Chapter 294: Guidance in the Tent

Killing?

Killing is the most normal thing!

When rules aren't enough, naturally, violence must fill the gap.

Walking the Jianghu, one can never avoid life-and-death enemies.

But why do you need me to help you kill?

Li Yan feigned difficulty and said, "With your skills, Senior, I'm afraid you don't need a junior like me to do the dirty work."

This Zhang Xiaoshan was no pushover.

Without clarifying the reason, Li Yan would not casually shoulder such karma.

"Hmph! Stop playing tricks!"

Zhang Xiaoshan let out a cold snort, shook his head, and said, "There is naturally a reason why I want you to do it. Rest assured, once that bastard is killed, there will definitely be benefits for you."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Senior might as well speak plainly."

Zhang Xiaoshan glanced outside the tent and whispered, "To tell you the truth, this tournament has already turned sour."

"Originally, the various factions competed for two reasons: first, to build fame for their disciples; second, to secure a position as an instructor in the Prince's Mansion and build a good relationship with the future Prince of Wuchang."

"But with those fifty spots, the problem has become huge."

"The people from the Yan Gate were the first to disregard the rules. Knowing their chances of winning weren't high, they hired outside help. I heard it's a formidable Baji expert from Cangzhou who also knows martial arts techniques..."

"Following that, the Pai Sect, the Five Elements, and others all followed suit. The Xi Cai Gate also moved their senior experts. In short, it's a complete mess."

"It wouldn't matter if they just played these tricks; we would just do what we do. But someone happened to hire my enemy."

Li Yan was surprised. "In the Ezhou Jianghu, is there still someone who dares to cross you, Senior?"

Zhang Xiaoshan glared with his dead-fish eyes, his expression gloomy. "There are plenty who are stronger than me, but this person is different. He is a piece of trash from Western Hunan who eats 'Ge Nian'."

"His name is Yang Yun, nicknamed Flower Snake, a member of the Snake Sect in Xiangzhou. He is insidious and despicable, making a living by taking secret contracts to kill. If he encounters a woman while killing, he will definitely rape and torture her."

"One of my disciples was harmed by him."

When the old man said this, he could no longer hide the murderous intent in his eyes, gritting his teeth as he said, "Both the imperial court and my Zhenwu Palace have issued bounties."

"But this person knows he has many enemies, so he is very cautious in his daily life, hiding and lurking in various places in disguise. I don't know how he was persuaded by the Pai Sect's money this time to come and fight in the tournament."

Hearing that he had to kill such a person, Li Yan asked suspiciously, "What is it? Do you still have reservations about taking action against such scum, Senior?"

"I was tricked!"

Zhang Xiaoshan gritted his teeth. "Because this tournament is special, an old guy proposed two days ago that no matter who comes, all Jianghu grudges must be temporarily shelved."

"I didn't pay attention at the time, but I didn't expect it to be a trap. Even if I broke my word and took action, that old thing Dong Su would definitely stop me."

"So that's how it is." Li Yan immediately understood.

Dong Su was the other Dan Jin expert at the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce hall. He was short and sturdy, a bald man in a black robe who practiced the Monk Sect's fist techniques and held a high seniority in the Ge Lao Society.

Li Yan had specifically inquired about him afterward.

When this old man was young, he also had a bad temper and didn't get along with Zhang Xiaoshan. They had spent half their lives undermining each other. While they wouldn't directly fight, both wished the other were dead.

Whenever they caught an opportunity, they would always try to sabotage the other.

As for the other white-haired old man leaning on a cane, he was a senior from the Ru Sect. Not only did he teach and educate, but he was also a veteran of the Ezhou Yu Men Fist, highly virtuous and respected.

Dong Su clearly just wanted to see Zhang Xiaoshan embarrassed.

If he took action, he would be breaking his word and would also be obstructed. By then, the person would have run away, and Zhang Xiaoshan would be so angry he'd be half-dead.

Thinking of this, Li Yan asked, "Since the Pai Sect hired that Flower Snake Yang Yun, they probably aren't good people, right?"

Zhang Xiaoshan didn't hide it, directly saying, "That lecher practices the Seven-Step Snake Fist, reaching the peak of Dark Jin. Combined with the Snake Sect's poisonous Gu techniques, he is fierce and difficult to deal with."

