Chapter 208: Beating the Dharma King and Meeting a Strange Person
The sunset gradually lowered, clouds rolled and unrolled.
Upon that high platform, the tall and thin Golden Wheel Law King stirred up an aura like roaring wind and thunder.
“Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” and “Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill” collided.
The flying dust suddenly caved inward, then swirled outwards along the edges of their palms, dust and smoke scattering everywhere.
Zhou Yan felt as if he had been hit by the earth-shattering charge of a galloping elephant; his qi and blood boiled, and he stumbled backward with each step, the wooden floor beneath him cracking with each “snap.”
The Golden Wheel Law King, the moment he exchanged palms with Zhou Yan, felt several aftershocks, each stronger than the last, overlapping and unstoppable.
He shifted his shoulders, took a step back to steady himself, and with a shout, advanced towards Zhou Yan like a grinding wheel.
Zhou Yan’s boiling qi and blood calmed within a few breaths. He felt that the Golden Wheel Law King’s current cultivation was slightly superior to Qiu Qianren’s, and although he was no match, escaping would not be difficult.
As Zhou Yan retreated, he snatched a long saber from a follower of Huo Du. He stomped his right foot on the ground, his body lunging forward with the saber. The surging saber light flew low, sweeping past with a swish.
The Golden Wheel Law King’s combat prowess was far inferior to Zhou Yan’s. He hadn’t expected Zhou Yan to switch from palm strikes to weapon attacks in an instant. Before he could retrieve his silver or bronze wheels from beneath his robe, he hastily leaped backward.
Zhou Yan forced back the Golden Wheel Law King with a move called “Eight Directions of Wild Combat.” His legs channeled the Thousand Jin Drop, and with a boom, the already cracked wooden floor beneath his feet shattered.
His body instantly sank, and he counterattacked with an upward saber slash.
The Golden Wheel Law King steadied himself, preparing to attack, but Zhou Yan had already sunk from his sight. The entire wooden floor then lifted and smashed down towards him.
Possessing excellent internal energy and reacting with divine speed, the Golden Wheel Law King channeled his internal energy into his sleeves, smashing them out several times. In an instant, wood chips flew, and his energy surged like thunder.
Zhou Yan had already landed on the ground below the high platform.
“Over here.”
Huang Rong was all too familiar with Zhou Yan’s skills. The Earth God, she waved and shouted from within the crowd.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Xiaoxiangzi did not recognize Zhou Yan, who was wearing a mask. Back in Luxi, Western Hunan, he had fought Mei Chaofeng and had not recognized Huang Rong either. This was a good opportunity to gain Huo Du’s trust, so how could he miss it?
His body shot out like a launched arrow, and he swung the iron staff in his hand towards Zhou Yan.
From another seat, Ma Xiuping, skilled in Spring Leg, rose immediately after Xiaoxiangzi. After a brief assessment of the situation, he lunged towards Huang Rong.
Huang Rong’s body flickered, her movements as light as a swallow darting through the forest, as she landed towards Ma Xiuping.
Below the viewing stands, Zhou Yan had unleashed the “Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber” technique to its fullest. Saber light surged like tides, wave after wave falling upon Xiaoxiangzi. The fierce fight erupted violently within the dust and smoke, the sounds of clashing metal as dense as exploding fireworks.
Xiaoxiangzi felt his tiger’s mouth go numb with every parried saber strike. Amidst the intense shock, Xiaoxiangzi was about to use his mourning stick-like iron staff to poison.
The next moment, something flew towards him, and without hesitation, he swung his iron staff to smash it.
With a “bang,” white smoke exploded in his vision.
Xiaoxiangzi was greatly alarmed, his body retreating rapidly. Zhou Yan advanced agilely, his saber edge a streak of light. Xiaoxiangzi cried out, holding the staff vertically in front of him with both hands.
With a “clang,” the long saber struck the iron staff. Xiaoxiangzi felt as if his chest had been hit by a heavy iron hammer, stars dancing before his eyes. His body retreated rapidly, was blocked by a chair, and then he fell to the ground, chair and all.
Huang Rong was rushing towards Zhou Yan, and Ma Xiuping met her. Before his “First Strike, One Whip” Tan Tui could even spring, a “ch” sound rapidly amplified. He was greatly alarmed and rolled to the ground with a “lazy donkey roll.”
With a “bang,” a thumb-sized hole appeared on a pillar supporting the high platform behind where he had been. Ma Xiuping’s hair stood on end, and he leaped up, hiding behind another pillar, no longer daring to move.
“Quick.” Huang Rong still had a smile on her face. She had nothing to worry about now; with her father around, there were no dragon’s lairs or tiger’s dens in this world.
Zhou Yan leaped towards Huang Rong. As they ran, someone else lunged from the front row of chairs. Amidst the chaotic crowd, a man swung two chairs, one in each hand, and smashed them over, shouting, “Benefactor, this way.”
Zhou Yan looked at Shi Bowei, whose life he had saved, and ran over with Huang Rong.
In reality, it was easy for him to escape now. It was precisely because he was worried that the other party might not be able to escape that he had come to meet them.
“Go!” As they got closer, Zhou Yan grunted. Shi Bowei turned and followed Zhou Yan. The three squeezed into the crowd and broke out.
…
On the viewing platform, Ouyang Ke finally managed to escape Darba, and the Golden Wheel Law King attacked fiercely.
In peril. Ouyang Ke trembled with fear.
