From the Ming Dynasty, we will conquer the world

Chapter 51: The Day of the Alliance! (6600)

Although the Taizhou camp was located outside the city, the noise Xu Xing had just made was quite loud. Many people had gathered at the city gate, wanting to know what was happening outside.

Due to the frequent wars in the southeast and the rampant pirates in the past few months, the people in Taizhou city are extremely nervous. They will be worried at the slightest sign of trouble, let alone the explosion coming from the military camp.
Xu Xing did not enter through the main gate, but found a place at the base of the city wall and climbed over it.

Although the defenders on the city wall were fully focused and concentrating, they did not even see his shadow. His boxing skills had been practiced to this level, and were already close to the legendary magical power of "standing upright without a shadow".

In the Taizhou government office, Xu Wei was holding an urgent report and reading it word by word when suddenly a strange fragrance wafted over with the breeze.

He raised his head and saw Xu Xing, who was only wearing a light white undershirt with his chest exposed, standing in front of the desk, with his sleeves fluttering, as if he was about to ride on the wind, giving a sense of being out of this world.

Xu Xing looked at him with a smile in his eyes, and there was a look of compassion that Xu Wei had never seen before.

Xu Wei even felt that he was not facing his own nephew, but a Buddha who had stepped down from the lotus platform and entered the sea of ​​suffering to save all living beings.

Xu Wei was stunned for a moment, put down the letter in his hand, his chest heaved a few times, took a deep breath, and then said:
"Tafa, you, you really did it?"

Xu Wei's voice trembled slightly, and he seemed extremely cautious, as if he was afraid of disturbing the banished immortal.

Xu Xing smiled and said:

"I already have the body of a human immortal, but I am just short of the human immortal boxing realm. However, I have a hunch that no matter whether this last step succeeds or not, I am afraid that some unpredictable changes will occur.

So, I came to see you before I leave."

In boxing, one enters into the state of emptiness, and uses the mind to merge with heaven and earth. After reflecting back into the void, one will then have a mysterious sense of one's own fortune and misfortune in danger.

So after Lu Bing's death, Yan Shifan and others felt strangely touched, because there was one less person in the world who was qualified to threaten him.

Xu Xing's realm is slightly higher than Yan Shifan's before, and he can always clearly sense whether there is danger or not.

Just like this time when his bones were broken into pieces and he was recast before his body was burned into Nirvana, Xu Xing could feel that the danger was about 50-50.

For someone like him, a 50% chance of success is good enough and worth risking everything for.

So, Xu Xing took this step resolutely.

The ending was just as he expected. Although the process was thrilling, he still achieved the corresponding results in the end.

But this time, this feeling seemed to have lost its effect.

No matter how Xu Xing concentrated his mind, he could not get any response from the void of heaven and earth.

Xu Xing didn't think that this strange phenomenon came from Zhu Tiandu.

After taking this step, Xu Xing’s only real opponent was himself. This was not arrogance or ignorance, but a kind of enlightenment that naturally arises after his boxing skills reach a very high level.

——The physical body has already achieved the Yang extreme of “seeing the gods without being destroyed”, and if one wants to further achieve the Yin extreme of “breaking the void”, one must first possess this invincible, supreme and self-centered mentality.

Thinking of the scorch marks remaining on Bodhidharma's body, Xu Xing also had some enlightenment. Perhaps, this was the biggest difficulty he would have to overcome in his second life.

Xu Xing was not sure whether he could get through it.

So, after passing on his mantle, he chose to come and see his only relative in this world.

Xu Wei stood still and looked at him for a long time.

Perhaps people become fragile as they get older, and even Xu Wenchang, who once looked down upon the world and was unrestrained and uninhibited, is no exception.

Everything in the past flashed through his mind like fleeting glimpses, and Xu Wei's eyes became very complicated, with a hint of regret, sadness, and nostalgia.

Xu Wei originally thought that this kind of decadent feeling would never happen to him. What he, Xu Wenchang, hated most in his life was those sentimental and timid people.

But he never thought that in the end, even he himself could not help but have so many emotions and was speechless for a while.

Xu Wei suddenly said:
"If I advise you not to do it, will you still go?"

Xu Xing said without hesitation:

"Then I will try again after you die."

It was obvious that he had thought about this.

The path to becoming a human immortal has always been Xu Xing's pursuit, but he is by no means a heartless and ungrateful person, especially when it comes to his uncle who raised him.

