Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 262 The Death of the Strange Ape and Entering the Tang Sect (4k6)

The strange ape fell to the ground, but did not immediately run away.

It rolled over and stood up, its emerald green eyes fixed on Li Fu.

Those eyes revealed an emotion akin to anger and tyranny, as if they possessed a high level of intelligence.

It let out a low roar, but instead of retreating, it pawed at the ground with its claws, poised to pounce, and was about to charge at Li Fu.

Li Fu raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone flat: "What a vicious beast, so stubborn and unyielding."

Most wild beasts will flee at the slightest sign of trouble and would never risk injury to fight to the death with humans.

But this strange ape was completely different.

Even after being pointed at, he still lunged forward, as if he wouldn't rest until he tore his target to pieces.

He withdrew his gaze, extended his right hand, and waved it gently.

Bai Hong's palm strike flew out, drawing an arc in the air before accurately striking the strange ape.

The monstrous ape's massive body was sent sliding backward several feet by the blow, crashing into a wooden table.

It roared as it got up and pounced again.

Li Fu struck again.

This palm strike was even heavier, sending the strange ape tumbling through the air several times before crashing heavily to the ground, a trickle of dark red blood spilling from its mouth.

It still wouldn't give up and struggled to get up.

Li Fu's third palm strike has arrived.

This palm strike sent it flying out of the door, crashing onto the muddy ground in the yard, the crisp sound of its bones breaking clearly audible.

It lay on the ground, its limbs twitched a few times, and finally it could no longer get up.

The lobby was completely silent.

The traveling merchants peeked out from under the table and saw Li Fu standing there with his hands behind his back.

The moonlight shone in from outside the door, casting a cool, silvery glow on him.

His expression remained unchanged, not even the hem of his clothes was disheveled, as if those few slaps had merely brushed away a few specks of dust.

The traveling merchants exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

They finally understood why that angelic woman served the young man with such humility and deference.

Such martial arts skills are simply divine.

Wei Ying gasped for breath, glanced at the fallen strange ape, then at Li Fu, her heart trembling.

She had just exchanged more than ten blows with that strange ape and knew how strong its bones and muscles were and how terrifying its strength was.

But Li Fu only used three palm strikes to knock him down so he couldn't get up.

Suppressing her horror, she covered her nose and endured the stench as she approached to examine the strange ape more closely.

Under the moonlight, although the strange ape's bones were shattered by Li Fu's palm strike, its fur gleamed with an unusual luster.

It was like a natural, impenetrable armor, with muscles that were incredibly strong.

Song Zhaoxue then came down from upstairs.

She glanced at the strange ape and pondered, "Could this be some kind of exotic species?"

"Among the reptiles are the celestial silkworm and the ice silkworm, some of which are highly poisonous, while others can produce silk that is impervious to swords and spears."

"Among birds, there are powerful golden eagles and gyrfalcons, which move like lightning and whose claw strength is no less than that of ordinary martial arts masters."

"Among the beasts, there are also leopards and bears, which are exceptionally fierce and possess immense strength."

Li Fu's gaze fell on the strange ape's emerald green pupils, the ferocity in which had not yet completely subsided, still staring at him.

This beast's strength, speed, and ferocity are unlike those of an ordinary wild animal.

Although he did not use his full strength when he made his move, those three solid blows were enough to break the bones and tendons of any martial arts master, or even kill them on the spot.

But this strange ape had no internal energy or true qi in its body; it only managed to withstand three of his blows with its own muscles and bones before collapsing.

Even the most skilled martial artists in today's martial arts world, who have mastered Iron Shirt and other external martial arts techniques to the point of being invulnerable to swords and spears, cannot achieve this level of skill.

Not to mention the strength and speed it displays in battle, which are no less than those of a top master among thousands in the martial arts world.

"Could this ape also be some kind of rare, exotic ape?"

Song Zhaoxue frowned and spoke.

She also found the monkey extremely strange and truly astonishing.

Li Fudao.

"A monkey that can withstand three of my blows and survive must be considered an anomaly."

However, he had never heard of any naturally occurring alien species among apes.

