Huofeng glanced back at her three martial siblings and the escort team to affirm they could still fight. Unfortunately, the two escorts were in no fighting shape. Nothing worried her more than the containers behind her and between her allies, though.
I must guard our sect's treasure with my life!
Huofeng could be considered Wutong Jiyuxuan itself if it wasn't for some particular reasons as she was their sect's main strategist, just as she was on this journey.
Huofeng imbued her throat with her internal energy to sound intimidating as she admonished, "Why are you doing this as disciples of orthodox sects? This container contains my sect's sacred item. Without Patriarch's approval, we cannot let anyone see them. Do you not think you are being unreasonable?"
Perhaps it was due to her background as a nun that her choice of words didn't sound intimidating.
"Judging from your ornaments and sword, you must be disciples of Sky Sword Sect. It is bad enough if you were to stand and watch them attack us, yet you are joining this concert? We have no grudges between us and share ideals as orthodox sect, yet this is how you treat us?"
The two swordsmen from Sky Sword Sect lowered their heads slightly because they, for a fact, didn't approve of the chubby youth's act, but they were entrusted with guarding the fatty. Failing to protect him would mean letting down someone who trusted them. They didn't mind a clash with Far East Escort since the two never interacted with each other. On the other hand, their sect owed Zi Wutong for a favour she did them in the pugilistic world. Thus, they apologised to the chubby youth, withdrawing from the fight after they were identified.
The chubby youth didn't even bother to spare the two swordsmen a look when they bowed out.
"You three must be daoists from Recoiling Wind Temple. How can you partake in such unscrupulous deeds as one of the most prominent temples in Jiangnan? For the sake of seeing something earlier, you killed several people, including Young Master Shao, who never did anything to you. Have you no shame as daoists of an orthodox sect?"
There isn't just one way to plead. Pleading isn't always giving up, either. Combining her graceful speech, Huofeng aimed at the individuals' zeal to be lauded as heroes, turning what was fundamentally a plea into an offensive strategy.
Seeing the chubby youth, who took things on whims all his life, believing it was within his rights to do so, start to have second thoughts for reason was no longer a weapon he could use in the debate, Elder Chen stressed, "Young Master, Indecisiveness is the catalyst for disaster. We need the item to attend the convention just as everyone does. Wutong Jin Yuxuan has nobody to blame but their own bad luck for bumping into us. If we let them go now and Zi Wutong or her senior comes after us, we will be in serious trouble."
The old man is right. Zi Wutong's undefeated senior sister, Zi Lianhuang, who's compared to Night Fortress' master, isn't someone we can trifle with. If we let them go after affronting them, they'll try to get even.
"Daqian, get them, finish them," commanded the chubby youth.
The man in the corner opened his eyes, violence bounding from his black eyes. Huofeng deemed him the most dangerous individual in the temple for he had his guard completely down in spite of the situation.
Huofeng tried to intercept his palm strike, but he strafed.
"Wait!"
Huofeng flicked her sleeve, using her energy to turn it into a solid weapon, and then palmed it, amplifying the output of her first attack. Wutong Jin Yuxuan's disciples learnt to make weapons out of anything and wield every weapon they could learn.
"Subduing Dragon Palms?! Are you Seventh Elder Jie Daqian of Beggars Sect's south branch?"
"Hihihi, correct, Lass."
Cognisant of the fact that she couldn't win against the hand-combat specialist if she gave a quarter, Huofeng went all out, using Vajra Divine Might for the third time to detonate a palm as violent as a compressed tornado, hoping to inflict maximum damage in the shortest time possible.
Jie Daqian corkscrewed over the top of her, landing with his back to the black container. He unleashed a dual palm attack, yet Huofeng blasted him away with her brute strength. By the time she realised she fell for his ploy, it was already too late. Though he bled from the impact, the force of her blast expedited his course to the black container, and it added so much velocity to him that there was no way that the container's guards could stop the incoming cannonball.
Jie Daqian caught onto the container with one hand and twisted his body as hard as he could. Unfortunately, latching onto the container turned out to be counterproductive as the container's weight exceeded the weight he could move regardless of how much rotation and brute strength he devoted.
"Daqian, pick up the slack. You can put on a circus act once we get back."
"As you command, Young Master."
Face red, Jie Daqian got back to the ground. Butt, teeth and arms clenched, he barely managed to move the container using fifty percent of his strength, leading him to think, "The five standing around mustn't be guards but the lifters. I suppose it must take five people to lift this thing."
"Elder Jie, are you done?"
