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

Chapter 348 The Bao Butong Scandal and the Death of Evil

After waiting for about half a cup of tea's time, a ferry slowly arrived.

An old woman stood at the bow of the boat, her hair gray and her face etched with the marks of time, yet her rowing motions were steady and powerful.

Chen Zhan and Gu Yu exchanged a glance, then leaped onto the deck. The boat swayed only slightly, remaining as stable as flat ground.

"Old man, please take us to Canhezhuang."

Chen Zhan spoke, casually taking out a silver ingot and handing it over.

The old woman glanced at the two men, her gaze lingering on them for a moment, but she didn't take the silver. She simply shook her head and said, "You two are honored guests of the Murong family, so the ferry fee is waived."

Having said that, he turned the boat around, plunged the bamboo oar into the water, creating a ripple, and slowly sailed the boat toward the center of Taihu Lake.

Gu Yu frowned slightly, leaned close to Chen Zhan and whispered, "Master, we haven't revealed our identities, how do we know we're honored guests?"

Chen Zhan remained calm, his gaze sweeping across the lake's surface. He said indifferently, "Since we're here, let's make the best of it. It doesn't matter if you know."

The surface of Taihu Lake is vast, and the morning mist has not yet dissipated, so the distant scenery is shrouded in a hazy layer of water vapor.

The old woman rowed at a fast pace, and after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a well-arranged village appeared ahead. With its blue bricks and gray tiles, it was built along the water and surrounded by reeds, looking quite impressive.

But Chen Zhan's gaze darkened, and as the boat drew closer, he slowly spoke: "This is not Canhe Village."

More than ten years ago, he traveled to Jiangnan. Although he did not set foot in Canhe Manor, he knew that the Murong family's Canhe Manor was built in Yanziwu, deep in Taihu Lake, surrounded by waterside pavilions and corridors, which was completely different from the layout of the manor in front of him.

The manor in front of me looks more like an ordinary lakeside villa, lacking the rich heritage passed down through generations of the Murong family.

The old woman remained silent, but increased the speed of her rowing, and soon brought the boat to the dock on the shore.

As soon as the boat came to a stop, a hearty laugh echoed from inside the manor, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

A man dressed in a light blue outfit strode out. He was tall and strong, with a hint of arrogance on his face, and a curved knife was hanging at his waist.

It was Feng Bo'e, one of the four great retainers of the Murong family.

"Hahaha! As expected, we have another customer!"

"I knew it! These days have been quite lively."

Feng Bo'e's gaze was sharp as it fell directly on Chen Zhan and Gu Yu, his eyes filled with fighting spirit: "I am Feng Bo'e. I guessed that you two wanted to see my young master, so I waited here for you."

Gu Yu stepped forward and said coldly, "We're going to Canhe Village. What kind of place is this?"

"Xuan Shuang Manor is my manor. It's normal that you two are looking for my young master; many people are looking for him."

"But my young master can't be seen by just anyone."

Feng Bo'e grinned and waved his hand: "However—"

He changed the subject, his gaze falling on Chen Zhan, his tone filled with even more fighting spirit: "I, Feng Bo'e, love nothing more than sparring with others. How about we have a friendly match first? If you can defeat me, I will personally escort you two to see my young master!"

Before he finished speaking, he drew his curved sword from his waist, and with a flash of light, it slashed straight at Chen Zhan's face with a sharp gust of wind.

Feng Bo'e was in high spirits. His martial arts were known for their fierceness and speed, and he showed no mercy in his attacks. Clearly, he really wanted to have a good fight with Chen Zhan.

Upon seeing this, Gu Yu immediately drew her sword to help, but Chen Zhan stopped her with a raised hand.

Chen Zhan moved slightly, lightly dodging the blade. His footwork was slow and seemingly unsteady, yet he always managed to avoid Feng Bo'e's attacks perfectly.

"Good form!"

Seeing that Chen Zhan only defended and did not attack, Feng Bo'e was not annoyed at all, but became even more excited. His swordsmanship became more and more fierce, and the wind from his swordsmanship howled, making the surrounding air rustle.

His scimitar moves were cunning, sometimes slashing straight down, sometimes horizontally, and sometimes transforming into points of light that attacked Chen Zhan's vital points. Each move contained immense power.

