“Brother Tong, will you please let me take one other take a look at your calligraphy e-book?” nonetheless involved concerning the “Willful Ebook” by Zhang Xu, Mr. Bald-Brush begged.

“As quickly as First Grasp defeats my Brother Feng, the e-book will likely be a part of Third Grasp’s non-public assortment. Even if you wish to take a look at it for 3 days and three nights in succession, that’s your individual name,” Xiang Wentian stated with a smile.

“I’ll take a look at it for seven days and 7 nights in succession!” Mr. Bald-Brush exclaimed.

“Okay, you’ll take a look at it for seven days and 7 nights then,” Xiang Wentian replied.

Mr. Bald-Brush felt his coronary heart itching with that risk. “Second Brother,” he referred to as out, “I’ll go ask Large Brother to have the match. What do you suppose?”

“You two keep right here to accompany our visitors. I’ll go discuss to Large Brother,” Mr. Black-White organized after which stepped out of the room.

“Brother Feng, let’s drink,” Mr. Paint prompt. “Alas, a lot of this barrel of wine was wasted by Third Brother.” He poured the wine into the wine cups.

“Wasted?” Mr. Bald-Brush rebuffed angrily. “While you drink the wine into your stomach, it should solely flip into urine and get relieved. How can that even be similar to the truth that it should now keep on the white wall as calligraphy paintings and final for the eternity? Your wine will solely reside on due to the calligraphy. One thousand years later, solely when folks have seen my calligraphy artwork would they be capable to know that this barrel of Turpan pink wine ever existed.”

Dealing with the white wall, Mr. Paint raised his cup. “Whats up wall, you’re so lucky to have the ability to style the fantastic wine brewed by your Fourth Grasp, himself. Even when my Third Brother didn’t write calligraphy in your face, you you you’d have lasted for the eternity.”

“In comparison with this ignorant wall, I’m way more lucky to have the ability to style such fantastic rare-even-in-one-thousand-year wine,” Linghu Chong confirmed an enormous smile. Elevating his personal cup, he drank it up.

After ingesting two cups in accompany by the aspect, Xiang Wentian stopped ingesting, however Mr. Paint and Linghu Chong saved pouring wine down their throats and located their exhilaration surging.

After they every had at the least one other seventeen or eighteen cups, Mr. Black-White lastly returned.

“Brother Feng, my Large Brother want to meet you. Please include me. And is it okay if Brother Tong stays right here and revel in some extra wine?” he stated.

“Effectively ,” Xiang Wentian was taken abruptly. He may see clearly that Mr. Black-White had no intention of inviting him to tag alongside, and he couldn’t insist on going in any case. “What a pity for all times that it’s not my karma to have the consideration in assembly First Grasp,” he sighed.

“Please pardon me, Brother Tong. My Large Brother has been residing in seclusion for a few years and has repeatedly declined our visitors’ requests for an viewers. It is just as a result of he heard that Brother Feng’s expertise within the artwork of sword have reached the intense and felt his admiration hovering, did he resolve to ask Brother Feng for a non-public assembly. We definitely dare to not present any disrespect to Brother Tong,” Mr. Black-White defined.

“I perceive. I perceive,” Xiang Wentian replied.

Setting his wine cup down on the desk, Linghu Chong adopted Mr. Black-White out of the sport room. He went empty-handed, pondering that it will be inappropriate to carry a protracted sword with him within the assembly with the lord of the manor.

They crossed by a protracted hall and shortly arrived at a moon-shaped entry. The pill above the entry learn “Zither Spirit.” The phrases have been made from blue coloured glaze and confirmed vigorous model, most definitely the creation of Mr. Bald-Brush. After the moon-shaped entry, a quiet and deep flower-strewn pathway prolonged additional. On either side of the pathway, skinny and lengthy bamboos swayed leisurely within the breeze. The cobblestones within the pathway have been coated by moss, clearly indicating that this was a path seldom used. On the finish of the pathway have been three stone buildings. Seven or eight darkish inexperienced pine bushes stood on the entrance and the again, every towering excessive with their branches extending gracefully in all instructions, casting a layer of gloom to the environment.

Mr. Black-White slowly pushed the door open. “Please are available in,” he stated in a mild voice.

As quickly as Linghu Chong entered the room, he smelled the nice perfume of sandalwood.

“Large Brother, Huashan College’s Younger Hero Feng is right here,” Mr. Black-White launched.

An outdated man walked out from the bed room, cupping one hand within the different. “Please excuse my lack of manners for having not greeted Younger Hero Feng correctly. It’s a nice honor to have Younger Hero Feng in our humble manor.”

The outdated man gave the impression to be about sixty years of age. Skinny as a lath, and with the muscle tissue on his face sinking deeply, he appeared extra like a skeleton excluding the 2 shiny piercing eyes.

“It was I who took the freedom for the unannounced go to. I’ll should ask for Senior Grasp’s pardon,” Linghu Chong stated with a bow.

“That’s fairly alright,” the person answered.

“My Large Brother’s title is Mr. Huang-Zhong.[1] I’m certain Younger Hero Feng has recognized that already,” Mr. Black-White stated.

“I’ve lengthy heard the good names of the 4 Manor Masters. It’s so lucky that I lastly get to fulfill you in individual as we speak,” Linghu Chong stated as he thought to himself, “That is fairly a joke that Large Brother Xiang has performed on me. He didn’t inform me something beforehand and solely advised me to let him prepare all the things. However now he’s nowhere close to me. If this First Grasp right here offers me some troublesome puzzles to unravel, I ponder how I ought to deal with them.”

“I heard that Younger Hero Feng is the very disciple of the venerable Grandmaster Feng of the Huashan College and possesses good sword expertise,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated. “I’ve all the time admired Grandmaster Feng’s conducts and his martial arts expertise very a lot. It’s such a pity that I by no means had the consideration to fulfill him. A while again, it was stated across the Martial World that the venerable Grandmaster Feng had handed away. The information introduced deep sorrow in my coronary heart. In the present day, to have the chance to fulfill venerable Grandmaster Feng’s disciple could be very gratifying. Is Younger Hero Feng a descendent of Grandmaster Feng?”

Linghu Chong thought inwardly, “Grand Uncle-Grasp Feng earnestly exhorted me to not reveal his whereabouts. As soon as Large Brother Xiang noticed my sword methods, he discovered that it should have been Grand Uncle-Grasp who taught me these. He not solely wantonly made that extensively recognized, but in addition claimed that my final title was none aside from Feng, which in all probability had an excellent quantity of swindle and bluff. But when I inform the reality simple, it wouldn’t be applicable, both.” At that thought, he gave an ambiguous reply, “I’m a junior of his later era. I’ve solely studied from him for a short time. Being a gradual learner, easy and uninformed, I haven’t even mastered ten or twenty p.c of his sword arts.”

“Whether it is true that you’ve solely discovered ten to twenty p.c of Grandmaster Feng’s sword arts, but my three brothers have all misplaced to your lengthy sword, then venerable Grandmaster Feng’s attainments needed to be fathomless,” Mr. Huang-Zhong sighed.

“The three Masters solely every exchanged a number of random strikes with me, and earlier than any of the matches had any end result, that they had already held again their arms,” Linghu Chong stated.

Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded, his skinny face revealing a slight smile. “It’s uncommon to see a younger man free from vanity and rashness. Please are available in to the Zither Corridor and have some tea,” he stated.

Linghu Chong and Mr. Black-White adopted him into the Zither Corridor and seated. Quickly, a servant boy introduced out inexperienced tea.

“I heard that Younger Hero Feng has the traditional music rating of the ‘Guang-Ling Music.’ Is it true?” Mr. Huang-Zhong requested. “I’m moderately keen on music. And I’ve all the time bemoaned once I considered how Ji Kang performed the ‘Guang-Ling Music’ together with his zither one final time simply earlier than his execution, exclaiming, ‘Guang-Ling Music can be misplaced for ever to any extent further.’ If this music can reappear on the earth, and I get to observe the music rating and play it as soon as in my outdated age, I might haven’t any remorse left on this life.” At these phrases, his pale face truly confirmed some redness of pores and skin, wanting earnest and anxious.

“Large Brother Xiang’s one lie after one other actually fooled them nicely,” Linghu Chong thought to himself. “I can inform that these 4 Masters of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill aren’t any odd folks. Moreover, I’m right here to ask them to deal with my damage. How can I preserve them guessing? If this music rating is absolutely the ‘Guang-Ling Music’ Senior Grasp Qu Yang obtained from the tomb of that Cai-Any individual of the East Han Dynasty, I ought to let him have a look.”

Retrieving the music rating from his chest pocket, he stood up after which offered it with each arms. “Please have a look, First Grasp.”

Mr. Huang-Zhong raised himself barely and took the booklet. “The ‘Guang-Ling Music’ music had been lengthy misplaced on the earth. It’s so exhilarating to give you the chance to check out the legendary historic rating. However however I ponder .” He appeared to implicate that how would he ensure that this music rating was the genuine “Gang-Ling Music,” not a counterfeit some busybody had faked to idiot folks.

He thumbed by a number of pages at random after which muttered, “Oh, it is a lengthy piece.” Turning again to the primary web page, he started studying the main points. Solely moments into it, his face had modified colour. Flipping by the music rating together with his proper hand, he set his left hand on the desk and the 5 fingers plucked, twiddled, and pressed as if he was enjoying an invisible zither.

“Marvelous! Peaceable and truthful, but melodious and deep to the intense,” he praised.

Turning to the second web page, he learn for a short time after which praised once more, “Lofty and stylish, profound and abstruse. Simply by imagining the sounds in my head, I can already really feel the utter exhilaration.”

Seeing how Mr. Huang-Zhong was already barely out of his thoughts after studying solely two pages of the music rating, Mr. Black-White knew that if he saved studying, it will be hours earlier than he’ll even take a break. So he reduce in.

“This Younger Hero Feng right here and a Brother Tong from the Songshan College got here right here and stated that if somebody within the Plum Manor can defeat his sword artwork .”

“Um, provided that somebody can defeat his sword artwork will he be prepared to mortgage me the ‘Guang-Ling Music’ and make a replica, is that proper?” Mr. Huang-Zhong requested.

“That’s proper! All three of us have misplaced our matches. Except Large Brother takes the sphere, our Plum Manor of the Lone Hill nicely ,” Mr. Black-White replied.

“In case you can’t do it, I can’t both,” Mr. Huang-Zhong set free a lightweight smile.

“How can the three of us be comparable with Large Brother?” Mr. Black-White stated.

“I’m too outdated. I’m of no use now,” Mr. Huang-Zhong replied.

Linghu Chong bought again onto his ft. “First Grasp’s title is ‘Mr. Huang-Zhong,’ then naturally you’re an skilled within the artwork of zither,” he stated. “Though this music rating is uncommon, it’s not labeled secret or something. First Grasp, please be happy to carry on to it and make copies. I can come again to select it up three days from now.”

Mr. Huang-Zhong and Mr. Black-White have been each shocked. Mr. Black-White had witnessed, himself, how Xiang Wentian had labored exhausting at baiting them, intentionally making issues tougher and made his coronary heart itchy as hell. He definitely didn’t count on to see such a beneficiant Feng Er-Zhong. Being an skilled within the artwork of gamesmanship, he instantly concluded that this needed to be a entice Linghu Chong was setting as much as trick Mr. Huang-Zhong, however regardless of how exhausting he tried, he nonetheless failed catch any clue.

“One doesn’t obtain a reward with out making a advantage. You and I don’t have any prior affiliation. How may I settle for such a beneficiant present from you? Will you please be very frank with me and inform me the actual cause for you and your companion’s go to to our humble manor?” Mr. Huang-Zhong requested.

Linghu Chong thought, “Large Brother Xiang didn’t point out a phrase to me about why we’re go to the Plum Manor beforehand. I suppose it should have one thing to do with asking the 4 Manor Masters to deal with my damage. However all his preparations appeared so secretive. Moreover, the 4 Manor Masters are all very uncommon folks. Maybe telling them the reality isn’t the proper option to tackle the problem. I actually don’t have a clue concerning the intention of Large Brother Xiang’s go to, anyway. I assume telling them this half frankly wouldn’t depend as attempting to deceive them deliberately.” So he stated, “I used to be solely accompanying Large Brother Tong within the go to to your respectable manor. To be very trustworthy with you, earlier than moving into your respectable manor, I’ve by no means heard of the names of the 4 Manor Masters, nor was I ever conscious of the existence of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill.” After a brief pause, he added, “That’s, in fact, solely as a result of I’m ignorant and ill-informed, and consequently failed to acknowledge the various respectable senior masters within the Martial World. I encourage the 2 Masters’ pardon.”

