Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 218

"Excuse me, could you share a table with me?"

A clear, cool voice, like a refreshing spring, rang out. The Yang father and daughter simultaneously looked up at the young man before them, finding it impossible to describe his appearance. They couldn't quite pinpoint what made him handsome, nor could they discern any flaws in his looks. Only his eyes, clear and serene, left a lasting impression.

Su Yuchen smiled, sat down opposite Yang Tiexin, and pointed to the side, saying, "Young man, sit down too."

Guo Jing, who had walked over, hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside him.

Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Young man, I'm afraid you rarely go out."

"Yes!" Guo Jing nodded and said, "This is my first time traveling so far."

"Young hero, are you from the Mongolian desert? Are you visiting relatives or traveling?" Su Yuchen asked.

Guo Jing was taken aback, not yet understanding why he was certain he came from the Mongolian desert. Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Young hero, although you are dressed in Mongolian attire, you still retain the customs of the Mongolian grasslands."

Guo Jing touched the leather hat on his head, then looked down at the wolf teeth hanging around his neck (many Mongol cavalrymen wore wolf teeth as ornaments of bravery). He immediately understood Su Yuchen's meaning and nodded.

Su Yuchen continued, "Moreover, there are some differences between Mongolians and those from within the Great Wall. The Mongolian desert and grasslands have more sandstorms and more cattle and sheep. So their skin looks rougher and their physique is stronger, which helps them resist the sandstorms and severe cold."

Seeing that he knew these things, Guo Jing nodded and said, "Winter on the grasslands is terrible. The long white blizzards can freeze many cattle and sheep to death."

Su Yuchen smiled and continued, "Young hero, you are probably no ordinary person in Mongolia."

"Huh? No! No! My family are just ordinary people," Guo Jing said, taken aback.

The Yang family father and daughter, standing to the side, looked at the two people in front of them. At first, they thought the two were companions, but now, no matter how they looked at it, Su Yuchen seemed more like a liar who came specifically to deceive this big fool in front of them.

Yang Tiexin looked around and saw that none of the waiters in the restaurant seemed to have noticed anything unusual, and Manager Su was sitting motionless behind the counter. He was startled...

"No, with the martial arts skills of Zhigelou and his men, how could they not have noticed the anomaly here? It's not that they couldn't see it, but that they deliberately ignored it. Why? Who is this young man in front of us?"

Su Yuchen turned his head and met his gaze, giving him a slight smile. Yang Tiexin returned the smile stiffly, then lowered his head and remained silent.

Su Yuchen looked at Guo Jing, waved his hand, and said, "You may not have noticed it yourself, but your behavior and mannerisms have a touch of the style of a Mongolian chieftain, and you have a fierce aura. This is the kind of imposing presence that only Mongolian nobles who have conquered the desert grasslands possess."

"It's just that you rarely go out, and the Central Plains and the border regions are quite different. You were momentarily overwhelmed by the worldly prosperity, which is why you showed a bit of timidity."

“You have a golden knife hanging at your waist. This is not something that ordinary people can use on the grasslands. Only the Great Khan of the Mongols can use it. It was bestowed upon you by Temujin. So although your status is extraordinary, you are definitely not a descendant of Temujin, but you are related to him in some way.”

"A golden knife and a fine horse—these are the most precious things on the grasslands. It seems that this young man is a first-rate warrior on the grasslands, which is why Temujin values ​​him so highly."

Guo Jing, seemingly lost in thought, nodded somewhat listlessly and said, "This was bestowed upon me by the Great Khan, alas!"

Guo Jing only felt brotherly affection for Hua Zheng, not romantic love for her.

[A chance encounter with Huang Rong captivates the young man with her quirky charm; a tender, innocent love blossoms within him, like a red bean just beginning to bloom, though he remains oblivious to the depths of his longing.]

Seeing the narration, Su Yuchen remained noncommittal. He looked at Guo Jing and said, "Judging from your gait, young man, you should be practicing the Quanzhen School's Golden Goose Skill. However, this movement technique is better suited for long-distance running and high-altitude climbing, but it lacks a bit in terms of dodging. I happen to have a Spiral Nine Shadows technique here, which would complement your skills perfectly. I wonder if you would be interested?"

Yang Tiexin and his daughter, who were standing to the side, looked at each other with their heads down. Yang Tiexin shook his head slightly, indicating that she didn't need to interfere.

