A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 124 Mount Lu, the Three Protectors of Huoluo

"Sweeping Snow Taoist Temple"

Chen Shouzhen sat in a roadside tea stall, looking at the small Taoist temple a dozen steps away across the street.

It was early morning, not the usual time for tea. Apart from the tea stall owner who was boiling water, there were only the two of them, him and his junior brother, in the entire tea stall. There were few pedestrians on the road.

The tables and benches in this tea stall are so worn and unrecognizable that they show signs of decay and cracks, and are covered with a thick layer of grime.

Although the owner of the tea stall would carefully wipe the tea stall a few times with a rag every time a customer came, the accumulated grime could only be scraped off with a knife.

A few years ago, even if Chen Shouzhen wanted to rest at such a tea stall, he would have taken out a handkerchief to place on the bench first, and he would have been careful not to let his sleeves linger on the table for too long while drinking tea.

But after years of traveling all over the country, driven by his resentment, he had long since become accustomed to such hasty rest stops.

His junior brother Che Jinfeng, who sat opposite him, had grown up in the city and was very comfortable with this kind of life.

The large bowl of coarse tea was still scalding hot when Che Jinfeng had already downed three bowls. The heat caused his shirt to open slightly as he wiped the water droplets from his stubble and leaned his head a little closer.

"Senior Brother, I've inquired and found out that the abbot of the Snow Sweeping Temple is indeed named Xue Longzi. Although he has lived a secluded life and had a low profile in recent years, he has occasionally shown off a few skills. He can cool down a scalding hot oil pot that has been overturned with his bare hands, and he can repair kitchen knives and scissors for people without using the tools in the blacksmith's shop, just with some fine sand and a whetstone."

"They do indeed seem to be skills from the Ice Age School. However, he passed away recently, and now only his four disciples remain in this small Taoist temple."

Chen Shouzhen listened and simply nodded silently.

Che Jinfeng's eyes, hidden beneath his thick eyebrows, widened: "In that case, let's go and pay them a visit."

Chen Shouzhen gripped the rim of the warm teacup and said, "We've come at a really bad time; Xue Longzi's body is barely cold..."

"Oh dear!"

Che Jinfeng slapped his thigh. "Is this the time to talk about this? In the past few years, in order to find the whereabouts of that thing, we went to the Tianshan Mountains and started from the ruins of the Glacier School. We went through countless twists and turns before we finally found the Snow Dragon.

"Although this person wandered the martial world for a while, he became disheartened and went into seclusion ten years ago. How difficult it is to find the clues he left behind! Several groups of people from the entire sect have been searching for him separately. We finally have some definite information here, and you are still hesitating."

Che Jinfeng said anxiously, "What if his disciples don't know how valuable the treasure is and bury it with Xue Longzi? That would put us in a difficult position, forcing us to dig up the grave!"

Chen Shouzhen's expression changed, and he suddenly realized, "Junior brother is right. I hadn't considered that."

"Don't say that."

Che Jinfeng quickly shook his head, deliberately laughing, "So this is what they mean by 'even a fool can have a stroke of genius'?"

The investigation into a person who disappeared ten years ago was a long and arduous process, requiring his senior brother to meticulously plan and coordinate the entire operation. Such deep thinking was far more exhausting than physical exertion, and he was probably too tired to think of this point.

"By the way," Chen Shouzhen asked, "have you inquired about the character of Xue Longzi's four disciples, or their past deeds?"

Che Jinfeng said, "His first three apprentices had already graduated and returned a few days ago. The people in this area only know their names. As for the fourth apprentice, he is just a child. I heard he is well-behaved, polite, and very lovable."

He gave a general description of the names and appearances of Guan Luoyang and the other two.

These messages may seem insignificant, but they actually reveal enough information.

As successors of the Ice Age School, the fact that they neither made a name for themselves in the martial arts world nor died suggests that their martial arts skills were definitely not very good.

No, given Xue Longzi's character, he might not even tell his disciples about the origins of the Ice Glacier Sect, and it's hard to say how much of the martial arts he taught actually revealed.

Chen Shouzhen, as was his habit, made some deductions and assumptions in his mind before taking out a silver note and saying, "Go to the money exchange and exchange this three hundred taels of silver for new silver ingots that are less than two years old. They must be shiny and bright. Also, buy a few bolts of white silk and have someone re-prepare the coffin. Then we will pay a visit."

