Chapter 109 109, The cold and strict teacher challenges Song Que?
The speedboat entered the city from the water gate and docked at a pier.
Shan Wanjing told the Dongming disciples who were driving the boat to wait here and reunite with the Dongming when it arrived in the Central Plains. As for where she and Mr. Ouyang were going, she told the Dongming disciples not to worry about it.
After giving the instructions, she and Ouyang Feng jumped off the boat, stepped onto the dock, and headed towards the city.
When it comes to famous cities in the world, the old capital Chang'an and the new capital Luoyang come first.
However, at this time of year, Chengdu, the capital of Shu, and Yangzhou, the capital of Jiang, were as prosperous as Chang'an and Luoyang.
Even though there were rebel armies rising up all over the country and anti-government forces everywhere, it still did not affect the prosperity of Jiangdu.
Ouyang Feng walked leisurely in Yangzhou City. He saw the hustle and bustle of carriages and people flowing like dragons in the market. There were shops lined up on both sides of the street.
Because Jiangdu is connected to the sea, there are many maritime merchants traveling to and from Japan, Ryukyu and even Southeast Asia. There are also many exotic customs in the city that are dazzling.
In Ouyang Feng's opinion, the splendor of the Sui and Tang dynasties was even greater than that of the Song and Jin dynasties hundreds of years after the Sui and Tang dynasties in the main world.
In particular, the grandeur of the city layout far surpassed Lin'an of the Song Dynasty and Zhongdu of the Jin Dynasty.
And this is just the afterglow of the Sui Dynasty after it was ruined by Guangshen.
What would it be like during the heyday of the Sui Dynasty or the reign of Emperor Zhenguan?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
The last time he came to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the time was limited. Also, due to the death of Li Longji, the whole country was in mourning and the market was closed. As a result, he was unable to appreciate the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, which was in no way inferior to the Kaiyuan and Zhenguan eras, and might even be better.
Just as he was sighing with emotion, he suddenly felt that something was wrong with Shan Wanjing's aura. He glanced sideways and saw that she had a cold face and her eyes were looking around sharply.
But her figure, appearance, temperament and style were extraordinary, and she did not cover up anything. As she walked along, both men and women looked at her sideways. There were even a few rich playboys and street vagrants who pointed at her and looked at her obscenely, which made her very dissatisfied. She immediately showed sword intent in her pupils and stared at her, scaring the playboys and vagrants so much that they turned pale and fled in fear.
Ouyang Feng laughed secretly, bought a veil hat on the roadside and handed it to her. Shan Wanjing smiled sweetly and thanked him, put on the veil hat, lowered the gauze curtain on the brim to cover most of her cheeks, leaving only her red lips and chin exposed, and immediately felt much better.
The two of them strolled around the market for a while, and before they knew it, it was already dusk. The taverns and brothels were packed with guests, and it was very lively, with almost no sign of troubled times.
Ouyang Feng and Shan Wanjing randomly found a restaurant with a grand facade and asked around while ordering food. Sure enough, their bad premonition when they entered the city was confirmed - the Shilong Dojo was sealed off by soldiers early this morning. The soldiers even blocked all the city gates for a while, prohibiting pedestrians from entering or leaving, as if they were searching for something.
Shi Long was very famous and was the best martial artist in Yangzhou, with the famous nickname "Pushing Mountain Hand". His "Pushing Mountain Qigong" was so powerful that it was feared throughout Yangzhou. His disciples who learned martial arts in his martial arts hall were spread all over Yangzhou city and beyond.
Therefore, the news about Shilong spread quickly in the market, especially in restaurants which were news distribution centers. The waiter even knew that the person responsible for this matter was the famous Yu Wenzhi.
"But I heard that General Yuwen had already left the city on a warship in the afternoon. It is said that he was going to track down the rebels..."
The waiter told the story vividly, and after receiving the tip, he thanked the customer with a big smile on his face and left.