The world is vast, but his knowledge is ultimately limited.

Perhaps there are things he doesn't know about that exist deep in the mountains of Sichuan.

At this moment, Wei Ying had a sudden thought and said, "Speaking of which, this place is not far from the Tang Clan."

"I heard that the Tang Clan raises Heavenly Silkworms, Ice Silkworms, as well as various kinds of spirit snakes, poisonous toads, poisonous weasels, and highly poisonous flowers and trees that can kill upon contact with blood."

"If you were to ask where in the world the most exotic creatures are kept, it would probably be the Tang Clan."

She paused, glancing at the corpse of the strange ape on the ground.

"Could this ape have escaped from the Tang Clan by accident?"

Upon hearing this, Uncle Tai frowned and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "The poison of the Ice Silkworm is unparalleled in the world. It is said that the Tang Clan even discovered that they could integrate its cold poison into their internal energy to cultivate a domineering and vicious true qi."

"Not to mention the silkworm silk, it is impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire. It is said that the Tang Clan uses it to weave a net that even peerless masters find difficult to escape."

"Venomous snakes, poisonous toads, and highly poisonous plants are the foundation of their research into highly toxic substances."

He shook his head.

"But this ape has neither deadly poison nor can it spit silk. Why would the Tang Clan keep it?"

What he said makes a lot of sense.

Song Feizhang frowned and moved closer, then suddenly covered his nose and stepped back.

"This strange ape smells terrible."

Could this stench be a form of poison?

Li Fu shook his head: "No, it's just a simple stench. If it were highly poisonous, our internal energy would be able to sense it."

He glanced at Song Zhaoxue and Wei Ying.

Song Zhaoxue nodded, indicating that her internal energy had not shown any signs of spontaneously detoxifying.

The stench was indeed just foul, not some kind of poisonous gas.

but----

Li Fu sniffed again, his brows furrowing slightly.

This stench doesn't resemble the filth and odor of a furry animal that hasn't been washed for years.

"It smells more like a musty, earthy smell from the damp underground, mixed with the stench of raw meat and the smell of rotting medicine dregs."

It was as if someone had lifted a dark wooden coffin that had been buried for a hundred years. Beneath the dust and decaying wood chips lay a layer of raw meat, freshly cut from livestock, still damp and smelling of it.

The stench, fishiness, sourness, astringency, and rottenness give one the feeling of a living creature suffocating in a cellar.

Wei Ying frowned. "The more I smell this stench, the more uncomfortable it becomes."

Song Feizhang waved his hands repeatedly and took two steps back, clearly unwilling to get any closer to the strange ape.

Li Fu then noticed that although the strange ape on the ground was seriously injured and unable to get up, with several bones in its limbs broken, it was still struggling, baring its teeth in his direction and letting out a low growl.

He subtly focused his gaze, then with his right hand fingers together, sword energy shot out from his fingertips and slashed out suddenly.

The strange ape's fingers snapped off and fell to the ground.

But the strange ape seemed completely oblivious, still baring its teeth and claws, roaring and gesturing at Li Fu, as if it didn't feel the excruciating pain of its severed finger at all.

Li Fu was slightly taken aback: "This strange ape—doesn't it feel pain?"

Song Zhaoxue, Wei Ying, and Uncle Tai all realized this at the same time.

However, their attention was more drawn to Li Fu's finger gesture just now.

In that instant, they clearly saw an invisible sword of energy, solid as a tangible substance, shoot out from Li Fu's fingertip and sever the ape's finger.

That must be the legendary sword qi condensation technique that has reappeared in the martial arts world and caused a sensation, a sword art that has been lost for nearly a hundred years.

All three were suddenly jolted, each experiencing varying degrees of shock.

Especially Uncle Tai, who had traveled all over the country for decades and had seen countless martial arts masters, but had never seen such miraculous skills.

Everyone witnessed the incredible toughness of this strange ape's body, yet its fingers were easily sliced ​​off.

He couldn't help but secretly gasp, his wariness of Li Fu deepening even further.

