Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 122 Why won't you let me have some fun? (6.1k)

Lu Chenyuan drove to Taolin County.

Several lazy guards at the city gate were dozing against the wall, completely ignoring the people coming and going.

As the carriage entered the city, lanterns were lit one after another in the shops along the streets.

Taolin County is small, but it is quite prosperous due to its location at a strategic crossroads between the north and south.

It was evening market time, but the streets were sparsely populated. A few people hurried by, all with their heads down and expressions revealing a hint of unease.

Lu Chenyuan noted the unusual occurrence and bought peach blossom wine and roasted mutton for Li Lingyue, the Empress, and Jin Ni from a nearby stall.

The goddess and the golden lion were enjoying something new, and they thought the taste was pretty good.

Li Lingyue took a bite and then gave it to Jin Ni, pouting, "It's nowhere near as good as yours..."

It was only during this trip that she discovered that Lu Chenyuan was also a master at grilling and cooking. Even in the remote wilderness with simple conditions, he could still cook delicious food that was no less than that of the imperial chefs in the palace.

Especially the "Beggar's Chicken" dish I showed off yesterday; after peeling off the dried mud, the chicken meat was white and tender, and the aroma was irresistible.

Lu Chenyuan casually looked around: "Still want to eat? Then your uncle will have to see how you do."

Li Lingyue blushed slightly and glared at him.

Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder what this guy was thinking!

Normally, he doesn't seem disrespectful at all (except in bed), always addressing you as "Your Highness"... But when it comes to "disregarding rank," he doesn't hold back and directly addresses you as an elder...

She had never seen anyone like this before. Her mother had told many senior officials not to be too reserved, but they all replied with "This old minister dares not" and "The proper etiquette cannot be disregarded." Only this guy was so audacious!

Yet, it's not annoying; instead, it has a unique sense of novelty...

This is something I've never experienced before.

Li Lingyue felt a little ashamed, so she grabbed his face from behind with both hands and said fiercely, "I really want to crawl into your head and see what you're thinking!"

Lu Chenyuan thought to himself, "What do you know? This is called romance. You're wearing black stockings now, the next step is for you to call me daddy!"

soon.

The carriage arrived at an inn in the city called "Tingyuxuan".

The inn's facade was small, with two faded red lanterns hanging under the eaves, swaying slightly in the twilight.

A thin waiter was squatting at the door eating a flatbread. When he saw a customer arrive, he quickly got up to greet him.

Are you two here for a meal or to stay overnight?

The waiter smiled obsequiously, but his eyes kept glancing into the carriage.

"Two rooms, a table of food and wine."

Lu Chenyuan took out the green wood talisman. The shopkeeper was taken aback for a moment, then his smile widened and he said in a friendly tone, "So you are a distinguished guest from the sect. Please come in, sir!"

Lu Chenyuan helped Li Lingyue out of the car. The Empress was holding a golden lion in her arms. The waiter was dumbfounded by the two women's peerless beauty.

The lobby was dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps lit. Several suspicious-looking men sat in the corner. When they saw someone enter, they immediately stopped talking and turned around. The beauty of the two people made the surroundings fall silent.

"Humph!"

Lu Chenyuan snorted coldly, took a step forward, and the moment his boots touched the ground, the earth trembled and all the tables and chairs in the room shook.

Such power immediately jolted everyone present awake, and they hurriedly averted their gazes.

The waiter called out loudly, "Manager, Qingmu Fu, two distinguished guests from the sect!"

Behind the counter stood a man in his forties, with a round, slightly plump face and small, squinting eyes. He had been stunned at first, but quickly came out to greet the guests, a smile plastered on his face: "My name is Zhao Sanjin. You three have come from afar, thank you for your hard work. Shunzi, two superior rooms and a table of top-class food! Please, esteemed guests."

Lu Chenyuan nodded indifferently, taking in the scene in the hall out of the corner of his eye.

The men in the corners seemed nonchalant, but they were actually observing them in secret.

Several calligraphy and paintings hung on the wall behind the counter. One of them, a plaque with the inscription "Guests Feel at Home," was slightly crooked and had a hidden compartment behind it.

