Reborn Ouyang Ke: From The Condor Heroes to the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 25 A Journey to Junshan

What is the purpose of practicing martial arts?

This question has been on my mind more than once since Ouyang Ke came to this martial arts world.

In terms of martial arts skills, he can now be considered a top-tier master in the martial arts world.

The third volume of the Nine Yang Divine Skill has been completed, and the martial arts in the Nine Yin Manual have also been rudimentary. Even if he encounters someone like the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, he can deal with them with ease.

But whenever the night is deep and quiet, when he sits alone by the window, looking at the lonely moon, he can't help but think about this.

What is the purpose of practicing martial arts?

Is it for the sake of competing and winning, to make a name for oneself?

Is it so that, like his uncle, he can ascend to the throne of the world's number one?

Or for...

He recalled his childhood in his previous life, when he held yellowed pages of books and longed to read those tales of chivalrous heroes.

At that time, he did not understand what the martial arts world was. He only felt that the days of wearing white clothes and carrying swords, living a carefree life of vengeance and revenge were truly enchanting.

Now he can roam the world freely with his sword. He doesn't seek to solve all the injustices in the world, but only to ensure that he can act with a clear conscience.

Not bad!

Have a clear conscience.

If you can't have a clear conscience, then it's better not to practice martial arts at all.

……

After bidding farewell to Mu Nianci, Ouyang Ke did not continue south, but turned his horse around and headed north.

Junshan Mountain.

After the rise of the Jurchens, the capture of Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, and the southward migration of the Song dynasty to Lin'an, the Beggars' Sect headquarters, originally located in Luoyang, was moved to Junshan in Dongting Lake.

Perhaps having learned from the lesson of the Jurchens' southward invasion and destruction of the Song Dynasty, the Beggars' Sect has set up its headquarters on an isolated island in the lake this time, a perfect location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Ouyang Ke rode his green horse northward.

His trip to Junshan may seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision, but in fact, he had planned it for a long time.

Firstly, he had long wanted to witness the Iron Palm skill that had shaken the two Hunan provinces. Qiu Qianren was known as "Iron Palm Water-Walking Master," and was as famous as the Five Greats, possessing unparalleled mastery of Iron Palm skills.

His martial arts skills have greatly improved, and he is eager to test his skills against such extraordinary techniques.

Secondly, he owed Hong Qigong a favor. Back on Mingxia Island, Hong Qigong taught him the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (a martial arts manual), laying a solid foundation for his cultivation of the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Now that the Beggars' Clan was in trouble, he knew about it and couldn't stand idly by, both morally and logically. Otherwise, he would inevitably have a flaw in his conscience, and his mental state would be compromised when he cultivated martial arts in the future.

As far as he knew, the Beggars' Sect would soon hold a general meeting at Junshan to elect a new leader. Yang Kang, wielding his Dog-Beating Staff, intended to take advantage of the chaos and join forces with the Iron Palm Clan, plotting something sinister. Guo Jing and Huang Rong, of course, would not stand idly by.

In addition, there's Qiu Qianren, who has already colluded with Wanyan Honglie...

This Junshan Conference is sure to be a lively and exciting event.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Ouyang Ke's lips.

With his current martial arts skills, as long as he doesn't encounter Qiu Qianren alone, no one else can harm him in the slightest.

Apart from Qiu Qianren and his sister, there were no other noteworthy masters in the Iron Palm Clan. This was the source of his confidence in traveling to Junshan.

……

At this time, half of China had been occupied by the Jurchens, with the Huai River to the east and the San Pass to the west serving as the boundary.

Of the 15 circuits that survived from the Southern Song Dynasty, only Liangzhe, Lianghuai, Jiangnan East and West Circuits, Jinghu North and South Circuits, Xishu Four Circuits, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi remain.

The nation was in decline, its territory was shrinking, and the former prosperity had long been eroded beyond recognition by the flames of war.

On this day, Ouyang Ke entered the territory of Jiangnan West Road alone on horseback.

As he was traveling, he suddenly saw a long ridge stretching across the horizon. He spurred his horse up the ridge, and just as he reached the halfway point, he felt a cool breeze on his face. Looking up, he saw a large patch of dark clouds rushing in from the eastern horizon, dark and heavy, blotting out the sun.

In the height of summer, heavy rain can come suddenly. Before the dark clouds even reach overhead, a thunderous roar erupts, and raindrops begin to pour down like soybeans.

Ouyang Ke remained calm and took a raincoat from his horse and put it on.

Raindrops pattered against his raincoat. His Nine Yang Divine Skill activated automatically, generating heat that forced away the damp chill.