But Chen Zhan remained completely at ease, dodging with the grace of a leisurely stroll, his blade flashing and his inner force sweeping through the air.

Each time, he was just an inch away from hitting Chen Zhan.

Moreover, it was only one inch long, not even half an inch more or less.

"Hey! You brat, why are you only dodging and not fighting?"

After fighting for dozens of rounds, Feng Bo'e gradually became out of breath. Seeing that he couldn't even touch the hem of Chen Zhan's clothes, he became a little annoyed and shouted loudly.

Chen Zhan smiled faintly and said, "Your martial arts are decent, but you are too impatient. If you continue like this, you will be exhausted in less than a hundred moves."

"Nonsense!"

Unwilling to accept defeat, Feng Bo'e suddenly exerted his strength, his curved blade drawing an arc as he aimed directly at Chen Zhan's lower body.

Just then, Chen Zhan finally moved. He shifted his feet and instantly closed in on Feng Bo'e, lightly tapping a pressure point on his wrist with his finger.

Chen Zhan's finger force did not touch his wrist, but instead used his internal force to strike from the air, only an inch away.

"Ouch!"

"The Formless Finger of Calamity?"

Feng Bo'e felt a numbness in his wrist, and he could no longer hold the curved knife, which fell to the ground with a clatter.

He was about to back away when he found that his legs wouldn't obey him, leaving him frozen in place, staring at Chen Zhan in astonishment.

"How do you know the Formless Finger Technique? Are you a lay Shaolin monk?"

"No, no, lay disciples cannot receive the true teachings, let alone the Seventy-Two Unique Skills."

"It's just acupressure technique," Chen Zhan replied, stopping his hand.

"Bullshit! The Meridian-Locking Technique involves internal energy flowing throughout the entire body. How could it possibly be an acupoint striking technique? It's clearly the Shaolin Formless Finger-Locking Technique!"

A roar came from inside the manor, and then a man in a purple robe walked out. He had a thin face and sharp eyes.

The packages are different.

As soon as he came out, he pointed at Chen Zhan and shouted, "You won by using Shaolin Kung Fu, which is not honorable!"

Upon seeing Bao Butong, Feng Bo'e immediately shouted, "Bao Laosan, quickly release my acupoints!"

Bao Butong didn't bother with Feng Bo'e first; he couldn't undo the acupoints of the Wuxiang Jiezhi, but he also couldn't admit it.

Instead, he sneered at Chen Zhan: "You have quite the nerve, daring to injure my brother on the Murong family's territory! I, Bao Butong, will be the first to object!"

Feng Bo'e was immobilized by the pressure point strike and was sweating profusely. He shouted, "Bao Laosan, stop wasting words with him! Take this kid down first, then slowly ask him about his background!"

Bao Butong snorted, his figure blurred as he pounced forward, his palm strike fierce, aimed straight at Chen Zhan's face.

His martial arts skills lean towards agility and his moves are tricky, which is completely different from Feng Bo'e's fierceness.

"All you can do is dodge? If you're so capable, take one of my moves!" Bao Butong roared, channeling his inner strength into his palm and striking out fiercely.

Chen Zhan lightly touched the ground with his feet, his figure drifting away like a willow catkin, easily dodging Bao Butong's palm strike.

The sound of oars came from the lake, and a small boat came cutting through the waves. A man in a blue robe stood at the bow, with a square face and a calm demeanor.

"Second Brother Gongye, you've finally arrived! Let's join forces and take down this brat!"

"This kid knows the Shaolin Wuxiang Jiezhi technique and has acupunctured my pressure points!" Feng Bo'e was overjoyed.

Gongye Qian frowned and looked at Chen Zhan. He was known for his palm techniques and was hailed as the second best palm technique master in the Jiangnan martial arts world, second only to Murong Fu.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bao Butong stepped aside, panting heavily, and said, "Second Brother Gongye, this kid is very strange. Let's join forces to take him down!"

He knew he was no match for Gongye Qian on his own, but with Gongye Qian's help, he felt much more confident.

Chen Zhan glanced at Gongye Qian indifferently and said in a flat tone, "I heard you are the second best in palm techniques in Jiangnan? Perfect, I am also skilled in palm techniques."

Having said that, he raised his hand and struck out to meet Gongye Qian's palm strike.

