Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 96 Junior Sister Pang Lingyi's Invitation

"In that case, this manual is indeed quite valuable."

Gu Lin inevitably harbored prejudice and discrimination against eunuchs.

After all, this was the early Song Dynasty, and anyone who knows a little about history knows what good things the eunuchs of the late Tang Dynasty did.

But after hearing Zhan Zhao's words, he couldn't help but take the "Lotus Heart Mirror" seriously again.

Zhan Zhao said, "Moreover, I also thought of Han Zhaoye. He is currently imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, but that doesn't mean that he is the only one who knows his unique skill of disguise and imitation of other people's martial arts."

Upon hearing this name, Gu Lin's expression immediately became more serious than ever before.

Even now, when he thinks back to his initial contact with "Zhao Wujiu," he still finds it somewhat unbelievable.

The other party was actually fake?
Who would have thought that the Four Great Constables were actually imposters from the Liao Dynasty?
The key point is that although Su Wuqing saw through the flaw, only Su Wuqing recognized it.

Everyone in the Six Doors, including Zhou Wuxin and Li Wuxing, was kept in the dark.

How many Su Wuqings are there in the world?
This ultimate skill is absolutely terrifying!
Gu Lin even harbored a rebellious thought—

What if you replaced the emperor of a country?
What if we replace it with a counterfeit?
This is absolutely outrageous!

Gu Lin later speculated: "Han Zhaoye is a disciple of Venerable Wanjue. The extraordinary skill he cultivates should be Venerable Wanjue's extraordinary divine skill, 'Wanjue Transformation'!"

Zhan Zhao also thought of something: "The Venerable Wan Jue named it too casually, so we martial artists in the Central Plains call the 'Wan Jue Palm' the 'Nine Dragons Divine Fire Prison'. When I fought Han Zhaoye, I found that this name was not entirely accurate, but it still reflected most of the characteristics of the martial arts. So what is the 'Wan Jue Transformation' called?"

Because of Gu Menglai, Gu Lin had carefully learned about the Song-Liao War and immediately replied, "Names like 'Nine Dragons Divine Fire Prison' actually originated from the clashes between Central Plains martial artists and Wan Jue Venerable's disciples. They deduced the style of Wan Jue martial arts from these clashes and named it accordingly. But 'Wan Jue Transformation' is just 'Wan Jue Transformation' and has no other name."

Zhan Zhao frowned slightly: "There are basically two possibilities—"

"First, among Venerable Wan Jue's many disciples, very few have mastered the 'Wan Jue Transformation.' Since we Central Plains martial artists have never encountered one, we are naturally unable to interpret the characteristics of his martial arts."

"Secondly, all those who have seen the 'Ten Thousand Transformations' are dead."

The two looked at each other and fell silent.

Regardless of the possibility, both seem to illustrate how terrifying this martial art is.

In fact, the rankings themselves offer a clue.

The Venerable Wan Jue created seven divine skills, all of which ranked among the top ten on the seven lists of the White Jade Pavilion.

However, there are also differences among the top ten.

For example, in the ranking of mental cultivation techniques, the Myriad Absolute Mental Cultivation Technique is ranked eighth, only one place higher than the Invincible Divine Mirror.

The highest ranking among them is not swords, fists, palms, or clubs, but rather the Qimen Ranking.

The Myriad Transformations ranks second on the Qimen List!
The Qimen Ranking does not mean it is inferior to other rankings; in fact, Qimen encompasses a wide variety of categories.

Unique weapons are included in the Qimen Ranking, as are hidden weapons, and even some techniques related to the disintegration of the Heavenly Demon are included in the Qimen Ranking.

The fact that Wan Jue Bian ranks second on such a list speaks volumes about its prestige.

"This martial art definitely has limitations. Currently, I lean towards the first possibility—"

"Very few people complete the training."

Gu Lin slowly said, "Otherwise, we wouldn't have had to wait twenty years for Venerable Wan Jue to disappear before Han Zhaoye replaced Zhao Wujiu and went south."

Zhan Zhao knew there was another possibility, but he didn't say it. He nodded and said, "This incident also shows that miscellaneous knowledge may seem unimportant in ordinary times, but it can turn the tide at crucial moments. It's something we should all know!"

Gu Lin was actually quite knowledgeable in various fields, but compared to the knowledge in the Lotus Heart Mirror, it seemed rather superficial. At this moment, he straightened his attitude and nodded emphatically: "Senior brother, after you finish reading it, may I borrow it for reference?"

