48: Chapter 48 The Turbulent Times at Drunken Immortal Pavilion (Part Two)

At this moment, Han Xiaoying's Yue Sword had already been reborn; she no longer blindly pursued speed and ruthlessness, but rather alternated between fast and slow, combining hardness with softness.

At times it was like a spirit snake emerging from its hole, incredibly swift; at other times, it was like willow catkins drifting in the wind, elegant and agile.

As the sword light swirled, a faint Sword Intent lingered, surprisingly keeping Mei Chaofeng's Nine Yin Skeleton Claw at bay, three feet away.

The Jiangnan Seven Freaks were both surprised and delighted.

Zhu Cong could not help but whisper, "Xiaoying's swordsmanship! How did it suddenly become so formidable?"

The more Mei Chaofeng fought, the more alarmed she became.

She had originally thought she could take down this weakest member of the Jiangnan Seven Freaks in a single move, but she had not expected the opponent's swordsmanship to be so bizarre.

Every one of her attacks was deflected by the opponent using ingenious force; although her own Nine Yin Skeleton Claw was sinister and poisonous, she could not even touch the corner of her opponent's clothes.

Extremely enraged, she suddenly unleashed her internal energy, her claw wind instantly becoming thirty percent sharper, as she lunged toward Han Xiaoying's heart with the move "Bone Grasping Heart."

Seeing the fierce onslaught, Han Xiaoying did not retreat but advanced instead, slanting her short sword upward to execute "Sword Leading the Heavenly River," which Zhang Sanfeng had demonstrated, intending to divert the opponent's claw strength to the side.

However, Mei Chaofeng was, after all, a Peak Innate master, and the power of the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw far exceeded her imagination.

With a crisp "crack," the short sword, forged from fine steel, was forcibly grabbed by Mei Chaofeng's five fingers and shattered into pieces.

Mei Chaofeng let out a sinister laugh, her sharp claws descending with the momentum to strike directly at Han Xiaoying's crown, "Little girl, go to your death!"

"Xiaoying!" the Jiangnan Seven Freaks cried out in alarm in unison; Zhu Cong's fan and Han Baoju's soft whip were launched simultaneously, but it was already too late.

Han Xiaoying did not panic in the face of danger; utilizing the recoil from the shattering of her short sword, she threw her body backward while simultaneously blocking upward with the remaining half of the broken sword.

With a "clang," the broken sword blocked Mei Chaofeng's sharp claws, but it was knocked from her hand by the immense force.

Han Xiaoying felt a bone-chilling, sinister internal energy surge into her body along her arm; her chest tightened, she spat out a mouthful of blood, and her body fell backward.

How could Mei Chaofeng miss this opportunity? Her figure followed like a shadow, her sharp claws extending once more, and it looked as though she was about to pierce through Han Xiaoying's chest.

At this critical moment, a teacup flew through the air.

The teacup, carrying the Taiji Force that combined hardness and softness, struck precisely on Mei Chaofeng's wrist.

Mei Chaofeng felt a massive force arrive, her wrist throbbing with pain; her sharp claws involuntarily veered off, grazing past Han Xiaoying's shoulder and leaving five deep claw marks on her clothing.

Everyone looked at Zhang Sanfeng again. He was still sitting in the corner, holding a teapot and refilling his own tea, as if he had just casually tossed a teacup a moment ago.

"Stinking Daoist! It's you again!" Mei Chaofeng was both shocked and furious; she recognized this Daoist who had ruined her business at the righteous cemetery.

"I let you run away last time; today, I will definitely grind your bones to dust!"

Chen Shuanglei also stopped his attack, staring at Zhang Sanfeng with a sinister gaze, "Your Excellency, who exactly are you? Why do you repeatedly ruin our plans?"

Zhang Sanfeng set down the teapot and slowly stood up.

His moon-white Daoist robe fluttered gently in the breeze, and the pressure of a Peak Grandmaster swept across the entire scene like a tide.

The Jianghu people inside the restaurant felt their chests tighten, and those with weaker cultivation felt their legs go weak, kneeling directly on the ground.

"This humble Daoist is Zhang Sanfeng, wandering the four directions, and I cannot stand to see innocent people being wantonly slaughtered."

His voice was calm and waveless, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"The Nine Yin Skeleton Claw is sinister and ruthless, an affront to heaven and morality. How many innocent lives have you harmed by cultivating this skill? Today, this humble Daoist shall act on behalf of heaven to abolish your evil arts."

"Boastful words!" Chen Shuanglei shouted angrily; his figure flickered, pouncing toward Zhang Sanfeng like a ghost.

He unleashed the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw with full force, the claw wind sharp and fierce, carrying a nauseating stench as it went straight for Zhang Sanfeng's heart.

Mei Chaofeng also struck at the same time, attacking from the side.

The two of them coordinated perfectly, the power of the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw doubling, and the entire hall was shrouded in cold Evil Qi.

Everyone held their breath, watching this duel nervously.

Zhang Sanfeng's expression was indifferent; his feet traced the Bagua footwork, and his figure moved leisurely between the two claw shadows.