Seeing Guo Jing standing there dumbfounded, before he could refuse, Su Yuchen raised his right hand and appeared directly in front of him as if ignoring distance and space, pointing a finger at Guo Jing's brow.

"If you don't speak, then this martial art is destined for you."

Seeing Guo Jing's eyes flicker and he slump onto the table, fast asleep, Su Yuchen smiled and vanished like a bubble.

Yang Tiexin was startled and looked around. The young man had disappeared. The martial arts heroes who had been paying attention to this place seemed to have forgotten that there was someone here. They were drinking and bragging to themselves. On the contrary, the people from Zhige Tower who had been indifferent all turned their attention to this place.

Butler Su, who was behind the counter, looked up and smiled. He walked over to Yang Tiexin and said, "This young man is staying next to Brother Yang. I'll have someone take him back to rest."

He waved, and a waiter came over and helped Guo Jing up before taking him to the backyard.

"Brother Su, who was that just now...?" Yang Tiexin asked in a low voice.

Butler Su shook his head, smiled, and returned behind the counter.

"Father, what are you talking about?" Mu Nianci asked as she watched Butler Su leave.

Yang Tiexin said "Oh," and then came to his senses and said, "It's nothing. We still have to hold the competition this afternoon. Let's go back and rest after dinner."

Chapter 460 Challenging the Field

The small building in the backyard.

Butler Su hesitated, then Su Yuchen looked at the flowerpots all over the building. He gently stroked one of them with his finger, and a pot of flowers quickly sprouted and grew from nothing. Soon, azaleas bloomed and the building was filled with fragrance.

“I used to have a friend who was very quiet and loved life. Being with him was always stress-free and I didn’t have to think too much. That kind of quiet life was not lonely, which was a very unique feeling.”

"When people have free time, they always think about the past. After stopping, I recalled many things from the past. Sigh..."

As he brushed his fingers across the petals, Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Are you asking about that boy?"

Butler Su nodded.

Su Yuchen pondered for a moment, then said:

"You can think of him as a child of good fortune, or you can think of him as a child of destiny. He has had extraordinary experiences that others cannot have, and he has achieved what others cannot achieve."

"Once upon a time, he was also my dream. But I've gone too far, so helping him is also helping myself."

As he spoke, Su Yuchen said, "Just consider me one of his lucky encounters. Let things take their course and don't worry about it too much."

Butler Su nodded and said, "I understand what you mean, young master. We will only observe and not participate."

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "Now that he has appeared, after some time, you will accompany me on a trip south to bring back the old man's remains so that he can return to his roots."

………………

When Guo Jing woke up, he stared blankly at the ceiling, not paying attention to his surroundings.

"How could this be? Such amazing movement skills, it's... that young man!" After realizing what was happening, Guo Jing belatedly thought of Su Yuchen.

Unfortunately, perhaps because I didn't pay much attention at the time, the boy in my memory has become somewhat blurry, leaving only his cold voice.

Thinking of this, Guo Jing sat up and looked around for a moment. It was a very ordinary house, simple yet profound, with a natural feel and no sense of luxury.

I walked over, picked up the teacup, took a few sips, pushed open the door, and went outside. A wave of noisy, bustling noise swept over me instantly. Standing in the sunlight, it felt like I had returned to another world.

Before him flowed a stream of people, some hurrying along, others calling to their friends. Guo Jing surveyed the scene for a moment and then knew where he was.

"I must have fallen asleep without knowing why. I should thank the innkeeper, or I might be homeless by now." With that thought, Guo Jing followed the flow of people toward the main hall in the front courtyard.

"What a strange floral scent."

He took a gentle sniff, and a faint floral fragrance wafted towards him. Shaking his head, Guo Jing, who knew nothing about such things, paid no attention and stepped across the hall.

With a quick glance, Guo Jing spotted Steward Su sitting behind the counter and immediately walked over: "Manager, thank you for taking me in."

Steward Su looked up, saw Guo Jing, and stood up, saying, "Young hero, you're too kind. When you're traveling, it's always good to help others. Let's look out for each other. Now that you're awake, why don't you go out for a stroll? Daxing Prefecture is quite lively."

Hearing the cheers from outside, Guo Jing was also intrigued. He immediately forgot about Su Yuchen, nodded, and walked towards the gate.

