[Wuxia] The Jade Bow and the Cloud Sea (Complete) - 28

In Chapter 39 of Liang Yusheng's *The Jade Bow and the Cloud Sea*

, the steward's disciple hurriedly asked, "Master, what's wrong?" Yun Zhongxian replied, "They should have brought the rock sugar bird's nest by now
, but why haven't they come? Let me go and see for myself." The disciple was very puzzled and said, "This is such a small matter, why
bother you, Master? I'll go and ask them to bring it." Yun Zhongxian said, "These maids are mostly lazy and good-for-nothing. This time I'll
teach them a lesson myself!"
The disciple was wondering to himself: Master doesn't entertain the distinguished guests but goes to teach the maids a lesson. Isn't that too inhumane? Before he could finish his thought
, he suddenly heard a sweet voice laughing, "The bird's nest is here!" At the same time, his sister-in-law called out, and Yun Zhongxian
also fired two bone-piercing nails. This maid who claimed to be delivering the bird's nest was, of course, Li Shengnan. As
soon as the two bone-piercing nails shot out, a cry of "Ouch!" was heard, and a person fell to the ground. It was
Liu Sanchun, the master of Sanliu Manor.
This was a prank by Jin Shiyi. Using the "four ounces deflect a thousand pounds" technique, Jin Shiyi
deflected Yun Zhongxian's bone-piercing nail with just two plum blossom needles, striking Liu Erchun and Wan Yingchang. Wan Yingchang,
with better , only suffered a graze to his scalp, while Liu Erchun was struck in the "Huantiao" acupoint in the back of his leg.
Li Shengnan laughed, "This bird's nest doesn't taste good!" With a backhand slap, she delivered a resounding "thud" to Yun Zhongxian's face
.
She then used a small grappling technique to grab his collarbone. Unexpectedly, the grab missed. Although Yun Zhongxian's skill
was not as great as Li Shengnan's, he was not to be trifled with. Enraged by Li Shengnan's unexpected slap, he seized the moment when
Li Shengnan changed her grappling technique and immediately drew his sword, unleashing a desperate swordsmanship.
Jin Shiyi laughed, "Old friend. Do you still recognize me?" Upon hearing the voice, Wan Yingchang was terrified, crying out,
"You, you, you… Oh dear, the Poisonous Mad Beggar!" Jin Shiyi said, "That's right, I am the former Poisonous Mad Beggar,
Jin Shiyi . If you want your life spared, you'd better stand still!" Wan Yingchang, as if receiving a royal decree, dared not move. The steward, unaware
of the danger, tried to flee, but Jin Shiyi grabbed him and pulled him back.
Jin Shiyi sat down with an air of authority, laughing, "Let me see Master Yun's Dragon-Swimming Saber Technique. One, two, three,
four…"
Counting to the seventeenth move, a "clang" was heard, and Yun Zhongxian's single saber fell to the ground. Li Shengnan had casually struck his pressure points.
Yun Zhongxian, with his martial arts skills, could have easily held out for ten or so moves, but upon hearing Jin Shiyi's name, he too was terrified and went limp.
Li Shengnan laughed, "If we follow your rules, I should spare him after he fought to the seventeenth move. But I
hate hypocrites the most, so I won't spare him!"
Liu Sanchun got up, groaning, and pleaded with Jin Shiyi, "Master Jin, you promised
you wouldn't kill me." Jin Shiyi nodded, "That's right. That year I only intended to test your skills, not
to take your life." Wan Yingchang also hurriedly said, "Master Jin, you promised me too."
Jin Shiyi laughed heartily, "It's rare that you all remember what I said before, but there's one thing you
don't : your evil deeds at that time..." "Zhaozhang, I only challenged you to a duel because I considered you fellow martial artists. Of course, I wouldn't kill
you.
Is that how you protect me?" Wan Yingchang hurriedly replied, "That's right. That's what you said when we were about to meet.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to spar with you."
Jin Shiyi's smile vanished, and he coldly said, "Now you're aiding and abetting evil, exterminating fellow martial artists. This is against all reason, and I, Jin,
must act on behalf of Heaven!"
Yun Zhongxian quickly shouted, "I didn't want to go in the first place. They tricked me.
You must have heard what I said... Spare my life, and I'm willing to give away all my wealth!"
He probably said the last sentence because Li Shengnan had called him a "hypocrite."
Liu and Wan immediately joined in the clamor, shifting blame to each other while vowing to repent and beg Jin Shiyi for forgiveness.
They to withdraw from the martial arts world and never cause trouble again.
Jin Shiyi laughed, "Stop arguing! If you want me to spare your lives, you must do me one thing." The three men, as if receiving
imperial favor , immediately shouted in unison, "Yes, yes!"
Jin Shiyi asked, "Who is this 'Lord Sikong' you're talking about?" Yun Zhongxian replied, "It's Sikong Hua, the commander of the Imperial Guards."
Jin Shiyi said,
"Good. Here's some ink and brush. Each of you write for me…
" Li Shengnan suddenly interjected, "Write me a Tang poem!"
Jin Shiyi was taken aback. Li Shengnan raised an eyebrow and said, "Leave it to me. I guarantee you won't go wrong." Jin Shiyi
had known her for a long time, and seeing her expression, he knew she fully understood his meaning. However, he
still didn't understand why Li Shengnan wanted these three men to write Tang poems.
Yun Zhongxian asked, "Which one?"
Li Shengnan pretended to think for a moment and said, "Write one that's not too short and not too long. Okay, let's write the old man's 'Watching Gongsun Da Niang's
Disciple Perform the Sword Dance.'"
