Chapter 72: Battle Of Twin Dragon Gorge Part 1
‘Twin Dragon Gorge above, two powerhouses vie for supremacy!’
Since the Moon Embracing Garden incident spread, the Guo Family, Hua Family, Grain Transport Gang and other major forces jointly issued a sky-high bounty of one hundred thousand taels, Hong Yuan’s name has resounded like thunder throughout the entire Linjiang Prefecture.
The vast majority believed that Hong Yuan’s head would soon be taken by someone.
A small portion thought he would flee in panic and escape far away to another land.
No one expected that Hong Yuan not only didn’t flee, but charged against the many pursuing martial artists, advancing against the tide and cutting down one powerful enemy after another.
Consecutive victories, crushing like a landslide, one famous master after another fell at his hands.
Until atop Dingsheng Tower, using Grain Transport Gang’s top youth generation member Chen Jiulang’s corpse as a declaration of war, challenging the Grain Transport Gang’s number one master, the grandmaster-level figure who has been famous for many years, ‘Surging Waves Hand’ Lei Meng.
The news spread as swiftly as a hurricane sweeping through, booming across all places.
Even beyond Linjiang Prefecture, those with quick information sources rushed over day and night, whipping their horses relentlessly.
Three days passed in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, the decisive battle day arrived.
Inside Twin Dragon Gorge, torrents surged, waves crashed against the shore, the massive roaring sound like rolling thunder tearing through the long sky.
Not yet noon, centered on the Grain Transport Gang’s massive stockade headquarters, the canyon banks on both sides were already packed with crowds.
One glance showed densely packed heads on both sides, like long dragons stretching out, who knows how many hundreds or thousands had come.
There were people from all walks of life, martial world figures from black and white paths, noble clan scions, but surprisingly the most numerous were ordinary folk who heard the news and came to watch the spectacle.
These people all wore fanatic expressions, highly excited, clearly having listened to many wandering knights’ tales in daily life, their heads heated up and they rushed over, not considering at all if they might get caught in the crossfire, only wanting to get their money’s worth.
Amid the deafening clamor and sky-high noise, suddenly someone loudly chanted: “Ten Steps, One Kill, a thousand li without leaving a trace, affairs done, brush off clothes and depart, deeply hide body and name!”
As Hong Yuan’s fame spread far and wide, many of his deeds were also dug up by various influential figures.
For example, the author of this poem was speculated by people to be Hong Yuan himself.
This poem first appeared at Yangquan County Wharf, after a black-clad swordsman killed wharf boss Yan Laosan, he sang it out loudly.
From then on it spread across the land south and north of the Yangtze, revered as a creed by many wandering knights, passed around competitively.
Yan Laosan could be said to have died worth it!
How many heroes and notables, how many talented and intelligent people, struggled their whole lives yet could hardly gain much fame, but he, a mere gang leader, got to leave his name alongside the poem, it was practically his ancestral grave bursting into flames.
And at that time in Yangquan County Town, the time and place matched up, and the one with motive and ability to kill Yan Laosan was practically obvious.
Most crucially, the vast majority of martial world people are rough fellows, yet that Hong Yuan was once a scholarly seed from Qingxu Academy.
One person loudly chanted the poem, instantly stirring up the whole crowd, in a flash dozens or hundreds of mouths on both canyon banks recited it together.
Shouts rose one after another, voices of varying volume, a chaotic cacophony, in an instant like hundreds or thousands of apes shrieking in unison.
It directly scared the real apes in the woods on both banks into squeaking chaotically, rolling and scrambling away.
In the crowd, Yue Feng protected Chen Huanshan as they stood on a boulder, gazing into the distance, ears filled with the booming chant, then he cupped his hands toward Chen Huanshan: “Mr. Chen teaches good students, not only with unfathomably profound martial arts, but also astonishing literary talent, it truly leaves Yue in admiration.”
Chen Huanshan glared at him irritably, his heart both shocked and embarrassed.
The ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’s identity had long been exposed.
He hadn’t expected to be toyed with by his former student, even scared into kneeling and begging for mercy; if not for his early years of official experience honing his ability to take a slap to the face and act like nothing happened, he would probably be ashamed to the point of wanting to sink into the ground by now.
Of course, even more so it was unbelievable.
He remembered very clearly, back in the academy, that Hong Yuan though not completely without strength like a scholar, had never practiced martial arts; what exactly had happened in this short year-plus?
