vncnus Chapter 25 The Dark Secrets of the Southern Dynasties, the Dawn of Nine Suns
Chapter 25 The Dark Secrets of the Southern Dynasties, the Dawn of Nine Suns
The moon is bright and the stars are few, the sky is clear and bright.
Yang Kang, dressed in a blue robe, walked down the long street, with Mu Nianci and Cheng Yaojia following timidly behind him, remaining silent.
The sound of the night watchman striking his clapper could be heard in the distance; it was already midnight.
Mu Nianci mustered her courage and ran to Yang Kang's side:
"Brother, you have always been humble and polite to chivalrous people and have a great respect for heroes of the world."
"I remember you once said that among the Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, and Northern Beggar, only Northern Beggar Hong Qigong can barely be considered half a hero."
Why did you speak so harshly to him when you met him today?
Cheng Yaojia also jogged over:
"I have long heard of Brother Yang's chivalrous spirit and courage. He did not hesitate to offend the Jin emperor in order to save the people of Shandong, and even gave up his wealth and honor to return to his Han identity."
"With such a righteous spirit, why would you speak so harshly to Elder Hong?"
Yang Kang did not stop walking; he paused slightly but continued forward.
"I don't have a problem with Hong Qigong, I have a problem with the Beggars' Clan."
"The world is in chaos and life is difficult. I can understand why people have to beg on the streets for a living for various reasons."
"But I just can't understand why a group of able-bodied people, armed with knives and swords, looking like thugs, would have to beg for a living?"
Cheng Yaojia continued.
"Senior brother, you just said that people are forced to beg on the streets for various reasons, so why can't you understand why someone who practices martial arts would be reduced to begging?"
"If a martial artist has a chivalrous spirit and cannot bear to make a living by stealing, then even if he has the most profound martial arts skills, he will inevitably end up on the streets begging for a living."
"Even Qin Qiong had to sell his horse; surely that's not the reason for your prejudice against the Beggars' Sect, Senior Brother?"
Yang Kang's tone was calm, but tinged with coldness.
"Qin Qiong sold his horse because he was in a temporary predicament."
"The Beggars' Sect begs, but they make a living by begging."
"The Red Coat Army is mostly composed of poor people. Do they ever consider themselves beggars? Do they ever take pride in being the largest gang in the world?"
"The problem with the Beggars' Guild is not that it begs, but that it helps others."
"A group of able-bodied people with swords at their sides do not engage in production or farming, but roam the streets all day, using begging as a pretext to collect protection money."
"Of all the tributes they receive, not a single penny was earned by themselves. And what kind of Heaven are they speaking of, acting on behalf of Heaven?"
"Moreover, Nianci, Yaojia, we are all martial artists."
"There has been a saying since ancient times that 'the poor are scholars, the rich are warriors.' Countless people in the Beggars' Sect are famous in the martial arts world, but they do not engage in production and live by begging."
"Tell me, where do they get the resources to practice their martial arts? Making money, trafficking people, forcing women into prostitution—this isn't just limited to Shandong!"
"A small number of heroes, like Li Sheng and Hong Qigong, do good deeds, but many more are people who have a far-reaching and harmful influence."
At this point, Yang Kang finally stopped. Amid Mu Nianci and Cheng Yaojia's puzzled looks, he suddenly turned around and revealed a warm smile.
Under the moonlight, he was dressed in white, his smile devoid of any domineering arrogance, revealing instead the unique anticipation and longing of a young man.
"Nianci, Yaojia, I have restored my Han identity, abandoned the wealth and glory of being a prince of the Jin Kingdom, and led a million soldiers and civilians in Shandong to resist tyranny. All for the sake of one day ending this chaotic world, so that all people in the world can have clothes to wear, food to eat, and books to read."
"Perhaps I won't be able to do it in my lifetime, but I believe that as long as peace comes, there will be fewer and fewer beggars in the world."
"In my future plans, the Beggars' Sect will definitely be eliminated."
"I think it's better not to become friends with people who are destined to be eliminated by me."
Mu Nianci and Cheng Yaojia nodded blankly.
They gazed at the handsome young man's sunny smile and his hopeful vision of the future, momentarily lost in thought.
Yang Kang then patted the two of them on the head:
"Alright, it's so late, everyone's tired, let's go home."
After saying that, he fell silent.
The three of them strolled back to the inn in a peaceful manner.
The next morning, the group set off towards the Iron Palm Clan.
The presence of two more women in the group added a touch of complexity.
