Chapter Nine: The Dual Wonders of Agriculture and Hunting

The Eternal and the Undying, filled with great anger, was just about to shout loudly when suddenly, with a whoosh, a dark shadow shot out from the tree, sweeping past the Eternal and the Undying, and embedding itself three feet ahead. Upon closer inspection, the Eternal and the Undying realized it was none other than his iron staff. However, the staff was buried over a foot into the ground, and the portion visible above the earth was askew, presenting a rather peculiar appearance

Upon hearing this, Zuo Yuanmin realized that these individuals possessed exceptional martial skills. Even if Fan Letian could handle them, having him as an additional burden would complicate matters significantly. Thus, he said: "Brother Fan, you should leave first. I am just a child; they wouldn't dare to do anything to me." He thought to himself that as long as he could capture Han Shaotong, he should at least be safe for the time being

Qian Daoming noticed that he remained silent, looking around, and thought that he was intentionally ignoring him. He considered that no matter what Han Shaotong said, he could stand on equal footing with him; if he chose to disregard his questions, that would be one thing. But you, young man, are merely a novice, and yet you dare to mimic such behavior. Unable to contain his anger towards Han Shaotong, he redirected all of it towards Zuo Yuanmin and sternly asked, "What is your name? Who is your master? If you do not clarify this soon, do not blame me for being rude."

Although Han Shaotong was unclear about this section, he was aware that Qian Daoming's words carried considerable hostility. He felt a sense of discomfort in his heart, but since Qian Kun was right beside him, he did not want to lose his manners. Therefore, he turned his head slightly and asked Qian Kun, "What do you think, senior?" without directly answering Qian Daoming's question.

Zuo Yuanmin is notoriously one who yields to soft pressure rather than hard. When he saw Qian Daoming's fierce demeanor, he couldn't help but compare him to Han Shaotong, thinking: "Even your father, considering Han Shaotong's influence, does not dare to shout at me. Who do you think you are, to threaten me like this?" He then loudly declared: "What is my surname and given name to you? What business is it of yours? Even if you are the emperor's son, you cannot interfere in the domestic affairs of my family."

Qian Daoming shouted loudly, and as soon as his right arm moved, his right palm was already pressed in front of Fan Letian. At that moment, Qian Kun was busy treating Xu Ronghua's injuries and had no time to spare. Xun Shuqing, well aware of Fan Letian's capabilities, hurriedly stepped forward, fearing that something might go wrong. Han Shaotong shouted, "Hold on, let me say a word!"

The monk's eyes lit up as he said, "What if you know him? What if you don't?" Zuo Yuanmin smiled and replied, "It is better for the master not to know him; he was defeated in a martial arts match in Bianliang and was thrown into the river within ten moves." He pretended to sigh and continued, "At least fifty or sixty people were present at that time, all of them laughing heartily, rolling on the ground with laughter, saying that this disheveled monk's skills were unimpressive, bringing shame to his masters. I suppose his fellow disciples are also those who seek fame and reputation..."

These words struck a chord with Qian Daoming, who nodded repeatedly. Xu Ronghua was overjoyed; on that day, he had been caught off guard when Zuo Yuanmin snatched the riding whip in front of their master and ancestor, a memory that had lingered in his mind ever since. Now, facing his adversary, he felt a surge of resentment, eager not only to redeem his previous humiliation but also to win his master's favor. Seeing his master tacitly approve at this moment made him feel elated, almost bursting into laughter.

Qian Daoming's face was a shade of purple and blue, and his eyes seemed ready to burst into flames. Wu Bingcong shouted, "Listen to what he is saying! Is it possible that my junior brother is injured like this, or... or..." He had long been trained by his master, and any thought that might suggest "disrespect towards the sect" was something he would hesitate to entertain, even if he thought about it more in his mind or spoke about it.

Zuo Yuanmin said, "So it turns out that Wang Yunzhu indirectly saved me." Fan Letian laughed and replied, "You suffered because of it; it cannot be considered as saving you." Using his right thumb to press against his index finger, he placed it by his lips and whistled. Upon hearing this, Wang Yunzhu obediently trotted over slowly, serving as the best proof of Fan Letian's familiarity with the horse's owner.

The old farmer said, "Hey, be careful; if you break it, you'll have to compensate for it." The hunter replied, "Old man, why are you so angry? Did your vegetables get broken?" The old farmer responded, "I’m only talking to you to point this out because they haven't been broken. If they were broken, would I still be so polite in speaking to you?" The hunter laughed and said, "Is this what you call polite? If you weren't polite, what would it be like?"

He had not yet had the chance to figure out what had happened when someone beside him burst into laughter, saying, "Good skills, good skills! Ha, ha, ha!" He saw Zuo Yuanmin rolling and crawling up from the ground, hiding behind a tall and robust man. Qian Daoming took a closer look and could not help but exclaim excitedly, "It’s... it’s you." The man grinned and replied, "That’s right, it’s me."

Xun Shuqing pointed his spear angrily and said: "Go to hell, you are mocking me..." Han Shaotong replied: "Calm down, big brother!" Fan Letian said: "I am not mocking you; it is you who are mocking me. You have been chasing me like flies, and I can't shake you off. I am utterly annoyed. After finally getting rid of you and enjoying two days of peace, I didn't expect to run into you here again. Impressive, truly impressive!" Xun Shuqing retorted: "Stop pretending to be crazy over there! Just for today's matter, I, Xun Shuqing, will not let you off easily!"

The hunter was overjoyed and hurriedly came over with a bamboo basket. Zuo Yuanmin smiled and said, "I have not failed your request." The hunter carefully placed the pheasant back into the basket and thanked Zuo Yuanmin repeatedly. Zuo Yuanmin said, "Uncle, since I have helped you catch the blue phoenix, shouldn't you first apologize to the old man?" The hunter was taken aback, and the old farmer said, "No need, as long as he helps me catch the chicken, that's enough." Zuo Yuanmin said, "Uncle, you come from this side, and I will come from the other side to help you." Zuo Yuanmin said, "Uncle, since I have helped you catch the blue phoenix, shouldn't you first apologize to the old man?" The hunter was taken aback, and the old farmer said, "No need, as long as he helps me catch the chicken, that's enough." Zuo Yuanmin said, "Uncle, you come from this side, and I will come from the other side to help you."

The hunter was taken aback, rushing out of the pavilion and pushing the old farmer down. Left Yuanmin initially thought they were just exchanging words and kept himself out of it, but now that someone had resorted to violence, he hurriedly intervened. He took a quick step to block the old farmer and said, "Uncle, don't fight, don't fight!" He then turned to help the old farmer up. The old farmer groaned and appeared to be in considerable pain.

In the midst of a chaotic battle between two individuals, Zuo Yuanmin, whose martial skills were lacking, could only watch from a distance, unable to approach despite his concern for the situation. It was only after the immortal being departed that he emerged from behind a tree and expressed his gratitude to the person in front of him, saying, "Thank you, senior, for saving my life." The person helped him up and replied, "Why does the young brother perform such a grand gesture? Please rise! Please rise!"

Fan Letian shouted loudly, swung his arms, and spun in place, using Luo Yuanmin as a meteor hammer, flinging him like a chain knife. Han Shaotong was taken aback and exclaimed, "Fan Letian, are you crazy!"

Zuo Yuanmin said: "Listening to the master's tone, it seems that the younger generation still has a second path to take." The Unborn and Undying replied: "Generally speaking, wise individuals would not choose a second path. However, since you have asked, I will share it with you. This second path is that I will send you to the Western Paradise with a single strike, and as for the horse, I will take it away myself."

The two continued westward. Wang Yunzhu advanced with a brisk pace, while Fan Letian strode forward effortlessly, keeping up without any difficulty, and even joking with Zuo Yuanmin along the way. In their conversation, Zuo Yuanmin repeatedly inquired about the owner of the horse. At first, Fan Letian spoke ambiguously, but later he said directly: "At this moment, you must have an image of the horse's owner in your mind. If I tell you what he looks like, wouldn't that ruin the beauty of that image? Anyway, you will see him soon enough, and then you can compare him with the image in your mind to see if it matches."

Hunter Dao: "Old man, your skills are truly remarkable; just look at your chickens, they are almost scared to death by you." His tone was filled with disdain. The old farmer, furious, picked up his carrying pole and said, "Alright, alright, come on! Let’s have a contest right now!" Seeing the old man's age, the hunter refused to stoop to his level, merely shaking his head and laughing. This only infuriated the old farmer further, who continued to provoke him. The old farmer, enraged, picked up his carrying pole again and said, "Alright, alright, come on! Let’s have a contest right now!" The hunter, seeing his advanced age, still refused to engage, continuing to laugh and shake his head. The old farmer became even more angry, persistently challenging him.

Fan Letian paid no heed and said to Zuo Yuanmin, "Are you ready?" For some reason, Zuo Yuanmin trusted him completely and replied firmly, "I am ready!"

Qian Daoming clearly saw Zuo Yuanmin right in front of him, yet he was taken aback as his vision blurred, and the person suddenly appeared behind him. He hurriedly turned around, disregarding his status, and reached out with both hands to grab. Zuo Yuanmin swiftly dodged, retreating instead of advancing, and this time moved to the right. Qian Daoming, both startled and furious, swung two punches and pressed forward. Xu Ronghua caught up from behind and shouted, "Master!" Qian Daoming barked, "Get out of the way!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Daoming recognized his father's voice, and with a gaze filled with hatred, he looked at Fan Letian and exclaimed loudly, "Father, the one with the surname Fan is here; he has just harmed Ronghua!"

Zuo Yuanmin truly did not wish to create further conflict with them at this moment, but upon seeing Xu Ronghua eagerly preparing for a confrontation, it was clear that he would not let the matter rest easily. Thus, he said: "The day I took your whip was because you indiscriminately attempted to strike me with it. I was left with no choice but to retaliate. There is no deep-seated enmity between us, nor are we sparring as fellow disciples; I have no obligation to engage in this play with you. Although I am young, I am not idle. If you wish to stay here, then stay; I will not accompany you any longer!" With that, he moved and darted to the right side of Xu Ronghua.

