Chapter 269: Killing Intent in the Wine
The sound of “thump, thump, thump” footsteps echoed from the stairs of Yueyang Tower, and the Ming Cult Leader Zhang Sanqiang, carrying an iron spear, walked up.
Within his sight, Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, and Huo Gong Toutuo had heads like steaming pots, with wisps of hot air rising straight up, the sounds of the flute and zither advancing and retreating, neither yielding to the other.
A disciple of the cult was swept towards Huang Yaoshi by Huo Gong Toutuo’s palm force. Huang Yaoshi, flute still in his mouth, lowered his shoulder and bumped, suddenly pushing the disciple back towards Huo Gong Toutuo.
Huang Yaoshi and Huo Gong Toutuo, separated by several yards, treated the disciple as a plaything, tossing and hitting him with their strength.
There were no diners left in the building. Zhang Sanqiang sat at a private room by the window, propped up his spear in its bag, and walked straight forward. As the disciple was sent flying towards Huang Yaoshi by Huo Gong Toutuo’s palm force, Zhang Sanqiang’s right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the opponent. His body remained still, but the wooden floor beneath his feet made a “crack” sound as it split.
“A skillful technique of shifting force,” Huo Gong Toutuo praised.
Zhang Sanqiang skillfully threw the disciple down from Yueyang Tower, cast a stern glance at him, and said in a low voice, “Treating my cult’s disciple as a plaything, I’ve noted this debt.”
Huo Gong Toutuo smiled sinisterly, “Shall we exchange a few moves?”
“Do you think I’m afraid of you?” Zhang Sanqiang sneered.
Ouyang Feng stopped playing the zither, and the sound of the flute also ceased.
Huo Gong Toutuo said, “Then let’s begin.”
“First, let you be drunk and full,” Zhang Sanqiang snorted and walked to the private room.
The sound of footsteps, “thump, thump,” echoed again. Everyone looked and saw an old man walking up, followed by a handsome middle-aged man.
Ouyang Feng laughed heartily, “Cult Leader Yu, we meet again.”
Yu Huacheng was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and said, “Indeed.”
After saying this, he walked to Zhang Sanqiang and sat down.
The White Lotus Saint Son summoned the shopkeeper for wine and food. The shopkeeper, trembling, brought wine upstairs with his assistants and left fearfully.
Hong Qigong pulled out the stopper of his wine gourd and took several large gulps, thinking that the martial arts realm of the people in Yueyang Tower was comparable to a Huashan Sword Discussion. Zhang Sanqiang and Yu Huacheng’s arrival was surely for the conflict between their two cults. Old Venomous was with the Vajra Sect leader, what about that? And Qiu Qianren appearing in Yueyang. It was a bit coincidental.
As he thought this, his gaze turned to the lake. He wondered how that kid Zhou Yan was doing in his sword fight.
…
Jiang Kui’s longsword danced, unleashing a sky-filling, crisscrossing, radiant cold lightning that enveloped Zhou Yan. Each sword thrust was like hanging silk. Zhou Yan dodged and weaved, his initial speed incredibly fast, his rapid and fierce movements as graceful as a dance.
But as the net-like sword styles continued to fall, Zhou Yan’s movements began to become sluggish, like a butterfly stuck in a spider’s web.
“This is not looking good,” Yanbo Diaosou muttered to himself.
At the bow of the boat, the escorts from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency showed expressions of joy.
Huang Rong was not anxious at all; she understood Zhou Yan too well.
Her earlier questioning was not without purpose; it was definitely aimed at something. She stared at Zhou Yan with a smile.
Zhou Yan was single-minded, listening to the Azure Sea Tide Sound, and streams of inner qi sprayed out from the five major acupoints—Niwan, Zhiyang, Kaiyang, Weilü, and Guanyuan—pulsing with the flute’s rhythm, continuously accumulating in his meridians.
“Spring arrives, green appears, temples turn white with hair, after a long separation, sorrow is not born. Who teaches the red lotus night year after year, two souls sighing, each knowing their own pain.”
With the final line of the song “Partridge Sky” falling, Jiang Kui let out a long cry, his eyebrows bristling. His ancient greatsword lunged forward from the center, a desperate gamble with all his might, a strike of heaven and earth.