Liu Erchun and Wan Ying looked embarrassed and said, "I...I...I haven't read it." Yun Zhongxian, however, said smugly, "Alright, I'll write it right away. My calligraphy isn't good, please forgive me, young lady." It turned out that Liu and Wan were good-for-nothings, while Yun Zhongxian was
a
pretentious
scholar who was well-versed in Tang poetry. He had even written a scroll of this famous poem by Du Fu a few days ago and given it to one of his
favorite disciples.
Li Shengnan said, "Alright, you two haven't read this poem. Write it word by word. I don't care about calligraphy.
Just write it carefully." Yun Zhongxian spread out the paper, picked up his brush, and wrote: "Once there was a beautiful woman named Gongsun, whose sword dance moved
all four directions . The spectators were as numerous as mountains, their faces downcast, and heaven and earth seemed to bow low for a long time. Her brilliance shone like the sun setting in the ninth day, her graceful movements were like a group of emperors soaring like dragons. Her arrival was like thunder, gathering
its fury." "Like the calm light of a vast ocean..."
Jin Shiyi followed suit, reciting the poem aloud and clapping his hands in praise: "What a fine poem! What a fine poem! Coming forth like thunder, then withdrawing its fury, ending like the calm light of a vast ocean.
Such wondrous swordsmanship, even a thousand years later, still inspires longing! Sheng Nan, your choice of this poem is truly interesting. Once you've mastered
the swordsmanship, you'll be able to rival the disciples of Gongsun Da Niang."
Liu Sanchun and Wan Yingchang, sweating profusely, followed Yun Zhong's lead, writing word by word, not daring to fall behind. When Yun Zhong finished writing
, they too had finished in a short while.
Yun Zhong, seeing their crooked and uneven handwriting, like children tracing characters, was extremely proud and eagerly presented his own work.
He respectfully presented the document to Li Shengnan, saying, "Miss, you are an expert, please review it."
Li Shengnan smiled and said, "Good, good, very well written!" The third "good" had barely left her lips when Yun Zhong, who was
beaming lunged forward, pointed a finger at his throat, and stabbed him hard. Yun Zhong never dreamed that Li Shengnan would suddenly use
such a deadly move. He groaned, his throat pierced, blood gushing out, and he instantly collapsed dead.
Wan Liu and the other man were stunned. The words "Spare us!" were still on their tongues, unable to be uttered. In that split second,
Li Shengnan had already used her method, striking their vital points with a heavy blow.
Li Shengnan's actions were lightning fast; even Jin Shiyi hadn't expected her to kill him. By the time he tried to stop her, it was too late. Jin Shiyi angrily said,
"Shengnan, how could you be so cruel? I promised to spare their lives!"
Li Shengnan laughed, "You promised, I didn't!" Yun Zhongxian saw the disciple trying to escape, but his arms
wouldn't obey terrified and went limp. Li Shengnan said, "I've already killed three; I can't leave this one alive!" With a flick of her wrist, she used a flying awl to take
the life of the steward's disciple!
Jin Shiyi grabbed Li Shengnan's wrist and shouted, "If you kill again, I'll cripple your martial arts!"
Li Shengnan laughed, "Great hero, you're squeezing me so hard, are you going to let go? If you don't, I'll never
speak to you again! I had no choice but to kill these four people. Do you think I enjoy killing?"
Jin Shiyi involuntarily loosened his grip and said, "Although these people acted despicably, they didn't deserve to die.
Why kill them? What's the reason?"
Li Shengnan said calmly, "You've been in the martial arts world for so many years, and some people still think you're a great demon. Hmph, hmph, you
don't even understand this basic principle. Sit down properly and let me explain."
Under Li Shengnan's coquettish tsk, Jin Shiyi's anger could no longer be ignited, so he had no choice but to sit down and listen to her.
Li Shengnan chuckled and said, "It's a pity there's no mirror. Look at how fierce you looked just now, you looked like
you could eat someone alive!"
Jin Shiyi said, "Hurry up and tell me, or I'll eat you up too!" He couldn't help but laugh at the
word He thought to himself, "You're the one who really wants to 'eat' me!"
Li Shengnan said, "You originally wanted those three old guys to write you a letter to Sikong Hua, didn't you?"
Jin Shiyi said, "That's right. I wanted them to write a letter of introduction so we could pretend to be their disciples and take it
to see the Imperial Guard Commander Sikong Hua."
Li Shengnan laughed, "It's impressive that you came up with such a brilliant plan, but can you guarantee they'll keep quiet?"
Jin Shiyi said, "I can silence them by pressing their pressure points, so they can't speak for seven days."
Li Shengnan said, "They can write you a letter?" "Couldn't we just write it down and pass this secret on?"
Jin Shiyi said. "They've scared me half to death, I doubt they'd dare leak it."
Li Shengnan said, "These guys are all cunning and treacherous. As the saying goes, 'A petty person is no gentleman, and a ruthless person is no true man.
' It would be safest and most reliable to kill them." Jin Shiyi hadn't been unaware of Li Shengnan's concerns. A few years earlier, he
would have killed them too. But since he met Bingchuan Tiannv, Li Qinmei, and Gu Zhihua, his temperament had gradually
changed, so he was willing to take some risks to spare those three guys' lives.
But now, Li Shengnan's words left him speechless. Although he still felt that Li Shengnan's actions were too wicked, he could only
remain silent.
Li Shengnan laughed again, "Everyone thinks you're a master in the martial arts world, but in my opinion, you're still lacking in experience. Asking
them to write you a letter of introduction is a big mistake. Luckily, I had a flash of inspiration and changed it at the last minute, asking them to rewrite a
Tang poem."
