"This individual is by no means an ordinary soul. I fear that unless the Sect Master and the two Vice-Masters were to take the field in person, few within our ranks could hope to be his match. To overcome such a foe, we must rely upon meticulous schemes rather than a head-on clash of brute force" the Chief Steward reported with absolute clarity.
Chen Shuyuan acknowledged this with a slow nod, then waved his hand to dismiss the retainers to their rest. Only a dozen or so remained to clear the grounds, tend to the wounded, and collect the remains of their fallen brethren.
"The Pang-Kunti Finger has manifested once again within the borders of the Middle Kingdom (Zhongguo)... I have heard legends from an age long past of a supreme expert, a Tibetan Lama, who once wrought havoc across the Central Plains with this very technique.The stances exhibited by that strange entity correspond precisely with those tales; thus, I spoke up, and he did not offer a denial.It is highly probable that he is another capable of wielding this ultimate art.This matter transpired no less than a century and a half ago, yet it remains a renowned legend within the Jianghu.It is said that in that season, he slaughtered a multitude of warriors, remaining for a time without a rival, until at last the supreme experts of the realm were compelled to unite their strength to secure a triumph.Though he fled with grievous wounds—and the witnesses of that hour were certain his physical form could not survive—no soul ever discovered the remains of that Lama.It is highly probable that this brass-masked phantom bears a connection to that ancient master." the Sect Master remarked to Liang Jingtian once the two were left in solitude.
"He carries himself with profound mystery, cloaking his frame and masking his countenance with the utmost care, likely to shroud his true identity. Such a matter surely has a deeper origin. Yet, above all else, the Sect Master is currently his primary target; you will inevitably encounter this arcane specter once again." The Chief Steward remarked with careful deliberation.The Sect Master heaved a weary sigh and offered a soft pat upon the Steward's shoulder before turning to depart.He was well aware that when the Chief Steward, Liang Jingtian, offered a calculation, it was bound to manifest in truth. Yet, if his brain could foresee the coming storm, it meant a path to weather the calamity had already been meticulously prepared.
"Rest easy, Master. I am certain that from this hour forth, that strange entity will not venture back to our military encampment covertly. I suspect that even his manifestations during the night watch shall cease altogether..."
The Chief Steward offered these final words as he bowed to see the Sect Master off for his rest.It seemed a peculiar prophecy, yet every word he uttered was destined to manifest in truth!
For two nights thereafter, the silence remained unbroken; Yin Zhang did not return to the volunteer encampment of the Divine Eagle Sect.However, he manifested his frame on the third day—not in the dead of night, but in broad daylight amidst the very heart of the battlefield!
Clad in his brass mask and mounted upon a steed, he appeared prominently among the ranks of the Liao officers.He still wore his shawl of owl feathers, but was bereft of that misty silk shroud.His arrival was a feat that exceeded the expectations of all.In his hand, he grasped the massive bronze bell and steel chain.Though it was the peak of day, his entire frame still exuded a nauseating aura of death and arcane mystery.As soon as his eyes fell upon the Sect Master of the Divine Eagle Sect riding forth, he moved instantly; abandoning his horse, he soared through the air, piercing through the host of soldiers and heading straight for his target!
This masked entity possessed a lightness skill (Ching-gong) that was exceptionally swift, gliding and swirling across the battlefield.Though his movements were tricky and unpredictable, his trajectory remained fixed upon Sect Master Chen!Along his path, he slaughtered the retainers of the Divine Eagle Sect in countless numbers; not a single soul was able to obstruct his passage!
Beholding this, Chen Shuyuan kicked off from his saddle and soared into the air, exerting his full speed to pounce toward Yin Zhang in kind!At that hour, the soldiers of both sides were clashing head-on, and the situation upon the field was one of absolute chaos.Sect Master Chen brandished his Golden Blade, hacking through the Liao soldiers who stood between him and Yin Zhang, slaughtering many.But as he was piercing through the fray towards his primary foe, a massive object suddenly tore through the void and lunged at him!
