Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 269 Organization Members, Sorrowful Breeze

The Murong family has been able to stand tall in the martial arts world for hundreds of years, so their martial arts skills passed down through generations must be extraordinary.

There are many martial arts techniques in the world that use an opponent's force against them, but very few can use this technique to counterattack an enemy's attack and strike back at a stronger opponent.

Only a true expert can do this with ease.

Compared to other martial arts, the advantage of the "Shifting Stars" technique is that even if one's skill is only superficially mastered, it can still reflect the enemy's attacks back.

The Murong family did not produce martial arts geniuses in every generation; over hundreds of years, there were also mediocre talents.

Even the current head of the family, Murong Fu, is a mediocre talent. Despite his great reputation, he is all talk and no action.

He wanted to master martial arts, but instead made the mistake of being blind to his own family's martial arts. He didn't pay much attention to the martial arts he inherited, but instead coveted the many martial arts techniques in Huanshi Water Pavilion.

It should be noted that those martial arts techniques were all low- to mid-level techniques collected by Li Qiushui; there wasn't a single one of the truly famous and unique skills from various schools and sects across the land.

Even if these martial arts were practiced to their peak, they would probably not be able to compare to a second-rate unique skill passed down by the Murong family, let alone world-renowned unique skills such as the Canhe Finger, the Star Shift, and the Dragon City Sword Technique.

Even so, Murong Fu's "Shifting Stars" technique still allows him to deflect enemy attacks, thus passing down the reputation of "using their own methods against them."

What it relies on is precisely this special phenomenon of the shifting of stars and constellations.

Otherwise, with so many unique skills in the world that utilize external forces, why is it that only the "Shifting Stars" technique has earned such a reputation?
At this moment, Murong Fu dared not use his full strength, but the power of the Star Shift was still astonishing.

The three-in-one sword shadow actually deflected under the guidance of his palms.

At this moment, Murong Fu truly intended to retaliate against that sword shadow.

But he forcibly suppressed this impulse.

He also knew the advantages of the "Shifting Stars and Changing Positions" technique compared to other methods of using an opponent's strength against them.

If one only defends against this sword shadow, there are so many ways to use an opponent's force against them, no one can predict the outcome.

But if they were to retaliate directly, the first thought that would probably pop into the other party's mind would be the Murong family's "Shifting Stars" technique!
Helpless, Murong Fu deflected the sword shadow and guided it underground.

An endless burst of power erupted, instantly sending up countless grains of sand and dust.

When the sandstorm cleared, there was no trace of him.

Yi Jifeng frowned. He knew, of course, that the other party was still nearby and had not gone far.

But who knows where he ran off to from all directions?

Searching would likely delay things at Tianning Temple, so he decided to ignore it and gallop away on his horse.

After he left, Murong Fu revealed himself, thinking to himself, "It seems this person wasn't specifically chasing me, but was actually heading this way. But this road ends at Tianning Temple? What was he going there for? Could it be that the matter of Yipintang has already been exposed?"

Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan weren't the only ones who ran away from Xingzilin yesterday.

He was only chasing after her because he was worried about her safety.

Could it be that someone who escaped in another direction managed to evade capture and spread the news?

Even so, it will probably take some time to find out where Tianning Temple is the place of detention.

Where did things go wrong again?

This heir of Sword Mountain Manor is nothing special. What he worries about is that once the news spreads, even more heroes from the Song Kingdom will come.

The mere Yipintang could not stop the masters of the entire Song Kingdom.

It's possible that even Helian Tieshu is in danger.

Thinking of this, Murong Fu felt a chill run down his spine.

He has sacrificed so much during this time, and it cannot all be in vain. Others can die, but Helian Tieshu must not be put in any danger.

"However, this might also be an opportunity, if I can save Helian Tieshu at this moment..."

Murong Fu thought about it again and suddenly realized that this might also be an excellent opportunity.

In fact, he did not agree with Yipintang's actions against the Beggars' Gang from the very beginning.

What he wanted was for a war between the Western Xia and the Song Dynasty to break out and drag on, rather than for either side to win.

Without the help of the Beggars' Sect, the Song Dynasty might not be able to defeat the Western Xia at all.

This is not the best outcome for him.

Firstly, he was of low status and his voice carried little weight, and secondly, the matter concerning the Beggars' Sect was merely a decision made by Helian Tieshu on a whim.

They disguised themselves as a delegation and came to the south, just to gather information and see if there was an opportunity. No one expected that such a perfect opportunity would come along to wipe out the Beggars' Sect's top leaders.

That's why Helian Tieshu got excited and planned this operation.

Time was of the essence, and Murong Fu had no chance to stop it.

Thinking about it this way, it's actually a good thing that so many of the Beggars' Sect's high-ranking members were rescued.

