Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

The situation in the Iron Palm Gang finally stabilized completely in the fifth month after Lin Qi took over as gang leader.

Han Duanyue was dead, Qiu Qianzhang was expelled, the Ebei Sect became docile, and the Iron Palm Hall was replaced by Lin Qi's men. Zhou Mingyuan stopped testing the waters, Qian Sihai stopped observing, and Mei Ruolan quietly managed her internal affairs. Of the five altars, except for Zhao Tieshan's Jinghu Altar, the leaders of the other four altars also came up the mountain one after another to pledge their loyalty. Rumors in the martial arts world continued, but there was no longer any doubt that the Iron Palm Gang would collapse after changing its leader.

Lin Qi felt it was about time. He said to Mu Nianci, "I'm planning to go down the mountain for a walk." Mu Nianci was watering the flowers. Hearing this, she stopped watering and turned to look at him. The gardenias had already faded, but the jasmine was in full bloom.

"I'll go with you," she said.

Lynch did not refuse.

The next morning, the two rode down the mountain. Mu Nianci changed into a light blue dress, her hair tied up with a silver hairpin, and the iron spear on her back was wrapped in cloth. Lin Qi wore a gray short robe, a short knife at his waist, and the Iron Palm Token hidden close to his body. Without any attendants, the two horses headed north along the official road.

After three days of travel, they entered the territory of Guang Prefecture. This was the border between the Song and Jin dynasties, and the Jin people frequently appeared, making life difficult for the Han people. Most of the farmland along the official road was abandoned, with weeds growing taller than the crops. Occasionally, they would encounter a few people, all of whom were emaciated and looked panicked, hiding from anyone on horseback.

Around midday, they passed through a town. At the town entrance stood a wooden pole, from which hung several human heads, dried and blackened by the wind, their faces unrecognizable. Beneath the pole sat a Jin soldier, holding a wine bowl, humming a drunken tune. Mu Nianci glanced at the heads, her face paling, and turned away. Lin Qi's gaze swept over the heads, expressionless.

The town was desolate. Few pedestrians were on the streets, most shops were closed, only one tavern remained open, where several Jin soldiers stood, punching and kicking a man. The victim was a middle-aged man, ragged and covered in blood, curled up on the ground, unable to even cry out. Beside him knelt a young woman, holding a two- or three-year-old child, weeping uncontrollably. A man who appeared to be a Jin soldier leader stood to the side, a curved sword at his waist, and a string of copper coins in his hand, which he tossed and turned in his palm.

"Damn it, I'm doing you a favor by giving you money!" the Jin soldier leader cursed in broken Chinese. "If I sleep with your wife for one night, your family will be exempt from taxes for a year. You're still not happy?"

The middle-aged man was beaten so badly he couldn't speak, only mumbling pleas for mercy. The Jin soldier leader stomped on his face, grinding it, and laughed loudly.

Lin Qi reined in his horse but didn't dismount. He glanced at Mu Nianci, whose hand was already gripping the gun barrel, her knuckles white. Her eyes were red, but she didn't speak or urge him. She was waiting for his decision.

Lin Qi dismounted and walked towards the Jin soldiers. Mu Nianci did not follow, but she tied the reins, gripped the gun barrel, and stood still, ready to strike at any moment.

"Stop!" Lin Qi's voice wasn't loud, but the Jin soldiers all stopped and turned to look at him.

The Jin soldier leader sized him up, saw that he was a young Han Chinese man, dressed plainly, and didn't seem like someone of importance, and sneered, "Who the hell are you?"

"Who I am is unimportant." Lin Qi walked up to him, no more than three steps away. "Take your men and get out of this town. From now on, don't ever come back."

The Jin soldier leader paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Several Jin soldiers behind him joined in. After laughing enough, he drew his scimitar, pointed the tip at Lin Qi, and said, slowly and deliberately, in broken Chinese, "You're courting death."

Lynch didn't wait for him to say another word.

He struck out with his right palm, using the sixth move of the Iron Palm Technique, "Throat Lock and Meridian Seal," the edge of his palm like a knife, cutting into the throat of the Jin soldier leader. The sound of the throat bone shattering was crisp, like stepping on a dry twig. The Jin soldier leader's eyes widened suddenly, the curved sword slipped from his hand, he covered his throat with both hands, making "hoarse" sounds, and knelt on the ground, convulsing a few times before becoming still.

