Reborn Ouyang Ke: From The Condor Heroes to the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 53 Rakshasa

As dawn broke and the morning light began to fade, the lights were still burning in a former mansion belonging to Shi Long in the eastern part of Yangzhou. Under the bright candlelight, a man stood with his hands behind his back by the window, his gaze piercing through the glass to the distant, hazy sky, as if deep in thought.

Under the lamplight, the man appeared to be around thirty years old, tall and thin, with long arms and legs, a simple and unrefined face, and sharp, angular features. He had a cold expression and unfathomable eyes, giving him a ruthless and cold impression, but also an aura of domineering power that was awe-inspiring.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes perfectly still, like a statue carved from millennia-old ice, cold and unapproachable.

He was Emperor Yang Guang's most trusted confidant, holding the official position of Right Guard General and Chief Administrator of the Capital, in charge of the Imperial Guards. He was also one of only two masters of the Yuwen Clan besides the clan leader Yuwen Shang who had mastered the "Ice Profound Force"—Yuwen Huaji.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the study. Yuwen Huaji recognized the person as his trusted confidant, Zhang Shihe. Although the footsteps were light, they could not escape his ears.

"Reporting back to the General," Zhang Shihe said respectfully, stopping outside the door. "We have increased manpower at all the city gates to strengthen the guard, and at the same time, we have sent troops to search the city carefully, but so far we have not found any trace of the woman who stole the book."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Huaji's lips curled into a mysterious smile, and he said calmly, "Shihe, there's no need to worry. This woman is a Rakshasa who has attempted to assassinate His Majesty several times. It's naturally difficult for the elite Imperial Guards to find her."

Zhang Shihe was shocked upon hearing this, for the name "Rakshasa Woman" was a name that was very familiar to Yang Guang's close followers.

Over the years, this woman had twice disguised herself as a palace maid and attempted to assassinate the emperor, but even the most skilled palace guards couldn't catch a glimpse of her. Now, upon hearing that the woman who had seized the "Longevity Secret" was actually the Rakshasa woman who had twice tried to assassinate Yang Guang, Zhang Shihe couldn't help but be greatly alarmed.

Yuwen Huaji stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the window, and slowly said, "However, you don't need to worry about this woman for now. Although she has successfully obtained the Longevity Formula, she will definitely take the opportunity to assassinate the Emperor, so for now she will remain hidden in Yangzhou City, waiting for the right moment."

Zhang Shihe said in a deep voice, "In that case, I will immediately send more men to intensify the search of residences throughout the city."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Huaji shook his head, speaking calmly and unhurriedly: "Shihe, no rush."

Zhang Shihe couldn't help but show doubt in his eyes. As Yuwen Huaji's confidant, he naturally knew of the other party's great ambitions and understood...

The significance of the book "The Secret to Longevity" in the plan.

It turns out that before Yang Jian established the Sui Dynasty, the Yuwen clan was a royal family of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

Later, after Emperor Xuan of Zhou, Yuwen Yun, died, Yang Jian colluded with Zheng Yi, the Grand Master of the Palace Secretariat, and Liu Fang, the Grand Master of the Imperial Censorate, to forge an imperial edict and bring Yang Jian into the court to rule, citing the young age of the succeeding Emperor Yuwen Chan. A year later, Yang Jian forced Emperor Jing to abdicate and declared himself emperor.

The Yuwen family, who ruled the Northern Zhou dynasty, were replaced by the Yang family. However, due to the deep-rooted power of the Yuwen clan, Yang Jian, despite becoming emperor, was unable to completely eradicate the Yuwen family. When his son Yang Guang became emperor, the Yuwen family rose to power once again.

Strictly speaking, although the Yuwen family members appeared to be loyal to the Sui Dynasty, they actually only buried their hatred deep in their hearts.

The original plan was to find the "Longevity Manual," immediately pretend to have successfully deciphered it, and give it to that foolish emperor to cultivate. It was guaranteed that he would be killed within three months, at which point the Yuwen clan could seize the Sui Dynasty's territory in Jiangnan without lifting a finger.

Yuwen Huaji seemed to have noticed the confusion in Zhang Shihe's eyes and said calmly, "Take a look at this. I found it in a hidden compartment in Shilong's study!"

