Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 272 The Metal Monster of the Bamboo Forest Recuperation
Zhou Miaoyun stopped abruptly, her hair standing on end.

The voice was weak and hoarse, yet each word was clear and distinct, spoken in standard Mandarin, without a trace of the obscurity of a mountain demon. Instead, it carried an inexplicable calmness, much like the chivalrous knights described by storytellers in the capital.

She slowly turned around and saw that the dark figure huddled in the corner still had its eyes closed, its blackened lips not open, and its voice seemed to come directly from its chest, with a dull resonance.

"You...you're really human?"

She asked in a trembling voice, her hand still instinctively gripping the door frame, ready to run away at any moment.

"Genuine, no doubt about it." Chen Zhan's voice was a little weaker, and his chest heaved slightly faster than before, but it remained steady.

"I was ambushed by my enemies and then struck by a calamity, which is why I am in this state. I am grateful to borrow your esteemed place to heal my wounds, as I have no intention of harming you."

His story was half true and half false. The enemy's ambush corresponded to the Japanese bombardment, and the change in the weather was a matter of time travel. It fit the identity of a martial arts practitioner and explained the strange injuries on his body without being too shocking.

Chen Zhan's voice grew softer and softer, but Zhou Miaoyun could still hear it clearly.

Miaoyun was somewhat surprised this week.

Staring at Chen Zhan for a long time, he saw that Chen Zhan never opened his eyes, his body was charred black, and his voice came from nowhere. Even moving his body seemed extremely difficult, so he did not seem to have the strength to hurt anyone.

Recalling his slow, almost eerie breathing, I gradually began to believe him.

Knowing that Chen Zhan was probably a martial arts master with extremely high skills, and that he was holding his breath to heal his injuries, this strange behavior was likely due to his severe injuries.

“A feud in the martial arts world…” she murmured to herself. Although Miaofeng Mountain was remote, martial arts practitioners would occasionally pass by. She had heard her father say that top martial arts masters could “preserve their lives by breathing like a turtle,” but she had never seen such an extreme case.

He hesitated for a moment, picked up the dagger from the ground, but instead of retreating, he walked up to Chen Zhan and asked softly:
Do you need water?

Chen Zhan did not open his eyes, and his voice was still weak: "No need. I need to concentrate on healing my injuries. If you don't mind, you can use this side room. Once my injuries have healed a little, I will leave without disturbing you."

Seeing that he was so sensible, Zhou Miaoyun's wariness lessened a bit.

She was kind-hearted, and seeing that Chen Zhan was seriously injured and on the verge of death but still remained polite and composed, she completely gave up the idea of ​​reporting him to the authorities.

After saying that, Zhou Miaoyun stopped disturbing them, closed the door, and left.

Of the three bamboo houses, Chen Zhan occupied the smallest and most remote one. Inside, there was almost only a hard bamboo bed, and no other living facilities.

Zhou Miaoyun returned to her main room, moved a bamboo chair to the outer room, and began to grind ink and paint while keeping an eye on the movements in the inner room.

The only sound in the room was Chen Zhan's extremely slow breathing; there was no other noise. Chen Zhan seemed to have turned back into that lifeless, charred statue.

Chen Zhan's internal energy and blood were already in a state of chaos due to the bombardment of artillery fire and the backlash from his talent [Blood Rage].

The charred blackening on his body surface was caused by the burning of blood and qi and the high temperature of the explosion. The shell fragments and bullets penetrated deep into his muscles, affecting his recovery.

That day, I fell into Miaofeng Mountain and was completely unable to move my body except for my divine sense.

Fortunately, the people from the Imperial Observatory didn't take it seriously. They quickly searched the foot of the mountain but didn't find him.

After recovering a little, Chen Zhan dragged his ailing body into the bamboo forest, where he happened to see a bamboo house and could only borrow it for a while.

Otherwise, in the desolate mountains and wilderness, although ordinary wild animals cannot approach his body, if he were discovered by a malicious person, there might be some danger.

In the days that followed, Zhou Miaoyun would bring Chen Zhan some food and water every day, and also prepared a piece of clothing for him.

However, she never saw Chen Zhan move.

Chen Zhan changed from a lying position to a sitting position.

Only this one change.