Two men who were watching the commotion by the door nodded when they saw him. Guo Jing turned around to acknowledge them, and following their gaze, he saw the arena not far from the main entrance.

At this moment, the crowd surged, and people clapped and cheered from time to time. Guo Jing looked towards the open space in the middle and saw a young girl and a big man fighting.

"Huh? It's that girl who was eating earlier," Guo Jing thought to himself.

The girl moved like a nimble fox, shifting and leaping with extraordinary agility. Her palms moved in countless ways, sometimes real, sometimes feinting, with strict discipline. Every gesture she made exuded the air of a master, clearly indicating that she had received considerable training.

The man fighting him, however, was of mediocre martial arts skills. His fists looked powerful, but he missed every time, and he was struggling to keep up. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was at a disadvantage and was just putting on a brave front.

Sure enough, after only three or five moves, the girl swayed lightly and was already beside the burly man. She struck his elbow with one hand, lifting his hand upwards, and then, with a swift movement, she pushed him up, pressing both palms against his chest. The burly man was sent flying through the air. After stumbling back a few steps and regaining his footing, he felt too embarrassed to linger any longer and disappeared into the crowd.

While everyone was applauding and cheering, the girl stepped back to the sidelines, picked up a pair of short halberds made of wrought iron, bowed respectfully, and then began to practice a set of halberd techniques.

"it is good!!!"

As the young woman unleashed her power, her halberd technique flowed smoothly and gracefully, like a dragon emerging from its cave, accompanied by a whistling sound. The onlookers applauded and cheered.

After the halberd technique was completed, the center of the field was covered with copper coins. The girl's father looked around, clasped his hands in greeting, and then picked up the copper coins with the girl.

It's unclear what the father and daughter said, but the burly man shook his head and was about to take down the "Friends Through Martial Arts" sign that had been erected on the field.

Guo Jing, who was watching the commotion, overheard a waiter next to him say, "If you ask me, this Master Yang must have some purpose. Otherwise, he and his daughter have been here for so long without leaving."

Another guy said, "Heh heh, that father and daughter don't go to pay homage to powerful figures or bribe government officials. If they weren't at our doorstep, they would have been blocked at the door and their place would have been disrupted long ago."

"Huh? Have you developed a jinx? Whatever you say comes true?" the waiter said in surprise.

Guo Jing followed his gaze and saw a group of burly men parting the crowd, protecting two people in the middle as they walked towards the edge of the arena.

One of them was a well-off old man holding a pair of iron pills in his hand, and a smiling monk with a string of black Buddhist beads around his neck.

"The Golden Tiger Gang, have they gotten themselves into a bad mood? They've become incredibly audacious!" one of the men exclaimed in surprise.

Another waiter glanced around and looked at the figures hiding behind the crowd, saying, "They're some retainers from the Prince Zhao's mansion. What are they up to?"

"I didn't know you were keeping an eye on things. I'll go inform the shopkeeper," the waiter said, and dashed into the shop.

Just as the Yang family father and daughter were negotiating with the Golden Tiger Gang, Steward Su stepped out. He simply stood next to Guo Jing, and Guo Jing felt the old man holding the iron gall bladder tremble twice in the legs, and the other monk's smile froze.

Immediately afterwards, a bell rang, and from the street corner, dozens of burly men dressed as servants escorted a fine horse galloping towards them.

The crowd dispersed to both sides, and the young man on horseback reined in his horse when he reached the edge of the arena. He said in a loud voice, "I heard that this is a martial arts gathering. I happen to have some martial arts skills myself, so I came here to learn from you."

Chapter 461 Yang Kang's Provocation

When Guo Jing saw the young master arrive, the atmosphere at the scene quieted down.

The young man was Yang Kang. He looked around, clasped his hands in a salute to Steward Su, and turned to the Golden Tiger Gang members, shouting, "You dare to cause trouble at Zhige Tower? Get out of here!"

The old man and the monk smiled obsequiously, but inwardly they were cursing. They thought, "Even if they had ten lives, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble in this place. Why did you come here, you little rascal?"

The old man didn't dare to refute, and bowed and scraped a few words in response. When he and the monk passed by the door, the old man bowed and paid their respects.

"Wait!" Butler Su narrowed his eyes and looked at the group of people expressionlessly.