In a state of complete vigilance, facing such a formidable expert, he dared not confront him empty-handed. Thus, at the moment the gray shadow emerged, he swiftly extended his foot to flick, causing the iron staff lying on the ground to spring up instantly, returning to his hand just as the gray shadow arrived before him.

A muffled groan was heard, and the body that had been struck flew forward like a kite with its string cut, landing several yards away on the grass. Qian Daoming watched the figure flying out and suddenly felt a chill in his heart; the one who had been sent flying was not Zuo Yuanmin at all, but his own disciple Xu Ronghua!

Qian Daoming's anger flared, and his tone involuntarily rose: "We just arrived, and you saw it with your own eyes. How can you speak like this?" Han Shaotong replied calmly: "Fortunately, I witnessed it myself. If I were not here, who would testify for you two? How do you know that this young brother has no one to vouch for him?"

Xu Ronghua was already embarrassed for having been at a standstill with Zuo Yuanmin for so long, knowing that his master had been helping him all along. The moment he saw Zuo Yuanmin showing signs of defeat, he no longer cared whether it was a trap and immediately plunged in. Zuo Yuanmin swiftly dodged and escaped from Xu Ronghua's side

The voice said: "Whether you are genuinely convinced or just pretending to be convinced is none of my business. If you know what’s good for you, let go of my hand. What do you mean by holding onto the child's hand so tightly? Are you trying to use it to threaten me? Hmph, I have the least respect for people like you, so I can't be bothered to face you. If you are dissatisfied, just say it straightforwardly; I won’t deny anyone a chance."

Zuo Yuanmin recognized that his staff technique was quite familiar, so he guessed it belonged to Ziyou Zizai. Although he spoke accurately, he was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but say: "So, Master, you are the senior brother of Ziyou Zizai. I am truly honored. May I ask how you are addressed by your Dharma name?"

The two individuals exchanged blows, momentarily locked in a stalemate. Qian Daoming observed for a while and noticed that Zuo Yuanmin kept using the same few moves, yet his agility and cunning often caught others off guard. Although his own disciple possessed superior skills, he was rigid and unable to break free from his own patterns. It seemed that with time, Zuo Yuanmin had the greater chance of winning. Anxious in his heart, although he did not take the initiative to strike, he did not let up verbally. Qian Daoming continued to call out: "Ronghua, retreat, be careful of his move aimed at your right shoulder!" "Ronghua, use 'Left and Right Both Sources' to change to 'Flowers Blooming Together'!" "Be careful! He is about to retreat, block him!"

Seeing this, Qian Daoming hurriedly stepped forward, extending both arms to block Zuo Yuanmin, and reminded his disciple: "Be careful, he is using the technique of shifting positions." Zuo Yuanmin sighed and retreated back into the pavilion

Zuo Yuanmin thought for a moment and then leaped onto the horse. Fan Letian laughed heartily, patted the horse's hindquarters, and said, "Aside from your master, don't you look down on anyone else? Haha, what do you think? There are always others out there who can tame you." Suddenly, Wang Yunzhu tossed its head, bared its teeth at Fan Letian, and even snorted a breath out of its nostrils. Fan Letian tilted his head and chuckled, saying, "If you don't like me, I dislike you even more! You foul creature!"

Zuo Yuanmin said: "So it turns out to be the Master of Non-Birth and Non-Death." There was no respect on his face. The doctrine of Non-Birth and Non-Death and *Tu* said: "From your appearance, it seems that you do not believe."

Han Shaotong smiled and said, "Young Master Ronghua is quite right. If the Cloud Chariot were to gallop wildly, no matter how high your lightness skill is, no one could match its enduring stamina. I encountered this young brother in this pavilion."

Zuo Yuanmin was both shocked and angry, but realizing that this person was a carefree senior brother, he knew he was no match for him. He suppressed his anger and said: "In broad daylight, a master bullying a child seems even worse than a bandit on the high seas." The one who is neither born nor extinguished grinned and replied: "I will do it beautifully; perhaps I will first beat you half to death... In any case, there are many methods."

Zuo Yuanmin let out a sigh and continued to move forward under the shade of the trees as originally planned. Just after he sat down for a short while, the sound of hooves behind him rang out again. Zuo Yuanmin quickly got up to check, only to find that Wang Yunzhu had made a large circle and returned once more. Zuo Yuanmin felt a surge of emotion in his heart and shouted, "Good horse, you should hurry on your way. He won't catch up to you. Quickly return to your owner! Don't come back!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Yuanmin couldn't help but widen his eyes and pointed at Qian Daoming, saying: "Hey, you... you are speaking nonsense with your eyes wide open!" Fan Letian laughed heartily and said: "I have encountered many people like him, so I am not surprised. The more peculiar they are, the more they will ultimately defeat themselves, ha..." He dismissed it with a laugh.

"Nonsensical talk! Tell me, who threw my junior disciple into the river?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "That person was tall and strong, with a majestic demeanor, exceptional lightness of foot, and outstanding swordsmanship. I saw him draw his sword and escape freely all over the place..." "Nonsense! Nonsense!" Bu Sheng Bu Mie shouted. Zuo Yuanmin, ignoring him, continued, "Hmm, I remember now, one, two, three, four... in less than ten moves, probably around the sixth move, Ziyou Zizai turned to run, and suddenly his body flew up. We thought his lightness of foot was indeed that high, but then we heard a splash, and he fell into the Cai River." "Nonsense! Nonsense!" Bu Sheng Bu Mie shouted. Zuo Yuanmin, still ignoring him, continued, "Hmm, I remember now, one, two, three, four... in less than ten moves, probably around the sixth move, Ziyou Zizai turned to run, and suddenly his body flew up. We thought his lightness of foot was indeed that high, but then we heard a splash, and he fell into the Cai River."

Zuo Yuanmin became increasingly alarmed as he thought: if this continues, the two of them will have more victories than defeats, so what is the point of fighting? Feeling a pang of fear in his heart, he contemplated retreating. With this thought in mind, he began to take action; he intended to withdraw as soon as Xu Ronghua showed any opening. However, under Qian Daoming's guidance, Xu Ronghua's flaws became fewer and fewer. Zuo Yuanmin's mind raced, and he decided to lure Xu Ronghua into revealing a weakness.

Early the next morning, the first thing he did after getting up was to go to the stable to check on Wang Yunchui. After returning to the inn and having breakfast, he asked the innkeeper about the directions in this area, including where the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest lead. Only then did he take Wang Yunchui and set off. He patted Wang Yunchui on the rear and said, "Today, you must find your way back home. Remember to take the nearest route, and when I tell you to run, you must run. Please do not throw a tantrum or try to play tricks on me."

Suddenly, that person withdrew his power and said: "I have known your senior brother for some time. If his junior were to fall at my hands, it would not reflect well on his reputation when we meet again. Take your belongings and leave now!" The one who was neither born nor extinguished originally felt weak all over and had a tendency to surrender. However, upon hearing this, he took a breath, his spirit slightly revived. Hearing the mention of his senior brother for the second time, he thought that the other party might have some reservations about his senior brother. Thus, he said: "Your Excellency possesses great abilities and exceptional martial skills; I am in awe. However, my weapon has been bent, and when I see my senior brother in the future, he will surely ask about it. If I am left speechless, I will inevitably face punishment. I dare to ask for your guidance on this matter..."

In the blink of an eye, it arrived just a few steps in front of Zuo Yuanmin. Suddenly, the iron staff extended, and a voice shouted: "Kid, call it back!" Knowing that the galloping horse was moving swiftly, Zuo Yuanmin feared that if he did not call out in time, it might not hear him

Fan Letian said: "Are you Xun Shuqing? I have heard that you and Han Shaotong are known as the Eastern Twin Wonders. May I ask where Han Shaotong is now?" Han Shaotong stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Han Shaotong." Fan Letian chuckled twice and said: "Indeed, it is you."

In the midst of laughter and conversation, several figures arrived one after another, with Qian Kun being the first to reach. Noticing his son's strange expression, he set aside Fan Letian and approached Qian Daoming, asking, "What did you just say happened to Ronghua?" Qian Daoming pointed to the place where Xu Ronghua was lying.

The old farmer, being both advanced in age and somewhat irritable, said: "Don't think you can bully me just because I am old. Let me tell you, I have practiced martial arts for several years." As he spoke, he reached out and pulled out the carrying pole, startling the rooster tied to the other end, which flapped its wings violently, shedding a few feathers.

The monk, having not sat steadily on the horse, gracefully fell to the ground from the other side. Instead of feeling angry, he was secretly pleased, thinking to himself: "What a clever and spirited steed!" However, he was also not particularly concerned about Zuo Yuanmin's near fall. Turning the horse around, he said to him: "I didn't expect this little rascal to have some skills. Who is your master? With such nimble hands and feet, you seem like a disciple of Chang Zhigu. Hehe, if it is indeed Old Chang, then you would have to call me 'Shishu Gong'!"

Zuo Yuanmin exclaimed, "Good!" and suddenly took a quick step forward, aiming for a tree trunk beside the pavilion, climbing up like a monkey. His hands and feet were agile, and in just a few moves, he used the trunk as a medium to leap onto the pavilion. The pheasant, startled, jumped away from the other side, and Zuo Yuanmin quickly pursued it from behind. However, the pheasant did not wait for him, flapping its wings and leaping down from the other end of the pavilion.

The Immortal One exerted force with his hands and whispered, "Quickly call back Wang Yunzhu for me!" Zuo Yuanmin thought to himself, "Although Wang Yunzhu is merely a beast, it has not betrayed me; how can I, in turn, betray it?" He also whispered, "Stop dreaming." Before he could finish his words, a sudden burning sensation shot from his wrist up through his elbow straight to his heart, causing Zuo Yuanmin's heart to race uncontrollably, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. In his ears, he heard the Immortal One say, "At this moment, if I suddenly withdraw my strength, your heartbeat will stop, and your life will be lost. Are you afraid?" A sudden burning sensation shot from his wrist up through his elbow straight to his heart, causing Zuo Yuanmin's heart to race uncontrollably, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. In his ears, he heard the Immortal One say, "At this moment, if I suddenly withdraw my strength, your heartbeat will stop, and your life will be lost. Are you afraid?"

