Chapter 274: Bamboo and Sword, Beggars’ Sect in Chaos
Hong Qigong knew Zhou Yan practiced Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms, and had independently comprehended the usage of “Eight Techniques” for “force.” He possessed superior insight and understanding of “force,” which was why he first spoke not of moves, but of the eight techniques: Trip, Chop, Entwine, Poke, Lift, Guide, Seal, and Turn. These eight techniques were also the skills for using “force.”
The “Trip” technique is like the Yangtze River, flowing continuously without allowing the opponent any chance to breathe. If one trip fails, a second follows, forming a chain. Though it is only the word “Trip,” it contains myriad variations.
Although the name “Dog Beating Stick Method” is crude, its variations are subtle and its techniques marvelous, truly being the foremost martial art of all time. Hundred Herbs Immortal rushed over from the bamboo forest, his figure flashing as he entered the bamboo hut. Hong Qigong was still explaining the “Trip” technique.
Before Zhou Yan began healing Hong Qigong, he had cautioned Yanbo Diaosou and Hundred Herbs Immortal not to be overly disturbed and not to speak with any third party. He listened to Hong Qigong’s words, finding them exquisite and profound, but had no time to ponder them deeply. He quickly said, “The Five Venoms Sect has arrived. This old man will risk his life to protect you, young friend, and Gang Leader Hong. The Five Venoms Sect excels at poison; to be safe, please take these pills for poison prevention and detoxification.”
Hundred Herbs Immortal knew Zhou Yan was immune to all poisons. He first retrieved Zhou Yan’s Qingfeng Sword and the cloth bag containing over ten stones. Drawing the sword, he placed it by his side, then took out a porcelain bottle from his robes, removed the stopper, and placed the bottle on the ground.
Hundred Herbs Immortal dared not speak further, only hoping to glean some information from Zhou Yan’s expression, to see if he had any other needs.
Zhou Yan’s gaze swept past Hong Qigong, falling directly onto the bamboo branches outside the window.
Hundred Herbs Immortal suddenly understood. When Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and others came to Hundred Herbs Valley, he carried a sword and a spear; this time, he only brought the Qingfeng Sword.
“An inch longer is an inch stronger.” Zhou Yan could not move, and Hundred Herbs Immortal mistook him for wanting a long weapon like a spear.
He took the Qingfeng Sword, his figure flashing as he moved outside. With a few swift slashes, he brought in a three-foot-three-inch long green bamboo, then placed the bamboo and the sword within Zhou Yan’s reach.
Zhou Yan’s eyes remained fixed forward. Hong Qigong, having taken the pills, continued to narrate the “Trip” technique.
Hundred Herbs Immortal knew his guess was correct and felt quite pleased internally. He turned and leaped out of the bamboo hut.
His strategy for dealing with the enemy was simple: “Lure the tiger away from its den,” to draw the Five Venoms Sect members away.
…
Yanbo Diaosou had already intercepted the Five Venoms Sect Leader.
Since meeting Zhou Yan, Yanbo Diaosou had experienced numerous encounters with formidable enemies and had witnessed the battle at Shaoshi Mountain, where Zhou Yan confronted Qiu Qianren, Jiang Kui, Ouyang Feng, and others. For someone of his profound cultivation, observing any contest between high-level martial artists was a priceless opportunity to broaden his horizons and inspire his creativity.
Therefore, Yanbo Diaosou’s strength had been steadily improving.
One man and one pole, suddenly appeared horizontally before the Five Venoms Sect Leader. His arrogant aura surged, making him impossible to underestimate.
The Five Venoms Sect Leader stopped, “Who is this old man?”
“I am Yanbo Diaosou of Dongting Lake. And who are you?”
The Five Venoms Sect resided in Yunnan and Guizhou for generations. Of the martial arts experts in the world, they knew only a handful, such as the Southern Emperor and the Northern Beggar. Heroes hide in the wilderness; the Five Venoms Sect Leader dared not be careless.
“I am Yuan Foshou, the Cult Leader of the Five Immortals Sect.”