Xu Xing laughed again:
"Anyway, I can live to be at least 150 years old now, so it's not a big deal to spend some time to accumulate boxing skills."

Hearing these slightly disrespectful words, Xu Wei felt relieved. He looked at Xu Xing and sneered:

"Since we have come this far, there is no point in standing still and wasting our energy. How can I, Xu Wenchang, be the kind of mediocre person who would block the path of the younger generation for my own selfish reasons?"

After saying this, Xu Wei waved at Xu Xing and said impatiently:

"Go, go, go, I still have official business to attend to. Don't get in the way here."

Seeing his uncle like this, Xu Xing stood still, solemnly looked serious, bowed deeply, turned around and left without stopping.

Xu Wei just stared at the letter in front of him without looking up, but another thought was running through his mind.

Will it be too late to start practicing boxing after the Southeast matter is settled?
The night before the decisive battle seemed exceptionally long and yet exceptionally short.

In Taizhou city, I don’t know how many people couldn’t sleep all night.

These people gathered here, some for fame, some for morality, some for hatred, some for profit, some for responsibility... and so on, but they all understood the danger of tomorrow's battle.

Even though the boxers accepted Xu Xing's teachings, the time was too short to fully transform these gains into real fighting power. It was still hard to say whether they were completely sure of using this to fight against the vicious pirates under Zhu Tiandu.

And in their hearts, the magical powers displayed by Xu Xing in a short period of time could hardly overshadow the prestige accumulated by Zhu Tiandu over decades.

To relieve this worry, they each have their own way.

Based on the mysterious intuition, Xu Xing went to find the three most "prominent" masters, wanting to know what these three people would do.

Xu Xing first came to Qi Jiguang's courtyard, where he heard the sound of wind and thunder, and saw continuous shadows of gunfire all over the courtyard, with a sharp spirit in the air.

It was obvious that the general was not sleeping and was practicing with his shooting, which showed his consistent diligence.

He walked to Lu Zhu's room again, but heard two completely different breathing sounds, one was extremely deep, with each inhalation and exhalation extremely long, and the other was smooth and rhythmic, so standard that it seemed like it had been measured with an hourglass.

Xu Xing knew that Lu Zhu was meditating in the room, and Xiyu was guarding him by his side. This was a companionship that ordinary people could not envy.

Xu Xing finally came to Lu Fang's door. Since opening the blood gate, the internal minister's energy and blood have been increasing day by day. Even if he has not seen him for a while, the burning feeling is several times stronger than in the morning.

When Xu Xing arrived, Lu Fang suddenly spoke in the room:
"Is this Xu Dasheng? Why don't you come in and have a chat?"

Xu Xing smiled, not afraid of any ambush by Lu Fang, and pushed the door open, only to see the eunuch standing in the messy courtyard, looking at a piece of letter.

Xu Xing glanced around and said casually:
"After the blood gate is activated, it is not easy to control physical strength. I am afraid that after training to this extent, I am not yet able to adapt to the surge of strength."

Lu Fang knew what he was going to say, so he just smiled and shook his head, saying:

"In front of you, Great Sage Xu, even if I master everything, what's the use?"

Xu Xing thought so too, so he nodded, looked at the letter again, and asked naturally:
"Why, are you writing to the emperor again to make him prepare to deal with me?"

Lu Fang didn't shy away from the question and nodded directly. After a while, he shook his head again.

"I was indeed writing a letter to my master, Xu Qingdao, Xu Tafa, hey, Xu Wenchang is indeed a genius, he can even conceal such a thing perfectly.

However, all the masters in the world are famous figures. After becoming a master, the disguise of a dual identity does not make much sense.

In fact, if you were known only as the Northern Man-Slayer instead of Yue Daohai's followers, there would be more room for maneuver between us."

Xu Xing just waved his hand and said indifferently:

“When I released Yang Jinshui in Hangzhou, I already knew that this approach would not work.

I used my real name and true identity just to make the old man famous. He likes fame, so I helped him to gain fame. This was also a consideration when I went to Shaolin alone.

and……"

Recalling his feelings that day, Xu Xing laughed sincerely.

"Now, I can understand the old man. It really feels good to leave your mark in history."

Lu Fang shook his body and said with a wry smile:
“Indeed, with your boxing skills, there is absolutely no need to hide your head and show your tail. However, when it comes to dealing with you... there should be no one in this world who can deal with you.

The only one who can deal with you is yourself."