Jin Shiyi suddenly understood and said, "So you're afraid they'll deliberately not use their usual handwriting, or try to trick us with the wording
?"
Li Shengnan said, "That's right, you're quite clever, you guessed my intention immediately. Now I can imitate their handwriting and
write whatever I like. Hmm, although that old fellow Yun Zhongxian has the best martial arts, his residence is also the closest to the capital, so he probably
has many acquaintances there. Let's pretend to be disciples of Liu and Wan."
She picked up a pen and imitated the handwriting of the two men, writing a letter for each, and indeed, they were very similar. Jin Shiyi looked at them, both delighted
and frightened. Thinking to herself, "With her intelligence, if she goes astray, she might be even more harmful than Meng Shentong!"
Wan Shengnan folded the two fake recommendation letters and handed one to Jin Shiyi, saying, "I hate that Liu Sanchun the most
. You can impersonate his disciple." Jin Shiyi laughed, "That Horse-Faced Impermanence never accepts female disciples. If you impersonate him, you'll surely
be exposed ."
Li Shengnan said, "I've already thought it through. Look at my hair, isn't it perfect for this makeover?"
The Yun family members were still unconscious. Li Shengnan entered the room, calmly searched, and found a set of men's clothes that fit her perfectly
. Her hair... Having already shaved half of Feng Ying's hair, he simply grabbed a pair of scissors, looked in the mirror, cut his hair short and neat,
put on a hat, and asked Jin Shiyi, "Do you think this disguise is acceptable?"
Jin Shiyi laughed, "Too handsome. There shouldn't be such a handsome man among the disciples of the Horse-Faced Impermanent. Let me change your appearance further
." Disguise was Jin Shiyi's forte. His secret disguise pill was
similar in effect to the one passed down by Gan Fengchi's school. He then dressed up Li Shengnan, adding two large black scars to her face, making her look
somewhat like a rough and tough figure from the martial arts world, except for her shorter stature. Li Shengnan smiled at the mirror, "Alright, although I'm a bit ugly, even if I were to
face Ximen Muye, he might not recognize me."
Jin Shiyi also changed his appearance, sticking on two small stubbles, and dressed up as a mature and composed sect leader disciple.
Li Shengnan laughed, "I never thought we'd be disciples of those two old geezers. Taking their lives has at least done me justice
!"
Li Shengnan returned the village girl Yun Zhongxian had bought, giving her ten taels of silver and telling her and her father to escape and find
work Having finished, it was just dawn. The two immediately set off for the capital.
Li Shengnan laughed, "This is the first good deed I've ever done in my life; I feel incredibly happy." Jin Shiyi said, "That's why
everyone has a chivalrous heart. As long as you don't lose your true nature, anyone can be a good person." Li Shengnan laughed,
"You're becoming more and more pedantic. I think you could become a schoolteacher. But you might guess
why I did this good deed?" Jin Shiyi asked, "Why?" Li Shengnan giggled, "It's to get..."
"Your joy!" Jin Shiyi's heart sank. He hadn't anticipated Li Shengnan's motives, but then he thought, "It
's good that she's doing good for me. Besides, she doesn't hide it, so she's not beyond redemption. It's just that I'm afraid I'll be even less able to
leave ."
Three days later, the two arrived in Beijing. Sikong Hua was the commander of the Imperial Guard, so his residence was easy to find. The two took fake
recommendation letters and impersonated disciples of Liu Sanchun and Wan Yingchang to request an audience.
Sikong Hua was at the martial arts training ground, supervising his officers' practice. When he saw that it was just disciples of Liu Sanchun and Wan Yingchang,
he was very displeased. After reading the letter, he said indifferently, "Your masters have all made their fortunes and want to enjoy themselves at home. No wonder even
I can't invite them. Ha, they're enjoying themselves, but you're working so hard. Go and rest for a while. If you're willing to work here
, go see Vice General Wang tomorrow and see if there are any vacancies. We can fill two spots for you." Pointing to
the steward who had brought them in, he said, "Take good care of them, and take them to see Vice General Wang tomorrow."
Judging from his tone, Sikong Hua clearly didn't value them at all. Not only did he not personally greet them, but he also simply had the steward
take them to see a vice general of the Imperial Guard, suggesting they would at most be assigned low-ranking positions.
Jin Shiyi and Li Shengnan didn't turn around. Li Shengnan smiled and said, "We didn't come here to ask for a job."
Sikong Hua grew increasingly displeased and coldly said, "That's right, your masters are both wealthy, so you must be from wealthy families too
. Of course, you wouldn't care about jobs. Fine, if you don't want to work, you can go back immediately."