Chen Zhan remained seated cross-legged, his eyes closed, his aura growing increasingly deep and concentrated.

The heat that had been emanating from the courtyard gradually subsided, and Zhou Miaoyun felt that the temperature in the courtyard had dropped considerably, unlike before.

Previously, Chen Zhan was practically an oven; in late autumn, the three rooms he illuminated were all warm and cozy, quite comfortable.

Now, instead, there is a very faint fluctuation of qi and blood, lingering around the body almost imperceptibly.

The change happened quietly.

On the seventh day, a patch of charred skin peeled off Chen Zhan's chest, revealing tender new flesh underneath. The skin was smooth and there was no trace of scarring.

On the tenth day, more charred skin began to peel off, falling to the ground like a snake shedding its skin, revealing more and more flesh, all of which was intact and even firmer than normal skin, with a faint glow of health.

Approximately one-tenth of the skin recovered to its original state.

The remaining area was still charred black.

The shrapnel and bullets that had penetrated deep into the skin were squeezed out along with the charred skin and fell to the ground, where the wounds began to heal.

Chen Zhan regained some consciousness and was able to control his internal energy, but he was still unable to move and needed to rest.

Zhou Miaoyun went from being shocked at first to eventually becoming used to it.

They even remarked on how good Chen Zhan's skin was.

She still delivers meals and water on time every day, and spends the rest of her time painting and writing poetry.

By the thirteenth day.

There is a temple at the foot of Miaofeng Mountain called Baoguo Temple.

At dawn, just as the morning bell rang at Baoguo Temple at the foot of Miaofeng Mountain, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside the mountain gate.

Eight black horses shattered the tranquility of the mountain gate. The riders on horseback wore flying fish robes and had embroidered spring knives at their waists. The gold threads on their black robes gleamed coldly in the morning light. They were men from the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ling Yunkai, the leading commander of the Imperial Guard, dismounted, his face cold and stern, his eyes sweeping over the temple plaque like a hawk's, and said in a deep voice:
"By imperial decree, His Majesty, investigate the case of the seditious poem. The abbot of Baoguo Temple, come to see me immediately!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried the imposing authority of imperial power, making the young monk who came to greet the guest's legs go weak.

The crowd filed into the temple.

Black horse, flying fish robe, embroidered spring knife!

The Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Not just in the capital, but throughout the whole country, it is known that one may be innocent, but once one enters the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) headquarters, one is guilty.

Soon,
The abbot, dressed in a kasaya, hurried over, clasped his hands together, and bowed respectfully: "This old monk, Yuankong, greets Your Excellency. May I ask what brings Your Excellency to my humble temple?"

Although he was a Buddhist monk, he was well-versed in the rules of officialdom. Seeing Ling Yunkai's unfriendly expression and the solemn faces of the Imperial Guards behind him, he felt uneasy.

Ling Yunkai raised his hand and threw a scroll, which landed on the offering table with a "thud":
"I've heard that Master Yuankong is fond of literature and calligraphy, and often collects calligraphy and paintings to give to pilgrims? Abbot, take a look! Is this calligraphy and painting from your Baoguo Temple?"

A painting on the table.

In the painting, the setting sun is like blood, the city walls are crumbling, and a group of ragged refugees look at the dark clouds on the horizon, beneath which the shadows of cavalry can be vaguely seen.

This painting is not unusual under normal circumstances.

Nowadays, there are many refugees, and painting pictures of their tragic plight shows that people losing their homes is not a big deal.

Although the Ming Dynasty is now beginning to decline, the social atmosphere is still relatively open.

But having just suffered a major defeat, this painting is somewhat sensitive.

But it's not serious enough to warrant criminal charges.
Yuan Kong thought the painting looked familiar, and then looked closely at the bottom right corner and found four lines of poetry.

[Snow covers the vermilion walls, swallows have left their nests; the Liao River weeps, their bones still unburied. This vast land will eventually have its master, not belong to the Zhu family or your ilk.]

"This, this, this"

"This poem, this poem, I've never seen anything like it before."

Yuan Kong held the scroll, his hands trembling violently. Although high-ranking officials and nobles often came to Baoguo Temple to offer incense, he also had good relations with some of them.

But this is treason!
Poetry like this would have resulted in execution in any dynasty.

