Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 116 Yan Longyuan, Blood-Stained Flag
As soon as he finished speaking, a person with his hands behind his back stepped out from behind the tree.

Jiang Mingzhe and Mu Wanqing were both startled.

The voice that had just spoken clearly came from above their heads, and the two had assumed that the other was hiding in the tree, but it turned out that he was actually behind the tree.

The man laughed and said, "Young friend, don't be alarmed. As people live longer, they inevitably learn a few tricks. Your master probably knows this little method of transmitting sound and searching souls. If you want to learn it, go and ask him."

Jiang Mingzhe vaguely remembered that in the original work, Li Qiushui and Ding Chunqiu did indeed use this kind of skill. Not only could they control their voices, but they also had the ability to bewitch and confuse. Even powerful figures like Tong Lao and Duan Yanqing fell for it, so it was no "minor trick".

He didn't reveal the truth, but dismounted and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "So you are my master's friend, brother. My apologies for my rudeness."

The man waved his hand and said, "We've met a few times, but I wouldn't dare call myself a friend. Besides, if I were truly a friend of your master, how could you call me 'brother'?"

Jiang Mingzhe laughed and said, "When men make friends, we each follow our own rules. Even if my master is your old brother, I can still be your younger brother."

The man asked curiously, "Since you're all brothers, are you and Ding Chunqiu master and disciple or brothers?"

Jiang Mingzhe said nonchalantly, "Then it's up to you, my brother!"

The man grew even more astonished: "What do you mean, 'look at me'?"

Jiang Mingzhe said solemnly, “According to the rules of our sect, we are ranked according to our martial arts skills. My master has taken in countless disciples, with thirty-six currently registered. Many of them joined the sect earlier than me and are older than me, but I am the most skilled in martial arts, so I am the eldest senior brother! If you teach me a few earth-shattering divine skills, I can fight my master to a standstill, and then I will naturally become the junior brother.”

The man laughed loudly, "Good, good, good! As expected of a disciple trained by the Starry Constellation Sect, truly unconventional! But what kind of youth is he if he doesn't have this spirited demeanor! Young brother, I admire you! I'm determined to pass this Great Vajra Pestle to you!"

He was secretly delighted, thinking to himself that this kid was ambitious, and what could Ding Chunqiu possibly offer him? If he could win him over, the entire Xingxiu Sect might be his for the taking.

Jiang Mingzhe was overjoyed and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "I am Zhaixingzi, thank you so much, elder brother! Elder brother, I do not know your name yet. I have received such a great favor from you today. I should know your name and background so that I can repay you in the future."

The man laughed and said, "A man who knows how to repay kindness is a fine man! I am Yan Longyuan, the chief steward under the Murong family of Gusu. I do some jewelry business in Dengfeng. You have done me a favor today, so I don't need you to repay it. But if the Murong family ever asks for your help in the future, I hope you will help me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingzhe exclaimed with delight, "You are actually the steward of the Murong family of Gusu? I once heard my master say that the Murong family of Gusu built a Water Pavilion that records the martial arts secrets of various schools and sects. It is the number one holy place for martial arts in the world. Ah, no wonder you know the Shaolin Temple's secret techniques."

As he spoke, he sized up the man. He noticed that the man had dark skin, deep nasolabial folds, and long, slanted eyebrows that looked extremely distressed. Yet, he was dressed in brocade and embroidery, which was extremely luxurious and seemed very incongruous.

He chuckled to himself, thinking, "What nonsense is Yan Longyuan? This is clearly Murong Bo who faked his death to escape!"
This man spent years secretly copying martial arts manuals at Shaolin Temple. He also traveled the martial arts world under an assumed name, doing good deeds and currying favors to build a following and prepare for his dream of restoring his kingdom.

Thinking of this, Jiang Mingzhe finally remembered that Murong Bo's trip to Dali was precisely to assassinate Xuan Bei.

I don't remember the specific reason clearly, but it seems that Xuanbei was ordered by the abbot of Shaolin to investigate the cause and effect behind the bloody battle at Yanmen Pass. He found some clues in Murong Bo's house and guessed that Murong Bo intended to rebel. Murong Bo therefore wanted to silence him. So when he learned that Xuanbei was going south to Dali, he secretly followed him.

Murong Bo originally intended to kill Xuan Bei with his One-Finger Divine Skill, frame the Duan family, and incite conflict between Shaolin and the Duan family so that he could reap the benefits. However, his half-baked One-Finger Divine Skill was no match for the Great Vajra Pestle, and he was forced to use the Murong family's Star-Shifting Technique to turn the tables on the enemy. Everyone who learned of this exclaimed in surprise: "It must be the work of the Murong family of Gusu!"
To be honest, in Jiang Mingzhe's opinion, this plan was so crude that it was laughable.

The Duan family has an excellent reputation in the martial arts world. They are known for their loyalty and friendship. Xuanbei came to help the Duan family deal with the Four Evils, which shows their deep loyalty. The Duan family went mad and wanted to kill him.
Throughout history, the determination of a murder case has always emphasized the motive. What motive did Duan have to kill the Shaolin monk?

The plan was poorly executed, which was laughable.

This old fellow has been secretly learning from Shaolin Temple for many years. He should know perfectly well whether the Great Vajra Pestle is powerful or not. Besides, he was prepared to take advantage of the situation, so there should have been no chance of failure.

But the fact that he was forced to use his signature move by Xuan Bei is already quite ridiculous. After succeeding, he didn't even destroy the evidence, essentially putting the blame on himself. Even the Crocodile God of the South Sea probably wouldn't do such a thing.

