Chapter 14: Twelve Stages of the Six Yang Saber Art!
Everyone watched as Wang Chongshan reached out and carefully felt around the bearded merchant’s face. In the next moment, he ripped off a human-skin mask, revealing a vicious, feral face beneath.
It was none other than Liang Qi, the murderous bandit who had escaped from Wei City's prison just days ago!
A wave of shocked gasps rippled through the officers present; many of them had seen Liang Qi before, or at the very least, had seen his wanted poster. This was the bloodthirsty criminal currently being hunted across the entire city by the Wei City yamen. They knew his face all too well!
But, none of them had ever imagined that Liang Qi had been hiding right here in the bustling Taiping Inn this entire time.
“We searched high and low to no avail, only to find him when we weren’t even looking!” Wang Chongshan exclaimed joyfully.
This savage bandit had escaped the heavily guarded prison of Wei City without anyone noticing. Then, disguised as a traveling merchant, he had gone into hiding at the Taiping Inn. In the end, not only had his vile beast-transformation spell been exposed by Daoist Master Yanchu, and the missing women rescued, even he himself had been crippled by Daoist Master Yanchu!
Wang Chongshan felt an indescribable wave of relief wash over him. The burden that had been weighing on him for days was now completely gone. And it had been done without a single soldier lost, without a single drop of blood shed.
“Daoist Master Yanchu, you’ve done me a tremendous favor! This man is the escaped bandit Liang Qi!” Wang Chongshan said excitedly.
“What!? That vicious merchant was actually bandit Liang Qi in disguise?!”
“So it was Liang Qi, that explains his utter lack of conscience!”
“Daoist Master Yanchu is incredible! Liang Qi was said to be highly skilled and utterly ruthless, and yet against Daoist Master Yanchu, he couldn’t even put up a fight!”
Li Yanchu, for his part, was a little stunned. That, he truly hadn’t expected. “He’s really the bandit, Liang Qi?”
“That’s right!” Wang Chongshan’s face was grim, his voice hard. “Even if his face were burned to ashes, I’d still recognize him!”
Li Yanchu sighed inwardly. What a twist of fate. The notorious Liang Qi, who had escaped from prison and eluded capture all this time, had been hiding right here in the Taiping Inn, just a few steps away from them.
The beautiful innkeeper shuddered when she heard their conversation. That man... was actually the infamous, murderous Liang Qi?!
She suddenly recalled how she had scolded him earlier, pointing at his nose and berating him for a long while. At the thought, a wave of fear washed over her. Reputation was everything, and Liang Qi’s name had long been known across the land. His cruelty, martial prowess, and ruthless ways had left many trembling in fear.
Terrified, the curvaceous and mature innkeeper unconsciously moved a little closer to Li Yanchu, as if for protection.
Seeing this, the surrounding townsfolk were once again in an uproar. No one could’ve guessed that this affair would have so many twists and turns. This whole incident was so bizarre and shocking!
But at last, the dark cloud that had hung over the hearts of the people of Wei City for many days had finally dissipated. The fugitive murderer, Liang Qi, and his accomplice had been crippled and captured by none other than Daoist Master Yanchu! It was nothing short of a great blessing, and this day was destined to be remembered in Wei City.
Word spread swiftly through the city: Li Yanchu had shattered a major human trafficking ring tied to the beast-transformation spell, and even brought down the most wanted fugitive, Liang Qi! Because the case involved several prominent merchant families, the news caused an immediate sensation throughout Wei City.
***
Back at Qingyun Temple, Li Yanchu had finally returned. It had all started because of the citywide lockdown and manhunt for fugitives, which led to him temporarily staying in the same courtyard as the voluptuous, charming innkeeper.
But now that Liang Qi had been brought to justice, Li Yanchu had returned to his quarters across the street.
A new thought stirred in his mind, Since medicinal herbs can be enhanced... could martial arts manuals be enhanced as well?
