Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 15: Drawing a sword with one hand is basic skill (Happy National Day!)
"Sure enough, all eyes in the temple were on those fat, big-eared monks in Xiangji Hall!"

Seeing Ximen in the distance, Dingjue's voice revealed a hint of pride.

The Great Xiangguo Temple is neither small nor very large.

The temples within the inner city of the capital could never compare to those in local prefectures and counties.

In addition, Dingjue was already familiar with all the routes, forcing Zhan Zhao to arrive at the temple without any surprises.

"Good! Everyone's here! And there are plenty!"

Dingjue glanced around and smiled.

The Daxiangguo Temple is located in a bustling area. Once you step out of the temple gate, you're not in a deep mountain forest, but on Zhuquemen Street, the most prosperous street in the capital.

They would even hold trade fairs for all kinds of people, with people from both inside and outside the capital coming here to buy daily necessities and all sorts of odds and ends.

It's not surprising that the constables from the Six Doors would be disguised and appear here. Even if they were recognized, the Great Xiangguo Temple wouldn't be able to directly drive them away at the temple gate.

"It's him! How did he get out here! That's..."

"Zhan Zhao?"

On the other side, seeing Dingjue's smile, the head constable Pang Wen's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

After the news was reported to the higher authorities, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, a group of elite troops were directly transferred from within the sect.

Is it precisely this size that's needed to support a murderer?

If this matter gets out, how will the Six Doors handle the consequences?
"Now that things have come to this, it's time to pick them up!"

"Take Zhan Zhao and Ding Jue with you. Ding Jue can no longer stay at the Great Xiangguo Temple!"

Just as Pang Wen gave a signal and led his elite troops to meet them, a broad, stout figure descended from the sky.

The enormous body was as light as a feather, landing silently, and its round face exuded an imposing aura without anger: "Where do you all intend to go?"

"Avoid hearing?"

"Oh no! This is a trap!"

Pang Wen and his group suddenly changed color, and Ding Jue also shouted angrily, "Be careful! This person's martial arts are extremely high!"

Jiewen was no ordinary monk of the Jie generation. When he traveled the world, he was known as the "Cloth Bag Monk". His self-created "Boundless Bag Returning to the Sea" ranked thirty-seventh on the Baiyulou Qimen Ranking. He was known as "The Cloth Bag Monk Who Covers the Sky and Accepts the Waves of the Three Rivers with a Laughter".

Don't think that ranking thirty-seven is low. On the contrary, anyone whose self-created martial arts can be ranked in the top fifty is a leader among famous martial arts masters. As long as they don't die prematurely, most of them will later become martial arts masters.

"on!"

As soon as Dingjue finished speaking, a group of constables who were there to provide backup drew their weapons and rushed over.

There's no turning back now that the arrow has been released; they have no choice but to take action.

However, Jiewen neither dodged nor avoided the attack. His monk's robe billowed as he met the attack head-on. All sorts of weapons struck his shoulders as if they were cutting into a cotton mountain.

Seeing that things were not going well, Pang Wen tried to turn away, but before he could stop himself, the big monk's belly trembled slightly, and he shouted again, "Go away!"

"what--!!"

An invisible shockwave rippled outwards, sending the slower-reacting constables flying backwards and tumbling several feet away before crashing heavily to the ground with cries of pain.

He tried to get up, but then felt a surge of true energy that was unstoppable, and his limbs went numb. He was immediately horrified.

Buddhist practices are mostly compassionate and do not emphasize killing.

But precisely because it does not kill, the effect of trapping the enemy is often maximized.

At this moment, Jie Wen displayed overwhelming power, and immediately took a step forward, his large sleeves spreading out as if to contain the universe, and came down on Pang Wen, who had escaped a disaster.

"Well!"

Pang Wen was also a skilled martial artist who had practiced for many years, but when faced with such a technique, he felt dizzy and disoriented, and was about to be captured.

"Master, please have mercy!"

At the critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared.

His cheekbones were as if carved by a knife and axe, his eyebrows were like ink blades flying diagonally, his lips were as thin as a line, and a three-inch old scar at the corner of his eye slanted down to his ear. His appearance was quite ugly, yet he exuded a kind of uprightness.

What is most striking is his dark black cloak, narrow-sleeved outfit, and the silver-embroidered fierce-looking xiezhi on his shoulders.

The newcomer's weapon was also strange, resembling a wrist crossbow or a grappling hook, with two pairs attached to each wrist. It shot out suddenly, arriving almost simultaneously with the sound: "The Six Doors will certainly give your temple an explanation for this mistake. This person must have been instigated to commit the crime, attempting to sow discord between our two factions. We hope that you will allow us to take him back!"

The "this person" mentioned by the other party was clearly Dingjue, but words alone were of no use. What truly made Jiewen's sleeves, which had seemed capable of obscuring the sky, tighten and he abruptly retracted were those strange weapons—

"The Four Perfections Heart Lock!"

"The famous detective Zhou Wuxin? It's you who came to meet this murderer?"

Jie Wen looked shocked.

The visitor was none other than Zhou Tianguang, the head of the Juefeng Hall of the Six Doors and one of the Four Great Constables, also known as "Wuxin" (meaning "heartless"). Outsiders often simply refer to him as Zhou Wuxin.

Jie Wen largely agreed with Zhan Zhao's plan, the key being to catch the perpetrator red-handed.

That is, not only must the murderer be apprehended, but the members of the Six Doors who come to meet him must also be captured in one fell swoop.

Otherwise, if we only arrest Dingjue, even if we find the poison, what if Dingjue insists that he is a member of the Great Xiangguo Temple? The Six Doors will not admit that Dingjue is a spy. Wouldn't that mean that the monks of the Great Xiangguo Temple poisoned their own people?