Zuo Yuanmin was overjoyed and said, "I am Zuo Yuanmin, may I ask your esteemed surname, senior?" The man replied, "What senior? My name is Fan Letian. Letian knows his fate, so I often laugh heartily. If you do not mind, you may call me Brother Fan. I prefer being called 'brother' rather than 'senior' by others"

Xu Ronghua saw his master trembling with anger, looking as if he wished to rush forward and give Zuo Yuanmin a good beating. However, he was aware of his own status and had to hold back. Thus, he said: "Master, this brat is so arrogant and disrespectful. Why not let your disciple teach him a proper lesson? It would be good for him to understand the etiquette he should show to the seniors of the martial world and to experience the consequences of disregarding his elders"

As Wang Yunzhu rushed ahead to a distance of two arrows, he suddenly turned right. Zuo Yuanmin was taken aback, only then realizing that the elusive Bu Sheng Bu Mie was still trailing him a few zhang behind. He felt a sense of astonishment: "This person's lightness skill is truly remarkable." He was unaware that Wang Yunzhu had not managed to shake off Bu Sheng Bu Mie's pursuit entirely because he was still concerned about him, having made a large detour outside the city before ultimately returning.

The person continued, "You go your own way and do not provoke that horse!" It turned out that at some point, Wang Yunzhu had already returned to a spot less than a hundred steps away from the three of them. Neither affirming nor denying, dragging the iron staff, he turned and walked in another direction, which could be considered a response

The hunter walked into the pavilion, glanced at Zuo Yuanmin and the old man, and boldly sat down next to Zuo Yuanmin. Thus, to the left of Zuo Yuanmin was the old farmer, and to his right was the hunter, with the other person sandwiched in between. He only wanted to get up and leave, but since Fan Letian wanted him to wait in the pavilion, if he ran outside, he would inevitably become the subject of their jokes. Therefore, he remained seated, quite at ease.

At that moment, a nameless anger surged within Han Shaotong, and he thought to himself: "Who do I, Han Shaotong, think I am? Is there any need for me to explain myself regarding matters I have guaranteed?" He was unaware that Qian Daoming, being of similar age and having inherited his father's true skills, still failed to break into the ranks of the Southern Three Uniques, which troubled him greatly, as it meant that he was, in a sense, overshadowed by Han Shaotong, who was of equal renown to his father. Therefore, in Qian Daoming's eyes, Dong Shuangqi was Dong Shuangqi, and Han Shaotong was Han Shaotong; he did not hold any particular respect for Han Shaotong because of this.

Though he witnessed the eternal and the imperishable, he did not linger beneath his feet, but continued to closely follow Wang Yunchui, pursuing relentlessly. Zuo Yuanmin felt a sense of inadequacy, unable to match his efforts, and could only watch helplessly as Wang Yunchui came and went.

The person threw back the iron staff and said, "Hmph, how dare you ask for my name?" The indestructible iron staff felt hot in his hand, quite scalding, and he feared that if his internal energy were even slightly impure, he might not be able to hold it properly. At this point, he realized that no matter what, he would not be able to gain anything good today, so he complied and turned to leave.

The iron staff monk, upon hearing this voice, felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He swiftly retracted the iron staff that was pressing on Zuo Yuanmin's shoulder, yet his left hand still firmly grasped Zuo Yuanmin's wrist. He then said, "From your tone, it seems you are quite familiar with us brothers. Since an old friend has arrived, why not reveal yourself for a conversation?"

He couldn't help but take a glance at the monk, noticing that he had long hair neatly combed, his attire was quite simple, a metal staff in his right hand, a bowl in his left, and he wore a pair of straw sandals. Suddenly, Zuo Yuanmin recalled that time when he yearned for the carefree essence of Yunmeng. He thought to himself: "Although he is also a monk, it is indeed possible to be tidy and clean."

Not being born and not perishing is when one must speak. Suddenly, Zuo Yuanmin reached out and gave a strong slap on the horse's hindquarters, shouting: "Good horse, run fast!" Not being born and not perishing was taken aback, only to see that the Wangyun horse raised its front legs, neighed, and then dashed forward. Not being born and not perishing quickly adapted to the situation, extending his iron staff to try to hook the reins, but the Wangyun horse was no ordinary steed. With a powerful kick of its hind legs, it had already leaped more than a zhang away. Although Not being born and not perishing's hook was swift, it still fell short by more than half a foot. Not being born and not perishing quickly adapted to the situation, extending his iron staff to try to hook the reins, but the Wangyun horse was no ordinary steed. With a powerful kick of its hind legs, it had already leaped more than a zhang away. Although Not being born and not perishing's hook was swift, it still fell short by more than half a foot.

Seeing this, Qian Kun said to his son: "You stay here and keep an eye on this kid, I will go with Bing Cong to take a look." He called for Wu Bing Cong, and they hurried towards the source of the sound, one in front and the other behind.

Qian Daoming said: "I am not saying that he is wrong, but when adults are speaking, what place does a child have to interrupt?" Han Shaotong thought to himself: "He is indeed teaching his own disciple; after all, it is not my place as an outsider to intervene." Thus, he changed the subject and said: "I just tested this young brother and found that he only accidentally got involved in this matter, and he has no connection to the Ziyang Mountain sect." Qian Daoming replied lightly: "Oh? How do you know that?"

It turned out that this ascetic was quite knowledgeable about horses. Upon seeing Wang Yunzhu, he immediately recognized it as a rare steed from the Western Regions, seldom seen in the Central Plains, and he longed to take it away for himself. Especially upon realizing that the horse's owner was merely a youth, he felt in his heart that he was already the owner of this horse. However, due to his self-assumed status, he was unwilling to first drive away Zuo Yuanmin. As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed off with his feet and intended to directly mount the horse.

The hunter clasped his hands and said: "Senior Qian, Brother Daoming, you have arrived." The white-haired elder Qian Kun replied: "Brother Han, it has been a long time since we last met. How have you been lately? Why is Brother Xun not here?" The hunter responded: "Thanks to your blessings, all is well with Shaotong. My elder brother just left to keep watch for us, and he will be back shortly."

Although Zuo Yuanmin had some foundation in internal martial arts and was agile in his movements, he had never grasped the principles of lightness skill. Upon exiting the city gate, the majestic horse, Wang Yunchui, and the elusive Bu Sheng Bu Mie had already vanished without a trace. Fortunately, while Wang Yunchui was indeed magnificent, it could not compare to Bu Sheng Bu Mie, which, when employing lightness skill, left no footprints behind. Zuo Yuanmin only saw a faint trail of hoofprints heading north. Gritting his teeth, he set off in pursuit.

The Ascetic said: "As you are new to the martial world and are unaware of the names of my fellow disciples, it is understandable. I shall teach you a lesson to avoid offending us inexplicably in the future, leaving you unaware of how you met your demise. My junior brother is known as the Wooden Staff Ascetic, with the Dharma name of Free and Unfettered, which you are already aware of. I, on the other hand, wield an Iron Staff and am known as the Iron Staff Ascetic, with the Dharma name of Neither Born Nor Perished. Since there is neither birth nor death, there is also no existence or non-existence, which surpasses Free and Unfettered. I shall reiterate, I wield an Iron Staff and am known as the Iron Staff Ascetic, with the Dharma name of Neither Born Nor Perished. Since there is neither birth nor death, there is also no existence or non-existence, which surpasses Free and Unfettered. By the way, I have an elder brother who wields a Golden Staff, known as the Golden Staff Ascetic, with the Dharma name of No Self, No Others. Heh heh, having reached the state of No Self, there is no defeat, and furthermore, no enemies to contend with. Therefore, the next time you encounter an ascetic holding a Golden Staff, either keep your distance or approach respectfully to pay your respects. If you think you can jest with him as you did with me today, regardless of who your master is, be cautious, for you may not know how you will meet your end."

Xu Ronghua let out a "Hehe" and said, "Want to leave?" He extended his right hand and reached for Zuo Yuanmin's left shoulder. Little did he know that Zuo Yuanmin's movement was merely a ruse to lure the enemy; he shifted his body to the right, but his left foot had already stepped to Xu Ronghua's right side. Qian Daoming, with keen eyes, stepped forward to help block Zuo Yuanmin, just as Xu Ronghua's palm came down. Zuo Yuanmin lowered his head and dodged.

Before long, another person approached from the other side of the pavilion. He placed the bamboo basket, which he had been carrying on his back, on the ground outside the pavilion, seemingly intending to rest inside. Zuo Yuanmin observed that this man was tall and robust, with dark skin, and a hunting knife hung at his waist. Shadows swayed within the bamboo basket, causing the basket to tremble as well. Zuo Yuanmin speculated that the man was a hunter from the mountains, perhaps having caught something, and thought he might be heading to town to sell it for a good price.

It turned out that this person was none other than Fan Letian. He returned just in time to see Qian Daoming chasing after Zuo Yuanmin. Observing the last powerful strike he delivered, which was executed with great speed, in order to ensure absolute safety, he unexpectedly seized Xu Ronghua, who was watching from the sidelines, and then threw him between the two.

The old farmer, hearing the hunter's disagreement, suddenly changed his mind and said, "This chicken of mine is quite special; it's not so easy to buy it." Left Yuanmin, feeling flustered, said, "Alright, alright, I understand, I understand." He then told the hunter, "Uncle, I will help you catch this... this blue phoenix right now. But you must not hit anyone again, understand?" The hunter was overjoyed and said, "Alright, alright, I understand, I understand." He then told the hunter, "Uncle, I will help you catch this... this blue phoenix right now. But you must not hit anyone again, understand?" The hunter was delighted and said, "If you can catch it, I wouldn't bother arguing with this old man!"

Neither born nor extinguished, he felt quite uneasy, not daring to let go of Zuo Yuanmin, pulling him forward a few steps. He extended his other hand to pull out the iron staff, only to find that the originally straight iron staff was now bent like a bow. Neither born nor extinguished was both shocked and angry; shocked because he knew best the quality of this iron staff, and he believed he had no ability to bend it with his bare hands; angry because this person dared to bend his weapon, showing a complete lack of respect for him. In his fury, he threw the iron staff to the ground and said, "The monk has not mastered his skills; today I admit defeat. Let us not engage in underhanded dealings; I kindly request you to reveal yourself, leaving behind a token of ten thousand, so that the monk may accept his loss with full conviction."