Li Shengnan said, "That's not what I meant. You've misunderstood my master, sir." Sikong Hua said, "What? Is there another reason why he
refused to come to the capital?" "
Li Shengnan said, 'When my master sent me here, he said to me, 'Lord Sikong thinks highly of me. I should have gone to the capital myself to serve him. But I am now old. Lord Sikong doesn't need me to deal with ordinary
江湖小小 ( jianghu xiaoxiao, meaning江湖小小小小, meaning江湖 ... The following sentence was directed at Jin Shiyi. Jin Shiyi replied, “My master instructed me: ‘Your mission to serve Lord Sikong is to serve the Emperor. You must be utterly loyal and not concerned with position. The Emperor is now determined to eliminate all martial arts figures from both righteous and evil factions who refuse to submit to the court. You will inevitably encounter many powerful enemies. You must thoroughly understand the backgrounds of renowned figures in the martial arts world to know where to go and where to avoid them.’ At that time , I asked which people I should avoid. My master counted on his fingers and said: ‘If you encounter Tang Xiaolan, the leader of the Tianshan Sect; Master Tongchan, the abbot of Shaolin Temple; Master Jinguang of the Emei Sect; and the most notorious villain Meng Shentong, you must not be greedy for merit. As for dealing with the others, I think you won’t bring shame to your sect.’” " Jin Shiyi is a seasoned veteran. His words were even more subtle than Li Shengnan's. He didn't mention his master's praise at all , but his tone was extremely arrogant. He meant that apart from Tang Xiaolan, Master Tongchan, Master Jinguang, and Meng Shentong , no one else was his match. Sikong Hua was greatly surprised, thinking, 'I haven't seen Liu Sanchun and Wan Yingyi's skills, but I know a little about them. How dare they be so arrogant? Do they really think their disciples can defeat masters of various schools? Could it be that these two young men are just making empty boasts to gain my favor?' Little did he know that standing before him was none other than the infamous 'Poisonous Hand Mad Beggar' Jin Shiyi, feared by all in the martial arts world. And considering Jin Shiyi's current martial arts skills, his words were actually quite modest. Li Shengnan said, 'I have reported, this junior will take his leave.' Sikong Hua said, 'Wait, wait!' Jin Shiyi said, ' What are your orders, sir?'" Sikong Hua said, "My apologies, my apologies! I didn't realize you two were such remarkable young heroes! Please forgive my rudeness." He extended his hand and shook hands with Jin Shiyi, showing his warmth. Jin Shiyi, however, didn't know Sikong Hua's background and thought to himself, "I fought all over the country back then, and I've never heard of the name Tonghua. I wonder how he became the commander of the Imperial Guard?" Both of them were determined to test their strength. Sikong Hua secretly used his Innate Taiyi Divine Skill, and a powerful internal force emanated from his palm. Jin Shiyi thought to himself, "I didn't realize he was using the authentic internal energy of the Quanzhen School of Taoism. Strange, the Quanzhen School never teaches its true skills to lay disciples. Could he have been a Taoist priest who later returned to secular life? Judging from his skill, although he is not as good as the martial arts masters of this era, he is probably no less than Ling Xiaozi, the number one master of the Quanzhen School ." Sikong Hua gradually increased the power of his Innate Taiyi Divine Skill from three points to nine points. Strangely enough, when using the three-point level, his opponent showed no reaction. Even at nine points, the opponent remained unresponsive. The skill, when unleashed, vanished without a trace, like a heavy object thrown into the ocean, its depth unfathomable. Sikong Hua was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and dared not use the full power, quickly releasing his grip. In truth, this was only because Jin Shiyi dared not reveal too much, deliberately adapting to the opponent's strength—adjusting his power when the opponent was strong and his weakness when the opponent was weak. Otherwise, Sikong Hua would have suffered greatly. Sikong Hua shook hands with Li Shengnan again . This time, Sikong Hua was wary and immediately used eighty or ninety percent of his strength. Li Shengnan had not yet mastered the superior internal energy of Jin Shiyi, so she had no choice but to fight him head-on. Their strengths were evenly matched. Li Shengnan frowned and secretly used the Asura Yin Sha Gong, channeling her energy through her middle finger. Sikong Hua suddenly felt as if someone had pricked his tiger's mouth with an embroidery needle . Although it didn't hurt, he felt an extremely cold energy, and his strength immediately dissipated. He quickly withdrew his hand and praised, " This brother has truly excellent skills!" Sikong Hua was very puzzled. He thought to himself, "Wan Yingchang is the head of the Black Tiger Fist, practicing a family-style martial art. How can this person's internal energy be so profound? And the method he used to break my Taiyi Divine Skill is so strange. It is clearly a kind of evil, yin-soft internal energy. Could it be that Wan Yingchang has been hiding this secret move and has never passed it on? Or is this person impersonating his disciple?" "Although Sikong Hua was knowledgeable and knew that Meng Shentong possessed a 'Shura Yin Sha Gong,' he had never touched Meng Shentong and did not know the true nature of the ' Shura Yin Sha .' Wan Shengnan, being very clever, used the 'Shura Yin Sha Gong' from her middle finger, transforming it into a kind of Yin..."

The acupoint striking technique used to poison, unlike a palm strike which generates a chilling aura, is not particularly powerful, so Sikong Hua could never have
guessed it . Furthermore, he understood absolutely nothing about the superior internal energy technique Jin Shi was using. He only felt that these two people were strangely peculiar.
Sikong Hua, harboring suspicions, quickly detained Jin and Li, but then asked an old martial arts master beside him, "Teacher Nangong, didn't you spar with Wan Yi
before ?"
The old master, named Nangong Yi, was of the same generation as Sikong Hua's master and possessed extremely high martial arts skills. Sikong Hua had invited him to be
an instructor for the Imperial Guard. He had already been dissatisfied with Li Shengnan's boastful talk, and immediately replied, "That's right, that was twenty years ago
. Boss Wan demonstrated his Black Tiger Fist to me. I said that although this Black Tiger Fist was exceptionally powerful, it had many
flaws . He didn't believe me, so he sparred with me. On the thirty-third move, he used his most powerful move, 'Black Tiger Steals the Heart,' but I
subdued his bridge hand with a Yin Hand Yang Palm technique. Only then did he submit. Twenty years have passed; I wonder if he..." "Has the flaw in this set of boxing techniques been patched up
?"
Li Shengnan said, "My master also mentioned this matter. He said it wasn't that our school's boxing techniques had flaws, but rather that at that time, his
experience in combat was not yet rich enough. When Master Nangong used Yin Hand Yang Grab to subdue his bridge hand, he should have used another
move, then Master Nangong would probably have been the one to suffer."
