Chapter 214: Hua Zheng Jumps into the River, Slaying the Villain and Capturing the King
Sprinkling blossoms, falling goose feathers.
The fast boat, drifting downstream, broke through the snow mist and rapidly approached the large boat.
A burly man in black tight-fitting clothes on the leading fast boat said, “Thank you, Leader Sha, Lord Hou.”
Sha Tongtian gave a sinister smile, “You’re welcome, Hall Master Dai, do you need help from my fellow disciples?”
The big man said proudly, “The underwater is for the Yellow River Gang, and the surface matters can be handled by the Iron Palm Sect.”
“Good.”
Sha Tongtian said no more, jumped into the river with a splash, followed by the Three-Headed Flood Dragon Hou Tonghai and seven or eight Yellow River Gang water ghosts, who plunged into the bone-chilling river and disappeared into the waves.
The fast boat continued forward. The Iron Palm Sect big man drew his long saber, and as the two boats drew near, he leaped onto the large boat. In an instant, over twenty people from several fast boats either leaped or threw grappling hooks, using various means to board the large boat.
…
“Ah!” a hysterical scream erupted from the large boat. Guo Jing, who was discussing affairs with Tolay, Zhebie, Hua Zheng, and others, was startled, but in a flash, more screams followed one after another.
“Not good, someone is hijacking the boat.” Guo Jing rushed out, while Hua Zheng and Zhebie grabbed their bows and arrows.
Hua Zheng had only taken two steps when she saw a figure flashing on the oiled paper of the window towards the door. She drew her bow and arrow, and shot an arrow through the thin window paper.
Guo Jing stepped out of the room, and in his field of vision, a sword light rose like streaks of light, then froze. The person’s head was pierced by a long arrow shot from inside the room.
“Ah!” The black-clothed big man screamed and fell out. Guo Jing bent down to pick up the longsword on the ground and, using the Quanzhen Swordplay taught by Ma Yu and Qiu Chuji when he traveled north from Lin’an, stabbed at the man Sha Tongtian called Hall Master Dai.
Hall Master Dai swung his steel knife furiously, “Clang!” Sparks flew, and both men staggered. The Hall Master’s long saber moved like a storm, each strike heavier than the last, intending to shatter Guo Jing. Guo Jing retreated while parrying, the clanging sounds like rain on banana leaves, but no matter how he wielded his sword, he couldn’t break through the opponent’s saber techniques.
The sounds of fighting instantly erupted on the large boat.
Ke Zhen’e, Zhu Cong, Han Xiaoying, and others on the boat ahead leaped out of their rooms. In their sight, on the distant large boat, a burly man was slashing with his steel saber like thunder, forcing Guo Jing to retreat continuously.
“Jing’er!” Han Xiaoying shouted anxiously.
The two large boats were separated by more than ten zhang, one in front of the other. Even Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi were too far away to intervene, let alone Han Xiaoying and the others.
Zhu Cong immediately said, “Lower the sails.”
Han Xiaoying suddenly realized, leaped up, and landed below the mast. With several swift slashes, she cut the sail ropes.
The sail descended like a patch of green cloud, and the large boat’s speed greatly reduced.
As Ke Zhen’e and the others gathered at the stern, watching nervously, they first saw the large boat sailing towards the shore, and then it began to move uncontrollably sideways on the water.
“Not good, someone is drilling holes in the boat.” Zhu Cong’s expression changed, and he leaped into the river.
Ke Zhen’e and the others were from Jiangnan and were familiar with water, especially Han Xiaoying, the “Jade Maiden Sword,” who was from a fishing family.
Han Xiaoying abandoned her sword, found a dagger, and leaped into the river waves, following Zhu Cong.
The short, stout Han Baoju shouted, “I haven’t swum in over ten years.” As he spoke, he sprang up and fell into the river.
In an instant, only the lone Flying Bat remained at the bow of the large boat.
He had martial arts and hidden weapons skills, but at this moment, he was helpless. He could only hear the sounds of weapons clashing becoming more frequent in the distance, and he impatiently kept hitting the ship’s side with his steel staff.
“Jing’er, your Second Master and the others are coming. Hold on,” Ke Zhen’e shouted.
…
Guo Jing’s large boat, besides Hua Zheng, Zhebie, and others, also had dozens of Mongolian soldiers. These soldiers were fierce, but how could they be a match for the experts of the Iron Palm Sect?
Hua Zheng saw an Iron Palm Sect expert charging towards her. The saber light in the air made a sharp sound like tearing silk as it entered the body of a Mongolian soldier in front of her. The soldier’s neck was cut diagonally, and his entire upper body was severed, with viscous blood spraying everywhere.
The big man grinned, sheathed his saber, and attacked with a seizing technique, “Come here, little girl.”
Hua Zheng glanced at Guo Jing, turned, and leaped into the great river.
Her gray skirt bloomed in the air for a moment before disappearing into the river.
“Young Lady Hua Zheng!” Guo Jing’s eyes turned red, wanting to jump into the river to rescue Hua Zheng, but he was trapped by the saber techniques of Hall Master Dai’s long saber and couldn’t break free.
As Guo Jing was in disarray, a voice suddenly rang out, “Hey, kid, why is your Quanzhen Swordplay so poor? Who taught you?”
He was dazed and couldn’t hear. The Hall Master surnamed Dai was greatly alarmed. He suddenly withdrew his saber and leaped up to look, only to see a small old man with long hair, long eyebrows, and a long beard sitting on the mast, who had appeared at some unknown time.
“Who are you?”
“I’m asking you, kid?”
