Knife splashing

Chapter 295 Fighting Arena!

"Sacrifice?"

Li Yan frowned, "What is this?"

"A kind of sacrificial standard."

Wang Daoxuan, who was standing beside him, took over the conversation, handed him the weapon, and explained, "From ancient times to the present, sacrifices have had standards. 'Tai Lao' and 'Shaolao' are the largest. In addition, there are 'Shan Ji', 'Zi Ji', 'Zi Ji', etc., each with different scenes."

"Originally, 'faji' involved the use of human sacrifices to simulate beheadings in war, but human sacrifices had long been abolished and were replaced by 'war dances' and 'jiaodi'."

As he said that, he turned his head and looked at Zhang Xiaoshan, "Senior Zhang, is this competition also to break the White Tiger Evil?"

Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head and said, "I don't understand these Feng Shui principles, but I heard that the competition was just a coincidence, so I was added to it."

"King Wuchang has issued a special order that after entering the arena, life and death are at your own risk, and the court will not pursue the matter. This is one of the reasons why several families have invited experts from outside."

"Anyway, you should be careful when you step on stage. The more sophisticated sects will stop at a certain point, but those invited bandits will definitely not hold back when they are ready to kill."

Li Yan immediately understood, "Can magic be used as well?"

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded and said, "Well, as long as both parties agree, any means are unrestricted."

"Humph, with the emergence of new firearms, the rules of martial arts are disrupted..."

They talked as they walked, and soon walked out of the tent.

I saw that the area around the arena and the mountain gate leading to Qingchuan Pavilion had been surrounded by soldiers, all of them were dressed in armor and looked fierce.

What caught Li Yan's attention even more was that these soldiers were all carrying muskets.

Of course, it was not a new type of firearm, but a long rifle.

But even so, it still shocked everyone.

They fought to the death for a quota to carry guns, but the imperial court did not impose any restrictions, and the number of musket teams in various places increased.

The Prince of Wuchang did not come to the arena, but went up to Qingchuan Pavilion and looked out from the railing on the second floor, with the Crown Prince beside him.

Li Yan had extraordinary eyesight and immediately saw the appearance of the King of Wuchang.

Compared with the King of Chang'an, the King of Wuchang was tall and strong with a handsome appearance. The prince next to him was also burly with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

With the royal robe as a backdrop, he appears to be extraordinary.

As soon as he appeared, everyone looked up, some with calm expressions, while others crossed their arms with defiant eyes.

Li Yan found it interesting. This scene was simply a true reflection of the underworld and the imperial court.

The court is in a high position and needs to use these people from the underworld.

Although the people in the underworld despise the kings and princes on the surface, they also fight to the death here in order to compete for the interests bestowed by the court.

The King of Wuchang didn't say any nonsense.

He knew that no matter how passionate he was, these people in the underworld would not listen to him, but would instead feel annoyed.

Therefore, King Wuchang did not say anything. He just sat down on the chair and nodded slightly to the person beside him.

Standing next to him was Vice President Zhao of Ezhou Chamber of Commerce.

He nodded respectfully, then turned around, clasped his fists and said loudly: "My fellow martial artists, this competition has fifty spots, fifty fights, ten per day, and the winner will get one spot."

"To ensure fairness, the Chamber of Commerce will assign numbers to the bamboo chips and then shuffle them around. The one whose name is called out will be able to enter the ring."

Shi Chen, the leader of the Paijiao in the distance, crossed his arms, sneered, and asked loudly: "What if the challenger dies?"

Vice President Zhao remained calm and smiled, "You should all practice peace and stop at the right time. However, if you encounter misfortune, your faction will have to send someone else to fight."

“If no one plays, the opponent gets the spot.”

"it is good!"

Shi Chen, the leader of the platoon, cheered, his eyes full of confidence.

Not far away from him, there stood a graceful lady. She glanced at him, waved her round fan and said with a smile, "Shi Paitou, you are trying so hard, are you trying to take all the places?"

This woman is Qu Qiuyan, the leader of Wuchang Yanmen.

Even though he is just a person in the brothel, he has Jin Yanzi to gather intelligence and a group of "evil demons" and thugs. He is connected with both the white and black worlds and should not be underestimated.

This sentence seems like a compliment, but it actually contains a trap. If Shi Chen speaks shamelessly, he will probably become the target of public criticism immediately.

Shi Chen was not a fool either, he smiled faintly, "I'm not that capable, it's enough if I can win a few games."

Even as they were talking, people from the Chamber of Commerce were walking around the arena, distributing bamboo chips one by one.

At the same time, a group of people were walking over from a distance.

The leader was none other than Yu Lanshan, the Feng Shui master with double pupils from the Jiang Xiang faction, and behind him were several Taoist priests and a dozen palace guards.

He ignored everyone and came to the front of the arena, pinching his fingers to make some magic gestures, looking around with a gleam in his eyes.

The palace guards quickly set up the altar and placed cow, sheep and pig heads on it. Every step was carried out under the guidance of Yu Lanshan.

