Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 39

Su Yuchen nodded and replied, "I'm a little short on cash lately, so I'm asking to borrow some money from you all. I'm sure you won't refuse, right?"

Upon hearing this, the group of scoundrels exchanged glances and immediately burst into laughter. Even the tall, thin leader was amused by their audacity. He spat out a blade of grass, pointed behind him, and said…

"Brother, even if you had some backup plan, with so many brothers here, all your men would have run away long ago!"

"If you know what's good for you, hand over the tiger skin and silver behind you, and we won't beat you up. Otherwise, have you ever seen such a big machete before?"

Upon hearing this, the burly man behind him raised his thick-backed cleaver and slashed at the earthen wall beside him, knocking off a layer of soil and leaving a yellow mark.

Su Yuchen smiled, then stood up straight and beckoned with his finger: "You all come at me together, I'm in a hurry."

"Damn it..." The tall, thin man glanced at the arrogant Su Yuchen, waved his right hand, and said, "Beat him, just don't kill him."

Seeing the swarming scoundrels, Su Yuchen smiled and slowly walked towards them.

………………

A moment later, a series of wailing sounds rose and fell from the alleyway. Looking again, Su Yuchen was blocking the alley entrance, while a group of hooligans lay on the ground howling.

They were all bruised and battered, or had broken arms and legs. When they saw Su Yuchen walking back slowly, they all shrank into the corner, afraid that he would step on their wounds again.

The two burly men lay on the ground, a cleaver beside them rolled up into a ball, a twisted iron rod that looked like a grass snake.

Su Yuchen picked up the bundle on the ground, turned around and said, "Now we're starting the robbery. Hand over all your valuables. Anyone who dares to hide anything will have their legs broken."

A moment later, standing at the alley entrance, watching the group of ruffians leave in a large group, and looking at the less than five taels of loose silver in his hand, Su Yuchen sighed: "It's not easy for anyone!"

After glancing around, the crowd that had been peeking around immediately shrank back, with only the street guards, constables, and yamen runners standing far away, neither moving nor coming over.

Su Yuchen was too lazy to bother them. Seeing that it was getting late, and that it would be troublesome if they didn't leave the city soon, he immediately turned around and headed towards the city gate.

Only after he had walked quite a distance and was out of sight did the group of constables come over for a quick look, then exchanged a few words with the street guards before hurriedly leaving.

Chapter 76 Chang Le helps everyone climb Mount Motian

After a hurried journey, Su Yuchen finally returned to Motianling before dark. After having dinner, he looked at his meager silver reserves and decided to take it one step at a time.

After a night of practicing the Yi Jin Jing and the Luohan Fumo Gong, he got up again at dawn to go to the summit to practice Taoist internal energy cultivation, and then went down the mountain to Kaifeng Prefecture.

This time, none of the hooligans who used to roam the area were there. They probably all knew that a ruthless person had appeared in the vicinity, so they all went into hiding.

A group of constables watched from a distance for a few moments, seemingly confirming Su Yuchen's identity, before leaving as well.

It's unclear whether some news has spread, but Su Yuchen's place remained deserted for a whole day, with even the area within five meters of him empty.

The system narrator seemed to sense his confusion and appeared just in time...

You taught those hooligans a lesson yesterday and took their 'protection money'.

Your actions caused the constables who colluded with hooligans to lose some extra money. They hate you, but they know that someone like you in the martial arts world is not someone they can afford to offend.

The constables have driven away the merchants and servants who came to buy things nearby. As long as you stay, this place will remain deserted.

The corruption of the government and your actions have profoundly impacted the livelihoods of the citizens here.

The constables are just waiting for the accumulated resentment to reach a certain level so that the citizens will spontaneously drive you away.

Your good fortune is about to arrive; please look forward to the emergence of the Chang Le Gang.

After dusk, Su Yuchen shook his head helplessly, got up and left, too lazy to bother anymore: "Looks like I need to think of another way? Should I just force those county tyrants and powerful families like the old man did?"

………………

Early the next morning.

While eating in a cave in the front mountain, Su Yuchen was filled with resentment and worry: "That damned old man, not only did he not leave behind a single tael of silver, but I don't know where he has disappeared to."

