Chapter 204: Mo Chou’s Schemes, Guo Jing’s Mission
A gentle breeze brushed the grass and trees, and green shade embraced the clear pool.
Zhou Yan, Li Mochou, and Little Dragon Girl were each sitting on flat river stones by the mountain valley pool.
A waterfall, like streaks of light, poured down with a rumbling sound, misting the air with a cool chill.
Li Mochou, clad in a fitted green robe, accentuated her slender and vibrant physique. Her elegant spine and silky hair cascaded like falling light, with a delicate face as beautiful as peach and plum hidden within.
Beside her sat Little Dragon Girl in a white dress, her complexion incredibly fair and tender, like cream that seemed about to drip, her eyes flowing, surpassing pearls.
Zhou Yan was about to take his leave, and Li Mochou and Little Dragon Girl saw him off. Lin Chaoying’s maid did not obstruct them, which led to the two of them discussing the Dao by the pool, with Little Dragon Girl purely listening in.
The sun shone brightly, and Zhou Yan’s voice echoed by the stream.
“Peng Force is instantaneous explosive power. It is divided into horizontal peng, sideways peng, and vertical peng. The peng used in swordplay is vertical peng, fist techniques mostly use direct peng, and spears heavily rely on horizontal peng, each with its own unique application. All martial arts techniques of the various sects and schools in this world have methods for guiding energy, but the principle of ‘peng force’ is the same. When exerting peng force, sink your waist and relax your shoulders, lower your shoulders and drop your elbows, guide the energy with your intent, and let it surge out through the channels and acupoints of your palms and arms. Supplement this with external force, and suddenly exert force at the wrist, using a small movement to unleash the force. It is important to note that during direct peng, the forearm must form a straight line with the fist surface to ensure accuracy of the force point and fullness of the striking power. Horizontal peng and vertical peng must be accompanied by a posture of turning the body and adjusting the shoulders to bring the force of horizontal and vertical peng to its extreme.”
As Zhou Yan spoke, he stood up and performed several fist techniques that incorporated peng force. He then demonstrated the vertical peng of swordplay with the Qingfeng Sword. The three-foot Qingfeng sword flashed, opening a clear, bright light. When the technique reached its peak, the sword tip vibrated with a hum, blooming into a cluster of sword flowers.
“There is also ‘twisting force,’ the force generated by the twisting of the limbs left and right. The basic secret to exerting twisting force is to keep the root joint relatively stable or in a fixed position, and to exert force by twisting from the tip joint.”
Zhou Yan continued to demonstrate, then began to speak of ‘penetrating force’ and ‘combining force.’ After explaining the force exertion techniques for these two types of force, he said, “Ouyang Feng’s pair of iron sleeves, which cause things to collapse upon contact, actually use not only ‘peng force’ but also ‘penetrating force’ and ‘combining force’ driven by internal force. If silk were a weapon…”
Zhou Yan chuckled, “I haven’t practiced such cultivation techniques, but I feel it’s similar to whip techniques, and should primarily use ‘penetrating force,’ ‘twisting force,’ and ‘coiling force.'”
In reality, Li Mochou also knew how to exert force, but compared to Zhou Yan, she was far behind. The reasons for this were naturally related to Lin Chaoying’s maid’s martial arts talent and realm, as well as Li Mochou’s own perspective.
Zhou Yan was different; his comprehension was outstanding. In Zhongdu, he had exchanged insights on the exertion of the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms with Hong Qigong. The essence of the Subduing Dragon Palms lay entirely in the manipulation and exertion of force. The eighteen moves were connected end-to-end, from high to low, then from low to high, cycling repeatedly.
What Zhou Yan was explaining now was equivalent to his and Hong Qigong’s cultivation insights on force. How could Lin Chaoying’s maid compare?
Little Dragon Girl understood a little, but Li Mochou was deeply moved. She understood the peng force in swordplay, but compared to Zhou Yan, the difference lay in the subtle control of internal energy and external force. When she and Zhou Yan performed the same move, the result was a difference of “a hair’s breadth, a thousand li.”
