Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 189 The Mystery and the Fearful Guards (4k2)

Several members of the Kongtong Sect quickly dragged the unconscious disciple to a dark spot, then slipped into the courtyard.

The lights were still on in one of the rooms in the center.

He Yisheng stepped forward and carefully pushed open the slightly ajar door.

Li Fu was positioned on a high vantage point, and by peeking through the slightly ajar door and using the light from inside the room, he could clearly see what was happening inside.

Upon seeing this, he understood why the Quanzhen Sect dared not to be particularly strict in guarding the criminals here.

The room was simply furnished, with a peculiar torture rack hanging in the center.

The rack appeared to be made of refined iron, resembling an incredibly heavy iron garment riddled with mechanism holes, suspended in mid-air by several thick iron chains.

A person was firmly locked in this iron armor, with only his face and a small part of his neck showing. It was Huo Shuyan!

Even more shocking was the sight of several slender silver cones piercing deep into vital acupoints all over his body from different points on his iron armor.

His face was ashen, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was weak, clearly indicating that he was under severe restraint and could not use any martial arts at all.

"Shuyan, what's wrong?"

Upon seeing this scene, Elder Songxi and Daoist Shi's faces immediately flushed with anger.

Hearing the noise, Huo Shuyan raised her head and opened her eyes. "Elder Shi, Elder Songxi, you've arrived?"

The Taoist priest lowered his voice but couldn't suppress his indignation: "The Quanzhen Sect has gone too far! How dare they use such cruel torture to humiliate my Kongtong disciples!"

"Shuyan, we're here to rescue you!"

Elder Songxi suppressed his anger, took two steps forward, and carefully examined the mechanism lock with Daoist Shi.

The two men's eyes quickly swept over the heavy iron armor, and their expressions suddenly changed.

"Oh no, this seems to be—this is the Nine-Barrier Double Ninth Lock!"

He Yisheng and the others were also startled, as they had heard of the Quanzhen Sect's Nine Gates Double Ninth Lock.

The Stone Taoist's face turned ashen as he said, "The Nine Gates of Chongyang Lock are said to be the secret of the founder of the Quanzhen School, Chongyang Zhenren, who was a scholar of heaven and man, and was well-versed in astronomy, geography, feng shui and the Eight Trigrams."

This is a torture device that he personally designed and supervised to punish his disciples who had committed heinous crimes!

Taking its name from the ninefold barriers that supposedly lock away the Double Ninth Festival, it is said to have nine ingenious mechanisms inside, connected to the eight extraordinary meridians and vital acupoints of the human body.

Once you are locked in this lock, the silver cone will pierce your acupoints, and no matter how skilled you are in martial arts or how much internal energy you have, you will be unable to use it at all, and you will be as useless as a cripple!

Furthermore, the lock body is forged from the finest cold iron, making it incredibly tough and difficult to break by external forces.

Only by using special techniques and following a specific order to unravel the nine layers of mechanisms can one escape.

Elder Songxi gritted his teeth and said, "No wonder—no wonder the guards here are not as strict as I imagined. It turns out that the Quanzhen Sect has used such powerful prison equipment to deal with Shuyan!"

With this lock in place, not only is Shuyan powerless to break free at this moment, but even if we all work together, we cannot easily rescue him without a way to unlock it.

The Quanzhen Sect—what ruthless methods!

He Yisheng also moved closer, his lazy expression completely gone, his brows furrowed.

The group dared not be careless and whispered among themselves, trying to break the iron prison garments.

The silver needle acupuncture point, if not handled carefully, could damage Huo Shuyan's meridians and even endanger his life. Extreme caution is required.

Li Fu watched from afar as Song Xi and the others busied themselves with a mixture of caution and anxiety.

This was the second time I had seen Huo Shuyan, the Flying Rainbow Swordsman, since that night outside the brothel in Yanzhou.