Su Yuchen, however, did not plan to go down the mountain again today. He needed to find another way to buy the medicinal materials for refining the Great Rejuvenation Pill. Unfortunately, he did not know where Xie Yanke had gone, otherwise he could have just asked him directly.

Thinking about how I had a perfect start in my previous life, where I didn't have to worry about anything, with my brother-in-law in the early stages and my junior brother in the later stages, I can't help but feel exhausted in this life where I have to plan everything.

Just as Su Yuchen was worrying, his ears twitched, sensing movement from the iron chains leading up the mountain: "How many people are coming up the mountain? Who are they?"

A moment later, Su Yuchen smiled. With his martial arts skills, he could already sense nine breathing sounds outside the cave, which were faintly blocking the entrance.

These nine people possessed profound internal strength and their breathing was long and slow, clearly indicating that they all had a certain level of martial arts skills. They remained silent outside the cave, their purpose unknown.

"Could it be that the old man's enemies have come knocking on our door?" Su Yuchen wondered to himself. "Or is it the Chang Le Gang that the system mentioned?"

Before he could go out to check, the system narration prompted...

[Situ Heng of the Chang Le Gang, in order to evade the decree of rewarding good and punishing evil, intended to disband the Chang Le Gang, but has already been secretly murdered by Bei Haishi.]

[Shi Zhongyu, who succeeded as gang leader, realized that Bei Haishi wanted him to take over the reward and punishment order, and had already fled half a year ago.]

You bear a striking resemblance to Shi Zhongyu, which is why the members of the Chang Le Gang believe you are Shi Zhongyu.

[You have been spotted in Kaifeng Prefecture for two consecutive days, which has been detected by the Chang Le Gang members, who have tracked you down.]

[Bei Haishi brought eight leaders of the Chang Le Gang up the mountain to guide you down, in order to prevent Xie Yanke from obstructing you.]

【Bei Haishi, known as the "Miraculous Healer," suffered internal injuries from the Shaolin Luohan Formation when he attempted to obtain the Shaolin Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) in his middle age. These injuries were irreparable, which led him to become a doctor through prolonged illness.】

Bei Haishi was renowned throughout the world for his "Five Elements Six Harmonies Palm" and was a martial arts master on par with Xie Yanke.

After reading the system's narration, Su Yuchen chuckled. This was like a pillow being delivered to someone who was sleepy. He needed a large amount of medicinal herbs and silver to refine medicine, and the Chang Le Gang had just come to him.

"Are you Mr. Bei? Please come in!"

He immediately focused his voice into a single line and carried it far away...

………………

Outside the cave, Bei Haishi and his group surrounded the entrance from a distance of three or four zhang. Among them were the skinny man, the Taoist, and the scarred man who had surrounded and killed the Great Compassionate Elder that day.

Bei Haishi knew that Xie Yanke was arrogant and unruly, and highly skilled in martial arts. His reputation in the martial arts world was far inferior to his own, let alone that of his brothers in the gang.

In the past, even if he was not as good as Xie, he would not have been afraid of him. However, in recent years, Xie's martial arts skills have obviously improved greatly, and even the three Shaolin monks working together are no match for him.

That's why the Chang Le Gang has been more tolerant of Xie Yanke in recent years, because they don't want to make enemies for nothing.

Today, we have come uninvited and barged into Motianling, which has probably already offended Xie Yanke.

Although their side had the advantage in numbers and was able to force Xie Yanke to retreat, it would inevitably leave hidden dangers for the future and would also offend the gang leader.

"I wonder how this kid got involved with Xie Yanke? This man is known for his unpredictable temper in the martial arts world, and he acts entirely based on his own likes and dislikes. Could Xie Yanke possibly think highly of him?" Bei Haishi wondered to himself.

If that's the case, even if Shi Zhongyu doesn't know, Xie Yanke will probably be able to guess his purpose as soon as he says a few words. Then, how can his plan succeed?

If they fail, and the two envoys who reward good and punish evil come knocking, they will surely die.

