Twofold Strength?
1722 Words
Wu Guanlan felt a sense of trance.
Three thunderclaps echoed in his mind, as he recalled those three names among the countless warriors!
Martial Honored, Master Yijian, and Ning Sanren, the foremost of the Daoists.
The Three Great Grandmasters of the Time!
Such figures were definitely not something a small sect like theirs could afford to offend.
"How is that possible?" Lai Changming said in disbelief. "Don't lie! Ning Sanren is a lone, wild crane, a dragon that can't be seen from head to tail. How could he befriend Jiao Wuzi?"
"A frog in a well."
Zhou Yi waved his sleeves and paced the courtyard.
Xia Shu and Yan Qiu, the two young Daoist children, forgot to blink, gazing at their senior brother with admiration.
He spoke quietly:
"Back then, Sanren Ning and the Immortal of the South Sea fought on the Leizhou Peninsula. After a hundred moves, the Immortal was defeated by Sanren Ning's eight free-hand blows. My master was on the Leizhou Peninsula at the time, sitting on the rock atop Mofeng Cliff.
He observed the turbulent waves stirred by the two great masters, and thus formed a bond.
This time, my master heard that Sanren Ning had read the Cihang Sword Classic, one of the Four Great Books, and traveled north to visit his friend. We are all from the same sect, so what's so strange about us sitting together, reading and discussing the Dao under the green lamp?"
Anyone could see that Tianshi Zhou looked at Lai Changming with clear contempt.
But...
Even the previously arrogant Cao Chengyun didn't find it strange.
Tianshi Zhou, you truly have the qualifications.
The spectators at the Cao residence were confused, yet also quite excited.
This is a secret of the martial arts world, and it concerns the Grandmaster!
Some, having heard of the battle on the Leizhou Peninsula, chimed in.
Those who hadn't heard of it simply felt enriched.
But the next piece of news, about the Four Great Books, the Cihang Sword Canon, was completely unknown to anyone present.
Even the highly knowledgeable Huashan Sect Senior Brother Yue, standing beside Cao Chengyun, had a dazed look in his eyes, muttering the words "Four Great Books."
Few martial artists could resist hearing about such remarkable feats and methods.
Zhou Yi saw the reactions of Wu and Lai and knew they were deeply concerned.
With a mixture of truth and falsehood, the deception had finally succeeded.
However, it wasn't a lie to say that Master was searching for Ning Sanren.
Searching... doesn't necessarily mean finding him, right?
Wu Guanlan's expression shifted again and again, regret welling up in him, and he didn't know what to do.
Lai Changming, though embarrassed, wasn't afraid.
The Taiping Taoist Temple's legacy is limited, and in Yongqiu, even with this added Taoist connection, the Baling Gang would at most reconsider the pros and cons of this action.
The Cao Mansion farce should have ended, but...
A soft sound of footsteps echoed from behind Wu and Lai. The approaching figure, a short man, reached out and pushed Elder Wu aside, allowing Zhou Yi to clearly see his face.
He looked to be in his fifties, with a broad nose and wide mouth, and prominent brow ridges. He wore a patched blue cloth robe. A wine gourd hung from a straw rope tied around his waist.
Elder Wu was uneasy and had initially considered not challenging this strange man.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly stepped out of the crowd.
"Are you Jiao Wuzi's eldest disciple?"
The approaching figure's brow was stern, his tone cold.
The South Sea Immortal and the Four Great Books seemed irrelevant to him.
"That's right, this Taoist..."
Zhou Yi was interrupted by the short, fat Taoist before he could finish his words.
"Master Ma of the Hunyuan Sect invited me here to compete with Jiao Wuzi on Fuzi Mountain. I had lost interest when I heard he wasn't in Yongqiu.
But now I can't stand other people's nonsense.
What lineage does your Taiping Dao come from? What doctrines do you hold? How dare you be associated with the foremost figure in Taoism?"
He harbored suspicion and immense contempt.
Where did this guy come from?
Zhou Yi frowned slightly, determined not to show his weakness at this moment. He ignored the short, fat Taoist's words and continued with his interrupted speech.
"Then may I ask, what doctrine do you inherit, Taoist Master?"
The short, stout Taoist paused for a moment, then raised his short neck and replied, "I inherit the teachings of the Western Han Dynasty, the Quanxing Daoist school. My common name is Wu Xuanshu. I study Zhuangzi's human world and call myself the Wood Taoist."
He stated his name openly and then sarcastically addressed Zhou Yi:
"In this day and age, are you going to emulate Zhang Jiao of Julu and bring disaster to the world with the Yellow Turbans?"
Zhou Yi snorted. "Master, please be more polite. You must know that the order of the world lies in Heaven and in man, not in your words."
"What's more..."
