Chapter 179: Young Dragon Fights Old Dragon, Western Venom Plots Malice
The night was dark and the wind was fierce, and they met on a narrow road.
Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and others encountered the Iron Palm Sect disciples on duty.
As for Monk Lingzhi, it was purely coincidental.
Inside the stone village, people were toasting and feasting, a lively scene. He was a monk and did not eat or drink alcohol, so he left early. He was meditating in the stone house when he suddenly heard the Iron Palm Sect disciples shout, “Someone is trespassing on the mountain.”
He took his bronze cymbals out of the house and clashed them together.
With a “clang,” the sound was transmitted.
Monk Lingzhi sent out a signal, and his steps propelled his figure. His red form was like a night owl fluttering on the waves of grass, rapidly approaching.
“Go, I’ll distract the opponents.”
Not a single person among Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and Liang Xiaowu moved.
He said rapidly, “Bronze cymbals and kasaya, it’s Monk Lingzhi. Yang Kang has arrived at the Iron Palm Sect, and Ouyang Feng must be here too. Once Western Venom and Qiu Qianren pursue us, no one will be able to escape. I will lead them to Middle Peak.”
Huang Rong suddenly understood, rope.
Zhou Yan encountered Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi in the suburbs of Xiangyang. He escaped using a rope. He used the main rope and auxiliary rope, pulling the auxiliary rope, and the running knots of the two ropes were untied one after another, allowing him to retrieve the rope.
This was to prevent the rope from being cut by Gongsun Zhi while descending, causing him to fall off the cliff.
He led Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and others into the Valley of Unfeeling and then withdrew from Iron Palm Peak. It was all done with a single rope, tied with a dead knot, hence the rope remained.
Huang Rong understood Zhou Yan’s intentions and felt much more at ease. Liang Xiaowu and Mei Chaofeng also reacted.
“I’ll go with the Head Escort.”
“My lightness skill is not inferior to yours,” Huang Rong said.
“Go, there’s no time to delay. Merchants, follow the arrangements.”
Zhou Yan covered his face with a square cloth, took off his quiver, and handed the Ox Horn Giant Bow to Liang Xiaowu. “We’ll meet at Luxi.”
He said “Lu” while still by everyone’s side. As the word “xi” fell, his clothes fluttered, and he was already several zhang away.
Huang Rong watched Zhou Yan disappear into the dark night, pouted her small mouth, and said sullenly, “He’s gone!”
Mei Chaofeng was obedient to Huang Rong, and Liang Xiaowu dared not disobey Zhou Yan’s orders.
The three hurried, moving towards the depths of the pine forest.
The two Iron Palm Sect disciples who discovered Zhou Yan and the others did not attack rashly. Instead, they waited for the night patrol team and Monk Lingzhi. Suddenly, from the darkness, a fierce and overbearing heavy spear came as if splitting waves.
Three figures collided. Two sabers and one spear clashed in the night, erupting with thunderous sparks. Zhou Yan passed through the two figures who spun away and lunged at the hidden monk.
…
The first thing that appeared in Monk Lingzhi’s line of sight was the cold, shining spearhead, followed by the dark spear shaft and the gray figure wielding the spear. The spear thrust in a straight line, carrying an unstoppable momentum like an avalanche splitting the earth.
Monk Lingzhi’s hair stood on end. He shouted, and his right bronze cymbal shielded him like a shield.
With a loud “clang,” sparks flew from the spear tip. The spearhead pierced the bronze cymbal, and an inch of cold light, with a chilling glint in Monk Lingzhi’s eyes, was stuck on the cymbal.
What kind of spear is this? It actually pierced the bronze cymbal? Monk Lingzhi was terrified.
If his cultivation were a few more stages higher, this spear could have directly pierced the bronze cymbal and killed Monk Lingzhi. Zhou Yan thought so and advanced with his spear.
Monk Lingzhi was pushed back step by step by the immense force of the Profound Iron Spear, accompanied by a piercing scraping sound. The spear was forced in several more inches.
Seeing the spear tip about to be completely submerged, Monk Lingzhi shouted, abandoning his bronze cymbals, and rolled out several zhang with a “lazy donkey roll.”
In just a moment, several figures approached swiftly. Three night-patrolling Iron Palm Sect experts attacked in unison. The long sabers let out a long “clang,” and the blade descended like streaks of light.
On the sides, whistling sounds carrying immense killing intent, like flowing water, and elusive flying shuttles.
