20 matches
Because the most famous martial arts competition was held at dawn, and I had neither a noble status nor a pass, I had no choice but to climb to the summit of Shaolin Temple on Mount Song under the cover of darkness, find a tree, and spend the night there. In the morning, I got hungry and went to find something to eat.
"Ruo Yao?" I spotted a familiar figure at the tea stall in the distance. Although Ruo Yao was also disguised, I recognized him at a glance. After all, we're brothers, so we're quite familiar with each other.
"Why are you here too? You always say you need to take care of business matters?" I sat down in front of him, and Ruoyao still smiled calmly.
"There's nothing I can do; my conscience is being held hostage."
"How is that possible? Isn't he a highly skilled martial artist?"
“There are even stronger people who can steal the seed. Besides, Huixin is just a reckless fool, not very smart. Moreover, the person who kidnapped him is a master of drugs.”
"So, Zijin is alright?" I was completely bewildered by the sudden news and didn't know how to react.
“The kidnapper’s only target is Repentance. I’ll rescue him, and Zijin will manage the business for me and take care of Lianxi as well,” Ruoyao stated calmly.
"Aren't you worried?" I asked, looking at him.
"There's nothing I can do about worrying."
"Who did this? And why kidnap Huixin?" I sipped my tea, staring intently at him.
"They are probably members of the Demonic Sect. As for why, it's probably because of you."
Why is it me again? Am I born to cause trouble?
"Don't stare so wide-eyed. Actually, that person just kidnapped someone randomly. Remorse might not be his ultimate goal. He'd be willing to accept any one of the three of us. His aim was to lure you out."
"Is it really necessary? Just for this reason?" I pouted, expressing my strong dissatisfaction.
“The relationship with the Fourth Young Master is exceptionally good, and everyone knows you're skilled in disguise, so they probably wouldn't be able to recognize you. But with Huixin, that straightforward guy, it'll be much easier. I rushed over just in time to warn you, in case you fell into the trap. It's always better to have one more person than one less,” Ruoyao said. “How was the journey? I heard about all the wanted posters and invitations, but I didn't see you appear, so I guessed you were in disguise.”
"I'm fine, but I've dragged you all into this." I said apologetically.
"It's alright, just consider it a lesson for Hui Xinyi. Let's shatter all his hopes."
I didn't understand what he meant, my mind preoccupied with imagining the cult's stronghold. "Where would they hide him?"
"They won't be so easy for us to find. In terms of martial arts, you are definitely no worse than Xiang Chang, and you are also a master of poison. Those people probably won't easily return the favor."
"Will they make things difficult for him?"
"Won't."
How did you know?
"Because of this. The one Huixin loves is also a member of the Demonic Sect. I'm afraid Huixin has fallen into his trap. Foolish Huixin, why are you still so infatuated?"
"So, if we go to Shaolin today, are we going to participate in the competition too? Are we going to deliberately reveal our identities so they'll come looking for us?" I looked at Ruoyao, who smiled helplessly.
"That's not necessarily true. I suspect the Demonic Cult will still try something today. Just go with them then. Fei Wu, be careful. Once you join the Demonic Cult, you'll never be able to turn things around." Ruo Yao looked at me.
"rest assured."
Thus, Ruoyao and I arrived at the martial arts arena together. Gone was the joyful feeling of the day before; my mind was consumed with how to find the members of the Demonic Sect and rescue Huixin. Although our friendship was short, we were completely sincere with each other. They were people I could absolutely trust.
The venue was packed with people; many had already arrived. Since the martial arts competition had started early in the morning, it had already been going on for quite some time when we arrived. Many were eager to try, many cheered, and many were simply watching the spectacle. From afar, we could see Abbot Yihai of Shaolin Temple sitting in the center, with the head of Wudang on his left and the head of Kunlun on his right. Ruoyao and I didn't draw attention; we found a secluded corner and scanned the crowd, searching for familiar figures.
Actually, it was expected that the Demonic Sect would return to cause trouble. Every time they come back, they stir things up, and about half the time they manage to create a huge uproar. Sometimes I don't understand why, knowing they're coming back to cause chaos, they still openly hold a martial arts tournament. Isn't this just luring the snake out of its hole? Or maybe both sides are just bored and enjoy playing a game of cat and mouse. Wow, what a strange thought.