The Jin soldiers were stunned.

Lin Qi didn't stop. He followed up with his left palm, unleashing a "Soul-Chasing, Life-Taking" strike, his palm force condensed into a single line, striking the temple of the nearest Jin soldier. The man didn't even utter a sound before collapsing to the ground. Only then did the remaining three Jin soldiers react, drawing their swords and swarming forward.

Mu Nianci charged out from behind Lin Qi, her iron spear unsheathed. With a flick of her wrist, she pierced the shoulder of the man at the front. The man screamed and fell to the ground. Lin Qi struck them one by one with his Iron Palm technique; no one could withstand a single blow from its sharp force. In just a few breaths, all six Jin soldiers lay dead on the ground, none alive.

The streets were eerily quiet. The middle-aged man who had been beaten lay on the ground, trembling. He glanced up, then looked down again. The young woman covered her child's eyes, but she couldn't help crying. Several civilians hiding in the tavern peeked out and, seeing the corpses of Jin soldiers strewn across the ground, their expressions a mixture of fear and glee.

Lin Qi withdrew his hand and wiped the bloodstains on his clothes. His breathing was steady, and his heartbeat did not quicken at all. These Jin soldiers were not martial arts masters; killing them was no different than killing chickens. But he was not a bloodthirsty person. The reason he was so ruthless today was because of the head on the wooden pole, because of the middle-aged man trampled underfoot, and because he had had enough of the Jin people's tyranny on Song Dynasty soil.

He said to Mu Nianci, "Let's go."

Mu Nianci sheathed her gun, returned to her horse, and mounted. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes were firm and unwavering.

The two rode out of the town. Behind them, several villagers rushed out of the tavern and knelt down to kowtow to their retreating figures. Lin Qi didn't turn around. Mu Nianci glanced back, her eyes reddening again, but she held back her tears.

"Brother Lin, will the Jurchens retaliate against the townspeople?" Mu Nianci asked.

Lin Qi thought for a moment and said, "Yes. But they won't know who did it, and they won't be able to pinpoint our involvement. This town is close to the front lines; if a few Jin soldiers die, the higher-ups won't care too much."

Mu Nianci did not ask any further questions.

After walking for about an hour, it grew dark. The two found an abandoned, dilapidated temple at the foot of a hill and decided to spend the night there. Mu Nianci tied the horse to a tree outside the temple and went inside to tidy up. The temple was small, with only one main hall. The statue of the deity was half-fallen, and dry grass was spread on the ground. Lin Qi gathered some dry firewood outside and started a fire in the hall.

The firelight illuminated the walls of the dilapidated temple. Mu Nianci sat by the fire, hugging her knees, watching the flickering flames.

"Brother Lin, have you ever killed anyone before?" she suddenly asked.

Lynch nodded.

"Who did you kill?"

"Those who deserve to die." Lin Qi didn't explain further. He didn't want to tell Mu Nianci about the events in Zhongdu, didn't want her to know his fear when facing Mei Chaofeng in the Zhao Prince's mansion's underground cave, nor did he want her to know his resolute determination when he shattered the stone slab with a single palm strike at the Ebei Sect. Some things, she didn't need to know.

Mu Nianci was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Those people today deserved to die too."

Lin Qi didn't speak. He added a piece of firewood to the fire, making the flames a little brighter, which reflected on Mu Nianci's face, making her eyes sparkle.

"Are you scared?" Lin Qi asked.

"I'm not afraid," Mu Nianci said. She paused, then added, "With you, I'm not afraid of anything."

Lin Qi looked at her, then suddenly reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The movement was so light, as gentle as a breeze. Mu Nianci's ears turned red instantly. She didn't flinch or say anything, but simply lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Lin Qi withdrew his hand, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes. The fire crackled, and Mu Nianci's breathing was very soft, like the chirping of insects. He didn't know what she was thinking, but he knew she was by his side, and that was enough.

A night breeze rustled the pine trees outside the temple. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, its clear light spilling onto the ruins of the dilapidated temple. Tomorrow, they had to continue their journey. The path to mastering the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual was still long. From this day forward, Mu Nianci's path was inextricably linked to his.