Zhou Yi paused, staring directly at him, his voice stern.
"My master has done countless good deeds in Yongqiu, saving hundreds and thousands of lives. Stories spread throughout the streets. Master, you speak of righteousness and satirize the chaotic world. So, what achievements have you made in your life?"
"This..."
Master Mu was still hostile, but he was tongue-tied and didn't know how to respond.
The spectators sighed, thinking that Master Zhou was quick-witted and capable of "debating with scholars."
With Wu Lai and this other person, they couldn't win an argument.
Taoist Mu was about to respond with "Exorcising Demons and Defending the Dao," but Zhou Yi spoke first:
"Although I'm not of the same generation as you, you've thrown mud at me and disregarded the friendship of the Daoist sect by side with the Dongting thieves who trafficked women."
He paused, his heart chilled, and he glanced at Lai Changming, which immediately made the short and fat Taoist eager to argue.
Zhou Yi didn't give him the chance and spoke impassionedly:
"Even if you're a skilled martial artist and a bully, I won't back down today, lest the heroes of the martial arts world mock me, the Taiping Dao, for fearing an unethical, disrespectful, and unrighteous individual."
Everyone's gaze converged. Taoist Mu was so vehemently insulted that his inner Qi surged, and blood rushed to his head, turning his face red as blood!
He turned and glared at Lai Changming, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent!
Lai Changming was startled and took several steps back. This strange man was not to be provoked for the time being.
Senior Brother Yue of the Huashan Sect, beside Cao Chengyun, stepped forward. Seeing Zhou Yi's righteousness, he prepared to speak up for him and save the situation.
Senior Brother Yue thought to himself:
"If I, Yue, step forward now, I can both demonstrate the Huashan Sect's virtue and seize the opportunity to win over the Taiping Dao. It's truly killing two birds with one stone."
He began to think loudly, then took action.
Suddenly, there was a gust of wind!
Like a hurricane at sea, Cao Chengyun and Senior Brother Yue's hair flew off their shoulders!
The short, stout Taoist priest, enraged, unleashed a powerful palm force. The gust of wind swept three feet overhead, striking the lantern under the eaves.
The wick of the lamp trembled, the bamboo frame crackling with a spiderweb-like crackle. The candlelight flickered like a ghost's blink, then exploded with a loud bang!
"Dang~~~!"
The iron horse under the eaves was struck by the broken bamboo, making a crisp sound.
Senior Brother Yue ducked his head, saying nothing. He hurriedly returned to his previous position and took another step back.
I can't afford to offend him.
This slovenly Taoist priest is actually a top-tier master!
The looks of those around him changed as they looked at the short, fat Taoist priest.
At this moment, he slapped him with his palm. Still sulking, he took off the wine gourd from his waist and guzzled it. In his excitement, he spilled the wine all over his lips, chin, and Taoist robe.
He finished the entire pot and glared at Zhou Yi with wide eyes:
"There's no way this will end peacefully!"
"Young man, lest others say I'm bullying the weak. If you can withstand two times my power, I'll even be defeated by the Taiping Dao."
Zhou Yi took a deep breath, a tinge of regret welling up in his heart.
If I had known this arrogant Taoist priest was so powerful, I wouldn't have offended him so harshly.
His mind raced, plotting how to deal with these two times of power.
The people around him saw Taoist Mu's ferocity and Zhou Yi's silence, and thought he wasn't sure. However, Xia Shu and Yan Qiu, who knew Zhou Yi's true intentions well, shook their heads in unison upon hearing Taoist Mu's words.
The short and stout Taoist saw it.
"Little Taoist boy, is it wrong for me to only use 20% of my strength?!"
Erwa shook his head again.
Yan Qiu said honestly, "It's not wrong, but it's just arrogance. Master said that Taoists should seek truth from facts and follow nature, not force themselves to do things beyond their capabilities like the Taoist master."
Xia Shu, recalling the scene in the training room, replied with a clear, childish laugh:
"The Taoist master may be highly skilled in martial arts, but he was drunk and boasting. 20% of his strength? Then my senior brother could handle it without even moving a foot."
"What!"
The short and stout Taoist was furious, his head scorching with smoke!
He had been there when Zhou Yi lit the candle earlier. Although he didn't see through it, he had guessed something was amiss.
At this moment, he was both furious and doubtful of his earlier misjudgment.
Incited by the two children, his anger surged, and he roared, his voice shaking Cao's residence:
"Youngsters, is this really the case?!"
Zhou Yi was enlightened, suddenly understanding the ingenuity.
As everyone watched, he remained silent for a moment, then raised a single palm, seemingly unremarkable.
But his words startled everyone:
"Two times the power? Then we'll see how much power the Taoist possesses."
- Writer