This store definitely has something wrong with it!

The three people and one animal followed the waiter upstairs.

The two innermost rooms on the second floor are adjacent to each other. Pushing open the carved wooden door, you can see the exquisite furnishings inside. Lu Chenyuan walked to the window and could see several peach trees swaying in the twilight in the backyard.

"Please rest a moment, the food and drinks will be served shortly."

The waiter bowed and left, gently closing the door behind him.

After the footsteps faded into the distance, Lu Chenyuan sighed, "The Wood Armor Sect is now just a name without substance... Originally, this place should have truly been the sect's property, but now it has become a meeting place, and most of the people in the hall practice evil arts."

"It's also possible that he's been sidelined. Didn't the intelligence say that Su Quan has been in seclusion for many years?"

Li Lingyue lay down on the bed nonchalantly: "Don't worry about whether he has any inside story or not, if he dares to reach out, chop off his hand!" She rolled over, propped her chin on her hand, and laughed: "I'm here to have fun this time, the rest is up to 'Uncle'~"

Lu Chenyuan said helplessly, "I can't use the 'Gold-Swallowing Treasure Scroll' to avoid attracting people who covet the divine art. If I only use Shaolin martial arts, my combat power will be reduced by at least half..."

The metal energy in the "Gold-Swallowing Treasure Book" is too extreme and incompatible with many cultivation methods.

Even martial arts belonging to the metal element may not be able to be used flexibly. Among the seventy-two Shaolin arts, only four can be used with difficulty: the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, the Great Compassion Hand, the Burning Wood Saber Technique, and the Crossing the River on a Reed.

Li Lingyue showed all of them to Lu Chenyuan.

Learning these four skills will provide ample attack and defense, but without the magical powers of the "Gold-Swallowing Treasure Book" such as "within ten feet, swords and spears cannot touch the body" and "forging golden armor to control ten thousand soldiers," it will still be a significant weakness.

"If someone really comes to forcibly abduct the women... the two 'women' should also be careful."

Lu Chenyuan reminded him, "Don't be too careless. There's still the Golden Lion. Protect Lingxi."

The goddess and the golden lion nodded. Li Lingyue said, "I know... It doesn't necessarily mean they forcibly took women. Qin Wuyue seems to care more about you. Maybe they're forcibly taking men."

Lu Chenyuan glanced at her: "I hope so, it'll save you trouble."

"save trouble?"

Li Lingyue was taken aback at first, then reacted, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she grabbed a peach pit from the table and threw it at him: "What do you mean by that? Do you wish you could be kidnapped and made a bandit husband?!"

Lu Chenyuan deftly caught the peach pit, deliberately stroking his chin as if deep in thought: "Well... what if a master comes and tries to snatch it by force? Even I, at the peak of the third realm, might only be able to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Lingyue pounced on him, grabbing a pillow and hitting him on the head.

Lu Chenyuan was not to be outdone, and countered with a set of Shaolin Dragon Claw Hands, targeting the area below the neck and above the abdomen. Li Lingyue was caught off guard and was both ashamed and angry. Seeing that the two were fighting more and more intensely and their moves were becoming increasingly strange, Jin Ni sighed, raised his claw to cover his eyes, and the goddess blushed and quickly left the room.

It's quiet at night.

Lu Chenyuan sat cross-legged on the chair, regulating his breathing. He circulated the "Golden Treasure Scroll" throughout his body, and his skin glowed with a faint golden light.

Li Lingyue was already fast asleep, her breathing even.

Around midnight, a soft "click" was heard outside the window.

Lu Chenyuan opened his eyes and saw a wisp of pale purple smoke seeping in through the crack in the door.

He immediately held his breath and looked at Li Lingyue, who had already opened her eyes on the bed, her eyes bright.

Outside the door, the innkeeper Zhao Sanjin squatted on the ground, squinting one eye as he peered through the crack in the door. Behind him followed the weasel-faced waiter, each holding a blowpipe.

The "guests" in the main hall were doing the same thing at the door of the next room, blowing poisonous smoke through the crack in the door.

"He's fallen! This 'immortal fall' is really powerful!"

