Journey to the West: The Great Sage's Guide

Chapter 52 Body-Shaking Fist

The people who were preaching in the square resented the boy for stealing the apprentices' attention.

"Exactly! They're blatantly stealing our business. Don't they have any manners?"

"Let's go, let's confront him!"

Several people rolled up their sleeves and were about to step forward, but were pulled back by someone next to them.

An old Taoist priest with a goatee lowered his voice: "Wait, have you forgotten what happened last night? This young man is the one who is said to have fought against Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain."

The man who had rolled up his sleeves turned pale, his legs nearly giving way: "What? The one who shattered the golden armor with a single shot?"

"It was him."

"Well... let's forget about it then."

The group shrank back, but their eyes couldn't help glancing towards the high platform.

As people watched, some couldn't help but start mimicking the gestures.

This set of movements may seem slow, but it seems to contain endless mysteries, making people want to try it themselves.

The Taoist priests, who originally intended to teach Zhong Xuan a lesson, now disregarded the incense money and began to imitate him.

After all, they possessed cultivation and were different from ordinary people; they sensed something amiss as soon as they made a move.

The shockwave could penetrate flesh and reach even the soul.

A fat Taoist priest practiced a few moves and felt the magical power in his dantian surging and bubbling up like boiling water.

He was both surprised and delighted. He quickly calmed himself down and continued practicing, but the more he practiced, the more he felt something was wrong. His magical power surged more and more violently, almost impossible to suppress.

He looked down and saw that a layer of fine scales was faintly visible on the back of his hand.

"Not good!" The fat Taoist's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly stopped his practice, but his body was already beyond his control.

The shockwaves surged like waves, disturbing his peace of mind and causing his magical power to surge erratically.

Scales appeared one after another on his hands, face, and neck, gleaming with a cold, eerie luster in the setting sun.

People nearby screamed and scattered.

Not only him, but also the three demonic cultivators who originally occupied the best positions in the square.

The slender Taoist, the burly Taoist, and the skinny monkey Taoist were all mimicking the gestures.

Those with the deepest cultivation levels felt the strongest sensations; the shockwaves impacted them repeatedly, like someone ringing a bell in their minds, the sound never ceasing.

The thin Taoist priest was the first to give in. He let out a low growl and suddenly lowered his body. Furry claws emerged from under his Taoist robe, and his pair of green eyes widened, the pupils shrinking to slits. He was actually an old wolf.

The burly Taoist followed closely behind, his bones cracking and popping as his body suddenly swelled, his robes ripped open, revealing a coat of black and yellow fur, with the character "王" (king) faintly visible on his forehead.

The skinny monkey Taoist was even worse off, revealing his true form: a gray-haired monkey squatting on the ground, baring his teeth, clutching his head, and squeaking incoherently.

In addition, there were four or five Taoist priests in the square who were also making the gestures, and they gradually revealed their true demonic forms.

Some had horns, some had tails, some had scales all over their faces, and some had protruding fangs.

The once peaceful human kingdom of Xiniu Hezhou was hiding a demon in the city that could transform and disguise itself!

In an instant, people shouted and birds flew in the square. The people were so frightened that they ran in all directions, pushing and trampling, with cries and screams rising and falling.

The food stall was overturned, candied hawthorns rolled all over the ground, and syrup stuck to the blue bricks.

The children on the wall were both scared and curious; some cried loudly, while others clapped and cheered.

"A monster! There's a monster!"

"Run!"

"Don't step on me! Ouch!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

On the high platform, Zhong Xuan was completely unaware.

Just as the black bear demon pounced, Zhong Xuan was finishing his final move.

He practiced the "Swinging Bell Body Refining Technique" three times, and each time he practiced it, it became more and more fluid and smooth.

Every bone and muscle in his body was buzzing and resonating, like an iron blank being repeatedly forged.

Impurities are gradually shaken out, leaving only purity.

To conclude the exercise, press both hands down.

An invisible bell will then sink from the top of the head into the dantian, gathering all the aftershocks of this shock into the body.

At that very moment, a surge of malice crashed into my heart, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread.

Zhong Xuan slightly raised his eyelids and saw a dark figure dart out from the crowd!

It was about ten feet tall, covered in black hair like steel needles, and its two forepaws were as thick as millstones.

The slap came, the wind howling like a north wind in winter.

He was one of the four or five demons who revealed their true forms, a black bear spirit.

This bear demon was originally a rogue cultivator who mingled among the crowd to listen to the Dao. His cultivation was not high, and his temperament was even worse.

Just now, shaken by the sound of the bell, the demonic energy within his body surged violently. He tried to suppress it again and again, but in the end, he couldn't, and his true form was revealed on the spot.

After revealing his true form, all that remained in his mind was his animalistic instincts.

Fear, anger, and an inexplicable violence.

It couldn't distinguish between the techniques and the shockwaves; it only felt that the young man on the high platform was the source of all this, the threat, and the enemy.

So it pounced.