Mr. Huang-Zhong solid a look towards Mr. Black-White and a smile crept onto his face.

“Younger Hero Feng could be very candid, and I’m very grateful. Us, the 4 brothers, retired to town of Lin-An to reside a hermit’s life; few folks within the Martial World is aware of about it. Moreover, the 5 Mountains Sword Alliance by no means had any affiliation with us, so I used to be fairly shocked to study your go to. So Younger Hero Feng actually has no thought concerning the origin of us the 4 brothers, have you ever?”

“That is so embarrassing. After I stated earlier that ‘I’ve lengthy heard the good names of the 4 Manor Masters,’ truly truly nicely ,” Linghu Chong murmured.

Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded. “Mr. Huang-Zhong, Mr. Black-White and so forth are solely nicknames we picked for ourselves. Our true names have lengthy been deserted. It is just pure that Younger Hero Feng has by no means heard of our names,” he stated. Turning the music rating booklet together with his proper hand, he requested, “Are you honest about loaning this music rating to me and let me make copies?”

“Sure,” Linghu Chong affirmed. “I stated loaning the e-book to you solely as a result of the music rating belongs to Large Brother Tong. In any other case, you possibly can simply go forward and take it. Just like the outdated saying says, ‘A valuable sword needs to be offered to an individual of excessive endeavor.’ As soon as offered, there’s no have to return it.”

Mr. Huang-Zhong set free a protracted breath, and a hint of pleasure rapidly flashed throughout his emaciated face.

“You comply with mortgage the music rating to my Large Brother. However will that Brother Tong agree as nicely?” Mr. Black-White requested.

“Large Brother Tong and I are associates till dying. He’s daring and beneficiant. If I comply with one thing, regardless of how essential the matter is, he wouldn’t thoughts in any respect,” Linghu Chong assured, to which Mr. Black-White gave a nod.

“I’m very grateful for Younger Hero Feng’s kindness. However since Brother Tong didn’t give his consent, himself, I’m nonetheless very uneasy about it. That Brother Tong stated that so as to get the music rating, somebody from our manor should be capable to defeat your sword arts. It might be unfair for me to benefit from your generosity. Why don’t we alternate a number of strikes?” Mr. Huang-Zhong proposed.

Linghu Chong thought to himself, “The Second Grasp stated only a second in the past, ‘How can the three of us be comparable with Large Brother?’ Then the Kung Fu expertise of the First Grasp should have been superior to the opposite three Manor Masters. The three Manor Masters every had unsurpassed Kung Fu expertise, and solely with the sword methods I discovered from Grand Uncle-Grasp Feng was I in a position to get the higher hand within the matches. If I spar with the First Grasp, I’ll not win once more. Why hassle bringing disgrace onto myself for no cause? Even when I may beat him within the match, what good does it do?” At that thought, he stated, “Large Brother Tong was simply seized by a whim and being meddlesome when he stated one thing like that, which solely embarrassed me extra. I’m already grateful that the 4 Manor Masters resolve to spare me of reprimand for my vanity. How dare I spar once more with the First Grasp?”

“You might be fairly all proper,” Mr. Huang-Zhong smiled. “Let’s alternate a number of strikes, and it’ll simply be a innocent contest. That’s all. What’s there to fret about?”

He circled, eliminated a jade flute from the wall and handed it to Linghu Chong. “You should utilize the flute as your sword. I, alternatively, will use my zither as my weapon.” Choosing up a zither from the bedside desk, he stated with a smile, “I wouldn’t say that these two musical devices of mine are invaluable, however every of them is one in a thousand. I definitely don’t want them to smash into items. Let’s simply put out some stances for the act. That’s all.”

Linghu Chong took a more in-depth take a look at the flute in his hand. Your entire physique of the flute was in emerald inexperienced. Turned out that it was made from top-quality jade. The a number of spots near the mouthpiece have been in shiny scarlet, and completely set off the hanging inexperienced of the jade flute. The zither held in Mr. Huang-Zhong’s arms appeared darkish and historic. It should have been an vintage over one thousand years outdated. A mild bump of the 2 musical devices would have damaged them into items. They in fact couldn’t be utilized in an actual struggle. Having no different excuses, he held the jade flute with each arms and spoke respectfully.

“I await First Grasp’s recommendation.”

“The venerable Grandmaster Feng was the last word swordsman of the era. I’ve all the time had nice admiration for him. The sword arts he taught have to be extraordinary. Younger Hero Feng, please!” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated.

Holding the flute in his palm, Linghu Chong gave it a mild swing. A number of delicate sounds echoed pleasantly as air went by the holes on the flute.

Mr. Huang-Zhong gave a number of plucks to the strings of the zither. Amid the musical sounds, he pushed the top of the zither towards Linghu Chong’s proper shoulder.

On the sound of the zither, Linghu Chong felt a slight thump in his coronary heart. He slowly dabbed the jade flute towards the again of Mr. Huang-Zhong’s elbow. If the zither continued its course towards his shoulder, then the acupoint in the back of Mr. Huang-Zhong’s elbow would have been hit first.

Turning the zither the wrong way up, Mr. Huang-Zhong shoved it towards Linghu Chong’s waist, as a substitute. And because the zither struck ahead, he plucked the strings and made extra sounds.

Linghu Chong thought rapidly, “If I block this strike with the jade flute, as soon as the 2 valuable devices clashes, each can be broken. With the intention to protect the musical devices, he will definitely withdraw the zither. However combating like that’s actually no completely different from the shameless act of a rascal.”

With that in thoughts, he drew an arc with the jade flute and stabbed it under the opponent’s armpit. Mr. Huang-Zhong raised his zither in an try and ward it off, however Linghu Chong rapidly drew his flute again.

Immediately, Mr. Huang-Zhong performed a number of consecutive notes with the zither and the sound of the music turned urgent and the complexion on Mr. Black-White’s face modified barely. Slowly, Mr. Black-White backed out of the Zither Corridor, shutting the door on his method out. figuring out that Mr. Huang-Zhong was, under no circumstances, displaying his leisure when he made the musical notes with the zither. He had truly infused superior inside power into the zither sounds so as to disrupt his opponent’s focus. As soon as the opponent’s inside power resonated with the zither sounds, then he can be managed by the zither sounds involuntarily. When the zither music slowed down, the opponent’s motion would additionally decelerate; when the zither music hurried, the opponent’s motion would additionally hurry. However the tempo of Mr. Huang-Zhong’s zither strikes can be simply the other to the tempo of the zither music. His strikes would develop into sooner and sooner whereas the zither music turned extra soothing and enjoyable, consequently, the opponent would stand no probability of withstanding his assaults. Mr. Black-White knew very nicely that this Kung Fu of Mr. Huang-Zhong was no trivia matter. Afraid that his personal inside power can be worn off, he receded out of the Zither Corridor.

Though the door plank separated him from the Zither Corridor, he may nonetheless vaguely hear the zither music slowing down and going sooner occasionally. Generally, the zither sound would all of the sudden silence, whereas another occasions, the zither sound would rapidly clang very loudly. After some time, the tempo of the zither music grew to become sooner and sooner. Mr. Black-White solely felt his coronary heart fluttering with uneasiness and even his respiration grew to become considerably uncomfortable. Backed out of the entrance door, he, as soon as once more, shut the entrance door tight. Now with two doorways in between, the sound of the zither was virtually inaudible. However often when the sound of the zither turned sonorous and handed by all of the boundaries, it all the time made his coronary heart thump sooner.

He stood there for an excellent whereas however the zither sounds saved going and going. He was astounded. “This younger man named Feng, little question, has glorious sword expertise. But it surely turned out that his cultivation in inside power can also be so succesful. How is he in a position to maintain out for thus lengthy beneath the assault of my Large Brother’s ‘Seven-String Invisible Sword’?” he thought. As he contemplated upon the query, Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint arrived aspect by aspect.

“How did it go?” Mr. Paint requested in a low voice.

“The struggle has lasted a very long time. That younger man remains to be struggling to maintain up. I’m afraid Large Brother will find yourself injuring him,” Mr. Black-White stated.

“I’ll go ask Large Brother to indicate leniency. We will’t harm this good good friend,” Mr. Paint prompt.

“We will’t go in there,” Mr. Black-White shook his head.

Simply at that second, loud clanking sounds from the zither all of the sudden exploded within the air. On the first sound, the three of them every took one step again. So after 5 consecutive zither sounds, the three of them took a complete of 5 steps again involuntarily.

Mr. Bald-Brush’s face turned as white as a sheet. After taking a number of seconds to gather himself, he stated, “This ‘Six-Ding-God Quarry a Mountain’ transfer of Large Brother’s Invisible Sword Artwork is just too highly effective. The six consecutive notes proceed to wallop and strike one after one other. How can that younger man Feng face up to it?”

Earlier than he even completed his sentence, one other loud clank exploded, and instantly after that, a number of cracking sounds adopted, as if a number of zither strings had all of the sudden snapped. Astounded, Mr. Black-White and the opposite two pushed the entrance door vast open and dashed in. As quickly as they opened the door of the Zither Corridor, they noticed a dispirited Mr. Huang-Zhong standing nonetheless in silence. All seven strings of the zither in his grip had snapped and drooped by the aspect of the zither. Standing by his aspect was Linghu Chong, holding the jade flute in his hand.

“Please pardon me!” Linghu Chong stated, bowing down barely.

Clearly, similar to the others, Mr. Huang-Zhong had misplaced the match.

Mr. Black-White and his two junior brothers gasped in astonishment. They knew very nicely that their Large Brother had very vigorous and resourceful inside power and was, in truth, a unprecedented determine within the Martial World. Who would have anticipated that he would lose to this younger man from the Huashan College simply as nicely? In the event that they hadn’t seen it with their very own eyes, they might by no means have believed it.

“Not solely is Younger Hero Feng’s sword artwork essentially the most ingenious sword artwork I’ve ever seen in my life, his inside power cultivation can also be so extremely succesful. It is rather admirable, certainly,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated with a wry smile. “I had all the time thought that this ‘Seven-String Invisible Sword’ Kung Fu of mine may very well be thought to be a consummate ability within the Martial World. Who would have thought that it appeared merely like a toddler’s play in entrance of Younger Hero Feng? We, the 4 brothers, have been residing a hermit’s life within the Plum Manor and haven’t set foot within the Martial World for greater than ten years. Alas, turned out we have now all develop into frogs residing on the backside of a nicely.”[2] His voice turned bleak.

“I needed to do my utmost to maintain up. Thanks for Senior Grasp’s leniency,” Linghu Chong stated.

Mr. Huang-Zhong heaved a protracted sigh, however didn’t reply. Shaking his head dishearteningly, he sat down, his face dreary and desolate.

Seeing the utter gloominess on Mr. Huang-Zhong’s face, Linghu Chong felt very sorry. He thought to himself, “Large Brother Xiang apparently didn’t wish to overview the truth that I’ve misplaced all my inside power, in order to not make them conscious of my intent to ask for therapy, thus, void any obstacles which may come up. However an actual man needs to be as open because the day. I can’t benefit from him like that.” At that thought, he stated, “First Grasp, there’s one thing I need to inform. The explanation why I used to be proof against the invisible vitality assaults popping out of your zither was not due to superior inside power cultivation on my half. It was often because I’ve no inside power in me, none in anyway!”

“What did you say?” Mr. Huang-Zhong stood up, taken abruptly.

“I used to be injured many occasions and have misplaced all my inside power. That’s why the sound of your zither had no impact on me,” Linghu Chong defined.

“Are you severe?” Mr. Huang-Zhong requested, his voice quavered from mingled shock and pleasure.

“If Senior Grasp doesn’t consider me, verify my pulse and also you’ll see,” Linghu Chong replied and prolonged his proper hand ahead.