Zhang Shihe then noticed a scroll on the small table with several lines of writing on it. He slowly stepped forward, staring intently at it. He saw that the handwriting was vigorous and powerful, clearly the work of Shi Long. The scroll read: "A month ago, I fought with someone. This person was extremely young, around twenty years old, but his martial arts skills were ridiculously high. His true energy was extremely yang and powerful, deeply inheriting the true teachings of Bi Xuan—"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Shihe trembled violently and exclaimed, "Could it be that Martial Venerable?"

Yuwen Huaji sighed, "Under the heavens, who is truly worthy of the title 'Martial Venerable'?"

Zhang Shihe continued reading and saw that it stated that he had fought this person but was defeated, and that the other party had kept his word and simply made a copy before leaving.

At the end of the scroll, Shi Long exclaimed, "This person has a leg ailment, yet he moves like the wind without the slightest slowness. His martial arts are superb, and what's even more rare is that his true energy is extremely yang and strong. He must be Bi Xuan's newly accepted closed-door disciple in recent years."

Upon seeing this, Zhang Shihe's expression turned slightly grave. But seeing Yuwen Huaji's confident demeanor, Zhang Shihe's heart stirred, and he tentatively asked, "Could it be that the Chief Steward already has a clue?"

A smile crept across Yuwen Huaji's lips as his fingers, hidden behind his back, tapped lightly on the windowpane, producing a rhythmic sound: "Shihe, have you forgotten that some time ago someone defeated the Turkic expert Ba Feng Han, who was marching south, outside Xiangyang City?"

"So it was him!" Zhang Shihe was startled and suddenly realized.

Although Ba Feng Han was a Turk, his early feat of killing Yan Huifeng, the eldest disciple of Bi Xuan, had already spread throughout the land. And coincidentally, after fleeing to the Central Plains, Ba Feng Han was defeated and severely wounded, forcing him to escape again. Now, recalling what Shi Long had said, it was indeed a series of interconnected events.

Yuwen Huaji slowly said, "This man has a leg ailment. Someone saw him in the city a month ago. He has an extraordinary temperament, standing out from the crowd. Few people can forget his charm after just one glance."

"Steward, since this person is Bi Xuan's disciple—" Zhang Shihe hesitated upon hearing this.

Yuwen Huaji said calmly, "Send people to spread the word that this person has stolen the Longevity Formula."

Zhang Shihe said with heartfelt admiration, "General, this move is truly brilliant. It avoids forging a deadly enmity with Bi Xuan directly, while also eliminating a major enemy for the Central Plains ahead of time."

Yuwen Huaji looked up at the dawn, but his expression remained anything but relaxed. He knew in his heart that if the man in white was truly a disciple of Bi Xuan, this matter would not be so simple. But for now, he could only take it one step at a time.

At noon, sunlight streamed through the window into the courtyard, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Kou Zhong, dressed in obviously oversized robes, leaned casually against the bed, holding a rubbing of the "Longevity Manual," his eyes fixed on the several human figures at the back. His eyes were already sore from looking at it, but he still refused to put it down.

Xu Ziling, however, was restless, slumped over the table, staring blankly at the firebird that was fast asleep in front of the wine pot. The firebird shrank back—

It formed a ball of red fluff, its head buried in its wings, occasionally letting out a very soft "coo".

For some reason, he had been unable to find peace of mind these past few days. Although Ouyang Ke praised their talent as unparalleled, the lack of progress over the past half-month had made him doubt himself once again.

Unable to contain himself, he asked, "Young Master Zhong, do you really think we can master that so-called Longevity Technique?"

Kou Zhong waved his hand impatiently: "Shut up, I'm researching the most powerful martial art in the world that isn't a martial art at all!"

The room fell silent again. Only the occasional soft snores of the firebird and the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window could be heard.

After a moment, Kou Zhong slumped down, put down the "Longevity Mantra," and got out of bed, holding his head. He walked to Xu Ziling's side, sat down like him, put his arm around Xu Ziling's shoulder, and sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm in a bad mood. Even if Guiguzi were resurrected, he probably wouldn't understand that ghost book, haha!"