The firebird burrowed from his shoulder into his arms, only its small head peeking out. Although it was a naturally unusual species, unafraid of wind and rain, it greatly admired the intense yang energy emanating from Ouyang Ke. Now, nestled in Ouyang Ke's arms, its coral-like eyes were narrowed into slits, looking utterly content.

Despite the torrential rain, the man and his horse continued their swift journey along the official road. Occasionally, the firebird in his arms would peek out to peek at the rain outside, then retreat back inside to continue enjoying its warmth.

……

Several days later, Ouyang Ke had arrived in the territory of Jinghu South Road.

At noon that day, he arrived in Yuezhou City. After asking some passersby for directions, he headed straight for the world-famous Yueyang Tower.

Upon entering the city, Ouyang Ke immediately sensed something amiss.

There seemed to be more beggars on the street.

They gathered in small groups, some squatting, some sitting, some dozing against the wall, others talking in hushed tones. They were dressed in tattered clothes, carrying bamboo sticks, and had cloth bags tied around their waists—the color and number of the bags varied.

Ouyang Ke glanced at it and understood.

These people must be members of the Beggars' Sect.

It seems the Junshan Conference is imminent, and Beggars' Sect disciples from all over are converging on the headquarters. These people have probably arrived early and are resting in the city, waiting for the conference to begin.

He didn't care and went straight to Yueyang Tower.

Yueyang Tower stands on the shore of Dongting Lake. It is a three-story building with flying eaves and brackets, and is magnificent in appearance.

Ouyang Ke went upstairs, found a seat by the window, and casually ordered a few dishes and drinks.

The waiter, seeing that he was dressed in white, had an extraordinary air about him, and possessed a refined demeanor despite using crutches, dared not be negligent and served him attentively.

Before the food and wine arrived, Ouyang Ke gazed out the window and saw the entire Dongting Lake landscape spread out before him.

Looking out, the vast expanse stretches as far as the eye can see, a boundless expanse of blue. Surrounded by mountains, majestic and imposing, it is truly awe-inspiring. Compared to the misty expanse of Taihu Lake, Dongting Lake possesses a more powerful and majestic presence.

As he was admiring the scenery, he suddenly noticed several small boats shuttling back and forth on the lake. The people standing at the bows, though far away, were clearly dressed as members of the Beggars' Sect. It seemed that preparations for the grand gathering were already underway at Junshan.

Before long, the food and wine were served.

Hunan cuisine is very spicy, with bright red chilies covering the plate, making it look incredibly appetizing. Ouyang Ke took a bite and nodded slightly. He had loved spicy food in his previous life and had frequented Sichuan restaurants many times, so the spiciness of Hunan cuisine suited his taste perfectly.

The bowl was extremely large, and the chopsticks were extremely long, which gave it a somewhat bold and unrestrained feel.

He drank a cup of hot tea and his gaze fell on the poems inscribed on the four walls.

Yueyang Tower is a famous tower in the world, and countless poems have been left here by literati throughout the ages. Ouyang Ke looked at them one by one, and when he saw the two lines "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures," he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

These two lines by Fan Zhongyan are known to every scholar of later generations.

But the Song Dynasty of today is no longer the Song Dynasty of Fan Zhongyan's time.

In the imperial court, the emperor and his ministers were complacent and had long forgotten about the Northern Expedition. Those who advocated peace kept talking about "rest and recuperation," but in reality, they were just unwilling to fight and only wanted to enjoy themselves.

The Northern Song Dynasty lacked famous generals; only Di Qing could be considered one, yet he died in despair.

The three great military families of Guanzhong—the Zhong family, the Zhe family, and the Yao family—were all renowned for their military exploits.

But which one wasn't met with suspicion? And none of them met a good end.

The Southern Song Dynasty lacked famous prime ministers, but it had no shortage of famous generals.

The Wu brothers, Meng Gong and Yu Jie—weren't they all pillars who supported their respective regions?

However, there were no capable ministers in the court to assist him, and people like Shi Miyuan controlled the government. Even Jia Sidao, who was most deeply reviled by later generations, was the one who did the most practical work.

Unfortunately, the damage was too deep to reverse.

The Mongol army was about to march south, but there were still people in the court who were trying to sabotage it.

Ouyang Ke gently shook his head, no longer wanting to think about it.

Suddenly, he felt a light peck on his cheek. He turned his head and saw the firebird staring at him expectantly, then pecking at the wine glass on the table.

Ouyang Ke chuckled and called out loudly, "Shopkeeper, bring me a pot of good wine!"

The waiter responded and went to serve a pot of steaming yellow wine shortly afterward.