It was a horse!
Yin Zhang had seized a well-fattened steed that was bolting across the field—its master having already perished—and used the beast as a hurled weapon! With monumental physical strength, he grasped and whirled the horse toward Chen Shuyuan, intending to crush him with the impact! If he were not reduced to a mangled pulp of blood and flesh, he would surely be grievously injured by the sheer force of the collision!
But the Sect Master was by no means inferior; in a flash, his blade hacked forward, cleaving the horse asunder into สอง halves!Blood, flesh, and viscera splattered in all directions, opening a path to charge his foe.But... behind the carcass followed a subsequent attack! It was the bronze bell, tearing through the air—this was the true, lethal strike of Yin Zhang!
In truth, he had only used the horse's frame to obscure the adversary's vision, concealing his hidden armament.Had it been any other soul, they would have surely met their end beneath the strike of this bronze bell.But Sect Master Chen possessed the Divine Power Armor (Shenli Jia), and his swordsmanship was preeminent.He was able to interpose his blade to shield his chest and receive the impact of the bell; yet, such was the force that his frame was still propelled backward for several fathoms!
Yin Zhang was struck with amazement upon seeing Sect Master Chen stand firm once more with unwavering stability.The power concentrated within the bell was sufficient to reduce a man's frame to shattered paste; even if one could block with a blade, one should still suffer grievous internal injuries.Yet the Master of the Divine Eagle Sect stood majestic as if unaffected, a feat that shocked his foe to the core.
Naturally, this was the preternatural virtue of the mystical mail, capable of warding off all manners of force from the wearer.Interposing the blade to receive the bell was, in reality, merely a masquerade to shroud the existence of the Divine Power Armor from the eyes of men!
Seeing his strike fail, Yin Zhang repeated his former tactic, kicking off the ground to soar into the air and withdrawing from the fray.But on this occasion, the Celestial Sword Divine Eagle would not let him go.Sect Master Chen pounced forward in relentless pursuit.The Liao soldiers swarmed to block his path, but suddenly a cavalry troop led by Liang Jingtian pierced through the battle formation, carving an opening that allowed the Master to chase Yin Zhang out of the battlefield with perfect ease.
"Offer the horse!" the young Steward thundered his command.Instantly, a tall and sturdy black steed galloped forth from the rear of the cavalry.The rider spurred the horse in pursuit of the Master.This horse possessed extraordinary speed; when Sect Master Chen glanced back and saw it, he spread his arms to slow his momentum.As the warrior on the black steed drew near, he abruptly leaped from the saddle, allowing his frame to roll upon the earth as he yielded the horse to Sect Master Chen, who soared through the air to mount it in his stead!
This was a most astounding exchange of riders.The merit for this exploit belonged to Sikong Fu, the Vice-Master of the Left, for he was a peerless expert of equestrian arts who rigorously trained the Divine Eagle Sect's mounted warriors to excellence.This maneuver, executed under the command "Offer the Horse," was a joint invention of the Chief Steward and the Vice-Master of the Left.The greatest hurdle had been persuading Sect Master Chen Shuyuan to undergo the training with the mounted unit, yet it had finally proven its utility this day.This black horse was the Master's own favored reserve mount, and their familiarity was profound.Thus, the affairs of this day were as seamless as a heavenly garment (天衣無縫: Tiānyīwúfèng)."!
Though Yin Zhang possessed an illustrious lightness technique (Ching-gong), he was but a man with two legs.In matters of endurance and speed, a sturdy steed is the preeminent master of travel.Thus, in less than a single double-hour, Chen Shuyuan had already pursued and caught up with him.Seeing the Sect Master hot on his trail on horseback, Yin Zhang realized the futility of further flight and whirled his bronze bell backwards!His ability to hurl an armament backwards while soaring forwards through the air was a bizarre and sophisticated feat of wrist strength and lightness skill rarely seen in the martial world.
