Chapter 4, The Short Man of Qingcheng

Upon hearing Chen Ang's words, Linghu Chong raised his wine cup without a second thought and drank it all in one go, laughing heartily as he said: "I regard you as a gentleman, and you should not consider me a scoundrel!" There was an indescribable boldness in his demeanor

It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a sect called Qingcheng on Qingcheng Mountain, known for its unique weapon "Leigonghong." In this sect, the "Qing" character is struck nine times, and the "Cheng" character is broken eighteen times, which are their signature skills. Among them, the nine strikes of the "Qing" character are entirely based on the nuances of the dark blue character. The flying dart of Master Yu indeed possesses a certain elegance.

Nonsense! Hearing Chen Ang speak so disparagingly of his predecessor, Yu Canghai shouted angrily, his hands suddenly swelling by a circle, with palms the color of iron and stone. Although the Qingcheng Sect is renowned for its swordsmanship, and its disciples primarily use sword techniques, their true expertise and unique skill lie in a pair of heart-crushing flesh palms.

At this moment, Yilin had no more ideas. Being pulled by Qu Feiyan, she shrank back into the cabinet. At this time, everyone outside had already seen the candlelight in this room and shouted, "Go over there and search." They swarmed in.

The fine silver needles seal the areas where the blood vessels are congested, and the wound no longer aches subtly

On the side, Linghu Chong was somewhat confused; he did not understand why Chen Ang had suddenly shifted to discussing events from hundreds of years ago. However, seeing Chen Ang narrate the martial arts affairs from those ancient texts as if he had witnessed them firsthand, he could not help but feel that the other person was enigmatic and unfathomable.

Yilin was taken aback and exclaimed, "It is the master!" She was about to rise to respond when Qu Feiyan quickly covered her mouth and whispered, "What kind of place is this? Do you dare to respond?" Suddenly remembering that there was a stranger present, they both turned to look at Chen Ang.

Yu Canghai's face turned purple with anger. As the leader of a sect, he had never been spoken to in such a manner. He raised his hand, and a flash of blue light appeared as a flying dart shot towards Chen Ang. His dark blue skills were indeed formidable; the dart reached its target in the blink of an eye.

However, after the two engaged in a fierce battle for a while, they found themselves evenly matched, making it difficult to determine a clear victor. Suddenly, they heard Liu Zhengfeng's voice saying: "Master Yu, this scoundrel Tian Boguang has committed numerous atrocities and will surely meet a bad end in the future. We need to deal with him, but there is no need to rush. This brothel is a den of filth; let everyone go in and search, and not a single person is to be allowed to leave."

The young man, with a carefree smile, teased Yilin, saying: "If you want to invite a doctor, it would be better to bring me a pot of wine. I am the kind of person who, when I encounter good wine, feels no pain at all"

Only the poor little nun Yilin, for the sake of her beloved, dares to venture into the dragon's pool and the tiger's den, even if her face is burning with embarrassment, she still struggles to speak and asks Chen Ang to enter.

Qunyu Courtyard is indeed a well-known place in Hengshan City. Even Chen Ang, who has only been in Hengshan for two or three days, has heard of its reputation. It is the most famous brothel in Hengshan City. Tian Boguang is a flower thief who not only resides frequently in the brothel but also insists on going there even when he is taking care of Linghu Chong's injuries.

"You can still drink with me!" Chen Ang picked up a wine glass from the table and handed one to Linghu Chong. Just as Yilin was about to stop him, he raised his hand and advised, "Here, I am the doctor; everything should be according to my wishes. I am going to drink with him now, and you cannot stop me!"

Feeling the intense gaze of the two individuals, Chen Ang sensed that something was amiss. He cleared his throat a couple of times and smiled, saying: "I am here to treat Brother Linghu's illness, and I have not seen any little nun!"

It has been quite some time since Chen Ang watched "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer"; he is unaware that Linghu Chong has long been killed by Luo Renjie in everyone's eyes. Now that he has suddenly appeared, isn't it akin to seeing a ghost

Unexpectedly, Chen Ang's feet took root, firmly anchoring him in place. In the face of this chilling thrust, he merely smiled, and just as the flying thrust was about to strike his face, he suddenly raised his hand and pressed it down.

This method is worth a try!" Chen Ang said with a smile, raising his hand as the silver needles flashed. In the blink of an eye, five needles had sealed the major acupoints on his chest. As the silver needles rose and fell, they intertwined like a silver net. In just a short while, they had pierced all over Linghu Chong's body.

Once again, a short figure in a green robe emerged from behind, coldly gazing at the two of them, and sternly asked: "Which of you two is Linghu Chong?"