He had already mastered the Six Yang Saber Art to perfection. Why not try enhancing it and see what happens?
After the familiar resonance of the Great Dao echoed in his mind, the Six Yang Saber Art manual began to change. The text on the pages started to shift: they started rearranging and reforming, and page after page flipped rapidly like a slideshow.
When everything finally calmed down, the martial arts manual had undergone a complete transformation. The training method recorded within had been expanded and refined to twelve stages.
This should now count as the peak of third-rate martial arts, Li Yanchu thought to himself.
In the days that followed, he began training tirelessly, day and night. Strengthening one’s martial skills was another form of self-preservation!
***
Li Yanchu was later honored with a banquet hosted by Magistrate Xu. The prominent merchants whose daughters had been rescued also attended the feast. He had successfully gained the favor of the local officials and gentry and received two thousand taels of silver.
Part of it came as an official reward from the county office, and the rest was generously gifted by the grateful wealthy families. Given the purchasing power of silver in the Kingdom of Qian, this was the equivalent of seven to eight million in modern currency.
Li Yanchu’s wealth had skyrocketed overnight, and it was nothing short of a windfall. If it hadn’t been for the restrictions of his status as a Daoist of Qingyun Temple, he might have gone straight to the pleasure quarters that very evening to enjoy music and company. With someone else footing the bill, no less.
As a disciple of Daoist Master Xuancheng, he belonged to the Zhengyi Dao. While marriage wasn’t forbidden, certain conduct still required discretion. Regarding this, Li Yanchu could only sigh with regret.
He’d heard that the ladies of the pleasure quarters were not only curvaceous, but also skilled in singing, dancing, as well as the four arts: zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They were rare and exquisite beauties.
If his master were here, Li Yanchu was quite certain he wouldn’t have passed up the chance to visit a pleasure quarters either. And his eyes would absolutely be glowing with excitement.
Once I leave Wei City, I’ll go to a pleasure quarters to hear some music, Li Yanchu thought to himself.
After all, Daoist Master Xuancheng was no longer around, and someone had to uphold the good old man’s reputation.
***
Ever since witnessing the beast-transformation spell, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but think of the seductive ghost maidens and fox spirits from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
It was only natural for someone young and full of passion to have such thoughts, especially for a man like him whose kidneys brimmed with boundless vitality. Ordinary people had two kidneys and might still feel weak, but Li Yanchu? He had eight, and every one of them bursting with vigorous, high-powered life force.[1]
His yang qi was off the charts!
As he kept thinking, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but picture Fang Qinglan’s beautiful face and cool, aloof demeanor, as well as those long, slender legs. On top of that, she radiated youthful energy. She was exactly the type of cold, unattainable school beauty. She was someone to be admired from afar, not to be defiled.
But still… the urge to defile her was hard to resist...
The next moment, the image in his mind suddenly shifted; now it was the innkeeper. That sultry maturity, so full of womanly allure… It made his heart burn with heat.
His thoughts were just reaching their peak when a knock came from the door. Li Yanchu walked over and opened it, revealing a young yamen officer. He recognized him; his name was Wang Tie, a sharp-looking young man. He remembered the name clearly, because Wang Tie was the nephew of Head Constable Wang.
“Daoist Master Yanchu, Head Constable Wang invites you to a banquet tonight at Wangyue Pavilion,” Wang Tie said respectfully.
“Head Constable Wang is inviting me to a banquet?” Li Yanchu was a little surprised.
1. Kidneys (腰子 / 肾) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are not just organs, they’re symbolically tied to vitality, sexual health, and life force. A "strong kidney" means someone is full of energy, virility, and often, sexual stamina. The exaggeration of “eight kidneys” is humorous hyperbole. It emphasizes that this character has way more than the normal amount of life force or sexual vigor, almost like saying, “He’s superhumanly virile and full of energy.” It’s like saying, "He’s got the stamina of a stallion and the testosterone of eight men. He’s practically radiating manly energy." ☜
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