Chapter 78: Outbreak of War

The Bihai Chaosheng Melody is one of Peach Blossom Island's most supreme arts; Huang Yaoshi never passed it down, and Lu Chengfeng only knew the tune — the true mysteries of the Bihai Chaosheng Melody, such as the method of attacking the spirit with sound waves and the inner force circulation pathways, were completely unknown to Lu Chengfeng.

Playing the Bihai Chaosheng Melody just now was merely a greeting to Chen Mei and the other, serving as an opening remark; it not only made the two of them panic-stricken, but also satisfied Lu Chengfeng's self-image as a scholar, distinct from common ruffians, lending a certain sophistication that set a tense yet seemingly high-end atmosphere for the great battle about to come.

Most of those present felt this Master Lu indeed bore the air of an otherworldly expert.

Only someone like Wu Chengyu secretly sneered: playing the flute to set the mood before appearing is truly Huang Yaoshi's most common tactic; Old Fourth Lu really imitates Huang Yaoshi in every way, yet falls short in every way — at least he lacks the Eastern Heretic's bearing.

One is truly an otherworldly expert, proud and aloof; the other carries a hint of the sour stench of a pedantic scholar.

But now is not the time to continue mocking Lu Chengfeng; Wu Chengyu closed his eyes and sensed for a while, then turned his head and said something to Lu Zhiyi and the others.

Then he pushed through the crowd and walked to Lu Chengfeng's side.

At this moment Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng reached the valley mouth; Chen Xuanfeng's dislocated shoulder had already been reset by Mei Chaofeng, and his condition had somewhat recovered. The two of them faced off against Lu Chengfeng; although the disparity in numbers was extreme, their ferocious momentum was not the least bit diminished.

Only upon seeing Wu Chengyu step forward did Chen Xuanfeng's eyes fill with wariness; he secretly signaled Mei Chaofeng to be on guard.

Lu Chengfeng had been interrupted halfway through his flute playing by Chen and Mei and was even mocked; his face now showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.

He held the flute in his right hand and lightly waved his left; for a moment the twang of bowstrings rang out in midair, followed by dozens of whistling sounds accompanied by firelight echoing through the valley.

The long arrows were not aimed at Chen and Mei, but filled the space around the valley; the fire arrows shot into the surrounding mountains, the burning light completely dispelling the darkness nearby, and exposing both friend and foe fully to each other's eyes.

"Senior Brother Chen, Senior Sister Mei, it has been many days; I have thought of you day and night, unable to sleep or rest peacefully." Every word Lu Chengfeng spoke now was ground out between clenched teeth, each word carrying hatred.

"Hypocritical nonsense, all rubbish, Old Fourth Lu; did the Old Man only send you to capture us?

Seeing us, you still dare sit in this sedan chair without rising? During the days on Peach Blossom Island, when were you ever a match for either of us alone?

Feng Mofeng and Wu Mianfeng are still young, but what about Qu Lingfeng? Just you alone with these wine-sacks and rice-bags want to seize us? You underestimate us far too much."

The speaker at this moment was Mei Chaofeng; after the two of them escaped Peach Blossom Island, they stayed far away from everything related to Peach Blossom Island, and actually knew nothing of the great changes that had occurred there.

Chen Xuanfeng had already seen; Wu Chengyu's attention was fixed on Mei Chaofeng. The Mei Chaofeng on Peach Blossom Island, in terms of looks alone, surpassed Feng Heng; Feng Heng won with a pure and elegant temperament, like a secluded orchid in an empty valley, while Mei Chaofeng could be described as glamorous as peach and plum, bewitching and graceful.

But the current Mei Chaofeng was vastly different from Wu Chengyu's memory; she had cultivated Taoist martial arts into evil secret techniques, and even ingested arsenic to increase toxicity. Now Mei Chaofeng's features were faintly distorted, her temperament sinister and vicious, her eyes full of resentment, her face covered in a layer of greenish qi — where was the appearance of those years?

"Your illicit union and escape from Peach Blossom Island have nothing to do with me, but why did you also steal Master's scriptures, and even implicate... Master, in a fit of rage, actually severed the tendons of my and Senior Brother Qu's legs, and even broke the legs of the two youngest junior brothers, driving us out of Peach Blossom Island.

Being crippled in both legs is bad enough; pitiful that we brothers were loyal to Master, yet because of you two monsters we were expelled from the sect, unable to serve our benevolent Master in his presence.