Sure enough, after I yawned 167 times, a deafening roar echoed through the air. Ruo Yao nudged my arm, "Here it comes. It's always so loud and dramatic. What a waste."
Actually, I agree. So I looked over with renewed vigor. Several women dressed in black appeared in the air, all of them looking somewhat alluring. It seemed to be intentional; knowing full well that women were forbidden from entering the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, they deliberately brought in some unappealing women to cause trouble.
"You audacious fiend!" The Wudang sect leader couldn't sit still; he seemed eager to show off, or perhaps try to take advantage of the chaos and secretly slap Yao. In any case, it was none of my business, so I continued yawning. Suddenly, Yao turned around and said, "Come with me."
For some inexplicable reason, I used my lightness skill to follow Ruoyao across the arena halfway up the mountain, arriving at a serene environment behind the mountain. I silently hoped this wasn't forbidden territory of the Shaolin Temple, otherwise my life would be in danger.
"Regret!" Ruoyao shouted, already launching his attack. Although he had heard that Ruoyao's hidden weapons were difficult to defend against, he had never witnessed them firsthand. He scattered forty-nine flying nails in a dazzling display, which rushed towards the masked man who was holding onto Regret from eighty-one directions.
"Let him go." Ruoyao's hidden weapons were knocked away one by one.
"Hehe. No problem. Anyway, he's not my target. But, Fei Wu, make your move!" The voice of the man in black sounded strangely familiar. However, I had no time to think and could only deal with it.
His martial arts were forceful and aggressive, each move menacing, but clearly he wasn't using his full strength. It seemed he didn't intend to kill me, but merely wanted to test me.
I had to concentrate fully on dealing with him. Although my skills weren't bad, compared to those who had diligently trained for ten or twenty years, I was still somewhat rusty. I had no weapon, and his punches were like thunderclaps, overwhelming everything. I had no choice but to dodge when I couldn't win. Luckily, I'm not exactly a respectable person, otherwise people would have called me a coward for daring to fight.
I smiled and released a mist. Years ago, I defeated Kun Gu of Emei with a single move, gaining fame at a young age. Now, I used it with even greater skill. This mist was merely a maze created by using agility and superior speed to create a confusing array. It didn't use any real medicine, yet it gave the enemy a disorienting feeling. It was used to confuse their mind and strike their vitals. Clearly, I didn't expect this move to subdue him, but he still cautiously retreated.
After the fog cleared, he focused all his attention, channeled his inner energy into his dantian, closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and then struck the ground from the sky. With a roar like a lion, the mountains and fields trembled, and the collapsing earth rushed towards him with lightning speed.
"Ruo Yao, take your regret with you!" I yelled, throwing down my most precious smoke bomb. Don't call me despicable; I'm not from a reputable sect, so naturally I can use third-rate methods without batting an eye. Besides, a wise person knows when to yield; if I can't afford to fight, can't I at least avoid it?
"Regret?" Ruoyao and I took advantage of the swirling smoke to hide in a cave.
"He's fine, just some hallucinogenic drugs." I didn't have the antidote on me, so I drew the dagger from Ruoyao's waist and stabbed it into my fingertip. In a moment of confusion, Huixin drank my blood. He immediately woke up.
"So your blood has this function too," Ruoyao muttered to herself.
"How are you, Huixin?" I patted his face.
“Excellent. It seems those people didn't really want me dead, otherwise…” Huixin looked at me. “Why did they want you?”
"I don't know either," I said with a wry smile, though I had a pretty good idea of what was going on. They wanted to subjugate me, to make me willingly submit to the Demonic Sect. That's why they weren't forcing me, because a cornered dog will do the opposite. However, they wouldn't let me off so easily, and I had to carefully await our second encounter. This time, I wouldn't be foolish enough to rely solely on my martial arts. The reason they feared me was because my poisons were unmatched. If I wanted to use underhanded tactics, they might be powerless against me. I chuckled inwardly. The Demonic Sect or the Ghost Palace, whoever gets in my way, I'll kill them all, gods or demons alike. I won't offend others unless they offend me; if they do, I'll repay them in kind.
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