Unfortunately, Li Fu's sword strike was only shown briefly before he withdrew it, giving them no further opportunity to observe.

Uncle Tai suppressed the shock in his heart and pondered for a moment.

"I suddenly remembered that there is a kind of fierce dog in the Western lands. When fighting, its face is flushed with blood, its saliva flows, and it is like a madman, unable to feel pain."

No matter how much they are beaten, scolded, or attacked, they will hold on to their prey relentlessly.

He looked at the strange ape.

"This type of attack is extreme and terrifying; it will not stop until it has at least taken down the opponent."

"Could it be that the Tang Sect intended to train this strange ape as a guard, and somehow it escaped from inside?"

Wei Ying nodded: "Sichuan has many mountains and forests, and there are naturally many strange birds and beasts. Perhaps the Tang Clan discovered this strange ape and wanted to raise and tame it?"

Song Feizhang couldn't help but ask, "But what if the Tang Clan fails to tame the beast and it escapes? Will they simply ignore it completely?"

"It sounds like this strange ape had already harmed quite a few people before it met us and Officer Li."

Song Zhaoxue interjected, "Perhaps the Tang Clan searched for it but couldn't find it. This strange ape has already run very far, almost leaving the Tang Clan's territory."

As she spoke, a hint of coldness lingered in her voice.

"Or perhaps—the Tang Sect simply doesn't care."

"The Tang Clan of Sichuan has been doing business with poisons and hidden weapons all over the world for years, and countless innocent people have died from the poisons and hidden weapons they sell."

"This blood debt is probably nothing to the Tang Clan."

Upon hearing this, Song Feizhang's expression darkened.

"Ling'er—she has a kind heart. I can't imagine how much pressure she must be under living in a Tang Clan like this."

"No wonder she rarely mentioned her family when we traveled the world together."

"Even before the wedding, when I asked to meet my father-in-law and her brothers, she refused."

He lowered his head and spoke very softly.

"She probably didn't want me to see these cold-blooded and heartless relatives."

Li Fu didn't speak, but only glanced at the strange ape on the ground that was still roaring and struggling. He frowned, seemingly lost in thought, and then flicked his finger.

A finger strike silently shot out, precisely piercing the monster ape's pupil and shattering its brain.

The strange ape froze, its limbs twitched violently a few times, and then it came to a complete stop.

Li Fu withdrew his gaze, killing the strange ape as if it were an extremely ordinary thing, and turned to walk upstairs.

"We have to travel tomorrow morning, so let's all rest."

Inside the inn, the traveling merchants finally dared to peek out from under the table.

Looking at the corpse of the strange ape on the ground, and then at the direction Li Fu went upstairs, everyone's faces were filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"This...this is the mandrill that sucked out brains? It's dead just like that?"

"Who exactly is this gentleman?"

The shopkeeper stood behind the counter and muttered, "This beast has been bothering us for almost a year, and we just got rid of it so casually."

"We've really met a master!"

The lobby was completely silent. As Li Fu returned, the moonlight shone in from outside the door, casting a cool, silvery glow on him.

The locals exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

They finally understood why that celestial woman served this young man with such humility and deference; her martial arts skills were simply divine.

Silent all night.

The next morning, the group packed their belongings and continued their journey.

With their consent, the local villagers carried away the carcass of the strange ape, saying they were going to burn it to prevent it from attracting other wild animals.

Li Fu didn't pay much attention, simply mounted his horse, and headed towards the Tang Clan in Shu.

Two days later, the group arrived at the location of the Tang Clan.

From a distance, Tangmen is built against the mountain, with black tiles and white walls, layer upon layer spreading out along the mountain's contours, hidden among the lush trees, with pavilions, towers, and flying eaves.

It was more like a mountain fortress than a mountain villa, with walls more than twice as high as those of ordinary courtyards. Every few feet there was an arrow tower, and figures in black were moving back and forth in the towers.

Unidentified vines climbed all over the wall, their leaves thick and dark in color, gleaming with an unusual oily sheen in the sunlight, as if they had been soaked in some kind of poison.