The thick bear paw, enveloped in a demonic wind, hurtled straight toward Zhong Xuan's face.

"Taoist priest, be careful!"

"Get out of the way!"

The crowd screamed and scattered in all directions.

The people who had been practicing boxing around the altar just moments before now swarmed out in all directions like a flock of frightened sheep. Amidst the pushing and shoving, cries, curses, and the crashing sound of overturned stalls mingled together.

The children who were watching the commotion on the wall were so frightened that they jumped down. One of the younger ones lost his balance and landed on his bottom, bursting into tears.

Zhong Xuan didn't dodge; he didn't even take a single step back.

Just as the bear paw the size of a millstone was about to reach him, he slowly lowered his shoulders and elbows, stepped forward with his left foot, and twisted his waist and hips sharply!

A powerful punch.

The cannon punch is simple, without any fancy moves or variations.

The fist flipped up from the waist, and with the force of twisting the waist and turning the hips, it slammed straight into the bear's paw.

The fist and palm collided, producing a dull, loud thud, like an iron hammer striking a cowhide drum.

The loud thud made the eardrums of several people nearby, who hadn't run far away, ache.

Zhong Xuan swayed and took two steps back.

Each step on the blue bricks left a shallow footprint, and the dust in the cracks was shaken up, rising into small wisps of smoke.

The black bear spirit retreated three steps, each step causing the ground to tremble.

It lost its balance on the last step and landed on its bottom, knocking over a candied hawthorn stall. A bamboo skewer pierced its bottom, making it howl in pain.

It swung its paw that had been hit, its whole arm trembling, its fingers opening and closing repeatedly, as if they were on fire.

His eyes, as big as copper bells, were filled with disbelief.

How could this human boy, who only reached my chest, have such great strength?

Zhong Xuan moved his numb fist, his expression remaining normal.

The aftershocks of that punch still lingered in my heart.

He clearly felt that this punch was not just based on physical strength!

The lingering shockwaves from the Drumming Body Refining Technique erupted the moment the fist and palm collided, like a bell being struck hard. The sound waves traveled through the bear's paw and arm, reaching deep into the black bear demon's internal organs.

This is the real reason why the bear spirit retreated three steps.

Ye Quanzhen arrived at this time.

She arrived in a hurry, still dressed in a neat blue outfit, with a white silk sash around her waist and a long sword slung across her back.

His hair was a little loose, with a few strands of black hair hanging down from his temples, fluttering in the wind, indicating that he had traveled a long way.

The person was still dozens of feet away when the sword was already drawn.

"stop!"

With a clear shout, the sword light arrived.

The flying sword was gleaming white, drawing a cold arc in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a silvery-white fish darting swiftly through the air.

Where the sword flashed, it carried a sharp killing intent, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

Before Master Ye Quan even landed, his sword technique had already changed three times.

The flying sword suddenly turned in mid-air, flashing past several fleeing demons.

The first one was a badger spirit. It had only run a dozen steps when its head, as big as a bowl, rolled off the ground. Its body lurched forward two more steps before it fell to the ground.

The second one was a weasel, so frightened that it forgot its true form and tucked its tail between its legs into the crowd. It was caught by the sword light, pierced through the heart and pinned to the ground. Its limbs twitched a few times and then it stopped moving.

The third one was the fastest; it had already reached the edge of the square and was about to disappear into the alley.

Ye Quanzhen snorted coldly, changed his sword technique again, and sent his flying sword flying through the air with a sharp whistle.

The demon suddenly turned and went into a narrow alley.

Ye Quanzhen landed, lightly touched the ground with her toes, and chased after it.

As she chased after them, her gaze inadvertently swept across the center of the square!

The earthenware jar containing the beautiful corpse was overturned by some fleeing civilian. The jar shattered, and the beautiful corpse in palace attire fell out crookedly, half of her body exposed. Her stiff face was facing the sky, but her face was still beautiful, like a young lady raised by a wealthy family.

She suddenly paused, her expression changed, as if she recognized who it was, or as if she was recalling something.

Immediately, her gaze locked onto the demon that had fled into the alley. Gritting her teeth, she chased after it without looking back.

Zhong Xuan saw all of this.

He shook his head, said nothing more, and simply walked to the beautiful corpse, bent down, and picked it up.

Zhong Xuan carried it to a large locust tree, gently placed it down, and then tore off a piece of cloth from an overturned stall next to it to cover it.

After doing all this, he walked back to the edge of the altar, brushed the dust off his robes, and stood still again.

The square was mostly empty.

The ground was littered with overturned stalls, trampled fruit, broken bamboo skewers, and several gruesome pools of blood.

In the distance, the soldiers' whistles were still sounding, and one could faintly hear shouts.

Phrases like "Close the city gates quickly" and "Don't let the monster escape."

Not many people are still left.

Dozens of the bolder ones, along with a few who had just practiced the boxing and seen results, stood watching from a distance, neither daring to approach nor willing to leave.

