The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 57, page 72: The Nine Yin Divine Claw combined with the Five Fingers Sword Aura is quite impressive!
"Young Master Lu, Young Master Huang, we have reached Song territory. May we release my wife and children?"

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Wanyan Honglie called out to Lu Chen and Huang Rong from afar.

Even now, he is unaware that Lu Chen and Huang Rong joined the Zhao Prince's Mansion for ulterior motives.

They thought it was because Wanyan Kang was ignorant and had set up a trap to kill them, which angered them so much that they broke Wanyan Kang's legs and captured Princess Zhao as revenge.

Therefore, Wanyan Honglie was still trying to plead for mercy at this time:

"My son is unruly and has offended you two. This is my fault. I beg you two to be magnanimous and forgive him this time, considering that I have been quite respectful to you!"

Upon hearing Wanyan Honglie's shout, Lu Chen looked at Bao Xiruo:

"Does Your Highness wish to return?"

At this moment, Bao Xiruo only had Yang Tiexin in her eyes, and upon hearing this, she resolutely shook her head:

"Young Master Lu, please stop calling me Princess. Since I reunited with Brother Yang, even in death, I want to die with him..."

Lu Chen nodded, then looked at Wanyan Kang:

"Young Prince, what about you? Do you want to continue being a young prince in your adoptive father's family, or go back to your hometown with your biological parents to farm?"

Go back to your hometown to farm?

Wanyan Kang was stunned, forgetting even the pain in his knees, and instinctively wanted to refuse.

But before he could finish speaking, he suddenly jolted, glanced furtively at Huang Rong, swallowed hard, and was about to say that he wished to return to his hometown with his biological parents when Lu Chen suddenly said:
“Your crime has already been punished, and we will not punish you twice. Whatever choice you make now, we will not blame you for it.”

real or fake?

Wanyan Kang was overjoyed and looked at Huang Rong with hopeful eyes.

He realized that although Lu Chen was ruthless in killing, he was only "ruthless" in one aspect. In fact, he was straightforward like a swordsman. He would kill or cripple people without hesitation and would not use any tricks to torment them.

However, his junior aunt Huang Rong, though seemingly innocent and carefree, had an unfathomable mind. Wanyan Kang felt that, in a sense, his junior aunt Huang Rong and he were actually the same kind of people.

Therefore, Wanyan Kang did not take Lu Chen's statement seriously and had to confirm with Huang Rong before he could feel at ease.

"Don't worry, junior nephew. My brother Lu Chen's will is my will."

Huang Rong smiled and said:

"Whether you want to be surnamed Wanyan or Yang, we will not interfere. We just hope you will remember this and not fall into our hands again, otherwise, you will have to draw the remaining two lots again."

Wanyan Kang nodded repeatedly:
"Don't worry, Junior Sister. I didn't know your identities before, which is why I made such a big mistake. Now that I know you are my seniors, how could I, Wanyan Kang, make the same mistake again?"

Upon hearing him identify himself as Wanyan Kang, Lu Chen and Huang Rong both looked as if they had "not expected it," while Yang Tiexin looked dejected, and Bao Xiruo felt even more guilty.
"Brother, it's all my fault. I didn't raise Kang'er well."

Yang Tiexin shook his head:

"It's not your fault, it's Wanyan Honglie's fault."

Wanyan Kangze said:
"Mother, Yang... Father, don't worry, although I am temporarily following Wanyan Honglie, I am still your son."

"Actually, the reason I want to go back to be a prince is because my legs are crippled and I am unable to farm. If I go back with you, I will only be a burden and you will have to take care of me."

"By following Wanyan Honglie and letting him support me, not only will my parents be spared trouble and labor, but I can also make him waste money, food and medicine. It can be considered a kind of revenge against him. It is a win-win situation!"

Huang Rong was surprised:

"Oh, so it turns out that my junior nephew wants to continue being a prince, not because he's greedy for wealth and glory!"