He could also take this opportunity to save Helian Tieshu and, by virtue of this life-saving grace, greatly increase his influence in Helian Tieshu's eyes.

Thinking of this, Murong Fu was also a little excited. As the black figure on horseback disappeared from sight, he followed after it.

Inside Tianning Temple, warriors from the First-Class Hall guarded many of the Beggars' Sect's high-ranking members.

To prevent them from having the ability to resist, the people of Yipintang would occasionally release a little bit of "Sad Breeze" into them, making them weak all over.

Few of the martial artists recruited by Yipintang are truly skilled; most are simply seeking wealth and pleasure.

Seeing that the many high-ranking members of the Beggars' Sect were under guard, the Song Dynasty warriors were too exhausted to stand up and relaxed their vigilance, gathering in groups of three or five to have some fun.

Helian Tieshu, inside his room, frowned upon hearing the sounds of revelry outside, but said nothing.

At that moment, the door opened, and four figures walked in.

The leader had several scars on his face, making him look terrifying. He didn't speak, but instead used ventriloquism to say, "Your Highness, the few who escaped earlier will probably spread the news and attract many Song warriors."

Helian Tieshu nodded: "That is indeed possible, but it shouldn't be that fast. I've already contacted people by carrier pigeon, and these people can be moved by evening. Could it be that those Song warriors can arrive so quickly?"

"It would be impossible for an ordinary martial artist, but for a grandmaster martial artist who can run like lightning, it might be possible."

Helian Tieshu was startled: "What should we do then?"

"Your Highness, do not worry. The four of us can scout outside Tianning Temple. If any Grandmasters come, we will immediately return to report."

"In that case, I'll leave it to Master Duan."

Duan Yanqing, a grandmaster martial artist.

He, Ye Erniang, Yue Laosan, and Yun Zhonghe were collectively known as the Four Evils of the Jianghu.

The four were martial artists recently recruited by Helian Tieshu and joined the Yipintang. They are also among the most skilled martial artists in the Yipintang today.

Not to mention Duan Yanqing, Ye Erniang is at the peak of the innate realm, while Yue Laosan and Yun Zhonghe are both at the peak of the innate realm.

Within the Yipin Hall, such cultivation level can be considered top-notch.

If they remained in Tianning Temple, they would definitely become Yi Jifeng's biggest obstacle.

but……

Duan Yanqing flicked his fingers, concealing the two-finger-thick silver plaque inside his sleeve, and said, "Your Highness, rest assured."

He then left Tianning Temple with the three people behind him.

Yue Laosan, carrying a large pair of scissors, said, "Boss, you're not really planning to work for those Western Xia barbarians, are you? Why are you offering to do it without being told to?"

"Shut up!"

Duan Yanqing said, "From now on, the three of you will stay by my side. You are not allowed to go anywhere, and you are not allowed to utter a single word of nonsense. If you dare to ruin my plans... don't blame me for disregarding our years of friendship!" "Yes..."

The three of them felt a chill and immediately shut their mouths.

The villains need to be dealt with by other villains. All three were notorious villains in the martial arts world, but they were very obedient to Duan Yanqing.

It wasn't just because Duan Yanqing was skilled in martial arts and had been kind to them, but also because Duan Yanqing was a more ruthless villain than them.

"Walk."

Duan Yanqing led the three of them around a bend and hid near the temple.

Before long, a fast horse came galloping towards them, and they dismounted when it got close to Tianning Temple.

"There really are people coming!" Yue Laosan exclaimed in surprise.

Yun Zhonghe scoffed, "Pretty boy, so young and with absolutely no experience in the ways of the world. He's just a bunch of good-for-nothings inside. If it were me, I could probably spot him from ten miles away!"

Duan Yanqing asked, "Does anyone know him?"

Ye Erniang thought for a moment and said, "This person seems to be from Mingjian Villa. His name is Yi Jifeng. He has been making quite a splash in the Jiangnan area recently."

Mingjian Villa, Yi Jifeng?

Duan Yanqing nodded: "So it was him?"

Yet, a sense of envy welled up within me: a descendant of a prestigious family, steeped in family tradition, gifted from a young age, and possessing an air of dashing elegance. Now, having joined the organization, his future is limitless.

Unlike me, even though I became a grandmaster and joined an organization, I've ended up like this... Sigh!

Duan Yanqing's background is extraordinary. He was the former crown prince of the Dali Kingdom. However, someone in the court rebelled and killed the emperor. In order to survive, he was seriously injured and became a beggar.

If it weren't for that rebellion, he would probably be a figure like Yi Jifeng.

Unfortunately, everything is irreversible.

Thinking of this, Duan Yanqing felt a surge of hatred and couldn't help but clench the silver token tightly, thinking: Duan family, Tianlong Temple, just you wait!

