The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 184 The Finger Flicking Skill, Huang Rong Learns the Art
The sun suddenly fell straight down, and the dense dripping of bamboo made a clear sound.

Several members of the Five Poisons Sect who had fled into the bamboo forest swayed and fell down like withered bamboo with broken roots. Huang Rong strolled out of the bamboo forest.

Zhou Yan's Qingfeng sword disappeared into its sheath with a swish.

The Herbalist finally snapped out of his shock at Zhou Yan's stunning sword strike.

"Thank you both for your kind assistance."

"You're too kind, senior. And who is this person?"

The Herbalist said, "The villain is the vice leader of the Five Poisons Sect."

Zhou Yan was slightly surprised to learn that Hou Tonghai was actually the deputy leader, whose martial arts skills were slightly inferior to Hou Tonghai's. It seemed that his real skill lay in using poison.

"May I ask your surnames, young hero and young lady?"

Zhou Yan inwardly scoffed. The cook had easily identified Huang Rong as a woman disguised as a man, and so had the Immortal Herbs, who had even bluntly stated it.

He said, "My name is Zhou Yan."

The Herbalist was a man of great experience in the martial world, but even after racking his brains, he couldn't recall this person. He was secretly amazed, because Zhou Yan should have been famous long ago with his swordsmanship, and he should have heard of him.

Huang Rong bowed and said, "This junior, Huang Rong, was guided to this Hundred Herbs Valley by a cook."

The Herbalist suddenly realized: "So that's how it is. I was just wondering how you found this place. Are you seeking medical help?"

"exactly."

"The cook recommended you; you must be quite ill. Where are you?"

"Please wait a moment, senior?"

Zhou Yan spoke up, "Xiao Wu."

He wasn't deliberately showing off; it's just that the journey was long and had taken up a lot of time.

This sound startled the birds and beasts in the valley, and the echo reverberated.

The Herbalist was astonished, thinking to himself that Young Master Zhou's swordsmanship and archery skills were superb, but he never expected his internal strength to be so profound. Judging from his age, he was not even twenty years old. How did he cultivate? Even herbal wine could not produce such a level of cultivation.

The echo still lingered as Zhou Yan asked, "How did the Hundred Medicines Sect and the Five Poisons Sect become enemies?"

The Herbalist sighed, "It's all because of my medical skills. A few years ago, a martial arts figure suffering from severe poison somehow found out about this valley and came seeking medical help. I couldn't resist the urge to treat him, so I neutralized the poison. Little did I know that these martial arts figures were enemies of the Five Poisons Sect, and the news of my treatment even spread."

Huang Rong said, "The Five Poisons Sect has always been a major threat to you, Senior."

"That's exactly right. They're trying to coerce me into joining the Five Poisons Sect. Before, it was just a few low-ranking hall masters who were forced to retreat by me. This time, it's the vice sect leader. My martial arts are inferior to theirs. It's easy for them to poison me, but difficult for me to cure them. I'm being pressured at every turn."

"Indeed, poisoning is as easy as snapping one's fingers."

"That's the truth."

The Herbalist suddenly asked curiously, "How do you two young heroes know the cook? He has a very strange temper."

Huang Rong smiled and said, "It was by chance that we met while cooking."

The Herbalist laughed heartily, “No wonder, to be appreciated by a chef, the young lady’s culinary skills must be superb.”

"This junior is borrowing the kitchen so that the immortal may taste my food."

"I can't ask for it."

Huang Rong is truly at ease associating with such extraordinary people, and it seems she can enjoy the Hundred Herbs Wine again, Zhou Yan thought to himself.

As the three were talking, Liang Xiaowu drove to the bamboo forest. Zhou Yan returned and brought Mei Chaofeng over.

The Herbalist used a golden needle to pierce Mei Chaofeng's cheek, and blood flowed out. He observed its color, smelled its odor, and then took her pulse, saying, "It's toad poison."

After saying this, he asked in bewilderment, "This toad is a rare and poisonous creature, so the young lady should have died a violent death long ago."

“This is a long story, why don’t you tell me slowly?” Zhou Yan said.

Please escort the young lady to my humble abode, young hero.

Zhou Yan instructed Liang Xiaowu to dispose of the corpses. Baicao Xianweng was about to speak up to stop him, but when he saw that Liang Xiaowu and Tangzishou had their hands wrapped in deerskin bags, he knew that they were all experienced people who had traveled the world. He felt at ease, but still, out of caution, he sprinkled a lot of medicinal powder on all the corpses.

Mei Chaofeng was taken to the bamboo hut, and the Herb Immortal asked Zhou Yan to leave.

It's not that I'm worried about revealing my medical knowledge, but rather that men and women are different.

