The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 557 The traitor is heartbroken
Wu Chengyu temporarily booked a small courtyard in the northwest of Zhongdu. At this time, no one was resting; they were waiting with candles lit.

When Wu Chengyu brought Yang Tiexin and his family of three back, everyone was relieved. Yang Tiexin temporarily put aside Yang Kang's resistance and was filled with the joy of family reunion. He quickly introduced his wife to Mu Nianci, who then hurriedly paid her respects to her adoptive mother.

Only Yang Kang, upon arriving here, had his acupoints released by Wu Chengyu. Looking up, he saw his former master, with whom he had long since severed ties. His face immediately turned pale. He had led the attack on Qiu Chuji with the intention of killing him, and now, upon meeting him again, he felt as if he had fallen into the tiger's den.

Unexpectedly, although Qiu Chuji's face turned ashen and he snorted coldly, he ignored Yang Kang.

The disciple he had trained rebelled and attempted to kill his master, and he lost the eighteen-year bet completely. Even the magnanimous Qiu Chuji couldn't help but feel some resentment. However, with the persuasion of his senior brother Ma Yu and the consideration for Yang Tiexin's face, Qiu Chuji had no choice but to suppress his anger.

Ultimately, the downfall of the Guo and Yang families was also caused by Qiu Chuji. After much deliberation, Qiu Chuji felt he had no face to make trouble.

Yang Kang, on the other hand, was terrified and huddled in the corner, not daring to utter a sound. He could see that Qiu Chuji's power was still lingering, and he also knew who the other two old Taoist priests were. The three strongest of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen were all here, and they were all top-notch masters.

Of the others, Guo Jing had just defeated him during the day, and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan had also fought him; none of them were easy to deal with.

Especially Wu Chengyu, although I don't know his strength, he just casually neutralized my palm force and then subdued me in a way that was incomprehensible.

With his knowledge of martial arts, Yang Kang couldn't understand where the invisible ropes on his body came from. In addition, among the people here, Wu Chengyu was implicitly respected. Yang Kang was quick-witted and immediately knew that this guy was not someone to be trifled with.

In terms of martial arts skills, the only people he could suppress were his own father, the girl he wanted to take as a concubine during the daytime martial arts contest, and the tall woman sitting next to Wu Chengyu who was always smiling and eating snacks.

Although Yang Kang remained silent, his eyes were darting around, his mind preoccupied with finding a way to escape from prison. Fortunately, no one paid him any attention at the moment.

After everyone greeted each other and learned that it was Wu Chengyu who had brought the three of them back, Ma Yu spoke up.

"Although Prince Zhao, Wanyan Honglie, has already remarried, taking Lady Yang away like this will surely alarm the Jin royal family. The best course of action now is to leave Zhongdu as soon as possible and let Brother Yang and his family return to Jiangnan."

Wu Chengyu had already made up his mind: "Wanyan Honglie will certainly not give up. Before long, Jin soldiers will definitely block the city gates. We are all martial artists, and the city gates cannot stop us. We should pack up and leave now."

After a stick of incense had burned, everyone packed their bags and left the courtyard. Yang Kang dared not resist and could only follow reluctantly. Soon they arrived at the west gate. At this time, the news of the princess's disappearance had not yet arrived, and there was only a group of soldiers guarding the gate listlessly.

The group bypassed the soldiers and used their lightness skills to leap over the city wall. Suddenly, Wu Chengyu spoke up: "I almost forgot something. There is a mountain god temple about ten miles west of this city gate. We rested there before when we came. You go ahead and wait for me there. I'm fast on my feet and will be right back."

After exchanging a word of caution, Wu Chengyu used his lightness skill to return to Zhongdu City, quickly traversing the darkness and soon arriving at the Zhao Prince's Mansion.

After Wanyan Honglie and Bao Xiruo divorced, he usually lived with his princess. Suddenly, he received news that his princess and prince had disappeared and were suspected of being kidnapped. He immediately led his men to the old mansion.

