain into arranging
a marriage between his son and the chieftain's daughter. Chen Tianyu had always refused to acknowledge this marriage and had even run away from it. Later, the chieftain was assassinated by a Tibetan girl named Zhina, and the marriage was called off.
Unexpectedly, after Chen Tianyu returned south, Sangbiyi traveled thousands of miles to find him. She originally intended to kill Chen Tianyu as well
, but at the last moment, she couldn't bear it and let him live. Chen Tianyu gently lifted Sangbiyi's veil and saw that
her shoelaces were loose. It turned out that in Tibetan custom, a young woman tying a man's shoelaces meant she was offering herself in marriage. Sangbiyi
had tied Chen Tianyu's shoelaces once before when she was in the chieftain's office, but at that time, Chen Tianyu was unaware of this custom. Sang Biyi remained devoted to her marriage
vows , determined to be his wife even in death. Before she died, she still wanted to tie his shoelaces one last time.
Chen Tianyu pulled his foot away and reached out to check; Sang Biyi was already dead. In the somber atmosphere, his blood
seemed . He rushed to his wife's side, only to find Youping's eyes closed and her face devoid of color. Her
clothes were torn by Sang Biyi, her muscles bruised and blackened. Chen Tianyu saw a poisoned arrow embedded in her chest. Even with her shoulder
and arm stiff, the chest was a fatal wound; how could she not die from a poisoned arrow? Chen Tianyu stood frozen, then abruptly drew
his sword, turned the blade, and plunged it into his own throat. Having endured two heartbreaks, he truly did not wish
to grieve .
Jiang Nan, who was beside him, swiftly kicked Chen Tianyu's longsword away, exclaiming, "Young Master, look
, the young mistress's head is still moving!" Chen Tianyu looked and saw Youping's hair fluttering slightly in the wind, her mind clearing a little. He thought to himself
, "Not bad, I should still do my best." So he told Jiang Nan to go inside and bring out the antidote, pills, and powders. He dared not pull out
the poisoned arrow, but held his wife's hands tightly. He felt her pulse was weak, like a thread being pulled, but thankfully it hadn't completely
stopped .
After a while, Jiang Nan brought out all sorts of antidotes. Chen Tianyu chose two kinds of pills and powders that Youping had brought from the Ice Palace
, giving her both internal and external application, and then gently massaging her to stop the spread of the poison. After a long time, Youping's eyes slightly opened,
and her lips parted. Chen Tianyu put his ear close to her mouth. He heard her whisper, "Don't make things difficult for her!" She was obviously referring to Sang
Biyi.
Chen Tianyu was overcome with grief and said, "She's dead!" Youping said, "Don't hate her. Bury her with the respect due to a wife
. If I die, please bury me beside her grave!"
Chen Tianyu swallowed his tears and said, "No, Pingmei, you won't die." At this moment, the room was filled with the sounds of people talking. Chen Tianyu was in a state of turmoil and asked
Jiangnan, "How is Master?" Jiangnan said, "He fell ill from fright." Chen Tianyu picked up his wife and took her back to
her bedroom , then went to visit his father, keeping himself extremely busy. Fortunately, Chen Dingji was only old and frail, and his illness was not serious.
For several days, Chen Tianyu stayed by his wife's bedside without changing his clothes. Sang Biyi's poisoned arrow
was forged , its toxicity unparalleled. Even with the Ice Palace's elixirs, the injury could only be stopped from worsening. Fortunately, Chen Tianyu had received
authentic internal energy cultivation techniques from Tang Jingtian, and every day for three hours, morning, noon, and evening, he used superior internal energy combined with the Ice Palace's elixirs to heal her. Youping's
martial arts foundation was also very solid, which allowed the injury to progress day by day. On the fourth day, she was finally able to consume
some liquid food, and her pulse became stronger, but her condition remained extremely dangerous.
Chen Tianyu was truly exhausted, both caring for his father and watching over his wife. On this day, Youping
regained . Seeing Chen Tianyu's haggard face, she sighed softly, "You're so exhausted, it would be better if I were dead. Even the Ice Palace's elixirs
can't cure this poison, and I doubt any doctor can cure me. I've enjoyed life to the fullest these past few years, so even if I die early, I can rest in peace."
Chen Tianyu said, "Don't think like that, you won't die!" Although he spoke as if he were confident, he was actually just trying to comfort the patient;
he had no good solution in mind. Youping suddenly asked, "Have you finished building Sang Biyi's tomb?" Chen Tianyu replied, "I had the Jiangnan
supervisor finish it a couple of days ago." You Cui said, "Although she was ruthless, she was also deeply devoted. You mustn't mistreat her." Chen Tianyu said, "I
have buried her with proper respect as you instructed." Youping said, "Very good. Then I can
rest in peace ." Chen Tianyu said, "For my sake, please don't say such heartbreaking things anymore. With the Ice Palace's elixirs and our
own combined strength, even if we can't fully recover immediately, we can still save our lives." Youping smiled bitterly, "Then you'll be looking after
a bedridden patient every day. Even if you're not bothered, I am!" After a pause, she continued, "Have I told you
about this ? When Tang Jingtian first came to the Ice Palace, he made a couplet with his name embedded in it for our princess and several of her personal maids.
The couplet he made for me was: 'In the secluded valley and desolate mountains, the moonlight washes away the colors; on the duckweed and lotus leaves, the sound of raindrops shatters the sound of lotus leaves.'" "It seems I truly
belong only in a secluded valley, brought to you this bustling world, only to have you suffer the sound of rain pattering on lotus leaves, grieving for me
for a lifetime!" Chen Tianyu was heartbroken, but suddenly realized something, bursting into laughter through his tears, and exclaimed, "That's right! How could I not remember?
Jiangnan , Jiangnan!"
Youping asked, "What did you remember?" Chen Tianyu replied, "Tang Jingtian, the Tianshan Snow Lotus! Luckily you mentioned him: the Tianshan Snow Lotus
can cure all poisons, what is there to fear?" Youping smiled bitterly, "How far is Tianshan from here?" Chen Tianyu said, "A
round trip by fast horse, at most half a year. In these six months, I will carefully treat you, and your condition will at least not worsen!" At this moment, Jiangnan rushed over, bowing his head before
the sickbed , his expression extremely fearful. Chen Tianyu said, "Jiangnan, I beg you for two things." Jiangnan cried out, "Oh dear! Young Master, you're really going to kill me
with your words ."
"You've treated me so well, just let me know if you need anything. I'll go through fire and water for you, Jiangnan!" Chen Tianyu said,
"I'll trouble you to go to the Ice Palace and ask Master Tang for a Heavenly Snow Lotus." Jiangnan
felt guilty because he was the one who brought the thieves here. Although the young master hadn't blamed him, he was restless and couldn't find peace. Hearing Chen Tianyu ask him to get the Heavenly Snow Lotus,
he knew it must be for his young mistress to detoxify and heal her injuries. He was overjoyed and said, "Don't worry, young master, Jiangnan will definitely do it for you." Chen Tianyu said, "It's
a long and arduous journey, you must be careful along the way."
