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Chapter 15 - Chapter 15 The Martial Arts Tournament at Taihu Lake

The 15th day of the 8th lunar month... This is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Poets and literary giants usually compose poems about this auspicious day and the beauty of nature during the eighth month.

Therefore, this day is of particular interest to poets and scholars. Additionally, this day marks exactly five years since Little Monkey was injured. In a way, one could say this was the day Little Monkey was supposed to die.

However, the resilient young man not only survived but also gained about fifty years of internal energy, and his martial arts had increased manyfold.

On this day, at this very time and moment, one person was feeling deeply sad for Little Monkey. She was weeping with a heavy heart and was praying for his good luck.

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Celestial Dragon Temple.....

The Celestial Dragon Temple is located in the Dali Kingdom. It is built on the highest peak in the Dali Kingdom and was worshipped by successive Dali Kings, making it grand and magnificent.

The pointed spires, halls, and rooms, built with exquisite architectural skill, truly make one feel as if they have arrived in heaven. The Celestial Dragon Temple truly lives up to its name.

In front of the Mother Goddess statue in the center of the temple, a young woman was kneeling and reciting prayers.

Her skin was fair and radiant, with a golden hue. Her lips were crimson and bow-shaped, further adorned by teeth like strands of pearls.

Her arms were beautifully proportioned, like an elephant's trunk, and in contrast to her slender waist, she possessed gracefully flared hips, making her appear like a goddess descended from heaven.

Who was this young woman? Her face was noticeably melancholy. She seemed to be reciting the prayers with a desperate faith.

After a while, a young man walked into the temple entrance. The young man was dressed in prince's attire. His walk was exceptionally light and quick, making him appear to be floating in the air.

His appearance matched his attire—he was handsome, manly, and carried himself with dignity. His eyebrows were black, and his eyes were sharp and bright, seemingly able to pierce the deepest places of the person opposite him. He carried the demeanor of a person who constantly gives orders.

The young man gently approached the young woman who was bowing and looked at her kindly.

"Let's go back to the palace, little sister. The weather is cold. Your friend will surely live.

My One Finger Solar Art can heal all kinds of internal injuries."

The young woman looked up at the young man with reliance.

"I trust you, brother. I'm just afraid we'll be too late."

The young man smiled warmly.

"Let's go back to the palace. Tomorrow, we will go down into the martial world and search for your friend."

The young woman lowered her head and quietly replied to the young man.

"Yes, brother."

Then, the young man and the young woman silently left the Celestial Dragon Temple.

The young woman was Murong Qingqing, and the young man was Duan Chuting, the Crown Prince of the Dali Kingdom. How did Murong Qingqing end up in the Dali Kingdom? How did she come to know Duan Chuting?

After Little Monkey was injured and disappeared, Qingqing left the Murong Estate and searched for medicine for Little Monkey, traveling throughout the martial world.

A woman's mind is strange. In the early days, she truly detested and loathed Little Monkey for his appearance and rude speech.

However, when she gradually saw Little Monkey's circumstances, how he was lonely in the world, and how his immense power was leading him astray, she became interested. A desire arose in her to set Little Monkey's life on the right path.

Furthermore, when she saw how he was not only injured in the fight with Jing Huo but also had to face many people alone, she felt pity for him. When she saw Little Monkey being ambushed in the forest, Qingqing could no longer control herself. Deep compassion rained down upon Little Monkey.

She had searched the martial world high and low for nearly five years, traveling everywhere, but she was only tired, and the search yielded no results.

One day, she learned that the One Finger Solar Art, proprietary to the Duan royal family of the Dali Kingdom, could cure all internal injuries, so she came to the Dali Kingdom to ask for help.

This is how she and Duan Chuting came to know each other.

Duan Chuting is the Crown Prince of the Dali Kingdom. Although he had thoroughly practiced the Duan family's proprietary Mysterious Footwork and the One Finger Solar Art, he was only unknown because he had not yet entered the martial world.

If he were to enter the martial world, his name would already be famous far and wide.

He had only intended to quietly assume the throne of Dali and rule the country in peace in the near future, but when he met Qingqing, he fell in love with her.

When he accepted her request for help, a sad, three-sided love story began to unfold.

One day after praying at the temple, the two of them set out into the martial world on their respective horses.

How would the scriptwriter of fate play their games this time? Would it turn out to be a situation where the goat cannot stand in the way of the elephant's game?