Nangong Yi's expression changed drastically, and he said, "Is that what your master said? I must ask! Brother Li has already fully mastered your master's true teachings, why don't
we go down and have a test? Let's see which move in the Black Tiger Palm can make me suffer?" Li Shengnan and Jin Shiyi both changed
their names, removing one character from their original names and using homophones for the other two. Li Shengnan changed her name to Li Sheng, and Jin Shiyi changed his name to Gan Hui, so
Nangong Yi called Li Shengnan "Brother Li".
Li Shengnan deliberately said, "Teacher Nangong is my elder, how dare I offend him?" Her feigned humility was actually a sign of contempt. Nangong
Yi's face darkened, and he coldly said, "Learning has no order of precedence; the successor is the teacher. Since Brother Li has already surpassed his teacher, why be so polite?
Even if there are accidental injuries during our martial arts exchange, I will not blame Brother Li. Brother Li, please set aside your concerns and unleash your ultimate moves!"
The officers from Yangzhong, who were performing martial arts, quickly gave up their spot, all thinking to themselves, "This kid is incredibly arrogant,
so shameless
that Li Shengnan was using the humble to defy the superior, the weak to fight the strong. Faced with a strong enemy, one must proceed with caution, at least establishing a solid defense. Yet, she merely
stood casually, then smiled and said, "Although my master has instructed me in the secrets, I fear I am not yet adept at applying them. If there are any shortcomings
, I humbly request guidance from Senior Nangong and all the experts." Nangong Yi snorted and coldly said, "Your master
used the 'Invitation Hand' stance of the Black Tiger Fist in his first move. Are you expecting this old man to make the first move if you don't advance?"
Li Shengnan smiled and said, "The first move is just a simple opening stance; I don't need to change it." She clenched her left fist, making a gesture that was neither a bow nor a formal one, and as
she approached Nangong Ji, her body lengthened, as if she were stretching.
Her words clearly indicated her unwillingness to treat him with the respect due to a junior. She meant: Since you insist on forcing me to make a move, and since
the first move is just a simple stance, not an advantage, I'll give you a little face. However, her casual
punch and disrespectful attitude showed a complete lack of courtesy befitting a junior.
Nangong Yi was furious and said, "You said you'd start with a normal opening move? Well, I'll make you look foolish with my very first move!"
Instantly, a palm strike pierced the ground, a thousand fingers like hooks, crossing and slashing—this was the most powerful move in the Thirty-Six Great Capture Techniques, "
Jingde Snatching the Whip." Li Shengnan's body stretched out, her arms just in time to grab him; even if her arms didn't break,
she would bend them.
Nangong Yi's skill was extraordinary; his grappling techniques were both practiced and ruthless. Every movement of his hands and feet carried a powerful gust of wind. Li Shengnan felt a
chill, thinking, "He does indeed possess some skill; I mustn't underestimate him."
Just as Nangong Yi's fingers were about to strike her wrist, Li Shengnan suddenly used the miraculous "Heavenly Net Step,"
a light, swift movement that allowed her to slip away in the nick of time. With a flick of her wrist, she countered with a punch aimed at Nangong
Yi's arm. Nangong Yi was startled and quickly withdrew his hand. A loud "thud" was heard as fist and palm collided, both staggering back three steps.
Had Nangong Yi not reacted quickly, his arm might have been broken by Li Shengnan.
Nangong Yi snorted and asked, "What kind of fist is that?" Li Shengnan swayed, unleashing three
quick punches, chanting:
"Black Tiger Leaps the Ravine, Black Tiger Climbs the Mountain, Black Tiger Snatches Food." After Nangong Yi countered her three moves, she paused before continuing
, "These three moves all evolved from the Black Tiger emerging from its cave just now. Are you using them incorrectly?"
These three moves were common techniques in Black Tiger Fist, which Nangong Yi naturally knew, but he didn't recognize the move Li Shengnan had initially used
. He thought to himself, "Perhaps this is a secret technique in Black Tiger Fist, one that even Wan Ying should never have used against me back then. Judging from
the names this kid used, after the Black Tiger emerged from its cave, what followed..." "Jumping into streams, climbing mountains, and foraging for food—that makes sense too."
In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than twenty moves. Nangong Yi was secretly astonished, thinking to himself, "This kid's boxing technique isn't very refined,
but his skill seems to surpass their master Sheng Nian. What's the reason for this?"
It turned out that Li Shengnan's Black Tiger Fist was learned from Jin Shiyi. Jin Shiyi had previously fought Wan Yingdang and
defeated him in the twenty-third move. Therefore, Jin Shiyi knew twenty-three moves of the Black Tiger Fist. Although Li Shengnan was extremely intelligent, she had only been learning it for a few
days, so of course she hadn't mastered it. Moreover, the first move wasn't even part of the Black Tiger Fist.
Nangong Yi's grappling technique was extremely powerful. Even after using the twenty-second move, Li Shengnan still couldn't gain
the
upper hand. In her anxiety, she suddenly shouted, "Watch out, Black Tiger Steals Hearts!" and threw a punch at his chest. Nangong Yi countered with his "Overturning Clouds and Rain" move, using the same method he had used against Wan Yingchang, employing a Yin-Yang palm technique to counter Li Shengnan's bridge hand. Before his palms could intercept, Li Shengnan suddenly pressed her fist
against her palm, lunging forward and striking Nangong Yi in the chest with a "thud." Nangong Yi staggered back
several steps, spinning around a few times before regaining his footing. Li Shengnan laughed, "Master said he wanted to break your Yin-Yang palm technique, and I used the very first move, the
'Inviting Hand Stance,' and it worked perfectly. Teacher Nangong, are you alright?"