Jiangnan said, "Of course. If I encounter bandits on the road, I'll avoid them if I can, and if I can't, I'll fight them
to ." Chen Tianyu said, "I'm not worried about that." Although the roads are treacherous and rife with thieves, firstly, you have nothing of value on you
; secondly, your martial arts skills have improved considerably in recent years, though not enough to rival top-tier masters or second- or third-rate figures in the martial world.
"You can handle most bandits on your own. The most important thing is not to cause trouble." Jiang Nan said, "Alright, I'll
pretend I don't know anything about martial arts. If someone hits or scolds me, I won't fight back. Unless they really beat me so badly I can't take it anymore."
Chen Tianyu frowned and said, "No one hits or scolds you for no reason.
It's good that you're willing to avoid trouble." After resting for a moment, he said solemnly, "I have one more request of you." Jiang Nan said, "Just tell me what you want, and I will
do my best ." Chen Tianyu said, "You must remember these two sentences." After a pause, Jiang Nan asked impatiently, "What
sentences?" Chen Tianyu said, "Only speak three-tenths of what you know to others, and never reveal your whole heart. There are all kinds of treacherous villains in the martial arts world. You
need to change your old habit of talking too much." Jiang Nan blushed and said awkwardly, "On the road, if someone asks me two questions, I'll
answer one. If someone asks me ten questions, I'll answer two. If they're on the wrong road, I'll pretend to be deaf and dumb." " I would never dare to ruin your
important plans, young master." Youping couldn't help but chuckle on her sickbed after hearing him rattle off such a long string of words. Jiangnan said, "I
'm still at home, so I can talk for a few more minutes. Don't worry, young mistress, once we're on the road, I'll transform into a saw-off gourd!" Chen Tianyu
smiled and said, "I'm very grateful for your loyalty. You're no longer my servant, so you don't need to call me 'young master' anymore."
Jiangnan said, "I'll change my address after I obtain the Heavenly Snow Lotus. Young master, is there anything else you need?" Chen Tianyu said,
"There's only one thing I can allow you to inquire about on the road, and that's news about Jin Shiyi. " Having said that, he took out two hundred taels of silver
for him to travel expenses, and gave him his own famous Ferghana horse, which he had ridden back from Tibet,
as his mount. He saw him off out of the village, giving him repeated instructions before waving goodbye.
Jiang Nan kept Chen Tianzi's instructions in mind throughout the journey, and indeed dared not utter a single idle word. He spurred his horse on,
setting off early every morning and only finding lodging after dark. In five days, he had covered more than a thousand li. He thought to himself, "At this rate
, it won't take half a year, at most four months, before I can return." "Who knew that on the sixth day, an unexpected incident would occur,
almost costing him his life. It is truly a time of great turmoil in the martial world;
how can one bravely step forward in public? To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

Liang Yusheng's *The Jade Bow and the Cloud Sea*,
Chapter Two: A Dizzying World, Unaware of the Light, Meeting an Old Friend.

That day, Jiang Nan, as usual, set off early in the morning before the dew had even dried.
His horse galloped without stopping, and after half a day, it was already noon. Under the blazing sun, even his fine Ferghana steed was foaming at the mouth, and Jiang Nan himself was
parched Just as he was looking for a shady spot to rest, he saw a pavilion by the roadside, where someone was selling tea. Jiang Nan thought to himself,
'Even if I'm exhausted, my horse is tired. I'll rest a bit before continuing.'" After tying up the horse, he went into the pavilion to drink tea.
The pavilion was built of brick and stone, quite spacious, with two stone pillars on either side and mahogany railings. Jiang Nan thought to himself, "
The Central Plains are truly different; this pavilion is even better than the houses of wealthy people in Tibet." The old man selling tea brewed him a pot
of fragrant tea. Jiang Nan took a sip and praised it highly, asking, "What place is this?" The old man replied, "This is Pinghu
Township in Dongping County." Jiang Nan said, "Ah, so this is Shandong Province. There's a Pinghu nearby, isn't there?" The old man said, "Young
man, you must have been here before?"
Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat, thinking, "So I've arrived in her hometown." A young girl's image surfaced in his mind—
Zou Jiangxia, Yang Liuqing's daughter. Jiang Nan had met her on the way to Xinjiang and Tibet to find Tang Xiaolan,
a journey Yang Liuqing had taken with her. Five years had passed since then. Jiang Nan thought, "That little girl has changed so much; after all these years, she must have
grown into a shy young lady." Zou Jiangxia was two years younger than Jiang Nan. When they met, she was a mischievous little girl, and
they got along very well. Before parting, she even told him her hometown address.
Jiang Nan thought, "If I weren't busy, I really should go see her." "I wanted to ask the old man selling tea, but then
I remembered Chen Tianzi's instructions and dared not ask any more questions. I stammered and chatted with the old man for a few minutes, then lowered
my
head and drank my tea. Jiangnan's love of gossip had become a habit. It was very uncomfortable to hold back. After taking a sip of tea, I looked up and saw that the horse
was still panting. I could only look around aimlessly to pass the time. My eyes caught sight of a knife mark on the stone pillar to the east,
and then a palm print on the stone pillar to the west. Jiangnan was very puzzled. Several times, I wanted to ask the old man selling tea what
had happened, but each time I forced myself to hold back, my lips moving as if I were ill.
The old man saw my expression and walked over with a smile, saying, "Sir, look at these knife marks and palm prints. They must
be very . Hmm, that day... it really scared me to death!" Jiangnan thought to himself, "He's the one who wants to tell me. It can't be considered me
gossiping."
So he stared at him intently, waiting for him to continue, but the old man changed the subject, saying instead, "Sir, your tea is cold. Would you like me to brew you another pot?" Jiang Nan replied, "
Sure." The old man said, "I have this
old habit of talking too much, and I'll start talking about it no matter what the customer wants to hear. But these past two days, quite a few people have asked me
about this ." Jiang Nan couldn't help but ask, "What is it? Tell me quickly!" The old man chuckled again, "Sir,
your tea is cold!" Jiang Nan suddenly snapped out of his reverie, pulled out a handful of copper coins, and said, "Pay for the tea first, we can brew it later if you want. Tell me about that
matter first!" The old man selling tea said, "Thank you," accepted the money, and then slowly said, "Sir, you
look like someone who travels the martial arts world?" Jiang Nan remembered Chen Tianyu's instructions, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "You're mistaken, I'm
just a small-time businessman." The old man tilted his head and glanced at Jiang Nan, then laughed, "Then I must have misjudged him
. Well, everyone who passes by this road, whether they're wandering the martial world or running a small business, must have heard of this
name . He was the first truly famous figure in our Dongping County thirty years ago." Jiang Nan chuckled, "Thirty years ago, I
wasn't even born yet!" Suddenly remembering he shouldn't talk too much, he quickly shushed him. "Hey, enough of this small talk, tell me about
that matter." The old man laughed, "This isn't small talk. Let me tell you. Thirty years ago, there was a very famous
figure in our county. This person was once the leader of the martial arts alliance in the five northern provinces, named... named..." Jiang Nan couldn't help but interrupt, "Iron Palm Divine Shot
Yang Zhongying." The old man laughed, "That's right! So I said you must have heard of this name, indeed!" He
waved his large palm-leaf fan, quite pleased with himself.
