Chapter 128: Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger, The General and the Soldier
The night was deep and silent, with a hazy, floating light.
Zhou Yan leaped down from the rafter and disappeared into the night of the imperial palace.
Hong Qigong slept the entire day, while he analyzed the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.”
The Subduing Dragon Palm technique’s moves were ordinary; the key lay in channeling force. The “Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act” move channeled energy through the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. “Double Dragons Taking Water” split the attack into two, similar to Zhou Botong’s self-created Twin-Handed Combat. Energy flowed from the dantian to the shoulder and back acupoints, and through the Yinqiao and Yinwei meridians. Comparing the two moves, the former’s power relied on the main meridians’ capacity to carry internal energy, while the latter involved the extraordinary meridians.
Although Zhou Yan was intimately familiar with the body’s extraordinary meridians, twelve standard meridians, and secondary meridians, and had mastered moves like “Kanglong Regret” from the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms,” suddenly having to fully grasp the remaining fourteen moves required all his concentration to analyze and comprehend, lest he miss the technique’s many energy-channeling methods.
While on the rafter, he occasionally drifted into thought, wondering what the power of the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” would be if driven by Nine Yang Internal Force.
Jiaming Hall fell silent again, and the young eunuchs dozed off as usual.
Only then did Zhou Yan leave the Imperial Kitchen and search within the palace.
Hong Qigong also opened his eyes after Zhou Yan disappeared. He was not the type to question Zhou Yan, and muttered, “With this boy’s martial arts, isn’t the palace still a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den? I must take a look, lest something happens to him, and that girl at the Mountain God Temple outside Datong Prefecture can’t wait for him.”
With this thought, Hong Qigong floated to the ground. The Imperial Kitchen was stocked with wine and meat. He filled his gourd with wine, packed some food in oil paper, and with a flicker of his body, melted into the night outside.
Zhou Yan moved like a winding snake. As he advanced, the sound of water grew louder. He bypassed a flower path and saw towering pines and bamboo, their greenness obscuring the sky, with layered peaks and strange formations, deep and secluded. A silver waterfall, like streaks of light, poured down from the mountainside into a pond.
Looking at the mountain and waterfall, Zhou Yan recalled scattered memories of the Legend of the Condor Heroes world. He thought there must be a stone cave behind the waterfall, the very place Wanyan Kang and Ouyang Ke were searching for. He wondered if he should go in and catch them off guard.
As the thought crossed his mind, Zhou Yan smiled and cast it aside. While he could enter the stone cave to catch them off guard, they could also trap him like a turtle in a jar.
It was in this cave that Guo Jing was severely injured by Ouyang Feng’s palm force.
He smiled and left.
…
The dim moonlight seemed to flicker, and Hong Qigong appeared by the pond.
He had already seen Zhou Yan’s every move clearly.
The Nine-Fingered Beggar paused for a moment, then suddenly sprang up, soaring through the sky like a dragon. His body passed through the waterfall and landed behind it. His feet touched the ground, and an iron door blocked his way. He pushed the door, and the stone cave was revealed before him.
Hong Qigong shone his fire starter to examine the cave. Dust was piled on the ground, indicating no one had been there for a long time. In the center stood a solitary stone table, and on it was a stone box, two feet square, sealed with a strip of paper. There was nothing else.
Hong Qigong chuckled, “Wonderful. In the future, if I crave food, I can bring delicacies from the Imperial Kitchen here and eat and sleep for a year or half a year without issue.”
With this thought, he used his internal force to activate his sleeves, and with a few swooshes, he cleared the dust from the stone table and box.
In the dim space, Hong Qigong lay on his side facing the water curtain, his head resting on the stone box and his body on the stone table, drinking wine heartily and living a life of leisure.
…
The clear wind and bright moon favored the night, a field of jade. Who envies riding a crane? The person in the boat is already an immortal.
Wanyan Kang felt this way.
As night fell, the lights along the West Lake stretched endlessly, with singing and dancing in the brocade towers and embroidered courtyards.
Several boat houses were moored together, like a palace on the water.
Singers played zithers, flutes, and lutes, their melodies melodious.