Jie Daqian moved as soon as he picked up the imminent attack from behind. Howbeit, he had to concentrate energy to his back because he couldn't bail in time. As a result, he absorbed an attack that scattered even his armour of qi.
Dimpling wryly unlike a nun, Huofeng jibed, "Your reaction was too slow."
Putting everything into her sleeves, Huofeng unleashed an eighteen hit combo on Jie Daqian, winding him, putting him on his back and his lights out.
Huofeng had her luck to thank for her triumph for Jie Daqian surpassed her in the realm of martial prowess. All of the fighting ignited Huofeng's desire for combat and erased her graceful tone: "Are you next?"
"I-I-I am worth over a million and a descendant of an orthodox sect. I don't fight common folks," stuttered the chubby youth.
I can tell he's not weak. Maybe he doesn't have real fighting experience? Either way, if I can end this without a physical altercation, it'll be best for all of the sects involved.
"In that case, we shall take our leave."
"Wait."
Rather than "wait", perhaps, "Take this," would've been a more apt phrase to use.
Huofeng couldn't tell where the undulating burst of energy would land. The attack didn't rely on power but protracted energy to win, making it an ideal way to counter Huofeng's burst attack. The youth watched her hesitant movements as if he was watching a courtesan dance. Frustrated about the attack and the ogling, she smashed the ground and used the cover to retreat behind the black container.
"Who was that?!" brayed Huofeng.
Elder Chen guffawed: "From what I've heard, Patriarch Zi's three senior disciples inherited one of her traits each. Argent Moon Qingluan inherited her sense of justice. Huofeng inherited her violent temper. I wouldn't have believed a nun could be so aggressive if I didn't witness it with my two eyes."
Huofeng returned to her usual composed self: "So it was you, Elder."
The seventy year old smiled back: "It has been a long time since Subduing Dragon Palms and Solid Jade Snow have been pitted against each other."
"Elder Jie's style certainly does its reputation justice."
Elder Chen chuckled dryly: "Does it justice? All he has learnt is 'The Divine Dragon Swishes Its Tail'. That cannot be used as a standard for our Beggar Sect."
"… It has been many years since my last meeting with your mentor. I wonder if I have lost my edge…"
Elder Chen let a palm strike rip. Due to the time constraint, Huo Feng shielded herself with one arm. Upon feeling it, she supported her arm with her remaining army, yet she still felt rocked. Elder Chen, in contrast, didn't even look as though he'd warmed up.
"It would be a waste for someone at your level to meet their end here. Hand over the container, and this old one shall spare you."
"More explicitly, you plan to put us under house arrest?"
"Seldom are nuns as stubborn as you. Nonetheless, this old one has ways of dealing with your kind."
Still feeling the effects of the last blow that rattled her, Huofeng had no defence to offer to the next palm and, thus, shut her eyes. After what felt comparable to several seconds, she opened her eyes in surprise at the painless damage. She was as dumbfounded as Elder Chen at the other six.
"… Haha, age sure does hurt one's abilities. This old one couldn't even send it over such a meagre distance… Catch this!"
Elder Chen set a foot in front and performed "The Dragon Fights in the Wilderness" with seventy percent of his energy this time, blowing Huofeng's hat off with its gale alone, but it didn't clip her. Yes, there were claims that the attacks from Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms wouldn't kill until three months later due to damage to one's blood and qi system; however, hardly anyone believed it.
"Haha, haha, take this!"
Elder Chen took two steps forward and tried again. The big wind closed in, only to become a harmless draft by the time it reached her.
"What are you?! Take this! And this! Hargh! Argh! Grr! Wata!"
Nobody could fathom what was going on. Huofeng eventually yawned, much to Elder Chen's chagrin.
"Is this old man, whose been with me for all these years, a phony?" wondered the chubby youth.
Panting, Elder Chen erupted, "Is somebody helping you?!"
"If somebody was helping me, would I have to put up with this?" drawled Huofeng, thinking, "Could Shifu have come? Who else could cancel all of his attacks?"
"Who's there?!" thundered Elder Chen, hearing somebody next door.
Elder Chen smashed the wall down without giving them time to respond.
"What the hell? This old man doesn't follow the script. What happened to waiting for a response? Stupid Xiao, didn't I tell you to be quiet?"
"I didn't do anything. Your stomach was what was growling!"
Although Elder Chen wanted to ask who the duo was, a high-pitched, "What the flip?! Why are you here?! You got a face job?!" silenced everyone else in the temple, prompting Huofeng to cover her mouth after.
Lightning Rain Huofeng, 'Huo' meaning 'fiery' and 'feng' meaning phoenix, combined with her temper led to people in Hangzhou calling her "Fiery Nun".
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