Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 92

At this point, he looked at Qin Sirong and said, "Sirong, you go first!"

Qin Sirong scoffed and said, "I have nothing to say. This kind of thing is obviously a rumor! You actually believe this!"

The man smiled and said, "I believe it, and I don't! Matchmaker, what do you think?"

The matchmaker glanced at Qin Sirong, her eyes sparkling, and said with a charming smile, "I think there's no smoke without fire, and we can't believe everything we hear! After all, there are only rumors right now, not a treasure map!"

"Treasure map! Rumor has it that it's in the hands of the Carefree King, why don't you go and ask for it!" Qin Sirong retorted.

The matchmaker slammed her hand on the table and said, "You little slut, don't push your luck!"

"Alright, stop arguing!" the man at the head of the table said angrily.

The two women snorted coldly and remained silent.

The man continued...

"Now that this rumor is known throughout the world, I'd like to take advantage of it."

"If there really is a treasure, that's great news! Let's split it 50/20! We'll give part of it to Prime Minister Qin to help him regain his position, and we'll also get some benefits for ourselves!"

"If not, it's nothing. Those江湖人 (jianghu people) can stir up trouble at the slightest sign of trouble."

"When the time comes, they'll go and have a war of words with Shaolin, while we go and wander around Shaolin's Sutra Repository. I don't believe we won't find something; Shaolin has quite a few unique skills."

The matchmaker's gaze shifted, and she said, "Everyone says the news of the treasure came from the Famous Sword Manor. Why don't we go and take a look?"

“You can go if you want, I’m not going!” Qin Sirong said.

"What, are you scared?" the matchmaker said with a coquettish smile.

The man at the head of the table waved his hand, stopping Qin Sirong's argument, and said, "Sirong really can't go. She has other things to do, and she can't get involved in this matter."

The matchmaker snorted and said, "Then we'll go ourselves. Let's make it clear first, we found the clues, so we'll take the bigger share!"

Having said that, he turned and left. The other three demons followed him.

………………

Once only the two of them remained in the secret room, Qin Sirong turned her gaze and asked, "Aren't you going?"

The man gave a wicked smile and said...

"I can't reveal my identity yet. The Famous Sword Manor is unfathomable. It's good to send them to scout ahead!"

“Sirong, go back and tell Prime Minister Qin that as long as he can become prime minister, my master is willing to come from the Western Regions to the Central Plains to help him.”

"In addition, you need to find a way to break into the Jiangnan martial arts world as soon as possible and get close to the Famous Sword Manor. In recent years, the Famous Sword Manor has become increasingly unfathomable. Not only is Prime Minister Qin uneasy, but I am also unsure of myself."

"I understand! Is there anything else? If not, I'll be going now!" Qin Sirong said.

The man waved his hand and said, "Go! Be careful!"

Once the secret room was empty, the man sat at the head of the table and chuckled coldly, "Treasure! Secret manual! I, Zhang Qiqiao, want them all!"

………………

The night was dark and windy, the sky was beautiful, and a dark cloud silently obscured the bright moon.

Outside the Mingjian Manor, apart from the occasional flash of a torch, there were no other figures.

As midnight deepened the darkness, four figures flashed into view beneath the outer wall of the Famous Sword Manor; they were none other than Hong Niang and her three companions.

The four glanced at each other without saying a word. Hongniang flashed over the wall and landed on a willow tree inside, where the dense foliage completely concealed her figure.

The remaining three men glanced at each other, and one of them, pale-faced, said, "Snake Demon, you go and find a way to bring your treasure in! We'll go in first!"

"Blood Demon, mind your own business!" The man called Snake Demon snorted, whistled, and his figure flashed out of the grass like lightning.

"Where are you all going?" A voice suddenly came from the shadows, and then three figures emerged from the shadows.

The three demons were startled. Before they could speak, a sword light shot up from the artificial hill in the courtyard, pointing directly at Hongniang on the willow tree. The sword light was as dazzling as moonlight, and the sword energy instantly permeated the entire willow tree.

As the sword light streaked across the sky, the soft whip in Hongniang's hand snapped in response, and she was enveloped by the murderous sword energy. With a loud 'boom,' the entire willow tree exploded.

With a cry of "Ah!", Hongniang fell from the tree, her right side covered in blood. She leaped over the wall and landed beside the Three Demons.

At the same time, the figure wielding the sharp sword followed closely behind, landing not far behind Hong Niang, a line of blood dripping continuously from the sword.

At this moment, Hongniang quickly pressed a vital acupoint on her chest with her left hand, finally stopping the bleeding. She glanced behind her, then at the three people opposite her, and said, "Excellent swordsmanship! I wonder which one of the famous sword masters from the Famous Sword Manor you are!"

"My name is Yi Jifeng," the leading youth said. "You have come uninvited, dressed in Western Region attire. Are you subordinates of the Carefree King?"