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Taihu Lake is located in central China. It is said to be about 800 miles wide.

Because of its vastness and beautiful scenery, it is bustling with visitors. It is especially crowded on special days.

Today, even though it is a special day, the number of visitors is fewer than on ordinary days. To be precise, there are almost no ordinary civilians and families.

However, people carrying bare swords, various strange weapons, and those wearing unusual attire are constantly seen arriving.

A strange sign indeed. What is happening around Taihu Lake?

A gentle breeze blew across the water. Small boats were constantly traversing the lake.

On these small boats, there were three people wearing tight red uniforms. It was evident that the people in red were patrolling the lake's security in the small boats.

Why would this be? Perhaps the visitors were scared away by these people.

Just then, a small boat was rowing strangely across the water. The person rowing the boat was a fisherman. A man was sitting comfortably on the bow of that boat. The man was dressed in dirty, ragged clothes, resembling a beggar.

He wore a worn sword sloppily on his back. He wore a Smiling mask on his face.

Since the mask was the kind sold for children to play with at fairs, it was obvious that it had been easily purchased from a roadside stall.

The man was sitting calmly on the bow of the boat, observing and enjoying the scenery with interest.

Just then...

A small boat approached him. One of the people in the red uniform on the small boat stopped the beggar-like man.

"Stop right there, friend. Do not proceed."

The beggar-like man frowned.

"Why not, sir?"

The person in red said, "We have announced to the martial world what kind of exhibition is taking place here today. If you are a martial artist, you are allowed to go. But if your martial arts are mediocre, it would be better not to go, friend. It's too dangerous."

The beggar-like man was very stubborn.

"Since I'm a martial artist, if I don't attend this kind of event, it would be a blot on my reputation, wouldn't it, sir? If you are the hosts, you shouldn't stop the guests who come."

While they were debating, a black sailboat approached them. The people in red uniforms' faces fell instantly when they saw the sailboat. Then, they quickly paid their respects.

"Respects to the Young Mistress, sir."

At the end of the red-clad man's words, a young woman stepped onto the bow of the boat. The young woman was extremely beautiful. She looked intently at the beggar-like man and invited him, saying, "This friend seems to be an attendee of the exhibition. Since the exhibition is about to begin, please come with us on our boat." Then, she immediately commanded the people in red:

"The exhibition is about to begin. Don't allow anyone else to enter. Close the lake."

The beggar-like man was Little Monkey. After the fight with the Three Ogres, he had been wandering aimlessly and heard an unusual piece of news on his journey.

The news was about a martial arts manual exhibition at Taihu Lake. The news that Water Dragon Shu Yan, the leader of the Sailboat Sect, would host a martial arts manual exhibition attracted him.

In truth, he had too many enemies. He should avoid this kind of event, which many martial artists would attend. That's why he carelessly wore a child's play mask to seek some protection. However, Little Monkey didn't realize that his posture and build were so rare in the world that even though his face was covered, his appearance made it as obvious who he was as an elephant walking in a field. Sometimes, even the wise can be slow to kill.

The young woman was Shu Ying, the only younger sister of Water Dragon Shu Yan. Shu Ying's fame was not only due to the influence of the Sailboat Sect but also her own ability.

As the inherited disciple of Tangshan Nun, she had mastered the Tangshan Hidden Weapon technique and had successfully practiced the Hundred Flowers Sword Technique, proprietary to the Tangshan Nun, to the point of following in her master's footsteps.

Therefore, she quickly rose to fame in the martial world with the name "Hundred Flowers Shu Ying" and was already regarded as the most promising young woman in the current martial world.

Shu Ying looked at Little Monkey and invited him, saying, "Why don't you come aboard our sailboat, ma'am?" Although it was a mere invitation in words, it was actually a test of skill.

The small boat Little Monkey was on and Shu Ying's sailboat were about a bamboo pole's length apart. How was he supposed to cross?

Little Monkey rolled forward from his sitting position to the bow of the boat. He looked like he was about to lose balance and fall into the water. Just then, he suddenly slammed his long, strong fingers onto the tip of the boat.

The small boat steered by the fisherman shot backward like an arrow. Little Monkey's body, on the other hand, was spinning rapidly like a ball and flying toward the black sailboat, opposite the small boat. He had jumped across to the sailboat by using high internal energy.