He intended to test the power of the Nine Yin Manual that the two had cultivated incorrectly, so he deliberately controlled his strength.

With his left hand using Taiji Cloud Hands and his right hand using Wudang Cotton Palm, he did not clash head-on with the two, but instead continuously neutralized their force.

Although the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw was sinister and ruthless, it could never touch the corner of his clothes.

"This... what martial art is this?" Zhu Cong widened his eyes, his face full of shock, "To be able to neutralize the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw so easily!"

"Using softness to overcome hardness!" Master Qiu Chuji muttered to himself, his eyes full of shock.

After fighting for over thirty rounds, Chen Shuanglei and Mei Chaofeng became increasingly alarmed.

They exhausted all their strength, yet they could not even touch the corner of the opponent's clothes; instead, they were led by the opponent's Taiji Force, causing their blood to surge and their internal energy to become chaotic.

"Together! Kill him!" Chen Shuanglei roared, unleashing the ultimate move of the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw, "Nine Yin Soul Devouring."

He poured all his internal energy into his claws, the claw shadows heavy and numerous, surrounding Zhang Sanfeng completely.

Mei Chaofeng also simultaneously unleashed "Bone Throat Lock," lunging straight for Zhang Sanfeng's throat.

Zhang Sanfeng's eyes narrowed, his hands drawing a circle, forming a huge Taiji Phantom around his body.

With a soft shout, the Taiji Phantom rotated and pressed down.

Chen Shuanglei and Mei Chaofeng felt an irresistible force arrive, and the offensive of their claws instantly disintegrated.

Two strands of soft yet overbearing pure Yang energy simultaneously struck into their bodies, instantly shattering the cold internal energy they had cultivated for the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw.

"Ah!" The two screamed in unison, flying backward and slamming heavily onto the ground.

They struggled to get up, only to discover that the internal energy within their bodies had dissipated completely; the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw had been thoroughly abolished.

The whole scene was deathly silent.

Everyone stared at Zhang Sanfeng, dumbfounded, their eyes filled with awe.

The Black Wind Twin Fiends, these Devil Heads who had run rampant in the Jianghu for over a decade and killed without blinking, had actually had their martial arts abolished so easily by this seemingly ordinary wandering Daoist!

Zhang Sanfeng walked up to the two, looked at Mei Chaofeng, and sighed, "Considering that you were also expelled from the sect by Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi and still possess a sliver of kindness, I will spare your lives today."

"From now on, conceal your names and retire from the Jianghu."

Chen Shuanglei and Mei Chaofeng were pale as sheets; saying nothing, they supported each other and fled the Zuixian Restaurant in a wretched state.

It was not until their figures disappeared around the street corner that the crowd finally came to their senses and erupted into thunderous cheers.

"The Daoist's martial arts are peerless!"

"Many thanks to the Daoist for saving our lives!"

"If it weren't for the Daoist, we would all have perished here today!"

Master Qiu Chuji stepped forward and bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng, his tone extremely sincere, "The Daoist's cultivation is peerless; Master Qiu Chuji admires you with the utmost respect. I have offended you many times before, and I hope the Daoist will forgive me."

The Jiangnan Seven Freaks also stepped forward one after another to express their gratitude.

Ke Zhene, although stubborn, was clear about gratitude and grudges, and he cupped his hands toward Zhang Sanfeng.

"Many thanks to the Daoist for saving Xiaoying, and for saving us, the Jiangnan Seven Freaks. The previous misunderstandings were our fault to begin with."

Zhang Sanfeng smiled slightly and waved his hand, "It was just a small effort. The two righteous men, Guo and Yang, were loyal and courageous; their descendants cannot be left without care."

"Master Qiu Chuji, Seven Heroes, the misunderstanding between you should also be resolved today."

Master Qiu Chuji and Ke Zhene looked at each other, both feeling a bit embarrassed.

After today's events, they understood that both sides were acting for the sake of the descendants of the Guo and Yang families; it was only because they had been instigated by treacherous people that they had developed misunderstandings.

"Hero Ke, I was too impatient before."

Master Qiu Chuji spoke first, "The orphans of the Guo and Yang families—let us search for them together and teach them together, how about that?"

Ke Zhene nodded, "Good! Let it be as the Daoist says. Eighteen years from now, let the children decide for themselves whose martial arts are higher."

Everyone laughed, and the Killing Intent that had shrouded the Zuixian Restaurant instantly dissipated, replaced by a sense of peace.

Zhang Sanfeng watched the scene before him, his lips curling into a smile of satisfaction.

[System Prompt: Main Mission [Prevent Poisoning] complete! Reward: World Fusion +3%, Current Fusion 11%.]

[Hidden Mission [Protect Guo Jing] complete! Reward: World Fusion +5%, Current Fusion 16%. Unlocked: Taiji Dao Legacy inheritance permission.]

Just then, the System issued another prompt:

[Detected: West Poison Ouyang Feng has arrived outside Jiaxing City; Target: Deal with Master Qiu Chuji, find Mei Chaofeng, seize the Nine Yin Manual.]

Zhang Sanfeng looked up out the window, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.