Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 241 The Art of the Life and Death Talisman (4k6)

"It just so happened that the lord of the Seven Star Linked Docks in Jiangnan was changing every five years, and many famous figures in the Jiangnan martial arts world were invited to the Zhu Family Manor."

That ruthless demon was incredibly arrogant; he committed crimes in the Zhu Family Village, even murdering the widow of the Beggars' Sect's elder.

"What? Isn't he afraid?"

"Afraid? Hasn't the notorious thief done enough arrogant and ruthless things in the past? When have you ever seen him afraid?"

"But this time he really messed up."

He thought he had covered his tracks perfectly, but then Constable Li found a few strands of hair in the bathtub and deduced from the pollen that the murderer was inside the manor, gradually leading him out.

"Pollen? Can that be used to solve crimes?"

This Officer Li is truly meticulous.

"What's so surprising? You all don't know yet, do you? When the true identity of that master thief was revealed, it shocked all the heroes of the martial arts world."

"Who is it?"

Could he be a renowned martial arts master, or a celebrated hero, secretly committing the crime?

"No, no one expected that the master thief was actually a woman, the wife of Kuang Zhenyue, one of the four masters of the Seven Star Linked Fortresses in Jiangnan."

"What? How could a lewd demon who rapes and abducts be a woman?"

Brother, please stop joking.

"You don't know this, there is a kind of person in this world called a hermaphrodite, a person with two forms."

"Hermaphrodite, isn't that an insult?"

"You're right. That thief who washed his clothes was a born hermaphrodite. It was because he used the identity of Kuang Zhenyue's wife as a cover that no one was able to find him until he committed his crimes and fell into the hands of Li Fu, the Dragon Palm Master."

"The master thief who washes himself is a hermaphrodite—that's too outrageous!"

"This is appalling, comparable to the case of the Kyoto nun Dong Shixiu many years ago!"

"That's right. Dong Shixiu was a nun who tricked people into sharing a bed with her. This thief who washed his body turned into a womanizer and forcibly harmed countless women. He was even worse than Dong Shixiu."

"Listen to me, but even though the person has been found, things aren't that simple."

That villain's martial arts skills were terrifyingly high; even the combined might of Zhu Tinggao, the Land Dragon; Shen Cang, the Azure Wave Swordsman; and Ouyang Jin, the Heavenly Net Hand, couldn't withstand two of his moves.

What?!

This is too exaggerated. Zhu Tinggao's martial arts have reached the pinnacle. The Divine Dragon Staff Technique is a peerless martial art of unparalleled power and strength. The Azure Wave Sword Master is also a renowned swordsman in the martial arts world.

The Heavenly Net Hand is no ordinary person.

They can't even withstand two attacks combined?

Isn't this rumor a huge exaggeration?

"exaggerate?

Let me tell you, there were at least thirty to fifty martial arts masters in Jiangnan during that battle!

What was the result?

Along with those three lords of the fortress, weren't they all prominent figures?

They were all either killed or seriously injured!

"This—this—"

"I heard that the villain practiced a strange skill called the Yin-Yang Harmony True Scripture. It is said to be a martial art left behind by the Grand Eunuch Li Jingzhong. It requires castration to harmonize Yin and Yang in order to master it."

But that master thief was a born hermaphrodite, possessing both male and female features. He achieved this without castration, and his training was twice as effective, like a fish in water, his internal energy as profound as that of a demon.

"So who finally took care of him?"

"And who else? Of course, it's Li Fu, who unleashed the Divine Dragon Palm!"

This brings us to the second point that caused a sensation in the martial arts world regarding this case.

Have you ever heard of sword energy taking form?

"Sword energy taking shape? What's that? I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before."

"Sword energy taking shape, isn't that the legendary sword technique that has been lost for nearly a hundred years? No one has mastered it for over a hundred years!"

How is that possible?

"But it's true. That Constable Li is said to be no more than twenty years old. He is truly a genius. His sword energy condenses into an invisible sword, sometimes long and sometimes short, cutting iron like mud. Its power is unpredictable."

Even though the Body-Cleansing Thief's protective aura made him impervious to blades and spears, and immune to water and fire, and he possessed a pair of Heavenly Silkworm Gloves stolen from Ouyang Jin, they were as fragile as paper before the materialized sword energy!