Because of Zhou Yan’s sluggish footwork, this sword strike suddenly looked as if he were charging into the greatsword.
“Be careful,” Yanbo Diaosou shouted.
Zhou Yan stepped forward with his left foot, a move called “Dingyang Needle” thrusting forward diagonally. This move was full of spirit and energy, with strength, skill, form, and power all perfectly balanced, without any flaws.
“Clang,” the two swords met. Jiang Kui was about to skillfully deflect the force when suddenly Zhou Yan’s Qingfeng Sword pressed down.
With the press, Zhou Yan followed up by using the Qi Guiding Method of the Azure Sea Tide Sound to force out his inner qi.
Force propelled movement, rotating the entire pelvis. The inner qi in the Dantian surged through the Ren and Du meridians, passed through the Three Yang Meridians of the Hand, and flowed from the acupoints of the palms and fingers towards the Qingfeng Sword.
A clear, bright radiance suddenly exploded from the longsword. Jiang Kui’s clothes on his chest were all shattered, his robe torn, a few strands of his beard snapped, and then ground into powder by the sword qi.
“My apologies!” Zhou Yan’s figure flickered, and he landed at one end of the bamboo raft.
Yanbo Diaosou was dumbfounded; this turn of events was truly unexpected.
Huang Rong was overjoyed. Zhou Yan had indeed acted with purpose, clearly hiding his strength and luring the opponent to expend their inner force. But that move just now was truly magnificent.
Jiang Kui was still shocked by what had just happened. The sword qi that burst from Zhou Yan’s longsword struck his body, feeling like a knife cut. This was…
“Sword Qi!” the Chief Escort of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency murmured.
“It’s not worthy of being presented to the public. Chief Escort Jiang, you jest.”
Jiang Kui was able to take it in stride. He laughed at himself, “I have practiced swordsmanship for decades, yet I have never been able to project inner qi as formless sword qi like you. If this is a humble skill not worthy of being presented to the public, then all swordsmen in the world would be ashamed. I keep my word; the enmity between Fu’an, Dragon Gate, and Young Hero Zhou is now settled.”
“Thank you, Chief Escort Jiang.”
Jiang Kui nodded, said no more, turned, and leaped from the bamboo raft onto the large boat.
“Brother Diaosou, dock at Yueyang Tower. Chief Hong is still there,” Zhou Yan leaped onto the small boat.
“Alright,” Yanbo Diaosou rowed the boat, picking up Huang Rong along the way. The three landed on the shore.
Gongsun Zhi withdrew his gaze from Zhou Yan and said hatefully, “What a shame, such a good opportunity.”
Qiu Qianren looked towards Yueyang Tower and said, “Don’t rush, there will be opportunities. Let’s go and see.”
“Okay!”
The large boat approached the lakeshore. Qiu Qianren, Gongsun Zhi, Helian Chuncheng, and others leaped ashore and moved towards Yueyang Tower.
…
Before Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, and Yanbo Diaosou reached Yueyang Tower, they saw dozens of people fighting. A figure like a thunderbolt rushed forward, holding a long staff, and in an instant, many people were smashed to the ground.
A voice came from the crowd, “The Dharma King has arrived! Everyone, put in more effort and uproot the White Lotus Sect’s branch!”
Huang Rong said, “Earlier in Yueyang Tower, two groups of people started fighting and sent signal flares. The other side said things like the Ming Cult’s lingering evil.”
Zhou Yan suddenly realized that this must be the Ming Cult actively attacking the White Lotus Sect, and it might be related to him injuring Yu Huacheng on Funiu Mountain.
The sounds of the zither and flute in Yueyang Tower had long since stopped.
Zhou Yan and the other two bypassed the chaotic fighting and went upstairs.
They saw Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, and Hong Qigong sitting together, while Huo Gong Toutuo, Ouyang Ke, and the White Lotus Saint Son sat separately.
By the window was a table, where Zhang Sanqiang and the old man sat facing each other at the ends of a square table.
Yu Huacheng, the leader of the White Lotus Sect.
Zhou Yan remained calm, having long ago analyzed the possibility that Zhang Sanqiang and Yu Huacheng would come here if they were in Yuezhou. Now, his guess was merely confirmed.
As the three appeared, Huang Rong ran to Huang Yaoshi’s side, “I heard the zither just now. Were Uncle Ouyang and Huo Gong Toutuo ganging up on Father?”