The Taoist priests lit incense and started dancing.

As the sacrificial texts were chanted, strong winds suddenly blew up around them, and the flags on the stage fluttered violently. The winds returned to normal only after the sacrifice was over.

Li Yan pinched the Yang Jue and took a deep breath at the same time. Then he looked at the five-colored flags at the foot of the mountain thoughtfully.

He could feel that the aura of the entire Guishan Mountain had merged into one, flowing slowly and converging towards Qingchuan Pavilion and Yuwang Palace.

The arena in front of us is also one of the nodes.

And the entire Guishan Mountain seemed to come alive.

It was like a black tortoise, lying on the river bank, with its neck raised, looking towards the Snake Mountain opposite.

"This is the method of changing a mountain into a shape..."

Wang Daoxuan whispered, "Some skilled geomancers can make the situation of mountains and rivers manifest. Yu Lanshan is really good at it. If nothing unexpected happens, the ritual of Qingchuan Pavilion and this arena are meant to focus our attention."

"Once the two gods, the Turtle and Snake, appear, they can work together to suppress the White Tiger."

Li Yan nodded and said nothing more.

To be honest, even with Master Lin's recommendation, he still had doubts about Yu Lanshan. Who knew if he was an accomplice of the evildoer?

But those who were well versed in Feng Shui all thought that this was feasible, and Baotong Zen Temple had no objection, so there was no need for him to say anything more.

I think Baotong Temple must have countermeasures.

After the sacrifice, Yu Lanshan and his men hurried away, apparently heading to King Yu's Palace.

The opponent had a serious expression and didn't even glance at the competition here. It was obvious that he was fully focused on winning this famous battle.

At the same time, the draw also had its results.

A Chamber of Commerce steward jumped onto the stage and said solemnly, "You are all in the martial arts world. Under the watchful eyes of the public, we can see who is playing tricks at a glance, so we will not interfere any more."

"Then follow the rules we set before. If you want to use magic, you need to explain it in advance. However, the means of attack cannot leave the ring, and cannot hurt the people below the ring. Those who violate this will be judged as failures."

As he spoke, he took out the booklet he had just written from his bosom and said in a deep voice, "The first match is between the Foot Company and the Xingye Escort Agency."

As soon as he finished speaking, two people jumped onto the stage.

The origin of the foot trade came from the lower class of hard-working people. In the three cities of Wuchang, they were mainly dock workers. They originally wanted to unite to avoid being bullied.

But like most organizations, they were founded with good intentions, but as time went by, power was seized by ambitious people.

Although the porters nowadays still set up some charity halls to bury coolies who died in accidents and send some rice and food, they have actually become parasites living on the coolies.

If you don’t join the club, you won’t get any work.

Once you join the gang, you have to pay tribute regularly. The upper echelons of the Foot Trade Gang control all the dock workers, negotiate with various forces, monopolize the dock handling business, and pocket most of the profits.

The lives of the poor people are still miserable. At most, those city foxes and social rats will not come to bully them for no reason.

The imperial court also needed someone to manage the docks, so it turned a blind eye to some things.

This is true in all walks of life.

Of course, even so, Jiao Xing is not a prominent figure among the underworld forces. He wants to get some firearms for protection, but he dare not defy the rules of the court, so he is very eager for a quota for firearms.

The contestants they sent out were hired at great expense.

The man was tall and strong, with two knives on his waist, messy hair and beard, gloomy face and cold eyes.

Zhang Xiaoshan whispered to Li Yan, "Wang Yaozi from the Northeast, was born in the 'Dark Five Immortals Hall' outside the Great Wall. He was hunted down and fled to the Central Plains. He is ruthless and cruel, and he is also a predator of Ge Nian."

"From the Dark Five Immortal Hall?"

Li Yan became interested when he heard it.

As he traveled around the world, he naturally had to pay attention to various forces and obtained intelligence about the legal systems of various places from the Law Enforcement Hall.

The northern part of Xinjiang is dominated by shamans, but people only know the five visible immortals: "fox, weasel, snake, hedgehog and mouse", but they don't know there are also five invisible immortals: "tiger, wolf, centipede, bat and frog."

These two sides have been at odds since ancient times.

The Wuxiantang is considered a local legal lineage recognized by the imperial court, but the secret Wuxiantang is sinister and operates in the dark, doing all kinds of underworld activities, and many of them are bandits in the mountains.

Since this person is on the field, he will definitely require the use of magic.

I don’t know what means there are.

Sure enough, Wang Yaozi said directly in a cold voice: "Wang is taking action and doesn't like restraints. Do you have the courage to follow?"

Xingye Escort Agency does not belong to Wudang Mountain, but is a local force in Ezhou, and they send out their own escorts.

But unlike other gangs, both the martial arts gang and the escort agency are just hanging businesses that make a living by martial arts.

If they were to have a fight, they would have to invite outsiders, as that would be too embarrassing, so the Wuxing Escort Agency would only send their own people.