When he said this, Lu Fang's eyes were as sharp as an eagle.

Xu Xing showed an interested expression.

"You want to use the power of 'Burning Fire'? Yes, that's a good idea. I'll wait and see."

Seeing that Lu Fang was moved for a moment, he shook his head again and said comfortingly:
"The indestructible body is not truly indestructible for eternity. To want the physical body to stay in the world forever is just empty talk.

What's more, I'm still in the adjustment period of bone replacement. If you arrange it well, there is still a chance."

Lu Fang never expected that Xu Xing would talk about this topic in such a friendly tone.

He didn't seem to be instructing people to kill him, but rather like a private school teacher who was patiently teaching children the truth and helping them to clear up their confusions.

It's also like a child who is longing for playmates and trying every possible means to keep his friends, fearing that they will be scared and stop playing with him.

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Fang sighed and said directly:

"In tomorrow's battle, if Zhu Laolong can't do anything to you, I will take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack."

Xu Xing didn't take it seriously, but shook his head and laughed:

"Eunuch Lu, before launching a surprise attack, you need to inform the other party first.

The way you do things is truly like that of a great country, unlike us martial artists who roll around in the mud."

Lu Fang also laughed, twirling his beard and said:

"For you, does it make any difference whether it's a sneak attack or not? You might as well just say it directly. I'll feel better about it."

Seeing Lu Fang being so carefree, Xu Xing couldn't help but sigh:
"What a shame, what a shame. Tomorrow, I will make sure you die behind Zhu Tiandu."

Lu Fang cupped his hands and said cheerfully:
"Thank you, thank you." Xu Xing also clasped his fists and said with a smile:

"Easy to say, easy to say."

These two enemies who were destined to fight each other in life and death, at this moment, seemed like old friends who had known each other for many years. They simply chatted about boxing in this courtyard, laughing and talking without any scruples.

Lu Fang entered the palace when he was young, and he experienced countless secrets in the palace. However, the more he was a person, the more he cherished true feelings. Therefore, he always protected people who worked for him, such as Yang Jinshui, Huang Jin, and Feng Bao.

Therefore, even though their positions were clear and a matter of life and death was at stake, Lu Fang was still willing to accompany this young man and talk all night long, if for nothing else, just for the sincerity in his words and eyes.

The reason why Xu Xing was willing to tell Lu Fang so much was, firstly, because he saw that his martial arts skills were not easy to come by, and secondly, because Lu Fang had been behaving himself in Taizhou for more than two months and had not caused any trouble.

During the communication, Xu Xing gradually realized that this grandmaster who was known as the palace guardian of the Ming Dynasty was essentially just an ordinary old man who was neither bad nor good enough.

He was not a man who could save the world by turning the tide, nor could he completely abandon his conscience. He just adhered to his identity as a close minister of the emperor and the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, and dared not overstep the mark in the slightest. Faced with all kinds of difficulties, he could only try his best to turn things around within the rules.

Just like what he had done in Taizhou these days, although he helped to withstand the pressure from the central government, it was difficult for him to do anything else.

The two stopped talking only when the sky and the earth suddenly brightened and a red sun vaguely emerged from the sea and gradually revealed its full appearance.

Xu Xing turned his head, the sunlight shining brightly on his eyebrows and eyes, he sighed:
"Eunuch Lu, let's go. I'll see you off for the last time."

Lu Fang also looked into the distance, bathing in the rising sun, without any trace of tiredness. His eyes were lively and bright, like a young man full of vigor and vitality. He smiled and said:

"What an honor."

After saying that, he turned around, glanced at Xu Xing, raised his eyebrows and said:
"Xu Dasheng, even though I'm old, I still have some tough bones. You better be careful, don't let me break your teeth."

Xu Xing laughed heartily, laughing very happily.

"If so, that would be great."

It's dawn, and it's time to set off.

Just as everyone followed Qi Jiguang's orders and began to assemble, preparing to rush to Aobei Island, a thick black cloud floated in from afar, blocking out the sky.

The clouds were thick, as if brewing a devastating storm with thunder and lightning. The moisture came with the wind, making people feel depressed.

Xu Xing stood on the shore, raised his head, and said only one sentence:
"Such nice weather, it's time to send Zhu Laolong off on his journey."

Aobei Island is only a few dozen nautical miles away from Xiangshan City. The island is not very big, and the surrounding waters are full of reefs. Therefore, it has always been regarded by small groups of pirates as an excellent transit station for landing and looting.

