FVN Chapter 136 The Legend of the Dragon Subduing Palm
Chapter 136 The Legend of the Dragon Subduing Palm
Chang Gaizhi's hands were dry and strong, his palms burning hot, indicating that he not only possessed extremely profound internal strength but was also proficient in a certain palm technique. Yue Feng's heart stirred, but a warm, sunny smile appeared on his face:
"Elder Chang, what are you saying? I was just passing through Hanzhong when I heard of your heroic deeds, so I came to pay my respects. I was unable to inform you in advance, and I hope you will forgive my rudeness."
Chang Gai looked Yue Feng up and down and praised, "Polite and courteous, good, good! The Huashan Sect has a worthy successor! Please come in and let's sit down and talk."
"Respect is not as good as obedience."
Chang Gaizhi led Yue Feng inside and seated him in a large hall. Servants served tea, and Chang Gaizhi summoned five to seven of the gang's members and introduced them to Yue Feng.
Everyone had long heard of Yue Feng's formidable reputation, and seeing how young he was, many were puzzled. A deputy leader of the branch, surnamed Lü, said:
"Young Master Yue, we're all rough men, so please don't take offense. We've heard that besides the Huashan Sect's swordsmanship, you're also skilled in palm techniques. Would you be willing to show us a few moves? It would be good for us brothers to broaden our horizons."
The members of the Beggars' Clan had long harbored this idea and couldn't help but cheer loudly. Yue Feng laughed and said, "The Beggars' Clan's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are renowned throughout the world. How dare I show off my skills in front of Guan Yu? Brother Lü, please don't make fun of me."
Upon hearing Yue Feng's words, the hall suddenly fell silent for no apparent reason, and many people wore awkward expressions. Yue Feng sensed something was amiss and quickly chuckled, "However, since you brothers are so kind, I will humbly show you my skills."
Without getting up, he gently struck a large bronze cauldron in the center of the hall with his palm.
With a loud "bang," the large bronze cauldron leaped from the ground and soared into the air with incredible speed. Just as it was about to smash a large hole in the roof, it suddenly fell back down, landing steadily on the ground without even breaking a single brick.
Upon closer inspection, a deep palm print was visible on the side of the cauldron, but everything else remained unchanged. The dazzling performance just moments before seemed as if it had never happened.
The gang members held their breath, having long forgotten the embarrassment they had just experienced.
Yue Feng rose from his seat, walked to the cauldron, and pressed the indented palm print back into place, bit by bit. He displayed his finger technique, which, although not as dazzling and astonishing as his palm strike, was understood by those skilled in martial arts to be far more difficult.
"Slap, slap, slap."
Chang Gaizhi was the first to clap, startling everyone awake; the cheers nearly lifted the roof off. Chang Gaizhi said:
"Young Master Yue is far too modest. We are truly fortunate to witness such divine skill today. Young Master Yue, please stay at our headquarters for a few more days so we can properly show you hospitality. I, too, may I humbly learn a move or two of your palm techniques, haha!"
Yue Feng offered a few words of modesty, and Chang Gaizhi ordered the gang members to prepare a feast to entertain him. After the feast, the gang members, busy with their duties, took their leave. Chang Gaizhi personally led Yue Feng on a tour of the branch headquarters. The two walked to a secluded spot, and Chang Gaizhi said:
"Young Master Yue, I see a hint of worry in your expression. I suspect your visit isn't just a simple drop by, is it?"
Yue Feng smiled and said, "Nothing can be hidden from you. I do have something on my mind."
"Young Master Lin of Fuwei Escort Agency is a good friend of mine. He heard that his Hanzhong branch lost one of your shipments, and he's extremely worried. He asked me to help him figure out a solution. I thought that since you are the person involved, this matter would need your strong assistance, so I came to you for help."
Chang Gaizhi blinked and hummed in agreement: "I heard that Young Master Lin also arrived in Hanzhong. Why didn't he come with you?"
Yue Feng said, "Something happened at his sect, so he hurriedly returned. Otherwise, this matter wouldn't be my concern."
Chang Gaizhi laughed and said, "You know, this is what they call 'the capable are always burdened with more work.' I wonder how you'd like me to assist you?"
Yue Feng said, "What I lack right now is information. Could you please tell me, senior, what kind of shipment did you entrust Fuwei Escort Agency to transport this time? And why is the compensation for the lost shipment so much—ten thousand taels of silver?"
Chang Gaizhi's brows furrowed, and he paced back and forth a few times before saying, "This matter is a top secret. It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you, it's just that... it's far too important. This..."
Yue Feng decisively said, "In that case, I'll pretend I didn't say what I just said. I've troubled you all today, so I'll take my leave."
After Yue Feng finished speaking, he walked away. After taking a few steps, Chang Gaizhi's voice came from behind: "Young Master, please wait!"
Yue Feng slowly turned around and asked, "What is it?"
Chang Gai asked, "Young Sect Leader, are you willing to swear that you will not tell anyone this secret?"
Yue Feng said solemnly, "Of course. I'm here to resolve the troubles for the Fuwei Escort Agency and the Beggars' Sect, not to create more. My Huashan Sect has always maintained good relations with both of them, and I don't want to ruin our friendship over this matter."
Chang Gaizhi then made up his mind and said, "Young Master just mentioned our sect's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms in the hall, but do you know that this peerless palm technique originally had twenty-eight palms? It was a great hero from the Song Dynasty who simplified the twenty-eight palms into eighteen palms, making the moves simpler and the palm power stronger."
"Our gang's eighteenth leader, Chief Hong, used this palm technique to participate in the Mount Hua Sword Tournament and ranked among the Five Greats of the World. What a prestigious achievement that was! It's just a pity that since Chief Hong, successive leaders have either been distracted or lacked sufficient skill. As a result, only seven palms remain in the technique now."
"These seven palms were collected from the martial world by our members over many years with painstaking effort. These seven palms are not connected and are missing the most crucial first move in legend—'The Dragon Regrets.' Young Master, do you have any questions so far?"
Yue Feng shook his head: "No problem, but I wonder what connection this palm technique has with this case?"
Chang Gaizhi said, "I'm about to get to that. The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are closely related to the fortune of our gang, so for many years, the people of our gang have never stopped searching for this lost palm technique."
"But heaven has mercy, not long ago, a few members of our gang found an ancient palm manual in some nearby ruins, which seemed to be the manual for the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Those members had low martial arts skills and could not determine the authenticity of the manual, so they presented it to me."
"After I got the manual, I only read the beginning and was convinced that it was genuine. So I wrote a secret letter and entrusted the Fuwei Escort Agency to escort it to the headquarters of our gang in Luoyang."
"To be honest, the reason I approached Fuwei Escort Agency was not only because of the Lin family's reputation, but also because of their relationship with you. Who knew... who knew that this shipment would still be lost."
"Young Master, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but if the manual for the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms can't be found, even if the Fuwei Escort Agency manages to gather ten thousand taels of silver and hand it over to us, I'll still have to take my own life to atone for my sins. Compared to the shared destiny of our entire sect, what is a mere ten thousand taels of silver?"