Chapter 54

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Deng Yuanjue, the Venerable Baoguang, swung his staff like a green dragon, with immense force and weight, as if it weighed tens of thousands of pounds. A mere brush could kill, and a touch could injure. If he had any intent to kill, the two imperial guards would have had their skulls crushed in a single move.

Deng Yuanjue glanced at Chen Ang and his group, snorted coldly, and heavily planted his staff on the ground. The gravel on the road, hardened by the hooves of horses, was pierced through like tofu, the staff sinking in more than a foot. This display of skill, without any show of force, could only be achieved by a master of internal martial arts.

"You few, sneaking around with ill intentions, I want to ask what business you have in Muzhou?" Deng Yuanjue had tested the martial skills of the two imperial guards. Though far inferior to him, they were still top-notch in the martial world. Muzhou was the stronghold of the Mingjiao sect, and seeing Chen Ang and his group's extraordinary martial arts, he instinctively became wary.

Huang Shang snorted coldly, clearly disapproving of Deng Yuanjue's territorial behavior. He said bluntly, "I didn't know Muzhou had become a small court. Under the vast sky, all is the land of the Song Dynasty. We come and go as we please. When did we need to report to you? Are you the government or the court?"

Deng Yuanjue's eyes, like those of a leopard, widened in anger. He roared, "So, you're a lackey of the court! Take this staff first!" He pulled up his staff, creating a staff flower in the air. The gravel at the staff's tip shot out, hitting the trees and causing leaves to fall. The staff's shadow swung, and a thunderous sound echoed through the air.

At this moment, the old man on the horse suddenly began to cough violently. His face turned purple, and he struggled to breathe. His thin, hunched body trembled, and his gray hair hung limply over his face.

Hearing the old man's painful sounds, Deng Yuanjue's sudden movement froze. He hesitated, put down his staff, and, ignoring Huang Shang, gently helped the old man, soothing his breath. His fierce face softened, and he carefully wiped the saliva from the old man's mouth.

Huang Shang, who had already gathered his internal energy in his palms, relaxed his stance. He walked to the side, his back to Deng Yuanjue, refusing to take any advantage. One focused on caring for the old man, while the other ignored the other, both being upright men.

Deng Yuanjue spared no internal energy in helping the old man recover. After several attempts, the old man's complexion improved. Seeing the old man's breathing stabilize, he quickly picked up his staff and said to Huang Shang, "I have something to do. This time, I'll count it as a loss. From your actions, you seem to be an upright man. Go ahead, the Mingjiao sect won't trouble you."

"Why would I need your permission?" Huang Shang waved his sleeve. "My actions are a matter of personal cultivation. What does it have to do with others or you? If we meet again, it will still be a fight to the death. Your words are an insult to me."

Deng Yuanjue said nothing, ready to carry the old man and run. Huang Shang called out to him, "Take the horse! This old man is suffering from the heat, and I can't ignore it. Here, take some heat-relieving medicine as well."

Seeing the hesitation on Deng Yuanjue's face, Huang Shang sneered, "Do you think I'm doing you a favor? No, to me, every citizen of the Song Dynasty is like a parent or a relative. You have your filial piety, and I have my duty. When we meet again, your head as a rebel will be the first I cut off!"

Deng Yuanjue was furious, "What a lackey of the court! Who will cut whose head, we'll see! My saber is already sharp. If it weren't for the court's tyranny, forcing salt workers to work in the scorching heat, this old man wouldn't be suffering."

"I've already cut off the head of that salt official, and you're not the only one!"

While saying this, he caught the medicine bottle Huang Shang threw, sniffed it, and applied it to the old man's nose. Hearing his curses, Huang Shang's face turned red with anger. He had heard of the court's corrupt officials, and although Deng Yuanjue's actions of killing officials and rebelling infuriated him, he still restrained his anger.

Deng Yuanjue, who could spend so much energy on an unknown old man, carrying him for a hundred miles in the scorching heat, and even rebelling, was clearly a hero. If Qiao Feng saw him, he would probably invite him for three jars of fine wine. However, to a scholar like Huang Shang, his feelings were very conflicted.

On one hand, he admired their heroism, but on the other, he was angry at their disregard for the law.

Chen Ang, who had no regard for the law, had some goodwill towards Deng Yuanjue, the hero of the common people. He cleared a space, took off his cloak, and laid it on the ground, saying to Deng Yuanjue, "I'm a doctor. Bring the old man over."

Deng Yuanjue, seeing the dense silver needles in the box at his waist, believed him. He carried the old man over. The old man was drenched in sweat, his body trembling uncontrollably. Chen Ang felt his pulse and found that the old man's body was already depleted, his vital energy leaking, and only sustained by a bit of Deng Yuanjue's internal energy.

"Fortunately, you didn't stubbornly refuse. If you hadn't brought him over, he wouldn't have made it to Muzhou," Chen Ang said, picking up a silver needle and inserting it into the old man's crown. His left hand, like plucking a lute, pinched, flicked, brushed, and stabbed, creating a blur of movement over the silver needle.