He was deeply in love with Bao Xiruo and doted on Yang Kang. At this moment, he was extremely anxious, scolding the guards in the mansion while sending people to search everywhere.

He even took out his personal token and ordered someone to lead troops to block the city gates. If Guo Jing and the others had set off a little later, they would have faced many more obstacles in leaving the city.

Wu Chengyu, hiding in the shadows, finally saw his old friend again. Wanyan Honglie's appearance had not changed much, but in recent years his status and power had increased considerably, and his aura was more condescending than before.

In addition, Sha Tongtian, Hou Tonghai, Peng Lianhu, and Liang Ziweng were all present. Apart from Lingzhi Shangren, who had been killed by Wu Chengyu earlier, all the servants of the Zhao Prince's Mansion were here.

To Wu Chengyu's surprise, there were two more people here. He had met one of them once before, and although he had never met the other before, he looked to be in his thirties, holding a folding fan, dressed in white. He was not particularly handsome, but he thought he had an extraordinary temperament and was dashing and debonair.

The person I met once was Ouyang Feng. This guy conspired with Jin spies to set a trap for Hong Qigong in Hubei with Qiu Qianren, but Wu Chengyu ruined the plan. He suffered a loss as soon as he fought Wu Chengyu and ran away. After that, he disappeared without a trace.

Another important supporting character in The Legend of the Condor Heroes is Ouyang Ke, Ouyang Feng's illegitimate son and nominal nephew. Finally, another character from the original work has appeared.

However, judging from this guy's arrogant and smug appearance, yet with slightly bluish eye sockets, he looked like someone with kidney deficiency. Wu Chengyu felt that his face was dark, and it seemed that he was about to face a calamity.

At this moment, Wanyan Honglie was extremely anxious. Although Peng Lianhu had been poisoned during the day and the antidote had been taken by Zhu Cong, there was still an antidote at home, so he was finally cured. He frowned and said to Wanyan Honglie.

“Your Highness, the young prince’s martial arts skills have now surpassed those of several of us. Tonight, when the guards in the manor heard the young prince’s call, they immediately rushed to the back hall, but they could not find the young prince and the princess. The assassin’s martial arts skills are not to be underestimated, as he was able to abduct them so easily.”

Ouyang Ke scoffed lightly: "What's so difficult about defeating you all? Your Highness, rest assured, with my uncle here, that assassin will be captured in no time."

Ouyang Feng didn't speak, but narrowed his eyes slightly, yet his eyes still held the same arrogance.

One of them stepped forward, dressed in Jin Dynasty military uniform, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Your Highness, I have brought several imperial hunting dogs that are extremely skilled in tracking. Why don’t you take out the clothes of the young prince and princess? Perhaps we can find the direction the assassin fled in.”

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Honglie perked up: "Your Criminal Investigation Department is best at tracking down spies. Thank you for your help. I will have someone bring the clothes over right away."

Seeing this, Wu Chengyu didn't linger and disappeared from the palace again in a flash.

As he left the Prince Zhao's residence again with a bamboo basket on his back, he saw the secret agents from the Investigation Department running towards the west gate with their hunting dogs. Those hunting dogs were indeed remarkable; they found the right direction based on the clothes alone, or perhaps they found it based on more than just the clothes.

Wu Chengyu ignored them, used his lightness skill to get past them, climbed over the city gate again, and headed west.

Half an hour later, a light was seen in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Guo Jing and his group waiting for Wu Chengyu in the dilapidated temple.

They lit a bonfire, and the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan drank wine by themselves around it, while Guo Jing talked with the three Taoist priests of Quanzhen. The three Quanzhen masters' affection for Guo Jing was evident in their words.

Guo Jing is currently trying to integrate the general principles of the Nine Yin Manual into the Big Dipper Technique. Both are Taoist divine skills and involve many Taoist terms. Although the Three Masters of Quanzhen have not read the Nine Yin Manual, they can still offer their own understanding, which has greatly benefited Guo Jing.

