First Entry into the Spirit Void 122. A Clash of Words

Mo Dao said, "Only a blockhead like you would be unaware; there is no one in the martial arts world today who does not know of this." The man retorted, "Don't try to lure me with profit; I won't take your bait."

Mo Dao burst into hearty laughter and replied, "I respect you as a tough man for not being greedy, but you have chosen the wrong path. What a pity! A great pity!"

The man asked, "What wrong path have I taken? Tell me!" Mo Dao replied, "As the saying goes, 'An earthen jar is bound to break by the well.' If you aren't greedy for wealth, why engage in murder and arson? Isn't that choosing the wrong path?" Stung by this logic, the man did not answer immediately.

Mo Dao continued, "Think carefully: if Luo Mingyuan was not greedy for wine, women, and exotic treasures, why would he turn traitor after becoming a monk?"

The man changed the subject: "What have you done to our leader?"

Mo Dao answered, "Until he reveals the location of his secret martial arts manual and the treasures he has hidden, we can neither kill him nor let him live in comfort."

The man said, "You must not kill him." Mo Dao asked, "Are you looking for a share of the spoils?" The man replied, "I must know the status of our leader before I can negotiate further terms with you."

Mo Dao said, "Very well, listen to his voice." Meng Biyu, having listened to Mo Dao’s fluent improvisation with the enemy, whispered, "Mo Dao, where did you hear about the secrets of the 'Wine and Meat Monk'?"

Mo Dao smiled slightly. "I deduced it from common sense and made it up on the spot." Meng Biyu replied, "Although you improvised the conversation, it sounds perfectly reasonable. Not only will the enemy believe it, but even if it spreads, no one in the martial arts world would doubt it."

Mo Dao turned his gaze to Jiezhenzi and said, "Brother Jie, quickly untie the Wine and Meat Monk." Once Luo Mingyuan was taken off the horse, freed from the sack, and his pressure points were released, he shouted, "I was stifled to death!"

Mo Dao brought the Wine and Meat Monk to the cave entrance and raised his voice: "Hey! Friend, what is it you want to say to your leader? Say it quickly!"

The man asked, "Big Brother, it’s me, your second-in-command, Shi Fuquan. How are you doing?"

Luo Mingyuan had been suffocating for a long time; after his pressure points were released, his bowels were in painful distress and his mind was hazy. He shouted loudly, "I need to defecate! I need to defecate!"

Shi Fuquan heard Luo Mingyuan’s voice but could not make out what he was shouting, so he asked, "Big Brother, what is it you need?"

Mo Dao answered for him, "He says he wants food and wine."

Shi Fuquan replied repeatedly, "Good, good! I will have men bring food and wine."

Mo Dao called out, "Shi Buquan (Corpse Incomplete), this isn't a ruse, is it? Your leader is our prisoner; we should negotiate properly."

Shi Fuquan raged, "You dog bastard, what did you call me?"

Mo Dao replied, "You reported your own name. Isn't it correct for me to call you 'Corpse Incomplete'?"

Shi Fuquan suddenly roared, "Dog bastard, you are the one who is 'Corpse Incomplete'!"

Mo Dao said, "Calling someone 'Corpse Incomplete' doesn't necessarily make them so. Let's return to serious business."

Shi Fuquan asked, "Dog bastard, do you dare to meet me face-to-face for a private talk?"

Mo Dao laughed, "You look down on people too much. Where shall we talk? Name the place."

Shi Fuquan said, "Since you aren't afraid of me, why should I be afraid of you? I will open the passage and let you out; I’m not worried about you flying to heaven!"

Mo Dao said, "You are a renowned figure in the Jianghu, while we are nobodies. If word gets out that 'Corpse Incomplete' was afraid of a few newcomers, how could you still hold your head high?"

Shi Fuquan was a man who valued his reputation above all else. He was highly skilled but possessed a hot temper and acted impulsively, often overturning his own plans. He bellowed, "Dog bastard, don't use reverse psychology on me! I will open the passage and let you out to see what kind of three-headed, six-armed brats you really are!"

Mo Dao retorted, "I tell you, we are not dog bastards, nor are we brats. We are a group of hot-blooded, righteous young heroes who fear no evil. If you have the guts and aren't afraid of death, open the passage immediately."

Shi Fuquan laughed loudly, "Ha! Ha! Ha! Small heroes, indeed! I think you are nothing but cowards!"

Mo Dao replied, "I think you are the coward. You bark wildly at anyone you see, but if someone throws a meat bun at you, you wag your tail in supplication. You are fickle—one moment wanting to negotiate, the next threatening to open the passage—yet you take no action. Your words and deeds are less than that of a woman."

Suddenly, Shi Fuquan roared, "Brothers, open the passage and let those little runts come out to die!"

One of his disciples said, "Sub-leader, opening the passage is like letting a tiger out of its cage."

Shi Fuquan said, "Are they tigers? You are merely boosting their morale."

The disciple added, "Considering the Master’s skill..."

Shi Fuquan, most angered by hearing others praised in his presence, snapped, "Shut up! Open the passage! I have roamed the Jianghu for over twenty years without ever suffering a defeat; do you think I’m afraid of a few boys?"

Knowing his violent temperament, his subordinates dared not argue. They grabbed their tools, pried away the massive boulders, and cleared the path in moments, while the guards retreated outside to provide space.

Seeing light at the exit, Gao Yunxiang used a special technique to seal Luo Mingyuan’s major pressure points, leaving him able to walk but unable to speak.