Compared to that day when the top disciple of the Kongtong Sect quietly slipped out of the brothel's courtesan's room carrying clothes, looking slightly embarrassed but still maintaining a dashing demeanor.

Huo Shuyan is now in a miserable state, with no trace of her former glory, only a pathetic state remaining.

As soon as the Dongpai experts touched the iron armor, they aggravated the silver cones, causing Huo Shuyan to tremble violently in pain, with cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

But he gritted his teeth and did not cry out in pain, nor did he complain about his fellow disciples who came to his rescue.

Huo Shuyan glanced past the two elders and fixed his gaze on his junior brother He Yisheng. His eyes were complicated, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"Junior Brother He—you've come too."

Did Master send you?

"Yes, you're lazy by nature and don't pay attention to sect affairs, big or small. You're only ever bossed around by your master."

He Yisheng frowned, slightly annoyed by the troublesome lock.

"Senior brother, why are you still asking these questions now?"

We'll figure out how to unlock this damn lock and get you out of this hellhole!

He Yisheng, who usually acted like a lazy rich kid, showed genuine concern and camaraderie in his eyes when he saw his fellow disciple suffering such a terrible fate.

This person doesn't seem to be inherently bad.

Elder Songxi seemed to have figured it out and said in a low voice.

"Shuyan, please be patient for a little longer. The mechanism of this Nine-Barrier Double Ninth Lock is complicated. We will try to see if we can unlock it."

His voice was anxious, clearly showing his deep affection for Huo Shuyan, this outstanding junior in the sect, and he was about to actually try to save her.

"Wait a minute."

At this moment, Huo Shuyan suddenly spoke.

The group paused and looked at him.

Huo Shuyan took a few breaths and spoke slowly.

"Elders, Junior Brother He—I am very grateful for your risking your lives to come up Zhongnan Mountain to save me, but what benefit do you get from rescuing me now?"

If I leave, wouldn't that confirm that my Kongtong Sect has something to hide and is afraid to face a public trial?

I can't leave.

I must stay and wait for tomorrow's public trial, to prove the innocence of my Kongtong Sect in front of all the martial arts practitioners in the world!

Upon hearing this, Master Shi hurriedly said, "Shuyan, you are confused. The reason why the Quanzhen Sect held this public trial is because they are both Taoists and cannot use torture to extract a confession from you in private, for fear that it would not be enough to gain people's trust."

At tomorrow's conference, under the watchful eyes of everyone, they will have a legitimate reason to interrogate you severely, and even resort to torture!

"Are you sure you can hold on?"

Huo Shuyan persisted.

"Don't worry, Uncle Shi."

Black is black, and white is white.

The Taishan Sect was not destroyed by our Kongtong Sect; the truth will eventually be revealed.

They can't wrong us.

"Senior brother!"

When the topic came up, He Yisheng seemed to remember something, his brows furrowed even more, and his tone became somewhat irritable and puzzled.

"To be honest, our Kongtong Sect certainly didn't do such a thing!"

However, rumors circulate in the martial arts world that the Quanzhen and Hengshan sects privately asked you where you were on the night the Taishan sect was wiped out. Why do you always hesitate and refuse to tell me the truth?

If we can find witnesses to support the story of his whereabouts that night, wouldn't the suspicion be immediately cleared up?

Why did things have to come to this point, causing Master and the entire sect to run around in vain, and forcing us to risk our lives to rescue you?

That's just his personality; he can't keep things to himself, and he finally voiced the doubts and grievances that had been building up in his heart for so long.

A complex emotion flashed across Huo Shuyan's face. He gave a self-deprecating smile and said in a low voice.

"Where I went that night—Master knows."

My master also knows why I refuse to tell him.

I believe that Master—did not mention this matter to you, nor did he blame me, is that right?

Both Elders Songxi and Shi Daoren were taken aback upon hearing this.