"Moreover, it is rumored that Li Fushi unleashed his final, earth-shattering sword technique—'Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens'!"

"A celestial being descending from the heavens?"

"right!

Legend has it that when that sword was unleashed, even the moonlight paled in comparison.

The sword light was like a cascading Milky Way from the heavens, dazzling and magnificent to the extreme, ethereal and transcendent, unlike anything in the mortal world.

Everyone present, including unparalleled masters like Zhu Tinggao and sword masters like Shen Cang, were captivated by the sight, saying it was the most powerful, decisive, and elegant sword technique they had ever seen.

Compared to this, all other sword techniques pale in comparison; it is truly the pinnacle of swordsmanship!

"These days, everyone in the martial arts world is saying that the nickname 'Divine Dragon Palm' is hardly fitting for that Officer Li."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Officer Li's palm technique is indeed powerful, but his swordsmanship is equally unparalleled. He has always been skilled in both palm and sword. This time, his capture and killing of the thief who washed himself has revealed the supreme swordsmanship that is almost a myth in the martial arts world, with sword energy taking shape."

Calling him "the one who can summon dragons with his palm" seems a bit of an exaggeration, doesn't it?

That makes sense.

Nicknames in the martial arts world should be true to their name.

Officer Li's swordsmanship is so divine that he certainly deserves a more fitting title.

"What should we call it?"

How about the Sword God?

"Sword God?"

This nickname is too grand; most people can't bear it.

"Why can't you bear it?"

The extraordinary skill of condensing sword energy reappeared in his hands, and the legend of the martial arts world became a reality once again.

In my opinion, Officer Li deserves the title of "Sword God"!

"The Sword God may be impressive, but he'll likely attract a lot of criticism and challenges. The person who gave him that nickname probably just wants him to have a lot of trouble, and is definitely not doing it for his own good."

"What's it called?"

"There's a saying in the martial arts world that his amazing sword technique, which killed the bandit with his last strike, has earned him a new nickname: Celestial Immortal."

"Li Fu, the Celestial Immortal?"

Using the name of his astonishing swordsmanship as his nickname is certainly reasonable, but isn't it a bit too perfunctory?

No, no.

This nickname refers not only to his amazing swordsmanship, but also to his celestial-like appearance!

Just think, that person, barely twenty years old, yet whose martial arts skills already rival those of Bodhidharma and Chongyang Zhenren, truly possesses an otherworldly appearance, as if he were not a visitor from this realm.

"Indeed, indeed, now that you mention it, 'Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens' is a fitting title, a ready-made one."

"The titles 'Sword God' and 'Sword Immortal' might still spark some debate, but that Officer Li should be able to afford them."

Even Zhu Su, the Fairy of the Immortal Capital who was defeated by him in the past, could be called a fairy, let alone him!

"A celestial being descending from the heavens, I truly long to witness his presence and swordsmanship, to see what unparalleled grace he must possess—"

"A celestial being descending from the heavens?"

At this moment, in a private room by the window on the third floor of a teahouse in Luzhou City.

A young man in a blue robe put down his teacup and listened to the conversation of the martial arts practitioners at the next table. The conversation drifted over to Li Fu, who was known as "Master of the Divine Dragon Palm," and to the people who wanted to meet him and learn about his swordsmanship. His expression was slightly strange.

He was Li Fu, who had just rushed from Jiangnan to Luzhou. Not long after arriving, he discovered that rumors were spreading like wildfire that the case of the Jiangnan Body-Washing Bandit had already reached him.

I overheard the above conversation while enjoying tea.

He really didn't expect the news to spread so quickly. Besides the Six Meridians Divine Sword, the fact that the Body-Washing Thief was a hermaphrodite probably also contributed to the spread of the news.

"But, the phrase 'Celestial Immortal'—besides being used as the name of a sword technique, can it actually be used as a nickname in the martial arts world?"

He also never expected to have such a nickname.

"I've heard that Constable Li is only in his early twenties, handsome, and always dressed in a blue robe. When he wields his sword, he's like a celestial being descended to earth. I wonder what kind of style he'll display when he condenses his sword energy into form—"

"My cousin from Jiangnan said that he witnessed that battle with his own eyes."