Beside the campfire were A-Ku and Yang Tiexin, a married couple. Traveling late at night, A-Ku somehow managed to get a pheasant, plucked its feathers, removed its internal organs, sprinkled it with seasonings, skewered it with a wooden stick, and roasted it over the fire.

The only one with an unusual expression was Bao Xiruo, whose face was pale and eyes were red and swollen. Yang Tiexin was comforting her beside her. Yang Kang, on the other hand, huddled to one side, his face even paler than Bao Xiruo's, his right hand clutched to his chest, his face contorted in pain, and his eyes filled with terror.

Wu Chengyu raised an eyebrow and looked at Guo Jing, who quickly stood up to explain to his master.

“Master, after you left, we were walking at night when Yang Kang suddenly attacked, trying to assassinate my uncle and even kidnap my aunt to blackmail us.”

At that time, three Taoist priests from the Quanzhen Sect and I were leading the way, while our seven masters brought up the rear. My uncle, aunt, and sworn sister were walking with Yang Kang. No one expected that he would actually attack his own parents, except that his master's wife was also with them.

Wu Chengyu immediately understood that Yang Kang was like a cornered beast, desperately trying to escape by using his parents, relying on his status as a first-rate master, since he realized that the three Quanzhen disciples, the seven heroes of Jiangnan, and Guo Jing were all far superior to him.

This kid was ruthless to his own father and even tried to kidnap his own mother, but he never considered that the Three Masters of Quanzhen and the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan were all seasoned veterans who knew Yang Kang well. How could they be so careless as to let Yang Kang escape their control?

Ultimately, the one truly responsible for guarding Yang Kang was A-Ku. She was the top expert here after Wu Chengyu left. Unfortunately, A-Ku never made a move. Her appearance was influenced by the "Charming Maiden Technique," and unless she used her skills, there was no trace of martial arts training.

Moreover, this girl was either all smiles or eating non-stop. Yang Kang racked his brains but couldn't figure out that A-Ku's martial arts skills were actually top-notch.

Upon observing the surroundings, Yang Kang realized that Guo Jing, the three Quanzhen disciples, and the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan were not paying attention to him. Immediately, his eyes flashed with murderous intent, which he could not suppress.

He lunged to his parents' side, grabbed Bao Xiruo's nape with his left hand, and struck Yang Tiexin's back with his right palm, his attack leaving no room for retreat.

Just when he was about to succeed, he suddenly realized that although his hands were only inches away from reaching Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo, the distance between him and his parents suddenly and uncontrollably increased to a full ten feet.

Only then did he realize that the back of his neck was tightened, and he didn't know when a hand had grabbed his neck and forcibly pulled him back.

Having already made his move, there was no turning back. Yang Kang steeled his resolve and slashed backward with his right hand. Immediately, his palm seemed to strike a boulder, and his hand bones shattered instantly.

It turned out that A-Ku was holding Yang Kang with his left hand, raising his right fist with his index and middle fingers sticking out. He seemed to be lightly pecking at Yang Kang's right palm, but the force contained within was astonishing. Yang Kang could only scream in agony and dared not make any further movements. He was thrown to the ground by A-Ku.

Seeing this, Guo Jing rushed forward to protect Yang Tiexin and his wife. The three Quanzhen disciples looked at Yang Kang with even more disdain. A-Ku acted as if nothing had happened, as if he had done something insignificant.

Only the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan laughed heartily. Zhu Cong walked to Yang Kang's side and said, "Boy, this is the young leader of the Beggars' Sect, the Dragon-Subduing Lady Mo Ku Mo. There are few in the world who are worthy of fighting her. How dare you be so presumptuous?"

Bao Xiruo and Yang Tiexin were heartbroken. Yang Kang had tried to kill Yang Tiexin at the Zhao Prince's mansion, and now he was even more ruthless, showing no regard for their father-son relationship. How could the couple not feel heartbroken? If Guo Jing and Mu Nianci hadn't caught them in time, the couple would have collapsed on the spot.