"Nonsense!" Ling Yunkai interrupted him, the Embroidered Spring Blade was drawn half an inch from its sheath with a "clang", the cold light reflecting off Yuan Kong's forehead where cold sweat poured down.

"You haven't seen the poem, but you've seen the painting, haven't you? His Majesty has ordered that the painter be found, even if it means digging three feet into the ground. If you dare to shirk your responsibility again, everyone in Baoguo Temple will have to go to the main hall of the Zhenfu Division!"

Yuan Kong dared not hide anything and said directly:

“This painting does look familiar. The brushwork is meticulous and fluid, capturing the spirit and essence of the subject. It is very similar to the work of Mr. Hokusai. He was a hermit in Miaofeng Mountain who often entrusted me with selling his paintings. I have never seen his true appearance.”

"I've never seen this poem before. If such a poem existed, who would dare to accept it?"

Ling Yunkai sneered: "Beizhai? Where is he?"

"It's located in Miaofeng Mountain."

"Let's go, into the mountains!"

Ling Yunkai did not hesitate at all. Yuan Kong would not dare to lie to him unless he didn't want Baoguo Temple anymore, or even his life.

The horses were tied up at Baoguo Temple. The group of ten people walked up the mountain along the narrow path of Miaofeng Mountain. The mountain path was rugged and the bamboo forest was dense.

Halfway up the mountain, three bamboo houses are faintly visible in a bamboo forest, surrounded by bamboo fences, with a few wild chrysanthemums planted outside the courtyard, which is elegant and unique.

This was Zhou Miaoyun's residence.

Ling Yunkai waved for his men to stop, then stepped forward, kicked open the bamboo gate, and said:
Where is Beizhai?

Zhou Miaoyun, who was painting by the window inside the room, heard the noise, her heart tightened, and she put down her paintbrush and came out.

She was dressed in plain clothes, her long hair was tied up, her eyebrows and eyes were elegant, and her skin was fair. Although she did not wear any makeup, her beauty was still undeniable.

Upon seeing this, a strange light flashed in Ling Yunkai's eyes, and his grip on the Embroidered Spring Blade loosened slightly.

"Are you Beizhai's maid?" Ling Yunkai looked her up and down, his tone flippant.

Zhou Miaoyun nodded, her gaze falling on the Imperial Guard's flying fish robes behind him. A hint of surprise crossed her face as she asked softly, "I am Beizhai. May I ask what brings you here, sir?"

"You are Beizhai? Beizhai is a woman?" Ling Yunkai was taken aback, then asked, "May I ask what you mean?"

Ling Yunkai threw the scroll, which landed on the ground with a "thud": "Did you paint this?"

Zhou Miaoyun bent down to pick up the scroll and unfolded it to take a look.

The scene of refugees under the setting sun in the painting is the same "Scenes of Desolation" that she entrusted Yuan Kong to sell last month.

However, the four lines of anti-poem in the lower right corner were definitely not written by her.

"I painted the picture, but this poem..." she hurriedly explained, "I didn't write the poem; someone must have altered and added to it!"

"Tamper with?" Ling Yunkai scoffed, stepping forward and reaching out to pinch her chin. "Who would be so bored as to tamper with your painting? In my opinion, it's you who harbored ill intentions, secretly colluding with rebels, deliberately painting this seditious picture and inscribing this rebellious poem!"

"My lord, do not make false accusations! I live alone in the mountains, detached from worldly affairs. How could I possibly be in league with traitors?" Zhou Miaoyun dodged to the side, her eyes filled with fear and anger.

"Apathetic to worldly affairs?"

Ling Yunkai's eyes grew even more greedy: "It's a pity that someone with such beauty lives alone in the mountains. Come back with me to the Imperial Guard prison, and I'll interrogate you thoroughly. If you've truly been framed, I will clear your name."

His words seemed fair, but everyone knew that once someone was imprisoned, even if they were innocent, it would be difficult for them to come out alive, let alone the covetousness in his eyes, which he made no attempt to hide.

Zhou Miaoyun was well aware of the terror of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and retreated repeatedly: "If you don't believe me, sir, you can check the handwriting. I have written many poems and paintings, and you can tell by comparison."

"Verify?"

"Of course we'll investigate. Take the person away, and take the poems and paintings with them too!"