"You had a verbal altercation with the Pai Sect's leader Shi Chen earlier. That man is narrow-minded and will definitely take the opportunity to strike at you ruthlessly."

"Others might not know, but I know that you, kid, can definitely slaughter that lecherous snake."

Li Yan replied with difficulty, "After all, he is a member of the Snake Sect..."

Zhang Xiaoshan waved his hand impatiently. "You kid aren't even afraid of the Ghost Sect, so why fear his Snake Sect? Tell me, what conditions do you want?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Easy. I am currently honing my fist techniques and would like to ask you, Senior, for some guidance."

Zhang Xiaoshan was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Hahaha... even my grand-disciples don't want to spar with me. This is something you asked for yourself. Come find me at the martial arts hall after the tournament."

"No need, right now!"

As Li Yan spoke, he took off his Duan Chen Blade, Thunder Fire Pills, and hidden sleeve blades, handing them to Wang Daoxuan beside him.

Zhang Xiaoshan frowned. "You're about to enter the ring, and you have to fight for five days. Can you handle being distracted at a time like this?"

Li Yan's expression was calm as he slowly set his stance, saying in a deep voice, "Entering the ring this time is meant for finding people to spar with. Why should I be afraid!"

"Good!"

Zhang Xiaoshan laughed heartily and tossed his long pipe to a disciple nearby. "Go, block the tent and guard the door."

"Yes, Master!"

Several disciples immediately stepped forward, took out straw mats to block the outside of the tent, and assigned several people to keep watch.

Although the Zhenwu Palace didn't have much incense burning in Wuchang and there were few Mystic Sect cultivators, the strength of their lay disciples in the Jianghu was not weak.

Several martial arts schools and escort agencies had plenty of men and money. Combined, they occupied several tents, and the space was quite spacious.

The tables and chairs inside the tent were removed, and it immediately became empty.

There were also many Wudang lay disciples who came to watch the fun, all crowding outside the tent with mischievous smiles, seemingly waiting to see Li Yan make a fool of himself.

They knew best what kind of person Grandmaster Zhang was.

As for Wang Daoxuan, he smiled slightly and stepped back, holding the weapons.

He knew very well that Li Yan's journey hadn't been easy. Many things were learned through life-and-death struggles, and he rarely encountered seniors capable of guiding him.

Madam Fan in Chang'an was old, and her cultivation wasn't high; she could only provide guidance on the theory of fist techniques.

But this Zhang Xiaoshan before them was different.

This opportunity was truly rare.

Inside the tent, Zhang Xiaoshan also opened his pair of dead-fish eyes, lightly stroking his beard, his eyes full of mockery. "Come, come, come, show me those fist techniques of yours. Let's see if you can touch me first."

"Good!"

Li Yan didn't get angry and flashed out directly.

It was rare to encounter such an expert to spar with, so how could he hold back? Dark Jin erupted under his feet as he used the 'Shrinking Ground to an Inch' footwork.

The Wudang lay disciples watching felt a blur before their eyes, and Li Yan had already arrived in front of Zhang Xiaoshan.

The distance was just right, exactly one arm's length.

Li Yan had grown taller since last year, and his arm span was longer than Zhang Xiaoshan's, just right for long-range strikes.

He shook his shoulders, and his arms moved like well-wheels, whistling through the air as they struck consecutively at Zhang Xiaoshan's forehead.

"Pi Gua?"

The old man swayed his body to the side, dodging easily, while saying, "Pi Gua is meant to break through defenses. No matter how strong your palm power is, what's the use if you can't hit anyone?"

He mocked him while his feet didn't stop, changing left and right in a way extremely similar to the Gang Step, while his body drifted like a willow leaf in the wind.

With the wind whistling, Li Yan had already struck seven or eight palms.

However, the old man before him seemed like a leaf blown by the palm wind, always a step faster, and he couldn't be hit at all.

Li Yan wasn't surprised to see this.

Zhang Xiaoshan practiced the "Eight Trigrams Willow Leaf Cotton Silk Palm."

This was a profound Wudang martial art, skilled at winning with footwork, the so-called "Every move doesn't leave the foot's changes; standing still is like a flower landing on the ground."

