Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 118 Facing the Grandmaster
"Wait! Wait!"

Pang Xu was stunned to see Luo Shijun being captured by the Six Doors.

Even knowing that Luo Shijun was heartless, he still hesitated to immediately decide to put aside his own family for the greater good.

However, Pang Lingyi's plan did not leave Luo Shijun any way out.

Pang Lingyi even predicted that, given her second brother's personality, once he discovered the toxicity of the evening primrose, he would definitely clash with this uncle.

Now look what's happened, they've openly turned on each other.

It was later proven that Luo Shijun planned to use poisonous flowers to murder his sister and niece. The two sides had long since lost any affection for each other, and even the Confucian principle of protecting one's relatives was not applicable to such family members.

If the Six Doors then convict Tongliao of a serious crime, the Pang family can easily absolve themselves of any responsibility.

"Pangji! You deliberately sent your son to confront me! How ruthless of you!!"

Luo Shijun also thought he understood.

What he didn't know was that it was his fifteen-year-old niece who had orchestrated it, and he only believed it to be the scheme of the old scoundrel Pang Ji.

His eyes blinked rapidly as he racked his brains for a way to retaliate, growing more and more desperate with each thought.

The Luo family has indeed provided a lot of support to the Pang family over the years, but it has mainly been in the form of financial support.

Pongi never participates in or listens to truly evil deeds.

To think that one could bring down a high-ranking official through mere financial dealings is nothing short of delusional.

"wrong!"

But just as he was about to give up all hope, Luo Shijun glanced at the six doors and suddenly realized something: "You all knew who was in Tianxiang Tower all along, didn't you?"

Not wanting to cause any further trouble, Li Wuxing coldly said, "Shut up! Take him out!"

"You knew! You knew!"

"That man was the late emperor's personal alchemist. Back then, every powerful and influential person in the capital considered it an honor to receive even one of his pills. But as soon as the late emperor passed away, the Empress Dowager turned her back on him and wanted to execute him. It was only because Lao Jun Temple protected him that he was spared!"

"But that's understandable, Xuan Yinzi knows far too much!"

"During the war between Song and Liao, many martial arts practitioners who participated in the battle were seriously injured but failed to return to their sects. How did they disappear?"

"During the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, the late emperor toured the Heavenly Court, and the Heavenly Book was lost and then recovered. What happened?"

"And what happened to the Empress Dowager's biological son six years ago? How did he suddenly die of illness?"

Luo Shijun not only didn't shut up, but instead talked on and on.

As his voice echoed inside and outside, the hall gradually quieted down.

It was eerily quiet.

It was deathly still.

Not only were the guards of the Luo family trembling with fear.

Even the staff and servants of the Six Doors were terrified and remained silent.

Li Wuxing stared intently at him, forcing out two words through gritted teeth: "Take him away!!"

Luo Shijun flashed a hysterical smile and yelled at the terrified Pang Xu, "Go back and tell your father that you think you can get rid of me? Not so easy! Not so easy!! Even if I die, I'll drag you all down with me!!"

Pang Xu had a vague feeling that something terrible had happened, but he instinctively looked at Zhan Zhao and asked in a trembling voice, "Master, what should we do?"

It was Zhan Zhao who had just struck Luo Shijun's mute acupoint. Unexpectedly, as soon as the mute was lifted, the other party uttered these shocking words: "Second Young Master, go back and tell your father in detail what you saw and heard today."

"Good! Good!"

Pang Xu didn't dare to linger and dashed out in a flash.

After Li Wuxing escorted Luo Shijun out, he returned and said to Zhan Zhao and Gu Lin, "Masters, there are still a group of dancers and servants in Tianxiang Tower. Now that we have confirmed that Xuan Yinzi, the abandoned disciple of Lao Jun Temple, is among them, I would like to rescue those people as well."

If it were Luo Shijun, he wouldn't even consider the Twelve Beauties of Tianxiang and their servants as human beings, let alone risk his life for them.

But the three people present were exactly the opposite of Luo Shijun in temperament, and Gu Lin immediately nodded: "That's exactly right!"

