Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 16 Dislocation and Tendon Separation

Suddenly, Little White Gold walked up to White Lightning and looked up, saying, "Father, I know the way into the bamboo forest. Follow me!" White Lightning and the others were overjoyed. Xiang Quan quickly hugged and kissed her son, saying, "That's right, how could I forget? My son has a photographic memory! When you were being held hostage by Wan Li Piao, did you already know the route by heart?" Little White Gold laughed happily, "Actually, it's very simple. It's much more enjoyable than reading the *Di Zi Gui* and the *Analects*! Hehe!" White Lightning let Xiang Quan hold his son to ensure his safety, and then led the group into the small bamboo forest. Although the forest had many paths and was scattered like stars, it was quite orderly, subtly containing the changes of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, both real and unreal, ever-changing. But Little White Gold told everyone to remember one thing: if you see a bamboo stalk with two broken leaves, you should avoid it. That's actually the hidden door in the central palace, the location of the trap! As the saying goes, "a trade is like a mountain," and this single sentence enlightened the dreamer. Everyone understood this method well, and then they drove straight into the forest.

As they marched, a sudden gust of wind arose, bringing with it a swirling sand and gravel. Bai Shandian shouted, "Lie down! Stick together!" The entire group panicked, but obeyed. Then, a figure leaped forward, and just as he reached them, mid-air, he suddenly stretched out and retracted his hands, delivering a powerful, scorching force that crashed down on everyone's faces! It was late autumn, and the air was already chilly. The sudden heat made Bai Shandian extremely uncomfortable; he knew this was the extraordinary power of internal energy from a martial art like Iron Palm—or more precisely, a palm wind, a suffocating palm wind! Several screams rang out as several soldiers, bleeding from all seven orifices, died a gruesome death! The instant the bodies fell to the ground, Bai Shandian and the six renowned boxers each unleashed their power, soaring into the air, swords and blades raised, each attacking the figure!

The figure was quite agile, not engaging in combat with them. With a somersault, it leaped over the soldiers, its feet barely touching their heads, like a dragonfly skimming the water. In a series of quick, swift steps, it had already reached the edge of the bamboo forest. With a whoosh, it flew onto the wall of the Heavenly King Hall, and with another leap, it disappeared into the eaves and brackets...

Xiang Quan secretly clicked his tongue in amazement: "This Huo Shaoyun's lightness skill is truly astonishing, as fast as a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan!" Bai Shandian chuckled coldly and whispered, "Don't worry, he can't escape! Protect our son, we'll go after him!" With a leap, he soared into the air, leading the group into the Heavenly King's Hall. The sounds of clashing weapons rang out as a burly man with a thick beard wielding a dog-beating stick clashed with a red-faced general gripping a Green Dragon Crescent Blade! A large contingent of Green Standard Army soldiers in gleaming armor circled the courtyard, cheering them on. The burly man with the thick beard was none other than Huo Shaoyun, and the other was undoubtedly the valiant Zhang Kuang, the "Beautiful-Bearded Martial Saint." It turned out that Bai Shandian had made prior arrangements; Zhang Kuang's Green Standard Army was the last line of defense.

Zhang Kuang's greatest idol was Guan Yu, a hero of the Three Kingdoms period, which is why he imitated the famous figure in everything he did, and of course, his martial arts skills were not to be underestimated. Since his defeat by the Bagua Dao Wanli Piao twenty years ago, he learned a lesson: to survive in the martial world, one cannot move an inch without genuine skills! Therefore, he secretly resolved to diligently practice martial arts and seek out martial arts heroes throughout the land. After twenty years of immersion, he finally became a grandmaster. With a single, sweeping kick, he took advantage of his opponent's dodge, swinging his broadsword with both hands and slashing down at the waist! Seeing the fierceness of the blade, Huo Shaoyun dared not meet it head-on. He leaped into the air above Zhang Kuang's head, using the "pointing" technique with his dog-beating stick, thrusting it fiercely towards Zhang Kuang's eye! Zhang Kuang, in the midst of the chaos, quickly withdrew his attack, changing his sweeping motion to a parry, forcefully using the handle of his broadsword to knock the short steel stick away! Fire Cloud landed behind him, channeling his energy into his palms, and thrusting them out with overwhelming force. With a scream, Zhang Kuang was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, falling more than ten feet away! The soldiers shouted, brandishing their swords and spears, stabbing and slashing wildly, all in an attempt to annihilate Fire Cloud.

At that moment, Bai Shandian and his men joined the battle. With a shout, he became one with his sword, launching a whirlwind attack straight at Huo Shaoyun's chest. Seeing his fierce attack, Huo Shaoyun couldn't dodge in time and hurriedly grabbed a soldier for protection. With a sharp crack, Bai Shandian's sword, like lightning, pierced through the soldier's clothes and armor, penetrating his body. For a moment, the sword couldn't be pulled out! Taking advantage of the opportunity, Huo Shaoyun leaped into the air, unleashing a series of eighteen consecutive kicks, a dazzling display of leg shadows, so fast that Bai Shandian had no choice but to drop his sword, slipping and retreating a step. Huo Shaoyun seized the opportunity to snatch the imperial sword, pointing it south with two fingers, and with a flourish the size of a bowl, forced back Hong Quan and Bai Mei Quan, who were about to launch a sneak attack. Feinting an attack, he then directly attacked Bai Shandian.