Fan Letian laughed heartily and said, "Well done!" With a slight bend of his right knee, he met Qian Daoming head-on, clashing palms. There was a loud "bang," and Qian Daoming staggered back three steps, his face alternating between green and white. Xun Shuqing, witnessing this, was startled and said, "Let me handle it!" Fan Letian laughed heartily again, waving his right hand, and a beam of white light shot out. Xun Shuqing, thinking he had suddenly launched a hidden weapon, instinctively shrank his head back, only to see that the white light was heading straight for the nearby Wang Yunzhu, severing the reins that tied the horse. It was then he realized it was actually a short knife.

Zuo Yuanmin felt an invisible force gently lifting him from below, preventing him from kneeling down completely. When he raised his eyes, he saw that the man appeared to be around forty to fifty years old, with graying hair at the temples and a weathered look. His eyes were bright and full of spirit, giving him an impression of being quite astute and capable. Zuo originally thought this man possessed formidable martial skills and would behave like the people in the valley, showing no emotions. However, he was quite surprised to find him polite and unwilling to accept his gratitude.

Xun Shuqing said, "Little brother, are you implying that Xu Ronghua's disciple was harmed by his own master?" His tone already showed considerable displeasure. Zuo Yuanmin replied, "That is your own inference, not something I stated." Han Shaotong hurriedly said, "Little brother, you must not speak carelessly." Xun Shuqing continued, "That person surnamed Fan just admitted it himself; what do you mean by insisting on defending him?"

Then the hunter shouted: "Look at the good deed you have done, look at the good deed you have done! What are we going to do now? What are we going to do now? I want to see how you will compensate me for this!" The old farmer replied: "It's just a mountain chicken! What's the big deal? You lost my chicken, I let your mountain chicken go, and now we are even."

Zuo Yuanmin was the first to bear the brunt, and upon catching sight of Qian Daoming's fierce gaze, it seemed as if he wanted to swallow him whole, causing a sense of panic to rise within him. Suddenly noticing Xu Ronghua beside him, he bent down and hid behind him. Qian Daoming shouted, "Did I not tell you to get out of the way?" Xu Ronghua realized that his master was genuinely angry and hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, Master." He wanted to leave, but Zuo Yuanmin had finally found a human shield, so how could he let him go so easily? He circled around Xu Ronghua, dodging left and right, never allowing himself to stray more than three feet away from him. As Qian Daoming's fists and feet came crashing down, Xu Ronghua felt the impact and his expression changed slightly as he said, "Master..." Qian Daoming shouted again, "Did I not tell you to get out of the way?" Xu Ronghua, aware of his master's true anger, quickly responded, "Yes, yes, Master." He wanted to leave, but Zuo Yuanmin had finally found a human shield, so how could he let him go so easily? He continued to circle around Xu Ronghua, dodging left and right, never straying more than three feet away from him, while Qian Daoming's fists and feet came crashing down, causing Xu Ronghua to feel the pressure, his expression shifting slightly as he said, "Master..."

Han Shaotong said: "Little brother, have you forgotten what I just told you?" Zuo Yuanmin replied: "I remember, Uncle said that in life, choosing friends is of utmost importance. The value of friendship lies in sincerity, so I absolutely will not engage in speaking nonsense with my eyes wide open!"

The hunter walked into the pavilion and sat down, while Zuo Yuanmin followed and took a seat beside him. The hunter continued, "What I am telling you is to make you understand that the owner of this horse is not an ordinary person. And the middle-aged man surnamed Fan who has been following you is also not someone to be taken lightly." He then asked, "How long have you been practicing the Autumn Wind Flying Leaves technique? One year? Or two years? Who taught you?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "Uncle, are you also a person from the martial world?" The hunter laughed and said, "Whether or not I am from the martial world is not the point. The important thing is that by staying close to this person, you have already become a public enemy in the martial world, do you understand?"

The hunter's expression turned grim as he said, "He can't say a few less words; if he can't compensate me for my Blue Phoenix, I won't let him off the hook today no matter what." The old farmer, filled with resentment, replied, "You just pushed me a moment ago, knocking my bones all out of place, and I lost my chicken; I haven't even asked you for compensation yet!" The hunter glared at him and mocked, "What does it matter if I pushed you? Your old bones can't compare to my Blue Phoenix!" The old farmer, trembling with anger, struggled to turn from behind Luo Yuanmin to confront him.

The imperishable being, seeing the situation, was quite astonished and said, "This little brat has quite a skill, what is it called again?" However, Zuo Yuanmin had no time to converse with him; he lowered his body and stepped forward, executing another move, "Hou Yi Shoots the Suns." Although the imperishable being did not understand the intricacies, he recognized the danger and did not dare to confront it head-on. His right hand moved nimbly, and the iron staff suddenly began to spin like a large waterwheel, forcing Zuo Yuanmin to retreat as his technique could not be used indefinitely.

Zuo Yuanmin was greatly alarmed, and he quickly activated the Taiyin Heart Sutra, using an Iron Plate Bridge technique to firmly stabilize his body, then sprang up to stand still. The monk, seeing that he could actually maintain his balance without falling, was quite surprised. At that moment, the horse named Wang Yunzhu seemed to seize the opportunity, moving its body and throwing the monk off its back.

A glimmer of cunning flashed across the face that is neither born nor extinguished, but this expression was fleeting, quickly replaced by one of astonishment and surprise. It turned out that his move, "Turning Peaks and Winding Paths," is most renowned for the iron staff's unparalleled power and unstoppable force once it is unleashed. Moreover, the iron staff can circle around and return to his hand, making it a move that is said to guarantee victory without defeat. However, at this moment, when he threw it, the iron staff unexpectedly did not return, and it vanished suddenly and silently, as if it had sunk into the sea like a stone. It turned out that his move, "Turning Peaks and Winding Paths," is most renowned for the iron staff's unparalleled power and unstoppable force once it is unleashed. Moreover, the iron staff can circle around and return to his hand, making it a move that is said to guarantee victory without defeat. However, at this moment, when he threw it, the iron staff unexpectedly did not return, and it vanished suddenly and silently, as if it had sunk into the sea like a stone.

It is said that the entity of neither birth nor death, after pursuing for a while, was already exhausted and weary. Yet the reason for not giving up was that Wang Yunchui never ran far away, always turning back after a considerable distance. The entity of neither birth nor death kept thinking: "Keep going, put in more effort! Put in more effort!" However, it never considered why Wang Yunchui would play such tricks on him. At this moment, upon hearing Zuo Yuanmin's call, he suddenly realized and secretly reproached himself: "Ah, so that's how it is!" The entity of neither birth nor death kept thinking: "Keep going, put in more effort! Put in more effort!" However, it never considered why Wang Yunchui would play such tricks on him. At this moment, upon hearing Zuo Yuanmin's call, he suddenly realized and secretly reproached himself: "Ah, so that's how it is!"

Qian Daoming angrily said: "What are you saying to testify for us, master and disciple? What are you trying to imply?" Qian Kun interjected: "Alright, alright, why are you arguing? Hero Han is a renowned figure in the martial world; since he has said this, there must be a reason behind it. Why are you stirring up trouble for no reason? Has someone said something about you again?" Qian Daoming, unable to contain his anger, shouted: "Father..."

That person suddenly said, "Wait!" Neither born nor extinguished, they paused and turned around, wearing an awkward expression

The old farmer, unwilling to back down, glared back and said: "We only pulled it straight; why should I be the one to bring it down?" The hunter raised his fist and angrily replied: "I see you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."

When Zuo Yuanmin heard the phrase "transformation and displacement," he recalled the "phantom fractal" of the person from the valley. Remembering the movements of the valley dweller when demonstrating the phantom fractal technique in that cave, Zuo Yuanmin thought to himself: "Although the valley dweller did not formally teach me this technique, he merely provided some simple formulas, instructing us to utilize the transitional moments between each move and stance, and I have never practiced it in reality. However, by following the formulas and mimicking the technique, even if it is not perfect, it still resembles it to some extent." Zuo Yuanmin thought to himself: "Although the valley dweller did not formally teach me this technique, he merely provided some simple formulas, instructing us to utilize the transitional moments between each move and stance, and I have never practiced it in reality. However, by following the formulas and mimicking the technique, even if it is not perfect, it still resembles it to some extent."

Zuo Yuanmin knew that at this moment, every joint in his body was under the watchful gaze of an unyielding presence. Any slight movement would immediately provoke an attack; indeed, it was a situation where a single thread pulled could affect the entire body. He contemplated an idea, which, although somewhat risky, was deemed necessary given the circumstances. He then continued, "The junior understands."

Zuo Yuanmin shook his head and said with displeasure, "This is not the master's business." Fearing that if he went into the restaurant to eat, it would cause trouble for Wang Yunzhu who was left here, he reached out to take Wang Yunzhu's hand. The monk chuckled twice, and suddenly extended his iron staff to block the way.

Zuo Yuanmin said: "But I am a bit nervous." Fan Letian replied: "With me here, you can rest assured. The owner of this horse, although somewhat stubborn like this Wangyun Chariot, has a straightforward and generous personality, much like mine. Given our friendship of over ten years, I believe you will get along well with him." Zuo Yuanmin said: "I hope so!"

Zuo Yuanmin clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Master." He reached out to untie the reins of Wang Yunzhu, then slowly walked in front of Bu Sheng Bu Mie, pretending to offer the reins to him, and continued, "Master, I still have one matter that I do not understand, and I hope Master can provide guidance." Bu Sheng Bu Mie replied, "What is it..." Zuo Yuanmin said, "Master's staff technique is remarkable, but I wonder how your lightness skill is?"

Fan Letian laughed heartily and said, "That's right, just like that, just like that. Ha ha, Brother Zuo, there's no need to be polite. When a friend is in trouble, I would not hesitate to risk my life for them, let alone just dealing with an unreasonable troublemaker for you. Ha, ha, ha!" Zuo Yuanmin, hearing his joyful laughter, couldn't help but join in the laughter.

