Chapter 295: Fighting in the Ring!

"'Felling Sacrifice'?"

Li Yan frowned. "What is this?"

"A type of sacrificial specification."

Wang Daoxuan beside him took over the conversation, handed him his weapon, and explained, "From ancient times to the present, sacrifices have had specifications. 'Tai Lao' and 'Shao Lao' are the grandest. Besides these, there are 'San Ji', 'Di Ji', 'Tong Ji', etc., each for different scenarios."

"'Felling Sacrifice' originally used human sacrifices to simulate war and beheading, but human sacrifice has long been abolished, so it is replaced by 'War Dance', 'Jiao Di' (wrestling), etc."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Zhang Xiaoshan. "Senior Zhang, is this tournament also to break the Bai Hu Sha?"

Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head. "I don't understand these Feng Shui matters, but I heard that the tournament just happened to coincide and was added into it."

"The Prince of Wuchang has specifically ordered that once you enter the ring this time, you are responsible for your own life and death, and the imperial court will not pursue it. This is also one of the reasons why several families hired outside experts."

"In short, be careful after you get on stage. Factions that are more particular will stop at a point, but those greenwood experts hired will definitely not hold back once their murderous intent arises."

Li Yan immediately understood. "Can techniques also be used?"

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded. "Yes, as long as both sides agree, there are no restrictions on any means."

"Hmph, once new-style firearms appeared, the Jianghu rules became chaotic..."

They walked while talking and soon walked out of the tent.

They saw that the area around the ring and outside the mountain gate leading to Qingchuan Pavilion had been surrounded by soldiers, all in armor, with a fierce momentum.

What made Li Yan look sideways even more was that these soldiers were all carrying firearms.

Of course, they were not new-style firearms, but flintlock long guns.

But even so, it made everyone feel alarmed.

They fought to the death for a spot to carry a gun, but the imperial court was not restricted, and fire-gun teams were appearing more and more in various places.

That Prince of Wuchang did not come to the front of the ring, but ascended the Qingchuan Pavilion, looking out from the railing on the second floor, with the Heir beside him.

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

Compared to the Prince of Chang'an, this Prince of Wuchang was tall and sturdy, with a dignified appearance, and the Heir beside him was also broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Coupled with the setting off of the royal robe, he appeared extraordinary.

As soon as he appeared, everyone looked up one after another. Some were calm, while others crossed their arms, their eyes full of arrogance.

Li Yan found it interesting; this scene was simply a true reflection of the Jianghu and the imperial court.

The imperial court looked down from a high position, needing to use these Jianghu people.

And the Jianghu people superficially despised the princes and nobles, but also fought to the death here because they wanted to compete for the benefits scattered by the imperial court.

This Prince of Wuchang didn't say any nonsense.

He knew that even if he were more generous and impassioned, these Jianghu people wouldn't listen, and would instead feel annoyed.

Therefore, the Prince of Wuchang didn't speak, but after sitting down on the chair, he nodded slightly to the side.

And standing beside him was Vice President Zhao of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce.

He nodded respectfully, then turned around, cupped his fists, and said loudly, "Fellow Jianghu comrades, in this grand competition, there are fifty spots and fifty matches, ten matches a day. The winner can get a spot."

"To show fairness, the Chamber of Commerce people will distribute bamboo tallies with numbers, then shuffle and distribute them. Those whose names are called can enter the ring."

In the distance, Pai Sect leader Shi Chen crossed his arms, let out a cold laugh, and asked loudly, "What if the fighter in the ring dies?"

Vice President Zhao's expression didn't change, and he smiled. "Everyone should still value harmony and stop at a point, but if an accident occurs, the affiliated faction must send someone else to the field."

"If no one goes to the field, the opponent gets the spot."

"Good!"

Pai Sect leader Shi Chen shouted 'good', his eyes full of confidence.

Not far opposite him stood a graceful woman who glanced at him, shook her fan, and giggled, "Shi Pai Tou Shi, look at how much effort you're putting in. Do you want to take all the spots?"

This woman was Qu Qiuyan, leader of the Wuchang Yan Gate.

Don't look at her as just someone from a brothel; she had 'Yao Hei' (demon black) and thugs under her command, and she was involved in both the white and black paths, not to be underestimated.

This sentence seemed like flattery but actually hid a trap. If Shi Chen spoke without restraint, he would probably immediately become the target of public criticism.

Shi Chen wasn't a fool either, and smiled faintly. "I don't have that much ability; winning a few matches is enough."

While they were talking, the Chamber of Commerce people had already wandered around the ring, distributing the bamboo tallies one by one.

At the same time, a group of people came from afar.

The leader was Yu Lanshan, the double-pupil Feng Shui master of the Jiang Xiang Sect, followed by several Duan Gong (ritual priests) and a dozen Prince's Mansion guards.

He didn't pay attention to the crowd, but came to the front of the ring, formed a magic seal, his double pupils shooting out essence, looking left and right.

And those Prince's Mansion guards quickly set up an altar, placing ox, sheep, and pig heads, each step carried out under Yu Lanshan's guidance.

The Duan Gong lit incense and danced.