When Gongye Qian saw him take the initiative to attack, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then pushed his internal energy to its limit, and his palm glowed with a faint light. This was his signature move, "Silk Palm." This palm technique looks gentle, but in fact, the internal energy is long and continuous. Once you are entangled in it, it is difficult to get rid of it.

"Bang!" The two palms collided with a muffled sound.

Gongye Qian felt a surge of immense internal force rushing towards him, as if he had crashed into an impenetrable wall. His arm went numb instantly, and the internal force in his palm began to dissipate uncontrollably.

With this palm strike, the internal energy he had been gathering in his hand was enough to entangle his opponent.

Suddenly, he was shaken apart and his body was forced to take three steps back uncontrollably, leaving shallow marks on the bluestone slabs beneath his feet.

His expression changed drastically, and he looked at Chen Zhan in disbelief: "The One-Slap Two-Separation Palm? The ultimate technique of Master Xuanji, the head of the Disciplinary Hall, how could you possibly know it?"

The name "One Slap, Two Scattered" comes from its terrifying power: when it strikes a stone, stone chips scatter; when it strikes a person, their soul is scattered.

Hence the name "One Shot, Two Separations".

This palm technique has only one move, one move to defeat the enemy, one move to win.

Chen Zhan did not kill him; otherwise, Gongye Qian would not have suffered the collapse of his internal energy, but rather the separation of his flesh and bones.

"If he's only second in the Jiangnan Palm Technique, his skills are so poor that even the best palm technique master wouldn't be much better," Gu Yu remarked sarcastically from the side.

"Bullshit! Bullshit!" Bao Butong immediately jumped up, pointing at Chen Zhan and cursing loudly.

"How dare any Tom, Dick, or Harry criticize my young master's palm techniques? Although Second Brother Gongye's palm techniques are good, they are not even thirty percent as powerful as my young master's!"

Feng Bo'e also said urgently, "That's right! My young master's martial arts are unfathomable. You brat, don't be so arrogant!"

Even though his pressure points were pressed, he still didn't forget to protect Murong Fu.

Upon hearing this, Gongye Qian's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

He had always been proud of being the second-best palm technique in Jiangnan. Although he knew he was not as good as Murong Fu, he was unwilling to be told in public that he was only at 30% of Murong Fu's level.

But Bao Butong's words were meant to protect Murong Fu, and he couldn't refute them. He could only grunt and stare at Chen Zhan with a livid face.

His internal energy circulated silently, easing the shock he had just experienced.

Chen Zhan sensed the tension in their expressions and shook his head inwardly.

These four retainers of the Murong family were indeed no different from what I remembered: some were impulsive, others loved to argue, and none of them had any cunning.

“You all seem to have a good understanding of Shaolin martial arts.”

These words were calm and unassuming, yet they made Gongye Qian and the other two feel a chill run down their spines.

Chen Zhan continued, "The Formless Finger is one thing, but 'One Slap, Two Separations' is a secret technique passed down by Master Xuanji, the head of the Shaolin Disciplinary Hall. Even ordinary Shaolin disciples rarely see it, yet the three of you recognized it at a glance. What, is there some unknown cooperation between the Murong family and Shaolin?"

Upon hearing this, Gongye Qian and Bao Butong were both speechless, and even Feng Bo'e, whose acupoints had been pressed, was stunned.

The three of them belatedly realized that in their haste, they had blurted out the martial arts style, which had given the opponent an opening.

They did recognize these Shaolin skills, but the reason for this must never be told to outsiders.

Bao Butong was the first to come to his senses, shouting at the top of his lungs, "No, no! You brat, stop talking nonsense!"

"Shaolin martial arts are renowned throughout the world, and many of their techniques are recorded. My Murong family has always studied martial arts from all over the world, and we are known for our ability to 'use their own methods against them.' So what's so strange about recognizing a few Shaolin skills?"

He spoke with conviction, but his eyes darted around.

Gongye Qian, having recovered his composure, said in a deep voice, "You need not sow discord here. Although Shaolin's skills are exquisite, they are not secrets that are not passed down. It is not surprising that we recognize them. On the contrary, you possess many Shaolin skills of unknown origin, and you should explain them clearly."

"It's easy to explain. Just ask Xuanji."

Chen Zhan scoffed, his eyes turning cold, and he was too lazy to argue any further. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'll go to Canhe Manor and ask Murong Bo myself. Gu Yu."