Wanyan Kang chuckled twice, knowing that his sweet talk wouldn't work on a clever woman like Huang Rong, and honestly said:

"To be honest, I do like wealth and luxury, after all, I was born a little prince... However, what I told my parents is indeed the truth."

Huang Rong curled her lips, too lazy to expose him, and said to Lu Chen:

"If that's the case, then shall we leave the young prince here?"

Lu Chen nodded: "Stay."

With both legs crippled, Wanyan Kang, despite his martial arts skills, couldn't possibly run around causing trouble like Duan Yanqing, who could do so while using crutches. He could only stay home and recuperate.

However, with the Mongols about to attack the Jin Dynasty, Prince Wanyan Kang's carefree days are probably not going to last much longer.

Perhaps when the Mongols attack Zhongdu, he will try to escape to Jiangnan again.
In any case, given Wanyan Kang's personality, there was no way he would agree to live or die with the Jin Dynasty.

Especially now that he knows his true identity, he can run away with a clear conscience—

My surname is Yang, I am a Song Dynasty citizen, and I live in Wanyan Honglie's mansion. I only live here to plunder his gold and silver so that he can make up for what he owes my old Yang family. What does the survival of the Great Jin Dynasty have to do with me?

In short, Lu Chen felt that Wanyan Kang didn't have many good days left, but Wanyan Kang himself didn't know that. Seeing that Huang Rong and Lu Chen had agreed to let him stay, he immediately bowed to Huang Rong and Lu Chen with a grateful expression and said:

"Thank you, Junior Aunt and Junior Uncle."

He bowed to Mei Chaofeng again and said, "Take care, Master."

He then said to Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo:

"Father, Mother, please forgive me for not being able to kowtow to you due to my leg injury. I will send people to visit you often in the future..."

Finally, he said to Mu Nianci:
"Sister, I'm entrusting my parents to you! Please take care of them for me and fulfill my filial duty!"

It must be said that Wanyan Kang spoke very comprehensively, no wonder even Mei Chaofeng, with her aloof and fierce nature, would sincerely regard him as her disciple.

Even Yang Tiexin's expression softened considerably as he looked at this unfamiliar son, and he whispered:

"Kang'er, be careful!"

Mu Nianci also felt that this sworn brother still had some conscience, and nodded:

"Don't worry, Kang-di, I will take good care of my godparents."

Lu Chen and Huang Rong remained silent, only watching his performance with cold eyes.

When Wanyan Kang bowed to them again to say goodbye, Huang Rong finally said:
"Don't forget to return the white camel."

Wanyan Kang was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded:
"Don't worry, Junior Sister, I'll send someone to bring the white camel over as soon as I get there."

He then bowed to the crowd, urged the white camel onward, and galloped toward Wanyan Honglie's entourage.

A moment later, after a cavalryman returned the white camel, Lu Chen said to Wanyan Honglie:
"Thank you for seeing me off all the way, Prince Zhao. We'll meet again someday!"

After saying this, he urged the white camel onward, and together with Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, Yang Tiexin and his wife, and Mu Nianci, they rode away into the distance.

As for how Wanyan Kang would deceive Wanyan Honglie about Bao Xiruo's refusal to return after he went back, that was none of Lu Chen's business.

……

After entering Song territory, Lu Chen and his party first arrived in Chuzhou, where they rented two large boats, one for people and the other for camels, and headed south to Yangzhou along the Yangchu Canal.

Traveling in the south is indeed convenient, with its dense network of waterways and canals. After boarding the ship in Chuzhou, Lu Chen and his companions could travel by boat, first from Chuzhou to Yangzhou, and then along the Jiangnan Canal all the way to Lin'an Prefecture.

The ancestral home of Yang Tiexin's family is in Niujia Village, Lin'an Prefecture.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong will also change ships in Lin'an Prefecture and take Mei Chaofeng back to Peach Blossom Island.

Taking a boat on the canal is both comfortable and convenient, and it also saves travel time, allowing Lu Chen more time to cultivate.

evening.