After listening to Zhou Yan’s explanation, she comprehended the force exertion techniques of ‘penetrating force’ and ‘twisting force,’ and suddenly, the many difficult problems she had encountered while practicing the ‘silk ribbon golden ball’ were clarified.
“Hearing the escort’s words, my mind is enlightened,” Li Mochou said with sincere admiration.
“Big Brother is amazing.”
Zhou Yan smiled at Little Dragon Girl and said, “When you reach my age, you will surely surpass me.”
“Mm, definitely.”
With innocent words, Zhou Yan and Li Mochou both laughed.
Zhou Yan then said, “I have a set of whip techniques. I’ll tell you about them. You might as well start with the whip first, and then practice the silk techniques.”
Li Mochou was not surprised; escorts like Zhou Yan were proficient in all eighteen martial arts.
“Thank you, escort.”
“You’re welcome.”
Zhou Yan had memorized the White Python Whip Technique from the Ancient Tomb’s secret chamber. He had watched Mei Chaofeng use this martial art many times, and had also witnessed Yin Kexi wielding a whip. After practicing for one night, although he was still lacking in actual combat, it was more than enough to teach Li Mochou. He explained the techniques and the method of guiding energy to her, allowing her to cultivate and comprehend them slowly before practicing the ‘silk ribbon golden ball,’ which would naturally yield twice the result with half the effort.
The sunlight was warm. Zhou Yan spent nearly an hour explaining this Nine Yin Manual technique to Li Mochou and Little Dragon Girl.
He knew that Little Dragon Girl would later practice the ‘silk ribbon golden ball’ and achieve great skill, integrating music into this Ancient Tomb martial art. Now, with the White Python Whip Technique as an aid to cultivation, coupled with the explanation of various force exertion techniques, he predicted that Little Dragon Girl’s potential in this martial art would far exceed that of the Divine Condor Jianghu.
The sunset hung over the distant mountains, and escorts traveled the world.
The three of them stood up, and Zhou Yan whistled. The Night-Shining Jade Lion galloped from the forest.
“Miss Mochou, Little Dragon Girl, we shall meet again.”
“Big Brother, if my sister, master, and I are in danger, you must come again.”
“Alright!”
Zhou Yan waved his hand, mounted his horse, and the sound of hooves gradually faded as he and his horse disappeared into the sunset.
Li Mochou suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart.
The next time they met would be half a year later, nearly two hundred days.
“Sister, he’s gone.”
Little Dragon Girl said, taking Li Mochou’s hand.
“Mm!”
The two of them went up the mountain and entered the Ancient Tomb. Li Mochou went to Lin Chaoying’s maid.
“Master.”
“The escort has left.”
“Mm.”
“What about what I told you earlier?”
Li Mochou took a shallow breath and knelt on the ground with a thud. “Master, the escort is not the kind of heartless and glib person you described.”
“I know,” Lin Chaoying’s maid said, her expression softening slightly. “I had a prejudice against him before. But to inherit the mantle of the Ancient Tomb, one must not leave the Ancient Tomb and become entangled in worldly affairs.”
“Disciple only wishes to serve Master and take care of junior sister?”
“Nonsense.”
Li Mochou’s body trembled. “Master, please calm your anger. Disciple knows her mistake.”
Lin Chaoying’s maid looked at Li Mochou’s frightened expression, recalling her joining forces with Zhou Yan to fight Ouyang Feng, and the scene of her meticulous care after being injured by Ouyang Ke and others much earlier. She sighed, “Alas! Originally, there was nothing, yet it caused a lot of dust. Think carefully.”
“Disciple understands.”
“You may go.”
Li Mochou withdrew from the stone room. As she turned to leave, she patted her chest, feeling much better than last time, not confined.
She suddenly smiled. If the escort came a few more times, perhaps her master could let go of all her prejudices.
Li Mochou was in a good mood. She went to a stone room, took off her embroidered shoes, got onto the Cold Jade Bed, sat cross-legged, and cultivated her internal energy.
The Cold Jade Bed had a similar effect to the Jade Guanyin that Zhou Yan wore, assisting in the cultivation of internal energy, preventing inner fire, and dispelling the fear of qi deviation. The speed of internal energy advancement far surpassed that of ordinary martial artists who cultivated step by step.
