Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 80 Warning Signs

As Su Yan watched Ouyang Feng carrying Liu Jingyuan disappear into the depths of the mountains, the last trace of emotion in her eyes completely subsided.

He raised his hand and gently patted Su Ye's shoulder beside him, his tone calm and firm, without the slightest hesitation.

"The matter in Gucheng is over. Ouyang Feng and Liu Jingyuan have their own destinies, so there's no need to worry about them anymore."

Su Ye suppressed her resentment towards Liu Jingyuan for his ingratitude and continued on her journey.

Meanwhile, the Chongyang Palace on Zhongnan Mountain, thousands of miles away, has long lost its former tranquility and serenity.

Inside the Sanqing Hall, the bronze incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, yet it could not dispel the oppressive and heavy atmosphere that permeated the hall.

Headmaster Ma Yu sat upright in the main seat, his plain Taoist robe making his face appear even more gaunt. His long eyebrows were furrowed, and he lightly twirled the tassel of his whisk with his fingertips, his expression full of worry.

Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Liu Chuxuan, Sun Bu'er, and Hao Datong, the five masters, stood on both sides, some with clenched fists and furrowed brows, others with closed eyes and focused minds. The six masters of Quanzhen gathered together, all with solemn expressions, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Hurried footsteps came from outside the hall. A fourth-generation Quanzhen disciple on duty at the mountain gate, his clothes slightly disheveled and his forehead beaded with cold sweat, hurriedly rushed into the hall.

With a "thump," he knelt down on one knee, his voice filled with barely concealed urgency and fear.

"Reporting to the six grandmasters! Urgent military intelligence report!"

Ma Yu raised his eyes, his voice steady but unable to conceal his seriousness.

"Get up and explain in detail, there's no need to panic."

The disciple took a deep breath and reported loudly.

"Qingxi Town at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain has recently been in turmoil. Hundreds of wandering martial artists and independent cultivators have been gathering there daily, their numbers indistinguishable from enemy ranks. Street disturbances and brawls are frequent, disrupting the peace of the area! Furthermore, urgent reports from the front lines indicate that two of the Mongolian National Preceptor Jinlun Fawang's disciples are leading nearly a hundred elite Mongolian warriors straight towards Zhongnan Mountain! According to reconnaissance, their march is extremely fast; they will reach Quanzhen Sect territory within half a month at the latest!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere inside the Sanqing Hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Qiu Chuji slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. His powerful inner energy surged, splashing several drops of tea from the table. His voice was like a booming bell, filled with rage.

"What kind of Mongolian barbarians are they! Do they really think my Quanzhen Sect is made of clay?"

Wang Chuyi's expression was stern, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, as he added in a deep voice.

"Rumors have long circulated in the martial world that the Mongolian National Preceptor has two great disciples. The elder disciple, Darba, possesses superhuman strength and unstoppable power in his fists and palms. The younger disciple, Huodu, is cunning and ruthless, skilled in intrigue and trickery. These two command nearly a hundred elite soldiers, seasoned warriors with impeccable teamwork, far surpassing ordinary Mongolian soldiers in the martial world. This time, they have come prepared, heading straight for Zhongnan Mountain. We must not let our guard down!"

Ma Yu raised his hand to suppress the anger and agitation of the crowd. His composure, which had been in charge of Chongyang Palace for many years, was fully displayed. He slowly stood up, waved his whisk, and issued a series of unquestionable war preparation orders.

"Immediately issue an order to the entire sect: First, keep the Chongyang Palace gates tightly closed. No one may open them without the written order of the sect leader and the six True Immortals. All unauthorized personnel shall be refused entry."

"Secondly, the number of disciples guarding each peak will be tripled, with shifts day and night to closely monitor every move at the foot of the mountain, and any unusual activity must be reported immediately."

"Third, the defensive fortifications of the main hall and courtyard walls were reinforced overnight, and rolling stones, arrows, oil and other items for defense were prepared."

"Fourth, the dungeon's hardened criminals are already unruly, so we have doubled the manpower to guard them to prevent them from escaping and causing trouble during the war."

"Fifth, all inner disciples shall return to their positions to cultivate and hone their martial arts, ready to fight at any time! From this moment forward, Chongyang Palace shall enter a state of martial law and preparedness, with the entire sect united in defending the mountain gate!"