The old man and the monk paused, bowing as they looked at Steward Su. The old man said, "Shopkeeper Su, we'll wait..."

Butler Su scoffed and said calmly, "Each person cuts off one arm, and I will let today's matter drop. Otherwise..."

"Manager Su, this matter today is Zhao's..." the old man said angrily.

Before he could finish speaking, the round-faced monk next to him tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to shut up. The old man turned to look at Yang Kang, who seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and then at the expressionless Steward Su. His face flushed red, and he felt extremely aggrieved. Why are you big shots making things difficult for us little guys when you're fighting?

The round-faced monk clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect and said with a grin, "Manager Su, would you do me a favor? Our gang will certainly present you with a generous gift tonight."

Butler Su said with a half-smile:

“I do not bully the weak. In this Zhige Tower, you can pick anyone you like, even the old women washing vegetables in the kitchen. You can choose one to take on your whole group, or you can choose your whole group to take on one of you. As long as you are not dead, you can leave alive.”

"If you don't choose, I'll wipe out your Golden Tiger Gang tonight."

Butler Su clapped his hands, and a moment later, a middle-aged woman dressed in coarse cloth clothes and holding an iron spatula appeared by the roadside with a 'whoosh', brandishing the spatula and shouting, "Who? Who dares to cause trouble at our doorstep?"

The old man and the monk watched as the middle-aged woman, whose movements were accompanied by a loud whooshing sound and whose shovel was barely visible, swallowed hard. They couldn't help but curse inwardly, "With that kind of lightness skill, that speed, that kind of strength, she must be a monster!"

"Okay, we admit we were wrong today, it was our fault, we accept our loss."

The portly old man stomped his foot, gritted his teeth, tossed an iron gall bladder high into the air, and then swung his left hand to smash it into the gall bladder. A soft 'crack' was heard, and the old man let out a cold snort, a line of cold sweat running down his forehead; clearly, his arm was broken.

The monk stared at him for a long time, then pulled on the Buddhist beads around his neck. With a flick of his wrist, the entire string of beads scattered and crumbled, making a 'whooshing' sound. It was a string of iron Buddhist beads, which smashed into the Golden Tiger Gang members behind him, instantly causing them to wail in pain.

"Impressive skills! I never imagined the master was also a master of hidden weapons," Butler Su said, looking at the monk.

The monk bent his right hand into a tiger's claw, suddenly grabbed his left arm and squeezed hard. After a crisp sound, the monk turned and left without looking back.

Without even glancing at the Golden Tiger Gang members, Butler Su said to the middle-aged woman, "Sister Liu, you can go back now, it's all over."

The woman responded and strode confidently back to the restaurant's kitchen.

Butler Su glanced at the arena, a hint of murderous intent flashing across his face, then smiled and said, "We can't interfere with martial arts competitions, but anyone who wants to cause trouble is welcome to try." After saying that, he ignored everyone else and turned back to the restaurant.

Although he said it with a smile, everyone felt a chill, and some people couldn't help but take a step back, which caused chaos in the crowd.

………………

After a moment, Yang Kang, who was on horseback, smiled awkwardly and said, "Since it's a martial arts competition, I'd like to give it a try."

“Young Prince…” Sha Tongtian and Hou Tonghai, who were standing beside him, hurriedly said.

"What's the rush? I'm just having a martial arts contest. If others can come, why can't I?" Yang Kang scolded, then pushed off with his feet and used the momentum from his horse to fly onto the arena.

Although Yang Tiexin knew that they had kicked a hornet's nest today, they were now in a bind and had no choice but to signal to Mu Nianci with their eyes.

Mu Nianci nodded and stepped forward, saying, "Please, young master."

Yang Kang didn't reply. Suddenly, he stepped forward, flicked his right sleeve, and a gust of wind rushed towards Mu Nianci.

Yang Tiexin was startled, not expecting this young master to possess such martial arts skills. The moment he waved his sleeve, Mu Nianci leaned back, pushed off with her feet, and slid three feet backward. Then, she turned to the right in mid-air, her right hand flitting like a butterfly, striking Yang Kang's chest with a feint.

Yang Kang chuckled, his left sleeve, which was behind his back, swung out to intercept Mu Nianci's palm technique. At the same time, his right hand popped out from his sleeve and grabbed Mu Nianci's wrist with a move called "Azure Dragon Emerging from the Sea".