Zhan Zhao laughed and said, "There's no need to read it all. The Treasure Mirror is divided into ten volumes. Lianxin really enjoys writing stories, so you and I can read them separately."

Ever since.

Inside the monks' quarters.

The two began to flip through the book.

When Chen Xiuhan walked in, he thought these two were going to take the imperial examination...

When they put down the book, they realized it was a so-called secret manual given to them by a eunuch. They immediately lost interest, but then leaned closer and said, "Did you know? The wicked monk is going back to the temple! The monks in the temple are very excited!"

Zhan Zhao learned of this from Su Wuqing, but Gu Lin was unaware of it and was somewhat curious: "Is that so?"

Chen Xiuhan was always a gossip, and now that he had become very well-connected in the temple, he had information sources from all sides, so he immediately began to recount his experiences.

The monks of Daxiangguo Temple, whose missions were to be carried out, were centered in Kaifeng, the capital region, and went out in all directions, each responsible for one route.

Now there are six monks carrying heavy burdens, and they each travel to the eastern part of the country, Hebei, Guanzhong, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Jiangnan.

They are not completely fixed; sometimes they exchange their respective areas.

However, most of the time, local Buddhist temples and even martial arts sects would regularly see a monk with bad karma passing by.

Those with a guilty conscience will inevitably tremble with fear.

The influence of Daxiangguo Temple was such that, in the imperial court, it was a place where the Empress Dowager, the emperor, and imperial relatives would offer incense and pray for blessings.

In the martial arts world, much of the success was due to the actions of these six monks who had committed grave sins.

After all, if you don't leave the capital all day, who will care about your title as the head of all Buddhist sects in the world?
When Zhan Zhao heard this, he understood why the monks in the temple were so excited: "That's why everyone is really looking forward to their return."

The return of the elites who maintained the sect's prestige naturally makes the ordinary disciples happy, and there might even be young monks pestering them to tell stories!

"Yeah yeah!"

Chen Xiuhan laughed and said, "I've been in the temple for almost a year now, and I've always wanted to meet the 'Angry Vajra' Master Jiechen, the monk from Hebei who has been burdened with bad karma!"

Zhan Zhao was unaware, but Gu Lin was somewhat moved: "The one from the Yang family of Tianbo, the one who mastered the Thirteen Deadly Spears on his own?"

Chen Xiuhan nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes! That's him!"

'Thirteen Deadly Shots?'

A voice message instantly appeared in Zhan Zhao's mind.

I was born amidst a heavy snowfall, and from a young age, I've only ever fought to survive...

The white dragon, destined by fate, is the voice from my childhood dreams...

He immediately became interested: "I also want to see the Thirteen Deadly Shots. When will these six return?"

"It happens around March every year, and the earliest it could happen is within these ten days or so."

It's already February, and March is not far off. The three of them chatted and were actually quite looking forward to it.

However, after Chen Xiuhan finished speaking about the return of the monk with karmic burdens, his eyes darted around, and he took out a letter from his sleeve: "The one from the Pang family has sent another letter."

He is now the youngest guest monk, having replaced Jiechi in his position.

It wasn't just because the temple was considering Zhan Zhao's influence; it was also because Chen Xiuhan himself was eloquent.

This led to the acquaintance of many helpful people.

For example, the young lady from the Pang family secretly sent him two letters after learning that he and Zhan Zhao were roommates.

Chen Xiuhan didn't dare to look at it for long and passed it over verbatim.

Zhan Zhao accepted it.

As is customary, that junior sister really meant what she said and actually wanted to meet him by offering incense. She has already tried twice.

But in the Pang family mansion, this young lady was a woman of her word. If she said she was going for a walk in the backyard, even the servants in the mansion dared not follow her.

Outside, however, one cannot act freely. All sides are watching closely. In addition, Zhan Zhao always felt that it was strange to meet and offer incense in the temple, as if he were a monk. Therefore, he did not take the initiative to cooperate, and both attempts failed.

Pang Lingyi, however, refused to give up.

Gu Lin, standing nearby, glanced at the still-fragrant stationery and coughed lightly, "Oh dear! I almost forgot to remind you! Seventh Sister learned needlework from Fifth Sister and is preparing to sew a monk's robe for Senior Brother. She'll be coming tomorrow to take her measurements~"

Zhan Zhao: "..."