"Neither born nor extinguished," he said with a cold laugh, "You have some skills, but do you think you can escape from my grasp with just that?" Zuo Yuanmin turned her head away, refusing to look at him

Zuo Yuanmin suddenly recalled that at that time, Feng Feiyan had indeed introduced his father's reputation, stating: "The Three Unmatched of the South: Qian Kun, Ding Pan, and Feng Junjie." Thus, the white-haired old man before him was indeed Qian Kun, who was renowned alongside Feng Junjie as one of the Three Unmatched of the South. Zuo Yuanmin felt a mix of surprise and uncertainty, and thought to himself: "Since Qian Kun is mentioned alongside the esteemed Feng, he should not be a bad person. Moreover, this gentleman surnamed Wu mentioned that this hunter uncle is named Han Shaotong, one of the Eastern Double Wonders, who is also renowned alongside the Three Unmatched of the South in the southeast. Therefore, this Uncle Han should also be a good person. If Uncle Han is a good person, then what he just said..."

The two men laughed for a while. Fan Letian said, "By the way, brother. How did you end up with that horse? You even risked your life for it?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "This is a long story." He then briefly recounted how he encountered the horse in the mountains, how he saved its life, and how it, in turn, showed gratitude and refused to abandon him to escape.

Fan Letian chuckled and said, "Not bad, not bad. Since you want to meet him, I will take you to see him." Zuo Yuanmin asked, "Does Big Brother mean..." Fan Letian replied, "Did you not say you wanted to meet the owner of this horse? I will take you to see him." Zuo Yuanmin was overjoyed and said, "Does Big Brother know the owner of this horse?" Fan Letian responded, "It is precisely because I recognize this horse that I followed you. Seeing that you are quite loyal and a person of integrity, I decided to help you, do you understand?"

Zuo Yuanmin saw that his fist was as large as a rice bowl. The old farmer, being advanced in age, would likely have his frail body shattered if that punch landed. He quickly spread his arms, placing the old farmer behind him, and said: "Uncle, this old gentleman should not let your Blue Phoenix go, but you also cannot hit people!" The old farmer did not forget to add from behind him: "It’s Blue Mountain Chicken!"

Orion said: "Who are you? What business is it of yours? If you don't step aside, I'll take you down with him!" Zuo Yuanmin replied: "Uncle, you are young and strong; if you throw that punch, someone might end up dead!" The old farmer hiding behind him said: "Who says so? If you have the guts, come and try it!" Zuo Yuanmin said with a苦 face: "Grandpa, could you please say a little less?"

Wang Yunchui broke free from its restraints, excitedly raising its legs and whinnying. Fan Letian shouted, "Go back to your master!" Wang Yunchui seemed to understand this human speech, its four hooves flying as it dashed out.

Zuo Yuanmin's face was flushed, yet he stubbornly retorted, "To deceive beasts in this manner is simply worse than a beast!" Bu Sheng Bu Mie laughed heartily and said, "Kid, you have guts." Turning around, he raised his right hand and pressed the iron staff against Zuo Yuanmin's left shoulder, applying force from both sides. Zuo Yuanmin could no longer endure it and let out a cry of "Wow."

Zuo Yuanmin saw him bend his knees slightly and immediately understood his intentions, cursing inwardly: "This is simply outrageous!" He pushed forward with both hands, intending to shove the monk aside. Unaware of the monk's true capabilities, he did not employ the skills he had learned. The monk laughed heartily, and suddenly, the iron staff reached out towards him. Zuo Yuanmin was startled and retracted his hands in an attempt to evade it, but unexpectedly, the tip of the staff somehow hooked under his armpit, causing Zuo Yuanmin to lose his footing and fall backward involuntarily.

The person laughed and said, "Ha, ha, are you finally willing to let go?" Not being born and not perishing was greatly alarmed, thinking: "This person can actually still speak, my life is over!" Yet, he felt an invisible current surging violently ahead, unbearably hot. Not being born and not perishing continuously urged his internal energy, nearly on the verge of exhaustion. Eventually, even breathing became difficult, but the opponent's strength seemed boundless, showing no signs of depletion, leaving him with no choice but to grit his teeth and endure.

The technique of "Eternal Life and Death" was executed swiftly, and the subsequent moves flowed continuously. Zuo Yuanmin had only practiced for a month or so, relying on the fact that his opponent had never encountered the "Autumn Wind and Flying Leaves" technique, which allowed him to exchange a few moves in front of such a master as "Eternal Life and Death." Moreover, at this moment, "Eternal Life and Death" was eager to provoke him into making a sound, attacking without mercy. After a few exchanges, Zuo Yuanmin found himself in a difficult position, and suddenly, with a tight grip on his right wrist, he was captured by "Eternal Life and Death."

Han Shaotong said: "The origins of an individual do not detract from their character and morality, nor do they pose any threat to the state or the martial world. If this young brother is unwilling to disclose his background, that is his personal freedom. We are renowned figures in the Jianghu; should we really resort to force against a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy? Moreover, whatever skills he possesses have no relevance to the matter at hand. My point is that there is no need to dwell on this; it is more important to attend to the pressing business at hand."

The two individuals named Bingcong and Ronghua exchanged glances, unable to believe that the hunter before them was the so-called great hero mentioned by their master. The one named Bingcong directly asked, "Are you, by any chance, the renowned Han Shaotong, known as the hero Han, who is celebrated alongside my master's ancestor as one of the Three Unmatched in the South and the Two Uniques in the East?" The hunter smiled and replied, "I cannot claim the title of hero."

That person laughed heartily, reaching out to take the iron staff. Grasping both ends with his hands, he shouted fiercely, and the iron staff actually bent back, gradually straightening out. In less than a moment, the iron staff returned to its original state. Such a feat is a thousand times more difficult than bending the iron staff, leaving the onlookers astonished and bewildered, not knowing his intentions.

Zuo Yuanmin suddenly retracted his hand and angrily said, "What are you doing?" He realized in his heart, "So this monk knows martial arts." The monk looked at Zuo Yuanmin with ill intent and said, "Kid, your movements are quite nimble." He continued, "Haven't you just arrived? Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are you feeling guilty?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "I said I won't get involved in the master's affairs."

Xu Ronghua truly lives up to being a disciple of the Southern Three Absolutes. When his first strike missed, he immediately followed up with another, and his attacks came in an unbroken succession. Given Luo Yuanmin's current martial arts proficiency, he could no longer evade Xu Ronghua's assault. With a move called "Pursuing Shadows and Confusing Reality," they clashed palms with a loud "bang." Xu Ronghua exclaimed, "Good!" and added three more points of strength.

Xun Shuqing said: "Han, be careful, they are about to escape." Han Shaotong thought to himself: "The immediate plan is to keep the people here first, and we can discuss other matters slowly later." With a swift movement, he positioned himself behind Fan Letian and said: "Fan Letian, involving this young brother is detrimental to him."

Indeed, with a sound of "pa," what greeted Qian Daoming's palm was not another pair of fleshly hands, but rather a body. It was only at the moment the force of the palm entered the body that Qian Daoming felt a twinge of regret. To use such unparalleled strength against a youth was not only ungracious but also detrimental to his father's reputation in the martial world. However, this thought flashed through his mind and vanished just as quickly; after all, there was no one around, and whether Zuo Yuanmin lived or died was of little consequence.

The monk chuckled oddly and said, "A friend? I suspect it was stolen, wasn't it?" Zuo Yuanmin felt a bit angry and replied, "Master, why do you say such things?" The monk continued, "This horse is quite valuable, and you, being so poor, hardly have a friend worthy of such a horse. Would you care to tell me the name of this horse? And who is your friend?"

Zuo Yuanmin felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Then let's not ride at all." Fan Letian replied, "Although this beast is just a beast, it is good in that it does not deceive and will not flatter you. If you did not possess exceptional qualities, it would not treat you this way. My pace is faster than yours, so do not stand on ceremony."

The hunter, still laughing, said, "Why should I help you chase that chicken?" The old farmer replied, "If it weren't for you, my chicken wouldn't have run away." The hunter chuckled, "It's strange; your chicken's legs are attached to its body. If it wants to run or jump, what does that have to do with me?"

Neither born nor extinguished, after a brief contemplation, he said: "Hmph, my junior brother is quite fond of women and lacks diligence in his studies. It would be good for him to be taught a lesson by Yan Chasing Wind. However, your words are not entirely accurate; what six moves are there? My junior brother would want to escape? No matter how high Yan Chasing Wind's swordsmanship is, he cannot become a deity. If I have the chance to encounter him, I would certainly like to have a proper exchange with him"

Qian Daoming changed his expression and said, "Ronghua, have you been speaking a bit too much lately?" Xu Ronghua was taken aback and replied, "Yes, Master, I... I will go outside the pavilion to look at that horse." Qian Daoming said, "Then why are you still here?" Xu Ronghua responded, "Yes, yes," and left as commanded.

In an instant, the originally noisy pavilion fell silent once more. Zuo Yuanmin stared blankly at the bamboo basket left by Han Shaotong beside the pavilion, his thoughts in disarray, unsure of what had actually happened. Qian Daoming entered the pavilion and sat beside Zuo Yuanmin, saying: "You had the audacity to confront us that day; you have quite a bit of nerve. Why have you suddenly changed into a different person today, pretending to be dazed?" Zuo Yuanmin knew he was deliberately mocking him, but without understanding the context, he found it impossible to retort.

Not knowing how to react, I suddenly heard Qian Kun say beside me: "Brother Han is indeed capable. We encountered this fellow on the road before, but at that time we couldn't stop him, allowing him to escape." Xu Ronghua interjected: "Master, he was on horseback at that time. As long as he didn't dismount, it would be difficult for anyone to catch him."

Fan Letian listened quietly and said, "Hehe, I didn't expect this beast to possess such spirit. Hmm, not bad, not bad. It's rare for a brother to treat a beast with sincerity, truly rare." Zuo Yuanmin chuckled awkwardly and replied, "Brother Fan is joking."

This is precisely what Zuo Yuanmin is unaware of. In fact, he does wish to meet the owner of this horse, and he has quite a bit of this intention. If the hunter-like uncle before him were to know about this matter and could reveal a few points in advance, he would not have to feel so anxious.

