Chapter 200: Planting Peach Blossoms for a Future Harvest
The fluorescence was soft, falling on the stone wall.
Huang Yaoshi looked at the calligraphy, and in a daze, he seemed to see his beloved wife reciting the Nine Yin Manual once more.
“A-Heng, I promised you that I would find the Nine Yin Manual and burn it for you, so that your spirit in heaven would know what the scriptures you struggled to understand all those years truly meant. Once I have memorized the manual and copied it down, I will return to Peach Blossom Island and burn it for you.”
Huang Yaoshi suddenly thought of the Old Urchin he had imprisoned on Peach Blossom Island for sixteen years.
“Brother Tong, for sixteen years, you stayed in the stone cave, guarding the Nine Yin Manual. Yet, you never expected me to see the inscription on Zhongnan Mountain. This is fate. When I return to Peach Blossom Island, I will apologize to you and escort you off the island.”
A shadow on the stone wall shifted slightly. Huang Yaoshi withdrew his thoughts, casting a glance at Ouyang Feng. He saw that the latter seemed to be memorizing the Great Demon Subduing Fist.
Huang Yaoshi thought to himself that Ouyang Feng had a good memory. He focused his mind and began to memorize the Soul Shifting Technique.
The Chongyang’s Inscription was only a tiny part of the Nine Yin Manual. With the memories of Huang Yaoshi and Ouyang Feng, memorizing it word for word in half a day was no problem.
Huang Yaoshi’s memory was slightly superior to Ouyang Feng’s, but he was also distracted. The two finished reciting at the same time and both consolidated their memories.
Ouyang Feng immediately interjected, “Brother Yao, who do you think carved the Nine Yin Manual on it?”
How could Huang Yaoshi not know Ouyang Feng’s intentions? He chuckled inwardly. I obtained the lower volume of the manual from my worthless disciple. The inscription here, detailing the White Python Whip Technique, Heart Crushing Palm, and so on, are all within it. I am focusing on memorizing the martial arts from the upper volume. Do you think you can disrupt me? I will disrupt you too.
“It’s a long story.”
“Brother Yao, please tell me slowly.”
“Brother Feng, why have you come to Zhongnan Mountain?”
Compared to the Nine Yin Manual being in the stone room, Ouyang Ke’s arrival at the Ancient Tomb was not a secret that could not be spoken of.
Ouyang Feng said in a deep voice, “My useless nephew fancied a woman residing in this Ancient Tomb and came to propose. Unexpectedly, she refused, and a fight ensued. This Ancient Tomb is difficult to enter. The Old Venomous was searching for snakes and accidentally discovered an underground river leading directly to the Ancient Tomb.”
“So that’s how it is.”
“These scripture characters?”
“They were carved by Brother Chongyang, likely to commemorate a close friend of his.”
Huang Yaoshi had once visited Wang Chongyang on Zhongnan Mountain. It happened after Wang Chongyang and Lin Chaoying had a spar, and the latter carved characters on the stone with her finger. Wang Chongyang conceded and moved out of the Ancient Tomb.
At that time, Wang Chongyang was perplexed. His martial arts and Lin Chaoying’s were on par, but he could never carve on stone. How did Lin Chaoying manage it? Thus, he sought Huang Yaoshi’s advice.
Huang Yaoshi, a scholar of profound knowledge, pondered and understood the hidden mystery. He went down the mountain, returned, and carved characters on the stone in front of Wang Chongyang.
Wang Chongyang was astonished. Huang Yaoshi revealed the heavenly secret: by using a Stone Softening Pill to soften the stone surface, and within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the stone surface would not harden, allowing his fingers to move as if guided by divine will.
With this experience, Huang Yaoshi guessed that the scriptures in the stone room were Wang Chongyang’s inscription, and the woman Ouyang Feng mentioned should be a descendant of Wang Chongyang’s close friend, Lin Chaoying.
He spoke concisely, recounting the scene of his visit to Zhongnan Mountain and his interaction with Wang Chongyang.
Ouyang Feng could not help but sigh, then said, “That woman clearly loved Brother Chongyang. He was pedantic and failed to reciprocate her feelings.”
The Western Venom’s words struck a chord with the Eastern Heretic. “Brother Feng, what you say is absolutely correct. I think so too.”
“Brother Yao, what do you think should be done with the manual?”
Huang Yaoshi looked around the stone room. The walls were smooth, with no visible mechanisms, and there were no traces of living people on the ground. He said, “The secret of this stone room, I fear, was not even known to Brother Chongyang’s close disciples.”
“That’s right.” Ouyang Feng thought of the martial arts of Li Mochou and her disciple, and he agreed with Huang Yaoshi’s judgment.
“Brother Yao, you and I know about this manual. How about we destroy it?”