Dancers moved with graceful postures and elegant steps.
Wanyan Kang lived a life of luxury in Zhongdu, but even he was moved by the scene before him, feeling that as a noble Prince of the Great Jin, his enjoyment paled in comparison to that of minor officials in Lin’an Prefecture.
At this time, the Mongol army was strong and well-equipped, their military might unstoppable, advancing like a broken bamboo. However, despite repeated defeats, the Jin Dynasty was vast and rich, with deep reserves. Relying on strategic passes and high cities for defense, the Mongol army could not overcome them for the time being.
Therefore, in the eyes of the court in Lin’an Prefecture, the Jin Dynasty was still a powerful and invincible force in the world. They naturally flattered and hospitably entertained Wanyan Kang.
Seeing the scene before him, Wanyan Kang tapped his left palm with his right folding fan, and couldn’t help but recall the inscription on the fan:
“When the great power is in hand, a gentle breeze fills the world.”
“Power is truly intoxicating,” Wanyan Kang mused.
“Little Prince, how do you find these singers and dancers to accompany your wine?”
Suddenly, an attentive voice of an official from Lin’an Prefecture, accompanying him, sounded beside him.
“Very good.”
“The Little Prince is a man of true feeling.”
Wanyan Kang laughed heartily, “Let’s drink.”
A little further away, the musicians busily said, “Continue the song and dance.”
Wanyan Kang sat down, looking at the Imperial City Guard swift runners on the fast boats patrolling the lake, and thought that Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke’s infiltration of the palace to steal the Wumu’s Military Writings would surely be a success.
…
“Mei Ruohua, Wanyan Kang is on that large boat over there. But I’m telling you, there are quite a few guards.”
A painted boat sailed on the lake. Huang Rong, still disguised as a man, said to Mei Chaofeng. A medicine boy also sat beside her.
“How many are there?”
Medicine Boy: “Too many to count.”
“Then we’ll count them slowly.”
“Understood.”
The medicine boy was now Mei Chaofeng’s eyes, and he followed her wherever she went. However, since Huang Yaoshi had temporarily forgiven Mei Chaofeng, she was in good spirits. Not only did she not scold the medicine boy, but she also patiently instructed him in martial arts, and the medicine boy gained a great deal.
He now knew that Mei Chaofeng was a disciple of the famous Huang Yaoshi and was devoted to the Iron Corpse, hoping to one day be accepted as a disciple of Peach Blossom Island.
Mei Chaofeng instructed, and the medicine boy began counting the Imperial City Guard swift runners on the fast boats surrounding the boat houses on his fingers.
Huang Rong brought Mei Chaofeng to Lin’an. Being fond of fun, she wanted to visit West Lake.
Wanyan Kang held nightly revelries, and the court of Lin’an Prefecture entertained him with extreme luxury. Scholars presented poems and lyrics. West Lake was as lively as a poetry gathering. Not only Huang Rong but also the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen saw Wanyan Kang.
Mei Chaofeng’s target was Wanyan Kang, while Huang Rong’s was the Three-Headed Flood Dragon. However, after half a day, as dusk fell, Hou Tonghai had not appeared, and she pondered what he was plotting.
“Mei Ruohua, I want to go ashore for a walk.”
“Where is Junior Sister going?” Mei Chaofeng quickly asked.
“I can’t stand this vulgar scene.” Huang Rong picked up a bamboo pole to propel the boat. The painted boat docked, and she leaped ashore. “I’m going to find some rare curios and calligraphy for Father.”
Hearing Huang Rong say this, Mei Chaofeng asked no further questions.
Lin’an City was a vast place. Huang Rong wandered around and arrived at a shop. She saw many masks hanging at the entrance, including those of Zhong Kui, the Judge of Hell, the Kitchen God, the Earth God, divine soldiers, and ghost messengers. She recalled the Lantern Festival in Zhongdu and smiled as she picked up the Earth God mask.
Just as she was about to pay the shopkeeper, a sound like broken cymbals suddenly rang out from the street.
Ouyang Feng? Huang Rong’s heart tightened, but she didn’t look back. The piercing metallic clanging gradually faded, and Huang Rong vaguely heard words like “Imperial Palace” and “Cuihan Hall.”