The waiter peeked through the crack in the door and saw the coachman slumped on the table, chuckling strangely: "Whether he's an emperor or a martial arts master, three puffs and he'll be paralyzed like a lump of mud!"

Zhao Sanjin made a shushing gesture and pressed his ear against the door, listening carefully for a long time.

The room was quiet; you couldn't even hear breathing.

A sinister grin spread across his face as he pulled a boning knife from his waist. "Of course! These are fifth-grade spiritual herbs... We've already given away so many, this time we'll keep these two top-quality ones for ourselves! Go tell the kitchen to boil water, kill the man and make meat buns! We brothers can keep the woman for ourselves... She's beautiful!"

The group exchanged glances, and simultaneously revealed lewd smiles.

Just as they were about to push the door open, it slammed open, startling everyone. Inside, Lu Chenyuan sat up straight, casually looking at them: "Preferring women to men, huh? Why didn't you kill the woman and leave me here to have fun with you brothers?"

"Puch!"

Li Lingyue leaned against the window railing and laughed out loud.

"not good!"

The waiter let out a strange cry and turned to run away. The others were also frightened by the scene before them. Just as they were about to flee, they saw Lu Chenyuan lightly flick his sleeves, and in an instant, dozens of golden rays condensed around him, rippling like fish scales in the moonlight.

The fleeing group suddenly froze!
Fine lines of blood appeared on the neck and chest!
A man had just touched the stair railing when his entire arm and head suddenly slid off, the cut as clean as a mirror.

Zhao Sanjin's legs went weak and he knelt on the ground, his crotch already soaked. He watched helplessly as his accomplices fell one after another like cut wheat. What was most terrifying was that the young master hadn't moved a finger at all from beginning to end.

"Great, great hero, spare my life..."

Lu Chenyuan made a grasping motion with his five fingers, unleashing the Shaolin Dragon-Capturing Hand technique. Zhao Sanjin was instantly lifted up by an invisible force, his neck making a cracking sound as it could not bear the weight.

Lu Chenyuan frowned and asked, "What do you mean by 'so many have been sent out'? Where were they sent? To whom were they sent?"

Zhao Sanjin's eyes bulged as he struggled to say, "I...I don't know..."

"Crack!"

My left little finger suddenly snapped in the opposite direction.

Before Zhao Sanjin could even scream, another ring finger pressed against the back of his hand at an odd angle.

"A finger will be severed for every piece of nonsense spoken!"

Lu Chenyuan leaned closer to his contorted face: "After all ten fingers are broken, there are still toes."

"I said! I said!"

Zhao Sanjin let out a pig-like scream: "They've all been sent to Cangwu Mountain! The Pei family..."

Suddenly, three thin, dark blue needles shot out from the window. Without hesitation, Lu Chenyuan raised Zhao Sanjin to block the hidden weapon.

Zhao Sanjin's words came to an abrupt halt, his eyes bulging as he died. In that brief moment, his body fell to the ground, already tinged with an eerie bluish-gray hue.

Li Lingyue warned, "Someone's coming, a sorcerer!"

Before he finished speaking, strange runes lit up the floor, walls, and ceiling at the same time.

A huge yin-yang diagram unfolded on the floor of the room!

"The Yin-Yang Formation is activated, and the Five Elements are positioned!"

A woman's clear voice rang out from outside the window, and magical energy surged throughout the inn: "Earth Wall!"

Lu Chenyuan felt the surrounding earth energy surging, his body heavy, as if he were trapped in a swamp!
The window shattered with a crash, and two dark figures shot in.

On the left was a glamorous woman wielding two swords, one black and one white; on the right was a withered old man with claw-like hands, his fingertips gleaming with a ghostly blue light. Lu Chenyuan's eyes flashed with golden light, and his Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill instantly reached its peak.

"The Yin-Yang Art of Five Elements Positioning..."

Lu Chenyuan sneered and stomped his feet hard on the ground. The blue brick floor cracked violently, and a corner of the Yin-Yang array was crushed by his force. A muffled groan came from outside the array, clearly indicating that she had suffered a backlash.

Two dark figures were already in front of them.