Zuo Yuanmin's lament was not without its toll on Qian Daoming. He observed that the young man before him was merely fifteen or sixteen years old. No matter how hard he practiced, he was over twenty years older than him, which meant he had trained for at least twenty more years. His martial prowess was undoubtedly deeper than that of the youth by at least twenty years. Moreover, his father and master, Qian Kun, was the foremost among the Three Masters of the South. For someone like Zuo Yuanmin, it would have been possible to send his own disciple to deal with him without losing face. However, now that he was personally engaged and had exchanged over forty moves with him, Qian Daoming's face turned ashen, and he began to lose control over his strikes.

As soon as the words were spoken, the figure suddenly raised his right hand and shouted, "Go!" The iron staff in his hand flew upward like a beacon, and with a whoosh, it plunged into the dense canopy above the two men. Instantly, leaves fell like snowflakes, and the sound of branches breaking echoed loudly, creating a truly astonishing spectacle

The voice said: "Well said, well said. I am not familiar with you, and I have only met your senior brother a few times. However, it is fortunate that I am not familiar with you; otherwise, seeing you bully the weak like this, if I do not take action to teach you a lesson on the spot, wouldn't I be losing face right here!"

After the horse, Yun Chui, galloped for a while, Zuo Yuanmin confirmed that no one was pursuing him from behind. To conserve the horse's strength, he slowed down. Before sunset, he arrived at the next town and found an inn with a stable to rest. He wandered aimlessly, lost in thought, and ended up unable to sleep the entire night

Zuo Yuanmin was overjoyed, gently stroking the horse's back, and said, "Brother Fan, are we leaving now?" Fan Letian replied, "That's right, I will take you to meet him immediately, fulfilling your wish. Get on the horse!" Zuo Yuanmin declined, saying, "No, it is better for Brother Fan to mount. After all, you are a friend of the horse's owner." Fan Letian laughed heartily and said, "Do you still not know at this moment? This horse, the Wangyun Chui, is indeed magnificent, but it also has its temperament. It does not allow anyone to ride it except for its owner. So even though I know it and it knows me, it never lets me mount. Hehe, if it were not for this, how could the value of this horse be highlighted?"

Zuo Yuanmin was eager for him to say this, and quickly replied: "The person is in Bianliang, Master, please go right away!" Bu Sheng Bu Mie said: "There is no need to rush." After a pause, he continued: "Since you are not a disciple of Chang Zhi Gu, I have nothing to be polite about. You little brat, don't think that this horse isn't yours; even if it were, I have already taken a liking to it at first glance. You either give it to me voluntarily and see me off on my way, or I will let you off the hook for your rudeness if I am in a good mood. What do you say?"

Fan Letian suddenly laughed and said, "No need to think so much, he is just a person, not a god, why be so tense?" He began to ramble on, discussing various trivial topics. Zuo Yuanmin responded casually, feeling much more relaxed.

The middle-aged man said: "Bing Cong, Rong Hua, come and meet Hero Han." The hunter replied: "Brother Dao Ming, there is no need to be polite."

Neither born nor extinguished, rather impatient, urged: "You still haven't said who this person is!" Zuo Yuanmin replied: "That person has a distinctive feature; there is a goose tattooed on his neck..." Neither born nor extinguished's eyes lit up, saying: "Ah, so it's him..." Zuo Yuanmin feigned surprise, saying: "So the master was also at the scene?"

Then Qian Daoming said: "Bing Cong, do not be rude!" At this, Bing Cong and Rong Hua quickly clasped their hands in salute, with one saying: "Xu Ronghua has met Hero Han." The other added: "Wu Bingcong has met Hero Han." Han Shaotong extended both hands to lift the two up, saying: "There is no need for such formalities, my two esteemed nephews"

Fan Letian said, "How can that be? I promised you that I would take you to find the master of Wang Yunzhu, have you forgotten?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "But..." Fan Letian interjected, "But what? I, Fan, have never been untrustworthy to anyone, not in the past, and I will not be in the present either." He extended his hand and said, "Give me your hand." Zuo Yuanmin did not understand his intention, but still extended his hand to clasp Fan Letian's palm.

Zuo glanced at Yuan Min's pair of eyes, although it was just a fleeting look at the monk, the monk had already noticed his action and couldn't help but scrutinize him, suddenly saying: "Kid, is this horse yours?" The tone was quite disdainful

The old farmer said, "Are you going to retrieve my chicken or not?" The hunter turned his head away, ignoring him. The old farmer, infuriated, kicked over the bamboo basket that the hunter had placed outside the pavilion. The basket toppled, the lid fell aside, and suddenly a dark shadow flashed inside; something sprang out from the basket. Zuo Yuanmin focused his gaze and realized it was a bird resembling a pheasant. After escaping from the basket, it hopped a few times and then excitedly flapped its wings to fly. In mid-air, its feathers shimmered with a striking deep blue light under the sunlight, and its tail spread out like a large fan, with some yellowish-white speckles at the tips, looking quite peculiar. The farmer also recognized that this pheasant was quite rare and couldn't help but exclaim, "This pheasant is indeed handsome." In the blink of an eye, the pheasant flew up to the top of the pavilion.

Zuo Yuanmin had a favorable impression of Han Shaotong and was also very fond of Fan Letian. In fact, he was the one who least wanted this misunderstanding to continue, so he helped clarify: "Uncle Han, this matter is not as you think. Just now, Qian Daoming wanted to kill me, but fortunately, Brother Fan arrived in time to save me. Qian Daoming's strike did not hit me; somehow, it ended up hitting his own disciple!" The situation was sudden, and Zuo Yuanmin did not clearly see Xu Ronghua suddenly blocking in front of him, but he knew that all of this was secretly aided by Fan Letian.

Just as the Orion was about to rush over from this side with a light call, he saw that Zuo Yuanmin had already leaped down from the pavilion, reaching out mid-air to deftly catch the mountain pheasant.

As the saying goes, those in authority are often confused, while bystanders see clearly. Xu Ronghua's move came without hesitation, and his speed suddenly doubled. The target of his attack was a position that Zuo Yuanmin had no choice but to defend. In this way, the balance shifted, and Zuo Yuanmin found himself facing two opponents alone, with both hands of the enemy against him, which immediately put him at a disadvantage. In less than a moment, he was already drenched in cold sweat.

The hunter pointed at the horse named Wangyun Chui and said, "Young brother, do you know the origin of that horse?" At this point, Zuo Yuanmin realized that he was definitely not an ordinary hunter, and he felt a sense of caution in his heart. He replied, "I would appreciate your guidance, uncle." The hunter continued, "This horse is called Wangyun Chui, a famous steed tribute from the Dawan region of the Western Regions." Although Zuo Yuanmin already knew this, he was still somewhat surprised that so many people could recognize its origin at a glance. The hunter went on, "Knowing the name of this horse is not particularly remarkable; what is intriguing is why this horse is here. Logically, since it is a tribute from a foreign land, it should be in the inner palace, so how could it have fallen into the hands of commoners?"

The old farmer was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "Are you really going to buy it? That's wonderful; then I won't have to catch it and take it to town anymore. You give me twenty coins, and I won't haggle with this rough man." Zuo Yuanmin replied, "That's easy." He reached into his pocket and took out the remaining money from when he helped the people in the valley buy medicine, while saying, "Uncle, what about yours?" Unexpectedly, the hunter said, "It's not that I don't want to sell it to you, but the problem is that I have already sold it to Mr. Chen in town. I am going there today to deliver it. Mr. Chen is my major client; if I can't bring the blue phoenix to him today, then I won't be able to do business with him in the future."

In front and behind, a horse and a person were galloping wildly down the street, frightening many passersby and causing quite a commotion. Seeing that his own crisis had eased somewhat, Zuo Yuanmin recalled that Wang Yunzhu was in a dangerous situation and hurriedly followed behind, also rushing out of the city

The concept of neither birth nor extinction became clear at this moment, and with a decisive resolution, he abandoned the hope of escape and headed straight for Zuo Yuanmin. At first, Zuo Yuanmin thought that the notion of neither birth nor extinction had finally given up, but he soon realized that this was not the case. However, looking around at the vast expanse, there was nowhere to hide; even if he wanted to run, he could not outrun him. Taking a deep breath, he filled his entire body with strength, ready to unleash his power.

The ascetic let out a cold laugh and said, "I have never seen such an arrogant thief as you. However, since I have encountered you, I would like to see what skills you possess that allow you to speak to me in such a manner"

Qian Kuan said, "This young man is quite peculiar; he actually knows the Autumn Wind Flying Leaves technique." Han Shaotong replied, "If he knows the Autumn Wind Flying Leaves technique, then it is even less likely to be related to the Ziyang Mountain Sect. The senior should be aware that among the Three Southern Masters, Feng Junjie is also a descendant of the Nine Dragons Hall." Qian Kuan responded, "I know this." He continued, "In any case, this young man's origins are unclear, and there are many suspicious aspects."

Zuo Yuanmin felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. On one hand, he hoped Fan Letian would return quickly; on the other hand, he wished he would not come back immediately, allowing him time to listen to what the hunter had to say. Soon, the sound of hooves echoed, and dust filled the air as four riders approached the pavilion and reined in their horses. Upon seeing the faces of these four individuals, Zuo Yuanmin was taken aback and wanted to rush out of the pavilion to lead Wang Yunzhu. However, the hunter suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, saying, "It's all right." Zuo Yuanmin was startled again upon seeing the faces of these four individuals and intended to dash out of the pavilion to lead Wang Yunzhu. Yet, the hunter unexpectedly reached out and seized his arm, saying, "It's all right."

At this moment, Zuo Yuanmin realized that his master had intervened, and he dared not be careless. However, his "Phantom Fractal" was neither fully mastered nor particularly familiar to him; it could only intimidate Xu Ronghua to some extent. But what kind of person was Qian Daoming? How could he allow Zuo Yuanmin to act recklessly? Zuo Yuanmin could only dodge when possible and evade when he could. When there was no way to avoid, he responded with the "Autumn Wind Flying Leaves Technique," barely managing to counter thirty or forty moves. Zuo Yuanmin lamented continuously, hoping that Qian Daoming would soon have a change of heart and cease his actions immediately.