Their ships were usually not large and could easily cross the reefs, so they did not need to worry about being pursued by the imperial navy. Moreover, the island was covered with dense forests, rugged rocks, and many poisonous insects, which made it difficult for the army to land and deploy for battle.

However, this limitation exists for both parties.

As long as Taizhou can assemble an elite team with strong combat capabilities, it can avoid the suffering of people in the southeast and avert this unprecedented maritime disaster at the lowest cost.

——This is Zhu Tiandu’s last chance to Taizhou, or the last declaration of war.

If Hu Zongxian fails to seize this opportunity, then Zhu will naturally not be gentle, respectful, frugal and modest, but will completely reveal his true nature as a bandit, mobilize all the Japanese soldiers and invade the southeast!

However, whether Hu Zongxian's people come or not, Zhu Tiandu still has to solve some small problems first.

——The two sword masters, Kamiizumi Nobunaga and Tsukahara Bokuden, are quite famous in the Wa country. As a sword master of the older generation, Tsukahara Bokuden is even more respected and virtuous.

It is unknown how many Japanese masters have received instruction from these two people, and their disciples are spread all over the Japanese territory.

Now that these two people were killed in battle, it naturally caused an uproar in the Wa country. Even many masters who had not paid attention to this war and only focused on practicing, came out of their mountains and rushed to Aobei Island because of this news.

For a time, Aobei Island was in turmoil, with many heroes gathering. Dozens of ships were anchored there, and flags of various colors fluttered in the wind, almost covering the sky.

In the center of the island, in a venue created by human effort, various daimyos, heroes, and masters were gathered together.

The Uesugi family, the Shimazu family, the Takeda family, the Oda family, the Yagyu family... almost half of the powerful people in the Japanese country have arrived.

Almost all of them are ambitious people who are willing to follow Zhu Tiandu to charge into battle, plunder the southeast, and even divide Middle-earth together. Therefore, their eyes reveal desires, but some people hide them well, while some people do not hide them at all.

Oda Nobunaga was the one who did not hide anything at all.

Swordsmen from sword-fighting schools such as the Shinkage-ryu, Katori Shinto-ryu, Kurama-ryu, and Shinjin-ryu were on high alert.

Although their appearances were different, they all had white bands on their heads and had solemn expressions. They knelt in the middle of the field, emitting a bloody and tragic aura. Their bodies stood straight like tombstones, and it was obvious that they were determined to die.

These swordsmen had all been taught by Kamiizumi Nobunaga and Tsukahara Bokuden, or were simply disciples of these two sword masters. They came this time to avenge the two sword masters.

However, Zhu Polong did not care too much about these swordsmen. His attention was on the three people still standing in the field.

One of them was of sturdy build, wearing a green monk's robe and holding a cross spear about two meters long. Although he was dressed as a monk, his figure and aura were like a general galloping on the battlefield and commanding thousands of troops.

The other man had a square face and wore a brocade robe embellished with countless jewels, which was dazzling and colorful. However, even such a luxurious robe could not cover up the man's heavy majesty.

He held a string of Buddhist beads in his hand and twisted them slowly.

There was also an old man in black with a haggard face, a tall and thin body, and extremely sparse hair. He looked like a skeleton covered with shriveled human skin. The contours of his facial bones were extremely clear, his eye sockets were deep, and there seemed to be a faint ghost fire burning in his eyes.

Zhu Polong knew the first two people. The blue-robed monk was named Baozangyuan Yinrong, who had studied in many sects. Finally, when he saw the reflection of the moon in the pond, he suddenly became enlightened. He developed the weapon "Junimonji Gun" and created his own unique Baozangyuan style of spearmanship.

Although he has not reached the level of a grandmaster, with a gun in his hand, his killing power cannot be underestimated. He is considered a character, so Zhu Polong naturally has to be more careful about him.

The second majestic monk is the contemporary leader of the Nichiren sect. He was once defeated by Kamiizumi Nobunaga and his heirloom, Sujumaru Tsunetsugu, was taken away from him.

Now that he has appeared again, he has somewhat of the aura of a master, however, he is still missing the finishing touch.

Zhu Polong took one more look and then looked away.

After being looked at by Zhu Polong, both Baozangyuan Yinrong and Nichiren Sect Leader's expressions changed, and they felt a chill in their hearts, and they shared the same feeling.

——This Four Seas Crocodile God has become stronger again!

Even Zhu Polong had never seen this third old man in black.