Zhou Yan retracted his spear and kicked out his right leg. The bronze cymbal hanging on the spear tip whistled towards the swordsman in front. The man dodged sideways. Without hesitation, Zhou Yan lunged forward, passing through the saber and flying shuttle attacks on his left and right by a hair’s breadth.
Dust swirled. Zhou Yan’s Profound Iron Heavy Spear retracted like a phantom. In an instant, he thrust it back with a Returning Spear.
The spear tip whistled and appeared in front of the Iron Palm Sect swordsman who had dodged the bronze cymbals, piercing through his chest and out his back.
Zhou Yan pulled out his spear and continued forward without stopping, darting away.
Two Iron Palm Sect experts and Monk Lingzhi shouted angrily and pursued relentlessly. This chase attracted all the Iron Palm Sect disciples who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
…
With the “clang” of Monk Lingzhi’s bronze cymbals, Ouyang Ke, Helian Chuncheng, Yin Kexi, Ni Mo Xing, and seven or eight Hall Masters of the Iron Palm Sect, who were feasting in the stone village hall, all rushed out of the great hall and onto the roof.
In Ouyang Ke’s line of sight, the light of the torches on the flank extended, creeping towards the high peak.
The Hall Masters of the Iron Palm Sect, tall, short, stout, and thin, with not insignificant cultivation, were furious. They leaped out from the roof one after another, intercepting Zhou Yan’s path.
“Someone actually has the guts to trespass on the Iron Palm Sect,” Helian Chuncheng said in disbelief, looking at the seven or eight Hall Masters who were leaving.
“Let’s go take a look.” As Yin Kexi was about to leap out, a voice, old and majestic, suddenly sounded from behind him, “No need for you to bother, sirs. I shall see who dares to be so audacious.”
Ouyang Ke, Helian Chuncheng, and the others were greatly surprised. When did Qiu Qianren arrive behind them without them noticing? Such lightness skill was astonishing.
Qiu Qianren’s complexion turned ashen.
A prince of the Jin Dynasty was visiting, and he also intended to make a grand display of his ambitions. At such a banquet, someone dared to intrude upon the Iron Palm Sect. This was clearly an act of provocation and an attempt to humiliate him.
“Brother Ouyang, I’ll be back shortly,” Qiu Qianren said to Ouyang Feng, who stood impassively beside him.
“Good.”
As a vital location of the Iron Palm Sect, Ouyang Feng naturally had to consider Qiu Qianren’s dignity. He did not act, but he thought to himself that Qiu Qianren, with his dual mastery of lightness skill and iron palm, was precisely suited to observe the opponent’s lightness techniques.
Iron Palm Water Floating, Qiu Qianren’s lightness skill was naturally at its peak. The moment before, he was on the roof of the stone house, and in an instant, he appeared several zhang away. His figure broke through the night, rustling leaves and splitting the wind.
Ouyang Feng was secretly surprised. The opponent’s lightness skill was indeed not inferior to his “Instant Thousand Li.”
Qiu Qianren darted out. Ouyang Ke asked, “Uncle, do you want to go take a look?”
Ouyang Feng said, “No need. With the Iron Palm Sect’s formation, even Hong Qigong would have a hard time.”
Ouyang Ke recalled Qiu Qianren’s swift, electric-like figure as he darted out the moment before and nodded, “Uncle is right.”
The few of them did not return to the hall but stood on the roof, watching and listening for any movement.
Qiu Qianren’s speed was too fast. In just over ten breaths, he had surpassed the Iron Palm Sect’s Hall Masters. Angered, he sprinted madly, his momentum kicking up grass and dust from the ground, leaving a straight line behind him. The end of the line was Zhou Yan, who was about a li away.
…
“Where do you think you’re going?” a wave of sound came from afar.
Zhou Yan had long since shaken off Monk Lingzhi and the others who were pursuing him. The iron-gray color that had been hanging in the night sky gradually receded. He looked in the direction of the sound, and in his diagonal field of vision, a figure was sprinting rapidly.
Before the person arrived, the rolling sound like a surging tide revealed the opponent’s peak cultivation. The figure broke through the night before dawn, arriving like lightning. As the distance closed, it was revealed to be an old man in a yellow hemp shirt. His speed was so fast that he seemed to be flying on the wind above the grass tips, and the sea of grass beneath his feet seemed to be split and pushed aside.
Qiu Qianren.
Zhou Yan felt a sense of relief. Ouyang Feng had not come.
He moved like a startled rabbit and ran with all his might.