Even though nothing happened, why is there a strange smell of gunpowder in the air?
Seeing this, Chen Xiuhan realized something was wrong and chuckled dryly, "Then I'll be going. It's my turn to greet guests this afternoon!" Gu Lin also knew he couldn't say more, lest he cause trouble for Seventh Sister. He stood up, bowed, and took a copy of the Lotus Heart Mirror with him, saying, "Junior Brother takes his leave."

After seeing the two off, Zhan Zhao shook his head with a wry smile, unfolded Pang Lingyi's letter, and scanned it. His originally nonchalant expression turned serious.

He looked at it more carefully, pondered for a moment, and then closed his eyes to meditate and recover his energy.

After that, he politely declined anyone who came to him.

As dusk settled, Zhan Zhao left the Great Xiangguo Temple and headed towards Banlou Street.

The residence of Pang Ji, the Junior Tutor of the Imperial Court, is located here.

He made a second nighttime incursion into the Pang residence.

Compared to his previous nighttime raid, this time he not only navigated the area with ease, but his martial arts skills had also improved significantly.

Last time, relying on the invisible sword energy of the Six Lines, I sensed the surrounding movements and cleverly avoided the patrolling guards.

Now, the true energy released outwards spreads silently like ripples, even subtly perceptible to the emotions of those who pass by—

The guards marched with straight steps, mostly weary and numb;

The servants walked through the corridor, each step taken with trepidation and caution.
The Pang family, whose joys and sorrows were as clear as lamplight in a thin mist, were a different story. The patient ones were like ice hidden in a cellar, while the arrogant ones were like brocade burned by flames.

"In that case, if I were to give Grand Tutor Pang another invisible sword strike, I wouldn't need to directly damage his internal organs or make it too obvious. This would only disrupt his emotions, and over time, he might reveal his ambition to the young emperor."

'However, this is essentially a mental technique, and it can still be detected.'

Zhan Zhao pondered as he went, then continued deeper into the inner quarters.

Finally, a vibrant aura, both like a child chasing a butterfly and carrying the desolate feeling of a frozen pool, suddenly entered my senses.

If I really had to describe it—

Aloof and self-admiring?

Zhan Zhao did not investigate further.

He harbored some hostility towards the others in the Pang family, since he couldn't guarantee that Pang Ji wouldn't become a villain in the future, so he was keeping an eye on him early on.

However, he still had a bond with his junior sister, and they were at least friends. Such probing questions crossed the line.

If you use mental techniques to explore secrets with everyone you meet in the future, what's the point of getting along with them?
He withdrew his probe and released an aura.

Soon, several servants were dismissed. Pang Lingyi lifted her skirt and emerged from behind the door, the coral hairpin at her temple trembling slightly with each step. She called out sweetly, "Senior Brother!"

Her eyes and brows were full of smiles: "You've finally arrived!"

Inspired by his words, Zhan Zhao smiled and said, "It has indeed been a long time. I've been so engrossed in martial arts lately that I've lost track of time. I haven't been able to keep my promise to come to the Pang residence last time."

"What kind of talk is this?"

Pang Lingyi said solemnly, "If Senior Brother didn't have this martial arts skill, how could he have captured the Liao bandit Han Zhaoye? Of course, this is the most important thing!"

'Pangi's intelligence sources are indeed extraordinary.'

Han Zhaoye's matter had nothing to do with Pang Ji, yet he knew so much about it. Zhan Zhao also wanted to understand from someone else's perspective how they viewed the Zhong Kui painting case: "What is the court's opinion on this?"

"I'm still shaken!"

Pang Lingyi gave four words directly, and then explained in detail: "I never expected that a Liao expert could impersonate Zhao Wujiu so perfectly. You should know that he is the adopted son of the Eighth Prince. In the past year or so, how many royal relatives and high-ranking officials has he met? In the end, it was fortunate that Su Wuqing exposed him and that my senior brother captured him. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Zhan Zhao nodded slightly.

It seems that the high-ranking officials of the court, or rather the vast majority of people, did not know that Su Wuqing had seen through Zhao Wujiu's true identity long ago; otherwise, they would definitely hate this divine constable deeply.

Although Han Zhaoye had meticulously infiltrated the Six Doors, it wasn't as simple as just killing a few people, but what if...?
Isn't this playing with the life of an important person?
Thinking of this, Zhan Zhao's eyes flickered again: "What did the Eighth Prince say?"