His thoughts were exactly the same as Xu Ziling's. He clearly believed he had the ability to decipher this ghost book, thereby mastering martial arts and becoming a legend in the martial world, but after so much time, he still hadn't made any progress. Even someone as open-minded as him couldn't help but feel a little restless.

Seeing that even the usually composed Xu Ziling had become somewhat dejected, Kou Zhong reached out and patted him on the shoulder, saying earnestly, "Brother said that one shouldn't be too deliberate in practicing martial arts. Even the old teacher at the private school in the city said something about the Tao following its own course. We must have been too deliberate these past few days. Why don't we go for a walk by the river to relax?"

Xu Ziling was somewhat tempted upon hearing this. After all, they were still young and had been cooped up in this courtyard for nearly a month, feeling quite stifled. But he still hesitated, saying, "My elder brother instructed us before he left—"

"Big Brother told us not to go into the city, and that it wouldn't be dangerous to take a stroll along the riverbank. Besides, don't we still have Brother Bird?" Kou Zhong winked at Xu Ziling as he said this.

These past few days, Xu Ziling has been taking excellent care of the firebird, serving it wine and honey daily. The firebird is much more affectionate towards him than towards Kou Zhong. Kou Zhong, who gets pecked all over the yard every time he tries to reach out, has long since resigned himself to his fate.

Seeing this, Xu Ziling sighed helplessly and could only turn his gaze back to the firebird. The little creature was still curled up in a ball, seemingly fast asleep. He tentatively called out, "Brother Bird?"

The firebird remained motionless.

Kou Zhong chuckled and lowered his voice: "It's asleep. Let's go quietly and come back quietly. It won't notice."

Xu Ziling glared at him, but also stood up. The two tiptoed out of the courtyard and headed towards the river.

Deep in a dense forest on the northern outskirts of Yangzhou.

Night had just fallen, the moonlight obscured by dark clouds, plunging the forest into gloom. In the distance stood a dilapidated temple, its crumbling walls and overgrown weeds clearly indicating its long abandonment. Inside, Ouyang Ke sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing deep and rhythmic, as if he were regulating his energy.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, and he noticed a faint, almost inaudible breathing sound several feet away from the temple. The person's concealment skills were extremely good; if it weren't for his Nine Yang Divine Skill reaching its peak and his perception far exceeding that of ordinary people, he would have been almost unable to detect them.

Ouyang Ke opened his eyes, his gaze calmly fixed on the temple gate, and said indifferently, "Since you've come, why not show yourself?"

-

He has been searching Yangzhou City for the past few days and has discovered that the person who stole the "Longevity Manual" was a woman with superb lightness skills and excellent stealth abilities. Even he has not been able to find anything useful for the time being.

So he rescued the Tian Wen family from prison, intending to lure Yuwen Huaji out. After all, having missed the chance to fight another master, the most suitable opponent at the moment was the second-best expert from the Yuwen clan.

For some reason, Yuwen Huaji never took the bait. Now, by sheer chance, he has stumbled upon the very person who initially pursued him.

"Bang!"

The already dilapidated temple door suddenly shattered, sending splinters of wood flying like projectiles. At the same time, a white figure appeared in the doorway.

Ouyang Ke remained calm, his crutches under his arms twitching slightly as he gazed indifferently at the figure before him. The newcomer was dressed in a snow-white warrior's uniform, possessing a striking and elegant bearing, standing with his hand on his sword.

She wore a bamboo hat to shield her from the sun, and a heavy veil hung down, obscuring her pretty face above her fragrant lips. But even the part of her chin that was exposed was enough to tell that she was a rare beauty. She was quite tall, with a proud and aloof air about her, and her figure was slender and graceful, her beauty beyond description.

What is particularly memorable is the small, lacquer-like mole at the corner of her mouth, which adds to her mysterious beauty.

Ouyang Ke's brows twitched slightly, and he said calmly, "It seems that you've come here to cause me trouble."

The woman in white coldly said, "That's right. Blame it on you for stealing the Longevity Formula," and still refused to leave. "I will not allow anything that benefits that tyrant to happen."

"Clang!"

The longsword was drawn, and a chilling aura instantly filled the entire area. The white-clad woman's movement in drawing her blade was as swift as lightning; in a flash, the sword was already aimed straight for Ouyang Ke's throat!