Shu Ying seemed startled. She raised her eyebrows and offered Little Monkey a seat.

"I've never met you in the martial world. I think you must be new to the jianghu. Your internal energy is rare, truly immense. I compliment you. What is your name, sir?"

Little Monkey lowered his head and quietly replied.

"Just remember me as a nameless martial artist, sir."

When the sailboat had sailed for about the time it takes to boil a pot of water, they heard the loud blare of horns. Then, the sound of fireworks and crackers followed.

Just then, everyone saw a boat approaching from the north, heading east. The boat was enormous, a giant ship with three masts.

A golden flag was flying on the main mast. A large sailboat design was drawn on the flag. It was the emblem of the Sailboat Sect.

On the bow of the ship, a handsome middle-aged man stood with his arms crossed. That man was Water Dragon Shu Yan, the leader of the Sailboat Sect. The young woman Shu Ying quietly told Little Monkey:

"He is my brother, Water Dragon Shu Yan. The location of the exhibition is that small island over there."

Little Monkey did not reply and remained seated silently.

All the sailboats moved, heading toward the small island in the center of Taihu Lake.

On the small island, there was a huge stage. Small round tables were placed all around the stage for the martial world guests to sit.

Little Monkey took a seat far back and calmly observed the martial artists. The gathering of martial artists was diverse.

Besides the disciples of the five major sects—Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, and Beggar's Sect—he saw many other martial artists he did not know. It looked as if the entire White Alliance had arrived.

After a short while, Water Dragon Shu Yan, the leader of the Sailboat Sect, leapt onto the stage. His nimble and light movements clearly indicated that his martial arts level was not low.

He walked steadily to the center of the stage, bowed to the audience, and announced in a loud voice:

"Dear friends of the martial world who have attended! About two months ago, I was lucky enough to obtain a martial arts manual from an island in the ocean. The manual is titled the Nine Heavens Manual."

Exclamations arose from the martial artists. Was not the Nine Heavens Manual the one that had agitated the entire martial world over 300 years ago?

Legend has it that one could reach the top level in the martial world just by mastering one of the martial arts from the manual, which was written by Great Master Ta Mor Bo Di (Bodhidharma).

(A long time ago, a woman named Mei Shaofeng once terrified the entire martial world with just one martial art from the manual—the Bone Penetrating Claw Technique... End of parenthesis.)

The Nine Heavens Manual had been lost from the martial world for many years. Many people knew that only the Nine Heavens Variant Manual, which contained separately written cruel martial arts from the original, remained.

No one knows whether that Variant Manual is still kept in the Shaolin Temple or if it has been lost.

If so, was the manual Shu Yan found the genuine Nine Heavens Manual? Was it the incomplete Variant Manual kept at the Shaolin Temple? Or was it someone's prank?

After a short pause, Shu Yan continued.

"I greatly covet the martial arts in this manual. However, I value more my Sailboat Sect, which I have worked my entire life to establish, and my family. Because I understand that if the news of this manual being in my possession were to leak out, my sect could be shattered and destroyed, I have decided to give this manual to a worthy person. Please compete in martial arts on this stage. The prize for the winner is the manual, gentlemen. The manual is kept in the safest place on my sailboat. I will present the manual when the winner emerges."

Little Monkey agreed that Shu Yan's decision was correct. A martial arts manual is akin to a martial artist calling for death. The recipient of the manual would have to spend their entire life running and hiding.

After a while, the tournament began. A man leapt onto the stage. The man turned and bowed to the audience. Then, the man said:

"I am Iron Steel Long Jian... I invite a challenger."

Iron Steel Long Jian... Long Jian is a martial artist who has been famous for 40 years. He is neither white nor black, but a person who acts on his own will and does as he pleases.

Although he has many enemies, since he is a top-level martial artist, it must be said that Long Jian has been able to keep himself safe until today.

In this kind of competition, the first challenger is usually a reckless person or one with excessive self-confidence. Which category did Long Jian fall into?

At the end of Long Jian's words, a man wearing brown clothes leapt onto the stage.

"My name is Ghost Shadow Ku Su Pei. I would like to study your unique martial arts, friend."

Ghost Shadow Ku Su Pei... Ku Su Pei is a top martial artist who rose to fame with his Ghost Shadow Lightness Skill and the Eighteen Ghost Fingers Technique.