Meng Biyu felt that sealing his points was not enough, so she fed him two poison pills. In half an hour, the effect would set in, causing total paralysis. Without an antidote, death would follow within twelve hours.

Suddenly, Shi Fuquan roared, "Get out here at once!"

Gao Yunxiang led his horse and walked calmly out of the cave. He looked up to see a middle-aged man carrying a large saber, short and sturdy with long arms and short legs, a scarred face, bulging eyes, and thick lips. Gao let go of the reins, bowed, and asked, "Are you 'Corpse Incomplete'?"

After looking Gao Yunxiang over, Shi Fuquan threw his head back and laughed. "No matter how I look at you, you don't amount to much! You might have the looks to fool women, but you don't have the strength to take a single punch in the name of chivalry."

Gao Yunxiang smiled, "One cannot judge a person by their appearance, just as one cannot measure the sea with a bucket. Anyone who walks the Jianghu must have their strengths. Let us skip the pointless remarks. Tell me: shall we negotiate a partnership, or shall we fight? The winner takes Luo Mingyuan, and the loser goes to the Western Paradise."

Shi Fuquan looked at him and barked, "You've got guts! Let us two go to that small hill to duel!"

He sprinted toward the hill to the left with agile movements. After a few leaps, he reached the top. Looking back and not seeing Gao Yunxiang following, he thought he had been tricked.

Gao Yunxiang, possessing a light-body skill as elusive as a ghost, arrived before his opponent had settled. He leaped down from an oak tree and laughed, "Corpse Incomplete, you are too suspicious. I am not a man who breaks his word."

Hearing the voice, Shi Fuquan spun around, eyes blazing with anger, and shouted, "Don't show off in front of me! Good agility doesn't necessarily mean high martial skill."

Gao Yunxiang said coolly, "We shall see who is better once we clash."

Shi Fuquan suppressed his rage, looked around, and asked, "How do you propose we cooperate?"

Gao Yunxiang smiled slightly. "Do you want to betray your leader?"

Shi Fuquan replied, "Honestly, those who preach high morals and claim not to love money are usually the ones constantly plotting to get it."

Gao Yunxiang laughed, "You are at least honest. Your intention is to get the rare treasures hidden by Luo Mingyuan!"

Shi Fuquan nodded. "Our leader's martial arts are truly extraordinary. Since you young people crave high-level skills, I will grant your wish."

Gao Yunxiang shook his head. "You are wrong."

Shi Fuquan stared at him and asked, "I have always been a keen observer. Few young people value money, but we older men need it to survive. As for martial arts manuals, I am too old to learn those secret techniques now."

Gao Yunxiang said, "Excessive wealth, if used poorly, harms the body. Martial arts, if used maliciously, take lives. My intention is to return the martial arts masterpiece to the Famen Temple and use the money to relieve the poor."

Shi Fuquan froze, then said, "I do not agree!"

Gao Yunxiang replied, "Luo Mingyuan's life is in our hands, and his secrets are in our control. Your disagreement changes nothing."

Shi Fuquan suddenly snapped, "Very well! You try to cross the river and break the bridge? I’ll kill you!" With that, he split his palms and struck at Gao Yunxiang’s chest.

Gao Yunxiang sprang into the air, suspended in the void, and kicked toward Shi Fuquan’s eyes, shouting, "Let us decide this matter through martial arts!"

Feeling his palm strike empty air, Shi Fuquan could not retract his move in time. As the fierce wind of the kick brushed his face, he ducked and lunged forward a dozen feet, thinking: *This boy is fast; he must not be underestimated.*

He spun around and drew his saber. With a sharp "clang," the blade emerged with a cold, white light. He shouted, "This 'Green Silver Saber' of mine comes from the Western Red-Haired Kingdom. It has cut off the head of Zhenzi of the Huashan Sect, and countless others have fallen to it. If you want to keep your life, hand over our leader, and I won't make things difficult for you. Otherwise, this treasure blade will surely take your dog head!"

Gao Yunxiang twisted his body in the air, landed gracefully, and whipped out a soft lash. With a whistle, the tip swept over Shi Fuquan’s head, the sheer force of the wind tearing his headscarf away.

Gao Yunxiang laughed, "This soft lash of mine comes from the Penglai Immortal Island in the South Sea. One swing sweeps away demons, two swings sweep away monsters, and the third settles the world. Not to mention the past, but just last night, it bound the legs of the world's greatest martial artist, and he was captured without a fight. Tell me, can you escape from this lash?"

Shi Fuquan felt he was losing in wits, verbal sparring, and technique. Furious, he brandished his saber in a move called "Wild Rain in the West Wind," creating a flurry of cold stars as he slashed diagonally from right to left. The attack was fast and ferocious.

Gao Yunxiang raised his lash, which arched overhead like a rainbow. As the tip hung down, he swung it from left to right, the shadow of the lash enveloping his entire body, impenetrable as a wall.

Seeing the lash tip strike faster than his own attack, Shi Fuquan realized that if he didn't withdraw his move, he would be injured before he could land a blow. He hurriedly retracted his stance and retreated.

Gao Yunxiang pressed his advantage. A long lash is best for keeping enemies at bay, but difficult to use at close range. Seeing his opponent retreat, he executed a "Lash Sweeping Away Monsters." With a sharp whistle, the tip struck like lightning toward Shi Fuquan’s waist.