Zhou Yan left the bamboo house, and the Herbalist had Huang Rong remove Mei Chaofeng's outer garment. He then took twelve small copper pieces and used his internal energy to insert them into twelve acupoints on Mei Chaofeng's dantian, including the "Zhongji" acupoint, the "Tiantu" acupoint under her neck, and the "Jianjing" acupoint on her shoulder.

The "Zhongji" acupoint is the meeting point of the three Yin meridians of the foot and the Ren meridian. The "Tiantu" acupoint is the meeting point of the Yin Wei meridian and the Ren meridian. The "Jianjing" acupoint is the meeting point of the Shaoyang meridians of the hand and foot, the Yangming meridian of the foot, and the Yang Wei meridian.

The copper plate was inserted, immediately severing the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians. This also prevented the toxins from spreading to the pericardium. Then, he used moxibustion on the major acupoints related to the meridians on Mei Chaofeng's body.

While treating Huang Rong, he explained the principles behind the treatment.

Huang Rong practiced the "Orchid Flicking Acupoint Hand" and was extremely familiar with the human body's meridians. Her father was Huang Yaoshi, who was knowledgeable in some pharmacology. She would sometimes ask him questions and sometimes say some medical terms that she had heard from Huang Yaoshi.

Huang Yaoshi was an extraordinary person; some of his knowledge of meridians even required the Immortal Herbalist to ponder and understand. Yet, in this conversation, he became eloquent and fluent.
Huang Rong praised the Herbalist for his great inventions and insights in "medicine".

She spoke of what the sages of the past had not yet said. The Herb Immortal felt a sense of kinship with Huang Rong, and seeing her intelligence and wisdom, and her ability to draw inferences from one instance to another, he shared all his research findings.

The way the two spoke was so strangely similar to the way the Herbalist Master taught.

Huang Rong was a prodigy. She found it difficult to concentrate on learning martial arts, but she was quite interested in esoteric arts. In addition, she had experienced serious injuries herself, so she was particularly focused on them.

Unbeknownst to her, Huang Rong memorized more and more methods for detoxification and treatment of internal and external injuries.

Zhou Yan listened for a while outside the bamboo hut, and he smiled to himself, thinking that if Huang Rong stayed in Hundred Herbs Valley for several days, she would be able to learn most of the skills of the Hundred Herbs Immortal.

"The head镖师 (镖头, a term referring to a镖师 who is skilled in escorting goods)."

Liang Xiaowu dealt with burying the bodies and arrived at the bamboo forest.

Zhou Yan walked over.

"These were all taken from the body of the vice leader of the Five Poisons Sect."

Liang Xiaowu held a porcelain bottle and a martial arts manual. Zhou Yan took the bottle, uncorked it, and smelled its unusual fragrance. "This should be an antidote."

Looking at the manual again, the words "Secret Transmission of the Five Poisons" were clearly written.

Zhou Yan flipped through the book and memorized the contents. The book contained the secrets of palm technique cultivation. Once the technique was mastered, the person struck by the palm would be severely poisoned, and the wound would be blood-red like cinnabar. Upon death, they would experience excruciating pain and intense itching, and their face would turn black.

“Li Mochou didn’t practice this technique.” Zhou Yan was stunned for a long time. He not only encountered the inexperienced Li Mochou and prevented her from going astray, but he also cut off her chance to obtain the famous technique in the world of Condor Heroes.

He sighed and pulled himself out of his thoughts, asking Liang Xiaowu, "The manual contains the cultivation method for the 'Five Poisons Divine Palm,' which you obtained by looting the corpse. Are you interested?"

Liang Xiaowu said solemnly, "I'm afraid of disturbing my mind, so I dare not get involved in poisonous techniques."

Zhou Yan said, "In that case, I will keep the secret manual."

"naturally."

As the sun set, Huang Rong and the Herbalist emerged from the bamboo hut. The Herbalist looked tired and said to Zhou Yan, "After one more moxibustion treatment tomorrow and the day after, and then more than ten days of rest, you will be fully recovered."

"Thank you, Immortal Elder."

"Don't be so polite."

Zhou Yan took the porcelain bottle and said, "This was found on the body of the vice leader of the Five Poisons Sect. Please take a look, Immortal Elder."

The Herbalist took the porcelain bottle, opened it, and smelled it. He said, "It is the 'Tongxi Pill,' made from the body of the exotic rhinoceros from Miao territory, combined with medicinal herbs. It can treat the five poisons, including snakes and scorpions."

Zhou Yan was overjoyed and handed the porcelain bottle to Liang Xiaowu, saying, "Make a number of small bottles."

"There is a bottle of elixir in my humble abode."

The Herbalist had his apprentice bring several pill bottles. Zhou Yan filled most of them with pills, gave one to Huang Rong, and carried the rest with him.