The metallic bell tore through the void; Sect Master Chen raised his blade to block the strike and kicked off to soar backwards, neutralizing the impact before landing firmly upon the earth.Now, the two supreme masters stood alone amidst the mountain forest, with no soldiers to obstruct them.
"Terrific skill!" Sect Master Chen Shuyuan initiated the parley, withdrawing his blade and adopting a relaxed stance.Yin Zhang, having exerted his vigor in soaring flight for so long, was pleased for a moment to rest and regulate his vital breath (Qi), thus he held back from a subsequent attack.
"I have a matter I cannot comprehend; might you provide some clarity?" Chen Shuyuan spoke, shattering the silence.
"Speak," a deep, raspy voice emanated from beneath the mask.
"I have heard rumors regarding your Pang-Kunti Finger for many years, and seeing it today proves it is even more profound than the legends claim." "However... this technique vanished without a trace over a century and a half ago. Are you perhaps the descendant of the venerable Lama Tenzin Dorje (བསྟན་འཛིན་རྡོ་རྗེ : The Vajra Dharma Protector), who visited the Middle Kingdom (Zhongguo) over a hundred years past?"
"Sect Master Chen... are you perhaps interested in entering the priesthood?" the masked man retorted after a heartbeat of silence.Chen Shuyuan heard the mocking reply and offered a cold snort, yet he continued with a smile upon his countenance. "I am but a member of the younger generation who holds your art in high esteem. Meeting one who knows this skill, I wish only to seek further knowledge. Surely, Yin Zhang... you are not so stingy as to refuse to divulge its origins?"
"I fear that your words do not align with your true intent... While your tongue inquires after the Finger Technique, your heart truly covets the other secrets within the Shennu Zhijie ( གཞོན་ནུ་ཞི་བྱེད : Youthful Stillness) Scripture, does it not?" Having spoken thus, Yin Zhang straightened his frame and placed his hands behind his back. His bearing shifted from that of an entity neither ghost nor man into one of a poised and profound scholar.
Chen Shuyuan uttered a low "Ah," as if posing a silent question. Yin Zhang continued with an air of languid indifference.
"Though you remain in your prime, you are surely aware that white hairs have begun to speckle your temples and wrinkles now mark your countenance. Despite possessing immense power and boundless wealth, you have personally taken the field to war. I believe that in your heart, you still harbor grand ambitions; yet, alas, the life of man is but a brief a hundred years. That you have followed me so doggedly and engaged in such rambling discourse... is it not because you desire the secret technique of absorbing natural vital energy (Qi) to prolong your mortal lifespan, rather than the origins of the Pang-Kunti Finger?"
"It turns out you truly are familiar with this scripture. In the Central Plains, it is whispered to be the Qingchun Yongzhu Shu ( 青春永驻术 : The Eternal Youth Technique). It is said that Lama Tenzin Dorje of the Serkang Monastery was the heir to this manual and mastered the lethal Pang-Kunti Finger. Yet beyond the finger techniques of the priesthood, the manual records methods for the preservation of health—drawing the internal energy of Heaven and Earth to fuse with one's own. This allows the practitioner to possess longevity, augmented martial prowess, and a sturdy frame that defies old age, until they attain the stage of being a Xian (Immortal). Is this matter truth or merely a phantom?"
Chen Shuyuan inquired with a calm countenance, yet within his eyes, there seemed to be a fire burning with intense radiance. Yin Zhang gazed at him with a steady and penetrating look before offering his reply.
"If you are able to receive our Pang-Kunti Finger, I shall answer this riddle."
"To witness the ultimate art of the Tibetan priesthood is a cause for great delight. Please!" Chen Shuyuan replied after a momentary pause.
Hardly had the word "Please" passed his lips when Yin Zhang lunged forward. Clenching both hands together, he extended his thumbs as they pressed against each other, channeling his vital breath into the Pang-Kunti Finger stance to launch his assault!
............…