The entire sect suffered an injustice, and the members of Kongtong Sect were indignant and discussed it extensively. They even harbored some resentment towards their senior brother Huo Shuyan, who for some reason couldn't even explain a very simple matter clearly.

However, Chunyangzi, the strict leader of the sect, only ordered them to come and rescue the person as soon as possible, without mentioning a word about where Huo Shuyan went that night or why he would rather suffer injustice than tell the truth.

They only thought of rescuing Shuyan first.

He had other ways to resolve the whole matter; the Dongpai faction was upright and had nothing to fear.

When Huo Shuyan brought it up again, doubts arose in their minds.

Speaking of which, where was Huo Shuyan that night, and what did he do?

What secret is it that even the elders cannot reveal?

Seeing their surprised and doubtful expressions, Huo Shuyan continued, panting.

"Therefore—you don't need to ask about this anymore."

I believe my master will not abandon me.

He must have made arrangements and prepared two plans to ensure my escape tomorrow.

I absolutely cannot leave now.

Once you leave, all your previous efforts will be wasted, and there's no way to explain it further.

Go back and tell Master that I am willing to wait for the public trial to clear my name in a fair and just manner!

We must make all factions admit their mistakes to my Kongtong Sect!

If the Quanzhen Sect stumbles in this matter, it will lose all its prestige before all other Taoist sects and forever be inferior to our sect!

"Hasn't Master been looking forward to this day all along?"

His words, though spoken intermittently, clearly explained the advantages and disadvantages involved.

"Shuyan, why are you doing this to yourself?"

Elder Songxi and the others looked at each other in silence.

They certainly wanted to save him, but if Huo Shuyan insisted on not leaving, they couldn't forcibly take him away, and it involved the future of their sect. They didn't know what to do and couldn't make a decision.

In the end, after a few whispered discussions, they had no choice but to give up.

Elder Songxi said to Huo Shuyan in a deep voice, "Shuyan, you—be careful."

The day after tomorrow — sigh!

With a heavy sigh, he, along with Shi Daoren, He Yisheng, and the others, quietly left the room, disappearing into the darkness as they had come, and stealthily departed.

Li Fu, perched on a distant pine branch, overheard the entire conversation and was quite surprised.

"According to Huo Shuyan, the leader of the Kongtong Sect, Chunyangzi, actually knew all along that his prized disciple and future leader candidate had violated the rules by visiting prostitutes."

Instead of reprimanding him and making it public to uphold the rules, they tacitly approved of it and might even have helped him cover it up?

Is this out of love for his disciple, willing to cover up the scandal to protect his reputation and future, or is it to maintain the reputation of the Dongpao sect, a thousand-year-old Taoist lineage, and to suppress the scandal?

"However, in order to cover up a disciple's overnight stay in a brothel, are you really willing to let the entire Kongtong Sect get caught in this vortex?"

Chunyangzi was fully prepared and could easily clear his name. He could also use this incident to make the Quanzhen Sect suffer a great defeat in front of their Kongtong Sect, so he just sat and watched things develop.

Or perhaps—could it be that the whole thing was Chunyangzi's scheme, that everything was intentional, and that the master and disciple were putting on an act just to make the Quanzhen Sect lose face at the public trial?

The whole thing feels rather confusing and perplexing.

"Master, oh Master—"

Under the flickering lights, Huo Shuyan was suspended in mid-air, watching several figures disappear into the distance. He let out a complex sigh, lowered his head, and remained motionless.

The night wind blew through the pine forest, making a mournful sound.

Li Fu withdrew his gaze and saw that the Dong Sect members had given up on rescuing people and quietly retreated. With a slight thought, he also followed them silently.

He wanted to see if these people would have another gathering to discuss things after they came down the mountain, which might reveal more about the true intentions and situation of the Kongtong Sect in this matter.

Li Fu trailed far behind, while Elder Songxi, Daoist Shi, He Yisheng, and the others in front remained completely unaware.