The person sent by Xingye Escort Agency was a middle-aged man holding a broadsword. He looked grim upon hearing this, but he still said, "This is a martial arts competition. Why are you people from the Xuanmen coming here to join in the fun?"

"I don't know any magic, let's see who's the real one!"

"it is good!"

Wang Yaozi didn't waste any words. He drew out his two swords and made a sword flower. At the same time, he held the swords in his backhand, took a horse stance, leaned forward, and swayed slightly.

It looks like a giant praying mantis.

It's a mantis knife!

Li Yan had also heard of this sword technique.

Famous for his steady, swift and ferocious steps, he is also a well-known and unconventional swordsman in the martial arts world.

The escort on the opposite side had a stern look in his eyes. He turned his body to the side and raised the broadsword in his hand, clearly demonstrating the posture of using the land and water broadsword technique.

Swish!
Both of them are experts in hidden power and they attacked at almost the same time.

Wang Yaozi's feet seemed to be wading through mud, rubbing left and right, his lower body swaying, but his upper body always kept balance. He raised his two swords slightly with his backhand, as if he was about to launch an attack.

As the saying goes, an inch shorter means an inch more danger. The escorts from Xingye Escort Agency would naturally not let the other party get close to them. They swung their machetes and forced Wang Yaozi back, while raising their machetes to stab him straight ahead.

The Pudao is a long weapon and is very practical when traveling in the martial arts world. The Pudao technique is mastered both on land and in water, so naturally there are ways to deal with short weapons.

His sword skills were vigorous and powerful, the sharp blade wrapped in cold wind, chopping up, slashing down, and slashing to the left, and with just a few moves, he forced Wang Yaozi into a corner.

Obviously, the goal is to knock the opponent off the stage.

Although this competition does not involve life or death, it does not necessarily require a life or death decision. As long as you jump off the stage voluntarily, you will be considered to have admitted defeat.

Zhang Xiaoshan, who was standing by, saw this and snorted coldly, "Womanly kindness!"

Sure enough, Wang Yaozi was a man who walked between life and death all day long and valued money more than his life. How could he admit defeat in the first game?

He couldn't use magic, and his martial arts skills were on par with the escort's, so he was restricted in what he could do.

But he has one more thing: he dares to fight to the death!
Wang Yaozi suddenly lowered his body and approached the escort, gritting his teeth and raising his two swords.

clang!
With a crisp sound, flames splashed and the two swords were swept away.

The escort had just breathed a sigh of relief when he realized something was wrong.

It was Wang Yaozi who used his clever strength. His two swords swirled in the air, like swallows returning to their nests, and then quickly turned around and stabbed the escort.

"Two swallows returning?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up. He didn't expect to see this special skill of two swords.

The outcome of this round has been decided!

Sure enough, the escort was distracted by the sudden arrival of the two knives and quickly retreated, while swinging his machete left and right to knock the two knives away.

Wang Yaozi suddenly approached, twisted his hands as if threading flowers, and directly hugged the escort Pu Dao, while turning around and kicking.

Bang!
The escort flew off the stage spurting blood.

Wang Yaozi rubbed his feet, raised his two swords, caught it, sheathed them, and said coldly to the people below: "Since you held back just now, I will spare your life!"

After saying that, he jumped off the stage.

"Uncle Master! Uncle Master!"

Below the stage, disciples from the Xingye Escort Agency hurriedly helped the escort into the tent to treat his injuries.

The Chamber of Commerce's steward jumped up on the stage again and said expressionlessly, "First round, the footwork wins!"

"The second match, Guanzhong Li Yan, the leader!"

After saying that, he jumped off the stage.

Li Yan was also stunned. He didn't expect it to be his turn so soon.

He glanced at the side, and Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head and said, "Only the Chamber of Commerce knows the result of the draw. I didn't do anything."

"Go ahead and kill him!"

Li Yan shrugged his shoulders, moved his feet slightly, and jumped onto the stage.

On the other side, the leader Shi Chen frowned, looked at Zhang Xiaoshan suspiciously, then sneered and clapped his hands.

A figure slowly walked out of the tent.

When Zhang Xiaoshan saw it, his eyes were immediately filled with murderous intent.

He was a young man in a black robe, his face was pale with an abnormal green hue, his eyes were narrow and long, emitting a cold light.

He had a long sword slung over his waist and leaped onto the stage. He looked at Li Yan, then at Zhang Xiaoshan next to him, and sneered, "Old Zhang, you sent this brat to kill me?"

Zhang Xiaoshan just watched coldly and didn't say anything.

The meaning is simple, you are not worthy to talk to me.

The person who came was none other than the Flower Snake Yang Yun.

Seeing that Zhang Xiaoshan ignored him, he looked at Li Yan again, and his blue lips curved up, "Boy, I heard that you killed the Ghost Cult's Red Girl? Who helped you to brag about it so much?"

Li Yan did not answer, but stared at the other person's neck. The skin on it was ulcerated and scarred, like layers of snake scales.

There's something wrong with this flower snake Yang Yun!

He practiced the secret method of "The Immortal Treasury of Immortality"!
(End of this chapter)