After the waiter left, Shan Wanjing asked:
"Sir, are you looking for a sparring match with the Stone Dragon?"
Ouyang Feng said:
"I wanted to learn from him, but I mainly wanted to borrow a book from him. Unfortunately, even though I borrowed the clippers, I was still late."
Since the Shilong Taoist temple was sealed off early in the morning, it means that Shilong had been found by Yu Wenzhi and beaten half to death. He died shortly after escaping.
The "Eternal Life Secret" was obviously stolen by Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling from Shilong's friend. Since Yu Wenzhi had chased out of the city, it meant that Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling had also left the city long ago. At this time, they might have recognized each other as their mothers and followed the Goguryeo Rakshasas.
Although he was a day or two late, Ouyang Feng was not in a hurry.
He didn't remember some of the details after Kou Xu met Fu Jun'er, but he knew that after Fu Jun'er took Kou Xu on board the Song clan's large ship, she was caught up by Yu Wenzhi and was seriously injured and died.
As long as we know this, everything will be easy. The next step is to search upstream along the Yangtze River to find the Song clan’s ship.
This is not looking for a needle in a haystack.
Although there are many ships on the Yangtze River, the large ships of the top-level clans like the Song clan must be extremely large and conspicuous, and they must be flying the flag of the Song clan. Otherwise, with the current situation of numerous bandits on the Yangtze River, it is unknown how much trouble the ships on the river will encounter.
While I was thinking about it, I heard Shan Wanjing ask:
"The waiter just said that not only has the Shilong Dojo been sealed, but Shilong has also disappeared. He is said to be involved in a major treason case. So, do we have to race against time with the soldiers to find Shilong first?"
"No need to look for Shilong, he might have met with an accident." Ouyang Feng said calmly: "Let's eat first, and then make plans after we are full and satisfied."
Shan Wanjing didn't know what arrangements he had made, but seeing that he was calm and unhurried, and seemed to have everything planned out, she didn't ask any more questions. After the waiter brought the dishes, she picked up her chopsticks and eagerly picked up some dishes for her husband.
After a hearty meal and a short rest, Ouyang Feng took Shan Wanjing and headed towards the west of the city.
Shan Wanjing didn't know what his specific plans were, but she didn't ask too much and just followed him obediently.
Soon, Ouyang Feng brought her to the west wall and said:
"Let's go out of the city and head up the river."
After saying that, he jumped onto the top of the city wall, and Shan Wanjing quickly followed.
The two men climbed over the city wall, left Yangzhou, and headed upstream along the Yangtze River.
Not long after they set off, there was a sudden roar of thunder in the sky, and strong winds blew in all directions, bringing with them thick moisture.
"Sir, it's going to rain heavily!"
Shan Wanjing held the veil and looked up at the sky. She saw flashes of lightning in the distance. Above the sky, dark clouds piled up like mountains and waves, indicating that a rainstorm was imminent.
Listening to the rumbling thunder and feeling the howling wind, Ouyang Feng finally shook his head and gave up insisting on continuing on his journey.
"Let's find a place to avoid the rain first."
Shan Wanjing used the lightning to illuminate the area, stared at it for a while, pointed ahead and said:
"There seems to be a house on that hill over there."
"Go over there."
The two men flew and leaped up the hill, and saw a dilapidated little temple in the dense forest. When they looked over, they saw corpses lying all over the ground in front of the temple. They were all strong and muscular men in well-dressed clothes, and various swords and weapons were dropped beside the corpses.
Shan Wanjing went over to check and said in surprise:
"They should have died in the past two days. All of them died by the sword. Many of the bodies were not stabbed in vital parts, but they were all killed by the sword. Their hearts and lungs were shattered by the sword energy... The one who killed them was a master with profound skills and excellent swordsmanship."
Ouyang Feng looked at the corpse on the ground, then looked at the door which had turned into pieces, leaving only the dark doorway of the temple. He thought that this small temple should be the place where the Rakshasa woman killed a group of rebels when she first appeared.