Mr. Huang-Zhong and Mr. Black-White have been each taken fully abruptly. Of their minds, though Linghu Chong’s coming to the Plum Manor was not hostile, he should have been as much as no good, in any case. How may he give out his hand so unperturbedly and hand his lifelines over to others? If Mr. Huang-Zhong all of the sudden grabbed maintain of the acupoint on his wrist utilizing the pretext of checking his pulse, then even when he had all the abilities on the earth, he wouldn’t be capable to use any of them and wind up being on the mercy of others like a bit of meat sitting on the chopping block.

Earlier, when Mr. Huang-Zhong had initiated his “Six-Ding-God Quarry a Mountain” Kung Fu, not solely had it didn’t have an effect on Linghu Chong within the least, on the peak of his inside power discharge when all seven strings resonated, he truly ended up breaking seven strings all collectively. Such a crushing defeat was definitely exhausting to resign to. “If you’d like me to succeed in my hand ahead so you possibly can clasp the acupoint on my wrist, then we’ll simply have one other contest within the inside power,” he made up his thoughts after which slowly stretched his proper hand ahead towards the artery on Linghu Chong’s proper wrist. Within the stretch, he had secretly included the “Tiger Claw Approach”, the “Dragon Claw Ability”, and the “Small Joints Eighteen Holding Positions” these three superior joint manipulation Kung Fu, so no matter what strikes the opponent would possibly execute, when worst involves worst, he would merely fail to seize the opponent’s wrist, however his opponent wouldn’t be capable to take any benefit of him, both.

However when Mr. Huang-Zhong’s 5 fingers touched Linghu Chong’s wrist, Linghu Chong didn’t even transfer a muscle, displaying no signal of an assault. Barely shocked, Mr. Huang-Zhong rapidly observed how feeble and frail Linghu Chong’s pulses have been, clearly indicating that he had no inside power in any respect. After a brief daze, he all of the sudden broke into loud laughter.

“I see! In order that’s how it’s! You bamboozled me! You’ve gotten actually bamboozled me nicely!”

Though he saved saying that he was bamboozled, the expression on his face was truly very pleasant. His “Seven-String Invisible Sword” Kung Fu was solely made up of zither sounds. The sound itself in fact couldn’t injure the enemy. All it did was to stimulate and manipulate the enemy’s inside power, thus disrupting the enemy’s strikes. The stronger the enemy’s inside power was, the stronger his response to the zither sound would prove. He definitely had not anticipated Linghu Chong to haven’t any inside power in any respect, and consequently, the “Seven-String Invisible Sword” having in the slightest degree of impact on him. Having suffered a extreme defeat, Mr. Huang-Zhong had been fully disheartened. However after he came upon that the explanation he misplaced the match was not as a result of his distinctive ability, which he skilled for a lot of a long time diligently, was no good, he discovered himself wild with pleasure. Grabbing Linghu Chong’s hand tightly, he shook it backwards and forwards in pleasure.

“Good Brother! Good Brother! Why are you telling me your secret?” he requested, beaming.

“Effectively, throughout our match, it was already fairly egocentric of me to hide the truth that I misplaced all my inside power. How may I preserve deceiving you on that? Senior Grasp was enjoying music to an ox, and I simply occur to be the ox that understood not one of the magnificence.” Linghu Chong grinned.

“I assume my ‘Seven-String Invisible Sword’ is not any rubbish in any case. For a second, I assumed my ‘Seven-String Invisible Sword’ truly become ‘Damaged-String Unusable Sword’. Ha-ha! Ha-ha!” Mr. Huang-Zhong stroked his lengthy beard and set free extra laughter.

“Younger Hero Feng! We, the 4 brothers, are very grateful on your honesty. However didn’t you recognize that after you reveal your individual weak spot, if we wish to take your life, it will be as simple as turning our arms over? Though you may have glorious sword expertise, with none inside power, you’ll be no match for us in any case,” Mr. Black-White stated.

“Second Grasp is totally proper. I solely advised the reality as a result of I can inform that the 4 Manor Masters are all reliable heroes,” Linghu Chong replied.

“Effectively stated! Effectively stated!” Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded at these phrases. “Brother Feng, you would possibly as nicely converse frankly and inform us your intention on your go to. We, the 4 brothers really feel like you’re virtually an outdated good friend of ours regardless that that is the primary time we ever meet. So far as our capability permits, you possibly can ask us for something.”

Mr. Bald-Brush additionally stated, “You misplaced all of your inside power most likely due to a extreme damage. I’ve a really intimate good friend whose medical expertise are virtually godlike. Solely that he’s form of eccentric and wouldn’t absorb sufferers simply. However for my sake, I’m certain he’d be prepared to deal with you. The ‘Killer Physician’ Ping One-Finger and I’ve been good associates .”

“Did you say Ping One-Finger, Physician Ping?” Linghu Chong cried out involuntarily.

“That’s proper. You’ve heard of his title earlier than, haven’t you?” Mr. Bald-Brush answered.

“Physician Ping handed away on the 5-Tyrant Ridge in Shandong Province a number of months in the past.” Linghu Chong’s voice turned gloomy.

“What?” Mr. Bald-Brush cried out in shock. “He he died?”

“He may have cured any illness on the earth. How come he wasn’t in a position to remedy his personal sickness? Oh, was he killed by his private enemy?” Mr. Paint requested.

Linghu Chong shook his head. He had all the time felt ashamed of himself for the dying of Ping One-Finger.

“Physician Ping checked my pulse proper earlier than he handed away. He stated that my damage was too bizarre and he couldn’t remedy me.”

The sudden information of Ping One-Finger’s dying struck Mr. Bald-Brush exhausting. He stared blankly in entrance of him and shortly tears emerged from his eyes.

“Brother Feng, let me level you a route. However whether or not he’ll do it or not, it’s exhausting to say,” after pondering for a protracted whereas, Mr. Huang-Zhong lastly stated. “I’ll write you a letter, and you may take the letter with you and request an viewers from the Head Grasp of the Shaolin Temple, Nice Grasp Fang-Zheng. If he agrees to show you the last word inside power Kung Fu of the Shaolin College, the Tendon Altering Sutra, then there’s a good probability that you just’ll be capable to regain your inside power. The Tendon Altering Sutra is essentially the most valued Kung Fu of the Shaolin College, which isn’t to be taught to any outsider. However a few years in the past, Nice Grasp Fang-Zheng owed me some gratitude. Possibly he’ll do me a favor for private consideration and make an exception.”

Linghu Chong knew that each Mr. Bald-Brush’s advice of Ping One-Finger and Mr. Huang-Zhong’s route to Nice Grasp Fang-Zheng have been each proper to the core of the issue, and each suggestions have been made wholeheartedly. It was apparent that the 2 Manor Masters weren’t solely exceptionally insightful, but in addition sincerely zealous about his wellbeing. Feeling completely grateful, he stated, “Nice Grasp Fang-Zheng solely teaches the ‘Tendon Altering Sutra’ to apprentices of his personal faculty, nevertheless it wouldn’t be correct for me to hitch the Shaolin College. It is rather troublesome state of affairs.”

After standing up and making a deep bow, he spoke once more, “I’m very grateful for the 4 Manor Masters’ kindness. Life and dying lie within the lap of the gods. My damage is absolutely not an enormous deal, and it’s definitely not my intention to fret the 4 Manor Masters. I feel it’s time for me to say goodbye.”

“Please wait,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated. Turning round, he went into the inside room, and never lengthy after, he returned with a small china bottle in his hand. “Listed here are two natural drugs bestowed upon me by my respectable Grasp a few years in the past. They’re fairly efficient in nourishing well being and therapeutic wounds. Please settle for them as my present, little brother, as a small token to rejoice our assembly as we speak.”

The cork on the small bottle appeared worn and historic. Linghu Chong knew that if Mr. Huang-Zhong had saved this relic from his deceased Grasp for all these years, they needed to be very valuable. So he replied instantly, “These drugs have been bestowed from Senior Grasp’s respectable Grasp, not simply any odd drugs. I dare not settle for it!”

Mr. Huang-Zhong shook his head. “The 4 of us have separated ourselves from the Martial World for a few years and now not try with different folks. These catholicons for accidents are actually no good to us. The 4 brothers of us have neither apprentices, nor youngsters. In case you insist on declining, I suppose these two drugs would solely find yourself accompanying me in my coffin.”

Sensing the bleakness in Mr. Huang-Zhong’s voice, Linghu Chong didn’t insist any additional and accepted the present, thanking him earnestly. After bidding his farewell, he headed again to the Sport Room with Mr. Black-White, Mr. Bald-Brush, and Mr. Paint accompanying by the aspect. As quickly as Xiang Wentian noticed the solemn expression on the 4’s faces, he knew instantly that Linghu Chong should have gained yet one more sword match in opposition to the First Grasp of the manor. If the First Grasp had gained the match, then regardless that Mr. Black-White would possibly nonetheless keep his composure, Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint, fore certain, would have turned daring and militant, demanding Zhang Xu’s calligraphy e-book and Fan Kuan’s portray from him on the first sight of him.

“Brother Feng, did First Grasp provide you with some good pointers as regard to your sword expertise?” he requested, pretending he had not a clue.

“The prowess of First Grasp’s inside power was merely unimaginable. But it surely simply occurs that I’ve misplaced all my inside power and due to this fact, didn’t react to the inside power launched from First Grasp’s zither in any respect. It was such unbelievable luck on my aspect,” Linghu Chong defined.

“This Brother Feng right here is an trustworthy gentleman and didn’t preserve again something. Why did you say that his inside power was far superior to yours and deceive my Large Brother massive time?” Mr. Paint reprehended, evident at Xiang Wentian as he spoke.

“However on the time when Brother Feng nonetheless had his inside power, his inside power was certainly far superior to mine. I used to be referring to earlier than, not now,” Xiang Wentian grinned.

“You’re a dangerous individual!” Mr. Bald-Brush grunted.

“Effectively, since nobody within the Plum Manor can defeat my Brother Feng’s sword. Three Manor Masters, I feel it’s time for us to say goodbye,” Xiang Wentian cupped his arms. Turning towards Linghu Chong, he stated, “Let’s go.”

Linghu Chong additionally cupped his arms and bowed. “It was an awesome pleasure to fulfill the 4 Manor Masters as we speak. If the possibility rises up sooner or later, I’ll go to your Manor as soon as once more.”

“Brother Feng, for those who really feel like coming over to drink some wine, you possibly can come any day. I’ll allow you to style all the good wines I collected all through the years. However in regard to this Brother Tong right here, nicely! Effectively!” Mr. Paint stated.

“With my small capability for liquor, I definitely dare to not come and ask for hassle.” Xiang Wentian confirmed a smile.

After cupping his arms yet one more time, he walked out, holding Linghu Chong’s arms. Mr. Black-White and the others additionally walked out.

“Three Manor Masters please don’t hassle to see us out,” Xiang Wentian stated.

“Ha, do you suppose we’re seeing you out? We’re right here to see Brother Feng off. In case you had come all by your self, Brother Tong, simply watch us and see what number of steps we’ll take to see you off,” Mr. Bald-Brush stated.

“I see,” Xiang Wentian grinned.

Mr. Black-White and the others walked all the best way out of the manor gate earlier than saying goodbye to Linghu Chong. Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint stared at Xiang Wentian all the best way out. How they wished they may simply snatch the bundle off Xiang Wentian’s again.

Holding Linghu Chong’s hand, Xiang Wentian walked deep into the willow woods. After they have been removed from the Plum Manor, he lastly requested, smiling, “Brother, the First Grasp’s ‘Invisible Sword’ vitality from his zither could be very highly effective. How did you handle to defeat him?”

“Oh, so Large Brother knew all the things already. Fortunately I’ve misplaced all my inside power, or else I’m afraid I in all probability would have misplaced my life over that. Large Brother, did you may have some scores to settle with these 4 Manor Masters?” Linghu Chong requested.

“No. I’d by no means even met them earlier than as we speak, what scores may there be?” Xiang Wentian answered.

Immediately, shouts got here from behind. “Brother Tong! Brother Feng! Please come again.”

Linghu Chong circled after which noticed Mr. Paint operating towards him in fast trots. He held a bowl in his hand, which was greater than half full with wine.

“Brother Feng, I’ve half a bottle of greater than one-hundred-year outdated Bamboo-Inexperienced. You’d actually remorse it for those who didn’t have a style,” he stated, handing the bowl over as he spoke.