In the passenger cabin of a large ship ahead, Lu Chen sat in a chair, his five fingertips shooting out invisible sword beams one after another, making a hissing sound as he flicked them.

After practicing for a while, he suddenly channeled his true energy, and invisible sword light burst forth from the tips of his five fingers at the same time. Then, he gently grabbed the table, and wood chips flew everywhere, creating five thin cracks on the tabletop.

Huang Rong, who was watching his demonstration intently, clapped her hands and cheered:
"The Five-Finger Sword Light is finally complete!"

Previously, when he was still in the Prince Zhao's mansion, after Lu Chen mastered the sword aura of his index finger, he originally expected that he could develop the sword aura of the other three fingers in just three to five days.

Unfortunately, unforeseen events followed. While fleeing with Yang Tiexin's family, he also had to be wary of Wanyan Honglie's troops attacking. For the past ten days or so, Lu Chen could only spare a little time each day to study martial arts. Therefore, only today has he finally completed the development of the other three sword beams, and can finally unleash invisible sword beams from all five fingers.

Lu Chen maintained the sword light emanating from his five fingers, feeling a drain on his true energy, and smiled:

"It's alright. Even when all five fingers unleash sword light, the consumption of true energy is not as great as I imagined."

Huang Rong asked with a smile:

"How long can you hold out?"

Lu Chendao:
"Continuously unleashing the Five Fingers Sword Light should be enough to sustain it for most of the next half hour. But that's unnecessary."

Huang Rong nodded:
"That's true. In actual combat, there's no need to maintain the sword aura indefinitely. You can simply unleash it when necessary. This way, you can catch the enemy off guard."

He paused, then smiled and said:
"Now that the Five-Finger Sword Light is complete, it's time to practice a claw technique. I'll go and call Mei Chaofeng over."

She stepped out of the cabin with light and cheerful steps, called over Mei Chaofeng who lived next door, and asked Mei Chaofeng to take out the Human Skin True Scripture, unfold it on the table, and let her and Lu Chen read it.

"Senior Sister Mei, you've practiced the Nine Yin White Bone Claw for many years. Could you share your cultivation insights and give us some pointers?"

"Yes." Mei Chaofeng dared not refuse and recounted her experience in cultivating the Nine Yin White Bone Claw in detail.

Comparing the claw techniques in the Human Skin Manual with Mei Chaofeng's oral explanations, Huang Rong felt increasingly uneasy:

"Senior Sister Mei, isn't your training a bit off? It's a perfectly orthodox claw technique, but it feels like you've turned it into an evil martial art. For example, this line, 'With power emanating from the five fingers, nothing is insurmountable, destroying the enemy's head as easily as piercing rotten soil,' refers to the 'vital point' here, not specifically a human head. And it doesn't mean you're practicing with a skull, does it?"

Mei Chaofeng was stunned. She had no talent for studying. Even with a master like Huang Yaoshi who was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, she didn't learn much culture and was a genuine academic failure.

After stealing the Nine Yin Manual, with no one to guide them, they could only practice it by feeling around according to their own understanding with Chen Xuanfeng, and then did they indeed practice it wrong?

"Senior Sister Mei, please continue."

Although Huang Rong felt that Mei Chaofeng's understanding contained many errors, she still had many years of experience in practicing the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, so she could use it as a reference. Therefore, she signaled Mei Chaofeng to continue explaining.

Mei Chaofeng felt a little guilty and stammered as she continued speaking.

Huang Rong found it increasingly amusing. Although the lower volume of the Nine Yin Manual did not contain internal energy and consisted entirely of killing techniques, each of these techniques also had methods for circulating internal energy and exerting force.

And any method involving this type of practice contains a lot of Taoist terminology.

Mei Chaofeng lacked the authentic internal skills of the first volume of the true scripture and had little knowledge of Taoist terminology. She relied on guesswork and forced understanding, resulting in countless errors in the details. No wonder she turned a perfectly good Nine Yin Divine Claw skill into the sinister "Nine Yin White Bone Claw".

