Chapter 259: The Great King and the Little Ghosts Appear Together
The sky meets the pond’s jade, and the sunset’s glow paints the clouds red.
The sun had not yet set, and its rays were not intense. Below Tongbai Mountain, by the side of the road near Biyun Pond, the teahouse appeared entirely white at first glance.
An old man with white hair, white beard, and white eyebrows; a middle-aged man in a white robe; and a delicate-looking woman in a white dress.
Eight women were seated around two wooden tables.
The old man and the man occupied another table.
As the old man drank his tea, he spoke with a rather solemn tone: “In this era of the Great Song Dynasty, the imperial court is in disarray. Treacherous officials hold power above, and corrupt officials commit evil below. The gentry and powerful families oppress the good and honest. Externally, the Jin Dynasty engages in burning, killing, and looting. The people of the world have long harbored resentment. We can rally heroes and act for heaven.”
The man said, “The Cult Leader is far-sighted.”
“If we can persuade Tongbai Mountain and Funiu Mountain to join this time, it can be said that ‘when the time is right, heaven and earth will unite.'”
“With the Cult Leader’s personal visit, success will naturally be achieved. Our sect will then be no inferior to the Ming Cult.”
“A message from the Xiangyang branch reported that Zhang Sanqiang appeared in the city during early spring. Later, he appeared at Shaoshi Mountain, announced his identity, and fought Western Venom Ouyang Feng, gaining fame in one battle. His northward journey is certainly to spread our teachings and expand our influence; how can we underestimate the Ming Cult?”
“Wuse understands.”
The man called himself Wuse and respected the old man as the Cult Leader.
The old man and the young man were none other than the White Lotus Sect Leader Yu Huacheng and the White Lotus Saint Son Wuse.
As the two spoke, the clamor of carts and horses grew, and soon, a grand escort team approached. The leading escorts were spirited and proud. The escort carts, which could leave tire tracks on the dusty road, took a full mealtime to pass completely.
The shop assistants outside the teahouse watched the escort team with greedy eyes.
Wuse, inside the teahouse, said, “The scale of this escort team is unusual. Passing through here, they must be heading south to Jiangnan. Should we arrange for someone to follow them?”
“Look at those head escorts; they are all imposing and have extraordinary bearing. This is a major matter, so let’s not get involved. Let’s go.”
“Alright!”
Wuse nodded, no longer insisting on robbing the escort. The two rose, followed by the eight women.
“Shopkeeper, serve us some good tea.”
As Yu Huacheng and Wuse were about to leave the teahouse, a voice suddenly rang out, and a group of people entered through the curtain of light under the overhanging eaves.
Coincidentally, the other party also had men and women, all dressed in white.
Wuse looked at the man who was about his age. He saw that the man was wearing a white satin robe embroidered with gold thread, holding a folding fan, and had a handsome appearance with a dashing and elegant demeanor. Behind him followed eight women, each with the beauty to make fish sink and geese fall. Behind the beautiful women were several white-robed servants.
Yu Huacheng’s gaze fell on the older man. The man was tall, with a high nose and deep-set eyes, his beard brown and yellow, and his eyes sharp as knives and swords.
“Old man, have you seen enough?” Suddenly, the man in front of Yu Huacheng asked, his voice clanging like metal.
Wuse’s face flushed with anger.
The eight women collectively cried out, “How dare you be so rude!”
With a rustle, the man in front of Wuse opened his folding fan. The women behind him also giggled and said, “So what if we’re rude?”
…
The wind blew through the forest, around the overhanging eaves, and the atmosphere inside and outside the teahouse suddenly became tense. In the lush forest, sounds of defiance rang out, “White Lotus Saint Son Wuse, Young Master of White Camel Mountain Ouyang Ke. Western Venom, Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. If a fight breaks out, it will be a feast for the eyes.”
Zhou Yan chuckled.
After the battle at Shaoshi Mountain concluded, Zhou Yan, Yanbo Diaosou, Zhang Wangyue, Lu Beihe, and others went to Cuya Mountain. They discussed eliminating the bandits of Tongbai Mountain and Funiu Mountain, and the Zhenwei Young Master arranged for reconnaissance beforehand.
Zhenwei Escort Agency had thoroughly investigated some of the black inns operated by the two strongholds along the official road.
The teahouse was one of them.
When traveling merchants stopped at the teahouse for tea and rest, if the shopkeeper and assistants saw that the merchants carried gold and silver, and there was profit to be made, they would send a carrier pigeon. Within a mealtime, the bandits from the mountain strongholds would receive the message and rush out to kill and rob.