Ling Yunkai's face darkened, and he said sternly.

"Yes!"

The two Imperial Guards behind him immediately retreated, splitting up and heading towards the bamboo houses on either side.

"Don't! Don't!"

Zhou Miaoyun cried out in surprise, pointing not at the Imperial Guard in front of her, but at the one who had gone to open the bamboo house where Chen Zhan was.

Ling Yunkai's face darkened, and he instantly realized what Zhou Miaoyun meant.

"What are you hiding?"

Ling Yunkai turned and headed straight for the bamboo house. Zhou Miaoyun tried to stop him but was held back by the other two Imperial Guards.

"Inside the house."

“Whoosh!~”

An arrow shot towards them, its cold light gleaming. Ling Yunkai instantly drew his sword. "Clang!"

With a swift movement of his embroidered spring knife, the arrow was deflected and sent flying.

But then, with a "clang," two beams of cold light shot out from the bamboo forest, striking the wrists of the two Imperial Guards who were grabbing Zhou Miaoyun.

"Repeating crossbow! Dodge!"

Ling Yunkai instantly drew his crossbow from his waist, rolled to a spot not far from Zhou Miaoyun, and used her as a necessary path for the crossbow's advance, forcing the forest to refrain from firing arrows indiscriminately.

Otherwise, if Ling Yunkai had dodged, the arrow would have hit Zhou Miaoyun.

The Imperial Guards were all seasoned veterans; even though both men had arrows in their wrists, they did not lose their fighting ability.

Quickly find cover.

Ling Yunkai's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly turned to look at the bamboo forest: "Who's playing tricks in the shadows? Come out!"

The bamboo forest was quiet, with only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves.

But Ling Yunkai could sense several sharp gazes fixed on him, their auras deep and intense, clearly not those of ordinary people.

The Imperial Guards behind him also drew their embroidered spring knives, looking around warily, their palms sweating.

Inside the bamboo house, Chen Zhan remained seated cross-legged, his eyes closed, as if everything outside was irrelevant to him. He could clearly sense three presences within the bamboo forest.

This aura was strange, like that of an internal martial arts master, yet not quite the same. All three of them, along with Ling Yunkai, possessed a peculiar power within their bodies.

It is not a hidden force.

It feels more powerful than internal force, but it doesn't flow as quickly.

Seeing that no one answered, Ling Yunkai was both shocked and angry. He shouted, "So you've really colluded with the rebels! Everyone be careful, take the woman away and set that house on fire!"

He pointed to Chen Zhan's room.

But at this time.

With a loud "bang," a large hole appeared behind the bamboo house, and a figure in green rushed in.

The newcomer took a step forward, rushed to Zhou Miaoyun's side, grabbed her, and tried to leave.

Ling Yunkai swung his sword and slashed at Zhou Miaoyun. At this moment, he had to catch her off guard, regardless of whether she was male, female, young or old.

However, the woman in the green dress was highly skilled. The long sword she used had a blade that was five feet long, with a copper guard that was one foot long at the back, and a handle that was one foot and five inches long.

With a slash of his longsword across the ground and a kick of his foot, the blade met Ling Yunkai's Embroidered Spring Blade.

"Ding"

The two swords clashed, and the woman, carrying Zhou Miaoyun, quickly retreated and rushed outside the bamboo house.

"Retreat~"

Ding Baiying, dressed in green, led Zhou Miaoyun out of the bamboo house. The signal arrow was fired, signaling retreat, and the sound of crossbows cutting through the bamboo forest immediately disappeared.

"No, what about the person inside?" Zhou Miaoyun immediately thought of Chen Zhan.

She was kind-hearted. Chen Zhan had nothing to do with her, and the Imperial Guards might not have made things difficult for him. But now that they had injured the Imperial Guards and escaped, Chen Zhan had been captured and was doomed.

Ding Baiying tightened her grip, pulling Zhou Miaoyun behind her to shield her. Holding her long-handled sword horizontally in front of her, she coldly shouted:
"Fool! He's no ordinary person to have survived in these mountains until now. You don't need to worry about him! If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!"

"Can"

Zhou Miaoyun wanted to argue, but before she could finish speaking, Ling Yunkai and his men surrounded her.