Although Yang Kang did not blame Mu Nianci for running away from Shandong without permission, Mu Nianci was not particularly happy.
Although Mu Nianci was timid, she was mostly depressed. She had finally been able to spend time alone with her sworn brother, but then Cheng Yaojia suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Cheng Yaojia, also a disciple of the Quanzhen School, could have returned home or to the Quanzhen School after escaping this danger, but instead chose to follow Yang Kang and roam the martial world.
Yang Kang neither refused nor said anything.
What was supposed to be a time alone turned into a time for three. Although Mu Nianci was kind-hearted and unlikely to be jealous, she couldn't help but feel depressed.
Yang Kang saw everything, but didn't care about such trivial matters.
Starting from Baoying County, they galloped at full speed and arrived at the edge of a dense forest fifty li away in the afternoon. Yang Kang casually waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
Shi Tianze also sensed something, and the riders immediately spread out on alert, surrounding Yang Kang.
The next moment, an arrow pierced the sky and shot out from the dense forest, heading straight for Yang Kang's face.
Yang Kang's double pupils flickered slightly, and he slowly gripped the arrow in front of him.
He was slightly surprised; even with his current skill, that arrow had been somewhat strenuous for him.
"The Divine Arm Bow!"
Yang Kang narrowed his eyes and immediately understood the bow used by the newcomer.
Dozens of masked, black-clad experts emerged stealthily from both ends of the dense forest, wielding ropes that wove together into a vast net, encircling Yang Kang and his dozen or so riders from all directions, like a giant cage.
Yang Kang stood calmly on his horse, his gaze piercing through the dense foliage. In the interplay of light and shadow, he saw a middle-aged man holding a longbow standing on the canopy of a large tree a hundred meters away.
Noticing Yang Kang's gaze, the man no longer hid and leaped down from the treetop.
In just a few breaths, he arrived in front of everyone.
"The prodigy of the Wanyan family, the leader of the World Society, the man who once fought against the Mongols and repelled Genghis Khan is indeed extraordinary."
"There are few people in the world who can dodge an arrow from my Divine Arm Bow, but you are the first to catch it with your bare hands."
The man said proudly.
Yang Kang glanced at the divine crossbow in his hand with a hint of envy and asked curiously:
"Nice to meet you!"
"Aside from its incompetent emperor, the Song Kingdom has no shortage of extraordinary people. Could you tell me your name?"
The man looked up at Yang Kang and calmly stated his identity:
"Zhang Pijiang, Commander of the Imperial Weapons and Armor Department."
Upon hearing this, Yang Kang grinned:
"Interesting. You just introduce yourself like that, without any attempt at concealment?"
"Did your emperor send you to kill me?"
Zhang Pijiang smiled slightly, making no attempt to hide it, before changing the subject.
"Chief Yang is a renowned general of our time, and I wield the Divine Arm Bow. I suppose there is no need for me to hide anything from Chief Yang."
"I deeply admire what Chief Yang and the Jin Kingdom have done."
"But I am bound by imperial orders and have no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure."
"Please come back to the palace with us, Chief Yang, and write a letter ordering the people of Shandong to submit to the Song Dynasty. I can guarantee the safety of Chief Yang and his family and brothers."
Upon hearing this, Yang Kang burst into laughter, as if he were listening to a joke.
As he laughed, his tone suddenly turned cold and violent:
"When did the Emperor of Song have such audacity to dare to intercept and kill me, Yang Kang?"
"Lead Shandong to surrender to the Song? Shandong is separated from the Song by the Jin Dynasty. What will you use to rule it?"
"It's obvious that Shi Miyuan wanted to use my head to curry favor with Wanyan Yongji. He can't even see that. No wonder the military men of the Song Dynasty can only be suppressed by those shameless and cowardly civil officials."
The next moment, Yang Kang slammed on the stirrups, and the Golden Crow's four hooves soared into the air, unleashing a palm strike from a distance, directly towards his front.
Three men in black were rushing towards them when they were instantly reduced to pieces of flesh and blood.
Shi Tianze and the others roared and drew their swords, charging towards the group of men in black. Mu Nianci and Cheng Yaojia also joined the battle without hesitation.
Holding a long spear, Yang Kang slashed the ground with the spear tip, his body moving like the wind as he darted towards Zhang Pijiang.
Zhang Pijiang's expression turned stern. He quickly drew his divine bow, and arrows shot out like meteors.