Qiu Qianren saw Zhou Yan heading towards the sect’s holy land and inwardly despaired. He pushed his state to its peak while running, his body emitting sounds like wind and thunder, constantly closing in on Zhou Yan.
The two figures leaped onto the hill one after another and entered the pine forest. Beyond that was the burial place of the past sect leaders of the Iron Palm Sect.
The moment Zhou Yan entered the pine forest, he felt the sound of breaking wind rushing towards him.
I can’t outrun him.
Zhou Yan guided his internal energy through the Qiao Meridian, his pelvis expanding. His body rose like a startled goose, stepping on the trees ahead, step by step, rapidly ascending. Qiu Qianren’s iron palm strike landed with a “bang” on the tree trunk, shattering the pine tree, which was as thick as an arm. The tree fell. Qiu Qianren, hugging the tree with both hands, thrust it like a giant club towards the grounded Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan held the Profound Iron Heavy Spear with both hands and thrust out the Middle Flat Spear. The great spear suddenly pierced into the tree trunk. His pure Internal Force circulated from his Dantian, traveling upwards, entering the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, and rushing out between the “Yemeng” and “Guangchong” acupoints, injecting into the great spear.
Zhou Yan twisted his hands, applying a “twisting” force. The tip of the Profound Iron Heavy Spear rotated like a drill.
Suddenly, wood chips flew, and metal clashed.
The pine tree trunk, which was between Zhou Yan and Qiu Qianren, exploded as the great spear drilled into it and pushed forward.
The spear tip, carrying killing intent, lunged at Qiu Qianren.
Qiu Qianren was astonished. He had seen countless skilled spear users in his life, but the mastery of spearplay displayed by the masked man before him was unparalleled.
His body seemed to move without moving, and he had already dodged the spear tip. His iron palm, with its immense power, struck the Profound Iron Heavy Spear.
A “hum” of metal trembling reverberated through the pine forest. The heavy spear tip plunged into the ground, scattering mud. Zhou Yan felt his tiger’s mouth go numb, and Qiu Qianren floated towards him within his sight.
A Grandmaster-level expert’s move, in the flash of lightning, had already seized the initiative.
Zhou Yan abandoned his spear with his right hand and drew his sword. The Qingfeng Sword, a sharp and narrow blade, swayed slightly. The tip of the sword flashed with light, extending and retracting like lightning. With one sword, he divided into seven, thrusting at Qiu Qianren.
“What a thief,” Qiu Qianren was greatly shocked. He could not understand how his opponent, who clearly possessed extraordinary spear skills, would use a sword to attack from the side, and with such exquisite swordplay.
Qiu Qianren angrily exclaimed. Under the impetus of his Internal Force, a tidal wave pushed outwards. In that instant, he channeled his Internal Force into his sleeves and blocked the seven swords of “One Sword, Seven Stars.” Dust swirled, and Qiu Qianren’s sleeves turned into flying butterflies under the Qingfeng Sword.
Zhou Yan’s right foot suddenly kicked the shaft of the Profound Iron Heavy Spear. The spear tip suddenly sprang up and aimed at Qiu Qianren’s lower abdomen.
Qiu Qianren was suddenly caught off guard by Zhou Yan’s “Yin Yang Reversal Blade Technique,” which used both sword and spear.
He retreated rapidly.
Zhou Yan put his sword back into its sheath with a backhand motion, turned, and sprinted again.
Qiu Qianren was enraged and chased after him with all his might, using the Thousand Jin Drop technique. Landing, he used the immense force from his feet to pursue again.
…
Towards the stone village.
Ouyang Ke heard Qiu Qianren’s roar and said in surprise, “Uncle, it seems Chief Qiu has suffered a loss.”
Ouyang Feng also found it incredible. Qiu Qianren had clearly shouted “little thief,” and there was actually someone among the younger generation that the Chief of the Iron Palm Sect could not deal with.
“I’ll go take a look!”
Ouyang Feng’s clothes fluttered, and his entire body seemed to turn into a phantom. Like an eagle, he soared towards the distant pine forest where the sound originated.
…
Qiu Qianren’s figure approached again like a ghost, shortening the distance between him and Zhou Yan.
“Let’s see what other tricks you have.”
Qiu Qianren said sternly and lightly slapped Zhou Yan’s back.
Zhou Yan chuckled lowly and waved his right hand backward with “Shenlong Tail Whip.” This was a life-saving ultimate move from the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms. He had been cultivating the “Yijin Forging Bone Chapter” all the way from Zhongdu, and his cultivation had increased by more than thirty percent.