Officer Li, like a celestial being descending from the heavens, single-handedly settled the world with his sword; the brilliance of his sword light and the unparalleled grace of his bearing are beyond description!

"Speaking of which, although this person didn't come to Jiangnan on official business, he still solved another major case. His official rank should be about right up to the level of a top constable, like being transferred to the Six Doors headquarters?"

"With his martial arts skills, he would be wasting his talent to be a minor embroidered-clothes constable."

The Six Doors headquarters has at least a hundred Embroidered-Clad Constables, but how many Li Fus are there in the world?

"That's not entirely true."

The path from a lowly constable in a local area to a high-ranking constable in embroidered robes is vastly different from the honorary title of "Embroidered-Robe Constable" given by the Six Doors when recruiting top experts.

The latter is merely a title, unlike the former, who is truly entrusted with important responsibilities and, at crucial moments, can represent the court, carrying imperial edicts to the prefectures and governments, and have full authority over a major case.

"Speaking of which, I wonder if such a young hero is married yet—"

"It seems not. He's a renowned detective, handling major cases; he wouldn't have time for romance."

"It's about time. Speaking of which, which young lady or female knight-errant in the martial arts world is worthy of this one—"

The discussion at the next table continued, but it had gradually gone astray.

Li Fu held his teacup and raised an eyebrow.

He had been called "Divine Dragon from the Palm" for quite some time, and even though he wasn't used to it at first, he didn't expect it to be changed so quickly. It was even the four words "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens" that he was very familiar with that were used as a nickname.

People in the martial arts world are usually casual about choosing nicknames, but the use of words like "immortal" or "god" in nicknames is not something that can be done randomly. Whoever is given a nickname must have the corresponding ability to bear it.

Nicknames that sound good, pleasant to the ear, and catchy are usually valued and respected by fellow martial arts practitioners; ordinary people would want them but cannot obtain them.

People like Li Fu, who not only weren't delighted but also felt strange and slightly awkward, are probably very rare.

Li Fu shook his head, no longer thinking about these trivial matters that he had never paid much attention to, and turned his gaze to the window.

This teahouse is not far from the Prince of Nankang's mansion. Looking out from the railing, you can see the mansion's vermilion gate.

He came to Luzhou this time for something more important.

The streets were bustling with people, a scene of peace and tranquility.

Li Fu traveled all the way from Jiangnan to Luzhou, just to verify the news that his elder Wu Bo, who had raised him, had gone missing, and that the people of the Nankang Prince's Mansion were also searching for him for some unknown reason.

It should be noted that the reputation of the Prince of Nankang's mansion in the martial arts world and among the common people is not exactly good.

Regardless of the circumstances, Wu Bo had raised him, and he was determined to find him.

and----

Li Fu looked at the book before him, and with a thought, summoned the Heavenly Book.

As the saying goes, the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people. However, a true hero must not only serve his country and its people, but also take care of his own family and loved ones.

If a great hero cannot even be sure of the safety of his family and friends, how can he be called a hero?

Uncle Wu raised the hero single-handedly, and he deserves to live a peaceful and comfortable life in his old age. Now that the hero possesses superb martial arts skills, he should find his elders and make proper arrangements for them.

Find Wu Bo, and you will be rewarded with mastery of the Tianshan Six Yang Palm technique.

Unexpectedly, the search for Uncle Wu actually triggered the Heavenly Book.

Li Fu's gaze fell on the words "Tianshan Six Yang Palm".

This palm technique is indeed a unique skill among palm techniques, but for him now, although its power is strong, it is not something he can easily take seriously.

However, he was still extremely interested in this martial art.

Because he remembered one thing.

"Tianshan Six Yang Palms, Life and Death Talisman—"

Remember the Life and Death Talisman technique, which is a unique application of the Tianshan Six Yang Palm!

The Life and Death Talisman, once injected into the human body, can cause the afflicted person to suffer from excruciating itching and pain, as if being bitten by thousands of ants. The symptoms worsen day by day during an attack, continuing for eighty-one days in a cycle, leaving the person unable to live or die, and controlled by the one who cast the talisman. It is an extremely terrifying technique for controlling people.

The Life and Death Talisman was created and broken using the Six Yang Palms of Tianshan, imbued with Yin and Yang internal energy.