Losing the imperial sword would be a capital offense if Emperor Qianlong found out, a crime punishable by death! Bai Shandian flew into a rage, hastily drawing his large, gold-handled pipe from his waist. Instead of retreating, he charged forward, unleashing a flash of cold light as he aimed straight for the enemy's groin! Huo Shaoyun was startled, laughing loudly, "Lord Bai, you're already losing your temper? Are you playing with your life?!" Despite his words, his men dared not confront him directly. He quickly kicked a soldier away, jumped aside, and changed his stance, thrusting his sword at the slender Wing Chun fighter. Unexpectedly, this delicate beauty was no pushover. She dodged backward, executed a "Looking Back at the Moon" maneuver, and with a whoosh, a rope dart shot from her jade-like hand, like a venomous snake suddenly emerging from the grass—truly unexpected and causing panic among the attackers! Huoshaoyun was careless and almost got his eyes injured by a rope dart. He was stunned for a moment and suddenly felt his sword fly out of his hand. Wing Chun used the rope dart to catch it and forcefully snatch it back from his hand!

When White Lightning received the longsword from the Wing Chun master, he was overjoyed and bowed, saying, "Thank you!" He then shouted, "Brothers, charge! Don't let the wanted criminal Fire Cloud escape! He openly resisted arrest and killed someone, which constitutes a capital offense, and he must be executed without mercy!" Before he finished speaking, Choy Li Fut had already raised two large copper hammers, each weighing over 300 pounds, and was about to smash them down on Fire Cloud's head from behind! Hearing the sound of the hammer, Fire Cloud quickly spun to the side to dodge, and in the air, he kicked Choy Li Fut in the face! The copper hammers were too powerful, and even though Choy Li Fut tilted his head to dodge, he still couldn't avoid it, and his left cheek was just grazed! Although it only injured the flesh and didn't touch the bone, it swelled up instantly and was already black and purple! Choy Li Fut was furious, and he swung the hammers left and right, attacking the enemy like a storm. Seeing him like a ravenous tiger, attacking without any defense, completely reckless, Huo Shaoyun dared not confront him head-on. He could only use his lightness skill to roam the area, but Bai Shandian, wielding a sword in one hand and a large opium pipe in the other, unleashed a series of strange moves, relentlessly pursuing him like a shadow. The beautiful and alluring Wing Chun practitioner was also throwing rope darts wildly, constantly seeking opportunities to attack. Huo Shaoyun frowned, thinking, "Even a skilled fighter can't withstand four fists, and a vicious tiger can't withstand a pack of wolves! I can't linger here. Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreat is the best!" He glanced around and saw a thin, sickly-looking middle-aged man dressed as a doctor guarding the entrance to the Heavenly King Hall, surprisingly unarmed! He must be a civil official. Huoshaoyun chuckled inwardly, casually pressing the switch on the Dog-Beating Stick, which emitted a plume of poisonous smoke. Taking advantage of the crowd's scattering, he performed eighteen somersaults in the clouds, leaping over the encirclement of the soldiers outside and rushing towards the courtyard gate.

Unexpectedly, the doctor remained calm and unhurried. He took a bundle of medical gauze from his medicine box, smiled slightly, and said, "I see you're badly injured, sir. A doctor's heart is like a parent's; let me bandage you for free!" Huo Shaoyun, enraged, shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Where am I injured? Don't talk nonsense, get out of my way!" He lunged forward with a punch, but the doctor neither dodged nor flinched. His left hand, with fingers forming a triangular snake head, met the fist head head-on. It was as smooth as if boneless, skillfully deflecting the fierce attack. The doctor then changed his grip, grabbing Huo Shaoyun's pulse point with lightning speed, holding it firmly. Huo Shaoyun was startled and quickly swung his dog-beating stick with his right hand, aiming to strike Huo Shaoyun in the face. He expected Huo Shaoyun to retreat, but instead, the doctor advanced, spinning around to Huo Shaoyun's back. Huo Shaoyun felt a jolt in his spine; his central nervous system had been struck! This was a fatal blow; his entire body was instantly paralyzed! It turns out the spine is the most vital acupoint in the human body; a fracture leads to complete paralysis! This powerful strike caused excruciating pain, like an electric shock. The doctor was none other than Liu Quan, one of the six famous boxing styles of Jiangnan. As a doctor, he possessed an unparalleled knowledge of acupoints, and Liu family boxing emphasized agility, conciseness, and close-quarters combat. He then incorporated medical acupoint techniques into his own boxing style, creating a unique "Dislocating Bone and Tendon Separating Hand" technique!