When dealing with people, or if you want to get something from someone else, showing off your wealth is often the most effective way.

While banknotes signify wealth, they often need to be embellished with real gold and silver to appear more substantial.

Che Jinfeng had always admired Chen Shouzhen, so without asking why, he took the silver note and walked out.

As he walked, he kept putting the banknotes into his pocket, but suddenly his hand was empty.

"Hehe, three hundred taels in one go. Although the Lushan Sect has declined in power, it still has some reserves."

A strange laugh rang out, and a short man with an unusually square and large head, dressed as a wealthy merchant, with a mustache, stood a few steps away, holding in his hand none other than Che Jinfeng's silver note.

"Who are you, daring to rob someone in the street?!"

Che Jinfeng glared angrily and questioned him, but instead of speaking, he took a step back.

The man snatched the silver note from his hand and from his chest so quickly that he didn't even have time to react. Regardless of his internal strength, that kind of light-footed skill was already a huge threat.

Che Jinfeng was also a seasoned veteran, so naturally he chose to retreat and defend.

Not far behind him, Chen Shouzhen had already stood up.

When the tea stall owner saw what appeared to be a dispute, he skillfully ducked behind the stove. But as he ducked, he glanced up and saw that the top of the tea stall's bamboo shed was in pieces.

As the sunlight streamed in, the shady area that had been covered by the tea stall suddenly brightened, revealing a figure standing head down, feet up, striking downwards with a palm.

Chen Shouzhen raised his hand to block, and their palms met. A surge of energy exploded from around him, shattering tables, chairs, and teacups, and causing the ground beneath his feet to sink more than half a foot.

The attacker, who suddenly appeared from the air, changed his technique and slammed his palm down on Chen Shouzhen's crown with a sound of air being compressed.

But the knife tucked at Chen Shouzhen's waist was already drawn.

The knife was only two feet and six inches long, but when it was slashed upwards from his hand, it seemed as if a pair of bright white wings, six feet and six inches long, suddenly unfolded.

The Lushan School's sword technique, "A Glimpse of Splendor," appears to be a swift, lightning-fast strike, straightforward and simple.

But in fact, the moment Chen Shouzhen drew his sword and swung it, his internal energy shot out from various parts of the sword, forming a wing-shaped blade aura from multiple sword beams.

Such swordsmanship forced the attacker who descended from the sky to temporarily avoid the attack, and he suddenly sprang to his feet and spun rapidly down onto the street.

The wing-shaped blade energy vanished in mid-air, leaving only faint traces of dissipated true energy, which, like luminous drizzle, mingled with the thatch falling from the roof and descended.

Chen Shouzhen's face was flushed red, but the color slowly faded, and he became as pale as paper. Clearly, he had suffered internal injuries when he blocked that sudden palm strike.

"You've mastered the Lushan School's swordsmanship quite well; no wonder you're the top disciple of Lushan."

The raider had dark skin, a tall stature, long arms and legs, and his sleeves and trousers seemed to be slightly shorter than his body, revealing his wrists and ankles. He had the distinct appearance of a Western Region person, but spoke in the elegant language of Luoyang.

He grinned, crossing his arms. "However, compared to the Eastern Envoy, you are far inferior. Why not just surrender? The Envoy said that if she can capture you alive, she is prepared to meet you."

A flush of redness rose on Chen Shouzhen's neck, and he said hoarsely, "You're from the Fire Luo Path? She's actually already in the position of one of the Four Directions Envoys?"

The wealthy merchant who had previously seized the silver notes laughed and said, "Although the Eastern Envoy is no longer what she used to be, she still cares about the Lushan Sect. She recently mentioned that the people of the Lushan Sect are probably still trying to harm her, so she dispatched us to come and see for ourselves."

"Suddenly remembered?"

Chen Shouzhen closed his eyes, seemingly exhausted. "It must be a warning from the Heavenly Mirror. I never imagined that the mirror would be so magical in her hands. We haven't even gotten anything yet, but she has already sensed something."

The wealthy merchant, beaming with delight, first put away the silver notes in his hand and said, "Why bother with any more concealment? Isn't the Jade Snow Dragon Ring you're looking for right there in that little Taoist temple?"