Ouyang Ke filled a cup and pushed it in front of the firebird. The firebird eagerly jumped onto the rim of the cup and pecked at it. As the wine went down its throat, it squinted its eyes, looking completely intoxicated. Then it pecked again and drank the entire cup clean.

After drinking, it raised its head and made two "cooing" sounds at Ouyang Ke, as if urging him to continue pouring it more wine.

This scene left the waiter speechless. He had worked at Yueyang Tower for many years, seeing merchants from all over the country and all sorts of people from the martial arts world, but he had never seen such a spiritually intelligent bird!

Ouyang Ke smiled slightly and poured him another cup.

A man and a bird, drinking happily together.

After waiting at Yueyang Tower for more than an hour, Ouyang Ke still hadn't seen Guo Jing and Huang Rong, nor any trace of Yang Kang and his group.

He knew in his heart that he must have arrived too early.

The Junshan Conference is still a few days away, so they must still be on their way.

He wasn't in a hurry. He instructed the waiter to prepare a superior room, and then he and Firebird moved in.

……

With a rare moment of leisure, Ouyang Ke devoted himself to studying the martial arts techniques in the Nine Yin Manual.

He had already mastered four unique skills: the Divine Claw of Destruction, the Heart-Destroying Palm, the Horizontal Shift, and the Snake-like Leap. Now he could take this opportunity to learn a few more self-defense techniques.

With his legs still not fully healed, his first priority is naturally to improve his martial arts skills, which can make up for this deficiency.

"Flying Floss Force" is a skillful technique for deflecting force, which can neutralize a powerful opponent's attack. If you encounter a strong enemy's fierce attack, you can use this force to deflect the force and deal with it calmly.

"Playing the Five Strings with the Hand" is a technique for defeating an enemy, which emphasizes using finger strength to manipulate the opponent's meridians, causing them to lose strength instantly. It is most practical in close combat.

As for the "Soul Transfer Technique," it is a mental attack method that uses eyes, voice, and movements to confuse the opponent, making them disoriented and vulnerable. Although it is somewhat unorthodox, it can be surprisingly effective in crucial moments.

Ouyang Ke sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate slowly according to the scriptures.

Although he had not yet fully mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his inner strength was already far superior to that of ordinary masters. Looking across the world, only his uncle, a member of the Five Greats, and Qiu Qianren, a master of the next level of the Five Greats, could surpass him. Everyone else was inferior to him.

With profound internal strength, practicing the martial arts in the Nine Yin Manual will naturally be twice as effective with half the effort.

He remembered that in the original story, Huang Rong could instantly recall the meaning of the scriptures and apply it to combat. Now that he possessed the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his comprehension would only be faster.

Thinking that he might have to fight Qiu Qianren soon, Ouyang Ke began to study another martial art – the "Great Subduing Demon Fist".

This fist technique is the only yang-style fist technique in the Nine Yin Manual, with fierce and domineering movements and unparalleled power. It complements his own Nine Yang Divine Skill perfectly; if one can master it, it will truly be like adding wings to a tiger.

For the next few days, Ouyang Ke stayed indoors, cultivating day and night.

Perhaps because he had mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, all martial arts techniques in the world were readily available for him, and his progress in practicing the Great Subduing Demon Fist was incredibly rapid. In just a few days, he had already mastered this fist technique to perfection.

……

After an unknown amount of time, Ouyang Ke suddenly awoke from his meditation.

The room was pitch black, and all was quiet outside the window.

A thought struck him, and he got up and looked out the window.

The city was eerily quiet; not even a dog barked. The beggars who had been a common sight on the streets just days before seemed to have vanished overnight.

Ouyang Ke looked up at the sky. A bright moon had just risen from behind the mountains in the east, its light spilling onto Dongting Lake, making the water shimmer. On the lake shore, a dozen or so small boats could be vaguely seen moored, with figures moving about on them.

He understood.

The Junshan Gathering must be tonight.

Without further hesitation, Ouyang Ke lightly tapped his crutches under his arms and floated out of the inn. Under the moonlight, his white robes fluttered, and in a few leaps, he had already reached the lakeside.

He chose a small boat and leaped aboard. With a gentle tap of his crutches in the water, the boat shot off like an arrow towards the depths of the lake.

A night breeze caressed my face, and the moonlight was as clear as water.

In the distance, the outline of Junshan Mountain was faintly visible under the moonlight.

The firebird perched on his shoulder, its small eyes gazing ahead, and let out a soft "coo".

Ouyang Ke stood with his hands behind his back, bathed in the frosty moonlight.