The alluring woman clashed her two swords, the black and white sword energy like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, aiming straight for his throat; the withered old man's ten fingers formed claws, the dark blue energy tearing through the air, enveloping his dantian acupoint.

Lu Chenyuan neither dodged nor avoided, but crossed his arms in front of him.

"clang--"

Amidst the clang of metal on metal, the black and white swords slashed at his forearm, sending sparks flying.

The old man's sharp claws gripped the Shenque acupoint on his waist, but it felt like grasping steel, causing his nails to crack and bleed.

"what?!"

The old man was greatly surprised. All body-refining techniques have weaknesses. The Shaolin "Invincible Vajra Divine Skill" has three weaknesses: the Yintang acupoint, the Tanzhong acupoint, and the Shenque acupoint. These are the locations of the Qi gate and the foundation for drawing Qi to forge the body. They cannot be avoided, but they can be weakened to the greatest extent. The "Invincible Vajra Divine Skill" has nine levels. Every three levels achieved eliminate one weakness.

Judging from the power of this groom's external martial arts, there couldn't possibly be any flaws in the first two acupoints.

But to his surprise, even the Shenque acupoint had been perfected.

How can this be?

Master Dufa, the head of the Bodhidharma Academy of Shaolin Temple, has been practicing the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill for forty years and has already cultivated a sixteen-foot golden body. However, he still has a hidden danger in his Shenque acupoint. But his moves are exquisite and his martial arts are profound. He knows how to use his weaknesses to "lure the enemy in" and then "kill him with one blow". Therefore, he is ranked as one of the five masters of Shaolin.

The groom neither dodged nor evaded; instead, he struck with his claw as if gripping steel. Could it be that his skill was even more profound than that of a martial arts master?!

The old man was startled and was about to retreat when he suddenly saw a golden hand rapidly enlarging in his field of vision.

Great Merciful Hands!
The palm strike was like thunder. The old man hastily blocked with his arm, but a clear "crack" sound of bones breaking could be heard. He was sent flying backward, crashing through three layers of walls, and a heavy thud could be heard from the dust.

Seeing the situation was not good, the alluring woman suddenly changed her sword style. The black sword was like ink splashed, and the white sword was like snowflakes flying. The two energies of black and white intertwined to form a net, and the sword light was like a bolt of lightning, dazzling the eyes.

"The black sword moves through the Kan position, the white sword moves through the Li position—it turns out to be the 'Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun Sword'."

The woman's heart skipped a beat, and she almost lost control of her sword. As Lu Chenyuan spoke, he formed a hand seal, and golden light around him solidified into a tangible form: the Great Vajra Wheel Seal!

"boom!"

The sword light struck the golden wheel, producing a deafening sound like a great bell.

The alluring woman's tiger's mouth split open, and her two swords nearly slipped from her grasp. She used the momentum to flip backward, and twelve bone-piercing nails suddenly shot out from her sleeve.

Lu Chenyuan waved his hand, and wherever the golden light passed, all the bone-piercing nails melted into molten iron.

He took a step forward, causing the ground to tremble, and his right hand appeared as a claw, reaching out to grab at the air.

Dragon-Capturing Hand!
The alluring woman suddenly felt the air around her freeze, and she was uncontrollably thrown towards the golden palm.

At the critical moment, three talismans flew in from outside the window, transforming into fire snakes that aimed straight for Lu Chenyuan's face.

With a casual wave of her hand, Li Lingyue caused the talisman to dissolve into nothingness.

"Crack!"

Lu Chenyuan's Vajra Palm struck down with tremendous force, and the woman's head exploded like a watermelon.

Before the red and white substances could even splatter, he chopped out the window with a backhand chop.

A peach tree ten feet away exploded with a loud bang, and amidst the flying wood chips, the woman in purple coughed up blood and fell from the branch.

"go!"

The gaunt old man threw a smoke bomb from his sleeve and took the opportunity to grab the woman in purple by the back of her collar and try to escape.

Suddenly, Li Lingyue let out a soft laugh, her slender fingers pointing lightly in the air.