A ruthless glint flashed in Ling Yunkai's eyes as he twirled his embroidered spring blade, shouting, "Charge! Take down these two traitors, dead or alive!"

Three Imperial Guards pounced like wolves and tigers, their embroidered spring knives flashing coldly, their blades whistling fiercely, aiming straight for the two men's vitals.

Ding Baiying dared not be negligent. She swung her long-handled sword horizontally, the blade carrying a whistling wind, forcing back the two Jinyiwei guards who were the first to rush in.

Her swordsmanship was powerful and sweeping, making the most of the long-handled sword. Each strike covered an area of ​​several feet, making it difficult for the Imperial Guards to get close.

The Embroidered Spring Blade and the Qi Family Blade clashed repeatedly, sparks flying everywhere.

The Embroidered Spring Blade of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is known for its speed and tricky moves, but Ding Baiying's blade is fierce and domineering, and every collision makes the Embroidered Uniform Guard's hands go numb.

Taking advantage of the moment when she turned to protect Zhou Miaoyun, a member of the Imperial Guard stabbed at her side. Ding Baiying twisted her waist, and the copper guard at the end of her long-handled sword slammed out, hitting the Imperial Guard squarely in the face. Blood splattered immediately, and the man screamed and fell to the ground, twitching a few times before losing consciousness.

However, the Imperial Guards were well-trained and knew how to coordinate their attacks. Three of them were in front, and three others were behind, firing crossbows.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The crossbow bolts pierced through the gaps and shot towards Ding Baiying's back. The opportunity was seized perfectly, and it took the sacrifice of a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) to find it.

But the crossbow bolts were deflected by the longsword with a few clanging sounds.

Two people appeared behind Ding Baiying. "Master, let's go quickly."

Ling Yunkai ordered, "Retreat! Fire a volley!"

The two Imperial Guards who were locked in combat quickly retreated, with Ling Yunkai behind them, and the five of them fired a volley of crossbow bolts.

"whoosh whoosh"

Short crossbow bolts are fired in rapid succession, with each person able to fire three bolts in a row.

"Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding~"

The group continued to defend themselves. Ding Baiying's apprentice was hit by an arrow, but the wound was not fatal. The four of them retreated while continuing to block.

As the Imperial Guards saw an opening appear in front of Zhou Miaoyun, arrows shot towards her. Zhou Miaoyun had no martial arts skills, and if she were hit in a vital spot by a crossbow bolt, she would surely die.

"Crack~!"

The crossbow bolt suddenly broke in half, the two pieces of the arrow missing Zhou Miaoyun and not harming her.

Ignoring Zhou Miaoyun's cries, Ding Baiying grabbed her and left; the four of them disappeared beyond the bamboo forest.

Ling Yunkai chased after him for a while but couldn't find any trace of him, so he returned to the bamboo house.

Zhou Miaoyun is gone, but there are still secrets in the bamboo house!

"Go and open that bamboo house."

He pointed to the bamboo house where Chen Zhan was.

I just saw and heard it with my own eyes; Zhou Miaoyun wouldn't let me into this room.
There must be some secret, but for safety's sake, let's have someone investigate first.

"Yes"

Although the junior officer was somewhat fearful, as the hiding places of treacherous officials might be difficult to guard against, this was exactly what the Embroidered Uniform Guard was doing, given the order from their superior.

The long knife pushed open the bamboo door and lifted the bamboo curtain.

When I looked in, what I saw was not a person.
Instead, it was a pile of metal fragments, some round, some irregularly square, some long, but they looked neither like gold nor iron.

A strange feeling arose in the junior officer's heart, and he thought to himself, "What the hell is this?"

Let's look further inside.

A person sat cross-legged on the bed, motionless and not breathing, as if he were dead.

But what's even stranger is what this person has.
The skin on the chest, neck, and shoulders was fair and tender, like newborn skin, but the rest of the body was charred black, making it unrecognizable as human!

The junior officer was stunned and stared at it for a long time.

"What's going on? Are there any traps or hidden weapons inside?" Ling Yunkai urged.

"It seems there are no hidden mechanisms or concealed weapons, but..." The junior officer stepped back, shaking his head.

"But what?"

It looks like a person, but it's unclear whether they're dead or alive.

(End of this chapter)