Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 895 Poetry and Palm Techniques
After reciting the poem, he took a step forward, and surprisingly, he did not sink; he walked on the waves as if on flat ground. The soles of his shoes did not get wet, and the lake surface only rippled slightly before returning to its mirror-like state.

With each foot lightly touching the water's surface, it felt as if the feet were on solid ground, and the figure moved swiftly and gracefully.

Passersby exclaimed in amazement: This is the "Dengping Crossing Water" lightness skill, which has been lost in the martial arts world for a long time. Only when it is practiced to an extremely high level can one move so lightly.

Immediately after Xu Xuan raised his hand, the style of the scene changed drastically!

"Below are rivers and mountains!" With a sharp shout, the right palm slowly extended. This palm strike was devoid of any fancy moves, plain and unremarkable, yet it carried an overwhelming and unstoppable force.

Where the palm strike landed, a deafening roar resounded, and a huge palm print, about ten feet in diameter, was pressed into the water's surface. The surrounding lake water surged and boiled, with waves splashing more than ten feet high.

That was not a skillful technique, but a pure, domineering, and overwhelmingly powerful force!

Light and agile footwork and powerful palm strikes are both major taboos in martial arts. One seeks lightness, the other seeks heaviness, and the flow of true energy is completely opposite.

But this scholar forcibly merged the two into one!
He moved nimbly through the waves, his figure still graceful, but every palm strike seemed to have immense power, and the sound of wind and thunder could be faintly heard between the opening and closing of his palms.

"Above are the sun and stars!" With another clear whistle, he rose up, embraced with both hands at the highest point as if supporting a mountain, and then pressed down suddenly!
Boom!

The entire lake surface trembled violently. Centered on him, the river water suddenly collapsed downwards, forming a huge whirlpool. The waves surged like mountains, spreading out in all directions with a majestic momentum, as powerful as the sea!
What's even stranger is that within that powerful and unparalleled palm force, there are faint but persistent sparks of light flickering and fading. This is not a manifestation of internal energy, but rather a kind of... scorching spiritual energy!

The light was faint, yet it pierced through the mist, warming the heart as if witnessing the passing down of the torch, an unyielding spirit.

With each spark that lit up, his palm strike grew heavier and his aura stronger, as if drawing upon some ancient and enduring power from heaven and earth.

"In man, it is called 'vast and righteous,' overflowing and filling the vast expanse of the heavens."

After finishing the righteous song, using the recoil, his body was pulled backward as if by invisible threads, and he suddenly flew out, landing lightly on the large ship twenty feet away.

The green robe traced an arc through the mist, and the raging momentum that had stirred up the lake and sea vanished without a trace.

He stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, his clothes slightly damp, his expression still calm, as if the earth-shattering drill just now was nothing more than casually flipping through a few pages of a book.

He was incredibly handsome and composed.

Only the lingering waves on the lake and the lingering heat of battle in the air proved that it was not an illusion.

Ordinary people were already stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

They were not skilled in martial arts and did not understand the subtleties of lightness skills and palm techniques. Just now, they felt a powerful and majestic aura rushing towards them with Xu Xuan's palm wind, making it almost impossible for them to breathe. A surge of hot blood was inexplicably stirred in their chests, boiling and churning uncontrollably, as if it wanted to burn!

After a brief silence, a deafening roar of cheers erupted, shaking the entire dock.

"Great!!! Well done!"

"I knew the domineering title of 'Iron Palm Suppressing Qiantang' wasn't just made up! Today I've finally seen it with my own eyes!"

"That palm technique is truly... impressive! It's powerful and domineering, yet it also exudes an indescribable elegance! No wonder he's invincible throughout Jiangnan!"

"It's not just suppressing Qiantang! I think Master Xu's iron palm is suppressing the entire Jiangnan region!"

Even Magistrate Ximen, who had been completely bewildered just moments before, couldn't help but clap and cheer.

The palm technique was indeed excellent, combining strength and gentleness with extraordinary meaning; but the poetic imagery that stirred his literary soul was even more exquisite! Only now did he realize the significance of those few lines of poetry…

In fact, the words in "Ode to Righteousness" were not circulating in the Jiangnan region for the first time. There were already fragments of them that appeared out of nowhere and were quietly recited among literati, which aroused countless speculations, but no one knew their origin.

only……

As Magistrate Ximen gazed at Xu Xuan, who stood calmly aboard the boat, a trace of scholarly regret still lingered in his heart: "Such fine poetry, such righteous spirit... why not pair it with a set of sword techniques?"

Poetry and swordsmanship unparalleled, white robes whiter than snow, playing the sword and singing a long song... that's the kind of demeanor a talented hero should have in his imagination, and the more suitable couple!
Xu Xuan on the boat seemed to sense the subtle regret on the shore, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

If truly paired with swordsmanship, it would become the "Yue Maiden Swordsmanship: Ode to Righteousness." While the moves are undeniably elegant, they are not immune to being discerned by discerning masters who can see through the true nature of one's swordsmanship.

It is far less profound and unfathomable than this seemingly simple palm technique, which contains the power of a king.

After all, he had used those fists to kill quite a few demons, monsters, and even... people.

This mellow, murderous aura is more awe-inspiring than any exquisite sword technique.

Amidst the deafening cheers and discussions, the large ship slowly sailed away from the noisy shore.

Xu Xuan, head north!
Xiao Qing, standing in the crowd, stared wide-eyed, her mind in turmoil: "..."

"Good, good, good, what a scholar-monk!" She almost ground her teeth to powder, feeling both annoyed and admiring, with an indescribable excitement mixed in.

