Qiao Feng realized things had gone wrong and shouted, "Everyone, run! This is Heart-Softening Clear Breeze, the poison developed by the Western Xia First Rank Hall!
"This poison is refined from many toxins. It has no color and no smell, and its poisonous vapor spreads on the wind. Whoever is poisoned will weep without realizing it, go limp through every sinew and bone, and lose all internal energy!"
The people of the martial world on the scene were terrified and immediately fled in every direction.
Just then, horns droned in the distance, and a troop of riders galloped near. The hoofbeats shook the ground until the dust flew. Eight Western Xia warriors rode ahead, each holding a small banner embroidered with the words "Western Xia" and "Helian."
One man followed on horseback. He wore a brocade campaign robe. His features were imposing, his nose hooked, and his mustache forked downward. His manner was arrogant. It was none other than Helian Tieshu, Grand General of the Eastern Expedition of Western Xia and Hall Master of the First Rank Hall.
Behind him came dozens of Western Xia warriors, their blades dazzling. Duan Yanqing, and Murong Fu under the alias Li Yanzong, were conspicuously among them.
Hearing that the Beggar Gang had summoned its disciples to assemble here, Helian Tieshu meant to catch them all in one net. He at once gathered the First Rank Hall masters scattered through the regions and came to encircle and crush them. Murong Fu and Duan Yanqing had also been urgently recalled on his order.
The result was just as he had expected. The moment Heart-Softening Clear Breeze was loosed, these masters of the Central Plains lost all power to resist and were left for him to slaughter as he pleased.
Seeing the Beggar Gang members collapsed all over the ground, tears and snivel streaming, sinews and bones gone soft, Helian Tieshu spoke with smug delight. "I have long heard of the Beggar Gang's tremendous power. Today Helian Tieshu has brought the worthy heroes of the First Rank Hall, specially to seek instruction in the Beggar Gang's superb skills!"
Qiao Feng laughed from sheer rage. "A fine Western Xia First Rank Hall, stooping to so base a trick as poison. Truly despicable and shameless!"
As the words landed, his palms crossed. With the move Flying Dragon in the Sky he leapt high. His palm force was like Mount Tai pressing down, and one palm struck from above toward the crown of Helian Tieshu's head.
The palm wind howled like a dragon's cry. Pinned by the force, Helian Tieshu could not move, and in his heart he cried out that his life was finished.
Just as Helian Tieshu was about to die where he stood, in a flash of lightning Duan Yanqing raised the iron staff in his hand and sent a strike of One Yang Finger through the empty air toward Qiao Feng.
The finger force of One Yang Finger scattered in an instant beneath Qiao Feng's palm wind, yet it also offset three-tenths of Qiao Feng's force.
Murong Fu's gaze turned sharp. He vaulted from the horse into the air, both hands sweeping out an arc, and with the move Star Transposition he diverted Qiao Feng, descending from the sky, off his course.
After Qiao Feng landed, Heart-Softening Clear Breeze took hold. No strength remained in his body. He staggered a few steps and leaned against an apricot tree beside him.
At the same time, Duan Yanqing turned a gaze full of hatred toward Qin Zheng, the only one still standing in the crowd. "Qin Zheng! Last time at Canhe Manor I had the benefit of your instruction. Today I have come again to sample your superb skills!"
With that he planted the iron staff on the ground, and his whole body flew into the air. The twin staves in his hands stabbed out again and again, and several strikes of One Yang Finger shot toward the major acupoints all over Qin Zheng's body.
Qin Zheng drew a circle in empty air, and a Taiji pattern appeared before him.
One Yang Finger struck the Taiji diagram with soft thuds and was blocked by Qin Zheng in full.
Murong Fu followed at once. He drew the treasured saber at his waist and, with the move Force Splitting Mount Hua, chopped at Qin Zheng's skull.
By then Duan Yanqing had also flown to a spot before Qin Zheng. He swung the iron staff and, with the move Sweeping a Thousand Armies, struck at Qin Zheng's waist.
Qin Zheng turned his body slightly. His right hand guided the iron staff slanting upward, and with a clang he knocked Murong Fu's treasured saber flying. Then he pushed with both hands and sent both men flying off together.
Murong Fu retreated several steps, steadied himself, and said in shock, "You weren't poisoned?"
Qin Zheng said, looking astonished, "Why would you think I was poisoned? Don't you know I first made my name with poison?"
Murong Fu was speechless.
Damn it—how had he forgotten the man was a little poison fiend!
Only then did Helian Tieshu recover from the terror of having nearly lost his life. Remembering the sorry figure he had just cut, he shouted in shame and fury, "Qin Zheng, surrender at once! If you keep up this last-ditch resistance, I will order every Central Plains martial artist in this grove killed!"
