Chapter 50: The Real Master
Thud. As the foreman’s corpse hit the ground, Li Zhi—currently using the alias Ding Daniu—lunged toward the constable disguised as an accountant, moving with such speed he left a blur in his wake.
Without any flourish, his arms bulged, and he drove his sand-bowl-sized fist straight forward.
Seeing the air currents torn asunder, the constable had no time to dodge and could only raise his saber to block.
Clang!
The saber, scabbard and all, shattered into pieces. Li Zhi’s momentum barely faltered as his fist slammed into the constable’s chest.
Amidst the sound of snapping ribs, the constable stumbled back, collapsed to the ground, and was soon gasping more air out than he was taking in.
With his hoof-like feet, Li Zhi, dressed in coarse brown hemp, moved with the grace of a galloping steed, his black-scaled snake tail dragging behind him as he dashed toward the nearby warehouse.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Three sharp arrows whistled from the watchtower in the east of the city, tracing a path from Li Zhi’s original position toward his destination. They either pierced through wooden planks or "exploded" into the mud, but they were ultimately a beat too slow.
After leaping into the warehouse, Li Zhi kicked out several times, shattering the jars of strong liquor stored there. The spirits spilled out wildly, filling the air with a pungent fragrance.
Immediately after, this giant bandit of the New Yu State rummaged through the depths of the warehouse, unearthed several jars of gunpowder he had hidden in advance, and lit the fuse with a fire-starter.
As the fuse burned rapidly, Li Zhi sprinted to the other side of the warehouse, turned his body sideways, and smashed through the wooden wall with a bang, tumbling out as the structure swayed precariously.
Boom! Boom!
The explosions rang out one after another, blowing the roof off the warehouse and sending thick, black smoke billowing into the sky.
Crimson flames erupted, quickly swallowing the warehouse and leaping toward the heavens.
The commotion immediately drew squads of patrolling constables and Xiaoming Sect disciples toward the docks. At the eastern watchtower, Yi Qincang drew four white-feathered arrows and nocked them onto his bowstring simultaneously.
Whoosh!
The four arrows were released with a single sound, all igniting with a crimson glow. They transformed into majestic fire snakes, enveloping Li Zhi from the front, back, left, and right.
Li Zhi ignored them, charging straight ahead, his eyes reflecting a fiercely burning crimson arrow.
The arrow moved so fast it nearly caused the air to crackle. Li Zhi didn't even have the chance to raise his fists to deflect it; he could only tense the muscles in his legs and exert force through his strange, horse-hoofed feet, forcing himself to drag out a lingering afterimage.
This was the "Divine Movement" technique from the "Heavenly Human Ten Powers Secret Script."
Yi Qincang’s arrows aimed at the left, right, and rear all missed. The crimson arrow trailing Li Zhi struck the afterimage, then continued forward, aiming for the back of the enemy, whose speed was beginning to wane.
Li Zhi suddenly twisted his waist, turning his body to the side. The crimson arrow grazed his back, leaving behind a distinct smell of burning, a deep, blackened bloodstain, and a patch of singed horse hair.
Rolling and tumbling, Li Zhi ducked into another warehouse.
…………
Inside the Zhen Mansion.
Lin Hansheng, the Prefect of Dingjiang Prefecture, had already arrived. He heard the explosions from the eastern docks and saw the firelight rising into the sky.
His dark-complexioned face remained unmoved. He did not head to the docks to provide support, but instead raised his palms, which were covered in blue-black scales.
Deep, murky mist immediately permeated the area, as if dark clouds were hidden within it.
A sudden wind arose, blowing the clouds—which covered a radius of ten zhang and seemed to be brewing a rainstorm—rapidly toward the Listening-to-Water Pavilion. Within a few breaths, the area was completely shrouded.
To Dai Shen of the Boat-Capsizing Sect, the clouds, which felt like an impending storm, were eerily ethereal. Deep within them, a long, serpentine object seemed to be rushing forth, appearing and disappearing, making it impossible to predict from which direction it would strike next.
Lin Hansheng hailed from the Yan Capital martial arts tradition, having ascended step by step to the Dharma Realm. He was currently a second-rank Mastery-level expert. The martial art he practiced was the "Dragon Transformation Scripture," and this strike was its first transformation: "Cloud and Mist Transformation."