In Li Fu's eyes, the life-and-death talisman attached to this technique was far more valuable than the direct power of the Tianshan Six Yang Palm itself.

If used properly, the Life and Death Talisman technique can be used to establish a powerful force or sect in the martial arts world, or to raise a large army with generals and commanders willing to die for their cause. It is even possible to turn high-ranking officials in the imperial court into sycophants without anyone noticing. Its potential is limitless.

But right now, the first thing to do is to verify the authenticity of the news.

Did the Prince of Nankang's residence really send someone to look for Uncle Wu?

Why are you looking for it? You need to ask those questions first.

Li Fu picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and pondered to himself.

To find out the truth, we first need to ask someone from the Prince of Nankang's residence.

Whether others are willing to open up and reveal what they want to know is no longer an issue.

A glint of light flashed in Li Fu's eyes.

The question is, where should we look?

Although he had never taken royal authority seriously, he was not so arrogant as to directly break into the Prince of Nankang's residence to kidnap people. Doing so would have caused too much commotion and the consequences would be unpredictable.

Li Fu chose a more prudent approach.

This teahouse was not far from the Prince of Nankang's mansion; from the railing, one could see the mansion's main gate. He sat there for half a day, watching the people coming and going at the mansion's gate, looking for someone to target.

"If you're going to rob someone, you have to rob the right person."

Ideally, the person should be someone who has attendants, holds some position in the prince's residence, and has access to more information.

11

However, it is unclear whether the news is true or false.

Li Fu also did not want to rashly make a move against the truly important figures in the Nankang Prince's mansion, such as the Nankang Prince himself, the Princess Consort, or the Nankang Prince's children.

So he waited patiently.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the teahouse.

"Quick, hurry to Dongmen Street and see!" someone shouted as they ran upstairs, "That poor guy that Fan Taisui was trying to force out has appeared!"

"What?"

Many people immediately got up and went downstairs.

Several local guests seemed unfamiliar with the matter and were completely confused. They whispered among themselves, asking, "What mischief has Grand Duke Fan gotten himself into this time?"

Li Fu listened from the side, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Who is this Fan Taisui?

In Luzhou City, he seemed to be a truly formidable figure.

Judging from the tone of the crowd, the people seemed to be somewhat angry but dared not speak out against him. Moreover, since this man was used to doing evil deeds, as soon as they heard what he had done, they would directly ask, "What bad thing have you done this time?"

Didn't "Fan Tai Sui" hang a little girl on a flagpole on Dongmen Street before, leaving her to bake in the sun for two days without food or water, in an attempt to lure out her relatives?

It seems this time it's the little girl's relatives who have shown up, trying to kidnap her!

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion in the teahouse.

"What exactly happened?"

Someone explained.

"Hey, I heard it's a local family in Luzhou. That Fan Taisui found out that their ancestors were descendants of some extremely powerful martial arts masters. They have a family heirloom, the Rouge Knife, which can cut a hair in two."

"He then led the few skilled retainers from the royal palace who usually helped him bully men and women and commit all sorts of evil deeds, and broke into someone else's house."

Not only did they steal the precious sword, but they also slaughtered the entire family.

"I only heard that one young man survived because he was out adventuring in the martial arts world and was not at home."

"It's not enough that Fan Taisui got the precious sword; he also coveted the family's sword manual. In addition, fearing retaliation, he wanted to eliminate the root of the problem. He deliberately left a young girl from that family hanging on the flagpole to be exposed to the wind and sun, just to lure that person out and completely silence her."

"Now I hear that the poor young man finally got the news, fought his way back to Luzhou City, and, filled with resentment, appeared at the end of the long street with a long knife, intending to kidnap and rescue the man."

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

"Who is this Fan Taisui? He's utterly wicked and has no regard for the law. Is nobody going to do anything about it?" someone shouted angrily.

The man gave a wry smile.

"The law?"

Can the law control Fan Taisui?

You're not from here, are you?

That Fan Taisui is the Princess Consort of Nankang's own younger brother, protected by several skilled retainers from the Prince's mansion. Who could possibly control him?

"The Princess Consort of Nankang's younger brother?" At this moment, Li Fu's eyes flickered.