nownovels Chapter 95 Breaking the Rules and Speaking Out, Saving the Righteous Disciple Before the Martial Sai
Chapter 95 Breaking the Rules and Speaking Out, Saving the Righteous Disciple Before the Martial Sai
Chapter 96 Breaking the Rules and Speaking Out, Saving His Righteous Disciple Before the Martial Saint! (5k-word Chapter)
"good."
Nalan Yuanshu nodded.
"His skeletal structure is broad, like a fully drawn bow. His tendons are strong, like a dragon coiled around its body."
"What's even more remarkable is that spirit of breaking through in the face of battle, and those eyes—they don't even blink when they see blood."
Ignoring the wariness of everyone around him, he walked step by step to Lu Feng.
His innate air of nobility forced the young apprentices around him to involuntarily step back, as if even breathing in his presence was an offense.
"Lu Feng, right?"
Nalan Yuanshu stopped three steps away from Lu Feng, an extremely delicate distance—neither too intimate nor too vulnerable to suddenly attack.
"Come with me."
He spoke, his tone calm, yet it was as if he were bestowing a favor.
"Come with me to the Northeast, to Changbai Mountain."
Lu Feng gripped the double hooks tightly, lowered his body slightly, and assumed a defensive stance, like a wolf cub with its fur standing on end, coldly staring at the uninvited guest.
"Who are you, and why should I go with you?"
"Who I am is not important; what is important is that I know who you are, and even more importantly, I know who you should become."
Nalan Yuanshu smiled, a genuine smile that didn't reveal his teeth, so elegant it was unsettling.
He gently twirled the string of blood-red coral beads on his wrist and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"You are a wolf, Lu Feng."
"Wolves should run across the vast snowfields to hunt bears and fight against the wind and snow."
"Instead of holed up in this cramped theater, wearing a painted face, and being made a fool of by these vulgar spectators who only know how to cheer."
"Lu Cheng is indeed quite capable, but he is, after all, a performer in operas, a low-class person."
"His vision is too narrow; he can only teach you how to win on the stage. As for me—"
A glint of fanaticism flashed in Nalan Yuanshu's eyes.
What I can give you is the path to the pinnacle of martial arts.
"I can't teach you, because my Bajiquan is too powerful and doesn't perfectly match your style. However, I can 'accept a disciple on behalf of my master.'"
"Accepting disciples on behalf of the master?" Lu Feng frowned, his eyes still wary.
"That's right."
"Become my junior brother."
Nalan Yuanshu stood proudly upright, his aura suddenly rising, as if a majestic mountain had risen from the ground.
"My master is the number one expert outside the Great Wall, a true Grandmaster of Internal Energy."
Do you know what "transformation skill" means?
"It is a threshold that cannot be crossed by a feather, nor by a fly; it is the threshold that breaks through the void and reveals the indestructible God."
"Ten years ago, my master went south to Tianjin and sparred with the renowned 'Fist Immortal' Sun Lutang for three days and three nights on the banks of the Haihe River."
"That battle was earth-shattering and awe-inspiring. Although it ended in a draw, Mr. Sun once said, 'With such a person outside the Great Wall, one could suppress the fate of the world for a hundred years.'"
Upon hearing this, the martial arts masters around him, who, though not knowledgeable of profound martial arts skills, had heard of the "Fist Immortal" title, all gasped in shock and turned pale.
Did he ever compete with the legendary boxer Sun Lutang to become the number one in the world?
What kind of divine being must that be?
Nalan Yuanshu looked at Lu Feng with a hint of expectant pity in his eyes.
"As long as you nod, you will be an apprentice of the Nalan family, and my junior brother, Nalan Yuanshu."
"Money, power, secret techniques, powerful medicines—you name it, I have it."
"In less than ten years, you will be the youngest grandmaster in the martial arts world of the North, not just an actor."
These words are incredibly tempting.
Any martial artist who aspires to become stronger would probably kneel down and kowtow without hesitation.
Even instant success is nothing more than this.
however.
Lu Feng remained silent for a moment.
He looked down at his Qingyun Class training uniform, which was a bit worn but clean, and remembered how Lu Cheng had brewed medicine for him, set his bones, and reasoned with him late at night.
He raised his head, his eyes clear and resolute.
"I'm not going."
Three simple words.
Nalan Yuanshu's smile froze.
He narrowed his eyes, and a layer of frost instantly appeared in his originally gentle eyes.
"What did you say?"
I said, I'm not going.
Lu Feng threw the double hooks in his hands to the ground with a crisp "clang".
"I don't care who your master is, or what martial arts master he fought with."
"Even if he were the Jade Emperor, I wouldn't care."