Chen Ang glanced at him and pretended to be horrified, saying: "Where did this child come from, to have entered such a place of flowers and willows? The parents truly deserve to be punished!" Linghu Chong, hearing him mock Yu Canghai in this manner, couldn't help but chuckle softly, yet he felt a twinge of concern: Brother Chen has no martial arts skills, and I am in such a state; what if Yu Canghai retaliates? Well, well, at worst, I would just be risking my life.

"Younger generation, stop wasting words here. What does this have to do with my senior from Qingcheng?" Yu Canghai interrupted him and asked sternly

With a loud bang

Chen Ang raised his hand and sprinkled a packet of powder into the wine, shaking it to mix thoroughly, then poured a glass for himself and Linghu Chong. "I have never heard of such a saying, I only feel that taking medicine with wine might make you more willing!"

"Why did that gentleman pour himself a glass?" Linghu Chong pointed at his wine cup and said with a smile

Suddenly, someone outside shouted: "Yilin! Yilin!"

"Such a bold tone!" Yu Canghai suddenly spoke, not knowing whether he was referring to the changes of the stars or to Chen Ang.

With a loud bang, the door was violently kicked open. The first person to enter was Hong Renxiong, a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. Upon seeing Linghu Chong sitting there, he was momentarily taken aback as if he had seen a ghost, retreating in fright, which left Chen Ang feeling quite puzzled.

The mahogany table was struck with a resounding bang by his palm, and a five-inch long steel dart was embedded flatly into the table, as if it were inlaid on its surface. The onlookers nearby couldn't help but gasp in astonishment; this dart, traveling at such speed, was effortlessly swatted down mid-air by him. Such keen eyesight and mastery of palm strength is truly astonishing.

Oh! Do not be anxious! The leader of Qingcheng is merely a background figure, one of the renowned masters who perished under their own ultimate move, so to speak, a mere passerby. However, with the nine strikes of 'Qing' and the eighteen breaks of 'Cheng', they have thus gained a far-reaching reputation

Show sincerity to others

Chen Ang also raised his wine cup and took a small sip, saying, "I guard against the malice of the petty, but not the intentions of the noble!" After saying this, the two of them burst into hearty laughter, enjoying their drinking and conversation with great delight

What remarkable medical skills! Linghu Chong raised his head and said, despite having sustained such severe injuries, there was no trace of gloom on his brow; instead, he appeared quite carefree: "Having received your treatment, I am no longer afraid of the King of Hell inviting me for a drink!"

Linghu Chong was caught off guard and could only watch helplessly, thinking to himself: This is not good, as he stumbled over Chen Ang's chair.

Speaking of which, this is related to a martial arts case. It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty, there were two renowned heroes in the martial world known as 'Beiqiao Feng and Nan Murong.' One was truly a remarkable hero, while the other... well, let's not speak of that!" Chen Ang glanced at Yu Canghai and suddenly changed the subject, "That Nan Murong possessed a mysterious skill called 'Doubled Stars and Shifting Planets,' which was reputed to 'return the favor with the same method.'"

Chen Ang pushed open the door and saw a young man with a rectangular face, sword-like eyebrows, and thin lips, half-reclining on the bed. The wound on his chest was wrapped in cloth strips, faintly emitting a medicinal scent. In Chen Ang's view, the wound was extremely deep, and if it were three more inches, it would endanger the heart.

A hint of surprise flashed in Yu Canghai's eyes; apart from his own Qingcheng Sect, he had never heard of anyone else being aware of these old tales from the martial world. However, seeing Chen Ang recount them as if they were his own treasured possessions, it seemed he was not unfamiliar with them. Such a person, if not born from a long-established holy place of martial arts, must have certainly inherited the teachings left by predecessors

After a while, the sound of laughter came from the room on the west side, where Tian Boguang was mocking Master Dingyi with a few sarcastic remarks. After all, Master Dingyi was a monk, and how could she possibly contend with someone like Tian Boguang, who was accustomed to the ways of the streets? Before long, she was so enraged that her face turned pale. Fortunately, Yu Canghai also arrived upon hearing the commotion, intending to confront Tian Boguang.

This made Yilin in the room increasingly anxious, as the shouts from outside grew closer, approaching the house where they were. Seeing Yilin in a state of panic, Chen Ang pointed to a nearby cabinet and said: "You all hide in there first, I will definitely not let them in."

Nan Murong's martial arts reputation was so great that it attracted a calamity; some renowned masters in the martial world unexpectedly perished under their own ultimate techniques, causing an uproar in the community...

Linghu Chong also laughed in agreement, saying: "Not to mention anything else, this person is truly a divine doctor! Knowing that I have been drinking, my injury has already healed by half. Those mediocre doctors often advise people that drinking harms the vital energy and blood, but they must not know that for some people, what flows in their bones is not blood, but wine!"