Jiang Nan couldn't help but ask again, "Yang Zhongying has been dead for many years, does this matter still have anything to do with him?" "Once the words are spoken,
Then he realized something was amiss. He had just said he wasn't a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone who travels the martial arts world), so how could he be so familiar with things in the jianghu? The old man
, however, didn't criticize him and continued, "It's related to the Iron Palm Divine Bullet. Although the Iron Palm Divine Bullet is dead, he had a
daughter
named... named...?" This time, Jiang Nan desperately tried to hold back his laughter and didn't try to peek. The old man thought for a moment and said, "Her name is Yang Liuqing, but of course we dare not call her that. She prefers to be called Miss Yang. Even after she got married and became a mother,
everyone in the county still calls her Miss Yang."
Jiang Nan thought to himself, "This old man is so long-winded; he's talked for so long and still hasn't gotten to the point." He complained about others but couldn't remember that
he had the same problem. The old man paused for a moment, then continued, "That day, Miss Yang and her daughter
returned from were drinking tea in this pavilion. Oh, I forgot to tell you, this pavilion was built with money donated by Yang Zhongying during his lifetime. Look at
the blue bricks and green tiles—all top-quality materials. Now, this old man can make a living selling tea in this pavilion; I should truly thank him for the good things we have."
Jiangnan, hearing that Yang Liuqing and her daughter had sat here a few days prior, felt a jolt of excitement and urged the old man, "
What ?" The old man replied, "The two of them..." "Here, we were chatting idly, talking about Yang Zhongying's life. Miss Yang even promised
to donate more money for my renovations." Jiangnan frowned and said, "Is it just idle gossip?" The old man said, "As we were talking
, a big monk came in. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I didn't even notice when he arrived. Then I noticed Miss Yang's strange
expression , and that's when I realized. It turned out that the big monk was sitting right in front of her, his shifty eyes constantly watching Miss Yang. Her
daughter said, 'Mom, this monk is strange. Look at his eyes.' Miss Yang suddenly stood up and said, '
Old , I'll leave a mark on this pavilion for you!'" "Whoosh!" the old man exclaimed vividly.
Jiang Nan was startled and asked nervously, "Yang Liuqing killed that monk with a single flying knife?" The old man replied, "No, she
only left this knife mark on this pillar." Jiang Nan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "Yang Liuqing's temper is truly frightening.
Anyone who marries her daughter and has such a mother-in-law will have a hard time." He then thought, "Her display of power with the flying knife
was obviously to show that big monk what she was capable of." So he asked the old man again, "And what did the big monk do?"
The old man said, "The big monk stood up without a word and suddenly struck the stone pillar with his palm..."
Jiang Nan exclaimed, "Ah, so this palm print was left by that monk!" The old man said, "After striking down, the monk
coldly said to me, 'I'll also add a mark to your pavilion.'" "He then turned to leave. Miss Yang stopped him..." Jiang Nan
said, "They started fighting." The old man said, "They started arguing." Jiang Nan asked, "What were they arguing about?" The old man said,
"Their words came out like a machine gun, and I didn't understand many of the words I heard. Like 'Liangzi,' 'Piao'er
,' 'Qingzi'... But judging from the meaning, it seemed like the two of them were enemies. Later, Miss Yang said,
'I will definitely stay home and wait for your instruction as scheduled!'" "I heard that sentence clearly," Jiang Nan hurriedly asked. "Did you hear
when she said it was?" The old man replied, "I didn't hear that clearly."
Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat. He thought, "If that's the case, then the monk must have arranged a date with her to come and pick her up.
Oh no, this monk's palm print penetrated three-tenths of an inch into stone. It seems that the monk's skill is much higher than Yang Liu's. Ah, should I go and lend them
a hand ? It's a pity I don't know the date."
His mind was in turmoil. He thought of Chen Tianzi's instructions one moment and Zou Jiangxia's friendship with him the next. Just as he was hesitating
, he heard footsteps. Two more travelers were passing by. Although the old man was in the middle of a pleasant conversation, he had to put down
his words and go to greet the guests.
The two guests, with knives at their waists, ostentatiously placed two strings of copper coins on the ground as soon as they entered, saying, "Old man, this is a reward for your
tea." Their generosity was even greater than that of people in Jiangnan. The old man grinned broadly and said, "Thank you for your generous reward, sir, but
I dare not ." The guest who had entered the pavilion first said, "Don't say anything more, just accept it. Tell me, have any strangers passed by these past two days
?" The old man replied, "A monk." Just as he was about to repeat the incident, the guest immediately asked,
"Besides the monk, who else?" The old man's eyes widened...? The old man said, "There's no one here." The guest asked, "Has
anyone found out the way to the Yang family?" The old man laughed, "Everyone in our county knows the Yang family, why bother asking
about the way?" The guest grunted and said, "Brew a pot of pre-rain tea."
The two men sat down opposite Jiangnan, and one of them said, "I really don't understand why our leader is making such
a fuss ." Jiangnan's heart skipped a beat. He noticed that the two men's eyes were also glancing at him, so he quickly picked up his teacup and drank.
Seeing that Jiangnan was just a young and simple-minded fool, the two men relaxed and started speaking in martial arts slang.
Jiangnan knew some of the slang, and he heard the fat man say, "A woman, relying only on her father's
reputation, what's so difficult about dealing with her? Our leader, however, takes it so seriously." The thin man said, "It's because her father used to be
the leader of the martial arts alliance in nine provinces, with connections everywhere. These past few days, how could that woman not invite people to help her?" " To be honest, I
'm worried about our leader. Why get involved in this mess? If we get dragged into this mess by that big monk, it'll be a case of biting off more than we can chew
!"
The fat man said, "You don't understand. If we defeat the Yang family, our leader will be the only one who matters in Shandong
. Do you know who that big monk is?" The thin man said, "No, I was just about to ask you."
The fat man said, "I don't even know his Buddhist name. But I heard from our leader that even
Tang , so he must be someone of great importance. Look at the palm print he left on this pillar, how deep his skill is!" The thin man said, "
Even so, we must not underestimate the descendants of the Iron Palm Divine Skill. Let's split up and invite people to go!"
The two men hurriedly drank their tea, then mounted their horses and rode off, one heading east and the other west. Jiang Nan, his mind made
up, thought to himself, "The young master often says that those of us who have learned martial arts should uphold justice. Especially since my old friends are in danger
, even if I, Jiang Nan, cannot defeat that big monk, I can at least lend them a hand." So he also hurriedly
drank his tea and asked the old man selling tea for directions to the Yang family.
The old man laughed, "I guessed it! So you really are going to the Yang family to help them." Jiang Nan asked, "How did you know?" The old man replied, "I've seen many people, and I could tell at a glance you weren't a bad person. If you're not a bad person, why wouldn't I help
?"