"My life was saved by my master from the human market. My skills were nurtured by my master through every bite of rice and every drop of soup."
"I have a master, his name is Lu Cheng."
"In this lifetime, I will only acknowledge this one master."
"You want me to switch allegiances?" Lu Feng scoffed, spitting. "Dream on!"
"Good—very good."
Nalan Yuanshu was so angry that he laughed, and the coral beads in his hand made a "crunching" sound as he squeezed them.
"You're asking for it."
"I, Nalan Yuanshu, have never failed to obtain what I set my sights on."
"Since Lu Cheng can't teach you properly and you're so arrogant, then today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your actor teacher."
Before he could finish speaking, Nalan Yuanshu was moved.
There was no warning whatsoever.
He took a step forward, shrinking the distance to an inch, and instantly appeared in front of Lu Feng.
The long, slender, fair hand seemed to strike out lightly, but in reality, the air inside the palm seemed to be instantly sucked out, producing a loud bang.
Bajiquan Vajra Eight Forms - Probing Horse Palm!
If this palm strike landed squarely, Lu Feng's newly trained physique would surely have several bones broken.
Lu Feng was shocked and tried to dodge, but found that he was completely locked in by the opponent's terrifying aura and could not move at all.
At this critical moment.
"Where did this stray dog come from, daring to cause trouble backstage at the Qingyun Troupe?"
A thunderous roar came from the side of the screen.
Immediately afterwards, a mountain of flesh, accompanied by howling winds, crashed into us with a deafening roar.
"Bang!!
A deep, muffled thud shook the entire backstage area, causing the beams to tremble and dust to fall in a flurry.
Nalan Yuanshu's palm strike did not land on Lu Feng.
Instead, it landed on a round, soft, yet incredibly resilient belly.
Tong Sanjin!
This former Qing Dynasty wrestling champion, a top-ranking buk, appeared in front of Lu Feng at some unknown time.
His fat was no longer a burden, but his strongest shield.
Nalan Yuanshu felt as if his palm had struck a rapidly spinning cotton ball. Seventy or eighty percent of his fierce and unparalleled strength was instantly dissipated. Immediately afterward, a huge recoil force surged back like a wave.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Nalan Yuanshu's expression changed, and he took three steps back, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard wooden floor before he could barely regain his balance.
His long robe, spotless and immaculate, swayed slightly at the hem.
And on the other side.
Tong Sanjin only took one step back.
But this step is extremely important.
With a "crack," the thick elm floorboard beneath his feet was crushed to pieces, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
"Instructor Tong!" Shunzi and the others exclaimed.
Tong Sanjin neither turned around nor spoke.
He maintained the same "Hun Yuan Zhuang" stance with his belly protruding and his hands pressing down. The usual playful smile on his fat face was gone, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity, and even—a hint of pain.
That body of fat was trembling at an extremely high frequency, as if it were dissolving some terrifying force.
On the surface, he only took a step back, seemingly gaining the upper hand.
But only he himself knows.
In that brief exchange, that insidious and ruthless "bone-penetrating force" had already traveled down his abdomen and into his meridians.
Half of his body is currently numb.
If one's qi and blood are turbulent, even the slightest movement could cause the blood stuck in one's throat to spit out.
"The martial arts of the Shanpu Camp?"
Nalan Yuanshu stopped, gently shaking his slightly numb wrist. The contempt in his eyes lessened, replaced by a hint of apprehension.
"A cotton belly, sticking to clothes, leads to eighteen falls."
"I never expected that such an old antique from the previous dynasty would be hidden in this small opera troupe."
"Fatty, your 'force-dissipating' technique isn't up to par. You've only scratched the surface; you haven't mastered the internal organs."
"If you were twenty years younger, you might be able to withstand three of my moves. But now..."
Nalan Yuanshu sneered, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Your fighting spirit has long since dissipated; what makes you think you can compete with me?"
Tong Sanjin remained silent, simply standing firmly in front of Lu Feng like an insurmountable mountain.
He can't retreat.
Behind him was Master Lu's most valued disciple.
Nalan Yuanshu looked at the mountain of flesh, his eyes gleaming.
He may be arrogant, but he's not stupid.
Although this old fat man was frail and weak, he was still a ruthless wrestler who had practiced wrestling all his life. If he really fought to the death, even if I could win, I would have to pay a heavy price.
Moreover—that Lu Cheng could appear at any time.
"That's enough."
Nalan Yuanshu suppressed his murderous aura, took out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket, and slowly wiped his hands.
"Today, out of respect for the old people in the palace, I will not kill anyone."
"but--"
His gaze passed over Tong Sanjin and landed on Lu Feng again.
"He may be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment."
"If you don't want to be my junior brother, then you'll have to pay a price."