After exchanging identities, Yuan Foshou said, “This is a feud between the Immortal Sect and the Hundred Medicines Sect. Do not interfere.”
Yanbo Diaosou chuckled, “What if I do interfere?”
Yuan Foshou chuckled lowly, “You seek hell when there is no gate.”
“Then let’s try.” Yanbo Diaosou finished speaking, holding the fishing rod with both hands, and thrust it out as if wielding a spear. The fishing rod moved like a spirit snake flicking its tongue within a small circle, and in an instant, it was before Yuan Foshou.
This fighting style, using a fishing rod as a spear, was truly beyond the Five Venoms Sect Leader’s expectations. He swung his sleeves, creating a gust of wind, and retreated a dozen feet. Yanbo Diaosou pressed forward. When he approached Yuan Foshou again, the fishing rod suddenly swung horizontally, trembling like a strange snake. With a series of “bang bang bang” sounds, several Five Venoms Sect cultists cried out in agony and fell backward.
Yuan Foshou, seeing that his sleeve-flung poison powder was ineffective against Yanbo Diaosou, and witnessing the opponent feinting to injure his disciples, roared in fury. He drew a soft whip from his waist. In the sunlight, the whip was covered in fine thorns and barbs, their tips gleaming with a faint blue light, clearly poisoned.
He flicked his wrist, and the poisoned whip, carrying a strong wind, lunged towards Yanbo Diaosou. Diaosou somersaulted backward, evading the long whip, and brought his fishing rod down like a club, using a staff technique.
One with a long whip, the other with a fishing rod, they fiercely battled. Hundred Herbs Immortal also arrived at this moment, his palms erupting with palm force like chopping, striking towards the Five Venoms Sect cultists.
…
The fierce fighting ebbed and flowed. As Hong Qigong finished explaining the eight techniques—Trip, Chop, Entwine, Poke, Lift, Guide, Seal, and Turn—and reached the eighteenth move, “Mad Dog Kicking Legs,” of the thirty-six moves of the “Dog Beating Stick Method,” chaotic footsteps approached.
Zhou Yan spoke, “Seventh Uncle, I will handle the rest. You focus on healing. No matter what, do not move.”
“This old beggar can hold his own,” Hong Qigong said, then fell silent. He closed his eyes, appearing like an old monk in meditation.
“Search house by house, see what elixirs and martial arts manuals that old man has.”
“Understood.” Commands and acknowledgments filled the air. After several dozen breaths, footsteps sounded outside the bamboo hut, and two big men appeared at the doorway.
“Someone’s here!”
The two Five Venoms Sect cultists jumped back. Seeing Zhou Yan and Hong Qigong motionless, one seasoned cultist observed for a while and said with relief, “You scared me. They’re just healing.”
The cultist walked directly towards the bamboo hut, saying, “No matter how capable they are, at this moment, these two are like useless individuals. Those two old men fought to the death, only to protect these two.”
As the opponent approached, Zhou Yan suddenly grabbed his sword with his right hand and thrust it out. This sword strike lacked much force; the move was ancient and simple, the Quanzhen Swordplay move “A Lone Boat.” It was originally a direct thrust to the chest, but Zhou Yan now aimed at the “Xiyang Acupoint” on the outer side of the opponent’s knee.
With a sword strike to the acupoint, the man’s knees went weak, and he fell to one knee with a thud. Zhou Yan then raised his longsword and thrust again, a move called “Sealing the Marquis.”
The man’s pupils bulged, his throat gurgled, and his body swayed before he collapsed on the ground.
The change in the blink of an eye was so fast that the big man behind him couldn’t react. Zhou Yan abandoned his sword and grabbed the long bamboo. The bamboo pole whistled towards the man ten feet away. The man shouted and hastily dodged to the left. The bamboo pole had already changed its trajectory to sweep to the right. The man leaped left, the bamboo pole swept right, and with a slight trip, the man tumbled to the ground.
The bamboo pole retracted like a phantom and poked, striking the opponent’s vital “Shufu Acupoint” dead point ten feet away. The clash of Qi energy and Qi and Blood through the dead point surged upwards to the Huagai and Tiantu acupoints, and collapsed downwards to the Shenque and Qihai acupoints. The man on the ground convulsed a few times, his life force rapidly dissipating.