Besides the two thick stone pillars and the stone tablet at the mountain gate, which bear the inscription "Tangmen" in bold, sharp strokes, intricate patterns are also carved on them. The shapes of venomous creatures such as snakes, toads, and centipedes are faintly visible, with sharp lines that are both eerie and terrifying.

Li Fu and his entourage, including Song Feizhang, Song Zhaoxue, Wei Ying, as well as Uncle Tai disguised as an ordinary groom and his accompanying guards, arrived at the mountain gate.

A Tang Clan steward, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, stepped forward to greet them respectfully and ask questions.

"Could it be that the visitors are Li Fu, the celestial immortal and divine constable, and Song Feizhang, the Duke of Qinghe?"

The group was somewhat surprised, as it seemed that the Tang Clan had known they were coming all along.

But it's not surprising, since Sichuan is, after all, Tang Clan's territory.

Li Fu's expression remained normal.

Song Feizhang hesitated before saying, "It's us."

The man immediately stepped aside to make way and then gestured behind him.

"Officer Li and the Duke of Qinghe, along with other distinguished guests, are honored by your presence. We apologize for not being able to greet you properly. The old master and the eldest son are already waiting inside the manor. Please follow me."

After saying that, he stepped aside and led the way, leading everyone through the gate and towards the outer courtyard.

The Tang Clan disciples standing on both sides of the road all turned their heads to look.

The young men were wearing short, gray-brown shirts, their waists bulging as if they were carrying something.

Their gazes were cold and wary, as if they were looking at a group of wild animals that had intruded into their territory. There was no malice, nor was there any friendliness, only a sense of alienation that they should not be there.

A few people occasionally glanced at Li Fu, seemingly with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny, but they had also heard of his reputation and knew how formidable he was, so they dared not look at him for too long.

In the open space of the outer courtyard, several Tang Clan disciples were practicing hidden weapons.

Instead of wooden targets, they used movable iron figures, which were driven by a chain mechanism, moving back and forth with a dull clattering sound and moving at great speed.

The disciples were nimble, their hands flying, throwing knives, caltrops, and poison needles raining down like a storm, all striking the iron man with a dense clanging sound, not one missing its mark.

With Song Feizhang's guards, one of them couldn't help but whisper, "The Tang Clan's hidden weapon skills—truly live up to their reputation."

Uncle Tai's expression was solemn. He didn't reply, but silently moved a few steps closer to Song Zhaoxue.

After walking a while, a cluster of low shacks appeared by the roadside. The roofs were made of woven bamboo, and figures could be vaguely seen moving around through the gaps.

A hissing sound came from the shed, fine and continuous, as if countless tiny living things were crawling.

A Tang Clan disciple emerged from the shed, carrying a bamboo basket in his hand. Half of a mottled snake's tail protruded from the basket, still wriggling slightly.

He didn't look at Li Fu and his group, and walked straight to the pharmacy on the other side, his steps hurried.

The bamboo curtain of the shed was lifted by a corner in the wind, revealing layers of bamboo cages inside, from which several entirely black animals could be vaguely seen.

A toad with bloodshot eyes slowly puffed out its cheeks, while centipedes and scorpions crawled around in the cage.

Wei Ying leaned closer to Song Zhaoxue and whispered, "Miss—I finally understand why Miss Tang Ling loves traveling and sightseeing."

Song Zhaoxue did not respond, but simply nodded slightly.

After passing through the outer gate area, the steward stopped, stepped aside, and cupped his hands, saying, "Please wait a moment, everyone. The eldest young master is just ahead."

A short while later, a middle-aged man in his forties strode out from the inner village.

He wore a light gray brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist. His face was fair, and his eyes were smiling. He looked gentle and refined, like the eldest son of an ordinary wealthy family.

"Your Excellency possesses an inner radiance and a lofty temperament, as if you were not a visitor of this world."

He walked up to Li Fu and bowed respectfully: "You must be the famous 'Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens,' Officer Li Fu!"

"I have long admired your esteemed reputation. I am Tang Fengzhi, the eldest son of the Tang family, and I am here to greet you."

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