After saying that, he swayed.
No one saw how he moved.
Like a gust of wind, it instantly bypassed the immobile Tong Sanjin.
As he passed by Lu Feng, he casually reached out and patted Lu Feng's shoulder twice.
"Slap, slap."
The voice was very soft, like an elder encouraging a younger person.
"You'd better watch yourself, you little wolf cub."
After saying this, Nalan Yuanshu didn't linger any longer. He took the big man, turned around, and strode away, disappearing into the night. The backstage was deathly silent.
Until the footsteps of the two people completely disappeared.
"Pfft!"
Tong Sanjin, who had been holding on to his last breath, finally couldn't hold back any longer and spat out a mouthful of black blood. He collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon.
"Master Tong!!"
Shunzi and Xiaodouzi were terrified and rushed at him, crying and screaming.
And Lu Feng.
He stood there, staring blankly in the direction where Nalan Yuanshu had disappeared.
Those two blows just now—
At first, he didn't feel anything.
But in that very instant...
A sharp, intense pain suddenly erupted from the shoulder where he had been slapped.
That force was like countless red-hot steel needles, frantically drilling into the depths of his body along his meridians.
"Well--"
Lu Feng opened his mouth wide, wanting to shout, but found that his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't make a sound.
Followed by.
That force traveled downwards.
It goes past the elbow, past the wrist, and all the way to the fingertips.
It then spread downwards along his spine, frantically destroying the foundation of "Ming Jin" that he had just cultivated.
numb.
Wood.
cold.
It's as if this half of my body was suddenly thrown into an ice cave that has stood for millennia, losing all sensation and vitality.
Clang.
Lu Feng, who had been gripping the single-edged sword tightly in his right hand, lost his grip and dropped it to the ground.
Immediately afterwards, his right leg buckled.
"Thump."
With a muffled thud, he knelt heavily on one knee.
"Intercept, interrupt the pulse—"
Tong Sanjin, lying on the ground, looked at Lu Feng's half of his body, which was rapidly turning bluish-purple, and roared in despair.
"Quickly, go back and call Master Lu."
"Too late—this child is ruined!"
The Lu residence, study.
Lu Cheng was wiping the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
The blade gleamed, reflecting his calm face.
Suddenly, a series of urgent bangings came from the door.
"Master, something terrible has happened! Brother Feng has been crippled!"
Little Bean's tearful voice sounded particularly mournful in the night.
"Zheng".
The broadsword in Lu Cheng's hand suddenly emitted a trembling sound like a dragon's roar.
He stood up.
That instant.
All the candles in the room were extinguished.
A murderous aura, ten times colder than the late spring chill, emanated from it.
It erupted suddenly from this study.
The night was as dark as ink, but the main hall of the Lu residence on Qianmen Street was brightly lit, as bright as day.
Lu Feng lay on the stretcher, half of his body showing a strange bluish-purple color, like frozen raw pork.
His breathing was rapid and weak, and his eyes, which were once as bright as a wolf's, were now as dull as a stagnant pool.
Mr. Le from Tongrentang was invited by Shunzi overnight, and he is currently sweating profusely as he administers acupuncture.
When the golden needle was inserted, it felt as if it had been inserted into cowhide, producing a slight resistance sound, and it simply couldn't penetrate.
"This—this is the long-lost art of the art of extinction."
Mr. Le pulled out a gold needle, and his hand trembled as he looked at the drop of black blood that had congealed on the tip of the needle.
"It cuts off the meridians and blocks the flow of qi and blood."
"The person who did this used an extremely subtle yet domineering hidden force, like a nail driven into the child's acupoints."
"If this power isn't forced out, even if a god came, this half of my body would wither and die, and I'd be a cripple forever."
"Useless person—"
Upon hearing those two words, Lu Feng's body convulsed violently, and tears streamed down his face.
He didn't want to be a useless person.
He had only just tasted the joy of becoming stronger, only just been able to protect his sister, and only just brought honor to his master.
"Master—I—"
Lu Feng's voice was so faint it was like a mosquito's hum, yet it was like a sharp knife, piercing into the heart of Lu Cheng, who had just rushed out of the study.
Lu Cheng stood beside the stretcher, expressionless.
But the blue bricks beneath his feet had silently cracked into several pieces.
He has been fasting these past few days, keeping silent for the sake of the sacred Guan Yu opera, in order to cultivate his noble spirit. According to the old rules of the opera world, if he were to speak at this time, it would be to lose his spirit, to be disrespectful, and to break the "courage" of the opera.
But at this moment, seeing his disciple in pain, Lu Cheng did not hesitate at all.
"Mr. Le, please rest."