“Master.” Gu Yu responded and stepped forward.

"Caught."

"Leave one alive; kill the rest if they block the way. The village must be quite lively right now, so we can take one alive to question them."

As soon as Chen Zhan finished speaking, Gu Yu flicked her wrist, and the Bi Shui Sword transformed into a streak of green light, its sword energy piercing straight through the sky.

The morning mist over Taihu Lake had not yet dissipated, but after being swept away by this sharp sword energy, it receded to both sides like a tide, revealing the clear lake surface and the wooden frames standing along the shore.

"This...this is the Profound Realm!" Gongye Qian's pupils shrank, and he exclaimed in shock.

He had once exchanged three blows with Qiao Feng of the Beggars' Sect in his early years, barely managing to draw, and had witnessed the aura of a top master. At this moment, the energy around Gu Yu was even more formidable than that of Qiao Feng.

In the entire Jiangnan martial arts world, there are only a handful of experts at the Tongxuan Realm, and even Murong Fu has not yet reached this level.

He had thought that this girl was only at the Innate Realm, and even if she was powerful, the three of them might not have no chance of winning if they fought with all their might. But when he saw Gu Yu's sword move slightly and a powerful aura surge around her, his heart sank.

Bao Butong was about to help Feng Bo'e onto the boat when he heard this, and his face turned pale instantly.

No matter how arrogant he was, he knew what the Profound Realm meant—an overwhelming gap in strength.

Feng Bo'e's acupoints were sealed, rendering him unable to move. He stared at the sword energy tearing through the mist with horror in his eyes.

"Bao San, take Lao Si with you!"

"Quickly inform the young master, another unpleasant guest has arrived!"

Gongye Qian roared and lunged at Gu Yu, channeling his inner strength to its limit, unleashing a powerful palm strike with his last remaining power.

He knew he was no match for them and only hoped to buy them a moment to escape.

Gu Yu chuckled softly, spun her longsword, and countless streaks of azure sword energy poured out, sweeping like a torrential rain towards the wooden frame and moored boats on the shore.

The sound of "crack" continued, the wooden frame shattered, and several small boats were cut into pieces by the sword energy, with wood chips and water splashing everywhere.

Only the ferry boat beside Chen Zhan remained unharmed.

Without boats, the vast Taihu Lake becomes a dead end, with no way to escape.

Bao Butong stared at the shattered boat, jumping up and down in a panic, muttering repeatedly, "No way! You vixen, how dare you destroy my Murong family's ship..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was abruptly stopped by the murderous intent in Gu Yu's eyes.

Gu Yu felt an uncontrollable rage when she thought of the gruesome sight of severed limbs in the dark room of Fengqiao Temple last night.

Every member of the Murong family is inextricably linked to the tragedy, and this argumentative Bao Butong is even more annoying.

She flashed, her sword moving with her. A streak of green light flashed, and Bao Butong's voice came to an abrupt halt. His head rolled to the ground, and blood splattered onto the lake.

Feng Bo'e was unable to move and watched helplessly as Bao Butong died tragically, utterly horrified.

Before he could even cry out in alarm, a sword aura swept across his body, instantly severing half of his body, leaving him covered in blood and dead on the spot.

Upon seeing the two men perish instantly, Gongye Qian was greatly shocked, and his palm techniques immediately became chaotic.

He unleashed two powerful palm strikes, the sword energy sweeping across his shoulder, blood splattering, his arm going limp, the force of his palm strikes dissipating.

Gu Yu lunged forward, pressing the tip of her sword against his throat. Gongye Qian, utterly exhausted, collapsed to the ground, his face filled with despair.

The four powerful retainers, who had dominated the martial arts world for over a decade, were unexpectedly unable to withstand even a single move from the three of them working together.
Chen Zhan walked slowly to him, looking down at him: "Take me to Canhe Village."

Gongye Qian clenched his teeth and remained silent.

But when his eyes met Chen Zhan's, he suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented, his body sinking deeper and deeper as if he were falling into an endless hell.

"How do I get to Canhe Village?" Chen Zhan asked again.

“Go north for thirteen miles, and you will see a village full of blooming flowers. Go another ten miles to the east, and you will find Canhe Village.”

Gongye Qian spoke haltingly, as if he had lost his mind.

(End of this chapter)