Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 257 Passing on the Kung Fu
A fierce battle raged on the cliff.

More than ten Liao soldiers, full of wild energy, shouted and laughed as they surrounded the four women.

Mu Wanqing wielded her long sword with glittering silver light, standing at the forefront, while Zhong Ling with a knife and Abi with a sword protected her on either side.

Behind the three was Wang Yuyan, her cherry-like lips opening and closing repeatedly, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

She intended to instruct the three women on their moves, but the Liao soldiers used straightforward military martial arts, which were quite different from those of martial artists. Although their moves had many flaws, their coordination was extremely tacit, and they covered for each other. Wang Yuyan didn't know how to start the conversation.

Fortunately, the Liao soldiers, having bullied several women, were determined to capture them alive, but fearing the sharpness of Mu Wanqing's hidden arrows, they raised several shields to cover their attacks, resulting in a stalemate.

Jiang Mingzhe leaped up to the side and behind the Liao soldiers. With a swift movement of his Seven Swords, sword energy shot out, instantly killing four or five men. After landing, he rushed into the crowd, his sword fan spinning, waves of blood churning. In the blink of an eye, he had wiped out the Liao soldiers. He looked at Mu Wanqing and asked, "Are you alright?"

Mu Wanqing shook her head, her eyes fixed on Jiang Mingzhe, her face full of joy. Just as she was about to speak, Zhong Ling darted out, dropped her knife, and grabbed Jiang Mingzhe's hands, crying, "Brother Jiang, you scared me to death! The Liao soldiers said they wanted to capture the wooden figure to be their wife. I risked my life to protect her!"

At this moment, Xiao Feng and the others climbed up the cliff one after another. Duan Yu flashed in front of Abi and asked urgently, "Are you alright?"

Abi smiled gently and shook her head, saying, "It's alright, thanks to Ling'er, who risked her life to protect us."

Zhong Ling was overjoyed, her big eyes immediately crinkling into crescent moons as she smiled: "Abi is such a good person!"

Xiao Feng looked down at the Liao soldiers' corpses and frowned, saying, "They don't seem to be border troops."

Xiao Yuanshan's face was gloomy. He nodded and said, "That's right. How could the border army have such good armor? This is the Liao's subordinate Shan army. Heh, I didn't expect this army to do such a thing as raiding the enemy's camp."

Xiao Feng asked curiously, "Could it be that there are Liao soldiers who don't raid for supplies?"

Xiao Yuanshan was displeased and glared at him: "In the early years, the Liao army did not receive rations or pay, and they all foraged for food to be self-sufficient. Although things improved later, the supply to the border troops was still limited, so foraging for food became a common practice for the border troops. Even the Song border troops, whose rations and pay were cut at every level, still had to forage for food in the Liao Kingdom, but..."

He looked down at the many corpses and sighed, "The prestigious Shushan Army, which enjoys excellent treatment, has actually come to raid for grain. They are truly insatiable. Your father was the chief instructor of the Shushan Army back then, and I always strictly forbade them from raiding for grain. Alas, this is what they call 'the end of the regime with the death of the man.'"

Duan Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle, aren't the Shushan Army the personal guards of the Liao Empress? How come they're here?"

Xiao Yuanshan said, “The Liao system is quite different from that of the Song and Dali. Our Great Liao implements the four-season hunting system, and the emperor travels around the world all year round, setting up temporary palaces to govern. Since the Shushan army has appeared here, the imperial court should have arrived in Xijing Datong Prefecture. However, it is now the turn of spring and summer, and in principle, the emperor should have arrived in Xijing in the autumn.”

Then he added, "That's fine too. Datong Prefecture is only two or three hundred li away from here, which saves me the journey."

He then smiled at Jiang Mingzhe and Duan Yu and said, "My two virtuous nephews, how about you come with me to Datong Prefecture for a stroll?"

Duan Yu looked at Jiang Mingzhe, who hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Since Uncle and Elder Brother are going to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress, I am just a wandering swordsman, and my Third Brother is the Crown Prince of Dali. If we go with them, it will only cause more trouble. Uncle has not been in Liao for thirty years and does not know the current situation in the court. It is better to avoid trouble."

