Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Dugu Yihe sighed, "As you said, I've turned all that wealth into real estate and shops, so there's not much left."

Huo Xiu shouted, "I don't care about that. Whether it's yours or Yan Liben's, I'll take as much as I can. I will never give up. I still have a chance to take back the throne."

Su Shaoying couldn't help but say, "Do you think you can do everything you say by locking yourself in a cage?"

Hua Manlou sighed, "That might not be a cage, but the only passage. Is the stone door behind us locked?"

Su Shaoying was slightly taken aback, then rushed toward the stone gate not far behind her.

Huo Xiu chuckled as he watched, until Su Shaoying returned with a forlorn expression: "Hahaha, this was originally intended as Lu Xiaofeng's grave. Although things have changed, now there are just a few more ghosts who died unjustly."

To his disappointment, everyone in the group except Su Shaoying remained calm.

Su Yuchen sighed and said, "Since we came in, you have been sitting in the same spot without moving. A person who is extremely angry is restraining himself so much. I wonder if there is some reason that prevents him from leaving."

Huo Xiu chuckled coldly, "Anyone can be wise after the event, but what's the use? My iron cage is forged from millennia-old cold iron. Without divine weapons, it's impossible to break it in a short time. By the time you break it, I'll have already blocked the escape route, and you'll just suffocate here."

Dugu Yihe said calmly, "Yan Tieshan is still outside, as are my disciples. As long as we can hold out for a while, they will naturally realize that something has happened and will come to rescue us."

“But by then, I had already flown far away,” Huo Xiu sneered.

He glanced at the crowd and stepped on a stone slab beside him with his right foot. The next second, the stone slab did not break as expected, the mechanism did not activate, and the passage did not appear. Instead, he was thrown backward by a surge of true energy and crashed heavily into the iron railing behind him with a "bang".

Only then did everyone notice that where Huo Xiu stood, there was a thin layer of golden light. Although it was only a faint layer, it gave people the feeling of being indestructible at a glance.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the color was so obvious, people would have overlooked it.

"Is this true qi? How did you do that?" Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask Su Yuchen.

Su Yuchen said indifferently...

"Upon reaching the Innate Realm, one can begin to control the true qi leaving the body; in the later stages, the higher the fusion between the spirit and the true qi, the more the true qi can be controlled even if it invades the opponent's body."

"When I reached my level, true qi became like my limbs, and the true qi within my body was completely integrated with me. As long as I wanted, even if I left, my remaining will would drive the true qi to automatically absorb the surrounding energy, allowing me to exist there for a month before slowly dissipating."

Lu Xiaofeng instantly thought of many things and couldn't help but gasp, saying, "So you're not worried at all?"

Su Yuchen looked at him with amusement and said, "I'm just injured, not crippled. I have at least a few ways to leave here, so why should I be in a hurry?"

Su Yuchen looked at Huo Xiu in the cage and said, "I hope you can think of a way to escape from the iron cage. Of course, if your Hunyuan Tongzi Gong (Primordial Boy Skill) is at the level of Bodhidharma, then there will be no problem."

As they spoke, the golden light membrane collapsed instantly, leaving only a pile of indistinguishable powder with a 'hiss'. A rumbling sound came from underground, indicating that the hidden tunnel had collapsed.

Chapter 423 The Jeweler's Curtain Falls

Looking at Su Yuchen's indifferent expression, Lu Xiaofeng said with some disappointment, "I thought you knew..."

Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Did you know that you were alone in a room with the landlady?"

Lu Xiaofeng was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He said angrily, "I have nothing to do with the landlady! Don't you know the boss trusts me? Huh? You know the boss too?"

Su Yuchen smiled and walked towards the original location of the stone door. He said, "I know a lot. For example, that boss who called you a bastard is repairing the mechanism outside the door right now."

As he spoke, Su Yuchen placed one hand on the heavy stone door. A faint golden light, like flowing water, quickly seeped into the crack. Then, with a series of clicking sounds, the stone door slowly opened, revealing a large, astonished fat man behind it.

Amidst Huo Xiu's deathly silence, Dugu Yihe turned indifferently and headed out of the stone chamber.

………………

Stone outdoor.

"Hello, boss. I'm Su Yuchen, a friend of Hua Manlou. As for whether I'm a friend of some bastard, I'm not sure yet," Su Yuchen said.

The chubby boss had already put on a big smile and said, "That bastard shouldn't have such good-looking friends as you and Hua Manlou. Since that's the case, then we're friends too."

Su Yuchen nodded and looked at the proprietress beside him: "You are very beautiful and have found a good husband. But I think you two have a lot to talk about right now. I hope to have the opportunity to drink your wine next time we meet."

On the mountain path leading down, Lu Xiaofeng walked beside Su Yuchen with a big smile: "Thank you. Thank you for giving the boss the opportunity to showcase his talent."

Su Yuchen said calmly, "He was originally a master of mechanical engineering. Even without this incident, the landlady would still know that he is a good boss."

Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "But this opportunity is rare and very important."

Su Yuchen glanced at him and said, "It seems your friend isn't entirely useless after all."

As they spoke, the group arrived at the front of the mountain and were immediately taken aback.

The entrance to the once magnificent Pearl Pavilion was now surrounded by soldiers. Yan Tieshan, along with two elderly men who looked to be in their seventies or eighties, a middle-aged man with a pipe, and two eunuchs dressed in their robes, stood at the entrance.

As one group of soldiers carried sealed boxes out of the gate, the occasional figure that flashed by was either a member of the Flying Fish Guard or a palace eunuch.

"What's wrong? There are many soldiers." Hua Manlou asked.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed and said, "It seems to be the garrison troops guarding Fengling Ferry. Moreover, in addition to the military personnel, there are also Flying Fish Guards and palace eunuchs."

Hua Manlou sighed, "So, the Pearl and Treasure Pavilion was raided?"

Lu Xiaofeng nodded and said, "If I'm not mistaken, that's how it is. I just don't know what the charge is. They're here."

As they were speaking, a group of soldiers noticed them and immediately approached, asking, "Who are you?"

"It's up to you now," Lu Xiaofeng said in a low voice.

Hua Manlou smiled and took the initiative to greet him, taking out a name card from his pocket and handing it over, saying with a smile, "May I ask which esteemed person has come today?"

The officer in charge took the business card and looked at it. His previously nonchalant expression became serious. Although he could not possibly know the Hua family, he did know his general. After all, goods entering Shanxi from the south could not pass through Fengling Ferry.

At the same time, Dugu Yihe took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over. The soldiers, who had initially only paid some attention, changed their expressions after opening it: "Please wait a moment, the governor will be here soon."

Watching the departing soldiers, Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously, "Has the Emei Sect Leader become so powerful? Even the Governor of Shanxi has to give him face."

Dugu Yihe said, "That is the name card of the King of Shu."

Alright, everyone understands now. In this dynasty where the Zhu family was supreme, the governor of Shanxi really had to give face to the Prince of Shu, otherwise he might not even be able to keep his official hat.

………………

Soon, a middle-aged civil official in an official robe and a eunuch in a dragon robe came out from inside the door. The civil official looked over and then walked over with a smile: "So it's Sect Leader Dugu and Young Master Hua. What brings you two to Shanxi Prefecture?"

Dugu Yihe accepted the business card and said, "This old Taoist has some old matters to deal with. These friends have come here because of this old matter."

The civil official smiled, clearly understanding the underlying meaning. He had only said that to gauge Dugu Yihe's attitude. Now that it was confirmed, there was still room for discussion.

……

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Dugu Yihe took the initiative to ask, "I wonder what trouble the Pearl and Treasure Pavilion has caused? How did it manage to alarm the palace?"

The civil official smiled, and the head eunuch beside him whispered, "The court received a report that the steward of the Yan family was suspected of violating regulations by using prohibited items that could only be used in the palace. This has now been verified, and I am acting on His Majesty's orders to raid the Yan family's residence."

"What about Boss Yan?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.

The eunuch smiled faintly and said, "His Majesty has shown mercy, considering that the Yan family has purchased supplies for the palace many times without ever making a mistake, and that the empresses of the harem have pleaded for leniency. He has made an exception and will only confiscate the Yan family's property, without implicating the Yan family members. However, this business... I'm afraid we can't do it anymore."

The civil official laughed and said, "This matter has alarmed the palace, and I cannot bend the law for personal gain. I can only spare the lives of the Yan family out of consideration for the two elders of Shangshan and the great hero of Guanzhong, Shanxi Yan. This is already the limit."

Only then did everyone realize who the people beside Yan Tieshan were. It's likely that the two elders of Shangshan never expected that, in their old age, they would have to come down the mountain to clean up their junior brother's mess.

Soon, a eunuch came to report that the property had been sealed up. The head eunuch smiled and took his leave. Dugu Yihe then went aside to chat with the civil official, vaguely mentioning the Shu Prince's mansion.

Soon, the large contingent of soldiers lined up and left, and the once magnificent Pearl Pavilion was sealed off. Yan Tieshan and the three men led a carriage toward them.

………………

The group quickly found an inn.

The two old men from Shangshan and the wild goose from Shanxi were worried about the unconscious Huo Tianqing and had no intention of catching up with the others. The two old men hurriedly took Huo Tianqing to receive treatment to save his life. Only Yan Tieshan was left to talk to the others.

After hearing what happened behind the Pearl Pavilion, Yan Tieshan simply shook his head and said nothing.

"Brother Yan, what are your plans for the future?" Dugu Yihe asked, breaking the silence.

Yan Tieshan smiled and said magnanimously, "Now that the little prince is dead and that fortune has vanished, and I'm just a seventy-year-old old man, what plans can I possibly have? Tomorrow morning, I'll go to Mount Wutai with the two elders of Shangshan to live in seclusion and no longer concern myself with worldly affairs. What about you?"