The officers were all horrified to see Nangong defeated. Little did anyone know that Li Shengnan, while outwardly using the Black Tiger Fist's opening stance, was actually employing
techniques from Qiao Beiming's secret manual. She dodged using the Heavenly Net Steps, her Black Tiger Fist containing the power of the Ten Heavenly Star Palms,
thus deflecting Nangong Yi's internal energy and defeating him.
Although Nangong Yi had some doubts, he was certain that she had indeed defeated him with the Black Tiger Fist; given his status, he couldn't possibly...
Denying it, both ashamed and indignant, he shouted, "Good! Indeed, the student surpasses the master! Lord Sikong, with this young hero, you
no longer need this useless old man!" He immediately walked out the door, and Sikong Hua wanted to stop him, but it was too late.
Sikong Hua had never tested Wan Yingchang's skills before, and thought to himself, "Since this young man uses the Black Tiger Fist, he probably isn't
impersonating Wan Yingchang's disciple. Martial arts are half about hard work and half about talent; it's common for a disciple to surpass his master. Besides,
Wan Yingchang's reputation isn't that great. With such skills, even if this young man wanted to impersonate someone else, he wouldn't need to impersonate Wan Yingchang
."
At this moment, Sikong Hua still had some doubts about Jin Shiyi. He had just used nine-tenths of his strength and still couldn't test his strength, so he dared not
test him again . After thinking for a moment, he suddenly summoned a member of the Imperial Guard.
This officer, whose surname was Huyan and given name was Xu, was one of the top masters in the Imperial Guard. His external martial arts were unparalleled; his
Vajra Palm technique possessed the power to shatter stone tablets. Sikong Hua summoned him and asked, "I heard you once visited the Li Family Village and met
Prince Liu. You two must know each other, right?" Huyan Xu glanced at Jin Shiyi, who smiled and said, "General Huyan and your master,
the Northern Demon Tu Gang, came together. At that time, I had only recently joined the sect and was not yet qualified to be a guest; I was only fit to..." "Serve me below the steps. I do
know General Huyan, but I'm afraid General Huyan doesn't recognize me."
Jin Shiyi had traveled extensively in his youth, becoming acquainted with famous masters and familiar with martial arts factions. He also remembered the most martial arts anecdotes. Therefore,
upon hearing the name Huyan Dan, he knew his lineage. Tu Gang and Liu Sanchun were of similar age and had a good relationship. When Jin Shiyi
heard Sikong Hua use the word "pay respects," he guessed that Huyan Xu must have come with his master and certainly hadn't tested Liu Sanchun
's skills.
This guess was indeed correct.
Hu Yanxu, who loved flattery, said, "That's right, I remember now. Wasn't that the young disciple who poured the tea you?
Ha, ten years have passed in a flash, and you've grown so tall." Jin Shiyi chuckled inwardly and said, "You have a good memory.
After , my master praised your kung fu highly."
Hu Yanxu said, "Really? I practiced a technique called Iron Palm Shattering Stone under his guidance, but unfortunately, our styles are different, and I didn't receive
any instruction from the old man."
Jin Shiyi said, "My master said that the Tu family's Vajra Palm is the most powerful palm force in the world. Among those who practice external kung fu, these
two masters and disciples are the best. Even the best from both families have to give them some respect..." Hu Yanxu, beaming,
interjected :
"You flatter me, you flatter me!" Unexpectedly, Jin Shiyi continued, "My master also said that perhaps only our Cotton Palm technique can
counter his Vajra Palm power." Huyan Xu's expression changed drastically, and he said, "Your master's Cotton Palm skill must have been passed down to you."
Jin Shiyi said, "I dare not say, it's a pity our styles are different, otherwise I would like to ask General Huyan for guidance. My master often says
that softness can overcome hardness. When everyone reaches the pinnacle, external martial arts will always be slightly inferior. I have yet to encounter a
first-rate external martial arts master, and I don't know if this is true or not?"
It turns out there's a rule in the martial arts world: friendly sparring is limited to those of the same style—internal versus internal, external versus external—
so that they can learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses and benefit from each other's skills. If the styles are different, it's a "competition," not a "sparring session
." Huyan Xu only showed off his acting skills in front of Liu Sanchun back then, and Jin Shiyi's current statement is for this very reason.
Huyan Xu said angrily, "Since Brother Gan has come to serve us, we are colleagues. Among colleagues, there is no need to be bound by
the rules of the martial arts world. Why not test each other?"
Sikong Hua wanted the two of them to spar so that he could observe Jin Shiyi's skill level. Jin Shiyi was still deliberately
declining Sikong Hua said, "General Huyan is right. In the future, you will all be going out to deal with enemies
. It is beneficial for us, who are from different backgrounds, to practice together first when facing external enemies."
Sikong Hua added, "Colleagues sparring is different from martial arts competitions in the martial arts world. We should not take the winner or loser too seriously." He had
already
spoken up because of Nangong Yi's angry departure earlier. Although he knew that Huyan Xu was straightforward and was his subordinate, and that he would not be as bad as Nangong Yi if he lost, he still made sure to explain things clearly first.
Jin Shiyi said, "That's right, our styles are different, so there's no need to observe each other's moves." Huyan Dan said, "A literary contest is
fine too. How would you like to compete?" Jin Shiyi said, "You are more knowledgeable than me, and I'm a newcomer. How dare I overstep my bounds?
You should draw the line, and I'll gladly oblige."