A hot gas was forced out, forming a white mist that rose from the old man's crown. Chen Ang's right hand continued, using his internal energy to press on various acupoints. The gentle true qi from the "Jinkui Yaolun" harmonized yin and yang, balancing the old man's disrupted energy.

The old man felt the oppression in his chest dissipate, and a burst of heat was expelled. He felt warm and comfortable, and the days of internal heat and discomfort were relieved. His mind relaxed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Deng Yuanjue sighed in relief, his body swaying, clearly exhausted. He forced himself to stay alert, secretly cursing. The two people in front of him had mysterious and formidable martial skills, and were his lifelong enemies. Even at full strength, he would have to be cautious. Now, with his energy depleted, he was like a lamb in the mouth of a tiger.

Losing himself was one thing, but these two had come with ill intent, and the sect members were unprepared, which was a serious problem.

Suddenly, a whistling sound came from the distance. A man in rough clothes, carrying a precious saber, rode a fine horse toward them. Seeing people ahead, he reined in his horse and shouted, "Is that the great monk Deng Yuanjue? Venerable Baoguang?"

Hearing his call, Deng Yuanjue was overjoyed and shouted back, "Southern Li, I'm here!" His voice, full of energy, echoed like thunder, and a tremor, transmitted by the Mingjiao sect's secret technique, reached Shi Bao's ears.

"Don't worry, monk Deng, I'm coming!" Shi Bao shouted, patting his horse and leaping up. Chen Ang watched him move like a agile leopard, landing next to Deng Yuanjue in a few bounds, his steel saber at the ready, guarding against Chen Ang and his group.

He was completely different from Deng Yuanjue, with even more fierce eyes. Though dressed in rough clothes, he clearly wore fine silk underneath, unlike Deng Yuanjue's simple attire. When his eyes swept over the old man lying on the ground, he couldn't hide his arrogance as a martial artist.

"Who are you? How dare you come to the territory of the Mingjiao sect without reporting?" Shi Bao swept a cold gaze over Chen Ang and his group.

This tyrannical behavior, not only made the Longxiang guards' eyes cold, but even Deng Yuanjue frowned. He clasped his hands and said kindly, "Dharma King Shi, let's talk elsewhere!" He gestured for Shi Bao to leave.

Shi Bao's face was dark, but he couldn't refuse Deng Yuanjue. He glanced at Chen Ang and his group, then turned to leave. He laughed and boasted to Deng Yuanjue, "Venerable Baoguang, you did well in Chun'an! Ha! Killing that scoundrel was truly satisfying."

"Killing corrupt officials is what makes us good brothers of the Mingjiao sect!" He laughed loudly, extremely pleased. Deng Yuanjue, however, felt a sense of foreboding, his face turning pale. Sure enough, a clear voice came from behind them.

"Who gave you such audacity?" Chen Ang, hands behind his back, calmly walked out from behind them. In an instant, he appeared in front of them, smiling. "I am the Grand Marshal of the Song Dynasty, the Commander of the Imperial Guard. I want to ask you, why are you seeking your own death?"

Shi Bao snorted coldly, holding his long saber, his eyes filled with suspicion as he stared at Chen Ang. Chen Ang's appearance was too strange. His voice had just been behind them, but now he was in front of them. Chen Ang stood there, his aura completely harmonious, and Shi Bao, despite locking onto him with his saber, could not sense any weakness.

Chen Ang stood there as naturally as a breeze and the moon. Under the lock of killing intent, he was like a void, clearly there but completely undetectable. A chill ran down Deng Yuanjue's spine.

He thought he had overestimated this young man, but in fact, he had underestimated his terrifying abilities. Now, with the situation at a critical point, he could only say, "The road is wide, let's each go our own way. The Mingjiao sect and the government do not interfere with each other. Please let us pass."

Chen Ang glanced at him indifferently and said coldly, "What does the Mingjiao sect have that it can claim to not interfere with the government? In other words, what makes you think I should be cautious of you? The land of the Song Dynasty and its people are under the rule of the Song Dynasty. When did the Mingjiao sect have the right to decide?"

He glanced at the Mingzun marks on Deng Yuanjue and Shi Bao, and said coldly, "On Song soil, the law is the only rule, and the government is the only authority. The Mingjiao sect's arrogance, claiming to be supreme and replacing the law with its own rules, is a great act of treason. Today, the Imperial Guard, by the law of the state, is here to eradicate the heretical sect and investigate illegal activities..."

"By the power of the heavens, to cleanse the land."

Chen Ang smiled mysteriously, looking at the two on guard, and said calmly, "Killing officials and rebelling, dividing the land and claiming kingship, it's all because you think the government is weak, and the officials are timid, trying to avoid trouble. Now, we are here!"

"Is the Mingjiao sect ready?"

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