Two finger strikes pierced through the air, leaving clear trails in the smoke. The moment the finger strikes penetrated their bodies, the old man and the woman in purple felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. Fine ice crystals formed on their meridians, and they plummeted straight down from mid-air!

Lu Chenyuan channeled his energy with one hand, and with a single grab of his Dragon-Capturing Hand, two figures flew backward through the window and crashed to the ground.

He gripped the old man's skull with his right hand and pinched the woman in purple's throat with his left, his voice icy: "Continue."

With a slight exertion of his knuckles, the old man's skull emitted a creaking sound as if it could no longer bear the weight.

"What is your relationship with the Wooden Armor Sect?"

Lu Chenyuan's eyes flashed with golden light: "Did Qin Wuyue tip you off? Where are you sending them? To whom?"

The old man's eyes were bloodshot and bulging, his face was bluish-purple, and he managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice: "Cang...Cangwu Mountain...Pei Family..."

"hehe."

Lu Chenyuan let out a cold laugh and activated the "Burning Wood Blade Technique." As his true energy circulated, his right palm transformed into a crimson branding iron.

The old man's scalp and flesh were instantly charred and smoking!
"what--!!"

Amidst the piercing screams, the woman in purple watched in horror as the old man was reduced to charred remains.

Lu Chenyuan tossed the head aside, his fiery palm hovering three inches between the woman's brows, his voice terrifyingly soft: "If you utter another lie, the next palm will be branded onto your skull!"

The woman's face was contorted by the scorching heat, and her whole body trembled. Finally, she broke down and cried out, "It's the Patching Heaven Pavilion! Qin Wuyue has been poisoned by the Pavilion Master... We killed those people in the forest... Our aim was to frame the Pei family... to lure Su Quan out to fight the Pei family... The core of the Hundred Flowers Valley Formation is in his hands..."

"The Heaven-Mending Pavilion..."

Li Lingyue muttered to herself, then suddenly frowned, revealing a look of disgust: "Stealing heavenly secrets to mend deficiencies, seizing creation to reverse yin and yang... that infamous Central Plains Hehuan Sect of Jiangzhou?!"

The woman in purple cowered, not daring to answer.

Lu Chenyuan had already guessed that the "Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun Sword" was the ultimate skill of the Patching Heaven Pavilion.

Just like their claim—stealing the sword intent of others to make up for their own deficiencies—this sword technique can simulate the sword energy of other sword techniques. The sword path is unpredictable and often mixes in seductive techniques to distract the enemy. Those Mujia Sect disciples who died in the forest from the "Dragon Gate Sword Style" died under this sword!

Upon seeing the swordsmanship, the design of the two swords, and the appearance of the wounds, he immediately guessed who the murderer was.

So when I heard that the old man was leading him to the Pei family, he was sent to his death!

The Pei family has strict family traditions. Even if they collude with the Butian Pavilion, they won't do it openly. Moreover, they're using the "Dragon Gate Sword Style." Since that's the case, why bother having the Butian Pavilion do it? They can handle it themselves.

and so.

This is undoubtedly a frame-up!

In the Xiaohan region, there are two factions and three powers standing in a tripartite balance. The fact that they instigated the Pei family and Mu Jia to fight to the death and profited from it makes it clear who the mastermind behind the scenes is who is working with the Butian Pavilion.

——Xuanbing Valley.

If the Butian Pavilion wanted to be the one to reap the benefits, then this turmoil wouldn't have left the Xuanbing Valley uninvolved; at the very least, it would have created some loopholes for them to exploit.

Lu Chenyuan said, "There is a sect's headquarters on each of the three peaks of Hundred Flowers Valley: the East Peak, the West Peak, and the South Peak. The Wood Armor Sect is located on Songyang Mountain in the south, which is connected to the valley entrance. The East Peak, Guanyun, is the territory of Xuanbing Valley, and the West Peak, Cangwu, is the property of the Pei family of Xiaoshan. After Tingyuxuan becomes a secret hall, you can capture people and send them to Cangwu, where your people can impersonate members of the Pei family to receive them. This way, you kill two birds with one stone. Is that right?"

"..."

The woman lowered her head and trembled.

"What are you still shy about?"