The group quickly descended the mountain along the mountain path, and soon they were far away from the Quanzhen Sect's mountain gate, arriving at a relatively flat clearing in the woods at the foot of the mountain.

Just then, the stone Taoist at the front suddenly stopped, his expression changed, and he shouted in a deep voice to those around him, "Who goes there?!"

His shout caused Elder Songxi, He Yisheng, and the others to tense up, gripping their weapons and becoming alert, as if they had all noticed something.

"come out!"

Li Fu stood calmly behind a large tree some distance behind the group, not flustered at all, just watching quietly as Zi Guang looked past them into the deep forest.

Shi Daoren and the others looked around warily, wondering if they had misheard.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the dense forest they were supposed to pass through. Then, dozens of dark figures emerged silently like a pack of wolves, quickly spreading out to block their path in a semi-circle!

These people were disguised, mostly wearing coarse cloth clothes common among Han people, but by the moonlight, it could still be seen that they were generally tall and strong, with deep facial features, rough skin, and many of them had dark red cheekbones unique to people from the plateau. Their eyes were fierce and sharp, and they were definitely not good people.

What's even more alarming is that although these people are not wearing armor, their movements are steady and their aura is deep, subtly revealing the fierce temperament of grassland warriors, and each of them seems to possess considerable martial arts skills.

At a glance, there were as many as sixty or seventy people!

"Who are you people?"

I initially thought he was a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, but upon closer inspection, he wasn't at all.

Elder Songxi's heart skipped a beat. He shouted angrily, his gaze sweeping over the men who clearly came from illegitimate backgrounds, and his expression changed drastically.

"Judging from your appearance—could you be Mongol Tartars?!"

His foreign appearance and demeanor were so easily recognizable.

Shi Daoren, He Yisheng, and the others were also shocked and puzzled.

"How could so many suspicious-looking people, resembling Mongol warriors, suddenly appear at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain in the Central Plains?"

They sneaked down the mountain in the dead of night, but instead of encountering the Quanzhen Sect disciples, they ran into the Mongol Tartars.

"People from the Kongtong Sect, right?"

A cold, harsh voice, with a distinct foreign accent, came from deep within the woods.

As the voice spoke, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the forest.

This man was about forty years old, thin, with a angular face as if carved by a knife and axe, and his eyes were half-open and half-closed, indifferent like two cold stars.

He carried a slightly crooked longsword, its blade gracefully curved and gleaming with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight.

Standing there, he was like a drawn blade, exuding the fierce killing intent of a peerless swordsman, locking onto Elder Songxi and the others.

The man seemed to be a man of few words, not intending to waste any more. His gaze swept over the group, as if confirming their identities, before he coldly uttered a few words: "Send them on their way."

The dozens of disguised Mongolian warriors in front of him roared in unison, exuding a battle aura, and quickly split into several groups of seven or eight men each. They moved in a staggered manner, advancing and retreating with a clear strategy. Their weapons included knives, swords, short spears, and maces. They attacked Elder Songxi and the others from different directions!

The offensive unfolded, the pressure like dark clouds looming over the city, the invasion like wildfire spreading across the plains.

The members of the Kongtong Sect were all experienced martial artists. Seeing this, they dared not be negligent and immediately formed a formation back to back, brandishing their weapons to meet the enemy.

The moment they exchanged blows, Elder Songxi and the others were terrified.

These Mongol warriors may not be as skilled or powerful in individual combat as they are, but their teamwork is impeccable. Their combined attack formations are both offensive and defensive, concise and ruthless, targeting vital points. Moreover, each of them is strong, heavy, and fearless.

For a time, several Dong Sect masters were trapped in the formation and unable to break through!

"This is—the Black Cloud Wildfire Formation?!"

Elder Songxi cried out in alarm during the fierce battle.

"Are you the Kheshig?"

"Impossible! How could the Kheshig (imperial guard) under the Mongol Khan be here!"