As sacrificial texts were chanted one after another, a wild wind suddenly rose around them, and the flags on the ring danced fiercely, only returning to normal after the sacrifice ended.

Li Yan formed the Yang seal and took a deep breath, then looked thoughtful, looking at the five-colored command flags at the foot of the mountain.

He could feel that the aura of the entire Guishan had merged into one, flowing slowly, gathering toward the areas of Qingchuan Pavilion and Yuwang Palace.

The ring before them was also one of the nodes.

And the entire Guishan seemed to have come alive.

It was like a Black Tortoise divine turtle, lying by the river, raising its neck, looking at the Snake Mountain opposite.

"This is the Point Mountain Transformation Method..."

Wang Daoxuan whispered, "Some brilliant Feng Shui earth masters can make the situation of mountain and river veins manifest. This Yu Lanshan really has some skills. If there are no accidents, the Dharma ritual at Qingchuan Pavilion and this ring are meant to gather spirit."

"Once the two gods of Turtle and Snake appear, they can join forces to suppress the Bai Hu."

Li Yan nodded and didn't speak again.

To tell the truth, even with Master Lin's recommendation, he had always been suspicious of this Yu Lanshan. Who knew if the other party was an accomplice of the demon people.

But those who were proficient in Feng Shui all thought this move was feasible, and Baotong Zen Temple had no objections, so he didn't need to say anything more.

Thinking about it, Baotong Zen Temple must also have countermeasures.

After the sacrifice ended, Yu Lanshan took people and left hurriedly, looking like he was heading to Yuwang Palace.

The other party's expression was serious, and he didn't even look at the tournament here, clearly fully focused on winning this battle to build fame.

At the same time, the drawing of lots also had results.

A Chamber of Commerce deacon leaped onto the ring and said in a deep voice, cupping his fists, "You are all Jianghu people. Under the eyes of everyone, who plays tricks can be seen at a glance, so we won't do any more unnecessary things."

"We will follow the rules set before. If you want to use techniques, you need to explain in advance, but the means of attack must not leave the ring, and must not harm people off the stage. Violators will be judged as failures."

As he spoke, he took out a newly written booklet from his bosom and said in a deep voice, "First match, Foot Guild and Xingye Escort Agency."

As soon as the voice fell, two people jumped onto the ring.

The Foot Guild originated from the lowest-level laborers. In the three cities of Wuchang, they were mainly dock workers, originally meant to unite to avoid being bullied.

But like most organizations, they were well-intentioned when founded, but as time passed, power was seized by ambitious people.

The current Foot Guild, although they would set up some charity halls to bury laborers who died accidentally and send some rice and grain, had actually become parasites on the laborers.

If you don't join the guild, you can't get work.

If you join the guild, you have to pay tribute regularly. The upper echelons of the Foot Guild, by controlling all dock workers, negotiated with various forces, monopolized dock handling business, and pocketed most of the profits.

The lives of the laborers were still miserable; at most, those city foxes and social rats wouldn't come to bully them for no reason.

And the imperial court also needed people to manage the docks, so they turned a blind eye to some things.

Every trade and industry was like this.

Of course, even so, the Foot Guild couldn't be brought to the table among Jianghu forces. They wanted to get some firearms for self-protection and didn't dare to violate the imperial court's rules, so they were also very urgent for the firearm spots.

The fighter they sent to the ring was hired with heavy money.

He was tall and sturdy, with two knives tucked in his waist, his hair and beard messy, his expression gloomy, and his eyes cold.

Zhang Xiaoshan whispered to Li Yan, "Wang Yaozi from the Northeast, from the 'Dark Five Immortals Hall' outside the pass. He was chased and ran to the Central Plains. He is ruthless and also a person who eats 'Ge Nian'."

"From the Dark Five Immortals Hall?"

Li Yan became interested when he heard this.

He wandered the Jianghu and naturally had to pay attention to various forces, so he had obtained intelligence about various Dharma lineages from the Law Enforcement Hall.

!.

The Northern Frontier was dominated by Shamanism, but the world only knew the "Bright Five Immortals"—fox, weasel, snake, hedgehog, and rat—and didn't know there were also the "Dark Five Immortals"—tiger, wolf, centipede, bat, and frog.

These two sides had never gotten along since ancient times.

The Five Immortals Hall was a local Dharma lineage recognized by the imperial court, but this Dark Five Immortals Hall had insidious means, operated in the dark, and did black-path business, with many being bandits in the mountains.

Since this person was on the field, he would definitely want to use techniques.

I don't know what means he had.

Sure enough, this Wang Yaozi said coldly, "I don't like restrictions when I take action. Do you have the guts to follow?"

The Xingye Escort Agency didn't belong to Wudang Mountain but was a local Ezhou force, sending their own escort.

But unlike other factions, whether martial arts schools or escort agencies, they were all 'Gua Zi Hang' (professional guilds), eating by martial arts.

If they had to hire outsiders to fight in a tournament, they couldn't afford to lose that face, so martial arts schools and escort agencies all sent their own people to the field.