As time passed, the expression on the iron staff monk's face grew increasingly unpleasant. Suddenly, the previous voice echoed again, saying: "Hmm, this iron staff is indeed heavy, but it is not suitable; using it as a cane is quite inconvenient. Some say it is 'scrap metal,' which shows that there are distinctions between good and bad metal. In my view, this iron... is too soft in quality, a type of scrap iron."

Before Han Shaotong could respond, Wu Bingcong had already shouted: "Nonsense! Nonsense!" Fan Letian scolded: "You little brat, your master can deal with your junior brother with a single palm, and he can just as easily take care of you. You should wake up to reality sooner rather than later"

He seized Xu Ronghua's acupoint with precision, his hand strength and positioning perfectly calibrated. Not to mention that Qian Daoming was unaware that Xu Ronghua would suddenly squeeze into the middle at such a critical moment; even if he had seen it, he likely would not have had time to withdraw his force. Ultimately, it was Qian Daoming's intention to harm others when he struck that led to this outcome

Seeing his bewildered expression, the man said, "What? I am being polite to you, and you seem a bit surprised, right?" Zuo Yuanmin awkwardly smiled and replied, "It's just that... this... this..." The man continued, "As for me, when I encounter someone I dislike, I don't wish to say a word more, and I won't take offense. However, if someone is to my liking, I consider him a friend, and among friends, there is no need for such formalities."

Qian Kun pondered without answering. His son, Qian Daoming, eagerly interjected: "You say he has nothing to do with the Ziyang Mountain Gate, but what then is the explanation for this horse being here? This horse is unparalleled in the world, and my disciple Ronghua can confirm that it is that woman's steed. What do you say to that?" Han Shaotong replied: "A horse is a horse, and a person is a person. What explanation is needed? Now this horse is beside your disciple, while this young brother is inside the pavilion. Does that mean your disciple is also related to this?"

Without birth or death, and with no ill intentions, he looked at him and said, "What do you know?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "I respectfully send you off, Master, and then I will go in to fill my stomach before anything else." Without birth or death laughed and said, "I find you quite interesting, kid. What is your name?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "I am Zuo Yuanmin." Without birth or death laughed heartily and said, "Zuo Yuanmin, hmm, I will remember that. Next time we meet, I will give you some face."

Zuo Yuanmin said: "Wang Yunzhu is a divine steed, and since the horse is extraordinary, its owner must also be a remarkable person. I am very eager to see what kind of person this horse's owner is, and I would like to return the horse to him." Fan Letian asked in surprise: "So you are taking such a great risk just to return this horse?" Zuo Yuanmin did not find this strange at all and nodded in agreement.

Fan Letian laughed and said: "What is there to admit?" Xun Shuqing replied: "You are feigning ignorance!" Fan Letian said: "Hehe, you just asked me: 'Is it you, the one with the surname Fan, who did this good deed?' I answered: 'Indeed, it was I who did it.' Am I right?" Xun Shuqing said: "Since you have admitted it in person, why do you want to deny it?" Fan Letian said: "Why would I deny it? I am not denying it! The reason is simple: I, Fan Letian, only do good deeds and never engage in bad ones. I am not denying it! The reason is simple: I, Fan Letian, only do good deeds and never engage in bad ones. Ha, ha, ha ...

Zuo Yuanmin was taken aback and asked, "Why is that?" The hunter smiled but did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood up to look outside and turned back to say, "They are coming." He added, "You need not be afraid. You have a kind heart, and you have only been with him for a few days. With me as your witness, you will be fine."

Uncertain of how long he had been pursuing, Zuo Yuanmin gradually felt his strength waning, and his speed slowed down. Eventually, he became both tired and hungry, longing for a place to rest. He noticed an open plain ahead, with only one spot where a few large trees provided shade. Thus, he decided to rest beneath those trees. After walking for a short while, he suddenly heard the faint sound of hooves behind him. Zuo Yuanmin turned to look and saw dust rising in the distance, rapidly approaching him. After observing for a moment, he recognized that it was Wang Yunzhu coming towards him. Overjoyed, Zuo Yuanmin called out, "I am here, I am here!"

Then, Zuo Yuanmin did not speak further, leaning to one side, and with a move called "Jade Tree Flowing Light," struck towards the tip of the staff. The indestructible tip of the staff caused this force to deflect involuntarily by six inches, and with a "bang," it struck the large tree behind Zuo Yuanmin.

Zuo Yuanmin saw the two men in a tense standoff and gradually felt unable to hold them back, so he said: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please listen to me, allow me to say a word." The hunter replied: "You've been blocking the way since just now, what exactly do you want?" Zuo Yuanmin said: "Sir, how much is that blue phoenix of yours worth? I would like to buy it." He then turned to the old farmer and said: "Grandpa, how much is that chicken of yours worth? I would also like to buy it. This way, neither of you needs to argue, right?"

As the horse, Wang Yunzhu, galloped freely, it soon carried Zuo Yuanmin into the city. Zuo Yuanmin found a restaurant by the roadside, tied Wang Yunzhu outside, and intended to enter the restaurant for a meal first. Just as he was about to enter the door, a monk happened to come out of the restaurant and, upon seeing Wang Yunzhu, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Zuo Yuanmin's mind stirred, and he immediately halted his steps

He recalled in his mind, silently reciting, as he stepped forward following the path of memory. In a flash, he unexpectedly darted past Qian Daoming.

Zuo Yuanmin smiled and politely declined, saying, "I do not live here; I am waiting for someone." The hunter replied, "I just saw you stand up for that old man, which shows you have a sense of justice and a warm heart; you are a person of integrity. However, you are still young and easily influenced by friends. If you cannot distance yourself from the schemes of petty individuals, you will eventually be affected." Zuo Yuanmin sensed that his words had a deeper meaning and were not typical of an ordinary hunter, so he said, "I do not understand your meaning, sir."

Zuo Yuanmin said: "It is not that I do not believe, but there is nothing to believe in. Because even if the master is a carefree senior brother, he was thrown into the Cai River within a few moves, which I witnessed with my own eyes, inevitably diminishing the credibility of the master's boasts"

Neither born nor extinguished, a single grasp misses entirely, for this divine creature is only more beloved. Having long cast aside Zuo Yuanmin to the clouds, as soon as both feet touch the ground, I immediately employ lightness skills, crazily pursuing without relent, watching as Yunzhui gallops ahead, heading straight for the city outskirts

Han Shaotong clasped his hands and said: "Senior, please do not take offense. I tend to speak quite directly, but I am merely concerned that Brother Daoming might not understand, which is why I provided a specific example." Qian Kun replied: "It's nothing, it's nothing. This young lad is still quite young; even if there are issues, they won't amount to much. You are right; we should focus on the important matters at hand."

In that very moment, he made his decision without hesitation. He extended his staff behind him slightly, and his body immediately shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, darting in the direction where the horse, Wangyun Chui, was headed. At the same time, he tucked the iron bowl in his left hand into his embrace, freeing up his five fingers to grasp the saddle. This movement was executed with perfect timing; it was as if Wangyun Chui sensed the urgency, and its four hooves almost simultaneously took off. In that fleeting moment, his fingertips grazed the saddle, yet it still fell just short by a fraction.

Zuo Yuanmin widened his eyes, not understanding his meaning. Fan Letian said, "By the way, what are your plans now?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "I plan to follow this horse and find its owner." Fan Letian suddenly laughed for some reason and said, "Oh, why is that? Since this horse has followed you, you could also keep it and take good care of it!"

Zuo Yuanmin found it somewhat amusing that he was actually having a standoff with the horse. If he had not witnessed it with his own eyes, he would hardly have believed that he had just subdued the Iron Staff Monk with his bare hands. Upon careful consideration, his skills should be superior to Yan Huchen's, and might be comparable to those of the enigmatic figures from the valley.

Zuo Yuanmin thought to himself: "He is also quite an impolite fellow." He then said: "He is a friend. May I ask what guidance the master has?"

At present, riding swiftly, one can see the cloud steed continuing westward. After noon, looking far ahead, the next town is already visible. Luo Yuanmin calculates the distance and concludes that they are approaching Xinzheng County. Thus, he mutters to himself, "Let us have lunch here at noon." With a squeeze of his legs, he spurs his horse into the town.

Not long after, an old man entered the pavilion carrying a shoulder pole. Luo Yuanmin slightly shifted his body to make room for the old man. The old man was carrying two baskets of large and small cabbages, as well as water spinach. On one end of the shoulder pole hung a plump, upside-down chicken, suggesting that the farmer, who grew vegetables, had raised chickens in the backyard. Now that the chicken had grown fat, he had tied it together with the harvested vegetables to take to the town for sale

At this moment, all four had dismounted. It turned out that these four were the same individuals whom Zuo Yuanmin had encountered on the road a few days ago. He remembered that the young man among them was named Ronghua, and the elderly man with white hair was the father of the middle-aged man. As for the other individual, he could not recall his appearance clearly since they had not interacted much. However, since these four were together, there was no doubt that they were indeed the same four from that day.

Suddenly, both of them heard someone laughing heartily at the same time, but they did not know where the sound came from. The laughter abruptly ceased, and then someone said: "Iron Staff Monk, are you becoming more and more regressive? Using such great effort to deal with a small child, if this gets out, those who are unaware might think this is the usual method of you three brothers!"

Fan Letian said: "No, if you do not betray the beasts today, you will definitely not betray people in the future. Meeting you today is as if I have not wasted these decades of my life." Zuo Yuanmin's face flushed, and she replied: "Brother Fan, you flatter me." Fan Letian glanced at Wang Yunchui and continued: "It is no wonder that this peculiar Wang Yunchui allows you to ride on its back."

Qian Kun's expression changed dramatically. He rushed forward to help him up and discovered that although his injuries were severe, he still had breath. Without considering the consequences, he sat down on the spot to treat his wounds. At that time, Han Shaotong and Wu Bingcong had also arrived, and the old farmer who had just had a conflict with Han Shaotong was also present.

Suddenly, the hunter stretched his muscles, and as he extended his leg, he accidentally kicked the old farmer's basket. The basket swayed slightly, and the large cabbages inside nearly rolled out.