The five words were uttered in a low, yet remarkably clear voice.
"hiss-!"
The troupe leader, Zhou Daikui, standing next to him, shuddered violently and nearly dropped the teacup in his hand.
He stared wide-eyed at Lu Cheng in horror, as if the sky had fallen.
"Chengzi, you—you finally spoke?"
"You're still fasting? Lord Guan's 'silent meditation' hasn't ended yet, how can you speak? This—"
"This is breaking the rules, a major taboo."
Shunzi, Xiaodouzi, and even Mr. Le were all stunned.
They all knew how much effort Lu Cheng had put into this play. He had cultivated his "spirit" to the crucial moment. If he opened his mouth and released his true energy, at best the play would be ruined, and at worst—it would be disrespectful to the gods and would shorten his lifespan.
Lu Cheng seemed not to hear Zhou Daikui's exclamation, nor did he pay attention to the shock of the crowd.
He simply took a step forward, reached out, and placed his palm on Lu Feng's cold, stiff shoulder.
"Fengzi, bear with it."
Lu Cheng spoke again, his tone gentle.
"Master will pull out the nails for you."
Before he could finish speaking...
"Gu-Gua-yi!!"
A deep, thunderous croak resounded within Lu Cheng's body.
【Catching Toad Strength】Full-force operation.
At this moment, Lu Cheng's internal strength had reached its peak, and his blood and qi were as thick as mercury.
He did not use brute force to crash into it.
Instead, he mobilized the wisp of "True Dragon Purple Qi" he had just acquired, combined with the righteous energy he had comprehended from the "Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts Picture".
It has transformed into an invisible "surgical knife".
"open!"
Lu Cheng gave a low shout.
A warm, mellow, yet domineering internal force surged into Lu Feng's body through his palm.
"puff."
It's like pouring hot water onto solid ice.
A hissing sound came from Lu Feng's sealed meridians.
That was the yin and hidden power left behind by Nalan Yuanshu, which made a mournful sound when it encountered Lu Cheng's righteous energy.
The two forces clashed within Lu Feng's body.
Lu Feng's eyes rolled back in pain, and his whole body trembled violently, but he gritted his teeth and refused to faint.
"Get out here!"
Lu Cheng's eyes flashed with golden light, like an angry Vajra.
He suddenly took a deep breath and inhaled sharply with his palms facing upwards.
"Pfft!" Lu Feng opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of dark purple blood.
The blood sprayed onto the ground, but instead of spreading out, it congealed into a clump, like jelly.
This is the "air nail" left behind by Nalan Yuanshu.
As he spat out the blood, the bluish-purple half of Lu Feng's body visibly regained its color.
Although still weak, the deathly aura had dissipated.
"He's alive! He's alive!"
Mr. Le watched in astonishment, praising the scene repeatedly.
"Master Lu's internal energy technique is simply—a life-saving miracle."
Lu Cheng withdrew his hand, his body swaying slightly.
This is the meaning of the saying: It's easy to hurt someone, but difficult to save them.
This rescue was extremely exhausting, even more so than fighting a major battle.
Especially after forcibly breaking the "closed-mouth meditation" just now, the energy in my body is surging.
But he didn't show it; he just gently patted Lu Feng's face.
"alright."
"After a few days of rest, he'll be a hero again."
Lu Feng weakly opened his eyes and looked at his master's calm but slightly pale face, tears streaming down his face.
Although he was seriously injured, he had clearly heard Zhou Daikui's exclamation.
"Master—"
Lu Feng reached out and tremblingly grabbed Lu Cheng's sleeve, his face full of self-reproach and fear.
"To save me, you broke your vow and spoke—"
"This—this might offend Lord Guan, might it ruin our Qingyun Troupe's important mission? I—I'm guilty—"
Even at this point, this child is still thinking about his master's plays and the future of the Qingyun Troupe.
The room fell silent; the atmosphere was heavy.
Having broken the rules of this industry, everyone was a little unsure of themselves.
Lu Cheng suddenly laughed.
His smile was gentle and warm, with not a trace of the murderous intent from before.
He took his apprentice's hand in return, took out the handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the blood from the corner of Lu Feng's mouth.
"Silly boy."
"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."
"Who is Lord Guan? He is the Martial Saint, a man of unparalleled righteousness."
Lu Cheng raised his head and glanced at the majestic statue of Guan Yu on the altar. There was no fear in his eyes, but rather a sense of composure.
"If Lord Guan knew that I broke the rules to save my apprentice and for the sake of this little bit of 'loyalty', I would know that I did so."
Xi said, "He will not only not blame me."
"Maybe—"
Lu Cheng smiled slightly and patted Lu Feng's head.
"You still owe me a drink."
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