Huyan Xu, flattered, was greatly appeased and quickly said, "Alright, alright, how about we play a game of 'borrow three, return five'? I
'll let you throw three punches first, and then you let me throw five back." He was confident in his unparalleled external martial arts skills, believing that Jin Shiyi couldn't hurt him.
When it was his turn to strike, he would throw five punches in a row, and Jin Shiyi would surely beg for mercy. So, on the surface, he was letting Jin Shiyi win, but in reality, he wanted to take advantage.
Jin Shiyi laughed, "That's a good method, but I want to reverse it, and instead of 'borrow three, return five,' it's 'borrow
five, return three,' meaning you throw five punches at me first, and then I'll return three punches to you. I'm willing to do a losing business."
Hu Yanxu thought to himself, "Hmph, how dare you underestimate my Vajra Palm power? You've brought this upon yourself, so don't blame me." He
then said,
"Brother Gan, your skill is superb. Since you're willing to make this a losing proposition, it would be unfair to you if I refused."
Jin Shiyi said,
"Absolutely right, what you said is exactly what I wanted to say." As he spoke, he used his left foot as a pivot to draw a
circle , stood in the middle, and said, "Please make your move!" Hu Yanxu asked, "What does this mean?" Jin Shiyi said, "Your Vajra
Palm power is known for its fierceness. If you can knock me out of this circle, you'll win!" This circle was only slightly larger than a bowl, just big enough for
one person to stand in.
Hu Yanxu's anger flared up, and he said, "Fine, I've brought the Vajra Palm, so you'll neutralize it with your soft palm!" The so-called "borrow three, return five"
actually refers to the number of attacks and counterattacks, using fists or palms, anything is allowed. The strictest rule is that parrying is not permitted. Now, Hu
Yanxu allowed him to use the "soft palm" technique to neutralize the attack, which at least showed some conscience and didn't want to take too much advantage.
Hu Yanxu unleashed a powerful palm strike, like a tidal wave crashing down. A loud "Eek!" was heard, as if someone
had been cut in half at the waist. Everyone was startled. When they looked closely, it wasn't a person, but a piece of wood. It turned out that Jin Shiyi had
lightly , and Hu Yanxu couldn't stop his momentum. His palms struck a wooden stake planted in the martial arts training ground, breaking the extremely sturdy cypress stake
in two.
Hu Yanxu was furious. He steadied himself, turned around, and wielded the "Wind and Thunder" palm, striking Jin Shiyi's back again. Jin Shiyi bent over,
and Hu Yanxu was once again thrown into the air by Jin Shiyi's technique of using the opponent's force against them. This time, his palms struck a stone drum, actually...
The stone drum was made into four pieces!
Sikong Hua shook his head, about to tell Huyan Xu to stop. Huyan Xu shattered the stone drum with a single palm strike, his wrist also throbbing
with . Shocked and enraged, he roared and charged at Jin Shiyi like a bull, pushing out with both palms, unleashing all his life's strength in one blow.
With a loud "thud," Huyan Xu's palms struck Jin Shiyi squarely in the back. Jin Shiyi's outer garment shattered into pieces,
his upper body swayed slightly, but his feet remained firmly planted in the circle, not moving an inch.
Huyan Xu's hands hung limply, as if he were a wooden chicken. It turned out that Jin Shiyi had absorbed his palm power with his superior internal energy,
and now could not move an inch.
Jin Shiyi said, "You still have two more punches, do you want to fight again?" Huyan Xu said, "I admit defeat, just kill me! I don't want to live
anyway ." He knew his martial arts were ruined, and he was a tough guy. Since his martial arts were ruined, he was willing to die, and would not seek death.
Jin Shiyi smiled, took his hand, and said, "General Huyan, you are too modest. At most, we fought to a draw. How can you say you lost
?" Huyan Xu felt a surge of heat from Jin Shiyi's palm, and his spirit and strength instantly returned. Only then did he realize that his martial arts were still intact.
Huyan Xu said, "Even if we follow your agreement of borrowing five and returning three, I should still take three punches from you. A true man's word is his bond. Even if I die at your hands, I will die without
regret ."
Jin Shiyi thought to himself, "This man is someone I can make friends with." He then laughed and said, "That's right. According to the agreement, it's borrowing five and returning three.
You only threw three punches. There are still two left. If you don't want to fight anymore, why should I fight? To be honest, your Vajra Palm strength is indeed
rare in the martial arts world. If I were to fight two more punches, I might not be able to handle it! Since we are colleagues, there's no need to worry about who wins or loses."
This battle not only convinced Huyan Xu, but also astonished the Imperial Guard officers present, including Sikong Hua. Sikong Hua
thought to himself, "I originally wanted Liu Sanchun and Wan Ying to be my spies. Now that they're not here, these two apprentices
can greatly assist me, which is unexpected. I shouldn't be too demanding."
After these two competitions, the officers were impressed with Jin Shiyi and Li Shengnan, and Sikong Hua valued them even more, immediately
appointing instructors of the Imperial Guard.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. At dusk, Jin Shiyi and Li Shengnan suddenly received a notice from Sikong Hua to attend a banquet with them.
In addition to Sikong Hua, Jin Shiyi, and Li Shengnan, there were eighteen officers present, including Hu Tingxu, Bai Liangji, and the man surnamed
Han. Bai and Han looked sallow and dejected. This was the first time Jin Shiyi had seen them since arriving in the capital. From
the conversations of others, he learned that they had been back for three days, presumably because they had drunk a cup of poisoned tea from Li Shengnan that night, which had severely damaged their health, and they were only now
beginning to recover. Although they had been repeatedly tricked by Jin Shiyi, they had never actually seen his face and therefore did not
recognize him.