"Rest assured, everyone has a love for treasures. We will not miss such a treasure when it is placed in front of us. The Lushan Sect has been searching for it for many years and has finally brought this long-lost treasure back to the world. This achievement will not be forgotten."

The two men's words clearly indicated that they had Chen Shouzhen and his group completely under their thumb.

that's the truth.

With his sword drawn, Che Jinfeng had already guessed the identity of the man from the Western Regions. He could injure his senior brother with a single, powerful palm strike, and he belonged to the Fire Luo Path. Given his unusual appearance, he must be one of the twenty-four protectors of the Fire Luo Path, and his "Four Symbols Palm" technique had been restored.

As for the wealthy merchant, although his identity is difficult to ascertain at the moment, he is certainly a protector-level figure of the Fire Luo Path.

The twenty-four guardians of the Fire Luo Path are all top-tier experts. Even if Chen Shouzhen were uninjured, he could probably only handle one of them. As for Che Jinfeng himself...

"You want to desperately stall for a move or two so your senior brother can escape, is that it?"

The voice spoke to Che Jinfeng's thoughts, startling him so much that he swung his knife at the source of the sound.

The bamboo shed and thatched roof of the tea stall, which was originally six or seven meters square, was shattered by that palm strike. The dust from the fallen thatch had not yet settled.

This level of dust wouldn't normally obstruct the vision of martial arts practitioners. Standing in this dust, Che Jinfeng could even clearly see every single hair on the wealthy merchant's mustache.

But that one figure, though clearly close at hand, seemed somewhat hazy due to the thick dust. It remained unharmed as a blade slashed through it, while a hand brushed against the back of the blade and struck.

Che Jinfeng blocked the palm strike with his left hand, feeling a heat in his bones, as if he hadn't been injured at all.

The hazy figure had been forced back by Chen Shouzhen's swift, gleaming blade, retreating more than ten steps before becoming clear.

He was a man with a square scarf on his head and three long tufts of beard, resembling a schoolteacher.

Chen Shouzhen placed his left hand on Che Jinfeng's shoulder, his voice growing increasingly heavy: "The Great Bone-Shrinking Handprint, are you Yang Jichang, the ruthless destroyer of people?"

Another protector of the Fire Luo Path.

"It is indeed the tireless teacher, Mr. Yang."

Yang Jichang, quite pleased with himself, stroked his beard and said mockingly, "Your junior brother is too ignorant. Why waste your inner strength to support him? Hmm, could it be that you do indeed want to see the Eastern Envoy again, but you're just too embarrassed to say it, so you're going along with it, exhausting your inner strength, and then surrendering?"

"Recover, Yang Jichang, and Fan Kelian from the Sun God Cone."

Chen Shouzhen's gaze shifted, revealing the wealthy merchant's identity. He smiled and sighed, "I never imagined that the Fire Luo Sect would send three protectors to deal with us, my fellow disciples. It seems I am doomed today. However, since I am not dead, my junior brother will not die either!"

He pointed his knife at the three men, "Come at me all at once, let me see who will be the one to send me on my final journey."

Yang Jichang laughed smugly, "Why should I be in such a hurry? Since you want to save your junior brother, then just wait until you run out of internal energy."

"Brother Fan, you started out as a merchant and are very meticulous. Why don't you go to that small Taoist temple first, capture and interrogate the people inside, and search for the Jade Snow Dragon Ring? That way, these two can see what they have been searching for before they die."

Chen Shouzheng remained expressionless, but his junior brother had already sensed the slight tremor of despair on the palm of his hand that was touching his junior brother's.

Che Jinfeng was covered in sweat, his eyes darting around. Hearing this, he felt a tremor in his heart and wished he could bite his tongue and kill himself first.

However, the hidden dangers of taking Yang Jichang's palm strike have already manifested. At this moment, his whole body is stiff, and he feels as if he is being squeezed and contracted inward, as if every inch of his flesh is tightening, and his bones are about to be squeezed by his own flesh until they ache.

The "Swaying Bone-Shrinking Great Hand Seal" is a palm technique that has been found both inside and outside the Jade Gate Pass and is known for its ruthlessness.