"I will obey the sect leader's decree!"

The disciples obeyed and left, and the Sanqing Hall returned to silence once more, leaving only the six True Persons looking at each other in silence, each seeing a heavy pressure in the other's eyes.

Meanwhile, on the other side, they were about to reach Zhongnan Mountain.

The two abandoned the flat shortcuts and took the mountain trails instead, all to shorten their travel time.

As they reached a secluded mountain valley, bursts of mournful cries drifted on the wind, shattering the tranquility of the forest and causing Su Yan to abruptly stop in his tracks.

He frowned slightly, raised his hand to signal Su Ye to be quiet, and followed the sound of crying to the depths of the mountain valley. The scene before them made their hearts sink.

Dozens of refugees lay sprawled on the ground, the elderly, women, and children embracing and weeping. Their clothes were tattered and worn, their faces pale and emaciated like withered branches. Scattered on the ground were broken bags, gnawing grass roots, and several dark red bloodstains that had not yet dried, clearly indicating that they had just been robbed.

A group of burly Mongol soldiers, wielding blood-stained scimitars, were kicking and beating civilians and robbing them of their last remaining half-eaten rations. Their arrogance was extreme, and they were speaking in a cryptic barbarian language, full of contempt and brutality.

"These Mongol soldiers, relying on their superior numbers and strength, plunder and pillage the people everywhere; they are truly despicable!"

Su Ye's face turned pale with anger, and she gripped the short sword at her waist tightly.

Su Yan snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and lightly raised his right hand to use the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top Palm Technique.

The Great Perfection Palm technique, with its power concentrated in the palm and requiring minimal effort, condenses its force to penetrate the enemy soldier's curved blade. The layers of residual force cause the Mongol soldier excruciating pain in his tiger's mouth and a broken wrist bone. He screams and clutches his hand as he falls to the ground.

The remaining Mongol soldiers, enraged at the sight, charged forward, swords flashing and ruthless. Su Yan used his light-footed skills, Snake-like Leap and Fox-like Flip, to evade the attacks. His left fist, Frost-Treading Ice-Breaking Fist, and his right palm, Heart-Shattering Palm, killed the entire Mongol squad in just a few breaths.

The refugees in the mountain valley witnessed the Mongol soldiers who had committed atrocities being killed. They were stunned for a moment, and then burst into sobs and kowtows of gratitude.

The elderly, their bodies hunched over, trembling as they kowtowed; children peeked timidly from behind their elders; injured people, supporting themselves, bowed in respect; everyone wept and cried out repeatedly.

"Benefactor" "Living Bodhisattva"

His hoarse voice was filled with gratitude for surviving such a desperate situation.

Upon seeing this, Su Yan quickly stepped forward, reached out and steadily helped the oldest white-haired man to his feet, and gently comforted him.

"Elders, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise."

His tone was calm and gentle, like a mountain breeze, soothing the fear and unease in the hearts of the refugees.

Then Su Yan turned around, untied the bag on his back, took out stacks of dry wheat cakes and dried fruit, and several bottles of healing pills and wound medicine, and handed them all to Su Ye, gently instructing her to distribute them carefully.

Su Ye crouched down, holding the supplies, and first went to the injured civilians. Her movements were so gentle that she was afraid of hurting them. She carefully wiped the dust around the wounds with a clean cloth, sprinkled the wound medicine evenly on the wounds, and then carefully wrapped the cloth tightly. Every movement was meticulous.

After tending to the injured, she broke the wheat cakes into bite-sized pieces and handed them to the crying children. She gently stroked the children's heads and softly comforted them. When the elderly received the food, their hands trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down their faces as they repeatedly expressed their gratitude. The atmosphere was both poignant and heartwarming.

Su Yan stood quietly to the side, his gaze sweeping over the refugees' tattered clothes, their sallow and emaciated faces, and the lingering fear in the children's eyes, and a wave of pity rose in his heart.

He sighed inwardly. When the Mongol cavalry invaded the south, they burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities. The ones who suffered the most were always these unarmed and innocent civilians.

After settling the refugees and escorting them to nearby safe villages, Su Yan and Su Ye dared not delay any longer. They exchanged a glance, unleashed their Quanzhen Lightness Skill, and sped off like arrows towards Chongyang Palace on Zhongnan Mountain.