Linghu Chong took the bowl after which took a glance. The wine contained in the bowl was so inexperienced that it virtually appeared like one strong emerald stone and he couldn’t even see the underside of the bowl. The sturdy and mellow scent of the wine quickly stuffed his nostrils. “Nice wine, certainly!” he praised.

“Glorious!” after a small sip of the wine, he praised once more. Then with one other 4 fast gulps, he poured the whole content material of the bowl down his throat. “The flavour of the wine tastes delicate but wealthy on the similar time. It needed to the product from across the metropolis of Yangzhou or Zhenjiang,” he commented.

“Proper on!” Mr. Paint beamed with delight. “That is the last word treasure of the Golden-Hill Temple in Zhenjiang. That they had a complete of six bottles. The monks within the temple abide by their commandment and don’t drink, so that they gave me one bottle as a gift. After having fun with half of the bottle myself, I begrudged ingesting any extra of it. Brother Feng, I’ve a number of extra nice wines at my place. I’d actually such as you to come back over and decide them for me. What do you say?”

Linghu Chong was already feeling nice intimacy towards the “4 Playfellows of Jiangnan,” now with the prospect of tasting some nice wine as well as, he discovered himself all jubilant. Turning his head over, he checked out Xiang Wentian for his response.

“Brother Feng, Fourth Grasp desires to ask you for some wine. You go forward. As for me, since Third Grasp and Fourth Grasp will get grouchy after they see me, I feel I’d higher um, nicely,” Xiang Wentian stated.

“Who stated I get grouchy once I see you? Let’s go. All of us! You might be Brother Feng’s good friend, and you’re invited too!” Mr. Paint smiled.

Earlier than Xiang Wentian had any probability to say no, Mr. Paint had already coiled his left arm round Xiang Wentian’s proper arm and his proper arm round Linghu Chong’s left arm and started strolling. “Come on! Come on! Let’s have some extra drinks!” he insisted, beaming brightly.

“Once we bid our farewell to the Manor Masters earlier, Fourth Grasp confirmed a really unfriendly angle towards Large Brother Xiang. Why has he turned so intimate rapidly? Is it doable that he merely couldn’t neglect the portray within the bundle on Large Brother Xiang’s again for a second and determined to fetch it utilizing another methods?” Linghu Chong thought to himself.

Quickly, the three of them returned to the gate of the Plum Manor, at which Mr. Bald-Brush had been ready for them.

“Brother Feng is again! Glorious! Glorious!” Mr. Bald-Brush uttered.

The 4 of them returned to the Sport Room the place Mr. Paint introduced out many sorts of nice wine and had an excellent drink with Linghu Chong. However Mr. Black-White by no means confirmed his face all of the whereas.

The time was getting late now. It appeared as if Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint was ready for somebody, since each of them saved glancing towards the doorway from the nook of their eyes. Xiang Wentian took go away of them a number of occasions, however the two hosts repeatedly urged him to remain. Linghu Chong, alternatively, paid no consideration to it and saved ingesting his wine.

“If two Manor Masters don’t invite us for dinner, I’ll starve to dying!” Xiang Wentian checked the colour of the sky after which complained with an enormous grin.

“Proper! Proper!” Mr. Bald-Brush replied after which referred to as out loudly, “Steward Ding, prepare the banquet! Hurry!”

Ding Jian acknowledged from exterior when all of the sudden, the door was pushed open and Mr. Black-White stepped into the room.

“Brother Feng, there may be one other one in our manor who want to have a sword contest with you,” he stated to Linghu Chong.

As quickly as Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint heard these phrases, they jumped again onto their ft in unison, beaming with pleasure. “Large Brother has agreed!”

“So First Grasp needed to give his permission earlier than that individual can have a sword contest with me,” Linghu Chong thought inwardly. “It appears that evidently that they had saved me right here so the Second Grasp may discuss it over with the First Grasp. And solely after a protracted plead did the First Grasp lastly consent. Then this individual have to be both a junior in First Grasp’s household or his disciple or underling of some kind. Is that this individual’s sword ability actually even higher than that of the First Grasp?” Immediately one other thought popped into his mind and he groaned inwardly, “Oh no! They knew that I’ve misplaced all my inside power. In consideration of their very own standing, they really feel unbefitting doing it themselves. But when they ship a junior or an subordinate to struggle me and specifically problem me within the division of inside power, it will take him no time to complete me off!” However then he thought, “These 4 Manor Masters are all truthful champions. How may they commit such despicable act? However Third Grasp and Fourth Grasp are merely loopy about that portray and that calligraphy e-book, and though the Second Grasp appeared calm from the skin, he would definitely not relaxation contented till he will get his arms on these recreation manuals. Effectively, utilizing such a foul methodology for the sake of these portray, calligraphy e-book, and recreation manuals remains to be nicely throughout the logic. If anybody actually desires to injure me utilizing inside power, I’ll simply stab his joints or some essential key factors on his physique first.”

“Younger Hero Feng, Could I hassle you with one other quick journey?” Mr. Black-White requested.

“In regard to real Kung Fu expertise, I’m actually no match for Third Grasp or Fourth Grasp, a lot much less Second Grasp and First Grasp. The 4 senior masters of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill all have unsurpassed Kung Fu expertise. Solely due to the congeniality you felt with me, you may have been very tolerant and thoughtful. It’s actually unnecessary for me to indicate my immature and shallow expertise once more,” Linghu Chong declined.

“Brother Feng, in fact that individual’s Kung Fu is increased than yours. However you don’t have to be afraid. He ,” Mr. Paint stated, which was promptly reduce off by Mr. Black-White.

“In our humble manor, there may be yet one more grandmaster who’s an skilled on the artwork of sword. As soon as he heard about Younger Hero Feng’s good sword expertise, he longed for a sword contest. I hope Younger Hero Feng wouldn’t thoughts having only one extra match.”

Afraid that he is perhaps compelled into injuring his opponent within the further match and thus have a fall out with the “4 Playfellows of Jiangnan,” Linghu Chong stated, “4 Masters have been very sort to me. If I’ve this extra match, I ponder what sort of mood this grandmaster might need. If, for any cause, this ends in discord, or perhaps I get injured from this grandmaster’s sword, that may, for certain, harm the pleasant emotions.”

“No worries! He gained’t gained’t ,” Mr. Paint tried to consolation him, however once more, Mr. Black-White didn’t let him end.

“It doesn’t matter what occurs, the 4 of us won’t ever blame you, Younger Hero Feng,” Mr. Black-White assured him.

“Wonderful! You would possibly as nicely have one other match,” Xiang Wentian stated. “However I’ve some issues I have to take care straight away and may’t keep any longer. Brother Feng, I’ll see you once more within the metropolis of Jiaxing.”

“Are you leaving already? You may’t go away but!” Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint cried out in unison.

“Except you allow Zhang Xu’s calligraphy e-book behind,” Mr. Bald-Brush demanded.

“In case you go away now, the place are we going to search out you to get your portray, calligraphy e-book, and recreation manuals after Younger Hero Feng loses the match? No, no, you’ll have to remain just a bit bit longer. Steward Ding, hurry up with the banquet!” Mr. Paint shouted.

“Younger Hero Feng, I’ll go together with you. Brother Tong, please have one thing to eat. We’ll be proper again to accompany you. It gained’t take very lengthy,” Mr. Black-White stated.

However Xiang Wentian shook his head many times. “You might be after a certain triumph with this match. Though my Brother Feng has glorious mastery within the artwork of the sword, his expertise in confrontations remains to be very shallow. Moreover, you may have already came upon that he has misplaced all his inside power. With out me guarding onsite, even when we lose this match, we might not be reconciled to the defeat.”

“What’s Brother Tong saying right here? Do you actually suppose that we might cheat within the match?” Mr. Black-White requested.

“The 4 Masters of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill are all folks of outstanding virtues. I’ve all the time held the 4 masters in nice reverence and, in fact, think about you. However Brother Feng is having the sword match with another person. I actually had no concept that there’s truly one other grandmaster within the Plum Manor in addition to the 4 Manor Masters. Could I ask Second Grasp right here who is that this individual? If I do know that this individual is an trustworthy had simple champion similar to the 4 Manor Masters, then I’ll really feel way more relaxed,” Xiang Wentian stated.

“The Kung Fu expertise and the celebrity of this individual are solely increased than the 4 brothers of us. There’s merely no comparability between him and us,” Mr. Paint stated.

“Within the Marital World, there are only some folks whose fame may very well be as compared with that of the 4 Manor Masters. Then I’m certain I should have heard of his title earlier than,” Xiang Wentian stated.

“However we are able to’t let you know his title,” Mr. Bald-Brush answered.

“Then I need to guard onsite throughout this match. In any other case we are able to simply neglect concerning the match,” Xiang Wentian insisted.

“Brother Tong, why are you so cussed? It’s not gonna do you any good coming to this match. This individual has lived in seclusion for a very long time and would moderately not let another folks see his face,” Mr. Paint defined.

“How does Brother Feng have the sword contest with him, then?” Xiang Wentian requested.

“All sides will likely be carrying a masks, exposing solely the eyes. That method, neither may see the opposite,” Mr. Black-White clarified.

“Will the 4 Manor Masters be carrying masks as nicely?” Xiang Wentian requested.

“That’s right. This individual has very eccentric tempers. If we don’t, he wouldn’t struggle,” Mr. Black-White affirmed.

“I’ll simply put on a masks as nicely,” Xiang Wentian persevered.

After a protracted hesitation, Mr. Black-White lastly stated, “If Brother Tong is set to observe the match onsite, I suppose we have now no alternative. However Brother Tong should make a promise that you just’ll not make any sound by out the match.”

“Pretending to be deaf and dumb, that’s simple!” Xiang Wentian grinned.

So Mr. Black-White prepared the ground within the entrance, Xiang Wentian and Linghu Chong adopted within the center and Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint adopted behind. Linghu Chong couldn’t assist however discover that they have been truly following the identical path that led to First Grasp’s home earlier. Quickly, they arrived exterior of First Grasp’s Zither Corridor. After three light knocks on the door, Mr. Black-White pushed the door open and stepped in. A person already stood in the midst of the room, a masks made from black material coated his head. Linghu Chong simply acknowledged him as Mr. Huang-Zhong from his clothes. Mr. Black-White walked subsequent to him after which whispered some phrases in his ears. Then Mr. Huang-Zhong shook his head and whispered some phrases again, clearly unwilling to let Xiang Wentian take part. Mr. Black-White gave a nod after which turned to the group behind him.

“My Large Brother thinks that the sword match is simply a small matter. But when we provoke that good friend in any method, there will likely be a lot pointless hassle. Let’s name the match off.”

The 5 of them bowed to Mr. Huang-Zhong after which went out of the room.

“Brother Tong, you’re actually an oddball, you recognize that?” Mr. Paint stated irritably. “Did you suppose that we might simply all swarm ahead and bully Brother Feng? Effectively, your insisting on wanting on the match has actually value us the match. Thanks for ruining the day for us!”

“It took Second Brother an awesome effort to persuade Large Brother and get his permission. You’d moderately make extra hassle,” Mr. Bald-Brush grunted.

“All proper! All proper! I’ll yield a step. I gained’t insist on watching this match. However it’s a must to promise that it’s going to be a good match and also you gained’t deceive my Brother Feng,” Xiang Wentian stated with a smile.

“What sort of folks did you suppose we have been? We’d by no means deceive Younger Hero Feng!” Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint cried out with pleasure in unison.

“I’ll anticipate you guys within the Sport Room,” Xiang Wentian stated, smiling. “Brother Feng, I don’t know what sort of clandestine tips they’re attempting to drag right here. You’d higher preserve a climate eye open on a regular basis and be very cautious.”

“The Plum Manor solely has gents with lofty virtues. How can there be anybody resorting to trickery and swindle?” Linghu Chong replied with a smile.

“Proper on! Younger Hero Feng is just not such as you, who measure others’ corn by one’s personal bushel.” Mr. Paint confirmed a broad grin.

Xiang Wentian took a number of steps after which circled and waved at Linghu Chong. “Brother Feng, come over right here. I’d higher exhort you some extra so that you wouldn’t fall for different’s tips,” he stated, at which Mr. Paint sneered however paid no consideration.

“Large Brother Xiang is being too cautious. I’m not a three-year-old child. Even when they actually plan on fooling me, it’s not gonna be simple,” Linghu Chong thought to himself as he walked towards Xiang Wentian.