However, Li Mochou had not yet truly cultivated the Jade Maiden Manual’s internal energy, making it difficult to see its effects. But now, it was different; she was practicing the ‘Yijin Forging Bone Chapter,’ and one day of practice was equivalent to ten days.
Li Mochou’s greatest wish was to join forces with Zhou Yan and defeat Ouyang Feng with their combined swords. If this happened, her master’s impression of Zhou Yan would change even more.
Perhaps she would no longer obstruct their relationship.
Truly, the heart of a Jianghu maiden is full of worries.
…
Zhou Yan walked from Zhongnan Mountain and entered Zhongdu. He felt that compared to before, there were more people from the Jianghu. He traveled for escorts in all directions and could discern accents from various regions.
There were Jianghu guests from Guanzhong, Shu Region, Western Hunan, Luzhou, and Lin’an, from all corners of the world. He secretly marveled that the news had even reached the Shu Region. It seemed the Heroes’ Banquet held considerable attraction for Jianghu figures, and it might also be related to the Huashan Sword Discussion and the Jin Dynasty losing the Central Plains. Since it was a grand event, he had to plan accordingly.
Zhou Yan’s thoughts returned, and he moved swiftly. Upon arriving at the escort agency, the guards at the entrance, runners, joyfully exclaimed, “The escort is back.”
Zhou Yan asked, “Have Escort Liang and Escort Mu arrived at the agency?”
“Neither has returned.”
Zhou Yan nodded. Duan Huai’an was in Wuwei for ancestral rites and to recuperate, so his absence from Zhongdu was normal. If Liang Xiaowu had a smooth journey, based on his pace, he should be on his way back.
“Young Hero Guo is also here,” the runner said. “He came to visit Escort Yang and Escort Mu.”
“Understood!” Zhou Yan handed the reins to the runner, passed through the gatehouse, and walked along the corridor towards the meeting hall.
“Brother Zhou, the next Heroes’ Banquet is approaching, and the city is quite lively. Let’s go together to see what tricks Huo Du is up to,” Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan, escorts, greeted him as he passed the martial field.
“Alright.”
“How did the matter go?” The two escorts knew Zhou Yan had gone to Zhongnan Mountain.
“It’s settled.”
“That’s good. We’ll meet at Songhe Tower tonight.”
“Alright, I’ll go see the Chief Escort first.”
“Mm.”
Zhou Yan exchanged a few pleasantries and walked through the corridors and buildings to the meeting hall. The autumn wind was desolate, and the windows were half-open. From afar, he saw Guo Jing, Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, and Yang Tiexin.
He also saw that Guo Jing rushed out to greet him.
“Brother Guo, long time no see.” Zhou Yan cupped his fists. Perhaps it was because Guo Jing was now leading troops in battle, but compared to their first meeting in Zhongdu, Zhou Yan felt that the other party’s demeanor was much more steady, and his physique had become even more robust.
“It’s been a long time, I’ve missed you, Brother Zhou,” Guo Jing replied with a bow.
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
The two entered the hall, and Huyan Lei had already poured a cup of hot tea.
Zhang Wangyue asked, “Has Brother Zhou’s business in Zhongnan Mountain been handled properly?”
“It’s settled.”
“Very good,” Zhang Wangyue said. “Brother Guo was regretting not being able to see you, but you’ve arrived at just the right time.”
Zhou Yan asked Guo Jing, “It is indeed a coincidence. Brother Guo has some free time?”
“Temporarily, yes. Wanyan Honglie, that scoundrel, has his methods. After ascending the throne, he shuffled his generals and boosted morale. The Jin soldiers are holding firm at various city gates. Every city we capture results in considerable casualties. The Great Han has ordered us to gather in the desert for discussions.”
“I see!” Zhou Yan nodded slightly. He recalled the storyline of the Condor Heroes world. As expected, Genghis Khan was about to summon Tolay and others back to discuss an alliance with the Song against the Jin. He just didn’t know if, due to the changes in Guo Jing’s storyline, he would go to Lin’an with Tolay, Zhebie, and others.
Zhou Yan sighed; Guo Jing’s life had undergone earth-shattering changes.