"This..." Qin Zheng turned to look, his heart full of reluctance, as if making some agonizing choice.
After the space of a single breath, he finally made up his mind and said to everyone in the grove with a solemn face, "All you great heroes here, every one of you is the closest friend I, Qin Zheng, have.
"Set your minds at ease. After you die, I will do my utmost to settle your estates and look after your families.
"I, Qin Zheng, can swear to Heaven that on this day next year I will certainly go before your graves, burn a handful of spirit money, and comfort your souls in heaven!"
Seeing how earnest his words were, everyone present was moved until tears and snivel streamed, and one after another they began to wail aloud.
Qiao Feng gave a bitter smile and entrusted his last wish to Qin Zheng. "Second Uncle, look after Father and Mother for me. In the next life, Qiao Feng will be filial to the two elders again!"
Duan Yu wiped his tears and pleaded, "Hero Qin, after I die, could you send my body back to Dali for burial? I fear that every year my father and mother would have to travel a thousand li to come here and tend my grave, and it would wear them out..."
Qin Zheng agreed. "No problem. I'll also burn a few handsome paper figures for you, so you'll have people to wait on you down below."
Weeping, Wang Yuyan said, "Hero Qin, could you deliver my ashes to my cousin? I want to keep my cousin company even after I die."
Qin Zheng sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. "Even as a ghost you mean to cling to Murong Fu and never leave him? What a grudge that must be!"
Wang Yuyan was speechless.
Put another way, was it really that terrifying?
His scalp prickling, Murong Fu shouted, "Enough! Brother Duan, we'll attack together!"
With that he exchanged a look with Duan Yanqing, and the two of them charged Qin Zheng once more.
This time Murong Fu used the Demon-Subduing Saber Technique of Shaolin Temple. The moves were broad and expansive, hard, fierce, and heavy; the saber momentum was thick and solid, relying mainly on chops and direct attacks. It was meant expressly to break the sly moves of evil schools, and it added no small difficulty to Qin Zheng's way of shedding force.
Duan Yanqing moved about to one side, quietly gathering power. Every time he struck it was with his full strength, so Qin Zheng had no choice but to guard against him.
After a dozen moves or so, sweat seeped from Murong Fu's forehead. He felt his stamina draining away rapidly and gasped, "Brother Duan, something seems wrong. Has your internal energy drained away?"
At the reminder, Duan Yanqing suddenly realized that the greater part of both his internal energy and his stamina was gone. He cried out in alarm, "There's something strange about this man! Brother Li, stop hiding your strength. Finish it quickly!"
With that he drove his power to its limit and, in a single breath, sent out six strikes of One Yang Finger, every one of them aimed at Qin Zheng's fatal points.
Murong Fu swept his long sleeve and secretly used the Murong family's supreme art. His forefinger stabbed at the Shanzhong acupoint on Qin Zheng's chest, the finger force piercing to the bone, meaning to lock Qin Zheng's internal energy shut in an instant.
Seeing how fierce their onslaught was, Qin Zheng's eyes gradually grew serious. He gave a great shout. "Turbid Waves Toppling the Sky!"
In the next instant, countless streams of violent true qi burst from Qin Zheng's body and surged into the sky like a waterfall flowing in reverse, as if the whole sky were being smashed to fragments. Murong Fu was swept straight into the heights by the true qi.
The One Yang Finger Duan Yanqing had sent out was also scoured away to nothing by true qi like ocean waves.
Right after that, Murong Fu crashed hard to the ground from on high and spat out a mouthful of blood. Murong Bo, hidden in the dark, saw that things had gone badly. He revealed himself at once, scooped Murong Fu up, and sprinted wildly out of the grove.
Helian Tieshu was so shocked that for a long moment he could not speak. When he saw Qin Zheng's gaze fall on him, he wanted to call Duan Yanqing to protect him, only to find that Duan Yanqing was already gone without a trace.
The truth was that once Duan Yanqing sensed something was wrong, he had made a show of going all out with Murong Fu against Qin Zheng, but in secret, the instant he had launched his One Yang Finger, he withdrew and ran until not a shadow of him remained.
Looking at the panic-stricken Helian Tieshu, Qin Zheng smiled with amusement. "Helian Tieshu, General Helian, the masters under your command seem to have all run clean away!"
Though Helian Tieshu was terrified beyond measure, his mouth still refused to yield. He forced himself to shout, "Don't get cocky! All these martial artists of the Central Plains have been hit by Heart-Softening Clear Breeze. If you dare kill me, they can forget about recovering their martial arts for the rest of their lives!"
Qin Zheng gave a cold laugh. "Fine, then. If you won't give me the antidote, I won't give you the antidote either!"
Helian Tieshu went blank. "What?"
Chapter 25