Xiang Wentian grabbed maintain of Linghu Chong’s hand, and instantly Linghu Chong felt a paper ball positioned in his palm. A fast squeeze advised Linghu Chong that there was a bit of exhausting object wrapped contained in the paper ball. With a broad smile, Xiang Wentian pulled him nearer after which whispered to his ears.

“After you see that individual, shake his arms to indicate your proximity, after which secretly place this paper ball along with the thing inside into his palm. This can be a crucial matter. Don’t take it evenly. Ha-ha! Ha-ha!”

When he stated these phrases, the tone of his voice was very solemn, however he saved the broad smile on his face. The laughter on the finish merely had nothing to do together with his phrases. Mr. Black-White, Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint all presumed that he should have been ridiculing the three of them.

“What’s so humorous? Younger Hero Feng, little question, has glorious sword expertise, however we haven’t had an opportunity to take a look at the sword expertise of Brother Tong,” Mr. Paint challenged.

“My sword expertise are most odd. There’s no have to test it out,” Xiang Wentian laughed out earlier than waddling out of the room.

“Nice! Let’s go see Large Brother once more,” Mr. Paint stated merrily.

The 4 of them entered Mr. Huang-Zhong’s Zither Corridor as soon as once more. Mr. Huang Zhong didn’t count on their return and had already eliminated the masks from his head.

“Large Brother, we have now lastly satisfied that Brother Tong. He has agreed to not watch the match,” Mr. Black-White stated.

“Good,” Mr. Huang-Zhong replied. Choosing up the black material masks, he put it again onto his head.

Mr. Paint pulled out a drawer from the wood cupboard and took out three black material masks. He handed certainly one of them to Linghu Chong and stated, “This one is mine. You may put on it. Large Brother, I’m borrowing your pillowcase.”

He went contained in the bed room and shortly returned with a inexperienced material pillowcase over his head. Two holes had been reduce off the pillowcase, displaying his two eyes.

Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded his approval after which stated to Linghu Chong, “When you may have the sword context later, each of you’ll be utilizing wood swords in case inside power is used is used and put Brother Feng into drawback.”

“That might be nice!” Linghu Chong stated fortunately.

“Second Brother, carry two wood swords,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated to Mr. Black-White, who, in flip, pulled one other drawer from the cupboard and took out two wood swords.

“Brother Feng, no matter who wins this contest, will you please not point out a phrase to anybody else?” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated to Linghu Chong.

“That’s in fact! I’ve stated earlier than that I didn’t come to the Plum Manor to make a reputation for myself. Why would I wish to exit and make it extensively recognized? Moreover, there’s a excessive likelihood that I’ll be dropping this match. What’s there to brag about?” Linghu Chong answered.

“Effectively, that’s not essentially a certain factor, however I consider Brother Feng is a person of his phrases and gained’t let the phrase out. Will you please additionally not point out a phrase about something you see afterwards, not even to that Brother Tong? Do you suppose you are able to do that?” Mr. Huang-Zhong requested.

“Not even Large Brother Tong? After the sword contest, naturally he would ask me about the whole course. If I preserve my mouth fully shut, isn’t it moderately harsh for our friendship?” Linghu Chong hesitated.

“That Brother Tong is a worldly-wise man. As soon as he’s made conscious that Brother Feng has made a promise to me, he would perceive {that a} true man’s promise is price one thousand gold and you could make good your promise, then naturally he gained’t pressure you to inform in opposition to your will,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated.

“That’s true. I promise you,” Linghu Chong agreed.

Mr. Huang-Zhong cupped his arms collectively. “Thanks on your understanding, Brother Feng! Let’s go.”

Turning on his heels, Linghu Chong started strolling towards the skin. So when Mr. Paint pointed towards the bed room and stated, “This manner,” Linghu Chong was fully taken abruptly. “How come we’re going into the bed room?” he thought, however then he instantly got here up with a solution, “Oh, I see. The one that may have the sword contest with me is a lady. Possibly she is First Grasp’s spouse or a feminine relative. That’s why they insisted on not having Large Brother Xiang watching the match by the aspect. They don’t need her to see my face and don’t need me to see her face, both, all as a result of men and women needs to be distinguished. And First Grasp urged me many times to not point out a phrase to anyone else, not even to Large Brother Xiang. If it weren’t as a result of it had one thing to do with a feminine, why would they be so severe?”

As soon as he figured this half out, all his suspicions all of the sudden cleared away, then when he felt the paper ball and the small exhausting object inside in his palm, he thought inwardly, “It appears as if all Large Brother Xiang’s cautious and shrewd association solely are for one goal: to allow him to pay a go to to that girl. Since he couldn’t see her himself, he entrusted me to go a letter and a souvenir to her. Then there should have been some form of an obscure affair between them. Although Large Brother Xiang is my sworn-brother, the 4 Manor Masters have additionally been very sort to me. If I go these alongside, it will actually be unfair to the 4 Manor Masters. What ought to I do?” Then he thought, “Large Brother Xiang and the 4 Manor Masters are all folks nicely above their fifties or sixties. That girl should have not been younger, both. Even when there was intertwined love relationship concerned right here, it needed to be a previous factor a few years in the past. I suppose passing this letter alongside wouldn’t harm the girl’s chastity.”

Whereas he was muttering to himself, the 5 of them had entered the inside bed room. The association within the room was very merely, with solely a mattress and a small desk. The gauze bed-curtain hung above the mattress appeared antiquated and confirmed slight yellow. On prime of the small desk sat a brief zither, fully black as if it was made from iron.

“All the pieces panned out as Large Brother Xiang deliberate. Alas, his love is so deep, how can I not assist him fulfill this want?” Linghu Chong thought.

He all the time had a carefree disposition and by no means cared a lot concerning the Confucian code of etiquette. In the meanwhile, he vaguely felt as if that girl had become his little apprentice sister, Yue Lingshan, who had married her junior apprentice brother Lin Pingzhi, and he was Xiang Wentian, who was attempting each doable option to pay one other go to to little apprentice sister after a number of a long time. When a gathering turned out to be inconceivable, he then tried to go alongside a souvenir from the outdated days to merely specific his emotions and barely relieve the a long time of lovesickness.

“Possibly it was additionally due to this outdated lover of his, Large Brother Xiang broke away from the Demon’s Cult and didn’t hesitate to have a whole fall out with the Chief and his fellow members within the cult,” Linghu Chong thought.

Amid his reverie, Mr. Huang-Zhong had already lifted the beddings on the mattress, eliminated the mattress board out of bed, exposing an iron plate with a copper ring connected to the highest of it. With a decent grip on the copper ring, Mr. Huang-Zhong pulled upward, and a four-foot vast and five-foot lengthy iron board rose up slowly, revealing a big rectangular-shaped opening. The iron plate was at the least half-a-foot thick and gave the impression to be extraordinarily heavy.

After putting the iron plate on the ground, Mr. Huang-Zhong stated to Linghu Chong, “This individual’s residence is form of unusual. Brother Feng, please observe me.” At these phrases, he jumped into the opening.

“After you, Younger Hero Feng,” Mr. Black-White urged.

Very shocked, Linghu Chong adopted swimsuit and likewise jumped into the opening. What he noticed subsequent was an oil lamp hanging from a wall, which illuminated the environment indistinctly. The place he stood now appeared to be the start of a tunnel. Following behind Mr. Huang-Zhong he walked ahead, and shortly Mr. Black-White and the remainder of the folks additionally jumped down one after one other.

About twenty ft following the passageway, the tunnel appeared to have come to an finish. Mr. Huang-Zhong took out a string of keys from his chest pocket and inserted certainly one of them right into a keyhole. Turning the important thing a number of occasions, he pushed ahead; amid a collection of scrunches, a stone gate slowly opened up.

Linghu Chong discovered himself an increasing number of astounded, and on the meantime, felt an increasing number of sympathy towards Xiang Wentian. “They’ve locked the girl up in a dungeon, then in fact she was imprisoned in opposition to her will. These 4 Manor Masters all gave the impression to be man of kindheartedness and justice; how may they’ve dedicated such a contemptible deed?” he contemplated.

He adopted Mr. Huang-Zhong and entered the stone gate. The tunnel started to descend because the passageway prolonged in entrance them. After a number of hundred ft, one other gate appeared in entrance of them, this time, an iron-gate. Taking the string of keys out as soon as once more, Mr. Hung-Zhong opened the iron-gate.

The tunnel saved descending deeper and deeper beneath the bottom. By then they have been in all probability over one thousand ft under the floor. The tunnel made a number of turns when one other gate met Linghu Chong’s eyes.

“I had thought that because the 4 Manor Masters are adept at music, gamesmanship, calligraphy, and portray, the ‘4 Arts’, they should have been individuals of lofty virtues and poetic temperament. Who would have thought that they might arrange non-public prisons and imprison a lady in such a hellhole that’s fully void of daylight and sunshine?” Linghu Chong felt resentment brewing inside his chest.

When he first entered the tunnel, he had no intention to be careful for the 4 Manor Masters, however for the time being he merely couldn’t assist feeling his vigilance rising significantly. “They couldn’t defeat me in sword exams. May or not it’s doable that they’ve lured me down right here so they may imprison me right here? There are gates after gates contained in the tunnel, nobody would be capable to escape even when he was furnished with wings.” That thought virtually made him shudder. However with Mr. Huang-Zhong in entrance of him, Mr. Black-White, Mr. Bald-Brush, and Mr. Paint behind, and never a single weapon in his arms, he discovered himself fairly helpless.

The third gateway truly consisted of 4 separate doorways. Behind the iron door was a wood door coated with cotton wadding nailed onto the door plank. Behind the wood door stood one other iron door, behind which was one other wood door coated with cotton waddling.

“Why have they positioned two wood doorways coated with cotton wadding in between the 2 iron doorways?” Linghu Chong questioned. “I bought it. I suppose the prisoner has very formidable inside power. The cotton wadding was used to soak up the fierce energy from her palm and stop her from breaking down the iron doorways.”

For the following 100 ft or so, there have been no extra gates alongside the best way. The oil lamps hung from the tunnel wall stood additional and farther from one another. In some sections of the tunnel, the oil lamps had lengthy extinguished, leaving solely full darkness, and the pack needed to really feel their method ahead for dozens of ft earlier than seeing the following gentle.

The additional they went, the tougher it was to breathe, Linghu Chong discovered. Furthermore, the tunnel wall and the tunnel ground had turned awfully damp. Immediately, a thought got here to his consideration, “The Plum Manor sits on the financial institution of the West Lake. After strolling for thus lengthy, we’re in all probability deep beneath the West Lake by now. This individual is locked up beneath the West Lake, not solely is it inconceivable for her to flee by herself, it is usually inconceivable for others to rescue her, as a result of as quickly as they dig open the tunnel wall, water from the lake would have poured in from above.”

After one other thirty or forty ft ahead, the tunnel all of the sudden turned very slim, and so they needed to bend their backs to proceed ahead. The additional they went, the decrease they needed to bend their backs. One other twenty ft later, Mr. Huang-Zhong lastly held his steps and took out his flint to gentle up the oil lamp on the tunnel wall. Earlier than lengthy one other iron-door got here into view beneath the dim gentle, an iron-door with a square-shaped opening one-foot vast.

“Mr. Ren, Huang-Zhong and his brothers have come to go to you!” Mr. Huang-Zhong spoke towards the square-shaped opening, loud and clear.

“What? How may or not it’s Mr. Ren? Shouldn’t the individual locked inside a feminine?” Linghu Chong was shocked.

However no response got here from the within.

“Mr. Ren, we’re very regretful for not having despatched our respects to you typically. We now have come as we speak to tell you of an essential matter,” Mr. Huang-Zhong spoke once more.

Immediately a hoarse voice bellowed from contained in the cell, “Vital matter my ass! In case you’ve bought horseshit, unload it now! If not, get the hell out of right here!”

Linghu Chong was dumbfounded. Immediately, all his earlier fancy disappeared like mist and smoke. Not solely did the voice belong to an outdated man, the phrases this man used have been additionally so crude that they needed to come from the mouth of a road vulgar.

“Earlier than, we had all the time thought that when speaking about distinctive sword masters of our time, Mr. Ren would undoubtedly be ranked because the primary on the chart. However how improper we have been! In the present day we had a customer to the Plum Manor. The 4 brothers of us definitely have been no match for him; even Mr. Ren’s sword artwork would pale into insignificance by comparability,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated.

