Chapter 296: Mind Control Cannot Compare to a Punch
“It’s the 《Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms》”
As Zhou Yan steadied himself, quite a few Beggars’ Sect disciples exclaimed.
Lu Youjiao couldn’t hide his surprise, but as an Elder of the Beggars’ Sect, his ability to assess the situation was not lacking. He didn’t call out Zhou Yan’s name and, after quickly inquiring about Hong Qigong’s whereabouts, shouted, “That’s right, this is ‘Flying Dragon in the Sky’ from Gang Leader Hong’s Subduing Dragon Palm Technique!”
Elder Peng’s complexion changed drastically, his expression uncertain. He first looked around, and seeing that all directions were quiet, he rapidly pondered a countermeasure.
The Four-Bag Disciple, however, remained calm and stared at Zhou Yan, saying, “Who are you?”
“And who are you?” Zhou Yan retorted, circulating his Quanzhen Cultivation Method to dissolve the Yin cold energy within his Three Yang Meridians of the Hand.
“A joke, I am naturally a disciple of the Beggars’ Sect.”
“Whether you are a true disciple or a malicious intruder, I will know once I capture you.” As Zhou Yan spoke, the strange cold energy in his Three Yang Meridians of the Hand was dissolved. “Where did you learn the 《Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms》? Was it you who harmed our Gang Leader?” The Four-Bag Disciple reacted swiftly, refuting Zhou Yan and even fanning the flames.
“That’s right, perhaps this little thief is one of the culprits who harmed our Gang Leader.” Elder Peng’s disciple shouted loudly.
Elder Jian stepped forward, “Quickly tell us, how did you learn the 《Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms》?”
“Naturally, it was taught to me by our Gang Leader.”
“Nonsense! Looking at your attire, you are not a disciple of the Beggars’ Sect. How could our Gang Leader have taught you the 《Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms》?” Elder Liang glared, “I suspect you took advantage of the Gang Leader’s serious injuries and tricked him with sweet talk. Speak quickly, where is the Gang Leader?”
Elder Peng stepped forward and said gently, “Young Brother, are you telling the truth?”
“Naturally!”
Elder Peng said, “Look me in the eyes and say it again. Eyes do not lie.”
Zhou Yan chuckled inwardly, thinking, “They’re trying to use ‘Mind Control’ on me.”
“I’ll look if I want to,” Zhou Yan said, looking at Elder Peng.
Elder Peng sneered inwardly. His eyes, embedded in a round, fleshy face, were like two narrow slits, but a clear light shone from within. Elder Peng stared intently at Zhou Yan.
Suddenly, within Elder Peng’s line of sight, Zhou Yan made an agile advance, and a fist magnified before him.
This move exceeded everyone’s expectations, even Hong Qigong’s.
With a “bang,” Elder Peng’s face was struck by the fist, his body violently jolted, and his head snapped back. Tears and blood instantly sprayed from his face. The old beggar staggered back, and Zhou Yan, like a shadow, followed closely and acupointed him.
“Ruthless and calculating, let’s see who you really are!” The Four-Bag Disciple’s figure flickered, and he pounced towards Zhou Yan like a ghost.
“I have the same intention.” Zhou Yan took a step forward and suddenly pushed out his right palm with a “Kanglong Regret.”
Having traveled from the Valley of Unfeeling, he had consumed snake gallbladders and diligently practiced his cultivation. His internal force had improved further. This palm strike whistled out, carrying an extremely piercing whistling sound, its force rolling like a dragon in motion.
The Four-Bag Disciple’s figure flashed and dodged, striking Zhou Yan with several palms in an instant.
Zhou Yan’s surging internal force churned in his Dantian. He consecutively unleashed powerful moves such as “Shocking a Hundred Miles,” “Riding the Six Dragons,” and “Dragon Fighting in the Wild.”
The two figures intertwined. In the dim light, the Beggars’ Sect disciples could not clearly see their rapid advances and retreats within the small area. They could only hear the sounds of palm strikes, each one louder than the last.
Zhou Yan felt that each palm strike from the opponent was filled with Yin cold energy, which was difficult to withstand as it assailed his body. The Four-Bag Disciple, however, felt Zhou Yan’s palm force flowing with a warm, gentle heat, like a surging tide. His hands were like an invisible high wall, repelling the disciple’s true qi. After more than ten exchanges, he suddenly remembered someone, his expression changed drastically, and he suddenly spun back with Zhou Yan’s palm momentum, flying towards Elder Peng and reaching out to grab him.
“How dare you!” Zhou Yan roared, his voice like thunder.
With a “clang,” the Qingfeng Sword’s light suddenly flared, like lightning that flashed and vanished in the dark, rainy night. The sword pointed forward, its momentum like a bursting silver bottle. Under the aura that shattered all resistance, the man’s subsequent move to grab Elder Peng could no longer be executed.
“Good swordplay,” the man praised. He flipped twice, landing five or six zhang away. With two “bang” sounds, two Beggars’ Sect disciples were sent flying towards Zhou Yan. The man flickered again, like a wisp of smoke, and disappeared into the night.
Zhou Yan’s mind flashed with inspiration. He drew with his left and right hands, grasping the two men’s wrists. This move used the “Lead” technique from the Dog Beating Stick Method. He lifted each man with a hand, spun them a few times, and then stood steadily, placing the two Five-Bag Disciples on the ground.
The two Beggars’ Sect disciples were dizzy and their legs went weak, collapsing onto the ground.
Zhou Yan walked forward and took the Dog Beating Stick from Elder Peng.