Bai and Han, having suffered this setback, were both ashamed and angry. On the way, they said bitterly, "We had already captured two disciples of
the Tianshan Sect , but Ximen Muye didn't come to help. We were only two days away from the capital, but their
sect leader, Tang Xiaolan, personally rescued us." Sikong Hua comforted them, saying, "If it were Tang Xiaolan, even if it were me, I would have
had to watch him take them away. You managed to escape from his sword; that's already quite remarkable. You've done
your best this time. We shouldn't judge heroes by success or failure; I'll still record your merits in the book."
Jin Shiyi secretly chuckled, thinking, "Bai Yeji is blaming Tang Xiaolan for my actions, and someone actually believes him, letting him get
some credit." In truth, Sikong Hua didn't believe it at all, but being worldly-wise, he didn't expose the truth to maintain his loyalty.
The man surnamed Han said, "It's nothing for us to suffer a little loss, what's infuriating is that all the credit has been taken by Ximen Muye and his gang.
Tonight, we're even going to celebrate their victory. Isn't that deliberately humiliating us?" Sikong Hua said, "It's precisely because the Emperor
ordered Chief Eunuch Kou to hold a victory banquet for them that you two absolutely must go. With you two present, he won't be able to
exaggerate ."
From their conversation, Jin Shiyi learned that tonight's banquet was a victory celebration hosted by Chief Eunuch Kou Fanggao for Ximen Muye.
The court 's warriors had always belonged to two groups: one was the palace guards led by Chief Eunuch Kou Fanggao, and the other was
the Imperial Guard officers under the command of Commander Sikong Hua. Now, with the addition of Ximen Muye's group, there were three groups vying for credit and favor.
Chief Eunuch Kou Fanggao was not willing to hold a victory banquet for Ximen Muye, but was forced by imperial command.
From their conversation, Jin Shiyi learned that Ximen Muye and his group had only returned to the capital yesterday. Jin Shiyi
couldn't help but feel suspicious, thinking, "If they returned to the capital immediately after the Mangshan Conference, they should have arrived before us.
Where did they go for those ten days?"
The banquet was held in the Daheng Hall within the Tuancheng Palace. Tuancheng was adjacent to the Imperial Palace and was part of the outer city of the Forbidden City. During the Jin Dynasty,
when the Beihai Imperial Garden was built outside the palace, the mud excavated from the sea was piled up to form a small hill called Tuancheng. It was later developed into a detached palace during the Qing Dynasty. Because of
its higher elevation, it could protect the palace, so Emperor Qianlong used it as the residence of the imperial guards, separating it from the inner court while
still allowing easy access.
Chief Eunuch Kou's "official residence" was also within Tuancheng.
Jin Li and the others followed Sikong Hua into the banquet hall, where they found it already teeming with warriors, bustling with activity. Hundreds of
palace lanterns illuminated the hall as if it were daytime.
Ximen Muye and Kou Fanggao stepped forward to greet him. Upon seeing Li Shengnan, Ximen Muye was momentarily stunned, thinking, "This person
looks !" But Li Shengnan had disguised herself, and her appearance was also different; Ximen Muye could never have imagined that she was the daughter of his enemy.
After exchanging pleasantries, seating arrangements were made. Sikong Hua naturally sat at the head of the table with Kou Fanggao, Ximen Muye, and the others, while Jin and Li
sat at the adjacent seats. This was a special arrangement made by Sikong Hua at Kou Fanggao's request, showing them special favor.
After they were seated, Sikong Hua raised his wine cup and congratulated Ximen Muye, saying, "Mr. Ximen, your achievements are truly
earth-shattering . I presume you have captured all the leaders of the major sects?" Sikong Hua already
knew the details of the Battle of Mangshan from Bai Liangji. Not to mention the sect leaders, not even any martial arts figures of considerable importance had been captured. He was asking this question deliberately because Ximen Muye had
boasted to the emperor that he would wipe out all the martial arts figures in one fell swoop.
Ximen Muye blushed and said, "I brought fewer men this time; those old geezers escaped. But we still
killed several dozen and captured over ten important people."
Kou Fanggao laughed, "Although this mission wasn't entirely successful, it has already made those so-called martial arts heroes and江湖豪杰 (jianghu haoji, chivalrous figures) tremble with fear
.
The Emperor instructed that I handle this on behalf of the Emperor, and that I, Mr. Ximen, should truly capture all the martial arts figures in one fell swoop."
" Then the Emperor will personally host an even grander banquet to celebrate Mr. Ximen's achievements, and appoint him as the Imperial Preceptor. At that time, we will all be in the limelight
," Kou Fanggao said, his words seemingly praising but actually mocking. Ximen Muye thought to himself, "When I achieve my great success, it will be the day your
position as Grand Eunuch and his position as Commander of the Imperial Guards are swapped. Hmph, hmph, at that time, I'm afraid there won't be any seats left at the victory banquet."
Sikong Hua said, "Mr. Ximen, could you tell us what kind of scoundrels you captured?" Ximen Muye said, "I
was just about to hand these prisoners over to Grand Eunuch Kou so he could report to the Emperor and see how to deal with them. Bring the prisoners here!" "
Presenting captives" was originally a ceremony where a general, upon returning from battle, would present the captured leaders to the emperor. Now, Ximen Muye
had only captured a dozen or so martial arts figures, and the emperor wasn't present, so this formality wasn't necessary. However, to
show off his power in front of Kou Ligao and Sikong Hua, he truly acted like a victorious general returning to court. Indeed: "
The day of pride and boasting of achievements is the day of disaster."
To find out what happens next, please turn to the next chapter.

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