Ouyang Feng smiled sinisterly, “I was just adding some excitement for your father.”
“I don’t believe you,” Huang Rong made a funny face.
“Brother Huang, you’re amazing. To have such a beautiful young lady,” Ouyang Feng said.
Hong Qigong clicked his tongue and sighed, “Old Venomous and I are ultimately inferior to Brother Yao in one aspect.”
“Exactly, exactly,” Ouyang Feng said with a smile.
Huang Yaoshi felt proud hearing them praise Huang Rong and said, “Seventh Brother, Brother Feng, you flatter me.”
After the three spoke, Zhou Yan then greeted Zhang Sanqiang and Huang Yaoshi.
Huo Gong Toutuo smiled sinisterly, “Kid, we meet again.”
“Indeed!” Zhou Yan nodded and sat down with Yanbo Diaosou.
The sound of footsteps echoed again. Everyone looked and saw Qiu Qianren, Gongsun Zhi, Helian Chuncheng, and others.
Yanbo Diaosou chuckled and said to Zhou Yan, “All sorts of characters have arrived.”
“Indeed!”
Qiu Qianren fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan and said, “Brother Ouyang, Island Lord Huang, Chief Hong, Master, we meet again.”
The few people responded one by one.
The leader of the Iron Palm Sect sat at a table not far from Zhou Yan and summoned an assistant for wine and food.
…
Signal flares rose and fell in the sky one after another, and the sounds of chaotic fighting from outside continued, making the atmosphere in Yueyang Tower somewhat tense.
The people inside the building could be described as enemies meeting again.
Zhang Sanqiang, Yu Huacheng.
Huo Gong Toutuo, Huang Yaoshi.
Zhou Yan, Vajra Sect.
Ouyang Feng and Zhang Sanqiang had also fought a life-or-death battle before.
The atmosphere was like a standoff. Ouyang Feng pondered that with the Old Beggar, Huang Yaoshi, and Zhang Sanqiang present, if he were to summon poisonous snakes and set up a snake formation now, it would be a rare opportunity. Eliminating the three would also allow him to obtain the Ming Cult Leader’s force-shifting cultivation technique, making him the undisputed number one in the world. However, the terrain was unfavorable. The Old Beggar and Huang Yaoshi could leap into Dongting Lake. Never mind, he would first test whether Huang Yaoshi was willing to marry his daughter to Ke’er before making a decision.
Qiu Qianren drank wine from his bowl, thinking that with the White Lotus Sect and the Ming Cult fighting, his Iron Palm Sect could profit from the situation. The more intense the fighting, the better.
Huo Gong Toutuo’s sinister gaze occasionally lingered on Zhou Yan and Huang Yaoshi, contemplating his chances of victory if he joined forces with Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren to deal with Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, and Zhang Sanqiang.
As Huo Gong Toutuo thought this, he pushed the wine bowl on the table with his right hand, “Kid, you injured my worthless second disciple in the Western Regions, and I truly underestimated you.”
Zhou Yan knew that Huo Gong Toutuo was referring to Bao Xian, and that he had rescued Ku Hui and others from Bao Xian.
“Do you have the courage to drink a bowl of wine with this old monk?”
“Why not?”
“Haha, you have courage.” Huo Gong Toutuo picked up a bowl and poured wine. The wine bowl spun rapidly in his hand, not spilling a single drop. Then, it suddenly left the table and flew across more than two yards towards Zhou Yan.
Yanbo Diaosou’s figure shot up instantly, but Zhou Yan said, “No.” He drew his sword, and as the flying wine bowl landed on his sword, he, having cultivated the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms, had long since mastered Collapse Force, Push Force, Peng Force, Coiling Force, and Entwine Force to perfection.
The Qingfeng Sword rested on the wine bowl. The sword moved from left to right, using the Jade Maiden Swordplay move “Lifting the Bowl to the Eyebrows” to deflect the force.
The wine bowl reached his face. He raised his left hand and drank it down in one gulp. He took another bowl, filled it with tea, and said, “It is impolite not to reciprocate. I will use tea instead of wine.”
Zhou Yan held the bowl in his right hand and flicked his middle finger. The wine bowl suddenly flew back.