The sword light in Guo Jing’s vision receded. Without hesitation, he turned and walked a few steps, shouting, “Young Lady Hua Zheng, I’m coming to save you.”
“What a fool.”
Zhou Botong tugged at his beard, cursing angrily.
…
Poyang Lake Water Village.
As “swish, swish, swish” sounds of breaking air rang out, streaks of white airflow cut through the wind and snow, and stones accurately struck the heads of four Ming Cult disciples guarding the prison.
The disciples felt a splitting pain from their heads, their consciousness sank, and they fell to the ground.
Zhou Yan descended from the roof of the prison cell.
The prison was a stone cave built against the mountain. Zhou Yan searched the Ming Cult disciples one by one, found the key, and opened the iron door.
“Xiaowu.”
A surprised voice suddenly rang out from inside, “Head Escort!”
Zhou Yan lit a fire starter. In the musty stone cave, the light illuminated the figures of Liang Xiaowu and three others.
Liang Xiaowu and the others were not wearing leg shackles. The young escort threw himself beside Zhou Yan, “Head Escort, Xiaowu has failed you and the escort bureau, losing the escort.”
Zhou Yan said gently, “How is your body?”
“It’s fine.”
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Liang Xiaowu followed Zhou Yan out of the stone cave, picked up the long saber on the ground, and then saw an Indian Monk and a man holding a sword walking out of the woods on the side of the stone prison.
Liang Xiaowu was stunned for a moment, then quickly recognized the other person as Liu Qingzhou of the Hengshan Sect, whom he had met in Hengshan City.
Zhou Yan and Liu Qingzhou left the meeting hall, first effortlessly brought out the Indian Monk, and then went to the stone prison to rescue the people.
“Amitabha, Escort Liang has suffered,” the Indian Monk said with his palms clasped together.
“It’s good that Master is unharmed.”
“Goodness, goodness.”
Zhou Yan said to Liang Xiaowu, “I’ll capture the bandit leader, you escort the divine monk first towards the mountain forest by the arrow tower.”
“Okay.”
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry, Head Escort.”
Zhou Yan patted Xiaowu’s shoulder, then turned to Liu Qingzhou and said, “Let’s go, Brother Liu.”
Liu Qingzhou smiled, turned, and leaped into the wind and snow, disappearing.
Zhou Yan’s figure flickered and disappeared from the sight of Liang Xiaowu and the Indian Monk.
…
“Brother Diaosou.”
The wind and snow filled the sky, and the four directions were vast.
Zhou Yan’s low voice echoed in the night outside the meeting hall.
“The person has been rescued?” Yanbo Diaosou asked.
“Yes, how is it here?” Zhou Yan asked.
“Still the same few people, no one has entered or left.”
Zhou Yan chuckled lowly and said, “I’ll capture Cheng Hu, and the remaining few will be handed over to Brother Diaosou and Brother Liu. Let’s finish this quickly.”
“I will have a go at the Demonic Cult fiend.” Yanbo Diaosou’s fishing rod suddenly shot out.
…
“Brothers, let’s do it.”
The cold wind howled outside the meeting hall, but it was warm as spring inside.
The strong liquor burned his throat. Cheng Hu had already taken off his padded jacket. As he raised his wine bowl, his twisted muscles coiled like pythons with the flexion and extension of his arm.
“Bang!” The entire window flew out without warning. Through the open window, Zhou Yan’s figure shot in like a furious arrow.
“Not good!” Cheng Hu shouted, kicking the brazier towards Zhou Yan. He flipped backward, and as he landed, he drew a three-section staff from his lower back.
Zhou Yan’s feet landed. The red-hot brazier whistled towards him with a sharp whistling sound. “Clang!” A streak of green light suddenly exploded. The Qingfeng Sword was placed beneath the brazier. He flicked his wrist, and the long sword vibrated, deflecting the force of the brazier.
Zhou Yan’s Qingfeng Sword held the brazier. The brazier spun with him like swift wind returning snow, as if it were attached to the long sword and circled him once, then flew up with a whoosh, tumbling and smashing out.
Suddenly, embers scattered everywhere, and the meeting hall was like a large firework exploding.
Several leaders shouted and scattered. A Ming Cult leader who fell into Zhou Yan’s path of agile advance saw a sword light, brighter than the embers, zoom in. He grabbed a bench and smashed it down. The Qingfeng Sword pierced through the bench, and the tip of the sword lightly touched the “Tiantu Acupoint” at the intersection of the Ren Meridian and Yinwei Meridian below his throat before quickly retracting.
The Qi Energy surged through the mortal point and clashed with the Qi and Blood, pushing up the Huagai and collapsing the Qihai. The leader’s life force instantly withered.
Zhou Yan’s figure moved with his steps, bypassing the leader who was still holding the bench, and his Qingfeng Sword stabbed towards Cheng Hu.
“Good!” Cheng Hu roared. The three-section staff rapidly flicked upwards, pointing at the Qingfeng Sword.
With a “clang,” the Qingfeng Sword was knocked flying. Cheng Hu rejoiced, but in an instant, the smile that had not yet bloomed on his face froze. Zhou Yan’s left hand darted out and grasped the three-section staff.
“Let go!”
Cheng Hu felt an overwhelming and irresistible force surge through the straight three-section staff. His tiger’s mouth instantly split, and the three-section staff flew out of his hand.
The staff suddenly swept horizontally from Zhou Yan’s hand, whipping Cheng Hu’s waist like a whip.
“Bang!”
Cheng Hu flew sideways and crashed to the ground.