After the palm strike enters the body, it initially causes a heat sensation, followed by muscle and bone contraction, compressing and shrinking inch by inch. Even a man as strong as an iron tower will often succumb to the pain and die when he has shrunk by three inches.

If it weren't for Chen Shouzhen's continuous infusion of internal energy, Che Jinfeng would have been in unbearable pain long ago.

Fan Kelian responded with a smile, tiptoed across the street to the Taoist temple, and pushed the old wooden door open.

Their conversation was completely undisguised, showing no concern that people nearby might overhear.

Huo Luo Dao has always acted arrogantly, and they are confident in their arrogance. Originally, they only needed one protector to deal with Chen Shouzhen, and they had a good chance of winning. Che Jinfeng was not even a person in their eyes. The reason why three protectors came was more to guard against Xue Longzi.

Even if we overestimate Xue Longzi's abilities a bit, given his peak performance in the martial arts world ten years ago, and considering the presence of Chen Shouzhen, he still wouldn't be able to turn the tide against the three Fire Luo Protectors.

Moreover, Xue Longzi is dead. In Fan Kelian's eyes, this small Taoist temple, regardless of whether the people inside heard or not, whether they resisted or fled, is a place that he can easily manipulate and slaughter at will.

The short, stout businessman stretched out his hand, which had fingers like radishes, and touched the door.

In a flash, his expression changed drastically, and he roared. Before the words even left his throat, his hand, which had been casually pushing, had already exerted all its strength.

In that instant, his hand transformed into a dazzling source of light, bursting forth with a blindingly brilliant golden radiance.

The two doors didn't even have time to utter a shattering cry before they turned to ashes.

Fan's pitiful hand, however, could not reach even an inch into the doorway.

Because his palm strike landed on another palm that blasted out from inside the door!

The fierce roar that Fan Kelian let out the moment he pushed open the door finally reverberated, its sharp sound capable of piercing stone, causing a sudden buzzing in the ears of dozens of households in the surrounding area.

"who!!!"

boom!!

The sound of Fan Kelian staggering backward as his palms collided was almost as loud as his roar, and a large area of ​​soil and rocks was cleared away by the trail of his retreat.

Inside the doorway that no longer had a door, Guan Luoyang's figure only paused slightly backward before moving forward again, turning into a series of blue afterimages.

The blurry phantom only slows down slightly when it catches up with Fan Kelian, leaving a relatively clear image.

The first image is of someone throwing a punch, the second image is of someone waving their hand, and the third image suddenly shows a knife.

Among the series of smoky phantoms, only these three images remained the clearest, which also means that after being repelled, Fan Kelian suffered three more blows and was defeated three times.

The cracks and ravines on the street continued three times. Fan Kelian's right arm froze, and finally he had the chance to throw out his famous weapon—the Sun God Cone—from his left sleeve.

It's not quite accurate to say it was thrown; rather, it was propelled out of his left sleeve in a bursting, explosive manner after being stirred and fully infused with his internal energy.

It was a heavy, solid golden light, clearly meant to be fast, carrying a tearing quality, yet one could clearly see the golden cone spinning as it flew towards them.

Kang Fulai and Yang Jichang, having also realized the shocking turn of events, attacked from both sides simultaneously.

Guan Luoyang's blade suddenly transformed into a streak of azure light, shooting towards the Sun God Cone. At the last second, his arms parted to meet the palm strikes of Kang and Yang.

Two beams of light, one golden and one azure, collided in mid-air, creating a fierce symphony before repelling each other.

The three people below who were exchanging blows all trembled and staggered backward.

Guan Luoyang retreated even further, landing directly in front of the Taoist temple, his heel breaking the threshold of the snow-sweeping temple.

Yang Jichang only took two steps back, then asked suspiciously, "Who are you? How could you hide in this temple beforehand and ambush us?"

"I?"

Guan Luoyang simultaneously repelled the two palm strikes, and even felt a slight tightness in his chest, but he only coughed lightly, then smiled and pointed at Fan Kelian, "Naturally, it's the master who came out to fight the bandits."

Fan Kelian froze, realizing what was happening.

A smooth cut appeared diagonally on his right shoulder, and it took so long for blood to surface after he had been stabbed.

Snapped.

His right shoulder, along with his entire arm, had fallen to the ground.

(End of this chapter)