Xiao Yuanshan nodded, thinking that Jiang Mingzhe's words were clearly an implication that his former political enemy might now hold power, and that he should return without leaving any ammunition to his enemies, so that he could move forward and backward with ease. He then said, "That makes sense. In truth, after this ordeal, I have become indifferent to many things. To live as an ordinary citizen with my son would be a great blessing. However, the Emperor's grace is profound, and since I have returned, I should still pay my respects... Well then, I shall part ways with my nephews here. I will send someone to Dali to inform you of my future plans."

Jiang Mingzhe nodded.

When Azi learned that their separation was imminent, her eyes reddened as she hugged Azhu and whispered, "If your brother-in-law treats you badly, just run away quietly. You have the art of disguise, so he can't catch you. Come back to me, and we sisters will live together for the rest of our lives."

Azi was never one to say nice things, but these words were unusually sincere. Azhu was deeply moved and hugged her sister tightly, saying, "Wait until I settle down, then I'll write to Dali. You must come to visit me whenever you have time."

After saying that, he pulled Abi aside and whispered instructions in her ear.

Xiao Yuanshan then looked at Duan Yu and said, "The matter of seeking wealth through maritime trade that your second brother told you about is of great benefit to the country. You should tell your father in detail and handle this matter properly. Once I have established myself, your business dealings in Liao will be entirely in my hands."

Duan Yu clasped his hands in thanks.

After Xiao Yuanshan finished speaking, Xiao Feng stepped forward, his eyes slightly red, and put his hands on Jiang and Duan's shoulders, forcing a smile as he said, "Second brother, third brother, the greatest blessing of my life, after all my years of wandering, is to have you two good brothers! Although I have been abandoned by the martial arts world of the Central Plains, I am truly content with our father by my side and A'Zhu by my side. There is only one thing I have left to entrust to you, second brother!"

Jiang Mingzhe solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Brother, rest assured, when I return to the Central Plains, I will clean up the mess in the Beggars' Sect for you."

Xiao Feng said happily, "Brother, you are truly my confidant! But since you have agreed to my request, we cannot part immediately. We should spend at least a few more days together."

Everyone was feeling sad, but upon hearing this, they were all delighted and said with a smile, "It would be best if we could get together for a few more days."

Xiao Yuanshan led the way, and the group left Yanmen Pass and arrived at Mayi County, under the jurisdiction of Shuozhou in the Liao Kingdom, where they found an inn to stay.

That night, Xiao Feng summoned Jiang Mingzhe and, finding a quiet, secluded place, said, “Brother, the Beggars’ Clan is the largest gang in the martial arts world. Most of its members are beggars with nowhere to stand. With so many members, they are also uneducated. If there is no strong leader, they will surely fall into disarray and become a menace to the martial arts world. Now that there is no great sage in the gang, I have thought it over and can only trouble you.”

Jiang Mingzhe said, “Brother, let’s not stand on ceremony. Since you’re not in the Central Plains, I’ll naturally take on this responsibility for you. You don’t need to worry about me working hard. I have my own management methods. I just need to find a suitable talent so I can step down.”

Xiao Feng said happily, "My worthy brother's talent far surpasses mine. I was not worried that you would be unable to control me. So today I will pass on the two sets of Beggar Clan's ultimate skills, the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms and the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, to you. Please pass on your skills to me in the future."

Neither of them mentioned the deep-seated hatred between Jiang Mingzhe and the Beggars' Sect, but they knew that once Jiang Mingzhe's martial arts reached a certain level, unless he faced someone like Tong Lao or Li Qiushui, whether to fight or make peace was entirely up to him, leaving the other party with no room for argument.

Therefore, the two agreed that Xiao Feng would immediately impart his skills, first teaching Jiang Mingzhe the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms, then the Thirty-Six Forms of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. Over five or six days, Jiang Mingzhe mastered all the techniques, even the smallest details, before tearfully departing.

Xiao Yuanshan, Xiao Feng, and A'Zhu went to Datong Prefecture, while Jiang Mingzhe, Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing, A'Zi, Zhong Ling, A'Bi, and Wang Yuyan returned to Yanmen Pass.

(End of this chapter)