The matchmaker chuckled and said, "So it's Young Master Yi! What an honor!"

As they spoke, the four demons exchanged a glance and rushed toward Yi Jifeng.

Before Yi Jifeng could move, the two men behind him drew their swords with a clang, and three sword lights flashed in front and behind, forming a triadic formation, using offense as defense, and attacked without hesitation.

The three swordsmen were incredibly sharp, each move a form of offense rather than defense, and every strike aimed directly at the weaknesses in the four demons' techniques. Coupled with their seamless teamwork, they had already inflicted over a dozen wounds on each of the Blood Demon and the Serpent Demon within just five or six moves.

The three swords flashed faster and denser, their light as fine as rain and as swift as the wind. The three moved with incredible agility, gradually trapping the four and rendering them unable to move.

………………

"Snake Demon, if you don't make a move, we're all going to die!" Seeing that there was no way to escape, Hong Niang cried out.

The serpent demon, realizing the danger, disregarded everything else. With a whistle, a figure seventeen or eighteen meters long flashed through the grass, followed by a massive tail slapping down on one of the three sword servants.

Then a huge snake head rose from the grass and lunged at another swordsman.

The swordsman's longsword blazed with incredible speed. He slashed at the snake's tail, creating a clanging sound, but didn't even break the snake's skin. Startled, he slapped the snake's tail with his left hand, and a tremendous force struck him, sending him flying over the wall and into the courtyard.

Another swordsman struck the snake's head with his longsword, but the blows were not broken. Just as the giant mouth was about to swallow him whole, a figure flashed and grabbed his arm. The snake's head was struck backward by the force of the blow, and the swordsman was also pushed backward by the force.

The giant snake missed its bite and hissed at its suddenly vanished prey. The four demons leaped onto the giant snake, and with a whistle from the snake demon, the giant snake hissed a few times and turned to leave.

Yi Jifeng released the sword servant and watched as the giant snake coiled up the four of them and disappeared into the night, falling silent.

P.S.: Someone asked me how many drafts I have saved up, but I really don't have any!!!

I started writing this book in late September or early October. At that time, I was marginalized for some reason and had nothing to do all day. Since I had nothing better to do, I started writing on and off.

Later, my luck turned around, and I guess it was just my own good fortune. I'm grateful to myself for sticking with it, and for finally getting a good result. Those few days were filled with joy, and I even wrote a lively passage in *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*...

All I can say now is that I write in my spare time after work, simply because I don't want to give up halfway.

Chapter 187 The Four Demons Recover from Injuries, Zhang Qiqiao Makes His Plans

At this moment, a figure appeared beside Yi Jifeng and asked with a smile, "How do you feel?"

"Big brother!"

Yi Jifeng looked at the newcomer and said, "Those four people are nothing to worry about, but that snake is quite interesting. Although I didn't take a sword, my decades of internal energy were only enough to repel it."

Yi Yuchen patted him on the shoulder and said...

"There are always people better than you, and there are always things beyond things! That snake has been consuming all sorts of rare and precious materials and rare metals for many years, and it has long since evolved into a body of steel and iron. Its scales are not something that ordinary divine weapons can harm."

"You haven't yet transformed your true qi into weapons, so your true qi isn't sharp enough to break through the scales and armor. Besides, your palm strike that was light yet heavy just now was quite good."

As they were talking, some noises gradually came from the vicinity, which turned out to be constables and others who had been disturbed by the fighting earlier.

After leaving the situation to others, Yi Yuchen and Yi Jifeng left the spot.

………………

It was still that secret room.

Zhang Qiqiao sat there quietly, seemingly able to wait indefinitely, until one moment his ears twitched and he looked toward the only passageway.

A moment later, four figures covered in blood walked in, supporting each other.

As soon as they entered, one of the figures collapsed to the ground—it was Hong Niang; the other three demons fared no better, their bodies still oozing blood.

Seeing this, Zhang Qiqiao didn't waste any words. He clasped his hands together, and a ball of true energy gathered in his palms. His eyes flashed with an unusual light. As he bent forward and pushed his palms forward, the three demons floated into the air. Enveloped in true energy, wisps of sword energy shot out from their wounds.

After a long while, he withdrew his palms, and the three demons fell from the air. Although they looked terrible, they were no longer half-dead. The three demons each found a corner to sit cross-legged and meditate.

Zhang Qiqiao then walked over to Hongniang, turned her over, and checked her pulse. He couldn't help but show a hint of surprise; this woman had actually controlled her injuries!

The most serious injury to Hongniang was a sword piercing her right chest, which she had previously sealed off. During the subsequent fight, she stayed behind the three demons, so she was the least injured.

Zhang Qiqiao helped her sit up straight, then sat cross-legged behind her. He channeled his inner energy into his palms, guiding her own inner energy along her meridians. Together, they expelled the attached sword energy from her body.