Yue Feng drawled on: “That night, that Hong Yuan spoke admiring words to Mr. Chen’s wife’s younger sister, and also quite liked your two daughters; I think Mr. Chen might as well let him have her, it could also bring a great helper to the manor lord…”
Chen Huanshan flew into a humiliated rage: “Dream on, my eldest daughter is only twelve years old, hmph! Back in the academy, I already saw that surnamed Hong kid’s wolfish ambitions; even if it means fighting him to the death, even if it means jumping down from here… I, Chen Huanshan, won’t let him succeed.”
“Isn’t there still your wife’s younger sister?”
Yue Feng teased: “Mr. Chen wouldn’t truly be reluctant and plan to keep her for himself, would he?”
On the other side, several from Wuding Sword Sect had also arrived, Sect Leader Qing Lingzi sat guard within the mountain gate, leading the group was Qing Songzi.
At this moment, Qing Songzi sighed inwardly.
The disciple who went down the mountain that day to procure supplies brought back the bounty order, truly startling him and his fellow sect brothers; they had originally thought they befriended a great favor, but it turned out to be a hot potato.
The two had stared at each other at the time, laughing bitterly.
Until news of Hong Yuan advancing unstoppable, winning battle after battle kept coming.
“Mr. Hong hasn’t arrived yet?” Beside Qing Songzi, a Wuding Sword Sect disciple looked excited, face showing reverence.
Though Hong Yuan was several years younger than him, back then in the sword sect, he had easily defeated two senior masters joining hands, already making them sincerely convinced.
Now stirring up an entire prefecture, shaking many great forces, it made them even more awed.
A group from Crouching Tiger Manor occupied a large open area, overlooking the canyon situation from high ground; dozens of burly, fierce-breathing big men, nearly all carrying sharp blades, making surrounding people not dare to provoke them easily.
‘These people are said nicely to be under my command, but in reality they’re surveilling me.’
Wu Duxiong stood at a high vantage point, his gaze swept over the Crouching Tiger Manor crowd, expression unchanged, then looked toward the upstream canyon; after a moment, his sharp eyes suddenly flashed.
“He’s here!”
At the same time, many spectators on both canyon banks also spotted the movement, immediately crowding and jostling, even causing quite a few to accidentally get pushed off the cliff, instantly letting out screams as they fell.
Yet few paid attention, all staring fixedly at the upstream direction.
One could see amid surging waves, a single light boat speeding along, a tall white-clad figure standing at the bow; due to the great distance, his face was hard to make out, only his elegant poise was unforgettable at first sight.
The light boat extremely fast amid the rushing currents, like a shooting star, in no time already approaching the Grain Transport Gang headquarters fortress.
By now many had made out Hong Yuan’s true appearance, many women and girls’ eyes sparkled; as rumored, he was indeed an unparalleled handsome, otherworldly youth.
Inside the Grain Transport Gang Stockade, a commotion arose, many people surged forward.
They were long prepared, in the blink of an eye teams of men rushed out, fiercely guarding the open ground before the fortress.
Clanging sounds rang out loudly, weapons all drawn in unison.
Yet though they were numerous and imposing, every Grain Transport Gang disciple’s face was gravely serious; in this winter season, by the cold river shore, cold sweat actually seeped from their foreheads.
By now, who still dared to underestimate that ‘unparalleled and unmatched, Startled Swan Spear’?
This section of river channel where the Grain Transport Gang built their stockade narrowed, the current becoming even more ferocious.
The small boat where Hong Yuan was seemed about to crash into a massive reef, his foot suddenly stomped, the light boat abruptly sank down, directly halting in the middle of the river.
Then, Hong Yuan surged his qi and blood, a loud resounding voice spread out.
“I, Hong Yuan, have come to fight!”
“‘Surging Waves Hand’ Lei Meng, where are you? Come out for battle!”
His voice like booming thunder, in an instant rolling over Twin Dragon Gorge skies, also suppressing the many clamoring noises to an abrupt halt, everywhere falling quiet.
After about a dozen breaths, the fortress gates rumbled open, then a sturdy robust figure appeared.
He stood in the shadows of the fortress gate, yet his gaze seemed to pierce dozens of zhang, breaking through the river mist, locking eyes with Hong Yuan.
“Young man, you’ve already gained the upper hand, why press so aggressively; leave now, and it’s still not too late.” The majestic figure in the shadows sighed.
