Chapter 195: Tomb Lightness Skill, A Great Enemy Approaches
Day rose and set, and in the blink of an eye, it was clear autumn.
Upon leaving Xianyang, one could see Zhongnan Mountain shrouded in mist and rain.
Even a figure like Ouyang Feng couldn’t help but sigh, lamenting that times had changed and Wang Chongyang was no more.
Ouyang Ke, having traveled from Western Hunan to Kaifeng Prefecture, and finding himself with leisure, spoke to Ouyang Feng about the Ancient Tomb.
He was infatuated with Li Mochou, and Ouyang Feng was naturally willing to help his nephew, who was in fact his illegitimate son, fulfill his heart’s desire.
Furthermore, he was curious about the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb.
He had promised Wanyan Honglie to travel south to Lin’an in search of 《Wumu’s Military Writings》, his sole aim being the Yue family’s martial arts. His purpose in going to Zhongnan Mountain was also for this reason.
He knew Ouyang Ke’s martial arts like the back of his hand. Although he hadn’t practiced the “Toad Stance,” he was already one of the top young experts in the world. The only one comparable to him was the young man who had a great connection with the old beggar and practiced the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.”
However, despite having the assistance of Helian Chuncheng, Ni Mo Xing, and others at Zhongnan Mountain, his nephew was still defeated and retreated, which showed the unique nature of the sword techniques of that pair of man and woman at Zhongnan Mountain.
If they could be forced to reveal their martial arts and be analyzed, it might become a surprise tactic to attack them unprepared at the Huashan Sword Discussion.
Ouyang Feng sought no imperial power or dominion; he only cared for the reputation of being the number one under heaven.
Among the group of over thirty people, only a dozen or so were escorts from the Changfeng Escort Agency; the rest were martial artists recruited by Yang Kang after arriving in Kaifeng Prefecture.
Figures like the Taixing One-Eyed Vulture, the Tongbai Twin Heroes, and the Hejian Three Heroes.
The Jianghu was vast and full of hidden talents; among these people were many whose martial arts were comparable to Sha Tongtian and Monk Lingzhi.
The group set off from Xianyang in a grand procession. Ouyang Ke gazed at the misty rain of Zhongnan Mountain, and in his mind, he saw Li Mochou’s every smile and glance, wishing he had wings to fly to the Ancient Tomb.
…
As the fine rain fell, Li Mochou, clad in green and wearing a conical hat, moved like a bluebird through the bamboo forest, occasionally touching the ground with her toes, scattering ripples on the water.
She swung her sword, as if unleashing fan-shaped streams of light. Zhou Yan’s movements were like a dragonfly skimming water or a butterfly flitting through flowers. Their sword styles merged, and as they wielded their twin swords, sword light intertwined, and their figures could be seen in all directions.
Suddenly, Zhou Yan raised the hilt of his Qingfeng Sword, pointing the tip downwards, as if pouring wine from a pot. Li Mochou, with a tacit understanding, flipped her sword tip upwards, pointing it towards her own cherry lips, as if raising a cup to drink.
A move with the same name but different execution, “Clear Drink and Small Sip,” was performed with seamless perfection. Li Mochou smiled charmingly, a hint of shyness in her eyes.
It was already the fourth day since Zhou Yan arrived at Zhongnan Mountain. During this time, the two had practiced diligently and finally mastered the external martial arts of 《Jade Maiden Heart Sutra《. They had also each mastered 《Quanzhen Swordplay《 and 《Jade Maiden Swordplay《.
When Li Mochou had leisure, she would also practice the “Beauty Fist Technique” and the “Heaven and Earth Net Stance.” Zhou Yan watched, gaining much. He continuously absorbed and integrated the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb, Hengshan Swordplay, and the Acupoint Sealing Secret Manual.
Unknowingly, the Hengshan Five Gods Sword he had learned from Liu Qingzhou had undergone further changes.
After noon, the rain cleared, and misty clouds rose from the mountain ranges.
Birds chirped melodiously in the bamboo forest.
Li Mochou’s figure suddenly flashed and disappeared, chasing a sparrow in the forest. The sparrow flitted about carelessly, its trajectory difficult to predict. Li Mochou followed like a shadow, her palm strikes weaving a net that enclosed the bird.
In the Condor Trilogy, Zhou Yan felt that the Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill and Wei Yixiao’s peerless skill were the best for maneuvering within a three-meter range. Other skills like “Golden Goose Skill,” “Ladder Cloud Ascent,” and “Water Surface Float” each had their own merits.
Li Mochou was already skilled in lightness skills, and her internal force had advanced by leaps and bounds since cultivating the true scripture. When she now employed the Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill, she truly moved with ethereal grace, her movements unpredictable and a delight to behold.
Li Mochou, holding the sparrow, approached Zhou Yan and handed him a water skin.
“Thank you.”
“No need to be polite.”
Li Mochou smiled sweetly, “Let me tell you about this sparrow-catching lightness skill.”
“Isn’t this teaching martial arts privately?”
“With a great enemy at hand, why be so calculating? Didn’t Master give us the 《Jade Maiden Heart Sutra《 cultivation technique to practice external martial arts? My cultivation has advanced so much, isn’t it because you taught me the internal energy cultivation technique? Oh, and I also taught it to Junior Sister.”
Zhou Yan was surprised. Little Dragon Girl was exceptionally gifted. She had started practicing the 《Yijin Forging Bone Chapter《 from a young age to improve her bone structure. By the time she reached adulthood, how extraordinary would her cultivation be?
“Excellent!”
Li Mochou laughed, “She said if I didn’t teach her, she would learn from you. Such a young child, so cunning and clever.”
Zhou Yan chuckled.