Recalling her father and brother's conversation, Pang Lingyi slowly said, "The Eighth Prince wasn't afraid, just heartbroken. He hoped even more to rescue the real Zhao Wujiu from the Liao Kingdom, and was willing to exchange Han Zhaoye for him..."

Zhan Zhao said, "I'm afraid others won't agree."

"Yes!"

Pang Lingyi agreed: "We definitely can't let Han Zhaoye go, otherwise he'll change his appearance and sneak in again. How can we guard against that? Even if we exchange him with the Liao Kingdom, we'll have to get a hostage in return. We absolutely cannot be weak now that we've captured him, or we'll become a laughingstock for the Khitans!"

Zhan Zhao nodded: "Junior Sister has insight."

"Senior brother is truly amazing!"

Pang Lingyi said, "Now so many people in the capital are asking about you, Senior Brother. They heard that you returned to the Great Xiangguo Temple and were very sorry. If you want to enter officialdom, you will surely rise to the top!"

Zhan Zhao said indifferently, "I'm not interested."

Entering officialdom?

Should I serve as a bodyguard or a military officer in the Song court?

On the contrary, the status of martial artists in this world is by no means simple, and he wants to climb to the pinnacle of martial arts, free from any constraints.

After discussing the aftermath of the Zhong Kui painting, we moved on to the main topic of our nighttime visit to the Pang residence.

Zhan Zhao said, "You mentioned in your letter that a mysterious martial artist has moved into Luo Shijun's residence, who is suspected to be a karmic monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple?"

"That's right! This was discovered by a trusted confidant of the Luo family!"

Pang Lingyi's expression also became serious: "Just half a month ago, my uncle received a distinguished guest at Tianxiang Tower. He sent everyone else away, leaving only his most trusted servants. They were acting mysteriously, and from what they said, the guest was very likely a monk with bad karma!"

Ever since she learned that her senior brother had joined the Great Xiangguo Temple, she had thoroughly investigated this number one temple in the world through her own channels.

This revealed the special nature of the monks burdened with negative karma, and that this group would return to the temple around March.

As it turned out, there was actually someone in Luo Shijun's residence.

This news is no small matter; it's not just about recruiting a martial arts master, but has much more to it.

Because the monks who have committed sins never align themselves with other forces, if "Golden-Faced Yama" Luo Shijun really tries to bribe them through some means, the Great Xiangguo Temple will never let it go, especially since my senior brother is currently a member of the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Not wanting the two sides to become enemies, Pang Lingyi took the initiative to notify the authorities, hoping to find a solution before the situation deteriorated.

Zhan Zhao understood and said directly, "Then I'll go to the Luo residence."

"Senior brother, wait a minute!"

Pang Lingyi stopped her, saying solemnly, "Tianxiang Tower is different from other places. It is full of traps and mechanisms, and is the most dangerous place in the Luo family mansion. We must not be careless!"

"Oh?"

Zhan Zhao listened to advice.

Traps and machinations are indeed unlike any other; even a martial arts master could be caught off guard and fall into one: "Is there any other way?"

"I do have an idea."

Pang Lingyi pondered and said, "In a few days, it will be my mother's birthday celebration. My uncle will definitely come to offer his congratulations. I can find a way to get him to bring out the expert he recruited and let him show off his strength."

Previously, it was Luo Shijun's birthday banquet, but not only did Pang Ji's family not attend, they were also directly overturned by the Six Doors.

Soon, Pang Ji's wife, Madam Luo, will be celebrating her birthday, and Luo Shijun, as her elder brother, must obediently go to her door to offer his congratulations.

This is a dependency relationship.

Luo Shijun's current success is ostensibly due to the dissatisfaction of the virtuous minister Pang Ji, but in reality, he is backed by the Pang family.

Pang Lingyi knew that her uncle had suffered a loss and lost face last time, and had secretly recruited experts, so of course they had to be used.

The Pang family's birthday banquet was the perfect opportunity for them to demonstrate their strength.

Zhan Zhao also thought this method was appropriate: "Alright, then I'll come to the Pang residence again that day!"

"Senior brother, please don't sneak out at night..."

Pang Lingyi repeatedly tried to use the pretext of offering incense at the Great Xiangguo Temple to meet her senior brother, but her family kept a close eye on her. After these failed attempts, her eyes gleamed, revealing her true intentions:
“I can persuade Father to invite a high-ranking monk from Daxiangguo Temple to give a sermon at our residence. You can come openly and legitimately!”

(End of this chapter)