Murong Bo saw Jiang Mingzhe staring at him with sly eyes, assuming he was greedy for the martial arts of the Return Water Pavilion. He laughed heartily, "The Murong family has always been the most loyal friends. Little brother, if you are willing to accept this banner from me and return the Return Water Pavilion, I will allow you to enter for ten days a year. What do you say?" With that, he took out a small flag, which he unfurled with a whoosh. The flag was made of dark black brocade, about the size of a palm, with a white circle embroidered in the middle containing a blood-red swallow character.

Jiang Mingzhe looked at the small flag and frowned, saying, "Brother, if I accept this flag, I'm afraid I'll become a subordinate of the Murong family, won't I?"

Murong Bo shook his head with a sincere expression and said, "Since you call me 'elder brother,' how could I possibly scheme against a younger brother? The Murong family's banners are divided into three categories: the gold banner is given to subordinates, the black banner to allies, and the blood banner is only given to experts from all sides. Those who hold the blood banner are brothers in life and death in the Murong family. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person be allowed to enter such a precious place as Shishui Pavilion?"

"So that's how it is, brothers in arms? Very well!" Jiang Mingzhe laughed heartily and nodded, "I accept this banner!"

Murong Bo was overjoyed: "Good brother, that was truly satisfying!"

He tossed the flag out, and Jiang Mingzhe caught it, examined it closely for a moment, and then put it in his pocket.

His seemingly casual glance was actually quite deliberate, showing his appreciation and respect for the gift. Murong Bo noticed this and was secretly pleased, saying with a smile, "This is not the place for passing on skills. Young brother and sister-in-law, please follow me!"

When Mu Wanqing heard him address her as his sister-in-law, her goodwill towards the old man immediately increased. She had lived in the mountains with Qin Hongmian since childhood and was naturally simple and honest. She was happy to ask him on the spot, "Hey, old brother, I'm not wearing a red wedding dress, how do you know I'm your sister-in-law?"

Murong Bo laughed heartily, gestured for them to follow, and led the way. Jiang and Mu followed with their horses. Murong Bo said with a smile, "I was young once too. How could I not see the affection in your eyes when you look at my brother? My brother even risked offending Shaolin Temple for you. Haha, you are so in love. Even though you are not yet married, how can you break off your vow?"

Mu Wanqing was overjoyed to hear this, thinking that the old man was a very good person. She asked him, "Brother, you said you know many Shaolin skills. Could you teach me one of them? When we travel the world together and encounter strong enemies, I always have to help him. Like those monks just now, I couldn't beat any of them and could only rely on hidden weapons to ambush them."

Murong Bo glanced back at her and nodded, saying, "You are my sister-in-law, what else is there to say? You have long arms and legs, you are good material for martial arts training. Well, it is not very elegant for a girl to fight with someone. The martial arts of Shaolin Temple are mostly masculine and not very suitable for women. I see that you are carrying a long sword, so I will teach you the Tiannan Sword Technique. Although this sword technique is not well-known, it is no less than the Shaolin's ultimate techniques and can be considered one of the best sword techniques in the martial arts world today."

Mu Wanqing was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. Murong Bo was also pleased to see her innocent and frank nature. The three chatted and found a secluded valley. Murong Bo stopped and said, "Let's do it here. Little brother, I'll teach you the Great Vajra Pestle Kung Fu first! This Kung Fu has nineteen moves in total. Watch carefully."

As he spoke, he took a stance and slowly went through the entire sequence of blows.

Jiang Mingzhe focused his mind and memorized the moves. After the punch was finished, he frowned and said, "This set of fist techniques has limited variations. Each punch is a punch, and they are all moves with no retreat. It is really very different from the Xingxiu Sect's kung fu. Hmm, I think the difficulty lies in the variation of force."

Murong Bo said in surprise, "Not bad! You are so young, yet you have such insight into martial arts."

He nodded repeatedly, and his explanation became even more enthusiastic: "The power changes in this style of boxing have four key aspects: speed, weight, penetration, and shock! Fast response, fast power transfer, fast punching—how do you achieve this? Your internal energy must circulate in this way..."

After listening carefully, Jiang Mingzhe roughly understood that the difficulty in mastering this skill lies in its extremely high requirement for internal strength. If the internal strength is slightly lacking, then the so-called speed, weight, penetration, and shock will be difficult to manifest. This fist technique does not rely on moves, and its power will not be apparent.

But once you have enough internal strength, the originally simple moves immediately reveal a kind of great skill without artifice. A seemingly ordinary punch is often left the enemy with no way to deal with it except to block or parry it. It follows the path of using clumsiness to overcome skill and straightness to overcome curves.

Jiang Mingzhe possesses profound internal strength, making the Great Vajra Pestle a perfect complement to his skills. In terms of efficiency, it is even more suitable for him at this stage than techniques like the Netherworld Ghost Claw or the Hanging Cloud Sword Technique!

The two of them were so engrossed in teaching that they didn't realize it was getting dark. They stopped what they were doing, and Mu Wanqing had already gathered firewood and started a fire. She had also specially changed to a non-poisonous short arrow and hunted five or six rabbits and pheasants. She cleaned them up and roasted them over the fire, and the aroma was irresistible.

Murong Bo praised, "It smells wonderful. My sister-in-law is so virtuous. Little brother, you are truly blessed."

Mu Wanqing was delighted by the praise and diligently tore off pieces of chicken and rabbit meat to share with the two of them. After eating, she washed her hands and face and then spent the night in the valley.

For three consecutive days, Jiang Mingzhe mastered the nineteen moves of the Great Vajra Pestle Kung Fu. Seeing that he had mastered it perfectly, Murong Bo let him practice on his own, but instead summoned Mu Wanqing and taught her the Tiannan Sword Technique.

He didn't hide from Jiang Mingzhe when he passed on the sword technique. Jiang Mingzhe glanced at it curiously and was immediately surprised, thinking to himself, "I recognize this sword technique!"
(End of this chapter)