Ouyang Ke frowned slightly, but remained motionless. His right hand had already quietly reached towards his waist, his fingertips touching the cold handle of the whip.

The next moment, the silver light surged!

A silver beam suddenly shot out from Ouyang Ke's waist, like a snake emerging from its hole, and pounced straight at the woman in white!

The whip's shadow moved with such speed that it arrived before the sword could strike, blocking her path.

A hint of surprise flashed in the white-clad woman's eyes. She changed her sword stance, parrying horizontally. She thought to herself, "I never imagined there would be such a skilled individual in the Central Plains."

At the same time, her clothes fluttered, her sword light surged, and a chilling killing intent immediately filled the entire area.

"when!"

Whip and sword clashed, sparks flying. An irresistible force pierced through the sword, and the woman in white was struck as if by lightning. For the first time, a hint of emotion appeared on her fair face beneath the bamboo hat. She was thrown back, retreating more than ten feet before regaining her footing.

Having suffered a great loss in a single exchange, the woman in white was terrified. Since entering the Central Plains, she had never encountered such a formidable opponent. This showed just how domineering Ouyang Ke's whip power was.

She was naturally unaware that since Ouyang Ke's battle with Ba Feng Han, the "Nine Yang Divine Skill" was only a hair's breadth away from mastery, and even surpassed Zhang Wuji's skills after he descended from Kunlun Mountain in later generations. Not to mention her, even Ba Feng Han, who had previously fought Ouyang Ke and escaped with his life, would suffer a great loss if he encountered this whip now.

The woman in white gracefully landed in the center of the temple with a somersault in mid-air, her long sword pointing at Ouyang Ke, ready to attack again. However, a surge of powerful energy rushed towards her, accompanied by faint roars and howls, like a raging storm, like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger.

The White Python Whip Technique is renowned for its ruthlessness, viciousness, sharpness, and chilling power. Since mastering this technique, Ouyang Ke had always wielded it with ruthlessness, speed, and precision, but he had never felt such killing intent before. Faced with the domineering presence of the woman in white, a hint of murderous intent stirred within him for the first time.

Although Ouyang Ke did not move his feet, his whip techniques were deadly, sweeping out like a whirlwind. The silver whip in his hands seemed to have a life of its own, sometimes like a dragon emerging from the sea, sometimes like a snake spitting its tongue, the whip shadows overlapping, enveloping the white-clad woman's entire body.

The woman in white rose up with her sword, and a series of clanging sounds of metal clashing rang out. Her longsword parried again and again, the silver whip intertwining with the longsword, silver light dancing wildly and sparks flying everywhere.

However, each time her longsword clashed with the silver whip, her pretty face beneath the bamboo hat grew paler. The Nine Yang True Qi hidden within the silver whip invaded her meridians like needles pricking and fire burning, causing her to suffer repeated setbacks. If it weren't for the extraordinary nature of the "Nine Profound Great Art" she had learned, she would probably have already been in a hopeless situation like Shi Long.

The woman in white let out a delicate shout and leaped upwards to avoid the whip. Then, she flipped in the air, looking down from a high vantage point. Her long sword transformed into thousands of powerful rays of light, soaring into the sky to meet Ouyang Ke's attack!

The force of the whip immediately diminished by more than half, and the two clashed head-on again.

Having already witnessed Ouyang Ke's exceptional martial arts skills during their brief exchange, the woman in white knew that he was even more skilled than her. Therefore, she naturally unleashed her most powerful technique in her next move.

"boom!"

Whips and swords clashed, their energy surging outwards.

In a flash, the woman in white thrust her sword at him twelve times, and he returned the blow with twelve lashes. Each sword strike was exquisite, and each lash was incomparably fierce.

The woman in white landed gracefully, her long sword pointing at Ouyang Ke, her chest heaving slightly. Ouyang Ke flicked his silver whip in his right hand, then withdrew it, grasping the whip's tip with his left. He looked at the woman in white and said with a mocking tone, "It seems you are a disciple of the master swordsman Fu Cailin. However, with such martial arts skills, such domineering behavior is truly overestimating yourself."