Bamboo and sword, killing two people.
Zhou Yan, as if nothing had happened, continued to channel his internal force to heal Hong Qigong.
The sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets came from a nearby bamboo hut. Moments later, a Five Venoms Sect cultist inquired if there were any discoveries on Zhou Yan’s side. Seeing no response, three people headed towards the bamboo hut.
The sunlight under the eaves was broken by figures of varying heights.
As the three entered the hut, the one in front saw Zhou Yan, Hong Qigong, and the two corpses on the ground, his face turning ashen. With a “zheng” sound, his long saber was drawn.
“Chichichi!”
Zhou Yan flicked two stones, hitting the acupoints of the two men slightly further away. He then picked up the long bamboo and used the move “Evil Dog Blocking the Path,” positioning himself in front of the man who had drawn his saber. As the opponent swung his saber to chop, the long bamboo tilted and entwined, then swung outwards diagonally. This “Dog Beating Stick Method” was truly exquisite. Though lacking in power, it used the opponent’s force to deflect the saber aside.
Zhou Yan’s long bamboo slid down, and with a “trip” at the opponent’s legs…
The saber-wielding man lost his balance and fell to the ground. Zhou Yan retracted his long bamboo, poked, and struck three times in succession, hitting the “Yutang,” “Tiantu,” and “Zhongwan” major acupoints on the three men.
Zhou Yan could even hear the sound of blood vessels bursting as Qi energy and blood clashed. Blood instantly spurted from the mouths, noses, and eyes of the three big men.
A faint scent of blood permeated the air, but the surroundings fell silent.
The Five Venoms Sect had superior numbers. Hundred Herbs Immortal and Yanbo Diaosou first intercepted and inflicted casualties, then, upon angering the enemy, lured them away. However, some cultists rushed over to search for pills and martial arts manuals, only to die by Zhou Yan’s bamboo and sword.
The wind rustled through the forest, the bamboo leaves rustling. A setting sun passed the west window, and night descended.
…
Houses like a forest, eaves overlapping. In Yuezhou City, the lights in the houses converged into extending streams of fire, outlining the bustling city scene on a midsummer night.
In a brightly lit room, two Beggars’ Sect elders, though their clothes were patched, sat together. The wind blew past the overhanging eaves, and their voices could be heard.
“Still no news of the Gang Leader?”
“No.”
“It’s been ten days. Could the Gang Leader have passed away?”
“Elder Peng, do not speak nonsense,” the fair-skinned Beggars’ Sect elder immediately said.
The old beggar addressed as Elder Peng said, “But if he were truly alive, why has the search yielded nothing? Rumors from the Manichaeism and White Lotus Sect say the Gang Leader had successively fought the Vajra Sect’s sect leader and Ouyang Feng, the Western Venom, and was severely injured.”
“Didn’t they say he was rescued?”
“But Elder Liang, think about it. If he were alive, shouldn’t he have appeared long ago? There are also rumors that even if rescued, his cultivation is less than one-tenth of what it was.”
“That makes some sense.”
“If the Gang Leader has passed away, and Elder Lu happens to be in Zhongdu, wouldn’t this be the best time for my Clean Clothes Faction to manage the Beggars’ Sect?” Elder Peng said.
“But what if the Gang Leader is still alive, and the rumors are false?” Elder Liang asked.
Elder Peng did not reply directly. He pondered, when suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard from the courtyard.
The two stopped talking, and a Clean Clothes Faction disciple of the Beggars’ Sect entered, bowed, and said, “Your disciple greets the elders.”
Elder Liang recognized the person as a six-bag disciple of the sect, highly valued by Elder Peng.
After finishing his bow, the disciple quickly said, “Elders, something major has happened.”
“Tell us.”
“The Gang Leader’s Dog Beating Stick has appeared in the hands of a Manichaeism disciple.”
Elder Peng and Elder Liang said in unison, “Is that true?”