“He’s utilizing mocking phrases to goad that man into coming into a sword context with me,” Linghu Chong thought to himself.

The person burst into loud laughter. “You 4 sons of bitches couldn’t beat him, so that you goaded him into sparring with me and hoped that I might care for this robust enemy for you, didn’t you, you scumbags? Ha-ha, what wishful pondering! Too dangerous that I haven’t touched a sword for over ten years and have fully forgotten all my sword expertise. Why don’t you simply put your tail between your legs and get the hell out of right here, you bloody bastards!”

Linghu Chong gasped with astonishment. “This man is so extremely sharp-witted and will predict with miraculous accuracy. Simply from Mr. Huang-Zhong’s phrases he had figured all the things out,” he thought to himself.

“Large Brother, on no account would Mr. Ren be this individual’s rival. This individual stated that no one within the Plum Manor may defeat him, and he wasn’t overstating the case. There’s no want to speak additional with Mr. Ren,” Mr. Bald-Brush stated.

“Give it up! Frightening me gained’t reduce it. Did you truly suppose I might do something for you 4 bastards?” the person named Ren snarled.

“This individual has really mastered the sword expertise taught by the venerable Grandmaster Feng Qingyang of the Huashan Sword College. Large Brother, I heard that years in the past when Mr. Ren roamed the Martial World, he feared neither Heaven nor Earth, besides one individual – Grandmaster Feng. Mr. Ren’s nickname was one thing like ‘Flee on the Sight of the Wind’, and the phrase ‘wind’ right here refers back to the venerable Grandmaster Feng Qingyang.[3] Is that true?” Mr. Bald-Brush requested.

“What stinking fart! Garbage!” the person named Ren roared at these phrases.

“Third Brother stated it improper,” Mr. Paint joined in.

“Why?” Mr. Bald-Brush requested.

“You bought one phrase improper,” Mr. Paint elaborated. “Mr. Ren’s nickname is just not ‘Flee on the Sight of the Wind’. It’s ‘Flee on the Sound of the Wind.’ Now give it some thought. If Mr. Ren had already had Grandmaster Feng in his sight, the 2 of them couldn’t have been very removed from one another, and the way may Grandmaster Feng have allowed him to get away? Solely that as quickly as he heard Grandmaster Feng’s title talked about he begins operating straight away, stressed like a cur stray from his pack .”

“ and hasten like a fish slipping out of the online ,” Mr. Bald-Brush added.

“ is he in a position to preserve his head on his neck all the best way until as we speak!” Mr. Paint accomplished the sentence.

The person named Ren appeared to be fairly amused by these phrases and laughed out loud. “You 4 stinking bastards discovered your self pushed from pillar to publish by him, after which thought that you can beg me to take him on. Go soar within the lake. Did you suppose I’m so silly to fall on your tips?”

Mr. Huang-Zhong heaved a sigh. “Brother Feng,” he stated to Linghu Chong, “this Mr. Ren right here is already frightened out of his wits merely on the mentioning of the ‘Feng’ in your title. There’s no want for one more sword match. We’ll simply admit that you’re the primary sword grasp in the whole world.”

Though Linghu Chong knew that he had imagined all the things improper when he came upon that the individual was not a lady, seeing him caught within the dungeon, and clearly for a really very long time, the sensation of sympathy soared in his coronary heart spontaneously. From the tone of all people, he deduced that this individual needed to be a really senior grasp with extraordinary Kung Fu expertise. So when he heard Mr. Huang-Zhong’s phrases, he objected.

“First Grasp, it’s not true. When Grandmaster Feng mentioned sword arts with me, he held this this venerable Mr. Ren in very excessive esteem. He stated that in regard to sword masters of our time, the revered Mr. Ren was the one individual he had admiration for and that if I have been fortunate to fulfill this Mr. Ren sometime, I need to kowtow to him with utter respect and ask for his recommendation with honest want.”

These phrases despatched Mr. Huang-Zhong and his sworn brothers in full shock whereas that Mr. Ren discovered himself on the excessive ropes. Laughing loudly, he stated, “Little good friend, what you stated could be very right. Feng Qingyang is not any odd swordsman. He, and solely he, is able to recognizing the subtlety of my sword arts.”

“Grand Grandmaster Feng is aware of that he he’s right here?” Mr. Huang-Zhong uttered. His voice quivered and Linghu Chong virtually felt he sensed dread in his voice.

“Grandmaster Feng thought that the revered Mr. Ren had retired to a surroundings spot in a well-known mountain,” Linghu Chong determined to run wild together with his made-up story. “Through the time when he skilled me within the artwork of sword, he had steadily talked about concerning the revered Mr. Ren. He stated that the one goal of coaching in these sword strikes was to struggle revered Mr. Ren’s college students. If revered Mr. Ren by no means existed, then it will have develop into fully pointless to study these very sophisticated sword strikes.”

By then he had develop into very discontented with the 4 Masters of the Plum Manor, pondering that the person named Ren should have been a champion of the previous, and his captivity in the dead of night and degrading jail should have resulted from some form of a despicable plot in secret arrange by the 4 Manor Masters, so even his phrases carried a lot ridicule and sarcasm.

“Um, that’s proper, my little good friend! Feng Qingyang actually has some good insights. You bought the higher of those of us within the Plum Manor, didn’t you?” The person named Ren requested.

“Effectively, since my sword expertise have been taught my Grandmaster Feng, himself, then except it was you, Mr. Ren, or except it was a scholar of yours, odd folks in fact wouldn’t stand an opportunity,” Linghu Chong replied.

By saying these phrases, he had publicly denounced Mr. Huang-Zhong and the bunch. The extra he felt how darkish, damp, and gloomy the dungeon was, the angrier he was on the 4 Manor Masters. He had solely stayed right here for a really quick whereas and was already feeling awfully uncomfortable, however that they had locked this senior grasp on this appalling place, a spot fully unsuitable for human inhabitation, for god is aware of what number of years. That was simply atrocious. Because the ethical indignation grew quickly inside him, he had no extra scruple with the selection of his phrases, pondering that even when worst got here to worst and so they killed him on the spot, he wouldn’t have cared any extra.

When Mr. Huang-Zhong and the remainder Manor Masters heard these phrases, they in fact felt a lot snubbed. However they did lose their matches and had nothing to contradict.

“Brother Feng, what are you ?” Mr. Paint muttered, however after Mr. Black-White gave his sleeve a tug, he held his tongue.

“Excellent! Excellent! Little good friend, you’ve actually given me a vent to my anger. Now inform me, how did you beat them?” the person requested.

“The primary individual from the Plum Manor to have sword match with me was a good friend named Ding Jian with a nickname referred to as one thing like ‘Straight Line Lightning Sword’,” Linghu Chong stated.

“His sword strikes are flash and with out substance. He doesn’t have any true expertise, and all he does is to attempt to scare folks together with his sword flashes. You don’t have to make use of any transfer sparring him. Simply place your blade there and he’ll ship his fingers, wrists, or arms onto your blade and have them reduce off, himself,” the person stated.

Feeling completely astounded, the 5 listeners cried out in unison.

“What? Was I not proper?” the person requested.

“You might be completely proper. It’s virtually like you may have seen it with your individual eyes,” Linghu Chong answered.

“Nice! Then did he reduce off his 5 fingers or a hand?”

“I turned my sword blade a little bit bit,” Linghu Chong stated.

“Flawed! Flawed! Why be so good to your enemy? You might be too kindhearted and at some point you’ll for certain get the more severe of it. So who was your second opponent?”

“It was Fourth Grasp.”

“Um, Fourth’s sword expertise in fact are higher than that ‘Straight Line Fart Sword’, however not by a lot. After he noticed you defeat Ding Jian, I wager that he’d be utilizing that distinctive stun of his, which he prided himself on. Ah, what was that sword artwork referred to as? Oh, yeah. It’s referred to as the ‘Splashing Ink Slicing Hemp Sword Artwork’, with one thing like ‘White Aurora Taking pictures the Solar,’ or ‘Mounting Flood-Dragon and the Hovering Phoenix’, or one thing like ‘Willow Wickers Fluttering within the Spring Breeze’.”

Listening to that the person was in a position to spell out his prided sword strikes with such accuracy, Mr. Paint discovered himself in a good larger shock.

“Fourth Grasp’s sword artwork was truly fairly intelligent, besides that it has too many flaws when he assaults,” Linghu Chong stated.

“Ha-ha, Outdated Feng’s scholar definitely has a number of tips of the commerce. You hit the mark with a single remark and have recognized the lethal flaw on this ‘Splashing Ink Splitting Hemp Sword Artwork’ of his. Inside this sword artwork of his, there’s one transfer, which he all the time considered essentially the most formidable killer transfer in the whole sword artwork, referred to as ‘Jade Dragon Hanging Upside Down’ the place he would carry the sword swishing down from above with shear pressure. If he certainly launched this transfer in opposition to a scholar of Outdated Feng, then all of the opponent needed to do was to slice the lengthy sword upward proper subsequent to his sword blade, and all his 5 fingers would have been sliced off, and the blood from his hand would splash in every single place like splashing ink. It’s referred to as the ‘Splashing Blood Slicing Fingers Sword Artwork’! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!”

“Senior Grasp can predict with miraculous accuracy. I did defeat him on this transfer precisely as Senior Grasp has described. However I’ve no grudges in opposition to him; in addition to, Fourth Grasp had feasted me with nice wines and handled me very kindly. So in regard to the 5 fingers, there’s no have to slice them off. Ha-ha! Ha-ha!” Linghu Chong stated.

By then, Mr. Paint’s face appeared as if somebody had painted it scarlet and violet, and he was nicely worthy of the title “Mr. Paint”. Besides that his head is roofed by a pillowcase, so nobody may truly see his face.

“Bald-headed Third makes use of a Decide’s Pen. His handwriting is not any higher than a three-year-old child, but he loves posing as a lover of tradition and even claims that his Kung Fu comprises conception from well-known calligraphers. Little good friend, I’m certain you perceive that fight along with your enemy is a crucial matter that distinguishes between life and dying. Even when one wrestles with all his power, he’s not assured a triumph, the place would he discover such leisurely and carefree temper to be explicit concerning the model of the inscription or script? Solely when your opponent’s Kung Fu is much inferior to that or yours, you would possibly be capable to tease him or play him, but when the 2 sides’ Kung Fu expertise are comparable and you continue to attempt to write phrases along with your Decide’s Pen, you’re solely providing your individual life with each arms to the mercy of your enemy.”

“Senior Masters’ phrases are very exact. The Third Grasp is a bit too informal when he fights others,” Linghu Chong agreed.

When Mr. Bald-Brush first heard the person’s feedback, he was livid. However the extra he considered these phrases, the extra he discovered them to be in the proper. It was numerous enjoyable when he permeated calligraphy in his Decide Pen strikes, however the energy from his weapon did lower dramatically in any case. If it weren’t as a result of Linghu Chong held again, even ten Mr. Bald-Brush would have been slain simply. At that thought, he broke into chilly sweat.

“To beat Bald-headed Third is as simple as a walkover,” the person stated with fun. “His Decide Pen Kung Fu was fairly worthy, however he’s too bigheaded and would moderately add some form of calligraphy in his Kung Fu. Humph, when elite fighters alternate strikes, the result is set from very minor facets. Treating his personal life as a joking matter, it’s actually a miracle within the Martial World that he was in a position to keep alive until as we speak. Bald-headed Third, for the final ten years you simply holed up and didn’t go across the Martial world, didn’t you?”

Mr. Bald-Brush set free a snort however didn’t reply, when, in truth, a chill simply shot down his backbone. “He’s completely proper. If I had been wandering within the Martial World within the final ten years, there’s no method I’d nonetheless be alive as we speak,” he thought inwardly.

“Second’s Kung Fu together with his Magnetic Iron Sport Board is real expertise, although,” the person continued. “As soon as he begins his assault, every transfer turns into sooner than the earlier one, and the assault would swamp his opponent like a gust of blizzard or a sudden downpour. It’s certainly not simple to face up to for odd martial artists. Little good friend, inform me the way you broke his assault?”

“Effectively, I definitely dare to not use the phrase ‘break’ right here. Solely that as quickly because the struggle broke out, I initiated my assault in addition to the Second Grasp and was in a position to pressure him into protection,” Linghu Chong replied.