This footwork looked like the Gang Step, but it actually originated from the Eight Trigrams Palm. Between advancing and retreating, there were only half-steps, yet there were many changes.

Of course, Li Yan also had a way to deal with it.

Red Fist itself was skilled in body movement, and combined with his practice of the "Northern Emperor Divine Movement Technique," incorporating the method of taking advantage of danger, its changes were not inferior, and its potential was even greater.

The reason he was attacking head-on was to see the opponent's footwork.

This opportunity to feel it face-to-face was truly rare; after all, in life-and-death struggles, enemies wouldn't leave space.

After feeling it for a while, Li Yan also changed his footwork.

Zhang Xiaoshan's body movement was "only half a step in and out." Li Yan, however, had Dark Jin erupting continuously under his feet, also borrowing the momentum of the Eight Trigrams—Qian Three Continuous, Kun Six Broken—just enough to block the opponent's position. He shook his arm and struck directly at the opponent's chest.

The "Gua" in Pi Gua Fist was originally "Gua" (Trigram), using the Eight Trigrams as the application and the Five Elements as the fist and palm to defeat the enemy.

This time, Zhang Xiaoshan had nowhere to hide.

He stood still abruptly and slapped out a palm.

The characteristic of the "Eight Trigrams Willow Leaf Cotton Silk Palm" was that it bloomed upon landing; once standing still, it struck people.

This palm looked soft, but Li Yan felt a mountain-like force surging over, continuous and endless, forcing him to retreat two steps before standing firm.

"Eh, the kid really has some skills!"

Zhang Xiaoshan stared with his dead-fish eyes and nodded with satisfaction.

Li Yan looked him up and down, narrowing his eyes. "Senior, such great force. Could this be 'Zheng Jin' (Integrated Force)?"

"You guessed right."

!.

Zhang Xiaoshan slowly raised his hand while shifting his feet. "The so-called 'Integrated Force' is rooted in the feet, issued from the legs, directed by the waist, and manifested in the fingers."

"This force is not turbid or clumsy force; it is the combination of hardness and softness, integrated into one body, invincible!"

After speaking, his palm pressed forward abruptly.

It looked like he was pressing into empty air, but a gust of wind struck, causing the tent to rattle.

The Wudang disciples watching all widened their eyes, full of excitement.

Zhang Xiaoshan introducing the "Eight Trigrams Willow Leaf Cotton Silk Palm" was also taking the opportunity to guide the disciples of his sect.

Li Yan turned his head to look at the tent, his expression becoming solemn. "Is this the Palm of Empty Air?"

Zhang Xiaoshan was not a Mystic Sect cultivator; he didn't expect that he could achieve this through pure martial arts.

"Fart on the Palm of Empty Air!"

Zhang Xiaoshan cursed, "That is palm power that can only be practiced with Gang Jin. You kid haven't learned to walk yet, and you want to run? Again!"

Li Yan didn't talk nonsense and immediately lunged forward, Pi Gua extending long to strike from afar, combined with Red Fist's close-quarters harassment and the Thirty-Six Row Hands, sparring with Zhang Xiaoshan.

His right palm's chopping method belonged to Metal. After Zhang Xiaoshan dodged, he followed up with a Red Fist "Painting on the Wall."

The two fist techniques had almost merged into one.

However, in that short moment of connection, Zhang Xiaoshan had already crossed a step, his body fluttering like a willow leaf, and slapped out casually.

Crackle, crackle, a series of explosions sounded on his body.

Li Yan was hit in the chest and flew out spinning. He did a swallow flip in mid-air to land, touched his slightly painful chest, and bared his teeth. "Nine-Section Force?"

The Eight Trigrams Palm divides the human body into three parts and nine sections.

The head is the tip section, the waist is the middle section, the lower abdomen is the root section;

The hand is the tip section, the elbow is the middle section, the shoulder is the root section;

The foot is the tip section, the knee is the middle section, the hip is the root section.

Ordinary martial artists are considered to have entered the door if they can link three sections.

And Zhang Xiaoshan's move just now, linking nine sections, was the "Nine-Section Force," combined with "Integrated Force," which was simply fierce to the extreme.

And this move also completely shattered Li Yan's pride.

These old martial arts seniors had spent their whole lives immersed in fist techniques and could condense force into a Dan; their control over their bodies far exceeded his understanding.