However, after noticing Zhu Polong's gaze, the old man grinned, revealing a mouthful of sparse and rotten teeth, and said with a smile:
"The strong men of Tang land, please call me Yamabushi."

He spoke Japanese with a heavy accent, but Zhu Polong could understand its meaning very clearly.

Yamabushi...? !

Zhu Polong frowned.

"Shugendo?"

The old man still had that smile on his face and nodded slowly, as if an elder was praising a knowledgeable child.

"It is Shugendo."

After hearing the old man's admission, the powerful Japanese warriors present were suddenly in an uproar.

Shugendo is an extremely famous and extremely hidden spiritual sect in the Wa Kingdom. It advocates asceticism in the mountains and forests in order to get close to the way of nature and obtain enlightenment from ghosts and gods.

Yamabushi is a general term for these practitioners, referring to those who go into the mountains to practice hard in order to obtain miraculous methods.

It is said that every "yamabushi" must undergo the "Thousand Days Return to the Peak" at least once before being qualified to enter.

Moreover, after entering the door, every "Yamafu" should cut off all worldly ties. If they fail to succeed in their practice, they will turn into dry bones and will never return to the mortal world again.

But who is this old man in black in front of me... ?
Seeing everyone's puzzled expressions, the old man's wrinkled face twitched, revealing a shy smile like that of an innocent girl, and said with a smile:
"Before I left the mountain, I killed all those old guys. From now on, I am the only 'Yamafu' in the world. So, you can just call me 'Yamafu'."

The old man ignored the shocked looks of the crowd, licked his lips as if he was still unsatisfied, and said regretfully:

"Those old guys may have high spiritual cultivation, but their physical strength has declined too much. It's not satisfying to kill them."

He raised his green eyes, looked up at the tall and mighty Zhu Polong, showed an extremely envious look, and said with deep emotion:
"But you are very good. I once had a body like this..."

Zhu Polong crossed his arms, looked down at the old man, raised his eyebrows, and thought of a legendary figure, and said coldly:
"I heard from Da Lei Tian, ​​no, Tachibana Dosetsu, that when he was a teenager, he was chasing thunderclouds on the top of a mountain. He met a giant with a green face and fangs. He called himself Black Feathered Crow Tengu. That person must be you."

The old man smiled shyly again and waved his hand gently:

"That little ghost who cultivated his flesh and was willing to be a corpse-guarding ghost actually remembered me. How rare. However, the story of the heavenly dog ​​is ultimately false..."

Before he finished his sigh, he raised his head slightly, raised his eyebrows, straightened his back, and said proudly word by word:
"How can a mere ghost compare to me?"

It was not until this time that everyone realized that this man's stature was not much less than Zhu Polong's.

As soon as these words were uttered, a cold wind seemed to blow up from the ground, making everyone feel cold and their bones ache.

Yinrong of Baozangyuan frowned, and the cross-shaped spear in his hand was humming and trembling, like a dragon locked in a well, eager to break the seal and stir up trouble.

As the leader of the Nichiren sect tightened his grip, the sandalwood Buddhist beads began to crack into fine lines, and the thin string that strung the beads turned directly into ashes. However, the beads did not show any signs of shaking, as if they were stuck to the hand.

The old man stroked his sparsely haired head and laughed strangely:
“I came down the mountain this time just to see who the strong man from the East is who could kill the boy Shangquan and that old man Bu Chuan.

Such a strong person is really very curious..."

Just as Zhu Polong frowned, he heard a panicked report from outside.

"Report! Crocodile Head, there is another person outside the island sending a visiting card!"

"Hmm? Who is this person from?"

Zhu Polong felt a little strange. All the powerful men from the Japanese country who were planned to be invited had arrived. Who else had not arrived?
Is it...?
The subordinate knelt on the ground and tremblingly handed over a visiting card. On the cover, there were several words written in a free and unrestrained manner, like flying dragons and snakes.

Zhu Polong took a look and finally confirmed his guess.

It was clearly written on it, Great Sage Hun Tian Xu!

He actually dared to come!
Could it be that he defeated the Thunder Queen without getting hurt? !

When Zhu Polong was surprised and thinking, a white and slender hand took the visiting card.

It was Zhu Tiandu who appeared here at some unknown time.

He was still dressed like a scholar, and his temperament was as calm and elegant as ever. He casually flipped through the visiting card and said with a smile:

"Please quickly."

(End of this chapter)