If you don't want to die, you can only disband the Chang Le Gang and go your separate ways. But you murdered Situ Heng and painstakingly pushed Shi Zhongyu to succeed as gang leader. Isn't it because you can't bear to give up this century-old foundation?

"If all else fails, we'll have to sacrifice these brothers and risk our lives to bring this kid down the mountain!" Bei Haishi glanced at the people around him, secretly calculating who he should abandon.

"The swordsmanship of the man surnamed Mi is elegant and agile, combining strength and gentleness, clearly indicating that he has a master. However, he claims to be self-taught, which suggests that he has other plans in mind. Therefore, he cannot be allowed to live."

Bei Haishi looked at the skinny man who had surrounded and killed the old man of Great Compassion that day and thought to himself.

His gaze then shifted to the burly middle-aged man standing to the side, wielding a pair of gleaming silver short halberds…

"The pair of Heavenly Dragon Halberds belonging to the surname Yun are also quite formidable, and in terms of threat, they are no less than those belonging to the surname Mi. Rather than having to find a way to get rid of him in the future, it would be better to let him die at the hands of Xie Yanke, which would also fulfill the brotherhood between us."

Bei Haishi dared to plot against Shaolin Temple's Yi Jin Jing back then, and to this day, Shaolin Temple still cannot find out the truth of what happened back then; he was also able to secretly plot against Situ Heng without being noticed by others.

He is a first-rate figure in the world in terms of martial arts, strategy, and planning methods. Once he has made up his mind, he will never let his plans go to waste.

Having secretly planned who would lead the charge and how to deal with Xie Yanke when they met later, Bei Haishi waved his hand, and the others immediately became vigilant.

Everyone knew that Xie Yanke, the Hermit of the Sky, was highly skilled in martial arts and never showed mercy when he attacked. They all used their inner energy to protect the meridians and acupoints of their bodies.

Bei Haishi took a step forward, silently circulating his inner energy. He felt a sharp pain in his internal organs, which aggravated an old injury. Before he could even call out an invitation, a voice came from afar.

"Are you Mr. Bei? Please come in!"

The sound condensed into a single line, yet it exploded like rolling thunder in everyone's ears. Even though everyone had activated their inner energy to protect themselves, they were still stunned and disoriented by the thunderous sound.

Several martial arts masters, whose internal strength was insufficient and who relied solely on external skills to demonstrate their prowess, were now feeling dizzy and lightheaded, with a thin line of blood trickling from their ears.

Chapter 77 Su Yuchen vs. Bei Haishi

"Is that Xie Yanke? No, that voice sounds familiar? Is it that kid?"

Bei Haishi channeled all his inner energy to resist the thunderous sound. His internal organs were strained, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he was the least injured.

Therefore, Bei Haishi vaguely recognized the owner of the voice and was immediately horrified...

"How could he have such internal energy cultivation? In just half a year, what kind of internal energy could have such power? Has this kid really been taken as Xie Yanke's disciple?"

Various speculations flashed through Bei Haishi's mind. He couldn't help but regret his sudden arrival. If this kid and Xie Yanke had joined forces, none of them would have made it down Motian Ridge.

The thought that his plans were not only going to go down the drain, but that he might even die at Motian Ridge filled Bei Haishi with a deep sense of resentment.

"Fine, I'll just be more respectful later and tolerate him for now. The stronger his martial arts are, the more the two envoys of reward and punishment will believe that he is the leader of their gang, and only then can my plan succeed."

Bei Haishi secretly pondered to himself.

When the other eight members of the Chang Le Gang recovered, they were all shocked. They only knew that Xie Yanke was highly skilled in martial arts, but they did not know that he was so skilled.

A single, far-reaching sound transmission from just a few feet away was enough to cause internal injuries to them. Several others had even lost their ability to fight.

They thought the voice came from Xie Yanke, who was using this long-distance telepathic communication to punish them for their sin of trespassing on Motianling.

Immediately, the eight people disregarded everything else and moved closer to Bei Haishi.

When Bei Haishi voiced his guess, the other eight were even more shocked, unable to connect the person with profound internal strength with the kid from half a year ago.