" The reason for the descendants of the Iron Palm Divine Blow? To be honest, quite a few people have asked me for directions these past two days, intending to go to the Yang family to help with their boxing. I
think those two guys aren't good people, so I deliberately didn't say anything earlier." Jiang Nan gave him a pat on the back, and he laughed again. So he gave him
some money for tea, asked for directions, and then mounted his horse.
The road was flat, and Jiang Nan looked around. The backs of the two men were still vaguely visible. Jiang Nan mounted his horse, thinking to himself,
"The thin one seems more clever. I'll go after the fat one." With a crack of the whip, he spurred his fine Ferghana horse to gallop away. In less than
the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he caught up with the fat man. Jiang Nan shouted, "Hey, you lost something in the teahouse
!"
The man reined in his horse, looking suspicious, and said, "What did I lose?" "Jiang Nan said, 'Look, isn't this your
lost purse?' With the two horses side by side, Jiang Nan suddenly opened his clenched fist and swiftly grabbed at the man's ribs. This 'Great Grappling
Technique' was something Tang Jingtian had personally taught him one day, and it was incredibly powerful. Seeing the man's nonchalant attitude, Jiang Nan was overjoyed. But then
, with a 'whoosh,' Jiang Nan tore off a piece of the man's clothing, but failed to pull him off his horse. In a flash , the man countered with a flick of his wrist, and Jiang Nan tumbled off his horse with a 'thud.' The man laughed, 'You little devil , showing off your skills in front of me! It's like trying to teach a master craftsman a lesson, or trying to sell your writings to Confucius!' Jiang Nan lay on the ground, his eyes rolled back, groaning. The man sneered, 'Such a coward, daring to plot against me! Humph, what a disgrace! Tell me the truth, who sent you to gather information?' " "Jiangnan's voice was barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz. The man said, 'You only pressed your pressure points, you didn't break your bones or strip you of your clothes, so why are you in so much pain that you can't speak? If you keep pretending, I'll really make you mute, so you can never speak again! Speak louder!' Jiangnan still groaned and mumbled incoherently. The man was furious , jumped off his horse, and approached Jiangnan, ready to grab him. But in that split second, Jiangnan suddenly leaped up, flicked two fingers, and the man never a cry. Jiangnan laughed loudly, 'Your pressure point technique is far inferior to mine!'" " It turns out that Jiangnan had previously been forced to become a disciple of Huangshi Daoren, a strange master of the Kongtong Sect, and had studied under him for seven days, only learning one skill: reversing acupoints. The man's martial arts were originally slightly better than Jiangnan's, but he used acupoint striking, which Jiangnan used to his advantage, subduing him in an instant. Jiangnan glared at him and laughed, "Do you want me to repeat what you said? Who sent you to fetch them? Tell the truth , or I'll break your bones and skin you alive!" As he spoke, his voice became increasingly fierce, completely mimicking the man 's tone. The man was so angry that he was dizzy and shut his mouth. Jiangnan said, "Fine, I'll let you taste my acupoint striking first. After you've had your fill , I'll break your bones and skin you alive!" The man suddenly felt as if countless tiny snakes were biting him inside his body, causing him excruciating pain. It was truly as if his bones were being torn apart and his skin peeled off. It turned out that Jiangnan's acupressure technique was taught to him by Jin Shiyi. Jin Shiyi's acupressure technique, passed down from the Poison Dragon Venerable , was his own creation, the most bizarre and powerful among all schools of acupressure, containing seven different techniques, each with different effects. Jiangnan's technique was the easiest to learn; the learner didn't need profound skill, yet it had already made the man unable to withstand it. Jiangnan watched the man roll around on the ground, feeling great pity, and muttered, "This... he's quite a tough guy. If he doesn't talk, I'll have to let him go. Could it be that I really can tear his bones apart and peel his skin off?" Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard the man shout, "I'll talk!" Jiangnan was overjoyed and blurted out, "What a coward!" After saying that, fearing he would become even more stubborn, he quickly changed his words , saying, "Though he's a coward, he can bend and stretch; that's a real man!" His words contradicted himself. If others heard this, they would surely laugh their heads , but the man was in great pain and wouldn't dare mock him. He quickly said, "Young Master, ask away! Ask a question, and I 'll answer." Jiang Nan asked, "Who sent you to fetch someone?" The man replied, "Our leader." Jiang Nan said, "Bah! Who knows your leader? What's his name?" The man said, "Hao Dasan." Jiang Nan said, " Oh, so he's the leader of the Taishan Sect. He's a second-rate character in Shandong!" " In fact, Jiangnan had no idea about the 'Mount Tai Sect,' let alone Hao Dasan's martial arts skills. However, he had previously overheard Chen Tianyu and Xiao Qingfeng discussing that while there were many sects in the martial arts world, the Shaolin and Wudang sects had the most talented members and the highest . Next were the Emei and Qingcheng sects. Besides these four major sects, the Tianshan Sect, though having few disciples , produced outstanding figures in each generation, subtly showing signs of becoming a leader. However, because the Tianshan Sect was located in the remote western region, it rarely participated , thus making it quite unique." Not among the four major sects. Upon hearing that the Taishan Sect was unknown, Jiang Nan, wanting to appear knowledgeable about the martial arts world, fabricated a story, calling Hao Dasan a second-rate figure in Shandong. In truth, while Hao Dasan was far inferior to the leaders of Shaolin and Wudang, he was indeed a top-tier figure . The man, seeing Jiang Nan's blatant disrespect for his leader, was furious, but restrained by Jiang Nan's pressure point technique, he dared not speak out. Jiang Nan then asked, "Whom did you invite?" The man replied, "Our leader has and invited many people; I don't know them all." Jiang Nan said, "Of those you know," the man said, "There's Du Ping of the White Horse, Deng Mao of the Golden Knife, Xu Dayou of the Coiled Dragon Crutch, Zhao Tiehan, the leader of the Zhenshan Gang, and so on." Jiang Nan had never heard of any of these names, and snorted, "They're all three-horse-riding types!" The man said, "What you asked..." "I already told you, oh dear, you, you...?" The acupressure technique Jin Shiyi taught Jiangnan was so painful that the longer the pressure points were pressed, the more intense the pain became. The man couldn't bear it; beads of sweat the size of soybeans streamed down his forehead. Jiangnan, unable to bear it , said, "Alright, one last question. When is your appointment with the Yang family?" The man replied, " Tonight!" Jiangnan chuckled, patted him on the back, and the man's pain immediately disappeared, but he still couldn't move or speak. It turned out that Jiangnan had only released the acupressure point technique, but had used a different , more common technique to press the numbness and speech points on the ground. After subduing him completely, Jiangnan grinned, "You should get some sleep . I'll come back and release you after I've verified that what you said is true." They picked him up, threw him into the haystack, and then, afraid of being discovered, took a pile of dry grass and covered him completely before leaving.