The power of this move was naturally incomparable to when he had sparred with Ouyang Feng in Datong Prefecture.
With a “bang,” the two palms collided, and lime exploded. Zhou Yan thrust his left hand’s great spear into the ground, bent his left leg slightly, curved his right arm inward, and pushed outward with a whoosh in a circular motion.
“Ah, you scoundrel.”
Qiu Qianren felt his eyes burning. Before Zhou Yan’s palm strike even arrived, the gust of wind felt like knives scraping his bones. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds, and suddenly tilted his body slightly. He slapped his left palm onto his right palm, and his right palm shot out diagonally.
This was one of the thirteen ultimate moves of his Iron Palm Skill, called “Yin Yang Guiyi,” which was extremely fierce.
Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms and Iron Palm clashed, and in the dust, lime rolled.
Qiu Qianren’s body swayed, and Zhou Yan retreated straight back. With a swish, he grabbed his spear with his left hand, turned, and sprinted away. As he ran, he circulated his Internal Force, exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi, and calmed his surging qi and blood.
Before the Mongol Army surrounded Zhongdu, Hong Qigong had tested Zhou Yan’s cultivation, saying he could withstand a few moves from Ouyang Feng. At that time, he had not yet cultivated the true scripture of the Yijin Forging Bone technique.
Now that his cultivation had improved, and he was sparring with Qiu Qianren, whose cultivation was inferior to Western Venom, although he was still not an equal opponent, it was impossible for the Chief of the Iron Palm Sect to injure Zhou Yan’s viscera and poison his heart with a single palm strike.
Zhou Yan’s vision suddenly widened. Beneath his feet was grass up to his knees, and the stone cave was about ten zhang above. He exhaled, and he was safe.
…
Ouyang Feng descended from the tree crown and saw the masked Qiu Qianren.
Some unpleasant memories instantly surfaced in his mind.
Outside Datong Prefecture, inside Huayan Temple.
The boy who had a connection with Hong Qigong, using lime, became a stain that he would never be able to wash away in his lifetime.
“Chief Qiu, what is this?”
“That thief is cunning and blinded me with lime.”
“But you struck back with a horizontal chop, using the momentum to scatter the lime?”
“Precisely. Brother Ouyang, how did you know?”
“That little thief also used this method to trick me. He uses the Subduing Dragon Palm Technique of Hong Qigong of the Beggars’ Sect.”
“Is that little thief acting under Hong Qigong’s orders?”
“It should be so.”
If it were anyone else, Ouyang Feng would not have revealed his inner thoughts of being tricked and suffering a loss. However, the name Western Venom was not only unique in its poisonous methods but also in its ruthless cruelty. With a few words, he incited the conflict between the Iron Palm Sect and the Beggars’ Sect.
“I will capture the little thief for Brother Qiu.”
“Brother Ouyang, please wait. The area ahead is the holy land of the Iron Palm Sect, and you are not allowed to enter.”
Ouyang Feng was stunned. “Chief Qiu cannot enter either.”
“This is a sect rule and cannot be violated.”
“Let me wash your eyes first, Brother Qiu.”
While the two were talking, several Hall Masters of the Iron Palm Sect rushed over. Ouyang Feng ordered someone to find sesame oil.
A Hall Master flew away.
Moments later, Ouyang Ke, Helian Chuncheng, Yang Kang, and others also arrived.
Looking at Qiu Qianren with a face full of lime, unpleasant memories also surfaced in Ouyang Ke’s mind.
Yang Kang was lost in thought.
Connecting the two, it was not difficult for Yang Kang to guess Zhou Yan’s identity. When he was in Zhongdu, he did not act due to Zhou Yan’s relationship with the Quanzhen Sect, but now he had no scruples.
Yang Kang heard Qiu Qianren say that the holy land could not be entered and said, “It will be difficult to trap this thief to death. The holy land is surrounded by dense forests and tall grass, so it is not difficult to find food. How about setting it on fire?”
“This plan is excellent,” Qiu Qianren said.
…
The dawn light was faint. Zhou Yan descended into the valley using a rope.
Suddenly, the forest birds around took flight.
He looked up and saw thick smoke billowing from the mountain peak, with flames raging.
“If Yang Kang and the others recognize my identity, I will be buried in the sea of fire. This will save me the trouble of worrying about Qiu Qianren going to Zhongdu to cause trouble. After I resign as Head Escort, I will roam freely, and the sky will be high for birds to fly.”
Zhou Yan chuckled lowly and walked with his spear, his movements swift and unrestrained.