Moreover, the moves are also peak-level marvelous.

If it were just martial arts, he would have been killed several times already.

And Zhang Xiaoshan opposite him frowned and shook his head. "Pi Gua combined with Red Fist is feasible, but your form is scattered and your spirit is chaotic; you're practicing it in a complete mess!"

Li Yan bowed respectfully. "I ask for your guidance, Senior."

Zhang Xiaoshan's expression also became serious, and he stood with his hands behind his back, stroking his beard. "Martial arts under heaven each have their own merits, but they all lead to the same destination."

"In ancient times, humans fought with fierce beasts and gave birth to martial arts. The only purpose was slaughter, summarized from life and death."

"Nowadays, there are millions of martial arts, which are both paths and shackles. If you want to merge two fist techniques into one, you must first forget the fist, break before you can establish, and break free from the constraints of predecessors' theories!"

Li Yan frowned. "How to do it?"

"Spirit!"

Zhang Xiaoshan said in a deep voice, "Remember, the fist can connect to the spirit. When the spirit gathers, the form is not chaotic. Integrated force is unified and returns to the Dantian."

"How can a scattered mess become a peerless divine weapon?"

"Again!"

After speaking, the two fought into a ball again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Li Yan was sent flying again and again.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaoshan's control over force was profound; he only shook him away without damaging his internal organs.

Even so, Li Yan was beaten until his whole body ached.

The Wudang lay disciples watching bared their teeth.

This Grandmaster of theirs was like an adult bullying a child. He loved playing like this before, and now it was simply getting worse.

And Li Yan was also beaten until he was a bit dizzy.

Everyone has a temper, not to mention being teased like this. His stubborn temper flared up, and he fell and climbed back up again and again, fighting into a ball with Zhang Xiaoshan.

And the expressions of the Wudang disciples around him also changed from sneering to unbearable, until they became serious, and even somewhat shocked.

This Li Yan was simply like he couldn't be beaten to death.

More importantly, as he attacked continuously in anger, the flaws between the two fist techniques became fewer and fewer.

Of course, Zhang Xiaoshan was also deliberately holding back, only attacking when he noticed flaws between the moves.

And the number of times Li Yan was sent flying was also getting fewer and fewer.

Finally, after sending Li Yan flying again, Zhang Xiaoshan suddenly shouted, "Do you remember this feeling?"

Li Yan was stunned, standing in place and pondering for a long time before nodding solemnly. "I remember, thank you, Senior."

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded. "Not bad, not too stupid."

Sure enough, guidance from an expert is vastly different.

Although Li Yan was in pain all over, his heart was excited. That feeling of disharmony from before had disappeared.

It was as if a membrane had been pierced. Although the fist techniques hadn't completely merged, he had cleared the fog and knew how to proceed.

Thinking of this, Li Yan hurriedly bowed and said, "Junior has learned Thunder Method and wishes to evolve this fist technique into Martial Method. I ask for your guidance, Senior."

"Oh?"

Zhang Xiaoshan also became interested. "Show me."

Li Yan nodded, formed a seal, and gripped his fist. Suddenly, lightning crackled on his fist, and he set a stance, preparing to attack.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Zhang Xiaoshan waved his hand hurriedly and cursed, "That old drunkard Yulongzi taught you the Heavenly Thunder Subduing Demon Hammer?"

Li Yan nodded. "Just learned it."

Zhang Xiaoshan spat. "I haven't cultivated Gang Jin, so how could I handle that hammer of yours? Save your strength for the tournament. When you meet that Flower Snake, hammer him as much as you want!"

Seeing Li Yan still wanting to speak, Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head impatiently. "Martial Method and Fist Method share the same principle. Fist Method requires Integrated Force, and Martial Method also requires connecting to the spirit."

"Achieving this is nothing more than whether the moves are proficient or not. Let's stop here for today; my hands are hurting from hitting you..."

Toot—!

Suddenly, a horn sounded outside.

Zhang Xiaoshan looked up outside the tent. "The Prince of Wuchang is here; the tournament is about to begin."

As he spoke, his expression grew solemn. "Kid, this time it's a 'Sacrificial Felling.' Once you're on the ring, don't you dare hold back!"

Second update at 12 o'clock.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 295 =====