The little beggar squatted at the base of the wall, his eyes shining brightly as he stared intently at Zhong Xuan, as if afraid he would run away.

Zhong Xuan looked around and said, "Everyone, please don't panic. I will continue to practice this method of body tempering here."

If any of you are interested, you can learn along with me.

Someone asked timidly, "Taoist priest... what about those monsters...?"

Zhong Xuan said, "Even if they come again, it won't matter as long as I'm here."

These words were spoken so casually, yet they inexplicably reassured people!

It was probably because that punch was just too clean and decisive.

After a moment of silence, someone spoke up again.

This time, it was a middle-aged scholar, dressed in a faded blue robe. He cupped his hands in greeting and asked quite respectfully, "May I ask, Daoist Master, if I learn this method... may I become your disciple?"

As soon as he said that, everyone around him perked up their ears.

As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden fish in his sleeve suddenly trembled.

Zhang Chengming's spirit inside sneered, its voice sharp and piercing, like a knife being sharpened on a grinding wheel:

"Of course! Ha!"

"Your method is indeed quite interesting. It can shake the physical body and regulate the flow of qi, making it far superior to the tricks used by street performers."

"But you're just a young brat, not even fully grown up yet. Even if you have a tiny bit more talent and understanding, what virtue do you have to dare to be a teacher?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "a little bit," his tone full of sarcasm.

Zhong Xuan's expression remained unchanged, and he simply replied:

"The way lies in mutual growth, not in mutual existence."

The laughter from the wooden fish abruptly stopped.

Zhong Xuan continued:

"It is also said that when three people walk together, there must be one who can teach me."

"Those who are accomplished are teachers."

"If it weren't for the master-disciple relationship, and the only requirement was to impart a skill, then what's wrong with me being a teacher to everyone?"

He was stating a perfectly ordinary truth.

Zhang Chengming was silent for a moment, then sneered:

"Clever words and a flattering demeanor."

But the confidence in his tone was clearly not as strong as before.

Zhong Xuan ignored him.

Below the altar, the crowd was greatly encouraged.

"Well said!" Someone started clapping.

"What a wonderful principle that the Way grows through mutual support!"

"The Taoist priest is absolutely right!"

A round of applause erupted, and several people even shouted their approval, attracting onlookers from afar.

The middle-aged scholar was so excited that his face turned red, and he repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Master, your virtue is truly admirable! Master, your virtue is truly admirable!"

Zhong Xuan nodded slightly in response.

Before long, a group of officers and soldiers came out from the street corner. The leader was a dark-faced captain with a knife at his waist, followed by more than a dozen soldiers carrying ropes and chains.

They're here to clean up the mess.

Several demons died just now, and there were overturned stalls and injured civilians; someone has to take care of all of that.

The dark-faced captain came over and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Who reported this to the authorities? What happened here? Who committed the murder?"

Zhong Xuan took out a waist token from his sleeve and handed it over.

The brass waist tag is small, with the three characters "Jinguang Temple" engraved on the front and a lotus flower pattern on the back. It is finely crafted and clearly not an ordinary object.

This is the identity token of the martial monk instructor of Jin Guang Temple, given by Abbot Jingchen. Within the territory of Jisai Kingdom, it is more useful than anything else.

The dark-faced captain took it and glanced at it; his expression immediately changed.

He hurriedly handed back the waist token with both hands, bending over like a shrimp, his voice dropping eight octaves:

"So you're a master from Jin Guang Temple! I was blind to your greatness, please forgive me! What are your orders, Daoist Master?"

Zhong Xuan retrieved his waist token and pointed to the corpses of the demons on the ground:

"Please help me tidy up the venue."

"Please gather these demon corpses together in one place and do not leave them lying around."

He then took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, about five or six taels, and handed it over: "This is for the brothers' tea money."

The dark-faced officer quickly waved his hand:

"No, no! The Taoist priest's affairs are Jin Guang Temple's affairs; how could we possibly accept your money?"

"Take it." Zhong Xuan stuffed the silver into his hand.

The dark-faced general declined a couple of times, then accepted it with a grin.

He turned around and directed the soldiers to work. They were very quick and efficient, and in no time the center of the square was cleared.

The demons' corpses were dragged to one place, covered with cloth, and left to be disposed of together.

They didn't dare touch the beautiful corpse.

The dark-faced captain had just heard that something was sealed inside the beautiful corpse and it was not to be touched.

Zhong Xuan didn't let them touch it, only instructing them to keep a close eye on it.

With everything in order, Zhong Xuan stood back on the high platform, ready to continue practicing the Zhong-Swept Body Refining Technique.

A blue figure flashed out from the street corner and arrived in a few leaps.

Yeh Chuan-chen is back.

The sharp sword she held upside down in her hand was still dripping blood from its tip, which dripped onto the blue bricks, blooming into tiny red flowers.

Her face was pale and cold, her lips were pressed into a thin line, and there was a fierce look between her brows.