Lu Chenyuan chuckled and turned to Li Lingyue: "You guessed right, it really is related to me..."

Li Lingyue laughed and said, "No wonder Qin Wuyue is more interested in you. People who cultivate their bodies are indestructible. Absorbing your vital energy will be much more effective than for ordinary martial artists."

Lu Chenyuan said leisurely, "You've tried so many times, but I haven't seen any results."

"..."

Li Lingyue was silent for a moment, then her entire face flushed red, even her neck turned pink. She grabbed some food from the table and threw it at Lu Chenyuan, growling, "You deserve a beating!" Her voice trembled, seven parts shyness and three parts anger: "Talking nonsense in front of outsiders..."

Haha ...

Lu Chenyuan found it amusing. He dodged the "hidden weapon," coughed, withdrew his gaze, and looked at the woman in purple, saying, "Since Hundred Flowers Valley has a great formation and Su Quan holds the key to it, why did you let Pei Lingsu occupy most of the valley?"

The woman shook her head.

Lu Chenyuan narrowed his eyes: "Hmm?"

The woman trembled and hurriedly said, "I really didn't know! The Pavilion Master was only guessing that the two of them might be having an affair, which is why Su Quan has been so tolerant of her..."

"Private affair?"

Lu Chenyuan thought carefully, but these details weren't in the intelligence reports, though it was unlikely...

Su Quan is the youngest, and he is nearly sixty years old. Pei Lingsu is a full twelve years older than him, and she is over seventy years old.

Su Quan was only ten years old when he joined the sect, so he shouldn't have had any feelings for his senior sister who was in her twenties.

However, this cannot be confirmed.

According to rumors, Pei Lingsu was an absolute beauty, known as "Lady Mingzhu".

Although he is now over seventy years old, he has mastered the art of preserving his youth by practicing the "Azure Spirit Wood Heart Technique," and looks no more than thirty years old.

In the past, a poem praised her, saying, "A smile can dim a thousand flowers, a glance can make the moon hide in the clouds." Noble young men from all walks of life lined up from Hedong to Luoyang to propose to her. However, this Lady Mingzhu had extremely high standards. In her youth, she declared, "I would rather be a solitary phoenix for a hundred years than marry a mediocre man." And she truly never married in her life.

Over the years, Pei Lingsu has been in seclusion in the "Cold Jade Cave" of Hundred Flowers Valley, and the affairs of the clan have been managed by her three adopted sons.

On the night of the full moon, servants would see a figure in pure white standing alone on the edge of the cliff, the sound of a jade flute piercing through the clouds and splitting the rocks, attracting hundreds of birds in the valley to sing in harmony.

Many younger generations in the martial arts world did not believe that this "Pearl Lady" was as beautiful as the legends said. It wasn't until three years ago that the third young master of the Yang family of Hongnong trespassed into the forbidden area and saw Pei Lingsu playing the flute under the moon. He stood there in a daze and fell ill with lovesickness for three months after returning home. Since then, the reputation of the "Pearl of Hedong" has become even more widespread, but no one dares to easily set foot on that cliff again.

Such charm even in old age.

It's quite normal that she attracted Su Quan's heart when she was young... Su Quan, too, never married in his life.

interesting……

Lu Chenyuan put these gossips aside for the moment and looked at the woman in purple, asking, "Who is the Pavilion Master of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion, and where is he now? What is his purpose in helping the Mysterious Weapon Valley?"

The woman's lips moved, and suddenly blood flowed from her seven orifices.

Lu Chenyuan grabbed her chin with lightning speed, only to see a small snake with dark blue scales emerge from her ear.

Its snake-like eyes gleamed with a cold, metallic light as it darted out the window.

"Mysterious Netherworld Transmission Serpent!"

Li Lingyue's expression changed slightly. She pointed her sword and a wisp of ice-crystal-like sword energy shot out, chasing after the snake shadow. A sizzling sound came from outside the window.

Lu Chenyuan looked at the snake corpse with some surprise; this kind of strange beast was not something an ordinary person could control...

Li Lingyue's face was grim as she got off the bed: "It was him... He really has fallen so low, Zong Chuke!"

(End of this chapter)