Dugu Yihe said, "I still want to fight Ximen Chuixue."

Yan Tieshan frowned and said, "Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship, you..."

He then shuddered, shook his head, and said, "Unfortunately, I'm not interested in any of this, so I won't be able to watch the game tomorrow. We probably won't have the chance to meet again after this. Let's settle our past with this cup of wine today."

The wine is gone, the lamp is still lit, but the person is gone.

"Does it really have to be a fight?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Dugu Yihe said, "There is no way to avoid it; we have no choice but to fight."

Chapter 424 Determination to Die

It was getting late, and Dugu Yihe had gone to rest. He needed to conserve his energy for the battle with Ximen Chuixue the next day.

The number of people at the table hadn't decreased; in fact, there were several more, including four women.

"Can't you stop your friend?" Ma Xiuzhen asked Lu Xiaofeng.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "No one can stop Ximen Chuixue's decision, not even me."

Shi Xiuxue looked at Hua Manlou and said, "Could you please advise your friend? My master is getting old, why be so aggressive?"

Hua Manlou said helplessly, "Just like Lu Xiaofeng said, no one can change Ximen Chuixue's decision. Moreover, we don't want this battle to happen. The chances of them winning are about the same, and it's really hard to predict who will live and who will die in this battle."

Ma Xiuzhen frowned and said, "Does someone really have to die?"

Lu Xiaofeng said, "Ximen Chuixue's sword only kills. Every time he draws his sword, he kills someone. The one who dies is either his opponent or himself."

Ma Xiuzhen and Sun Xiuqing exchanged a glance, and the four of them got up and walked towards the door. Hua Manlou sighed, and with a flick of his hand, a gust of wind rushed towards the faces of the four.

"What are you doing?" Ma Xiuzhen struck Hua Manlou's face with a palm strike, the force of which was both hard and soft, just like the Emei Golden Summit Palm.

Unfortunately, before the palm strike could reach Hua Manlou, it was swept away by a wide sleeve, dissipating all its power and causing the palm strike to crash into the three sisters behind him.

Before they could even draw their swords, the wide sleeves of their robes struck the hilts, causing their fingers to go numb and involuntarily loosen their grips.

Hua Manlou said softly, "If you want to go to Ximen Chuixue, I advise you not to. If you draw your sword, you will only die. Ximen Chuixue's sword will never hesitate just because you are women."

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but say, "I guarantee that at the crucial moment, someone will definitely stop this battle."

"Really?" Ma Xiuzhen asked.

Lu Xiaofeng almost raised his hand to swear, saying, "It's true."

Ma Xiuzhen looked at him intently, and after a long while, nodded and said, "Okay, I believe you."

It wasn't until the four had been gone for a long time that Lu Xiaofeng said with a wry smile, "You will stop them, right? After all, you don't want two peerless swordsmen to perish like this."

He looked at Su Yuchen with hopeful eyes.

Su Yuchen sighed, stood up and said, "But I can't stop some people from being determined to die."

………………

As night deepened, fewer and fewer people remained in the lobby, leaving only Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou.

"What does he mean?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Hua Manlou shook his head and said, "Even Lu Xiaofeng doesn't know, how could I possibly know?"

"A determination to die? That's what he said..."

Before Lu Xiaofeng could finish speaking, two disheveled figures walked in through the door. It was none other than the boss and his wife.

The boss, a portly man, appeared relatively composed, but his wife was terrified. Both of them were covered in yellow dust and bits of grass, making them look like refugees to anyone who didn't know them.

"You guys went...rolling in the grass?" Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask.

The proprietress spat and downed the wine on the table in one gulp. The smell of alcohol flushed her cheeks, giving her a blush. Her complexion improved considerably, and she let out a long sigh.

Before Lu Xiaofeng could even ask, the boss sighed, "I really should have come with you instead of staying behind to solve those mechanisms. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble to come back from the back of the mountain."

"What did you encounter?" Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but ask.

The boss sighed, "The Flying Fish Guard, and specifically the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals of the Flying Fish Guard. They went to the small building behind the mountain."

The proprietress had already stood up, her face full of anger. She said, "I'm going to wash up. We're going back to Jiangnan tomorrow. We're never coming back to this lousy place again."

"Okay." The boss replied readily and got up to follow.

………………

Only after the innkeeper and his wife disappeared down the stairs did Hua Manlou sigh. Lu Xiaofeng knew that Hua Manlou was depressed because of the end of yet another life.

The two went upstairs one after the other. As they passed Yan Tieshan's room, Hua Manlou paused, then with a flick of his sleeve, he silently broke through the window and entered without disturbing the people living next door. His lightness skill had clearly improved again.

Without a second thought, Lu Xiaofeng rushed in after him.

On the bed, Yan Tieshan lay fully clothed, his face ashen; anyone with eyes could see he had been poisoned. Lu Xiaofeng turned to look at the table, where a cup of dark green wine still held a trace of its residue.