Yang Kang dodged to the side, moving quickly while avoiding the arrows.
Two more experts rushed out of the dense forest, one wielding a knife and the other an axe, and slashed at him.
Yang Kang blocked the long sword with his spear, dodged the giant axe by turning to the side, and with a powerful thrust of his spear, sent both men flying.
After landing, the two men remained composed and quickly adjusted themselves into a triangular formation, shielding Yang Kang in front of Zhang Pijiang, resembling personal guards.
Yang Kang seemed not to see the two men, and his spear shot towards Zhang Pijiang again like a long dragon.
The two men tried to stop him, but Yang Kang's instinctive tremor had caused their tiger's mouths to split open, leaving them unable to lift their weapons in their haste.
Four more swordsmen emerged from the dense forest, moving like ghosts as they lunged at Yang Kang.
Yang Kang was suddenly surrounded and attacked while in mid-air, but he was fearless.
His body spun violently in the air, his true energy surging, and a crimson true energy burst forth from his body, forming an energy shield around him that briefly blocked everyone's longswords.
Using the force of that blow, he swept away three people with a gun in one hand, grabbed one man by the neck with his left hand, and slowly landed on the ground.
The situation has reached a stalemate!
Yang Kang casually crushed the swordsman to death and tossed the body aside.
He looked at the color on his hand with suspicion; it was clearly the powder from the swordsman's neck.
Seeing the three figures opposite him, who were ghostly and made up but not women, he immediately realized that there was also a bunch of dead eunuchs.
Yang Kang waved his hand dismissively, then his figure flashed and he charged towards the crowd.
The axe-wielding man, the knife-wielding man, and the three eunuchs also recovered and desperately lunged at him.
All six were top-notch fighters. Each of them might not be a match for Yang Kang, but the three eunuchs moved like ghosts, attacking from bizarre angles from time to time, and occasionally shooting out hidden weapons such as silver needles and iron nails to interfere.
The two men, wielding knives and axes, gritted their teeth and joined forces head-on. Their bodies moved in two strange, interlocking postures, and they unleashed some mysterious technique to dissipate Yang Kang's domineering true power.
The six men worked together seamlessly, managing to neutralize more than ten of Yang Kang's moves.
Just then, Zhang Pijiang drew his divine bow to its full extent, gathered his true energy into the arrow, aimed at Yang Kang, and shot it out.
The long arrow shot out like lightning, and even though Yang Kang instinctively twisted his body, the arrow still got close to him.
"My sworn brother!"
"Senior Brother Yang!"
"Boss!"
Upon seeing this, Mu Nianci, Cheng Yaojia, Shi Tianze, and the others were immediately shocked and angry, shouting loudly.
Suddenly, Yang Kang's body flashed with red light, and his crimson true energy erupted, forcing the arrow that had pierced his shoulder back between his skin and his body. The terrifying arrow, which should have pierced through his body, only managed to penetrate a little bit into his skin.
It was the result of Yang Kang instinctively and fully utilizing the Nine Yang True Qi. Yang Kang originally thought that after unleashing his full power, the True Qi would inevitably be depleted, but during the circulation of Qi throughout his body, the True Qi was naturally generated.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill is showing signs of completion.
Yang Kang felt an immediate sense of joy, let out a long roar, swept his spear horizontally, unleashing his true energy and sending the six attackers flying.
The six men were already exhausted and had no strength left to fight, but the arrow they had created for Zhang Pijiang had finally achieved its purpose.
"Chief Yang is a peerless hero. I did not want to use such despicable means to harm you, but I had no other choice."
Zhang Pijiang stopped, looking apologetic; the arrow was clearly poisoned.
Yang Kang grinned, planted his spear on the ground, and forcefully pulled the arrow out of his left shoulder.
The blade, trailing a line of blood, had actually ripped off a large chunk of flesh, yet Yang Kang seemed to feel no pain whatsoever; instead, his smile grew even wider.
With the sound of arrows falling to the ground, Yang Kang flashed and appeared in front of the swordsman.
Both hands pierced straight through his chest, and with a powerful jolt, the swordsman was torn in two.
Blood stained Yang Kang's white robes and handsome face. He paused slightly and looked at the remaining people.
Yang Kang gathered his inner energy in both hands, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and slowly raised his right hand into a fist.
Upon seeing this, the group felt a chill run down their spines. The five of them quickly spun around, forming a straight line, and channeled all their inner energy into Zhang Pijiang.
They wanted to combine their strength to resist Yang Kang's terrifying attack.