Huang Rong suddenly realized that the Three-Headed Ghost, the Bald Ghost, Ouyang Feng, and others were heading to the Imperial Palace. Wanyan Kang’s feasting and revelry on West Lake were a diversion.
Huang Rong let out a light chuckle. If she couldn’t defeat them, she could cause trouble.
She paid the money and took a detour, hurrying towards the Imperial Palace.
…
Zhou Yan found a set of Guard uniforms in the palace and, using the cover of night, headed towards the Imperial Kitchen.
He changed his attire with a plan in mind.
Hiding in the Water Curtain Cave could allow him to catch them off guard, but it also made him vulnerable to being trapped. After much thought, he decided it would be better to disguise himself. When Sha Tongtian, Ouyang Ke, and others arrived, he could give a warning, attract the palace guards to surround and kill them, and even take the opportunity to strike, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.
The wind rustled through the trees, and the leaves in the lush forest rustled. Zhou Yan, familiar with the path, headed towards Jiaming Hall.
Suddenly, the leaves parted, and a white figure wearing a mask leaped out. His thumb and index finger formed a circle, with the remaining three fingers slightly spread, like an orchid. The posture was exquisite as he struck towards several major acupoints behind Zhou Yan.
Hearing the wind behind him, Zhou Yan parried with a horizontal slash, using the “Shenlong Tail Whip” from the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.”
He was confused for a moment, wondering if he had been exposed. It was impossible.
The figure wearing the Earth God mask was also greatly surprised. He had only intended to capture a guard to ask for the location of “Cuihan Hall,” yet this ordinary guard in the palace possessed such formidable skill.
The figure dared not meet the blow. He leaned back sharply, his body parallel to the ground without touching it, and flew back ten feet with a whoosh.
Zhou Yan turned, intending to silence him. His body advanced agilely, his left hand circling and hooking downwards, while his right hand suddenly shot out, using the “Crushing Hardness Divine Claw” to strike at the opponent’s face.
Suddenly, a hurried voice rang out: “Huang Rong!”
With a swish, his five claws retracted. Zhou Yan solidified his stance. The figure in front of him removed his mask, revealing Huang Rong, disguised as a man.
Zhou Yan was confused: “You’ve recovered, how did you get here?”
Huang Rong’s voice was rapid and urgent: “Father helped me heal, I recovered long ago. Mei Ruohua and I came to Lin’an, and outside we encountered Ouyang Feng and others. We heard they were going to the Imperial Palace’s Cuihan Hall, so we detoured and sneaked in, wanting to ask a guard for the location of Cuihan Hall. Why are you dressed as a guard? Didn’t you return to Zhongdu?”
“It’s a long story,” Zhou Yan said, hearing Huang Rong’s words and knowing that Ouyang Feng and the others were about to enter the palace. “I’m going to deal with Sha Tongtian and Ouyang Ke.”
Huang Rong’s eyes darted, and she guessed Zhou Yan’s intention.
“Let’s go together. Where did you find the guard uniform?”
Zhou Yan knew full well the intentions of the cunning Huang Rong.
“Wait for me.”
“Okay.”
Zhou Yan’s figure flickered and disappeared into the bushes and trees.
In less than a hundred breaths, Zhou Yan stole a saber and a set of clean Guard leader’s attire.
Huang Rong, with innocent intentions, did not shy away and wore the guard uniform over her white robe.
The size perfectly covered her white clothing.
Huang Rong greatly appreciated Zhou Yan’s meticulousness.
“Tell me the plan,” Huang Rong said.
“You cause a commotion, and I’ll act in secret.”
“Okay.”
The two hit it off and hid in the woods.
…
Sparse stars and a pale moon, silence all around.
Ouyang Feng, Ouyang Ke, Sha Tongtian, Liang Zi Weng, and several experts from the Yellow River Gang leaped into the palace with swiftness.
A moment later, a young voice sounded in the night: “Senior Master, Second Master, they’ve gone in.”
“Follow them. Breaking into the palace in the middle of the night, they must be up to something detrimental to our Great Song Dynasty.”