After listening to Mei Chaofeng's explanation of her understanding of the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw," Huang Rong exclaimed in amazement:
"Senior Sister Mei, you are truly very lucky. You haven't suffered a qi deviation until now... Although the lower volume of Nine Yin Manual is almost entirely external martial arts with no internal martial arts, external martial arts also have methods for channeling and exerting force. If you practice it incorrectly, over the years, you will suffer a qi deviation, which can result in mild hemiplegia or, in severe cases, total paralysis."

Mei Chaofeng was taken aback, and murmured:
“I have indeed been experiencing stagnation of internal energy and numbness in my waist and legs during my recent practice. If it weren’t for the young prince asking me to deal with you that day, I originally planned to go into seclusion to break through my cultivation barrier…”

Hearing her say this, Lu Chen finally understood why Mei Chaofeng hadn't become paralyzed—Mei Chaofeng in the original timeline probably suffered a qi deviation and became half-paralyzed because of this closed-door cultivation attempt.

In the timeline where he arrived, because Wanyan Kang plotted against him and Huang Rong, he asked Mei Chaofeng for help, which stopped Mei Chaofeng's idea of ​​going into seclusion. Only then did Mei Chaofeng escape the calamity of going into qi deviation.

Even so, she had been practicing her kung fu incorrectly for many years. Even though she had been practicing external kung fu, she had accumulated countless hidden injuries. If no one explained those Taoist terms to her, she would still become paralyzed in both legs if she continued to practice incorrectly.

Of course, with Huang Rong around now, Mei Chaofeng no longer needs to suffer from paralysis.

Considering that Mei Chaofeng had offered up the Nine Yin Manual and had been quite obedient and cooperative throughout the journey, Huang Rong did not kick Mei Chaofeng out when explaining the Nine Yin Divine Claw to Lu Chen, allowing her to audit the class.

Following Huang Rong's instructions, Mei Chaofeng circulated her inner energy, and the previously sluggish flow of energy immediately became smoother. Her increasingly numb waist and legs also felt much lighter.

Mei Chaofeng knew that as long as she practiced her kung fu correctly, her martial arts skills would make a rapid advancement.

Even so, she couldn't muster any rebellious thoughts.

Firstly, for so many years, her regret for stealing the scriptures and her betrayal, as well as her deep guilt towards her master, had been tormenting her. Now that she had been caught by her junior sister and Lu Chen, she felt a sense of relief and liberation.

Secondly, Lu Chen is not only incredibly skilled in martial arts, but he has also been improving every day these past few days. Now that he has also mastered the lower volume of the Nine Yin Manual, even if her martial arts have greatly improved, she still will not be Lu Chen's match.

Therefore, she had long since given up the idea of ​​rebelling again and was just waiting to follow her junior sister and Lu Chen back to Peach Blossom Island to receive her master's punishment.

After listening to Huang Rong's explanation and comparing it with Mei Chaofeng's previous cultivation experience, Lu Chen gained some insights into how to cultivate the Nine Yin Divine Claw.

Although his greatest talent lies in swordsmanship, having already "changed his tendons and bones," his talent in other martial arts is also quite good, just not outstanding.

With this talent, Huang Rong's detailed explanations, and Mei Chaofeng's rich experience, which, although flawed, still offered many valuable lessons, learning the Nine Yin Divine Claw was not too difficult.

In just one night, Lu Chen mastered the basics of the Nine Yin Divine Claw technique.

After practicing with Mei Chaofeng for several days, Lu Chen gradually became more proficient and began to try to combine the Nine Yin Divine Claw with the Five Fingers Sword Light.

The Nine Yin Divine Claw is an external martial art. Although it also has methods for circulating true qi and exerting force, it does not necessarily require the internal power of the Nine Yin Manual to activate it. Any true qi can be used to activate it.

Just like Mei Chaofeng, even without the upper scroll of the Nine Yin Manual, she could still unleash her formidable power with the Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

If she hadn't been such a poor student with so many misunderstandings of the scriptures, and even gotten the methods of channeling energy wrong, she wouldn't have suffered a qi deviation and become paralyzed even if she never practiced the Nine Yin Manual's internal energy cultivation techniques.