Zhou Yan and Yanbo Diaosou, who were following the escort team, had already been lying in wait in the forest outside the teahouse. They were waiting for the other party to send a carrier pigeon, and then they would act as the mantis stalking the cicada, killing them all to prevent the other party from discovering the Cuya Mountain team following closely behind the escort.
What was originally a simple assassination mission unexpectedly saw the appearance of the White Lotus Sect Leader Yu Huacheng, the White Lotus Saint Son Wuse, and the Ouyang brothers.
The world is vast, and there are many people with the same name and surname. Zhou Yan dared not be certain whether the White Lotus Saint Son Wuse was the Zen Master Wuse of Shaolin Temple from the Divine Condor era.
Observing the scene before him, he felt a sense of amusement, as if Ouyang Ke also had an opponent.
The two were of similar age, both dressed in white, with beautiful women accompanying them on either side. However, in terms of martial arts, Ouyang Ke’s beautiful concubines were far inferior to the White Lotus Sect female disciples accompanying Wuse.
On that day at Dragon and Tiger Mountain, the eight women used white silk as their weapon and jointly executed a “White Silk Formation.” Liu Qingzhou was caught off guard and almost torn apart.
“Why have Ouyang Feng and his nephew appeared here? Could they also be heading to Tongbai Mountain?” Zhou Yan asked, watching intently. Yanbo Diaosou suddenly inquired.
Zhou Yan said, “The possibility is slim. If Qiu Qianren had appeared, it might be possible. Ouyang Feng is, after all, a master of the Martial Dao.”
“That’s true. What about the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?”
In Yanbo Diaosou’s eyes, both the Manichaean Sect and the White Lotus Sect were demonic cults. Zhang Sanqiang was a decent person, but his followers were of mixed quality. Compared to the Manichaean Sect, the White Lotus Sect was even more deplorable.
“Yu Huacheng is a possibility.”
“Why?” Yanbo Diaosou asked.
“Didn’t you say that the White Lotus Sect, the Ming Cult, and the Beggars’ Sect are constantly in conflict in Western Hunan? If there is conflict, they must expand their strength.”
“That makes sense.” Yanbo Diaosou nodded and looked towards the teahouse.
…
Ouyang Ke’s beautiful concubine said, “So what if we’re rude?”
The woman behind Wuse’s eyes widened in anger, “How dare you!”
With a swish, two white silks flew into the air, directly attacking the beautiful concubine who had spoken.
Ouyang Ke saw the white silks coming and knew that his beautiful concubine was far inferior to the opponent. He actually felt quite envious. If his beautiful concubine could do this, wouldn’t it be beautiful and graceful in combat?
“Not bad skill,” Ouyang Ke thought, smiling slightly. Suddenly, he grabbed one white silk in each hand. “Come here.”
How could the two White Lotus Sect female disciples be a match for Ouyang Ke, who had cultivated the Nine Yin Manual? They felt an irresistible force pulling the white silks, and before they could resist, their bodies were dragged forward.
“I’ll spar with you, Young Master,” Wuse suddenly grabbed Ouyang Ke’s arms. Ouyang Ke’s arms sank and then separated, releasing the white silks and grabbing back. Simultaneously, a hidden kick was delivered from below.
Wuse was furious. This was an attempt to cripple him! He retaliated with a spring leg kick. Their calves collided in mid-air. Ouyang Ke’s body swayed, and his fist lunged towards Wuse.
“Well done!” Wuse roared. His palms flashed like lightning, creating several arcs. His palms produced a faint sound of wind and clouds as they surged towards Ouyang Ke.
From the very first exchange, both Ouyang Ke and Wuse intended to break the other’s spirit immediately. They attacked head-on, and the thunderous roars were incessant, with dust churning and billowing.
Two white figures continuously rotated, moving from the teahouse entrance to the pavilion by the clear water pond.
After dozens of exchanges, Ouyang Ke saw that the battle was prolonged and became anxious. It was one thing to be unable to defeat Zhou Yan, but how could he encounter just any young man who was so difficult to deal with? He was forced to use his peerless skill to gain an advantage.
As he thought this, he suddenly threw a punch. Wuse raised his hand to block. Unexpectedly, Ouyang Ke’s arm seemed to lose its bones, turning with the momentum. With a clap, Wuse was hit on the neck by a punch.
Wuse grunted, stumbled back, and Ouyang Ke pressed his attack. Wuse dodged to the side, and Ouyang Ke’s arm became like a soft whip, bending arbitrarily in the air. With a thud, Wuse was hit on the left shoulder again.
Seeing Wuse losing to Ouyang Ke’s strange boxing technique, Yu Huacheng suddenly lunged towards Ouyang Ke.