Zhan Zhao smiled and said, "Now that we're here, how can we not pay our respects to that grandmaster?"

The three of them arrived at Tianxiang Tower once again.

Standing in front of the building, one can see a seven-story vermilion pavilion rising from the ground, with bells tinkling from the eaves.

In a daze, it seemed as if a gaze overlooking all living beings descended from the clouds.

Without hesitation, the three stepped into the building.

As she entered the hall, Shi Xiaoxiao came out to greet her: "Detective Li? The two masters? What brings you here...?"

Looking at the leader of the Twelve Beauties of Heavenly Fragrance, Li Wuxing was certain that he had been tricked before.

If they follow Lin Mama's clues, the Six Doors will not only gain nothing, but may also get themselves into trouble, and the other party may even mislead the direction of the investigation.

Even so, he did not reprimand him, but simply said, "Luo Shijun's crime of colluding with the Liao people has been exposed. He has been arrested and brought to the Six Doors. Go and call everyone out of the building and get out as soon as possible!"

Shi Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhan Zhao and Gu Lin, clearly disbelieving.

Zhan Zhaoping said calmly, "What Constable Li said is true."

Shi Xiaoxiao's expression changed. After a moment of surprise, instead of feeling relieved, she looked miserable and gave a deep bow: "This servant thanks the three righteous men for their rescue. I will call for help immediately..."

After saying that, he turned around and slowly walked upstairs.

The three fell silent.

Neither Li Wuxing nor Gu Lin were greenhorns just starting out in the martial world, and Zhan Zhao, with his experience of two lifetimes, naturally understood that Shi Xiaoxiao's so-called thanks were not sincere at all.

Because they truly haven't escaped their suffering.

After the downfall of the Luo family, the Twelve Beauties of Tianxiang had no choice but to return to the brothels of Xiaotianshui Lane. Compared to the Tianxiang Pavilion of the Luo family, which held banquets all year round, they not only had to entertain people with their beauty more frequently, but also found it difficult to escape their lowly status.

Therefore, although they feared Luo Shijun, they were willing to live such a life and get to know the distinguished guests who came to Luo's mansion.

Marrying a江湖客 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world) like Sun Tao would be a good way out, so it's no wonder that they went to great lengths to cover it up for him. Zhan Zhao said, "Luo Shijun just revealed some old news, and we'll have to trouble the Six Doors to keep an eye on the old people in the Luo family."

Li Wuxing's eyes flickered: "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand now."

Realizing that Luo Shijun was truly finished, weeping and wailing soon came from above. Before long, one after another, the dancers filed down, leading their maids and servants, and headed out of the building.

The number of people dwindled until finally an old woman emerged. Li Wuxing asked, "Is everyone gone?"

The old woman lifted her wrinkled eyelids slightly: "That's all."

Li Wuxing asked, "What about the seventh floor, the top floor?"

The old woman's withered lips split open towards her ears, revealing a dark, toothless cavity: "That... isn't human!"

Li Wuxing's pupils contracted, and Gu Lin's expression changed slightly. Only Zhan Zhao looked at the old woman and said calmly, "Let's go!"

The three of them climbed the steps.

As you pass through the empty embroidered chambers, a heavy sense of oppression gradually emerges.

It was as if a ferocious beast was lurking on the top floor, which had previously been wary of outsiders and had concealed its presence.

Now that everyone is gone, the building is empty, finally unleashing its suffocating pressure without restraint.

By the time they reached the sixth floor, the invisible oppression had transformed into a solid barrier, standing in front of them.

Standing before the last set of steps, I felt a sense of difficulty in taking another step.

"go!"

However, the three exchanged glances, which only fueled their fighting spirit.

With my back straight, I stepped onto the stairs.

Li Wuxing walked the fastest, seemingly wanting to rush to the front and take the pressure off the other two, but soon his pace slowed down, his joints cracking like thunder, each step feeling like a heavy burden, causing the steps to tremble slightly.

Gu Lin's steps were the most graceful, clearly demonstrating the essence of the Divine Wandering Step. His robes fluttered, leaving afterimages as if he were swimming upstream, like a fish swimming against the current, seeking an opening to ascend.