“Glorious! How concerning the second transfer?” the person requested.

“With the second transfer, I used a forestall assault once more, and Second Grasp took a defending stance once more.”

“Glorious! Then how concerning the third transfer?”

“With the third transfer I used to be nonetheless attacking and he was nonetheless defending.”

“Unimaginable! Within the outdated occasions, Black-White was certainly awe-inspiring within the Martial World. By then he used a daily Iron Board, and if anybody may face up to his three consecutive strikes, Black-White would spare his life. Later he modified his weapon to the Magnetic Iron Sport Board and gained nice benefit in his weapon, consequently, grew to become much more succesful. Little good friend, you have been truly in a position to pressure him into three consecutive defending strikes, that’s glorious! So on the fourth transfer, how did he counterattack?”

On the fourth transfer, once more, I attacked and Second Grasp defended.”

“Is Outdated Feng’s sword artwork actually this good? Although to defeat Black-White is just not troublesome, you have been truly in a position to pressure him right into a defending stance once more on the fourth transfer? Hmm, glorious! Glorious! On the fifth transfer, it should have been him who attacked?”

“On the fifth transfer, the state of affairs remained the identical.”

“Oh!” the person named Ren fell silent. Solely after a protracted pause did he converse once more. “After what number of of your attacking strikes Black-White was in a position to counterattack?”

“Um nicely I don’t keep in mind what number of,” Linghu Chong answered.

Mr. Black-White picked it up and stated, “Senior Grasp, Younger Hero Feng’s sword expertise are so good that from the start all the best way to the top, I used to be not in a position to assault even as soon as. After over forty strikes, I knew I used to be no match for him so I ended the match and admitted my defeat.” Solely by then did he converse to the person named Ren and the tone of his phrases was unexpectedly respectful.

“Ah!” the person cried out loudly. “That is ridiculous! Though Feng Qingyang is an distinctive expertise within the Sword Department of the Huashan Sword College, Huashan Sword Department’s sword artwork nonetheless has its restrict. I’d by no means consider that somebody from the Huashan College can assault Black-White with over forty strikes and never let him return even a single blow!”

“Revered Mr. Ren is absolutely flattering me, a junior! This Brother Feng right here has nicely surpassed his trainer. The extent of his sword expertise has far exceeded the extent of Huashan Sword Department. Once we look across the whole Martial World, solely somebody just like the Revered Mr. Ren, somebody to be thought of the mightiest fighter of our time, is able to giving him some pointers,” Mr. Black-White stated.

“Mr. Huang-Zhong, Mr. Bald-Brush, and Mr. Paint all sounded very impolite whereas Mr. Black-White spoke with the utmost esteem. However whether or not they have been frightening phrases or flattering phrases, their intention remained the identical, that’s to let this Mr. Ren have a sword contest with me,” Linghu Chong thought to himself.

“Humph! Your fawning stinks simply the identical!” the person reprimanded. “Huang-Zhong’s strikes and methods are solely on par with that of Black-White’s, however his cultivation in inside power is just not dangerous in any respect. Little good friend, is your inside power stronger than him, too?”

“I had incurred prior accidents and had misplaced all my inside power, that was why First Grasp’s ‘Seven-String Invisible Sword’ had no impact on me at al,” Linghu Chong replied.

The person burst into loud laughter. “That could be very attention-grabbing. Little good friend, I feel I’d like to take a look at your sword artwork,” he stated.

“Senior Grasp, please don’t fall for his or her scheme. The 4 Playfellows of Jiangnan wish to goad you into having the sword match. However they really have ulterior motives,” Linghu Chong urged.

“What ulterior motives?” the person requested.

“They made a wager with a good friend of mine that if anyone within the Plum Manor can defeat my sword artwork, then that good friend of mine must lose a number of issues to them,” Linghu Chong defined.

“Lose a number of issues? Um, I suppose they have to be uncommon music scores, recreation manuals, or in all probability genuine calligraphy books or work from historic occasions,” the person stated.

“Senior Grasp can foresee with divine accuracy!” Linghu Chong stated.

“I solely wish to see your sword artwork; we’re not having an actual struggle. Moreover, who stated I’d be capable to beat you for certain?”

“It’s virtually sure that Senior Grasp would prevail over me. However we should ask the 4 Manor Masters to present their phrases on one situation,” Linghu Chong stated.

“What situation?” the person requested.

“If Senior Masters defeats the lengthy sword in my hand and win these a number of treasures for them, the 4 Manor Masters should open the cell door and let Senior Grasp go away this place,” Linghu Chong defined.

“Little good friend has a really implausible thought. Did Feng Qingyang train you that?” the person grinned.

“Venerable Grandmaster Feng has no concept that Senior Grasp is imprisoned right here. And I had completely no clue about it as nicely,” Linghu Chong stated.

“Younger Hero Feng,” Mr. Black-White all of the sudden referred to as out. “What’s the title of this Revered Mr. Ren? What nickname has he gained from fellow martial masters within the Martial World? Which faculty was he the Head Grasp of? Why is he locked up right here? Did the Venerable Grandmaster Feng let you know something about it?”

Dealing with these 4 sudden questions from Mr. Black-White, Linghu Chong discovered himself tongue-tied. Earlier than when Linghu Chong had attacked forty or so strikes in fast successions, Mr. Black-White had been in a position to ward them of with forty or so defending strikes. However now when Mr. Black-White all of the sudden requested him 4 questions in fast successions as if he was attacking with 4 strikes, Linghu Chong couldn’t even fend off any certainly one of them. After some vague falters, he stated, “Effectively, I haven’t heard any of these from Grandmaster Feng. I I actually don’t know the solutions to these.”

“Proper! I wager you don’t have a clue,” Mr. Paint joined in. “In case you had recognized the trigger right here, you wouldn’t have wished us to launch him. If this man will get to depart this place, then the whole Martial World would have been turned the wrong way up. Numerous of individuals would die beneath his arms and there’ll by no means be one other peaceable day in the whole Martial World.”

“That’s right!” the person guffawed. “Regardless of how daring the 4 Playfellows of Jiangnan are, they’d by no means have the heart to let me out of the jail cell. Moreover, they’re solely following orders to observe over this place, nothing greater than 4 puny jail guards. How may they’ve the authority to launch me? Little good friend, this request of yours has actually elevated their standing an excessive amount of!”

Linghu Chong saved his silence, pondering, “I had in the slightest degree of thought about any of those implications. No marvel only some sentence into it, I’ve already given myself away.”

“Brother Feng,” Mr. Huang-Zhong stated, “whenever you noticed how gloomy and damp the dungeon is, naturally you sympathized with this Mr. Ren, due to this fact, felt resentment towards us 4 brothers. That solely reveals the errantry in your coronary heart, and I don’t blame you. However do you know that if this Mr. Ren returned to the Martial World, simply in your Huashan College, at the least half of your folks would have been worn out. Mr. Ren, am I right on that?”

“You might be right! Is Huashan College’s Head Grasp nonetheless Yue Buqun? He’s a whole hypocrite. Too dangerous at first I used to be too busy, after which fell for a secret plot afterwards, in any other case, I might have tore his hypocritical masks off a very long time once more,” the person scoffed.

Linghu Chong felt massive shock in his coronary heart. Although his Grasp expelled him from the Huashan College and likewise proclaimed to the whole world, making him the general public enemy of all orthodox faculties within the Martial World, he all the time recalled with emotion the kindness his Grasp and Grasp-Spouse had proven him bringing him up and treating him like their very own son. When he heard the person named Ren fouled and insulted his Grasp, he couldn’t assist however roar, “Shut up! My Mas .” However he instantly swallowed the remainder of the phrase down, remembering that when Xiang Wentian introduced him to the Plum Manor, he had been launched because the Uncle-Grasp of his Grasp. Earlier than figuring out whether or not these folks have been good or evil, it will have been unwise to disclose the reality.

The person named Ren, in fact, didn’t know the true which means behind Linghu Chong’s roar. Whereas laughing loudly, he continued, “Throughout the Huashan College, there are in fact folks I feel a lot of. Reverend Feng is one; you, little good friend, is one other. And there may be one other junior of yours referred to as one thing like ‘Jade Maiden of Huashan’ Ning Ning one thing. Oh, I bought it. Her title is Ning Zhongze. That little lady is definitely simple and heroic. She is a expertise. What a pity it’s that she needed to marry that Yue Buqun like a wonderful flower caught on a pile of cow dung.”

Linghu Chong didn’t know whether or not to snigger or to cry when he heard the person referring to his Grasp-Spouse as a “little lady,” so he didn’t reply. A minimum of he had favorable remark for Grasp-Spouse and referred to as her a expertise.

“Little good friend, what’s your title?” the person requested.

“My surname is Feng, and my first title is Er-Zhong,” Linghu Chong replied.

“Anybody with the surname Feng within the Huashan College can’t be dangerous. Are available in right here. Let me take a look at Reverent Feng’s sword artwork,” the person stated. He had been referring to Feng Qingyang as “Outdated Feng” at first, however then modified it to “Reverent Feng” later. He should have been fairly happy with the best way Linghu Chong talked and turned courteous towards Feng Qingyang in his phrases.

Linghu Chong’s curiosity had been rising consistently for an excellent whereas and was very keen to fulfill this man, to check out how he appeared and to learn how nice his Kung Fu was.

“My shallow sword artwork is simply good for bluffing some folks on the skin. However in entrance of Senior Grasp, it’s nothing greater than a laughing matter. However the Revered Mr. Ren is a person with distinctive skills. Since I’m already right here, how can I not pay a go to?” he stated respectfully.

Mr. Paint moved nearer after which whispered to his ears, “Brother Feng, this man’s Kung Fu could be very weird, and the strategies he employs are additionally very sinister. Be very cautious. If something doesn’t really feel best for you, come again out instantly.” His voice was very low, however the caring and concern clearly got here from full sincerity.

“Fourth Grasp is treating me like a real good friend!” Linghu Chong thought inwardly. “I ridiculed him with my phrases only a second in the past. Not solely didn’t he bear grudges in any respect, quite the opposite, he sincerely cared for my security.” At that thought, secretly, he couldn’t assist however really feel ashamed.

“Are available in! Are available in! What are they speaking about on the skin, speaking so furtively? Little good friend, the 4 Clowns of the Jiangnan aren’t any good apples. All they need is to have you ever fall for his or her trick. Nothing good will come out of their mouths. Don’t belief a phrase from them,” the person stated loudly.

Linghu Chong discovered himself wavering, undecided which aspect he ought to belief and which aspect he ought to assist. Mr. Huang-Zhong took out one other key from his chest pocket after which turned it a number of occasions after inserting it into the keyhole on the iron-door. Linghu Chong had thought that after he unlocked the door, he would go forward and push the iron-door open, however fairly to his shock, Mr. Huang-Zhong stepped again and Mr. Black-White stepped ahead, who additionally took out a key from his personal chest pocket, inserted the important thing into the keyhole, after which turned a number of occasions. After him, Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint every took out his key and turned the important thing within the keyhole respectively.

Linghu Chong all of the sudden realized, “This Senior Grasp’s standing should have been very prestigious. The 4 Manor Masters every is holding a separate key and it takes all 4 keys mixed to have the ability to open the iron-door. The 4 Playfellows of Jiangnan are as intimate as actual brothers, and the 4 of them are virtually like one unity. How come they don’t even belief one another?” Then he thought, “A second in the past, that Senior Grasp stated that the 4 Playfellows of Jiangnan are solely appearing beneath orders like jail guards. They haven’t any authority to launch him in any respect. Possibly it was the identical one that appointed them the guard responsibility who ordered them to every holds a separate key. The turning sounds of the keys have been strident and unsmooth, clearly the lock was coated with rust and it has been a very long time because the iron-door was final opened.”

After Mr. Paint turned his key within the keyhole, he grasped onto the door deal with, shook it a number of occasions, after which pushed exhausting. Amid the loud scrunching sounds, the iron-door opened for a number of inches inward. As quickly because the door opened, Mr. Paint leapt backward. Mr. Huang-Zhong and the opposite two Manor Masters additionally leapt again many ft. Instinctively, Linghu Chong additionally took a number of steps again.

“Little good friend, they’re afraid of me, however why would you be?” the person laughed loudly.