As Jiang Nan walked, he thought to himself, "Fortunately, it's tonight. I'll just be delayed for a day for Yang Liuqing and her daughter; it won't
interfere with your important business, young master." He didn't consider what would happen if he were defeated; all he could think about was that playful
little girl. At dusk, he arrived outside Yang Family Manor. He saw a large manor built on a hillside, following the contours of the land. Yang Family Manor faced
a lake, with rolling hills and a mirror-like surface—a truly beautiful scene. Jiang Nan murmured, "No wonder Jiang Xia is so
pretty ." The mountain path was rugged, making it difficult to ride a horse. Fortunately, Jiang Nan's mount was a well-trained Ferghana steed, so he released it
. The horse grazed freely by the lake, while Jiang Nan, in the twilight, quietly climbed the mountain from a secluded spot on the side, thinking,
"This little girl will never expect me to come and help her. Haha, true friends are revealed in times of trouble! I, Jiang Nan, am a
man of honor !" Thinking this with pride, he almost laughed out loud.
The grass was so thick it reached above his knees. Jiangnan was walking when he suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind him. He ducked into the grass and
listened intently. He heard a strange, eerie voice say, "Third Brother, how did you manage to sneak up on someone and get buried
in ? I really can't believe that kid has such skills." Jiangnan recognized the voice as
that of the tall, thin man he had met at the teahouse earlier that day. He peeked out from the grass and saw three people in total: a towering man in front,
the fat man he had just interrogated in the middle, and his companion, the tall, thin man, at the back. The fat man's face was flushed,
and his clothes were covered in bits of grass. From what they said, it turned out that the thin man had heard his groans from the grass and rescued him
. As for the towering man, he was probably someone the thin man had invited to help him.
The fat man was quite embarrassed by his companion's mockery. After a while, he said, "Don't underestimate that kid. He has extraordinary
skills. His pressure point technique is so amazing that you probably can't find another person like him in the world!" He exaggerated Jiangnan's martial arts skills to save himself from
embarrassment . Jiang Nan was overjoyed upon hearing this, thinking, "This guy actually knows his stuff. I really shouldn't have
tortured ." The skinny man said, "So, you're completely convinced?" The fat man said, "I'm inferior in skill, how can I not be convinced?
In my opinion, not only are you and I no match for him, but even our gang leader might not be able to win! He's so arrogant, saying our
gang leader is just a second-rate character!" The towering man was Zhao Tiehan, the gang leader of Zhenshan Gang. He and Hao
Dasan, the gang leader of Taishan Gang, were best friends. Hearing this, he became furious and snorted, "When that kid asked you who you invited,
did you mention my name?" The fat man said, "He mentioned you first. He said, 'Oh, I dare not repeat that.'" Zhao Tiehan said,
"He was probably insulting me, wasn't he? He's the one who insulted me, it has nothing to do with you, go ahead and say it!" The fat man said, "He didn't insult me, but he said you're
all just third- or fourth-rate characters!" "Zhao Tiehan roared in fury, "Hmph, if I meet him, I'll tear him apart and
skin him alive!"
Suddenly, a chuckle came from the bushes. It turned out that Jiangnan, having heard the fat man's excessive praise, could no longer contain himself and
laughed from the bottom of his heart. The fat man exclaimed, "Oh, it's this kid!"
Zhao Tiehan shouted, "Alright, let's see what kind of character you are!" Despite his burly physique, he was surprisingly agile,
arriving as quickly as he spoke, and with a whoosh, he struck Jiangnan. Jiangnan spun around, dodged, and pointed with his backhand, chuckling, "Are you afraid
of my unparalleled pressure point technique?" "He laughed halfway through, but then stopped. It turned out that Zhao Tiehan's external martial arts
were among the best ; his fists were like iron, his palms like sharp axes. Jiang Nan couldn't get close.
Jiang Nan couldn't hit his pressure points; instead, he was grazed by the edge of Zhao's palm, feeling as if he were being cut with a knife. The man watched with a sarcastic laugh, and the fat man said, 'His real skills haven't even
been revealed yet! Look, he can fight Zhao Tiehan for thirty moves. That's more than you!'" "
Jiang Nan's martial arts skills were actually quite different from Zhao Tiehan's. However, Tang Jingtian, Jin Shiyi, Chen Tianyu, and others had all
given him bits and pieces of instruction. Although he couldn't use the whole set, what he learned were all top-notch martial arts. Even a small part of it
was enough to be astonishing. When Zhao Tiehan first sparred with him, he didn't know Jiang Nan's strength. Hearing Hao Gangzhu's men describe how miraculous Jiang Nan's
pressure point techniques were, he felt a little afraid, fearing defeat and humiliation. Therefore, in the first ten or twenty moves, he
didn't dare to attack Jiang Nan head-on, relying only on his powerful palm strikes to defend against Jiang Nan's sneak attacks.
After thirty moves, Zhao Tiehan had tested Jiang Nan's strength and was greatly surprised. He thought to himself, 'This kid's skill is only
good enough to be my disciple, but his exquisite techniques are even stronger than my master's. What's the reason for this?'" "At this point, he knew
he was invincible, but he was still somewhat wary of Jiang Nan's strange and varied martial arts. After another thirty moves, seeing
that Jiang Nan used only a few moves, he couldn't help but chuckle, thinking, 'Could this kid have stolen these from somewhere?'
Although he found Jiang Nan's origins strange, he was no longer afraid. He immediately changed his palm technique, using the 'Smashing Tablet Hand' with his left hand and the 'Diamond Fist' with his right. His palms
were like giant axes splitting mountains, and his fists like iron chiseling stone. Every movement of his hands and feet was accompanied by a powerful wind!
Jiang Nan was forced to breathe by him, thinking to himself, 'Oh no, oh no, is this the end for me!' Before he could finish his thought,
Zhao Tiehan suddenly spread his arms wide, blocking Jiang Nan's palms. In his haste, he used a move taught by Chen Tianyu, 'Bending the Bow
to Shoot the Tiger.' He used the right move, but his strength was insufficient. He couldn't move Zhao Tiehan's arms. Zhao Tiehan laughed loudly:
'Let me show you the skills of a third-rate character like me!'" With a swift movement of his left arm, he encircled Jiang Nan's hands, and with his right hand, he seized
Jiang Nan 's throat. The skinny man mocked his companion, saying, "Hey, where's his special skill?"
Jiang Nan's veins bulged, but with his throat gripped, he couldn't even scream. Zhao Tiehan sneered, "Kowtowing three times
and calling me 'father,' then I'll let you go. Do you agree?" Jiang Nan thought to himself, "I only have one father. If I call him
'father "Having made up his mind, Jiang Nan shook his head repeatedly, and Zhao Tiehan tightened his grip. Jiang Nan
was on the verge of death, too weak even to shake his head, but his face remained stubbornly defiant.
Just as his life was in danger, Zhao Tiehan suddenly let out a strange cry, his long tongue sticking out. Although his right hand was still gripping Jiang Nan
's throat, it was now loose and powerless. Jiang Nan took a deep breath, extremely puzzled. He saw that Zhao Tiehan's tongue was sticking out longer and longer, even
his hair was disheveled, as if it wasn't Zhao Tiehan gripping Jiang Nan's throat, but rather Jiang Nan gripping his throat. The shape was like a
hanged ghost . Jiang Nan shouted, "Hey, what are you doing? You think I'm scared of you just because you're scaring me?" He said he wasn't afraid, but in reality
, he was terrified. The skinny man thought that Jiang Nan had really used his ultimate move, and he was so frightened that he almost jumped out of his skin. He hurriedly ran away with the fat man!