“This is Brother Chongyang’s inscription. We have this opportunity, how can we destroy it?”
“What is Brother Yao’s opinion?”
“How about we both swear an oath not to reveal this secret to a third person?”
“What if someone else enters the Ancient Tomb like you and I did today? Or if the disciples of the Ancient Tomb accidentally find this secret chamber?”
“Then it will be fate, an opportunity, just like today for you and me. It cannot be forced.”
“Alright.”
Huang Yaoshi was not worried about Ouyang Feng breaking his word. While the Western Venom was ruthless, under a solemn oath, his word was his bond, and he would not go back on it.
He added, “This underwater current can only be entered by those like Brother Feng and myself who can hold their breath. Therefore, those who can enter the secret chamber will likely be people from the Ancient Tomb in the future. Since we have this opportunity, we should reciprocate. How about we each carve another set of martial arts?”
“Brother Yao has a refined taste. Of course, there’s no problem.”
Huang Yaoshi immediately took a Bone-Attaching Needle and carved the Peach Blossom Island martial art, Falling Ying Divine Sword Palm, on the stone wall.
Ouyang Feng also used a Golden Needle to carve the White Camel Mountain agility technique, Instant Thousand Li.
After they finished, they each took a solemn oath and left the stone room shoulder to shoulder.
At the underground river, Ouyang Feng said, “Brother Yao, please.”
Huang Yaoshi knew the other party was worried he would make a move. He was an expert swimmer and had no worries.
“Good!”
Huang Yaoshi plunged into the underwater current. Ouyang Feng waited for a moment, held his breath, and followed him underwater.
Ouyang Feng emerged from the stone cave and saw the stars scattered like a chessboard. Huang Yaoshi had long since disappeared. He had no interest in catching snakes and immediately used his agility to head towards the Ancient Tomb.
…
Behind Zhongnan Mountain, in the pine forest.
The sound of bowstrings, “bang, bang, bang,” was like thunderclaps.
Zhou Yan fired three arrows in succession.
A few days prior, Lin Chaoying’s maid had used Jade Bees to repel enemies. Zhou Yan had not retrieved any of the long arrows he had shot, so his quiver only contained three long arrows.
From a distance of five to six zhang, the long arrows flew through the forest, whistling eerily.
“The scoundrel is here.”
Almost the moment the bowstring sounded, a Hu People’s escort from the Changfeng Escort Agency, lurking in the forest, raised the alarm.
Ni Mo Xing instinctively leaned his body sharply to the side. “Pfft,” the sharp arrowhead pierced his shoulder socket and embedded itself.
As he fell backward, two triangular objects suddenly appeared on the facial bones of the two people in his line of sight.
Zhou Yan leaped from a large tree, and with a few agile movements, he arrived beside the Changfeng Escort Agency escort who had raised the alarm. In the dim light, the glint of a saber flashed, and a clear sword light erupted.
Figures intertwined, and the escort spun and fell.
“Surround the scoundrel.”
“Damn it, I’ll stab him to death.” Hou Tonghai jumped up in a rage, holding a steel fork and about to charge out. Suddenly, he heard a whistling sound from above. He tried to dodge, but the object came incredibly fast. Unbeknownst to him, something suddenly appeared in his mouth. He felt a bit of a savory taste on his tongue and, in shock and fear, hastily spat it out. It seemed to be a chicken bone.
“Who dares to be so insolent?” Hou Tonghai glared.
“Slap!” A flesh tumor was hit by a hidden weapon. Hou Tonghai staggered, his anger surging. “I curse your ancestors.”
The figure that suddenly swept in like a wisp of cloud attached itself behind the Three-Headed Flood Dragon. The masked figure in green clothes landed two palms on Hou Tonghai’s back.
“How dare you!” Monk Lingzhi swung his bronze cymbals towards the attacker. The green-clothed figure seemed to have merged with the air, moving instantly, appearing behind the hidden monk. He grabbed the latter by the nape of his neck, lifted his burly body, and threw him towards the campfire.
“Boom!” The fire exploded, and the field of vision suddenly brightened.
Hou Tonghai turned to look. All he could see was the tall, thin figure of Huang Yaoshi, wearing a mask.
His legs felt weak, and his mouth was dry.
“Huang, Island Lord Huang, I was cursing that scoundrel’s ancestors.”
“Slap!” A chicken leg hit Hou Tonghai’s mouth. “Are you cursing me, the Old Beggar?”
Hong Qigong’s voice came from the large, leafy tree.
Hou Tonghai felt dizzy, his legs trembled, and he collapsed on the ground.
In the distant forest, Zhou Yan let out a sound. Not only Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi had arrived.
The Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, and Northern Beggar had all gathered on Zhongnan Mountain.