"Where exactly is your limit?! How did you even come up with this kind of cool yet down-to-earth, elegant yet domineering approach?! ...

"I thought you'd just write a pretentious poem on the spot to fool me... Waaaaah~~~~~" You stole all the limelight! Next time I go out, I'll make it even bigger!
The ruler of the small Taihu Lake and Dongting Lake set a lofty ambition.

On the West Lake, the water rippled gently, and Bai Suzhen's anxious heart quietly settled down, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

For some reason, as the ship sailed away, she felt that the sky over Qiantang seemed to brighten a bit, and the subtle tension that always lingered, foreshadowing an "unexpected event," also dissipated.

It is estimated that this land will be able to return to its former tranquility in a short period of time.

Back in the quiet and secluded Water Mansion, he found himself with nothing to do. So he casually conjured a water mirror and began to carefully analyze the intricate network of sects and renowned masters in the north.

She had a premonition that in the days to come, she would probably have to go north to "put out fires" more often than not.

"Sigh," she sighed softly, her tone complicated, "I really want to... devour that troublesome Xu Xuan in one bite."

The whisper dissipated into the cold water, its meaning unclear.

Inside the county government office, Yu Gong listened to Zhou Ju's recounting of the grand scene at the dock and couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile.

"What a master of both poetry and martial arts! It seems those scoundrels in the Northern court and the martial arts world are in for a lot of trouble."

His smile held a hint of relief, but also a subtle self-mockery: "Throughout my life, I have upheld righteousness, yet I am still bound by this official robe and the Confucian code of conduct. Even knowing the many underhanded tricks, I often cannot cross the line and can only remain within the rules."

“Xu is different. He uses his ‘heart’ to guide him, employing all kinds of methods from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. He possesses extraordinary abilities that are both righteous and wicked, yet he also harbors an unwavering and sincere heart.”

"The combination of the two... should be enough to cleanse most of the demonic atmosphere in the North."

He looked north, his tone seemingly relaxed: "Now it seems that my confinement to this corner of Wu County is not such a bad thing after all; at least I can watch the excitement from across the river."

However, the deep regret in his eyes for not being able to personally participate in the upheavals of the times could not be concealed.

If it weren't for their own limited abilities and constraints imposed by the current situation, why would they send these younger generations to fight and risk their lives on the front lines for an unknown future?

Meanwhile, inside the thatched cottage on Nanshan Mountain.

Professor Taishi once again crawled back into his hut, unrolled a new bamboo scroll, and his eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of recording history.

He picked up his pen, dipped it in thick ink, and added another bold and colorful stroke to the already lengthy biography:
"On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, Xuan bid farewell to the crowd at the Qiantang Wharf and headed north. He performed a martial arts routine in front of the crowd, a set of nameless palm techniques, which drew cheers from thousands of people, and the sound shook the sky. Its momentum was majestic, and its form was unrestrained. The style of the scholar-knight was unparalleled. The onlookers all said: The Iron Palm can not only suppress Qiantang, but also the whole of Jiangnan!"

Other friends who were familiar with Xu Xuan were also proud of him, and if anyone asked, they would say they were all his buddies.

New folk tales began to appear in large numbers.

While most people in Qiantang were still feeling emotional and sentimental about Xu Xuan's departure, there was one person who was genuinely anxious and upset.

On the dock, Stone King, carrying a huge bag, watched the sails of the ships gradually disappear into the distance. A crack of helplessness seemed to appear on his expressionless rock face.

I haven't boarded the ship yet...

He silently cried out in his heart.

But complaining was useless, so he could only take heavy steps and turn away from the still noisy dock.

The stubborn rock at the bottom of the water began its rapid journey along the canal bank, its steps heavy yet incredibly swift. It ran on its own two legs until it was almost at the border of Suzhou, when it finally found an opportunity to leap onto a boat in a secluded river bend.

"Hahahaha. This..."

When Xu Xuan saw the Stone King's face, which remained expressionless yet inexplicably conveyed a sense of grievance, he suddenly slapped his forehead and realized what was going on.

"I was so caught up in the moment, and I was so busy saying goodbye to the villagers that I forgot! I'm so sorry, Lao Shi!"

It's really not entirely his fault.

The Stone King was usually too taciturn. Once he suppressed his powerful earth elemental aura, he was like a real boulder, with an astonishingly low presence.

But on second thought, having such a hardworking, taciturn, and versatile bodyguard is truly worry-free and effortless.

Amphibious, with automatic navigation and unlimited load capacity, it's practically an essential for travel.

This little incident involving the master and servant did not affect their journey. When their ship arrived in Suzhou, they received an unexpected yet perfectly reasonable warm welcome.

Prefect Song Youde of Suzhou originally did not intend to organize a grand welcome.

After all, my dear brother Xu Xuan had previously written that he was just passing through and should not make a big fuss.

But when he heard the news that came from Qiantang by fast horse that ten thousand people were seeing him off at the dock and that Xu Xuan was thanking them by performing boxing in public, he suddenly slapped his forehead and realized what was going on!

Song Youde, Song Youde, how did you become so bureaucratic and so lacking in romance after becoming the governor of Wu Commandery!
My brother said he didn't need it, but that's just his humility and modesty!
How can we let down the spontaneous enthusiasm of the people? Is this the way of an official?
Which of the people of Wu County has not received the many benefits from Baoan Hall?
Not to mention the large-scale medical aid and medicine distribution, the unprecedented favorable weather and abundant harvests along the Taihu Lake in recent years are obvious to everyone who is secretly protecting them; there are also the prefectural governor's exorcism of demons and the suppression of bandits in Taihu Lake... each and every one of these is a real achievement!
(End of this chapter)