Mi Xiangzhu gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, exchanged a glance with the Taoist and the scarred man, clearly having other plans in mind.

The middle-aged man surnamed Yun also had a somber expression, clearly quite shocked by this speculation.

It was a gang formed by a group of people, each with their own schemes, so naturally everyone had their own plans. Bei Haishi saw all of this secretly, but he didn't expose them.

He shook the fan in his hand and said, "This voice is indeed that of the gang leader. Since the gang leader has invited me, I will go and pay my respects. My brothers, please wait outside the cave for the gang leader to summon you."

Mi Xiangzhu cupped his hands and said, "Since it is the gang leader who has summoned you, Mr. Bei should go first. We will wait outside the cave."

Yunxiang Master tucked the short halberd into the leather buckle at his waist and also cupped his hands in agreement, saying, "Indeed, indeed. Since the gang leader already knows we have arrived, if we are late, I'm afraid we will displease him. Mr. Bei, please go ahead quickly."

The others chimed in with their agreement, urging Bei Haishi to go inside quickly. Bei Haishi immediately cupped his hands in greeting, silently channeling his inner energy to protect his entire body. As he walked into the cave, he remained vigilant, ready to retreat at the slightest sign of trouble.

………………

After rounding the cave entrance, Bei Haishi's vision went from dark to bright, and he saw a young man with long hair and wearing a scholar's robe sitting not far from the end of the cave.

The boy sat there quietly, his eyes gentle and warm, sparkling with a divine light as he opened and closed them, as if he could see through people's hearts.

The boy's eyes held a half-smile, half-smile. When Bei Haishi met the boy's gaze, he immediately felt as if he had been completely seen through, and his back was instantly soaked with sweat.

"How is that possible? How could he have such a look in his eyes?" Bei Haishi felt as if his gaze had been completely drawn in, and he was unable to move at all.

Su Yuchen's eyes flashed, and he withdrew his manifested mental light, releasing his mental suppression of Bei Haishi. He looked at the middle-aged man who had entered with interest: "Mr. Bei, are you afraid of me?"

Bei Haishi felt as if a thousand years had passed in that instant. He felt a sense of exhaustion in both his mind and body. In his shock, he tried to make up some excuses to get through it.

"Reporting to the leader..."

When Bei Haishi looked up and met the boy's eyes again, he couldn't bring himself to tell the lie; a sense of unease filled his heart...

"Reporting to the leader, I was so impressed by your mastery of divine skills that I lost my composure for a moment. I beg you to punish me," Bei Haishi said, bowing respectfully.

Su Yuchen chuckled, a sense of ease and comfort filling the cave.

As the laughter rang out, Bei Haishi felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his heart, as if he had become several ounces lighter, which made him even more horrified.

"What kind of martial art is this? It can actually affect a person's emotions. If it makes me happy, I'm happy; if it makes me feel heavy-hearted, I'm heavy-hearted!" Bei Haishi thought inwardly with fear.

"I didn't expect Mr. Bei to be so eloquent. Well then, come and sit down!" Su Yuchen pointed to the stone bench opposite him.

Bei Haishi bowed and laughed, "How could I, Bei, sit before the gang leader?"

After a slight hesitation, he said, "The brothers, seeing that the gang leader has not returned for a long time, learned that the gang leader is on Mount Motian, which is why we came here so rashly. Please forgive us, gang leader!"

"Oh?" Su Yuchen didn't press the matter, but asked curiously, "How did you know I was in Motianling?"

Bei Haishi dared not hide anything and immediately told him everything.

It turns out that after Shi Zhongyu disappeared, Bei Haishi and others had already dispatched members of the Chang Le Gang to search for him everywhere, and at the same time, they had contacted local gangs, government officials, and constables.

That day, Su Yuchen saw the group of constables from afar in the market, which confirmed his identity. After confirming that he was the person the Chang Le Gang was looking for, he notified Bei Haishi and the others.

Bei Haishi and the others immediately set off. After investigating Su Yuchen's whereabouts from the previous day, they searched along the east gate of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Ultimately, they determined that the only famous place in the vicinity was Motianling, where Xie Yanke lived.