Ouyang Feng smiled sinisterly, his body surging forward to block the White Lotus Cult Leader. His palms opened and closed rapidly, and a fierce whistling gust of wind, carrying the force to split mountains and crack stones, suddenly attacked.
The speed of the two was too great. Only a few “boom” sounds were heard, and the bluestone ground was shattered. Ouyang Feng’s unstoppable advance was met by Yu Huacheng’s elusive movements, like a supremely soft white python slithering around. In the ensuing hundred exchanges, Yu Huacheng retreated outside the pavilion.
The pavilion was not large, with four wooden pillars. Yu Huacheng clasped the pillars with both hands, suddenly exerted force, and dismantled them, sweeping them towards Ouyang Feng.
Ouyang Feng’s body floated out ten feet and landed on the ground.
Yu Huacheng pushed the pillars and charged forward. Ouyang Feng crouched slightly, let out a “Ge” sound, and pushed forward with both palms.
Ouyang Feng’s cultivation of the Yijin Forging Bone Chapter had greatly increased his internal force. The force of his Toad Stance push was incomparable to when he fought Zhang Sanqiang at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in Xiangyang.
With a loud “boom,” the wooden pillars in Yu Huacheng’s hands shattered into pieces. He was forced back several steps, crashing into another pillar of the pavilion. With a “crack,” the pavilion collapsed with a rumble.
Yu Huacheng’s body leaped into the air, breaking through the roof and landing on the tree crown of a lush tree by the pond.
Ouyang Feng smiled sinisterly, “Your martial arts are quite good, old man. State your name.”
Yu Huacheng said in a deep voice, “What is your name?”
“Ouyang Feng!”
The White Lotus Cult Leader was shocked to hear this, “So you are the Western Venom Ouyang Feng who fought Zhang Sanqiang at Shaoshi Mountain.”
“Indeed. And who are you, old man?”
“I am Yu Huacheng, the Cult Leader of the White Lotus Sect. It was a misunderstanding just now; please forgive my offense.”
Ouyang Feng knew from Qiu Qianren that the White Lotus Sect and the Manichaean Sect were in conflict, and Zhang Sanqiang was an opponent. Therefore, there was no need to make an enemy of Yu Huacheng over a trivial matter. Perhaps in the future, they could join forces to deal with the Manichaean Sect and seize that marvelous movement technique.
“So it is Cult Leader Yu. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Master Ouyang knows of this old man?” Yu Huacheng took a step forward and landed on the ground.
“I have heard of your reputation.”
“My name is not worth mentioning. This old man has important matters to attend to and must leave. I will apologize to Master Ouyang another day.”
“Certainly, please do!”
“Farewell!”
Yu Huacheng cupped his hands in a salute and walked towards the official road. Wuse and the others, who had long since stopped fighting, hurriedly followed. After they had walked a distance, Wuse said, “I never expected to encounter Ouyang Feng right after mentioning him at the teahouse. Zhang Sanqiang and Ouyang Feng have fought before, and they are now enemies. This disciple thought the Cult Leader would have a conversation with him.”
Yu Huacheng said, “At the battle of Shaoshi Mountain, Ouyang Feng was with the Jin Dynasty Crown Prince. He has dealings with the Jin Dynasty. Why would I become close with him just to deal with Zhang Sanqiang?”
“The Cult Leader is right.”
As the two walked away, Ouyang Feng had no mood to linger in the ruined teahouse and took Ouyang Ke to find another place to rest.
The expressions of the teahouse shopkeeper and assistants, who had been frightened by the fight, became lively.
“Boss, so these two are the famous Western Venom Ouyang Feng and the White Lotus Sect Leader Yu Huacheng.”
“Indeed!”
“What an eye-opener. I wonder why they both appeared at Tongbai Mountain at the same time,” said the shop assistant.
“It’s none of our business. Don’t meddle in other people’s affairs. Our main business is important. That escort team just now was a fat sheep.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
The shopkeeper took a brush and ink and wrote a message on a piece of paper. The shop assistant took a carrier pigeon from the coop in the cupboard. The shopkeeper put the paper into a message tube, walked out of the teahouse, and released the carrier pigeon.
He returned to the teahouse and said with anticipation, “With this escort captured, we should get a lot of silver.”
The shop assistant obsequiously poured tea for the shopkeeper.
Suddenly, with a loud “boom,” earth and stones shot out from the wall, and a long sword pierced the mud wall, embedding itself in the shopkeeper’s neck.
“Ah!”
The shop assistant cried out and darted towards the outside of the teahouse. A fishing rod was swung over with a swish, and the fishhook embedded itself in the shop assistant’s nape. The shop assistant was lifted high and flung towards the pond by the pavilion.