To everyone's astonishment, he moved like a prehistoric beast, leaping towards the five remaining, exhausted experts.
The moment fists and palms collided, Zhang Pijiang was sent flying like an autumn leaf in the wind, the force of which crushed the four men behind him into mincemeat.
Upon landing, Zhang Pijiang coughed up blood, glanced at Yang Kang in horror, and hurriedly used his lightness skill to flee in panic.
"What a fine bow!"
Yang Kang picked up the Divine Arm Bow, channeled his inner energy into it, drew the bow, and with a flash of his double pupils, shot out an arrow, instantly killing Zhang Pijiang, who had fled to the top of the treetop, and leaving him in a deserted corner.
The leader was either dead or had fled, and the remaining forty-odd black-clad warriors were just ordinary soldiers.
Yang Kang turned to look at his men and men in black who were still fighting, chuckled, and then charged in like a prehistoric beast.
In a short time, they were all slaughtered by Yang Kang, Shi Tianze, and others.
After a long while, Cheng Yaojia and Mu Nianci stood frozen in place, their minds blank, witnessing such a bloody scene of slaughter for the first time.
Mu Nianci suddenly trembled and quickly ran to Yang Kang's side:
"Brother, that man just said the sword was poisoned!"
Mu Nianci looked at Yang Kang with anxiety and worry.
Yang Kang smiled fearlessly.
"There's no poison in it. It's just some dust."
There was no worry in his eyes, but rather a hint of excitement.
When the toxin enters the body, the Overlord Body reacts wildly to the evil, and the true energy throughout the body circulates rapidly.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill's true energy, which had shown no further progress since its mastery, was now showing signs of reaching perfection as it circulated throughout the body.
Yang Kang had a premonition that he would master the Nine Yang Divine Skill within a few months.
As for that bit of poison, he really didn't care. Not to mention that the Overlord Body is immune to all poisons, the Nine Yang Divine Skill is not something that ordinary poisons can harm.
The toxins were completely expelled from the body during the circulation of internal energy.
Yang Kang finally experienced the joy of breaking through the bottleneck of cultivation.
His internal strength, which had not increased for many days, suddenly broke through, and he felt so happy that he forgot about the life and death he had just faced and forgot about his usual self-control.
In a moment of losing control, he embraced Mu Nianci and spun around happily, his bloodstains smearing all over Mu Nianci's clothes.
Cheng Yaojia stared blankly at this scene, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart, and stood there speechless for a long time.
After a long while, Shi Tianze and the others cleaned up the battlefield, sheathed their weapons, and returned to Yang Kang to report:
"Master, I am incompetent. I have failed to capture the bandit leader several times, and he has escaped."
Shi Tianze looked at Yang Kang and Mu Nianci's slightly ambiguous relationship and said with a smile.
"It's alright, as long as my brother is safe."
"The martial arts of those people are very strange. Their martial arts are nothing special, but they were able to withstand more than ten of my moves by relying on the combined power of the formation."
"The mystery of its formation is probably no less than that of my Quanzhen Tiangang Beidou Formation."
"And then there's Zhang Pijiang. He seems to know some kind of technique for deflecting force. He survived the punch I threw."
"No wonder they dared to ambush me. Send someone to investigate their origins; their martial arts don't seem to be entirely from the Central Plains."
Yang Kang looked around. Although many of the dozen or so men he had brought with him had been injured, and some were even seriously wounded, none of them had lost their lives because he had participated in the battle.
"Yes, Boss!"
Shi Tianze said respectfully.
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, another sound of chaos and commotion came from not far away.
Having just finished a fierce battle, Shi Tianze and the others were on high alert, and immediately drew their swords again.
Yang Kang raised his hand, signaling everyone not to panic. He picked up a bow and arrow, took the Divine Arm Bow, and flew to the top of the treetop.
It turned out to be a group of Jin soldiers wearing horned helmets, chasing after three Mongols.
Yang Kang recognized one of the figures; during the Battle of Zhongdu, that person's archery skills had also amazed him.
"Jebe, the Mongolian archer!!"
Yang Kang murmured to himself, then withdrew his attack and flew to the group of Jin soldiers.
"stop."
Yang Kang simply shouted, and the Jin soldiers immediately reined in their horses in alarm.
"Young Prince, it's the Young Prince."
These people were Jin soldiers who accompanied Wanyan Honglie on his mission south. They immediately recognized Yang Kang and shouted excitedly.