Chen Xuanfeng, Mei Chaofeng, if you two surrender now and return with me to Peach Blossom Island to beg Master's forgiveness, to accept Master's judgment, I will spare your lives here; otherwise this Xiao Lingshan will be the burial ground for you two monsters."

The deeds Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng committed — how could they dare see Huang Yaoshi again? They feared Huang Yaoshi to the marrow; but the news they heard at this moment gave them a measure of surprise and delight.

"Haha, so your legs are already ruined, yet you still dare appear before me; originally I still held some wariness toward Qu Lingfeng, but from now on I might as well use him to practice my Nine Yin White Bone Claw."

At this moment the martial artists behind Lu Chengfeng could no longer hold back; a burly man with luxuriant beard and hair, wearing his clothes open in the dead of winter to reveal a chest of black chest hair, holding a hatchet in each hand, had lost all patience for the dialogue between Lu Chengfeng and the Black Wind Twin Demons.

"You two heretics, my brothers were properly learning martial arts at the martial hall, yet were seized by you to practice techniques, ending up with their bodies incomplete; today I, Sài Lǐ Kuí, will hack you to pieces, mince you into meat paste."

Having spoken, he swung his hatchets and charged forward; the people beside him, led by him, also brandished their weapons, cursing nonstop.

Some had sons harmed, some had masters killed; everyone summoned by Lu Chengfeng today bore a deep blood feud with the Black Wind Twin Demons, and every one of them struck without the slightest mercy.

The valley was narrow, leaving no room to maneuver; a total of seven or eight people surrounded Chen and Mei, the rest temporarily unable to intervene, forced to watch from the sidelines.

At this moment the difference between Peach Blossom Island disciples and ordinary martial artists was revealed.

Just now Chen Xuanfeng suffered at Wu Chengyu's hands in every exchange, largely because Wu Chengyu's techniques and fighting style were completely different from current martial arts styles; Chen Xuanfeng had no defense and lost the initiative from the very start.

But the few people surrounding him now had martial arts far inferior to Peach Blossom Island's level; their moves were full of flaws. They appeared to be fighting desperately, yet could do nothing against the two of them.

Peach Blossom Island's martial arts have always emphasized agility; Chen and Mei's lightness skill and footwork were truly remarkable — they moved easily through the intersecting weapons of these attackers, the blades tracing cold arcs in the firelight, yet fundamentally unable to touch even a corner of their clothes.

Chen Xuanfeng used the Empty Palm Strike, Mei Chaofeng used the Falling Petals Divine Sword Palm; one fierce like an axe, one sharp like a sword, palm forces crisscrossing, intermittently mixed with the Nine Yin White Bone Claw. In just a few exchanges, every one of the attackers was wounded.

Only a miserable scream was heard; Sài Lǐ Kuí's twin hatchets whirled like wheels, several consecutive moves all dodged by Chen Xuanfeng. At this moment his strength waned and he hesitated slightly; just as he tried to gather his breath again, Chen Xuanfeng seized the opportunity and closed in.

Sài Lǐ Kuí's left arm was pierced through by Chen Xuanfeng's five fingers; before he could even scream, another Nine Yin White Bone Claw came straight for his crown.

Watching Sài Lǐ Kuí about to meet his end on the spot, Lu Chengfeng, who had been standing by to coordinate, clapped both hands on the sedan chair's handles, his body leaping into the air, instantly appearing beside Sài Lǐ Kuí, his left palm blocking this killing blow.

Not only that, his left palm took the opportunity to pinch toward Chen Xuanfeng's wrist; hand forming an orchid shape, without a trace of showiness he lightly brushed, striking the four points Neiguan, Yangchi, Shenmen, and Lieque in succession.

Chen Xuanfeng's move was spent, his palm unable to withdraw in time; desperately dodging, his Shenmen point was still brushed by Lu Chengfeng, and his arm went limp for a moment.

Lu Chengfeng seized the chance to grab Chen Xuanfeng's palm, using the opponent's left arm to borrow force, his whole body pausing in midair; his right hand turned palm into sword, also unleashing the Falling Petals Divine Sword Palm, attacking Chen Xuanfeng's head continuously from above.

Chen Xuanfeng's right hand was momentarily sore and numb, powerless; his left hand barely managed to block Lu Chengfeng's assault.

And at this moment Sài Lǐ Kuí, who had just been awaiting death with eyes closed, finally reacted; the left side of his body streaming with blood, he forcefully raised his right hand and chopped his hatchet toward Chen Xuanfeng's waist.

(Chapter End)