The person sent by the Xingye Escort Agency was a middle-aged man holding a Pu Dao (broadsword). His expression was ugly when he heard this, but he still said, "This is a Jianghu competition. Why are you Mystic Sect people coming to join the fun?"

"I don't know techniques; let's see the real thing under our hands!"

"Good!"

That Wang Yaozi didn't talk nonsense, directly drew his two knives, spun them, held them in reverse, set his horse stance, leaned forward, and swayed slightly.

It looked exactly like a large mantis.

It's Mantis Knife!

Li Yan had also heard of this knife technique.

Famous for its steady, swift, and fierce footwork, it was also a famous eccentric fast knife in the Jianghu.

And the escort opposite him had a solemn expression, swayed his body to the side, raised his Pu Dao, clearly in the stance of the Water and Land Pu Dao technique.

Swish!

Both were Dark Jin experts and attacked almost at the same time.

That Wang Yaozi's feet were like treading mud, rubbing left and right, his lower body swaying, but his upper body always maintained balance. He raised his reverse-held knives slightly, as if about to attack.

As the saying goes, one inch shorter, one inch more dangerous. The escort from Xingye Escort Agency naturally wouldn't let the opponent get close. He swung his Pu Dao, forcing Wang Yaozi back, and simultaneously raised his knife to stab straight.

The Pu Dao was a long weapon, very practical for walking the Jianghu. The Water and Land Pu Dao technique was even more proficient on both water and land, naturally having ways to deal with short weapons.

His saber technique was wide and sweeping; the sharp blade wrapped in cold wind, slashing upward, sweeping downward, and hacking to the left. In just a few moves, he forced Wang Yaozi into a corner.

Clearly, he wanted to knock the opponent off the ring.

Although this tournament didn't discuss life and death, it didn't necessarily have to be a life-and-death struggle. As long as you jumped off the ring voluntarily, it counted as losing.

Zhang Xiaoshan, watching from the side, snorted coldly, "Womanly benevolence!"

Sure enough, that Wang Yaozi was someone who walked between life and death every day and wanted money rather than his life. How could he admit defeat in the first match?

He couldn't use techniques, and his martial arts were on par with this escort, so he was tied hand and foot.

But he had one more thing: he dared to risk his life!

Only to see Wang Yaozi lower his body, suddenly approach the escort, and grit his teeth to raise his two knives.

Clang!

A crisp sound, sparks flying, the two knives were deflected.

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

It was Wang Yaozi who used a clever force, the two knives spinning in the air, actually returning to stab the escort like a swallow returning to its nest.

"Double Swallows Returning?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up; he didn't expect to see this double-knife ultimate move.

The outcome of this match was decided!

Sure enough, the escort was disturbed by the sudden double knives, hurriedly retreated, and simultaneously swung his Pu Dao horizontally left and right, deflecting the double knives.

And Wang Yaozi had suddenly approached, twisted his hands like threading flowers, directly hugging the escort's Pu Dao, and simultaneously turned around to kick.

Bang!

The escort spat blood and flew off the ring.

And Wang Yaozi rubbed his feet, lifted the two knives, caught them in the flow, sheathed them, and said coldly to the people below, "You held back just now, so I'll spare your life!"

After speaking, he jumped off the ring.

"Uncle! Uncle!"

Under the ring, the disciples of Xingye Escort Agency hurriedly helped the escort into the tent to treat his wounds.

And on the stage, the Chamber of Commerce deacon also jumped up again, expressionless. "First match, Foot Guild wins!"

"Second match, Li Yan from Guanzhong, Pai Sect!"

After speaking, he jumped off the ring directly.

Li Yan was also stunned; he didn't expect his turn to come so soon.

He glanced to the side, and Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head. "Only the Chamber of Commerce knows the results of the draw; I didn't play any tricks."

"Go up, kill him!"

Li Yan shrugged, moved his feet slightly, and leaped onto the ring.

And on the Pai Sect side, leader Shi Chen frowned, looked at Zhang Xiaoshan suspiciously, then revealed a cold smile and clapped his hands.

Inside the tent, a figure walked out slowly.

When Zhang Xiaoshan saw it, his eyes were immediately full of murderous intent.

It was a young man in a black robe, his face pale, carrying an abnormal blue tint, his eyes long and narrow, emitting a cold light.

He had a long sword strapped to his waist, leaped up and jumped onto the ring, looked Li Yan up and down, then looked at Zhang Xiaoshan beside him, and sneered, "Old man Zhang, you want to kill me by sending this green kid?"

Zhang Xiaoshan just watched coldly and didn't answer at all.

The meaning was simple: you aren't worthy of talking to me.

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

Seeing that Zhang Xiaoshan ignored him, he looked toward Li Yan, the corners of his slightly bluish mouth curling up. "Kid, I heard you finished off the Ghost Sect's Red Fan Fan Fu Ren? Who helped you blow your own horn so loudly?"

Li Yan didn't answer, but stared fixedly at the other party's neck, where the skin was ulcerated and formed scars, like layers of snake scales.

This Flower Snake Yang Yun was not right!

He practiced the "Long Life Immortal Treasury" secret method!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 296 =====