*Hidden within the clouds and mist, impossible to track; fists like a dragon, pouring down like a mountain flood.*
Dai Shen could not capture where Lin Hansheng’s fist would strike, how it would come, or where it was headed. He could only press his tiger-claw hands together, as if cradling an invisible water sphere before his chest, and give it a gentle twist.
The Zhen Mansion retainers, guards, disciples, and the followers of Su Chongxiao and Ren Youyang, who were slaughtering each other inside and outside the Listening-to-Water Pavilion, suddenly had something nearly illusory and blood-colored fly out of them. In the blink of an eye, it converged between Dai Shen’s palms.
The malice in their hearts dissipated, and they collapsed to the ground, drained of all strength, drifting toward unconsciousness.
A moment later, only Zhen Qianfan remained attacking Su Chongxiao, while Lin Hansheng’s mist shrouded Dai Shen.
The invisible water sphere between Dai Shen’s palms was rapidly stained with streaks of blood.
Just as Lin Hansheng’s blue-black scaled fist and arm emerged from the dark mist like a dragon leaping, striking toward the waist of the heterodox demon from an angle he could never have anticipated, Dai Shen slammed his palms together.
The blood-colored sphere exploded silently, transforming into an illusory red wave composed of sword intent, fist energy, saber momentum, and staff strikes. It surged in all directions with Dai Shen’s body as the core, leaving no gaps, successfully intercepting Lin Hansheng’s ethereal, untraceable fist.
*Only by gathering water can one capsize a boat!*
The force even tore through the dark mist, revealing the "dragon" to the world.
Lin Hansheng’s face was horse-like, dotted with a few blue-black scales.
…………
After setting off the special firework, Qi Xiaoxiang—using the alias Liu Yuzao—paid no more mind to Qin Nansheng. With a tap of her toes, she nimbly exited the Lotus Pond Courtyard.
She quickly turned into another building, tore down curtains and other items, then took out a fire-starter, pulled it, and blew, igniting everything.
As the fire rose, Qi Xiaoxiang traveled through the buildings, setting fires wantonly. The entire Zhen Mansion seemed to fall into hell; everywhere was ablaze, everywhere was filled with smoke.
Servants and maids fled in all directions or attempted to fight the fire, creating total chaos.
Whenever she encountered guards or house servants who hadn't gone to the Listening-to-Water Pavilion, the woman would either bypass them with her movement technique or draw a short sword, a little over a foot long. With a casual flick, she would deflect their weapons, and before they could recover from their bewilderment, she would smoothly slit their throats.
The shock and confusion of these guards and servants froze in their eyes. They seemed not to have expected to die so quickly, nor that the martial arts they had practiced until they were second nature would suddenly feel so unfamiliar, leaving them riddled with openings.
…………
At the highest watchtower.
Zheng Zhuxi looked toward the Magistrate's Office, then at the Zhen Mansion, finding both sides in considerable disarray:
At the Magistrate's Office, the Xiaoming Sect disciples, having not been afflicted by the "Moth Seed," were working with some of the constables to deal with their former colleagues—now "Moth People." Qiu Chen, using the alias Ding Shengyi, kept darting between rooms, careful not to expose his position to the watchtower’s surveillance.
Meanwhile, the Zhen Mansion was filled with fires and fleeing servants. Aside from the area around the Listening-to-Water Pavilion, it was impossible to tell where the intruders were or how many there were.
Seeing that the high-ranking military advisor and others from the Prefectural Office had arrived at the Magistrate's Office, Zheng Zhuxi breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to the Zhen Mansion.
She saw her mother, Tao Wenshu, merely gazing at the Zhen Mansion with starlight hidden in her eyes, not even making a move to draw her sword. Feeling slightly puzzled and worried, she asked:
"Mother, why haven't you made a move yet?"
Tao Wenshu smiled:
"The real master hasn't appeared yet."
*The real master?* Zheng Zhuxi’s heart stirred, and she immediately let her eyes be stained with the dim, warm light of a candle.
When she looked at the Zhen Mansion again, every detail became incredibly clear, as if the distance between them had been pulled within ten zhang.
Zheng Zhuxi scanned the area rapidly. Suddenly, she saw a figure flash past the corridor leading to Zhen Qianfan’s residence, revealing a hint of scallion-white.
…………
Inside the secret prison of the Zhen Mansion.
Ding Songyan saw that Yan Changqing in his Sea of Consciousness had stopped speaking and was closing his eyes to rest. He had to suppress his anxiety, split his focus in half, and earnestly continue telling "The Legend of the White Snake."