His name became famous throughout the martial world after he single-handedly destroyed five notorious bandit groups along the Yellow River about 20 years ago.

Two famous martial arts masters had met. Starting with a bang, as top martial artists emerged right from the start, the medium-level and low-level martial artists decided they would not interfere where the sword was striking and would simply become spectators.

The competition began. It was a competition without a referee. Only the clever and cunning would survive. Ghost Shadow's fighting style emphasized speed. He used his excellent lightness skill to circle and attack Long Jian.

The Ghost's fingers were constantly changing forms, attempting to strike the pressure points on Long Jian's body.

Iron Steel Long Jian, however, stood firm and steadily countered Ku Su Pei's finger attacks, move by move. Their fighting style was like one being a great rock or boulder and the other being a fierce gust of wind.

Little Monkey watched the competition and concluded that Long Jian would win in the long run.

As expected, Ku Su Pei's movements, which involved circling and attacking with concentrated energy, gradually slowed down. Little Monkey could clearly see that Ku Su Pei was fighting carefully to avoid being touched by Long Jian's fingers. It was clearly evident that Iron Steel's internal energy was superior to Ghost Shadow's.

After a short while, Long Jian launched his attack with a shout. He took a step forward and gently pushed out his right palm. Ku Su Pei, whose internal energy was starting to deplete, could not dodge. He quickly met the attack with his palms.

With the sound of palms clapping, Ku Su Pei's body was flung toward the edge of the stage. Then, blood gushed out of his mouth, and Ku Su Pei's soul departed for another life.

This was the first time a person's blood was spilt on the ground due to the competition for the manual. It was clear that the martial arts manual was not a good omen. Yet, people are like moths flying into a flame.

Iron Steel Long Jian stood calmly on the stage. Then, with a cold voice, he challenged:

"I invite the next challenger to compete with me. I want to warn you not to come up if you don't know your place. I don't want to kill anyone else."

Long Jian's tone was harsh. His manner of speaking was also extremely arrogant.

Little Monkey was irritated by Long Jian's tone and opened his mouth to retort. But before his voice could come out...

"Heh heh heh, that's funny."

A sudden pleasant, sweet voice of a young woman emerged. Little Monkey looked over and was surprised to see that it was the young woman from the black sailboat who had invited him—in other words, Young Mistress Shu Ying.

Iron Steel Long Jian was irritated. He looked over and saw a beautiful young woman. Long Jian frowned.

"Who are you?"

"Shu Ying, Hundred Flowers Shu Ying."

Shu Ying replied concisely.

"Oh, so you are the girl named Hundred Flowers, the disciple of Tangshan Nun who has become famous. Why are you laughing?"

Shu Ying smiled faintly.

"Because what you said was funny, sir."

"Why? Tell me."

"You said you don't want to kill anyone else. Do you really think you can kill anyone else? The people here are all top masters. Isn't it funny that you are so arrogant when you are not even among the top ten martial artists in the jianghu?"

Shu Ying laughed lightly as she spoke. Then she continued:

"Look here, your martial arts are not even certain to beat me. If you don't believe it, why don't you try one round?"

When Long Jian heard Shu Ying's words, he was put in a difficult position. He was a famous martial artist. Whether he won or lost against a young woman, it would only be a loss of face for him, wouldn't it?

Shu Ying continued to argue.

"If you think it's a loss of face, then concede and step down from the stage, sir. It's fine."

When Long Jian's face flushed red at Shu Ying's precise speech, looking like a great dog hit by a cart, Little Monkey could not help but burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

Little Monkey's loud laughter furioused Long Jian greatly. The anger he had for Shu Ying was redirected toward Little Monkey. Long Jian shouted in a loud voice:

"You beggar, what are you laughing at? If you dare, come up on the stage!"

Little Monkey did not reply and looked toward Shu Ying. Shu Ying said with a playful laugh:

"Hey, can't he even laugh on his own?"

Long Jian stared intently at Shu Ying with bloodshot eyes.

"I'm talking to him. Why are you interrupting?"

Shu Ying made a face with a disdainful expression.

"I was talking to you first. Why are you asking him?"

Long Jian's face contorted uncontrollably. He was extremely angry. Just then, a person leapt onto the stage. He was so fast that only a shadow was seen, and the person was already on the stage.

The entire audience looked on with surprise.

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