The rosy glow on the woman's face faded beneath her bamboo hat, but a hint of anger flickered in her pretty eyes beneath the veil.

She was none other than Fu Junchan, the eldest disciple of the "Master of Chess and Sword" Fu Cailin. Her purpose in coming to the Central Plains was twofold: first, to assassinate Yang Guang; and second, to deliberately spread the secret of the "Yang Gong Treasure Vault," inciting internal strife in the Central Plains and buying Goryeo a respite. Just as she was preparing to infiltrate Jiangdu to assassinate Yang Guang, she suddenly learned of the secret of the "Longevity Formula."

Upon learning that Yang Guang had ordered a search for this item, and to prevent him from discovering some method for prolonging life after obtaining it, she risked everything to seize the "Longevity Manual" in Jiangdu City. During this time, she also learned that someone else had made a copy of the "Longevity Manual." To avoid future trouble, she followed the trail left by Ouyang Ke and went to his door.

Just then, a large number of footsteps suddenly came from outside the temple, the firelight illuminated the sky, and the noise of people filled the air. The two men's eyes lit up at the same time, and they saw that the temple was now surrounded by a large number of soldiers. Everyone held a torch, illuminating the dilapidated temple as if it were daytime.

Someone shouted loudly, "Listen up, you thieves inside! Quickly hand over the precious book, and we'll spare your lives!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them simultaneously snorted coldly.

Fu Jun glanced at Ouyang Ke out of the corner of his eye, made a decisive move, and with his clothes fluttering, rushed directly into the night.

More than ten officers and soldiers stepped forward to stop them, but they were quickly thrown into the air by flying swords and were unable to get up again.

Upon seeing this, someone immediately shouted, "Fire the arrows!"

In an instant, a rain of arrows came down, dense and numerous.

The woman in white snorted coldly, her longsword transforming into a blur of sword shadows that miraculously protected her, shattering the countless arrows flying towards her. The fragments scattered, some embedding themselves in tree trunks, others disappearing into the ground. Then, in a flash, she vanished completely into the depths of the night before everyone's eyes.

Ouyang Ke remained calm upon seeing this, merely glancing indifferently at the direction where Fu Junchan had disappeared. Fu Junchan had already been injured by the Nine Yang True Qi during their earlier exchange, and now, in her attempt to break through, she had forcibly activated her true qi, which would only worsen her internal injuries; she would need at least three days to recover.

"There are still people inside!"

Soldiers carrying torches noticed another figure inside the temple.

Ouyang Ke's lips curled slightly, and with a flick of his right hand, the silver whip struck out once more.

In an instant, the silver light surged, transforming into countless whip shadows that descended like a net covering the sky.

The whip's shadow was so dense, so fast, so ruthless, it was as if countless silver snakes were dancing wildly in the night sky.

No matter where the whip wounds, those struck by it will die instantly. Their internal organs are shattered by the force of the whip, and they collapse to the ground before they can even scream.

The elite soldiers were terrified and retreated hastily. Some trembled as they raised their swords to block, but before they could even see the whip's shadow, they were sent flying. Others turned to flee, but the whip's tip caught their ankles, sending them crashing to the ground, never to rise again.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, dozens of people had collapsed at the temple entrance.

The remaining officers and soldiers were ashen-faced and their legs went weak; none dared to step into the dilapidated temple. The torchlight illuminated the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, and the blood gleamed a dark red under the moonlight.

Ouyang Ke stood still, his white robes fluttering slightly in the night breeze. He lightly tapped his crutches under his arms, slowly walking out of the temple gate. His gaze swept over the trembling soldiers, and he said calmly, "Anyone else want to die?"

No one answered.

Those usually domineering elite imperial guards didn't dare to breathe loudly at this moment, and the swords in their hands were trembling.

Ouyang Ke ignored them, lightly tapped his crutches under his armpits, and his figure floated up like a ghost, covering more than ten feet in a few leaps.

Under the moonlight, the white-clad figure gradually disappeared into the night, leaving behind a group of terrified soldiers looking at each other in bewilderment.

Only after the white-clad figure completely disappeared did someone collapse to the ground with a thud, panting heavily. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with relief at surviving such a disaster.

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