Chapter 54: Chapter 52: The Iron Sleeve Skill! The High Monk Du Zhen!_l
Translator: 549690339
Previously, Zhao Qing had invited Su Changkong to join their sect, but he refused to name it, prompting Su Changkong to refuse. Enraged, Zhao Qing ambushed Su Changkong, only to be killed by him.
On Zhao Qing’s body, Su Changkong found an identity token engraved with a black lotus.
And these monks, according to the constables, must be people from the Black Lotus Sect!
“Could Zhao Qing also be a member of the Black Lotus Sect?” Su Changkong wondered darkly.
The Black Lotus Sect is no ordinary organization!
Zhao Qing, a martial artist in the Divine Strength Realm, was one of their members, and the old monk Du Zhen was spreading faith here, deceiving the public. Yet, even the local authorities dared not interfere, which shows how fearsome the Black Lotus Sect is!
The young constable’s face was also somewhat drained. Now, near Clearwater City, the Black Lotus Sect had revealed its presence, quickly garnering a large following with so-called Holy Water that could cure all ailments, and other methods that seemed to bring the dead back to life.
Given the current situation, the young constable felt that if he dared to say that Du Zhen was a fraud, he would likely be overwhelmed by other fervent citizens. He could only let out a resigned sigh and stand silently on the spot.
“The Great Flame Empire… truly suffers from both internal strife and external threats!”
Su Changkong sighed. Within the region of Clearwater City alone, there was rampant banditry, and now the emergence of the Evil Sect known as the Black Lotus Sect. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like a harbinger of chaotic times ahead!
Moreover, in light of the poisoning of the water source at Black Iron Manor and the outbreak of an epidemic within the jurisdiction of Clearwater City, could there be a link to the Black Lotus Sect? If that were true… it would indeed be terrifying!
As Su Changkong pondered, the black-robed old monk on the stage, Du Zhen, dipped a willow branch into a vase filled with “Holy Water” and flicked it, sending sparkling droplets flying into the air, which caused the crowd below to go wild, reaching up with both hands and any containers they had, hoping to catch the precious “Holy Water”.
The scene was incredibly fervent and chaotic, as Du Zhen was worshipped like a deity.
“What… what are you pushing for?”
“Damn it, don’t shove me!”
At that moment, the crowd became disorderly as someone forcefully made their way through, causing people to stumble around.
“You old thieving monk! Playing god and tricking people! No evil deed undone! Today, let’s see if your head is harder than my blade!”
A hoarse voice erupted, laden with peak frustration and murderous intent. A man dressed in grey, with his face covered by a black scarf, emerged from the crowd, a sword at his waist, radiating an aura of vengeance.
“Who is he? Thinking of taking action against Master Du Zhen, isn’t he afraid of divine retribution?”
The previously frenzied and tumultuous scene suddenly quieted down.
The old monk Du Zhen, suddenly faced with this turn of events, did not show the slightest bit of panic.
As the incensed man in grey approached, Du Zhen greeted him with a kind smile, “Esteemed patron, why harbor such great anger? Buddha is merciful, and I can help you transcend any troubles you might have!”
“Transcend? I’ll transcend you, you old thieving monk!”
But the man in grey seemed to have a deep hatred for Du Zhen. He roared furiously, his eyes bloodshot, and abruptly drew his long blade, lunging at Du Zhen.
“How dare you!”
Du Zhen brought his hands together in prayer without moving, but the other monks in black raised cries of alarm. Each grabbed a long staff to block the man in grey.
“Clang clang clang!”
The martial arts of the man in grey were quite extraordinary. His blade moved like the wind, trailing shadows behind it, and the monks were also well-trained in martial arts. Their coordinated attacks with the staffs, exchanging blows with the long blade, created a cacophony of clashing sounds.
The two sides clashed, with several people besieging the grey-clothed figure alone, fighting so fiercely that the gongs, drums, and porcelain bottles set up on the stage were all knocked to the ground!
The onlooking crowd couldn’t help but retreat a distance, each of them watching the excitement. On one side was the seemingly all-powerful Master Du Zhen in their eyes, and on the other was a very fierce – looking masked grey- clothed figure.
“He is…”
Meanwhile, Su Changkong, observing the battle on the stage, showed a flicker in his eyes.
On the stage, the grey-clothed man’s blade technique was sharp, but the black- clothed monks were numerous and cooperated tacitly. Their wooden sticks, one inch longer and one inch stronger, were extremely tough, and even difficult for sharp blades to cut through, giving the grey-clothed man a hard time breaking through their blockade.
“Get out of the way!”
This infuriated the grey-clothed man, who channeled his True Qi. His long blade hummed as it shimmered with the light of red flame, radiating a scorching sharpness!
“Hiss Hiss Hiss!”
Under the full burst of his channeled True Qi, the grey-clothed man’s combat strength surged. He struck continuously with his long blade, causing a monk to cry out in alarm as the wooden stick broke, and several wounds were added to his body, narrowly avoiding being gutted!
“He is Yan Song…” Down on the ground, Su Changkong was certain of his guess after seeing this scene; the masked grey-clothed man’s blade technique and Inner Strength were all too familiar to him—it was indeed Yan Song!
This left Su Changkong confused and puzzled. According to his understanding of Yan Song, Yan Song was cautious and should not have been this impulsive. Yet now, he was raging to the extreme, eager to slay Master Du Zhen in public, with his face covered.
“Thieving monk! Your life ends here!”
While Su Changkong was lost in confusion, Yan Song erupted with True Qi, breaking through the blockade and pouncing towards Master Du Zhen, bringing his blade down on his head without the slightest mercy!
“Obstinate fool!”
But Master Du Zhen sighed, as his wide left sleeve coiled around. The kasaya sleeve seemed to harden like iron, and burst forth with a titanic force.
“Clang!”
Amidst the crisp sound of metal clashing, Yan Song felt a severe pain in the web of his thumb and fingers, nearly unable to hold onto his blade, with half his body losing all sensation!
Master Du Zhen was fearsomely strong, at the very least at the Divine Strength Realm, possessing a remarkable level of Inner Strength!
“Not good!”
What made Yan Song’s pupils contract was that at the same time, Master Du Zhen’s left palm struck through the air with cloud-piercing momentum, hitting Yan Song, who was unable to dodge due to the numbness in half of his body.
“Bang!”
This palm struck Yan Song solidly in the chest, causing him to spew a great mouthful of blood, darkening the color of his black face veil. He was sent flying like a sandbag for a couple of yards, falling from the high stage, nearly passing out on the spot.
“Go… go!”
Yan Song struggled to his feet, squeezing into the crowd. People, to avoid trouble, quickly made way, letting Yan Song flee towards the outskirts of Ginseng Town.
Having struck Yan Song into a heavy injury with a single palm, Master Du Zhen sighed and said, “This benefactor seems to have some misunderstanding with this poor monk. I have inadvertently injured him and should follow up to see his condition and help treat his wounds. If his life is in danger, it would be this poor monk’s grave error! Amitabha!”
“The master’s compassion and propensity to repay grievance with virtue truly exceed our own,” many locals thought in admiration of Master Du Zhen’s broad-mindedness. Despite the masked grey-clothed figure attacking Master Du Zhen, not only was he not angry, but he also worried that he might have struck too heavily and endangered the other’s life. He was truly a saintly monk!