“Who exactly are you?” Elder Jian asked sternly.
Zhou Yan ignored Elder Jian and turned to look at Lu Youjiao, “Elder Lu, long time no see.”
“Long time no see,” Lu Youjiao quickly stepped forward and said, “Young Hero, do you know the whereabouts of the Gang Leader?”
“You brat still remember me,” Hong Qigong’s scolding voice rang out from the darkness. His figure appeared on the rooftop, and with a step, he landed in the courtyard. Li Mochou followed closely behind.
“Gang Leader,” Lu Youjiao exclaimed with joy. The disciples of the Beggars’ Sect’s Dirty Clothes Faction immediately knelt on the ground.
“Gang Leader, you’ve finally arrived.”
“The Gang Leader is blessed by heaven, how could anything happen to him?” The Beggars’ Sect disciples chattered, their faces filled with joy and tears.
With a clang, Elder Jian and Elder Liang dropped their weapons and stepped forward to kneel, saying, “Greetings, Gang Leader.”
“Get up, you bunch of blind brats, you’re going to make me furious.”
“Please forgive us, Gang Leader.”
Elder Liang, Elder Jian, and Lu Youjiao dared not rise.
Zhou Yan stepped forward and said in a low voice, “Seventh Uncle, that person’s palm force was Yin and cold, touching it was like falling into an ice cellar. His cultivation is above mine.”
“I can see that.”
“Does Seventh Uncle know his origin?”
“I don’t know.”
“Shall I, your humble servant, interrogate Elder Peng?”
“First, unseal his acupoints. I will ask.”
“Alright!”
Fearing that Elder Peng would incite trouble, Zhou Yan had acupointed his mute point and several other acupoints. Without bending over, he used the “Finger Flicking Divine Skill” technique, projecting his qi two feet, controlling the force precisely. With several “pfft” sounds, he unsealed the acupoints.
Hong Qigong’s eyelids twitched.
Elder Peng, his acupoints unsealed, flipped over and knelt on the ground, “Please punish me, Gang Leader.”
Hong Qigong snorted coldly, “Who was that person?”
“Zhuang Shiyi, Dharma Protector of the White Lotus Sect.”
Before Hong Qigong could ask further, Elder Peng spoke, “At dusk, I was eating at Songhe Tower with two disciples when Yu Huacheng, the Cult Leader of the White Lotus Sect, and Dharma Protector Zhuang Shiyi found me. They said that Manichaeism and the Beggars’ Sect are currently enemies and wished to join forces to deal with Zhang Sanqiang. My disciples were eager to avenge the Gang Leader and agreed to cooperate. Please punish me, Gang Leader.”
Zhou Yan’s mind raced.
When Zhang Sanqiang was in Jingzhou, he had mentioned Zhuang Shiyi, saying he was in charge of internal affairs for the White Lotus Sect and rarely appeared in public. His cultivation was unknown, and at the time, Zhou Yan hadn’t paid much attention to the name.
However, after fighting with the opponent, that Mysterious Yin Palm force reminded Zhou Yan of two people and two cultivation techniques.
Hundred Loss Taoist’s 《Mysterious Nether Palm》, and You Tanzhi’s practiced 《Ice Silkworm Poison Palm》.
And then there was the name of the White Lotus Sect’s Dharma Protector.
Zhuang Shiyi.
You Tanzhi had used the alias Zhuang Juxian.
Could Zhuang Shiyi be a disciple or descendant of Zhuang Juxian’s lineage? In the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils World, after jumping off a cliff, could he have survived like Xiao Yuanshan?
After the White Lotus Sect’s rebellion failed, Zhuang Shiyi became Hundred Loss Taoist, or perhaps Hundred Loss Taoist was Zhuang Shiyi’s disciple. Zhuang Shiyi used a peerless Yin cold martial art that was between 《Mysterious Nether Palm》 and 《Ice Silkworm Poison Palm》.
Elder Peng confessed everything. Elder Jian pleaded, “Gang Leader, Elder Peng was also acting out of a desire to avenge you, which led him to make a foolish mistake. I beg the Gang Leader to forgive him.”
Zhou Yan’s thoughts returned, and he said to Hong Qigong, “Seventh Uncle, I need to ask Elder Peng a few things.”
“You may!”
Zhou Yan grabbed Elder Peng and leaped away.
Seeing Zhou Yan leave, Hong Qigong waved his hand, “All branch executives and disciples remain, the rest may disperse.”
“Understood, Gang Leader.”
“May the Gang Leader live long and prosper.” Seeing Hong Qigong safe and sound, ninety percent of the Beggars’ Sect disciples rose and dispersed joyfully, leaving only a few dozen Eight-Bag and Seven-Bag disciples.
“Come over here, tell me what has been happening in the various branch halls recently.”
Dozens of people gathered around Hong Qigong, chattering noisily.
Several courtyards away, Zhou Yan threw the acupointed Elder Peng onto the ground. His figure flickered, and he left the desolate courtyard. When he returned, he was carrying a water skin and yellow parchment.
Zhou Yan unsealed Elder Peng’s acupoints and said, “Tell me, how did the Beggars’ Sect know the whereabouts of the Dog Beating Stick? Who instructed the disciples to provoke Manichaeism?”
Elder Peng said angrily, “At that time, we didn’t know the Gang Leader’s whereabouts. We wanted to avenge him, and everyone was eager to do so. It wasn’t as you say.”
“Nod when you want to tell the truth.”
Zhou Yan chuckled lowly, dipped the water skin in water, and covered Elder Peng’s face with the wet yellow parchment.