As the true energy circulated, wisps of blood-red sword energy shot out, splashing red plum blossoms on the ground!

"uh-huh…"

With a muffled groan, a bloody sword shot from Hongniang's chest towards the wall of the secret chamber. As the last wisp of sword energy was forced out of her body, she awoke. Seeing this, Zhang Qiqiao stopped circulating his internal energy and let her begin to heal herself.

Zhang Qiqiao sat there waiting. After an unknown amount of time, the four demons stopped healing one after another. Only then did Zhang Qiqiao ask, "What happened?"

The matchmaker's green embroidered dress was stained a deep crimson on the upper half. Her face was ashen, and after taking more than a dozen pills, she said bitterly, "We've run into a brick wall!"

"Who did you run into? Yi Yun? Yi Yuchen?"

Zhang Qiqiao asked them one by one, and seeing them shake their heads repeatedly, he finally couldn't help but ask, "It couldn't be that Yi Jifeng beat you up like this, could it?"

The Blood Demon chuckled and said, "They are three sword servants! They are three lackeys of the Famous Sword Manor!"

"Are you kidding me?" Zhang Qiqiao suddenly stood up and said.

The snake demon snorted coldly and said, "If it weren't for my darling saving the day, none of the four of us would have survived tonight! No, I have to go see my darling!"

Having said that, the snake demon ignored the others and staggered out of the secret chamber.

"Ignore him!" Hongniang said, then she looked at Zhang Qiqiao and said, "We didn't even get into Mingjian Manor, we were beaten into this state right outside the walls."

Only after the three of them supplemented each other's accounts did Zhang Qiqiao understand what had happened in the early morning fight.

"Fortunately, that silly boy seems to be a truly honest gentleman, otherwise, if he had drawn his sword, the four of us would definitely not have survived!" Hongniang added.

A moment of silence fell over the secret room. After a while, Zhang Qiqiao spoke...

"Yi Jifeng of Mingjian Villa is only seventeen years old, right? If he's this powerful, then how powerful must Yi Yuchen, who is rumored to have even higher talent, be?"

"Are the martial arts of the Famous Sword Manor really that powerful? Have we underestimated the martial arts world of the Central Plains, or does the Famous Sword Manor hold some secret?"

The matchmaker chimed in, "Even if the Famous Sword Manor has some secrets, who among us dares to mess with them? I've heard that the Famous Sword Manor has seventeen sword servants. If three of them are this powerful, what about seventeen…?"

The matchmaker and the three Blood Demons exchanged glances, all seeing the fear in each other's eyes.

Zhang Qiqiao waved and said...

"Alright! For now, you should stay here and rest to recover! Now that we've alerted the Famous Sword Manor, they might be searching for you all over Jiangnan."

"I'll go back first, and I'll bring you something later. This is a secret room in the Zhang family's villa; no one will find you here!"

After saying this, Zhang Qiqiao got up and left. Not long after, the snake demon finally returned, and the four demons settled down in the secret room.

………………

The next morning, Zhang Qiqiao delivered supplies to the four people in the secret room and then went to the woods outside the city.

"Didn't we just meet last night? What's going on?" In the woods, Qin Sirong leaned against a big tree and looked around as she asked.

Zhang Qiqiao wasn't annoyed and asked, "Do you have any way to get into Mingjian Manor?"

"What's wrong? Did things not go well with those four guys last night?" Qin Sirong asked.

Zhang Qiqiao waved his hand and said, "You should be able to find out these things by asking around today. I just want to know if you have any way to get into the Famous Sword Manor?"

………………

Qin Sirong refused without even thinking...

"This is impossible……"

"Besides the crippled Yi Yun, the only other people left in Mingjian Manor are the brothers Yi Yuchen and Yi Jifeng!"

"But since Yi Yuchen was attacked outside the city five years ago, these two have not appeared in front of the world for many years. Apart from knowing that they are still alive, we know nothing else."

“Mingjian Manor never recruits servants or laborers from outside. They are either elderly people who know them well and have families, or orphans selected from the refugees.”

"Prime Minister Qin once tried sending in a few orphans, but most of them were eliminated in the first stage, the farm. Of the three who made it into the Famous Sword Manor, none of them ever came back to us."

"Now I know that the safest way is to first establish a reputation and become a chivalrous figure in the Jiangnan martial arts world before trying to get close to the Famous Sword Manor."

Zhang Qiqiao nodded and said, "Okay, I'll help you. I'll try to provide you with some opportunities to help you increase your reputation first."

“If all else fails…” Zhang Qiqiao gritted his teeth and said, “Then use the Prince of Xiaoyao’s men as a base. In short, you need to infiltrate the Mingjian Manor as soon as possible.”

Qin Sirong asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"

"Don't worry about it, just do as I say." Zhang Qiqiao waved his hand, indicating that she could leave.