“Proper!” Linghu Chong answered after which stepped ahead. Reaching his hand out, he pushed on the iron-door. The hinges on the door have been so rusted that he pushed very exhausting and solely was in a position to open the door two ft vast. Instantly, a powerful stale scent stuffed his nostrils.

Mr. Paint stepped ahead after which handed him two wood swords. Linghu Chong took the wood swords and held them tightly together with his left hand.

“Brother Feng, take an oil lamp with you,” Mr. Bald-Brush prompt, taking an oil lamp off the wall.

Linghu Chong took the oil lamp together with his proper hand after which entered the room. The jail cell was about ten-foot lengthy and ten foot vast. A slim and lengthy mattress lay subsequent to a wall, on which sat a person. Lengthy whiskers and mast aches coated the person’s face, making it inconceivable to see his look. The lengthy beard beneath his chin virtually reached his waist. However his hair, beard, and eyebrows have been jet black with out even a grain of gray.

“It’s so lucky of me to have the ability to meet the Senior Grasp Ren as we speak. I hope I’ll be getting many good recommendation from you,” Linghu Chong bowed.

“Don’t be modest. I’ll should thanks for coming right here to dispel my loneliness,” the person grinned.

“You flatter me. Ought to I put the oil lamp on the mattress?” Linghu Chong requested.

“Wonderful!” the person answered however didn’t attain out to get the lamp.

“This jail cell is just too small to have a sword struggle right here?” Linghu Chong thought to himself.

He walked subsequent to the mattress and set the oil lamp down. Expediently, he gently tucked the paper ball and the exhausting object inside into the person’s palm. The person was barely shocked however nonetheless took the paper ball as he requested in a loud voice, “Hey, you 4 chaps! Are you coming in to observe?”

“The area is just too restricted. There’s no room,” Mr. Huang-Zhong replied.

“Go well with your self! Little good friend, shut the door,” ” the person stated.

“Sure,” Linghu Chong answered after which shut the cell door.

The person stood up and instantly a collection of slight clanking sounds clanged from round his physique as if many skinny metal chains have been clanking in opposition to one another. Reaching out together with his proper hand, he took a wood sword from Linghu Chong and heaved a protracted sigh.

“I’ve not touched a weapon for over ten years. I ponder if I nonetheless keep in mind the sword arts I discovered a few years again.”

Linghu Chong observed a metal circle round his wrist, and a metal chain connected to it linked all the best way to the wall behind him. One other look rapidly confirmed that there have been additionally metal chains shackling the person’s different hand and each of his ankles to the wall behind him. Then the 4 partitions grabbed his consideration. Beneath the dim gentle from the oil lamp, they shined in darkish inexperienced – turned out the 4 partitions have been all made from pure metal. He figured that the chains and shackles on the person’s wrists and ankles should have been made from pure metal, or else, chains this skinny wouldn’t have been in a position to restrain a prime notch Kung Fu grasp like him.

The person gave the wooden sword a swing. The swing got here from above to under and the sword merely moved about two ft within the air, however all of the sudden loud buzzes echoed within the small room.

“Senior Grasp, what unbelievable power!” Linghu Chong praised.

The person circled, and Linghu Chong may vaguely see that he opened the paper ball, noticed the exhausting object wrapped inside, and started studying the writings on the paper. Taking a step backward, Linghu Chong deliberately blocked the sq. gap on the iron-door together with his head, so nobody from the skin may see what the person was doing. The person’s physique trembled barely as if the writings on the paper had significantly agitated him, and the metal chains clanged many times. However solely moments later, he had already circled, and sharp stares shot out of his eyes.

“Little good friend, though my arms can’t transfer freely, it’s not essentially true that I can’t win over you!”

“As a younger and inexperienced junior, I, in fact, is not any rival for Senior Grasp,” Linghu Chong stated.

“You attacked Black-White over forty strikes in succession and didn’t give him any probability to launch his counterattack. You wish to give me attempt?” the person demanded.

“Please forgive my audacity!” Linghu Chong replied after which thrust his sword at that man. The transfer he used was none aside from the very same first transfer he had used within the match in opposition to Mr. Black-White.

“Glorious!” the person counseled and thrust his wood sword at Linghu Chong’s left chest at an angle. It was a defending transfer that carried sturdy offence, and an offence transfer backed by sturdy protection on the similar time, a swift and fierce sword transfer certainly.

Mr. Black-White watched the struggle by the sq. formed gap on the iron-door. As quickly as he noticed this transfer, he couldn’t assist however shout, “Good transfer!”

“In the present day is you 4 chaps’ fortunate day. I’m going to essentially widen your view now,” the person chortled.

By then, Linghu Chong’s second sword assault had arrived. The person swung his wood sword outward and pointed it at Linghu Chong’s proper shoulder, one other good transfer that had each sturdy protection and powerful offense. Linghu Chong’s coronary heart thumped. It felt as if there was not a single flaw within the man’s transfer that he may explorer to thrust ahead and assault the opponent’s important factors. Having no various, he leveled his personal sword in a block, tilting his sword tip, implying a doable assault towards the opponent’s decrease abdomen, a defending transfer that additionally carried a lot offense.

“Very intelligent transfer!” the person smiled, retracting his sword and swept it to the aspect.

The 2 of them went backwards and forwards, and inside just some moments had already exchanged twenty strikes or so. However throughout the whole course, the 2 wood swords by no means even touched one another. The person’s sword strikes had such sophisticated variations and actions; ever since Linghu Chong had discovered the “Dugu 9 Swords,” he had by no means run into an opponent so formidable and highly effective. It wasn’t that his opponent’s sword strikes have been void of flaws, however as a result of the strikes fluctuated so unpredictably he merely couldn’t assault the flaw or crack inside. However he sincerely adopted the gist in Feng Qingyang’s instructing, which was to “conquer a transfer with no transfer,” and shifted his strikes at will. Though the “Sword-Breaking Stance” was just one stance within the “Dugu 9 Swords,” it was a mixture of the necessities in all of the sword arts of assorted faculties and factions on the earth. So regardless that it was “no transfer,” when in truth it constructed its basis on all of the strikes in all sword arts.

The person additionally observed that Linghu Chong’s new sword strikes emerged one after one other, and each change appeared accomplished new to him. Counting on his considerable expertise and profound Kung Fu expertise, he was in a position to resolve them one after one other, however after over forty strikes, he may already really feel a slight sluggishness in his sword motion. Slowly, he connected an increasing number of inside power onto his wood sword, and each swing of his sword appeared to have created obscure echoes of gust and thunder.

However regardless of how resourceful the opponent’s inside power was, when these strikes met the profound and delicate sword methods of the “Dugu 9 Swords,” all of them got here to nothing. Solely that the person’s excellent prowess in inside power and his excellent ingeniousness in sword methods had develop into merely inseparable from one another. A number of occasions the person had already compelled Linghu Chong into extremities, the place Linghu Chong ought to have had no alternative however to throw down his sword and submit, however Linghu Chong would all the time be capable to all of the sudden give you some weird strikes, which not solely rescue himself out of the dead-end place, but in addition allow him to make use of the chance to launch his counterblow. The brilliance of those strikes was merely unimaginably queer.

Mr. Huang-Zhong and the remainder three Manor Masters crowded over the iron door and watched by the square-shaped gap. The outlet was so small that there was solely area for 2 individuals to observe on the similar time, and even with the 2 individuals watching, one needed to watch solely together with his left eye whereas the opposite one watched solely together with his proper eye. So two of them would look ahead to some time earlier than transferring apart to let the opposite two look ahead to the following whereas.

At first, the 4 of them gasped in admiration after they watched the marvelous sword strikes exchanged between the person and Linghu Chong, however quickly afterwards, they may no lengthy perceive the brilliance within the two’s sword strikes. Generally after Mr. Huang-Zhong noticed a transfer, he needed to ponder upon the subtlety throughout the transfer with all his would possibly. Solely after a protracted contemplation was he in a position to comprehend. However by then, the 2 males inside had already exchanged one other dozen strikes, and he just about had been turning a blind eye on how these subsequent dozen strikes had panned out. After he lastly bought over the preliminary amazement, he couldn’t assist however marvel.

“It turned out that Brother Feng’s sword expertise have reached such an excessive. When he fought me earlier, he in all probability solely utilized thirty or forty p.c of his true expertise. I had thought that my ‘Seven-String Invisible Sword’ from my zither didn’t subdue him solely as a result of he had no inside power. However even when he does have resourceful of inside power, my “Invisible Sword” wouldn’t have had any impression simply the identical. All he needed to do was to launch three fast attacking strikes, and I might haven’t any alternative however to drop my zither and admit defeat. If it had been a struggle for survival, he may have simply blinded my eyes with the jade flute in his first transfer.”

Mr. Huang-Zhong, in fact, had no concept that he had actually overrated Linghu Chong’s sword expertise. The “Dugu 9 Swords” was a Kung Fu that turned extra highly effective when the opponent was stronger. If the opponent weren’t ample, then the good methods within the “Dugu 9 Swords” wouldn’t have been relevant. The person Linghu Chong was combating as we speak was a world-shaking determine in the whole Martial World. The aptitude of his Kung Fu had reached a degree that’s nicely out of individuals’s creativeness. Solely with the stimulation from his extraordinary Kung Fu, have been the various profound and delicate facets of the “Dugu 9 Swords” in a position to take advantage of revealing efficiency. Even when Dugu In search of-A-Loss may come again to life, or if Feng Qingyang had come himself, they might have discovered nice pleasure combating such a succesful opponent. To efficiently use the “Dugu 9 Swords” relied on not solely an excellent understanding of the sword methods and variations, but in addition the intelligence of the practitioner, the place the second half performed even an even bigger half. As soon as the practitioner had reached a stage the place he may lengthen at will with no restraints and no boundaries, then the extra clever the practitioner was, the extra good the sword artwork would develop into, and to him, every sword contest would have been like a poet composing a beautiful poem after following his biggest inspirations.

After one other forty strikes or so, Linghu Chong discovered himself combating with higher and higher facility. Lots of the intelligent knacks he used have been ones that even Fang Qingyang had by no means talked about earlier than. On encountering the good sword strikes from his opponent, the “Dugu 9 Swords” spontaneously originated corresponding strikes to counter. In the meanwhile concern had been fully cleared off his thoughts, or in one other phrase, he had been concentrating wholeheartedly within the artwork of sword, having no leisure for any feeling of concern or delight on his thoughts. That man became eight completely different kinds of superior sword arts in succession, some uninterrupted and unbroken, some delicate and swift, some others agency and forceful, however no matter how he modified his strikes, Linghu Chong was in a position to deal with the with ease, as if these eight sword arts have been ones he had been skilled to spar in opposition to ever since he was younger.

The person all of the sudden swung his sword in a block and yelled out loud, “Little good friend, who on earth taught you your sword artwork? I don’t suppose Reverend Feng has that functionality.”

Linghu Chong was barely shocked. “If this weren’t taught by Reverend Feng, who else may have it been?” he uttered.

“That’s true! Why don’t do that sword type of mine?” the person demanded.

He set free a protracted howl and all of the sudden introduced his wood sword swishing down from above. Linghu Chong thrust out in a tilted angle and compelled him to withdraw his assault to dam. The person roared many times as if he had gone fully mad. The extra urgent his roars have been, the sooner his assaults grew to become. Linghu Chong didn’t discover something peculiar about this sword kind, however every of the thundering roars made his ears buzz uncomfortably and made him really feel irritated and perplexed. He tried to carry his calm with issue and continued breaking the opponent’s assaults, however all of the sudden, the person set free an earth-shattering and heaven-battering howl. Linghu Chong felt a loud ring in his ear as if his eardrums had been shattered by the thunderous shock. A robust dizziness rapidly consumed him and earlier than he knew it, he had collapsed to the ground and misplaced his consciousness.

[1] The primary temperament of the “Twelve Temperaments” utilized in historic music. Huang-Zhong is the bottom out of the twelve and all different temperaments are derived from it.

[2] Chinese language idiom. For a frog residing on the backside of a nicely, as a result of the frog may solely see the sky within the form of the opening of the nicely, so the frog thought that the sky should have been solely as massive because the opening of the nicely. The idiom is used to depict a person of ignorance and with a really restricted outlook,

[3] The character “Feng” stands for wind in Chinese language.