Qian Daoming was suddenly enraged, and he stood up abruptly, exclaiming, "What did you say?" Upon witnessing his master's sudden anger, Xu Ronghua hurriedly approached his side, and together they formed a defensive stance, encircling Zuo Yuanmin at the center.

Xu Ronghua, suppressing his excitement, took a step forward and said: "Kid, you ran fast that day and managed to slip away. I didn't expect you to mistake luck for fortune and dare to speak to my master like that. My master is magnanimous and can let you go, but as his disciple, I cannot relieve him of his worries. Otherwise, I might as well not continue in this line!" He spread his legs apart, struck a pose with his hands, and continued: "Come on, I will let you... go first." He originally intended to say "three moves," but recalling how quickly he had acted that day, he feared that three moves might be too much. He thought about saying "two moves" but felt that was also inappropriate. Saying "one move" seemed too petty, so he ended up saying "go first."

Since Qian Daoming could not stop him, Xu Ronghua had even less means to do so. Zuo Yuanmin took two steps forward and was already outside the pavilion. Qian Daoming was taken aback and quickly retreated from the pavilion. His maneuver, "retreating three steps," was a unique skill of Qian Kun in lightness martial arts; in terms of retreating, he was unmatched in the martial world. As Zuo Yuanmin rushed out of the pavilion, he nearly collided with Qian Daoming. In a hurry, he lowered his body and once again executed the phantom division technique. His maneuver, "retreating three steps," was a unique skill of Qian Kun in lightness martial arts; in terms of retreating, he was unmatched in the martial world. As Zuo Yuanmin rushed out of the pavilion, he nearly collided with Qian Daoming. In a hurry, he lowered his body and once again executed the phantom division technique.

Everyone could only see Wang Yunzhu rushing towards Zuo Yuanmin at an incredible speed. Just before Zuo Yuanmin landed, the crowd almost forgot to breathe. Whether friend or foe, in that moment, it seemed that everyone hoped Wang Yunzhu could catch up to him

Qian Daoming said: "I know it's you, hurry up and get out of the way!" Xu Ronghua replied: "Yes, Master, I know, I know..." Yet he remained unable to escape from Qian Daoming's pair of fleshly palms. In reality, it would be more accurate to say that it was not Xu Ronghua who could not leave, but rather that Qian Daoming was blocking him. It was merely that Qian Daoming, in his anger and frustration, was momentarily unaware.

With a great enemy at hand, Qian Daoming was torn between wanting to check on his disciple's injuries and fearing a sudden attack from Fan Letian. In a moment of shame, anger, frustration, and regret, his entire face turned red. Seeing this, Fan Letian was about to make a teasing remark when suddenly voices could be heard from a distance: "Daoming, have you seen someone with the surname Fan? Has he come this way?"

This chicken is not unlike a pheasant in its ability to fly. Although it was a bit chaotic, the two of them split up to intercept it, and before long, they managed to catch it. The old farmer repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Zuo Yuanmin, not even glancing at the hunter, and simply took his shoulder pole and left. The hunter said, "Little brother, you have quite the skill. Would you like to come with me to hunt in the mountains?"

Zuo Yuanmin was originally quite reserved and not easily open-hearted towards others. However, for some reason, despite meeting Fan Letian for the first time, he felt a sense of familiarity with him. Hearing him give such instructions, he couldn't help but exclaim: "Brother Fan! Thank you for saving my life!"

As I gazed into the distance, it seemed I could also hear a sound. Although I could not stop my body, I still turned back at an angle from afar. Witnessing the effectiveness of this technique, I felt a surge of joy in my heart, and my grip tightened even more. Zuo Yuanmin could not withstand it any longer, and his knees buckled down.

Xun Shuqing said: "Xing Fan, you still haven't answered my question!" Fan Letian replied: "Indeed, it was me who did it." Xun Shuqing angrily said: "You..." Zuo Yuanmin interjected: "No, this matter has nothing to do with Brother Fan!" Xun Shuqing said: "Young brother, this is not your concern." Zuo Yuanmin anxiously said: "I witnessed this matter with my own eyes, how can you say it has nothing to do with me?"

Zuo Yuanmin was also startled by his recent provocation, recalling the free and easy days of the past, as if he were well-versed in this matter. With a quick turn of thought, he forced himself to calm down and said: "I have no master, and I do not know who Chang Zhi Gu is. However, a few days ago, I encountered a scruffy monk in Bianliang City, who was holding a wooden staff and called himself Free and Easy. I wonder if the master knows him?"

Wang Yunzhuo was unsure if he had heard, yet he did not pause at all, continuing to dash forward at an angle. Zuo Yuanmin thought to himself: "I appreciate your good intentions, but hurry along, hurry along!"

The hunter shouted loudly, reaching out to strike him. Zuo Yuanmin quickly intervened, saying: "Uncle, let's talk this over calmly; there's no need to resort to violence!" The hunter, extremely agitated, replied: "He let my blue phoenix go; I can't get any compensation from him now. Shouldn't I take the opportunity to give him a beating to vent my anger?" The old farmer laughed heartily and said: "What blue phoenix? Isn't it just a mountain chicken? Look, it can't even fly far; isn't it resting right there on the pavilion?" The hunter retorted angrily: "Then you catch it!"

Wu Bingcong said, "Hero Han, Senior Xun, why say so much to him? There are only a few of us here, and my junior brother is injured like that. Who else has the ability at this moment?" Zuo Yuanmin replied, "Indeed, there are only these few people here. I don't have that capability, nor did Brother Fan do it. Tell me, who else could it be?"

As soon as Xu Ronghua left, Zuo Yuanmin was immediately exposed to Qian Daoming's gaze. With his eyes reddened, Qian Daoming shouted, "Kid, you can't hide anymore!" He did not remain idle, unleashing a flurry of punches and claws like a raging storm. Seeing that Zuo Yuanmin had countered a couple of moves but could no longer evade, he felt a surge of joy in his heart. He exerted force with his hands and executed a move called "Opening the Heavens and Splitting the Earth," striking towards him without any consideration for the consequences of this blow.

Suddenly, the rooster managed to break free from its restraints, flapping its wings and leaping out of the pavilion. The old farmer was taken aback and hurriedly set down his shoulder pole to search outside the pavilion. The hunter, seeing this, burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. The old farmer, being frail and slow, chased after the chicken for quite some time but could not catch it. In a fit of frustration, he returned to the front of the pavilion and shouted at the hunter, "Hey, big guy! Quickly go help me catch the chicken back."

Qian Daoming had several opportunities to capture Zuo Yuanmin, but each time his efforts were thwarted by Xu Ronghua, resulting in failure. He couldn't help but curse under his breath. Xu Ronghua, unable to catch Zuo Yuanmin and unable to leave, grew increasingly anxious as he saw his master begin to curse, causing him to sweat profusely. Upon noticing Xu's condition, Qian Daoming suddenly had an idea. He reached out with both hands, seized Xu Ronghua, and with a push, shouted, "Go!" throwing him two zhang away.

At this moment, Zuo Yuanmin encountered the old farmer for the second time and realized that this old farmer was also a person from the martial arts world. However, he truly could not understand why the two of them had just performed that act in front of him. He then heard the old farmer say, "Is it you, Fan, who is responsible for this?" The tone was resonant and full of vigor, completely devoid of the frail demeanor he had shown earlier when he lost the chicken

Fan Letian shouted, "Go!" and suddenly released his grip. Zuo Yuanmin's body immediately shot away like an arrow released from its bow, soaring high and far in an instant. Although Zuo Yuanmin had never truly learned lightness skills, such a fall could easily result in broken bones. Fan Letian had already considered this, so as he threw Zuo Yuanmin, he pursed his lips to whistle. At that moment, Wang Yunzhu heard the whistle and suddenly sprang out from the side.

In an instant, the feeling of being surrounded by shadows of palms emerged, neither born nor extinguished, and waves of palm winds continuously pressed towards him, forcing him to wield his iron staff in response with the ferocity of a storm. In less than a moment, the accumulated flow of true energy between the two had nearly reached the critical point that could be borne by the state of neither birth nor extinction. Unable to support it with one hand, he quickly shook off Luo Yuanmin and used both palms to defend.

At this moment, he felt a surge of anger, realizing that he could not afford to be indifferent. He turned to look for Zuo Yuanmin, only to see that he had already dashed off in the opposite direction. Although he believed his lightness skill was superior to Zuo Yuanmin's, he knew that he could not afford to split his attention at this moment. If he were to withdraw and pursue Zuo Yuanmin, given the speed of Wang Yunzhui, he would never catch up.

After two days, the two arrived at the foot of a mountain and first found a pavilion to rest. Fan Letian suddenly said, "Brother Zuo, wait a moment, I will be right back." Saying this, he quickly left. Zuo Yuanmin did not think much of it and sat alone to rest.

Xun Shuqing said, "Follow that horse." Wu Bingcong responded and immediately started running. Fan Letian laughed and said, "Can you catch up?" Wu Bingcong was taken aback and stood still. Qian Daoming said, "Fan Letian, I believe you can let Wang Yunzhu go and also manage to escape unscathed, but do you really think you can take this little brat away from us?" Fan Letian replied, "You are right."

The undying and unextinguished great anger said: "Alright, if today the ascetic retreats at a single word from someone, then there's no need for him to continue in this world. If you have the guts, come down here!" The voice laughed heartily and said: "Good, now that sounds reasonable!" Then, with a loud "whoosh," a gray shadow suddenly leaped down from the tree.

Suddenly, Qian Kun and Han Shaotong both turned their heads simultaneously, looking towards the foot of the mountain. In less than a moment, several shouts echoed from afar. Han Shaotong's expression changed slightly as he said, "That is the voice of my elder brother Xun. Senior, please stay here; I must hurry to assist him." Without waiting for a response, he had already dashed two zhang away. Qian Kun called out from behind, "Do you need any help?" Han Shaotong replied without turning his head, "Please consider it, Senior..." Before he finished speaking, his figure leaped a few times and had already disappeared from sight.

The monk suddenly became furious and shouted, "Nonsense! My junior brother's 'Drunken Immortal Staff Technique' has already reached eighty percent of its power. Who in the world could throw my junior brother out within ten moves? You little brat are talking nonsense. If you don't provide a reasonable explanation, I will beat you until you can't find your teeth!"