Zhan Zhao walked the most steadily, climbing the steps one by one. No matter how the pressure changed, his steps were steady and each step was exactly the right size.

Finally, the three of them arrived at the seventh floor together.

Upon entering, one sees the previously closed door open, from which wisps of smoke billow out.

'Could it be that Xuan Yinzi is refining pills at this moment?'

Li Wuxing's gaze darkened.

Given how things have progressed, it's impossible for Xuan Yinzi to be completely unaware of the changes happening in the Luo family.

To attempt alchemy at this moment would be far too arrogant.

But when the three of them actually entered the room, they found that it was not as they had imagined. There was no huge alchemy furnace, smoky and fiery, and all the necessary alchemy tools.

The room was surprisingly spacious, with bookshelves lining the walls, the books piled up haphazardly like jagged rocks.

On a prayer mat in the center, an old Taoist priest sat cross-legged. His body was as red as gold and as hot as fire. Amidst the surging heat, he resembled a human-shaped elixir, perfectly round and flawless, shining brightly.

'The Martial Arts Classic!'

In the minds of all three, an unparalleled divine skill appeared.

The Martial Dao De Jing is the supreme martial art of Lao Jun Temple and ranks first on the Bai Yu Lou Heart Sutra list.

Even within Laozi Temple, only a handful of people could fully master this unique skill; it was difficult for even one person to emerge in a generation. As a result, it was divided into four lineages.

The alchemy school is one such lineage, which "uses the body as a furnace, qi as fire, spirit as medicine, and martial arts to create the elixir."

A normal martial artist opens up their innate Qi Sea, while a master alchemist guides the Qi throughout the body to merge like mercury and lead, like dragon and tiger uniting, to form a "small elixir" in the Dantian.

When one formally enters the realm of martial arts grandmaster, one's entire being can transform into a "human essence elixir" that cultivates both life and spirit.

Just like Xuan Yinzi at this moment.

"I thought I would see old friends, but I didn't expect to see three juniors!"

Xuan Yinzi closed his eyes and spoke calmly: "One of you practices the Iron Blood Wedding Dress Skill of the Great Banner Sect and has already reached the Clothing Realm. With your talent, you should pass the Dispersal Skill Barrier before you are forty. If you pass it, you will have a chance to become a Grandmaster."

Even though the other person hadn't opened their eyes, Li Wuxing knew they were looking at him, and immediately pointed out a rare encounter that even within the Six Doors was seldom known.

"One of them practices the Heart Sword Divine Technique of Gu Menglai, the 'Heart Swordsman.' To have such skill at such a young age, it seems he has experienced the full spectrum of human emotions. He has the potential to become a grandmaster!"

Gu Lin also felt the other person's gaze fall on him, and judging from the tone of their voice, they had a past relationship with his maternal grandfather.

"what?"

Finally, Xuan Yinzi's spiritual senses landed on Zhan Zhao.

Then he slowly opened his eyes.

Both Li Wuxing and Gu Lin felt a chill run down their spines.

Xuan Yinzi had a slender face and three long, snow-white beard, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance. But when he opened his eyes, his demeanor changed drastically.

This Taoist priest actually has double pupils.

Those eyes had two pupils; the outer pupil was normal, but there was an inner pupil that shifted slightly as it moved, like a fish swimming underwater, giving people an inexplicable feeling of dizziness.

To be precise, this is actually called double pupils, but in ancient times it was discussed together with double pupils, both being a kind of abnormality.

According to ancient records, people with double pupils were generally considered to be saints.

For example, "Cangjie had four eyes and became the historian of the Yellow Emperor," "Shun had two eyes, which is called double pupils," and "Shun had double pupils, and thus he was able to abdicate the throne to Yao."

The closest figure is Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty, who, according to records, had double pupils in one eye.

Unexpectedly, this Xuan Yinzi also has double pupils.

At this moment, his eyes fell on Zhan Zhao, exuding an increasingly strong sense of pressure, yet his tone contained a hint of doubt: "Young man, what kind of martial art do you practice?"

(End of this chapter)