Therefore, it is no problem for Lu Chen to use "sword dao true qi" to activate the Nine Yin Divine Claw, and even to generate sword light at the tip of the claw.

Of course, even if the method works, the skill of combining the Nine Yin Divine Claw with the Five Fingers Sword Aura cannot be developed in a day or two.

During the rest of the trip, Lu Chen practiced swordsmanship for half a day, then practiced the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian for an hour, and then practiced the Jiu Yin Shen Zhao with Mei Chaofeng for an hour. In the evening, he tried to integrate kung fu, and before going to sleep, he would also try to comprehend the sword intent imprint. His days were packed with activities, and he didn't even have much time left to play with Rong'er.

Huang Rong, as always, had no complaints about this.

For her, watching Lu Chen practice his martial arts and seeing his skills grow stronger day by day was a great joy.

Besides, she has made new friends and gets along quite well with the gentle, generous, and understanding Mu Nianci. She takes time every day to chat and play with Mu Nianci, or practice the Xiaoyao Youquan (逍遥游拳法) a few times.

As for Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo...

Perhaps they felt their son Yang Kang was unreliable, or perhaps they were separated for more than ten years and didn't want to be apart for even a moment longer. In any case, the couple spent most of their time in the cabin, whether they were expressing their feelings of separation or trying to rebuild the small boat.

Anyway, on several occasions when they ate together, Lu Chen felt that although Yang Tiexin's listlessness and dejection had been swept away and he was in great spirits, his face seemed a little pale and he would unconsciously support his waist when walking.

As for Bao Xiruo, she was radiant, and her already youthful and beautiful appearance seemed to have aged several years even more.

Huang Rong was very observant, but she knew nothing about matters between men and women. After noticing that Yang Tiexin seemed a little weak and listless, she asked him with concern if he was sick or seasick, and if he needed her to prepare some medicine. This made Yang Tiexin quite embarrassed.

Wandering the world doesn't always mean encountering fighting and killing.

Lu Chen and his companions' journey along the canal was smooth and uneventful. They did not encounter any bandits when passing through Taihu Lake and arrived in Lin'an Prefecture safely.

At the time of parting, Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo expressed their deepest gratitude to Lu Chen and Huang Rong, while Mu Nianci and Huang Rong were also reluctant to part. As for Lu Chen...

Lu Chen was engrossed in martial arts training, and even though they had been on the same ship for several days, he had little interaction with Mu Nianci. Therefore, Mu Nianci's attitude towards him was merely one of normal gratitude and politeness.

After saying goodbye to Yang Tiexin and his family of three.

Lu Chen, Huang Rong, and Mei Chaofeng changed to a large ship at the Lin'an harbor, carrying six white camels, and sailed towards Peach Blossom Island.

Less than half a year after Lu Chen made the agreement with Huang Yaoshi, he had already fulfilled the agreement ahead of schedule.

As for becoming Huang Yaoshi's disciple...

“Brother Lu Chen’s martial arts skills are now sufficient to form his own school, so there is no need for him to become my father’s disciple.”

This is what Huang Rong said to Lu Chen.

The reason for this statement is that she was afraid that the curse of "heavenly cripples and earthly defects" of the Peach Blossom Sect would fall on Lu Chen. However, she did not seriously consider that if Lu Chen did not become Huang Yaoshi's disciple, then in what capacity should he go to Peach Blossom Island to visit her father?

Lu Chen didn't mention it, but whispered something to Huang Rong:

"Once we return to Peach Blossom Island, meet Senior Huang, and settle our previous agreement, I will take you to visit my world."

Huang Rong's eyes immediately lit up, her pretty face full of surprise and anticipation.

[A 6-word update on Children's Day is complete! Updates will resume at the normal time on June 2nd, at 8:30 AM, with two chapters, each over 4 words. Please vote with your monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)