After a while, Yan Changqing in his Sea of Consciousness slowly opened his eyes and said with a smile:
"You may act now."
Ding Songyan, who was underground and hadn't heard any commotion, was startled, and his heart tightened.
Yan Changqing said to him unhurriedly:
"Split the energy I gave you into two, move them to your palms, and strike at the people on both sides simultaneously.
"Wait for me, and I will replenish it for you, allowing you to take me out of the Zhen Mansion."
"Alright." Ding Songyan immediately let the clear, misty "seed" split in two and transferred them into his palms.
His mind instantly unified, "rising" into the air. He felt the presence of the two Zhen family disciples beside him, felt the existence of the world’s energy, and felt the chaotic presence of clouds, mist, rain, and water not far away.
Ding Songyan could no longer continue telling "The Legend of the White Snake." He closed his mouth, followed the sensed aura, and slammed his palms toward the two Zhen family disciples.
At this moment, he suddenly felt something was wrong:
*Why am I listening to Yan Changqing so obediently? He says act, and I act; he says kill, and I kill?*
*Didn't I decide to stall as much as possible, to be uncooperative, and wait for the authorities to arrive?*
*The Zhen Mansion is the enemy, the "Ding family" is the enemy, and Yan Changqing is also the enemy!*
Ding Songyan could no longer stop his palms, so he could only forcibly retract part of his power.
Bang!
A surging torrent erupted from his palms, striking the two Zhen family disciples.
The two disciples flew backward, slammed into the wall, and let out a single groan before falling silent.
Ding Songyan quickly removed the black cloth from his face and discovered that both Zhen family disciples had fallen unconscious.
Immediately after, he cast his gaze forward.
In the cramped, fighting room, behind a flickering oil lamp, sat a grand armchair with a person sitting on it.
The man wore a Huayang cap and a green Lanshan robe. His features were refined, and his temples were graying. It was none other than Yan Changqing.
Almost simultaneously, Ding Songyan noticed that the sleeves and the lower part of the green Lanshan robe were completely empty, with nothing supporting them.
Yan Changqing had no arms and no legs.
"Little friend, you may take out that dagger now." Yan Changqing’s voice echoed in Ding Songyan’s Sea of Consciousness.
His eyes were clear, but the black of his pupils seemed to possess a strange power that made one unable to look away:
"Zhen Qianfan has been feeding me strange medicine every day. If I don't remove that thing, I fear I will never truly be able to escape him. He underestimates my knowledge too much."
*You want me to cut you open?* Ding Songyan was astonished, but he still took the steel dagger from the hidden pocket in his clothes.
He had just taken two steps forward when a sudden *bang, bang, bang* sounded at the door.
Before he could react, the heavy iron door was pushed open with a *creak*.
*Who?* Ding Songyan hurriedly turned to the side and saw a figure who was both familiar and strange.
The person wore a scallion-white, silver-edged, straight-collared, front-opening short shirt, with a goose-yellow, lightweight, thin silk skirt. Her hair was simply tied up with a white silk ribbon, with most of it hanging down, black and lustrous.
Her beauty was peerless, her features as poetic and picturesque as a painting. Her mere appearance seemed to make the air in the stuffy room suddenly become fresh and clean.
"Qingyan..." Ding Songyan called out her name.
Though this woman was clearly Ding Qingyan, she seemed to have grown several years older overnight. Her features had fully matured, and her figure was graceful. She possessed both the youthful innocence of a girl and a moving, alluring charm. She was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
In an instant, Ding Songyan saw a change in Yan Changqing’s expression from the corner of his eye.
In his memory, the old man was either smiling calmly or completely unruffled, rarely showing other emotions. But at this moment, he revealed a hint of fear that he could not conceal.
"You..." Yan Changqing’s aged, hoarse voice sounded.
The woman’s beautiful eyes shifted, and she said with a charming smile:
"Master, your disciple has come to save you."
…………
At the top of the highest watchtower.
Zheng Zhuxi asked her mother in confusion:
"Mother, who could the real master be?
"Also, I asked you earlier: besides the Moth Seed and witchcraft, what other methods could force a person to do things they don't want to do or prevent them from saying what they want to say? You never gave me the answer."
Tao Wenshu’s expression turned slightly solemn as she said:
"I have thought about it for a long time. Considering that the strange physical changes in Qiu Chen, Li Zhi, and Qi Xiaoxiang were all masked, I believe the most likely answer is:
"The 'Heavenly Heart Wisdom Sutra'."
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