Of course, there must be ways to prove their identity, but that would be troublesome.

It's definitely not as convenient as luring the snake out of its hole and catching them all at once.

But Jiewen never expected that this would lead to the appearance of the Four Great Constables.

Could it be that Dingjue poisoned the morning lesson on the direct orders of the Four Great Constables?
Has the Six Doors gone mad?
"Excellent! The Third Hall Master is truly awe-inspiring!"

Dingjue snapped out of his daze and, seeing Zhou Wuxin appear, revealed a look of wild joy.

But the next moment, he couldn't laugh anymore.

"The cassock is a seamless garment, so what is there to fear from the calamities of war in the world?"

After being shocked, Jiewen was enraged. He completely ignored the other party's words, clasped his hands together in a mudra, and sandalwood incense wafted around him. His protective true energy transformed into a beam of pure, crystal-clear light. His monk's robes expanded in response to the energy, like Mount Sumeru hidden within a mustard seed, growing larger and larger, billowing and generating wind.

"This is……!!"

The Six Doors constables who had just been surrounded and captured all had their expressions change drastically, but they were unable to move their bodies. They could only look up and watch as the released true energy vaguely transformed into the wondrous image of Maitreya, with a halo around the fleshy topknot, as if it had leaped out of the Dharma realm and appeared vividly in the Saha world.

"Namo Maitreya Buddha, who will be reborn in this very moment!"

Behind Jiewen, true energy transformed into a Buddha, and he walked over, stepping on lotus flowers and breaking through the air with each step leaving a golden imprint.

"Hmm! This is troublesome..."

Zhou Wuxin's face showed an extremely solemn expression.

This is no longer the imposing presence of a renowned figure in the martial arts world.

Rather, it is the majesty of a martial arts master!
Perhaps he hasn't fully entered the realm of a grandmaster yet, but at least he's taken one step in.

At Jiewen's age, he will surely become a master in the future!
"I can't hold him off for long!"

Zhou Wuxin made a judgment, but remained calm.

Because he wasn't the only one who came.

"call--"

First a gentle breeze blew, then in the blink of an eye it turned into a raging storm.

A blue figure was enveloped in the wind, its height and build indistinct, constantly shifting in shape, and in an instant it enveloped Jie Wen's massive form.

Jie Wen's voice carried clearly through the strong wind: "It's Zhao Wujiu! The one with the best lightness skill among the Four Great Constables! Junior brother, be careful, lest he snatch you away!"

Zhao Xingyao, also known as "Wujiu," is the head of the Fengshun Hall of the Six Doors and one of the Four Great Constables.

The moment they launched a combined attack on Jiewen, a figure so fast it left an afterimage rushed straight towards Dingjue's location.

Neither of the two famous constables could defeat Jie Wen, who was only slightly inferior to a grandmaster. However, if Zhou Wuxin could delay for a moment, Zhao Wujiu would be able to succeed.

"this!"

Dingjue's expression froze, and he stopped applauding.

Even if he thought highly of himself, he wouldn't believe that two famous constables would come together to meet him.

Just as the Great Xiangguo Temple wouldn't think that way, so it only sent Jiewen.

What exactly is the Six Doors?

"No matter what, I'll cripple you first!"

Before he could think it through, Ding Jue's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and her dragon claw hand reached out to grab Zhan Zhao's back.

The Dragon Claw Hand is a rare and ruthless martial art in Buddhism. It has few moves, but each move is full of power and extremely fierce, which is why he dared to use it to threaten Zhan Zhao.

Before the sound of bones breaking could be heard, Zhan Zhao darted away like a fish, avoiding the vicious attack.

"Junior Uncle, catch this sword!"

At the same time, Dinghai emerged from the corner and threw something towards this location.

"Don't even think about it!!"

Dingjue was not easy to deal with, so he was prepared and opted for a second-best option, slapping his shoulder blade with one claw.

In an attempt to lure the snake out of its hole, the two remained close together. With his pulse point pinned, the claw still landed on Zhan Zhao's right shoulder.

"Hey! Let's see how you use a sword now!"

"You think you can stop me with just a few injuries?"

Faced with the satisfied voice, Zhan Zhao raised his eyes. There was no cold stare in his eyes, but his aura became sharp and incomparable. His right shoulder drooped slightly, and his left hand reached out.

"Zheng——"

With a clear, tearing sound, a three-foot-long sword shot out like a silver dragon.

Zhan Zhao's left hand gripped the spinning sword hilt precisely with his five fingers. The muscles in his forearm instantly tensed like a fully drawn bowstring. The tip of the sword pierced through the air, and without turning his head, he swiftly pointed backward.

In the blink of an eye, Dingjue found himself completely unable to dodge, and as he used his full strength, three major acupoints on his body were struck.

His whole body stiffened, and he fell backward.

Taking down the murderer was just a minor prelude.

The real challenge is the gust of wind that rushes in, pulled by the flow of energy.

The image freezes in that instant.

Zhan Zhao's hand holding the sword was as steady as a rock, the spine of the sword reflecting the sunlight, flowing like a pool of autumn water.

His slightly raised chin and taut back formed a proud arc.

It resembles a pine tree laden with snow, or a lone crane soaring through the void.

The constables lying on the ground all turned pale.

The first surprise was that Jie Wen's strength was astonishing, approaching that of a grandmaster.

The second surprise was that two renowned constables intervened in succession to apprehend the suspect.

Amidst these successive shocks...

The scene of Zhan Zhao drawing his sword with one hand, displaying his dashing and unrestrained style, was also deeply imprinted in everyone's eyes.

then.

Swords flashed everywhere.

(End of this chapter)