Qiu Chuji walked over and said sternly, "How can such a person who has violated human ethics be allowed to live any longer? In my opinion, he should be killed here."

Even though Bao Xiruo was in great pain, she immediately knelt down upon hearing this and begged Qiu Chuji and the others to spare Yang Kang. Yang Tiexin, whose real name was Tiexin, tried to speak several times, but ultimately swallowed his words.

Regardless, this was his own flesh and blood, and Yang Tiexin ultimately had no choice but to let him go.

A-Ku said, "Let's wait for my brother to come back before we discuss this further. Let's go to the agreed-upon place and wait for him."

This explains why Yang Kang appeared so timid and helpless in the dilapidated temple at this moment. However, it was not unexpected for Wu Chengyu. He shook his head and looked at A Ku.

“You always carry an earthenware pot with you when you go out, and now it’s come in handy. I went out of my way to get you a really good one.”

After saying that, Wu Chengyu took down the bamboo basket on his back, opened the lid, reached in, and pulled out a large viper.

This viper was as thick as a child's wrist and a full four feet long. What was rare was that it was entirely vermilion, a color that was not typical of vipers. Most importantly, it did not have the usual fishy smell of snakes, but instead had a strong medicinal smell.

This viper was originally extremely ferocious, but it didn't dare to move at all when it saw Wu Chengyu, as if it had encountered the king of snakes. Now that Wu Chengyu had pulled it out of the bamboo basket, it didn't dare to resist at all.

Ah Ku, a beggar by birth, always considered snakes the best ingredient. Moreover, she knew her brother was extremely skilled at making snake soup. She cheered and turned to find her earthenware pot, while Wu Chengyu had to explain.

"This is a prescription that the old monster Liang Ziweng, the Ginseng Immortal, got from somewhere. Find a viper, feed it with various medicinal herbs, and when the viper turns red, it is considered complete. Then, drink the snake blood and eat the snake meat. Not only will it be very nourishing, but it will also improve your internal strength."

This prescription is truly extraordinary. The most crucial point is that it took years of painstaking effort to collect all sorts of precious medicinal herbs. Now it seems to be ready. If I don't bring it over today, it will be devoured by Liang Ziweng in just a few days. Wouldn't that be a terrible waste?

Such a fine thing should rightfully be enjoyed by heroes like us. It's truly unfair of me to have Liang Ziweng's years of hard work benefit someone else. How about this: next time I encounter him, I'll forgive him this once.”

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. The old monster Liang Ziweng was no good person. In recent years, he had attached himself to the Prince Zhao's mansion and committed many evil deeds. Eating a snake from him was something everyone thought was giving Liang Ziweng face.

This viper was originally Guo Jing's lucky break. Liang Ziweng spent many years creating it, and its medicinal power was extraordinary. Guo Jing in The Legend of the Condor Heroes also drank the blood of this viper, which greatly increased his internal strength and brought him closer to the previous generation of masters.

However, Guo Jing is now a top-tier expert with considerable internal strength. In addition, as Wu Chengyu's personal disciple, he has consumed a lot of Bodhi snakes in recent years, so the medicinal effects of this viper are only icing on the cake for him.

Moreover, simply drinking the blood of the viper raw is a huge waste. Only when it reaches Wu Chengyu can it have the greatest effect. Although it is shared among everyone, it can still increase internal strength for several years and is very beneficial to qi and blood.

In short, Liang Ziweng didn't get away with it, and Wu Chengyu's trip to Zhongdu was a success.

After Ah Ku cleaned the earthenware pot, he drained the blood from the viper into the pot, skinned it, and removed its internal organs. Wu Chengyu then took over the cooking, adding the seasonings and several medicinal herbs he carried with him before placing it over the campfire to cook.

This viper grew up eating medicinal herbs, and its blood had a sweet taste. Before long, a rich fragrance filled the dilapidated temple.

(End of this chapter)