Suddenly, a series of sharp whistling sounds erupted, and one stone after another flew towards the Golden Wheel Law King, Darba, and others on the platform.
Ouyang Ke was overjoyed and seized the opportunity to leap off the high platform.
In a flash, the Golden Wheel Law King swung his silver wheel and struck. “Bang,” stones scattered everywhere, and the silver wheel hummed.
He pursued Ouyang Ke closely.
A red figure suddenly danced like a surging cloud, emitting piercing tearing and surging sounds, like a basin of cold water poured onto a fiery red iron.
The Golden Wheel Law King landed and pursued for several dozen feet when a voice suddenly came from the flank.
“Monk, watch your palm.”
The Golden Wheel Law King was greatly startled. He looked over and saw a beggar carrying a vermilion gourd step forward and push out a palm. The Law King reacted by slashing horizontally with one palm like wielding a halberd.
Boom!
A dull sound of breaking wind buzzed around the two of them.
The Golden Wheel Law King retreated rapidly, his feet sinking into the muddy ground. After a few steps, he crashed into the crowd.
Having forced back the Golden Wheel Law King with a palm strike, Hong Qigong chuckled. His figure flickered, like a large bird soaring and dipping in the air, its silhouette extending and winding in the twilight glow as it rapidly departed.
More than thirty feet from the viewing stands, amidst the crowd, Huang Yaoshi, clad in green, flickered and vanished from his spot.
At Zhongnan Mountain, Huang Yaoshi had heard from Zhou Yan about the Heroes’ Banquet in Zhongdu. He guessed that Huang Rong might go to Daxing Prefecture and headed straight for Zhongdu after leaving the Ancient Tomb.
Hong Qigong had already known about this matter. He parted ways with Zhou Yan at Zhongnan Mountain and also rushed over.
In the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes, Ouyang Ke had abducted Cheng Yaojia, a disciple of Sun Buer, in Baoying County, Yangzhou. Hong Qigong had merely taught him a lesson, preventing Guo Jing from killing Ouyang Ke.
He would naturally not let the other party fall into the hands of the Golden Wheel Law King now.
Huang Yaoshi had a similar idea to Hong Qigong.
The Golden Wheel Law King, full of ambition, had allowed Zhou Yan to escape calmly due to his lack of combat experience, and was then severely humiliated by Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi.
…
The clamor from below the viewing stands was like a boiling ocean.
Many heroes were discussing Huang Rong’s statement that the Mongol army intended to raze Zhongdu. There were both doubters and believers. The silver-bearded elder who had said, “Those not of our kind will surely have different hearts,” at the start of the Heroes’ Banquet, shouted loudly, “What that young lady said is true. The one who attacked the foreign monk just now was the great Hong Bangzhu himself.”
“Yes, it was him. I recognize him too.”
“Everyone, disperse quickly, lest the Mongols have some other scheme.” The silver-bearded elder’s voice, like a resonant bell, carried far. Heroes with a sense of justice in the area roared and surged out in all directions.
Huo Du looked at the devastated scene, his gaze finally settling on the front rows. After the day’s competition, the more than thirty people who had won three matches and secured a seat at the Heroes’ Banquet were now less than half. These people had also taken the rewards given to them.
A sinister smile flickered across his face. He exhaled heavily and shifted his gaze to the Golden Wheel Law King.
The Law King, whose ambition had not yet been realized, watched the direction in which Hong Qigong had departed. He was expressionless, like a wooden post.
…
Clouds obscured the moon, and its brilliance vanished. As soon as night fell, it became deep.
Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, and Shi Bowei materialized in a forest in the western suburbs.
Shi Bowei bowed in thanks: “Thank you, great hero, for saving my life.”
Zhou Yan said, “Brother Shi, there’s no need for politeness.”
“Your life-saving grace is something I will repay with a gushing spring. If you ever need anything in the future, just send a message.”
“Certainly.”
Shi Bowei stated his lodging place and asked Huang Rong, “Is it true what you said about the Mongol army intending to slaughter Zhongdu?”
“It’s not false,” Zhou Yan answered for Huang Rong.
“I almost fell for it.”
Huang Rong smiled, “It’s not too late.”
“Indeed.”
“Brother Shi, did you hear about Zhongdu through hearsay?”
Shi Bowei said, “Yes. The Jin are cruel, and many in my clan have died at their hands. Now that the Mongol army is fighting the Jin dogs, they have a desire for revenge. Also, my brothers and I train fierce beasts and often travel through the Qinling Mountains and Beyond the Pass, passing through Mongol army territory. We thought of using the Little Prince of Mongolia’s connections to get some convenience, but who knew that scoundrel had such malicious intentions.”
Zhou Yan had been puzzled as to why Shi Bowei was participating in the Heroes’ Banquet. Hearing his words, he suddenly understood.
“Benefactor, what is your esteemed surname?”
“My name is Zhou Yan.”
“Benefactor Zhou.”
“We can call each other brothers.”
“How dare I. My brother and I are currently preparing how to help the Mongol soldiers. I will head there first. If Benefactor Zhou has time, please do visit Ten Thousand Beasts Manor.”
“Alright.”
“Farewell!”
“Take care.”
Shi Bowei cupped his hands in a bow, turned, and strode away. Huang Rong immediately said excitedly:
“When can we go to Ten Thousand Beasts Manor together and see if they’ve really raised tiger and leopard beasts or just some cats and dogs.”