Yi Jifeng roughly surveyed the situation inside Tianning Temple. Although he did not find any Grandmaster-level experts, there were indeed quite a few Innate-level experts.

Add to that the armored Western Xia warriors, and if they joined forces, he would probably be no match for them.

Fortunately, he was prepared.

Or rather, gin was prepared all along.

Yi Jifeng found the upwind side, took out a medicine bottle, opened it, and a colorless and odorless gas floated out of the bottle, drifting down the wind towards Tianning Temple below.

The area inside Tianning Temple gradually quieted down.

Helian Tieshu immediately sensed something was wrong.

Given the behavior of those people outside, how could they possibly stay quiet? Something must be wrong!
Helian Tieshu stood up and gave a wink to the guard beside him. The guard immediately understood, his face showing a look of resignation. He slowly walked to the door and gently opened it.

Inside the main hall, everyone was slumped to the ground.

Whether they are warriors from the Western Xia Kingdom, martial artists from the First-Class Hall, or members of the Beggars' Sect or martial artists from the Song Kingdom, they are all the same.

The guard was about to step out of the room when his legs buckled and he fell to the ground.

"Oh no! The Sorrowful Breeze!"

Helian Tieshu immediately thought of their Yipintang's secret drug, which also produced the same symptoms. He quickly took out a medicine bottle from his pocket, opened it, and a foul stench wafted out.

Although it smells foul, this is the antidote to the "Sad Breeze" ailment, and its effects are extremely strong. Just a sniff in front of your nose will immediately relieve the ailment.

However, after waving the medicine bottle in front of the guard a few times, the guard remained limp on the ground, showing no improvement whatsoever.

Not only that, he also felt dizzy and weak all over.

"This……"

Helian Tieshu didn't care about anyone else and hurriedly brought the antidote to his nose, but it was completely useless.

"If it's not a gentle breeze, then what could it be..."

The unknown drug took effect, and he completely lost his strength. The bottle slipped from his hand and smashed on the ground.

"Could it be...could it be that I, Helian Tieshu, am going to die here today...No, I just took down the entire Beggars' Sect leadership and made a great contribution! How can I die..."

Helian Tieshu was filled with resentment. Even a fool could tell that the sleeping potion that was spread throughout the entire temple must have been deliberately released by someone.

After captivating them all, that person will appear and deal with them.

Ironically, he used this same trick to take down the entire Beggars' Sect leadership just yesterday.

He thought that after making a great contribution, he would be richly rewarded upon returning home.

As a result, not only did he not return to China, but the whole matter was not even settled before he was dealt with by others using the same tactics.

This is truly a cycle of karma...

His strength drained away like a floodgate being opened, and Helian Tieshu quickly collapsed to the ground, like a lump of mud.

He grew increasingly desperate.

Just then, a figure rushed in like the wind, grabbed Helian Tieshu, and rushed out of Tianning Temple.

Helian Tieshu was stunned, not expecting that things would take such a dramatic turn and someone would actually save him at this moment.

good good!
The one who saved him was none other than Duan Yanqing.

Duan Yanqing rushed out of Tianning Temple and left quickly. He ran to the other three people and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.

"Boss!"

Yue Laosan rushed over to help Duan Yanqing up.

Duan Yanqing mustered his strength and said, "Help the prince to the side, don't worry about me."

Yue Laosan did as he was told, helping Helian Tieshu to lean against a tree.

Duan Yanqing circulated his internal energy and regained his strength in the blink of an eye. He stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "As expected of the legacy of Mingjian Villa, they actually have such a powerful sleeping potion. I had already sealed my breath and rushed in, but I was already affected in just a few blinks of an eye."

He was even more surprised: No wonder they are an organization that can research and develop a magic drug to reverse aging. I only submitted a sample half a month ago, and they have already produced a new drug with more than ten times the efficacy!

This drug works in exactly the same way as the "Sadness-Inducing Breeze" drug.

It's because it's essentially an upgraded version of "Sad Breeze".

But not only are the effects of the drug more terrifying, it can also almost completely negate the original antidote.

The reason this can be achieved is not only due to the large number of medical researchers within the organization and Ai's terrifying computing power, but also because the organization now possesses many rare medicinal materials.

This includes some miraculous drugs with effects beyond what most people can imagine.

Although Zhou Ming was reluctant to use these miraculous medicines directly, he could use their projections to enable them to play a role in the drug reaction process.

Just like when he used to use projections of ingredients to cook, although it didn't fill him up, he could still taste the flavors with his tongue. This is because although the projections cannot fully replicate the effects of the ingredients, they can still serve a part of the purpose.

The same applies to the process of drug production.

This upgraded version of the "Sad Breeze" was made using these very functions.

It's only natural that the final product would have a more powerful effect.

(End of this chapter)