Suddenly, Zhao Tiehan let out another sharp cry. His hands went limp, he collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from his seven orifices, his face ashen. Jiang Nan cried out,
"My God!" He too had fainted from fright!
Jiang Nan seemed to be having a strange dream. In his hazy state, he felt as if his body was floating lightly, suspended in mid-air. Countless phantoms of
ox-headed and Jiang Nan wanted to scream but couldn't make a sound. He thought to himself, "Oh no, oh no, it must be the hanged ghost that has taken my
soul!" Suddenly, the phantoms disappeared, and a seemingly familiar voice said in his ear, "Don't panic, don't panic,
today I'll make you a hero famous throughout the world!" The wind whistled in his ears, as if he were riding on clouds. Suddenly, he seemed
to fall from mid-air, and everything returned to silence.
Jiang Nan tried to open his eyes. "Huh, where am I?" He felt as if his body was sandwiched between two planks of wood, unable to
move, yet dazzling lights shone from both sides. Jiang Nan's mind went blank. Gradually regaining consciousness, he found himself curled up behind a plaque, utterly bewildered
. It seemed someone had acupunctured him, rendering him immobile.
Below him was a spacious hall with dozens of square tables, each with two wine jugs. Jiangnan almost doubted he was still
dreaming, thinking, "Could it be that the King of Hell has invited me to a banquet?" Suddenly, he heard a clear voice say, "Mom, tonight's
scene is quite lively! Are so many people coming?" Jiangnan was startled, but then saw two women emerge—
Yang Liuqing and her daughter, Zou Jiangxia.
Jiangnan bit his tongue; it hurt. Clearly, this wasn't a dream. Who had brought him here? He thought and thought,
becoming increasingly confused.
Yang Liuqing sighed, "You child, you're so ignorant! Tonight is a trap, do you think you're
going to a wedding?" Zou Jiangxia asked, "Father, how many people did you invite to help?" Yang Liuqing replied, "Quite a few, but only
ten showed up." Zou Jiangxia asked, "What about them?" Yang Liuqing said, "We received thirty-four invitations. According to
the rules , thirty-four people should have come. Hmm, count the number of seats, is it twenty-four?" Zou Jiangxia said, "That's right,
twenty-four seats. Two people per seat, one for you and your father, so there are two seats left." Yang Liuqing said, "These two seats are
for uninvited guests." Jiangxia said, "Aren't their numbers more than twice ours?"
Yang Liuqing sighed again, "Human relationships are cold and fickle, and the world is indifferent. If your grandfather were alive, all the heroes
would probably come even if we hadn't sent out invitations. Look at that plaque!" Jiangnan's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Yang Liuqing had discovered him. But then he heard Yang
Liuqing say, "I remember that plaque was presented to your grandfather by 124 heroes from the five northern provinces on his 60th birthday
. It was inscribed with the four golden characters 'Martial Arts Master,' exactly thirty years ago. Is it really as the saying goes, 'Fortune turns every
thirty '?" It turned out that Yang Liuqing was reflecting on something, not discovering Jiangnan.
Zou Jiangxia raised her eyebrows and said, "Although we are outnumbered and weak, we should not disgrace our grandfather's reputation." Yang Liuqing
said, "Of course, has your mother ever admitted defeat to anyone in her life?" Zou Jiangxia asked, "
Who ?"
Yang Liuqing replied, "That wild monk, I only know his secular name is Hao Haochang, and he is
a disciple ."
Zou Jiangxia said, "Mighty Demon King? That name sounds familiar. Hmm, I heard my father say that he was a great
demon , but wasn't he already dead?" Yang Liuqing said, "That's right, even among his disciples, only Hao Haochang is dead.
The Mighty Demon King Sa Tiandu had a twin brother named the Eight-Armed Demon King Sa Tianla, who now only has one disciple left." "Zou Jiangxia
said, "Is that Dong Taiqing who also became a monk? More than thirty years ago, my grandfather broke his arm. We met him when we went to Tianshan to find Uncle Tang
that year . Hmm, I understand, Hao Haochang came to avenge his senior brother
." Yang Liuqing said, "If it weren't for Feng Lin's persuasion that year, I would have blinded him long ago. Humph, Dong Taiqing himself doesn't dare
to seek revenge on me, but Hao Haochang has come to seek revenge on my behalf. What a joke." Jiang Nan chuckled inwardly, "This Aunt Yang
is even better at bragging than I am!" It turned out that Yang Liuqing and Tong Taiqing had met at a roadside tavern that time. Dong Taiqing fought Yang Liuqing's divine bullet with an iron arm
, and Jiang Nan had witnessed it. If Feng Lin hadn't arrived in time, Yang Liuqing would have suffered a great loss on the spot. Jiang Nan thought again,
"How could Dong Taiqing possibly seek revenge against you? Unless he rises from his coffin—no, he didn't even have a coffin when he died—unless he can
rise from a glacier." It turned out that Dong Taiqing and another great demon, Chi Shenzi, had gone to Mount Everest in the Himalayas to search for the immortal herb, and
had frozen to death in a glacier (see *The Legend of the Glacier Goddess*). Chen Tianyu told Jiang Nan about this, because
Tang Jingtian and Jin Shiyi had also participated in that Everest expedition, and Jin Shiyi had disappeared during that expedition.
Yang Liuqing and her daughter seemed unaware of this matter. Zou Jiangxia said, "Mom, have you forgotten? Didn't Aunt Feng
say Dong Taiqing was not allowed to seek revenge on you again? It's strange, how could his junior brother not know Aunt Feng's prohibition? Didn't his senior brother
tell him? Mom, we don't need to be afraid. Even if we lose this time, Aunt Feng will definitely avenge us." Yang Liuqing said, "Xia'er
, even if I get beaten to death this time, you are not allowed to beg Feng Lin. People of the Yang family never ask for pity, nor do we
beg anyone." It turned out that Yang Liuqing and Feng Lin had always been at odds, and Feng Lin had joked about her more than once.
Of course, Yang Liuqing would not tell her daughter about these things (more than 30 years ago, Yang Liuqing was Tang Xiaolan's fiancée. However,
Tang Xiaolan fell in love with Feng Lin's sister, Feng Ying. Therefore, Feng Lin often teased Yang Liuqing because of her sister).
Just then, a servant came in to report, "They've arrived!" Yang Liuqing said, "Tell the master to come out and greet
the guests ." After a while, a man with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and broad shoulders, around fifty years old, came out with a large group of people. This man
was Yang Liuqing's husband, Zou Xijiu. The others had come to help the Yang family with their martial arts. Zou Xijiu had married into the Yang family and was most afraid of his wife.