At this time, a few drops of rain as big as beans fell and hit Shan Wanjing's veil, making a few crisp sounds.
Ouyang Feng immediately walked towards the temple gate and said, "Let's go in and take shelter from the rain first."
Shan Wanjing hurriedly followed and entered the temple. She saw a pile of unburned charcoal inside, and a few scattered corpses beside them, all of whom died from sword wounds. Shan Wanjing picked up a spear and knocked the corpses out one by one. She then took out the fire starter and ignited the unburned charcoal. After the charcoal was ablaze, she picked up some broken door panels and threw them into the fire.
As the bonfire grew bigger, the darkness was dispelled and the small temple became warm and bright.
At this time, it was raining heavily outside. The world became silent and only the whistling wind and the rustling rain could be heard.
Shan Wanjing glanced outside the temple gate and saw that it was pitch dark outside. Occasionally, there was a flash of lightning, and all she could see was the vast rain curtain. She couldn't help but shrink her neck slightly, secretly glanced at Ouyang Feng, and moved closer to him.
Noticing her movements, Ouyang Feng asked:
"Are you afraid of thunder and rain?"
Shan Wanjing's cheeks flushed slightly, a hint of embarrassment appeared in her eyes, and she whispered:
"When I was a kid, I was crossing the sea to Ryukyu with my mother. We encountered a storm and the boat was nearly overturned. I was thrown out of the boat. Fortunately, my mother rolled me back with her sleeves in time... I was so scared at the time that I couldn't even cry. I just hugged my mother tightly. Since then, I have been a little afraid of strong winds, thunder and rain. Of course, I am only afraid of thunderstorms and strong winds at night, but I am not afraid at all during the day."
This was a shadow from her childhood. Even though she had a very high level of spiritual cultivation, and even faced death with a calm attitude and the courage to perish together with her, this shadow from her childhood, rooted deep in her heart, was difficult to completely dissipate, and some of it still remained.
"Since you practice swordsmanship, you can't be afraid of this." Ouyang Feng looked at her sideways, "You get out."
Shan Wanjing was stunned: "Ah?"
"Go out, face the thunderstorm and strong wind, and overcome the fear in your heart." Ouyang Feng said seriously: "Only when your heart is flawless can you go higher and further on the path of swordsmanship."
Shan Wanjing frowned and said bitterly:
"Sir, can you simulate a night thunderstorm and gale in the illusion first, and then test me in the real world?"
Ouyang Feng said nothing, just looked at her quietly.
Under his calm and deep gaze, Shan Wanjing finally stood up and walked towards the door with a pitiful look on her face. Although she looked back every few steps, she finally walked out of the temple gate and into the thunderstorm and strong wind. In a blink of an eye, she was soaked by the heavy rain.
With her current skill, even if she stood naked in the heavy snow, she would not get sick from the cold. Although she looked drenched by the rain, it actually had no effect on her. But when the thunderstorm and strong wind came at the same time, Ouyang Feng saw that Shan Wanjing still shivered all over, hugged her shoulders tightly with both hands, shrank down, and almost squatted on the ground with her head down.
But as if she felt Ouyang Feng's gaze, she forced herself to stand up with her knees straight. Although her body was trembling, she still gritted her teeth and persevered.
Seeing this, Ouyang Feng nodded with satisfaction and recited a passage of scripture.
This was a small technique he developed after experiencing the torture of the "Life-Calling Sanskrit Sound" several times, from which he learned a little bit. He also reversely deduced it based on his research and understanding of the function of the "Dragon-Subduing Sound" to shock the mind.
It doesn't have any particularly strong effect, it just can boost people's courage and strengthen their spiritual will.
He created this little technique originally to help himself fight against the soul-calling Sanskrit sound, but now it has other uses, as it can add some positive gain to Shan Wanjing.