Li Mochou began to explain, “The Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill cultivates the Foot Three Yang Meridians.”
Zhou Yan sighed upon hearing this. The Quanzhen Sect’s “Golden Goose Skill” circulated through the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian of the Foot Three Yin Meridians. The Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill, however, used the Foot Three Yang Meridians. This meridian included the “Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian,” “Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian,” and “Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian,” as well as secondary meridians and sinews. The methods for circulating energy and moving through acupoints were incredibly complex.
“I have only refined and cleared the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, so my lightness skill is only at the introductory stage, far from mastery,” Li Mochou said, and then proceeded to explain the specific energy circulation methods.
The three main meridians of the Foot Three Yang Meridians had over a hundred acupoints. The energy guiding method of the Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill only traversed thirty-six of these acupoints. Even so, after hearing this, Zhou Yan circulated his energy once and felt that mastering it proficiently in a short time would be quite difficult.
Seeing Zhou Yan circulating his energy and comprehending the technique, Li Mochou got up and went to the Ancient Tomb to fetch some honey.
When she reached the Ancient Tomb, she still had to converse with Lin Chaoying’s maid and Little Dragon Girl.
After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Zhou Yan stood up and guided his energy through the Foot Three Yang Meridians. Pure internal energy surged from the thirty-six major acupoints like a gushing spring. His body suddenly swayed and transformed into a shadow, appearing in another location.
This effect, akin to “Shifting Form and Changing Position,” filled Zhou Yan with immense joy. Having gained insight and practicing diligently, once he reached mastery, the “Snake Movement Fox Flip,” “Golden Goose Skill,” and “Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill” would be fully complemented.
Li Mochou emerged from the Ancient Tomb carrying a ceramic jar. Seeing Zhou Yan standing tall and lost in thought, she knew he had gained enlightenment. She praised his exceptional talent, recalling how she had progressed step by step, from one sparrow, to two, to ten… through persistent effort, like dripping water wearing away stone, to achieve her current lightness skill.
The Head Escort, however, had already begun to gain enlightenment and practice. Truly remarkable.
Before she could retract this thought, a sharp scream suddenly echoed from the foot of the mountain.
Li Mochou was startled.
Zhou Yan also snapped back to attention and called out, “Ouyang Feng is here.”
She hugged the earthenware jar and flashed into the Ancient Tomb to inform her Master. When she reappeared, it was with her Master.
Li Mochou held a longsword, and a delicate deer skin pouch hung from her waist, which undoubtedly contained Jade Bee Needles.
Zhou Yan leaped twice to the entrance of the Ancient Tomb and took out a bottle of “Tongxi Pill” he had obtained from the Deputy Cult Leader of the Five Venoms Sect.
“The Western Venom is skilled at taming snakes. This pill can prevent snake and insect bites, just in case.”
Lin Chaoying’s maid’s expression remained indifferent, but her tone was much kinder, “Thank you, Head Escort.”
“I’ll go take a look first.”
“Be careful.”
“Mm.”
Zhou Yan put on his conical hat, and his gray figure flickered through the forest, quickly disappearing.
“Master, what should we do?”
“Luring the Jade Bees is my task. You focus on the enemy. If there are any problems, retreat to the Ancient Tomb.”
“What about the Head Escort?”
“As you wish.”
…
Leaves rustled, and the wind blew through the forest, carrying away the scent of blood from the air.
Helian Chuncheng’s face was grim.
The deceased was an escort from the escort agency, directly pierced by a bamboo arrow shot from the forest, instantly losing his life.
It took at least four to five years and nearly a thousand taels of silver to train a skilled escort from the escort agency.
Yet, he had lost his life to a mechanism made of a rope and a bamboo arrow.
Unpleasant memories resurfaced in Helian Chuncheng’s mind.
Ouyang Ke also recalled Zhou Yan’s hidden killing technique when he first visited the Ancient Tomb.
“Uncle, it must be that kid we met last time.”
“But how did they know we were coming back?” Ouyang Feng looked at the bamboo arrow on the corpse on the ground. “This mechanism was clearly set up not long ago.”
A detail he had overlooked made Ouyang Ke pause. That’s right, how did that thief know we were coming?
“Everyone be vigilant,” Ouyang Feng’s voice, like a dull knife scraping, echoed as he walked forward without concern.
“Everyone, pay attention to the ropes and vines on the ground,” Ni Mo Xing reminded loudly, holding his snake whip.
The mountain was high and the forest was deep. When the branches of an ancient tree dozens of feet away swayed, Zhou Yan’s gray figure was revealed.
He surveyed the scene. Ouyang Feng, Ni Mo Xing, Yin Kexi, Monk Lingzhi, Hou Tonghai, and Sha Tongtian were all present. Over a dozen burly men in tight black clothing leaned against each other, each holding a gleaming long saber, their faces full of wildness. These were easily identifiable as escorts or runners from the Changfeng Escort Agency. Another dozen or so had mixed attire and weapons, clearly martial artists from the Jianghu.
Zhou Yan was somewhat convinced of the Changfeng Escort Agency’s strength.
Traveling through the Western Regions or Beyond the Pass, or by recruiting and training, they had cultivated many escorts. The foundation of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency in Lin’an Prefecture was unknown, but in terms of the number of escorts, both Fu’an and Zhenwei were inferior to Changfeng.
He even felt that Helian Zhantai, the Boss of Changfeng, was somewhat like Zuo Lengchan.
Dozens of mechanisms were not set up along the path to the Ancient Tomb but were scattered on both sides of the mountain path.
What Zhou Yan needed to do now was to use the ox horn giant bow and arrows to disrupt their formation and lure them into traps.
If I maintain a bow’s distance from Ouyang Feng, what can he do to me?