Although he was rough and boorish, he was taciturn. He only instructed his family members with two sentences: "Open the gate and greet them politely." He was nothing like his
wife, who showed her resentment in her words. The gate opened, and a large monk stepped in, laughing heartily.
Zou Xijiu uttered a single word, "Please," but Yang Liuqing coldly replied, "Thank you for your presence, Master. The gathering of so many distinguished guests today truly
brings honor to my humble abode." Hao Haochang laughed heartily, "It seems almost all the leading figures from your five northern provinces have arrived.
A pleasure you!" Before even exchanging blows, the two engaged in a verbal sparring match. Yang Liuqing mocked the large number of people he had brought, to which Hao Haochang retorted,
taking the opportunity to flatter Yang Liuqing's group, his intention being to avoid making enemies with them.
It turned out that Hao Haochang had two motives for causing trouble this time. The first, of course, was to seek revenge against Yang Liuqing. The second was to promote his
cousin, Hao Dasan, the leader of the Taishan Gang, to become the martial arts leader of the five northern provinces. Of the ten people who assisted Yang Liuqing, not many were truly
highly skilled , but each of them was highly respected in the martial arts world. Hao Dasan wanted to become the leader of the martial arts world, so it was inconvenient to offend these people.
Among the group that came with Hao Haochang was a Tibetan monk wearing a bright red robe, a tall and imposing figure
, more than a head taller than the average person. Hao Haochang specially introduced him to Yang Liuqing and his wife, saying, "This is the Venerable Zangling from Tibet." Venerable Zangling put his palms together and
said, "I have long admired the name of Master Liang Meng, and it is an honor to meet you today." Yang Liuqing and Zou Xijiu felt a powerful force pressing down on them, binding
them . They immediately felt dizzy and their vision blurred, barely able to breathe. In that instant, a strange laugh
rang out. The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely cold and sharp, especially to Cangling Shangren, where it sounded particularly jarring. His expression changed instantly, and the
pressure lifted. At that moment, acquaintances from both sides were greeting each other, chatting and laughing. Cangling Shangren and Hao Haochang looked around
the crowd, searching, but couldn't identify the source of the laughter. Cangling Shangren couldn't help but think of a strange martial arts master, his suspicion growing.
Jiang Nan also heard the jarring laugh, his astonishment surpassing everyone else's. The laugh seemed similar to the one he had vaguely
heard earlier, and it also seemed familiar. Who could it be? Suddenly, he remembered someone. "Could it
be Jin Shiyi?" Indeed, Jin Shiyi's strange laugh was just as jarring! "
But Jiangnan, being in a superior position, could clearly see that Jin Shiyi was not among them.
After the guests and host were seated, Zou Xijiu, as the host, said to Hao Haochang, 'Master, what brings you to my humble abode?'
Hao Haochang stood up and said to Yang Liuqing, 'Miss Yang, who is my senior brother? Please tell me frankly.' Yang Liuqing
thought he wanted to avenge her senior brother's severed arm thirty years ago and did not know that Dong Taiqing was dead. She was taken aback and said, 'I
did not kill your senior brother.'
Hao Haochang laughed and said, 'With your abilities, you couldn't possibly kill my senior brother. I'm asking you who you asked to kill him?'
Yang Liuqing angrily said, 'If I wanted to ask someone to kill him, I could have done so when we first met in Tibet.' Hao Haochang said, 'I
know you know many people, and you are wary of my senior brother. If you didn't trick me with the divination book, then you must have asked someone to kill him. Fine, whoever it was.
In short, you were the mastermind. If you don't confess, I will have to settle this debt with you!'" Yang Liuqing slammed her hand on the table and angrily said, "If you want to accuse me
of murder , fine, come on then, who's afraid of you?" Zou Xijiu hurriedly advised, "Let's talk things out slowly.
We've just met, so let's drink three cups first!" Before he finished speaking, someone shouted, "Alright, I'll toast the hostess three cups first!" "
The speaker was Hao Dasan, the leader of the Taishan Gang. He was a local, and more than half of the people present were invited by him, so he
was the host among guests. It was indeed appropriate for him to offer a toast to the hostess first. However, his method of toasting was quite peculiar. He filled three cups to the brim with wine,
then with a flick of his fingers, the three cups flew out in succession, forming a triangular shape,
heading straight for Yang Liuqing without spilling a drop of wine. It should be known that the Yang family was famous for their 'Iron Palm Divine Bullet,' and their skill with hidden weapons was unique
. Hao Dasan's method of toasting with hidden weapons was a subtle way of indicating that he wanted to test his skills against her.
Yang Liuqing remained calm and also filled three cups to the brim. When the three cups that Hao Dasan had thrown were a few feet
away from her, she placed them in her palm and said lightly, 'I have a very low alcohol tolerance, and I certainly can't drink three cups. Please borrow them to return the toast
!'" With a flick of his wrist, three wine cups filled to the brim flew out, colliding head-on with the three cups Hao Dasan had thrown.
The jade cups struck each other, producing a melodious sound. The six cups then split into two groups of three. Three cups flew back to Hao Dasan's
seat, while the other three flew towards the monk, each with a different direction and swiftness, without spilling a drop of wine. This
technique was far superior to Hao Dasan's. Many of his friends who had come to help him couldn't help but applaud!
Hao Dasan had no choice but to use his skill in catching hidden weapons to catch the three cups of wine and drink them. The monk then stretched out a large, fan-like
hand, waved it in the air, and opened his palm, revealing three wine cups... The wine cups, one after another, flew towards his
palm as if drawn by an invisible force. Experts could see that the three cups had originally come from
three different directions, aiming for his temples and the bridge of his nose. But with this move, the three cups were now arranged
side- in a triangular shape in his palm. This skill, compared to Yang Liuqing's, was truly remarkable.
Yang Liuqing was known for his hidden weapon techniques, but this monk's internal strength was far superior!
Hao Haochang put down the three cups of wine and said, "My intention is exactly the same as Benefactor Zou's. Only after settling the score
can we enjoy the wine. Female benefactor, how will you settle my senior brother's life debt?" "He was speaking to Yang Liuqing.
Pressed relentlessly, Yang Liuqing raised an eyebrow and angrily said, 'I said I didn't kill him, and I don't know who killed him. If you
insist pinning your senior brother's death on me, what else is there to say? Only according to the rules of the martial world, I'll first ask you
, this great monk, for your skills.' An old hero, Deng Qianyuan, whom Zou Xijiu had invited, said, 'Great monk, is it true that your senior brother was
killed ? Did you discover his body, or did someone else tip you off? You know, in the martial world,
false reports of deaths are common.' Hao Haochang said, 'My senior brother went to Yang Liuqing to settle scores that year, but she invited
people from the Tianshan Sect to defeat him, and afterwards, he disappeared without a trace. The news of my senior brother's death came from Huangshi Daoren. Huangshi Daoren is
a renowned elder of ; would his words be false? If I don't ask her for clarification, who else should I ask?'" Jiangnan, listening anxiously behind the plaque,
repeatedly cried out in his heart, "Why don't you ask Jin Shiyi?" Unfortunately, he couldn't voice it.