In addition, this technique is purely auxiliary and can only "add icing on the cake". Only those who have courage and strong will can enjoy the bonus of this technique.
If you are a cowardly and weak-willed person, this technique will not have any effect on you.
now.
Shan Wanjing was trying her best to fight against the shadow of her childhood when she suddenly heard Ouyang Feng reciting scriptures. She felt her spirits lifted, as if a warm current was flowing from her heart. Nourished by this warm current, her courage grew stronger and her will became stronger. The shadow of her childhood that remained deep in her heart seemed to slowly dissipate under the light of her courage and perseverance.
Shan Wanjing glanced at Ouyang Feng.
But he was seen sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, his lips moving slightly, chanting in a low voice, the firelight reflected on his face, making his eyes glow, majestic and solemn like a saint. And his shadow, which was projected on the wall by the firelight and magnified several times, swaying with the firelight, looked like a demon god.
This wonderful feeling made Shan Wanjing lose consciousness for a while.
She stared at Ouyang Feng in a daze. The fear caused by the thunderstorm and strong wind had disappeared without a trace. The hands that were hugging her shoulders slowly dropped and her body stopped shaking.
Shan Wanjing stayed in the thunderstorm and strong wind for more than an hour.
Only when the thunder faded and the wind and rain died down did Ouyang Feng call her in.
Shan Wanjing stopped in front of the door, used her internal energy to steam dry her clothes and hair, then walked into the temple and returned to the fire.
Ouyang Feng let her roast in front of the fire for a while, and then gave her some dried meat to replenish her energy. After she finished eating, he stood up and said:
"Let's continue on our journey."
Shan Wanjing nodded silently, followed Ouyang Feng out of the temple gate, and continued to walk upward.
After walking for a while, Ouyang Feng suddenly stopped and looked towards a river bay.
Shan Wanjing also looked intently and saw four large ships neatly moored in the river bay. There were several lanterns on each ship, dimly illuminating the outlines of the ships.
Shan Wanjing stared at it for a while and said:
"The words on the lantern seem to be Song characters?"
Ouyang Feng nodded, "It's the word Song."
Shan Wanjing said: "Those four large ships may be merchant ships of the Lingnan Song clan. There was a thunderstorm and strong wind before, so they stopped at the river bay to avoid the wind and waves."
Ouyang Feng nodded and said:
"What I'm looking for is the Song clan's ship. Now that we've found it, we'll just follow them all the way."
Shan Wanjing thought about it and suddenly asked:
"Sir, are you planning to go and compete with Song Que, the Heavenly Blade?"
Ouyang Feng's strongest martial art is undoubtedly his palm technique.
But his swordsmanship was so powerful that Shan Wanjing was astonished.
Anyway, among all the knife-wielding masters she had seen since she was a child, Ouyang Feng was the best.
Since he is an expert in using swords, he must be very interested in Song Que, the Heavenly Sword who represents the pinnacle of swordsmanship in the world.
"I would like to confirm it with Song Que. Unfortunately, with my appearance, I am afraid I cannot enter Songjia Mountain City now."
"Uh..." Shan Wanjing was slightly startled, and suddenly remembered the character of Song Que in the rumors.
Song Que extremely hated foreigners. Even though the gentleman's surname was "Ouyang", he wore Han clothes, read Han classics, and used Han etiquette, the Western features in his appearance were destined to displease Song Que, and he was afraid that he would not be able to enter Songjia Mountain City.
"Wait until you become famous in the Central Plains, then declare a challenge to Song Que. Song Que will definitely accept the challenge!"
Shan Wanjing has full confidence in her husband.
Ouyang Feng smiled and said:
"I must challenge Heavenly Blade Song Que. As for the timing, it's just as you said. After I defeat more masters and make a name that even Song Que can't ignore, I will declare my challenge to him in public."
[Two chapters to ask for monthly tickets! 】
(End of this chapter)