Huang Rong agreed to cook a few dishes. She asked the medicine boy what food was available in the kitchen. After the medicine boy returned, Huang Rong asked Zhou Yan to go for a walk in the valley with her. She would pick some wild vegetables and bamboo shoots, while Zhou Yan would shoot wild animals, preferably catching a snake.

After the Herbalist Elder regulated his breathing, the two entered the bamboo forest. Huang Rong selected bamboo shoots suitable for cooking, while Zhou Yan took out the "Five Poisons Secret Manual".

"Found by the vice leader of the Five Poisons Sect."

"It must be some kind of poisonous martial art like the Five Poisons Palm." Huang Rong didn't answer, but smiled and said.

"really."

Her eyes sparkled. "Do you mean you want me to give it to Mei Ruohua?"

"Both she and the medicine boy can cultivate."

“Good idea. Her claw technique and Five Poison Palm will definitely make zombies run away in terror. The medicine boy can also practice it.” Huang Rong smiled and took the book, saying, “Mei Ruohua will take more than ten days to recover. I talked with the Immortal Elder and I really want to learn some detoxification and internal and external injury treatment skills.”

"Are you staying for a while?"

"Okay, wait until Mei Ruohua recovers before going to Luxi, and then to Guiyun Manor." Huang Rong took out the escort manifest. "Here, take this."

"Thank you!" Zhou Yan accepted the escort order.

"Give us a heads-up beforehand, and we'll come back to you when we need escorts in the future."

"If you can hire them, then that's fine."

"Ha!" Huang Rong clapped her hands, her face suddenly beaming with joy. "Bamboo rat, bamboo rat meat is tender and has a slightly sweet bamboo fragrance. It's a rare delicacy."

Zhou Yan looked in the direction Huang Rong pointed, and sure enough, there were several plump bamboo rats about four or five zhang away.

Huang Rong picked up a few pebbles, her figure suddenly moved, and a whooshing sound rang out.

The pebbles flew with considerable force, but lacked accuracy. With several "thumps," the pebbles missed their mark, and the bamboo rat darted into its burrow.

Huang Rong stomped her feet in anger.

"You come."

Zhou Yan took the bow.

"Ha, even you have your moments of overthinking. This bamboo rat is smaller than a wild rabbit, and an arrow will surely pierce it in two. I'll teach you how to shoot it with a stone."

Before Zhou Yan could speak, Huang Rong hurriedly began to explain the techniques for generating internal energy, including the main and secondary pathways of the internal energy.

Zhou Yan's mind raced; could this be the "Finger Flicking Divine Power"?

After Huang Rong finished speaking, she chuckled, "This is Father's 'Finger Flicking Divine Skill.' Father said that only by opening up the Ren and Du meridians can one achieve great success. I was too lazy to learn it, and I only remembered one of the proper methods of circulating qi, but it's more than enough to catch bamboo rats."

Zhou Yan smiled wryly. This was just like the Six Meridian Divine Sword. He had learned one of its techniques, the Eastern Heretic's ultimate skill, but Huang Rong had actually learned a method of circulating internal energy because she ate a bamboo rat.

"Aren't you worried that your father will say that the martial arts technique has been passed on to outsiders?"

"If Father wants to scold me, he should leave Peach Blossom Island." Huang Rong smiled, her smile more radiant than the stars.

What Huang Rong remembered was the method of guiding Qi between the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian and the Hand Jueyin Separate Meridian in the "Flick of the Finger Divine Skill". Although Zhou Yan had not opened up this true meridian, he often practiced it, so it was no problem for his meridians to carry internal Qi.

He circulated his internal energy according to the prescribed method, channeling it through the collateral and main meridians to the armpit, along the midline of the inner side of the upper limb, into the elbow, past the wrist, into the palm, and along the radial side of the middle finger to the "Zhongchong" acupoint at the tip.

Give it a try

Zhou Yan picked up a stone, and with a burst of energy, propelled it forward.

"laugh!"

The pebble landed on a bamboo pole two zhang away, causing the thick, green bamboo to shake for quite a while.

Zhou Yan exclaimed in amazement that even with only about 20-30% of its power, the "Flick of the Finger" technique could still leave a person with torn flesh. The Flick of the Finger technique was truly extraordinary.

He was skilled in archery and had an excellent sense of distance by hand. He could hit the bullseye every time after practicing with pebbles dozens of times.

A moment later, a series of "thump-thump" sounds rang out from the bamboo forest.

Huang Rong ran over and grabbed four bamboo rats, shouting excitedly.

Perhaps it was because he met like-minded people like the human chef and the herbalist, and because Mei Chaofeng could cure him, that Zhou Yan felt that this was the most carefree and joyful time for Huang Rong since he met her.

(End of this chapter)