Deng Qianyuan, wanting to settle things peacefully, waved to the monk and continued, "Since your senior brother was
defeated by the Tianshan Sect that year, shouldn't you ask Tang Xiaolan, the sect leader of Tianshan Sect, first?" "You should know that Tang Xiaolan is now
one of the top figures in the martial arts world, and the South Peak of Tianshan Mountain where she lives is not a place that ordinary people can reach. Deng Qianyuan's words clearly indicate that he knows he
wouldn't dare to go to Tianshan Mountain to ask Tang Xiaolan." Hao Haochang glanced at Deng Qianyuan and said, "And this is..." Hao Dasan said, "This is the
old hero Deng Qianyuan." Hao Haochang said, "Old hero Deng, thank you for your earnest advice. Unfortunately, your words seem to have
the cart before the horse. It's common for revenge to be sought in the martial arts world. According to the rules, the mastermind should be investigated. How can one go to
a friend who helped him without asking the master? Besides, everyone knows about the friendship between our Miss Yang and Tang Xiaolan. Why go to such lengths, going to the heavens?"
"Go ask Tang Xiaolan? Even if it was someone from the Tianshan Sect who did it, asking this Miss Yang is the same." Yang Liuqing wanted to marry
Tang Xiaolan but couldn't, and she was most afraid of others mentioning this matter. Her face turned red, and she angrily said, "You bald
monk, talking nonsense, making things up out of nothing! Who knows how your senior brother died? Fine, since you want to extort money, then I'll say I killed him!
Xia'er, bring me my slingshot!" Hao Haochang suddenly stood up and said, "Female benefactor, watch your mouth. We're not
here !" In fact, he was the one who first mocked Yang Liuqing's secret, but now he turned around and scolded Yang Liuqing for her dirty mouth. Yang Liuqing was so angry that she was furious. She
took the slingshot and was about to leave.
Just as the tension was about to rise, a servant ran in and reported, "Someone wants to see the mistress. He also brought a gift, saying
that he wants the mistress to pass it on to a master named Hai Ruo." Yang Liuqing and Hao Haochang were both taken aback. It turned out that
after Hao Haochang shaved his head and became a monk, his Dharma name was "Hai Ruo." He had lived in seclusion for nearly thirty years after his master, the Mighty Demon God , died.
He had only recently descended the mountain to seek revenge after receiving news of his senior brother's death. Few people knew of his life as a monk, and even
fewer knew of his Dharma name, "Hai Ruo." Both assumed the other had invited someone to help them. Yang Liuqing, still angry, immediately ordered, "No matter
how many , our Yang family can entertain them all. Bring him up!" The servant was a little puzzled and reported, "Only one person came."
Yang Liuqing shouted, "Did you hear me? Bring him up!"
After a moment, the servant brought up a man. Yang Liuqing said, "Ah, Old Man Wang, it's you." Jiangnan
recognized him as the old man who sold tea at the pavilion and thought, "This old fellow, like me, loves to meddle. He must have found an excuse
to come and watch the show. " "Otherwise, why would he only come to deliver a gift when others are having a martial arts competition?" The old man was carrying a
rectangular iron box with a white paper pasted on it that read, "Please give this to Master Hai Ruo." Hao Haochang
had drunk and recognized the old man. Extremely surprised, he immediately snatched the iron box, saying, "I am the monk Hai Ruo."
He shook the iron box, and it seemed to contain some kind of metal object, making a clanging sound. Hao Haochang hesitated for a long time,
not daring to open it.
The Venerable Cang Ling said, "Let me see what gift it is?" Taking the iron box from Hao Haochang's hands, the man, confident in his martial arts skills,
thought that even if there were hidden arrows inside, they wouldn't harm him. He
secretly used his Vajra Finger technique to open the iron lid, only to find a dark, gnarled arm inside. Hao Haochang screamed, pulled out the arm, and slammed it on the table, producing a metallic
clang that chipped a corner off the table. It was indeed an iron arm.
Hao Haochang cried, "Senior brother, you really were harmed!" It turned out that his senior brother, Dong Taiqing, had had his arm broken by Yang Liuqing's father over thirty years
ago . He had been fitted with an iron arm and mastered the Iron Arm Divine Skill before seeking
revenge on Yang Liuqing. Hao Haochang naturally recognized his senior brother's iron arm.
The Venerable Cangling said, "Hey, it seems there are words engraved on this iron arm!" Hao Haochang examined the iron arm closely and indeed,
there were eight large characters: "Died on a glacier. No one to blame." "There are two more lines of smaller print, saying that Dong Taiqing went to
Mount Everest to seek the elixir of immortality and froze to death on the glacier. The date, time, and who he was with are all clearly written. But there is no
signature.
Hao Haochang was very surprised and grabbed the old man selling tea and asked, "Who asked you to deliver this iron box?"
The old man said, "It was Xiao Sanzi." Hao Haochang asked, "Who is Xiao Sanzi?" The old man said, "Xiao Sanzi
? Hmm, he's the boy who herds cattle next door." Zou Jiangxia couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Hao Haochang said angrily, "Are you kidding me?" The old man cried out, "It's a misunderstanding! I, Old Man Wang, have never told
a . If you don't believe me, ask our Miss Yang." Hao Haochang said, "This iron box really was delivered by that boy who herds cattle
!" The old man said, "It's absolutely true that I received it from him." "Master Zangling asked, 'Did you find out
who asked him to bring it?' The old man replied, 'He said it himself. A beggar on the road asked him to deliver it.' Master Zangling
's expression changed. 'A beggar would give gifts?' The old man said, 'Yes, I heard from Xiao Sanzi that this beggar is
quite wealthy; the reward he received was a silver ingot.'
Hao Haochang's heart skipped a beat. He thought, 'Could it be that the leader of the Beggars' Sect is coming to oppose me?' He hurriedly asked, 'Was it
an old beggar wearing a patchwork robe made of many different colored scraps of cloth?' The old man said, 'No, I heard
from Xiao Sanzi that it was a young beggar with red lips and white teeth. Xiao Sanzi also told me, quite strangely, that the young beggar... '" " His appearance is even more handsome than the young master of Zhang Baiwan, the most powerful family
in Dongping County , so why is he a beggar?"
Jiangnan, hiding behind the plaque, was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "This must be Jin Shiyi! Haha,
with Jin Shiyi here, if you, the great monk, don't know your place, you're sure to be in trouble!"
Hao Haochang, relieved to hear that it wasn't the Beggar Clan leader, was about to speak when he noticed that Venerable Zangling's expression was unusual, as if he were somewhat
timid . This Venerable Zangling was the foremost master of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, over seventy years old, but looked like he was only fifty. In terms of seniority,
he was of the same generation as Hao Haochang's master. Hao Haochang had specially invited him to rely on as a patron, and seeing his apparent fear, he was greatly surprised,
thinking, "Could Venerable Zangling really be afraid of a mere beggar?" Indeed: The dragon appears and disappears without a trace; no one
knows the mystery behind it.
To find out what happens next, please turn to the next chapter.

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