Chapter - 96 Heartbreak At the Centennial Birthday Banquet (6)

Zhang SongXi nodded his head and said, "Alright. That's what we will do then." He hesitated briefly before saying, "There may still be one measure we can take, it will be a dangerous step but we may pull through if we're lucky." Yu Lian Zhou said with jubilation, "Even if it is a dangerous step, we have no other choice. What brilliant plan do you have in mind Brother?" Zhang SongXi replied, "We can each mark a target opponent and once that person takes action, we will each strike at our opponent by using just one stance, have them under our control. That way, they will all take caution and won't dare to pressure us through sheer force." Yu LianZhou debated for a while before saying, "If we can't capture them in one stance, the others will most definitely advance as backup help. But to be able to succeed with just one stance, I'm afraid …" Zhang SongXi said, "Desperate times calls for desperate measures, I'm afraid that we have no choice but to be more vicious. Let us use the 'Tiger Claws Destroying Procreation Skill'!" Yu LianZhou was taken back as he said, " 'Tiger Claws Destroying Procreation Skill'? But today is master's birthday, wouldn't it be too cruel and deadly to use such a move?"

There was still actually a very powerful grappling technique within the Wu Dang sect that was called the "Tiger Claws." After Yu LianZhou became fully educated in this skill, he remain unsatisfied at how when the fighter clamps down, if their opponent's martial arts were advanced enough, they will be able to struggle free using their powerful energy reservoir. Therefore it will likely end up being a competition of inner energies. He thus purposely added variations to modify the "Tiger Claws" and finally created twenty new stances.

Before Zhang SanFeng accepted his disciples, he would closely examine and test into their character and morality while also discovering what their aptitude and talents were. Therefore after the seven disciples entered the sect, there was not one who hasn't been able to achieve greatness. Not only did they each inherit their sect's martial arts skills, but they were further able to modify and create new stances according to their own personal nature and character. It was originally not a surprising thing that Yu LianZhou would transform the stances of the "Tiger Claws." But after Zhang SanFeng watched him demonstrate these moves, he only nodded his head and didn't input any further remarks.

When Yu LianZhou observed how his master didn't offer a single remark or comment, he knew that there most definitely must be some kind of problem with his stances. Therefore he concentrated his energies on examining and scrutinizing every move in hopes of further improving and advancing these stances. After a few months, when he once again demonstrated his revisions for his master, Zhang SanFeng was only heard to sigh and said, "LianZhou, these twelve stances of the Tigers claws are truly much more powerful than the ones that I taught you. But your every stance aims to attack one's vital points. No matter who sustains this stance, they may possibly suffer the misfortune of having their Yin forces damaged and their chances of procreation ended. Are the decent and respectable stances that I taught you not enough? Must one resort to ending another's chances of procreation with every strike?"

After Yu LianZhou heard this sermon from his master, even in the midst of the harsh cold weather, he couldn't refrain a cold sweat all from erupting all over his back. Fear struck his heart, and he immediately admitted to his mistake and begged for forgiveness.

After a few days, Zhang SanFeng called his seven disciples to him and explained this incident to them before saying, "These twelve stances that LianZhou created was a result of hard work and honourable intentions, and are truly worthy of being considered as a ultimate skill. To abolish it based on just my one command may nevertheless be a pity. You should all learn this skill from LianZhou, but take caution to never use this skill lightly. Do not use it in anything less than a life and death situation. I will add the two words "Destroying Procreation" after the words "Tiger Claws" in order to remind you all that this skill can end all chances others have at procreation, thus running the danger of ending a whole family's lineage."

The seven disciples immediately expressed their gratitude for this lecture and Yu LianZhou then related this martial art skill to his six brothers. After the seven of them mastered this skill, they indeed obeyed their master's teachings and not one of them has used this skill even once. Even during such a critical juncture, when Zhang SongXi brought this up, Yu LianZhou still debated and and continue to hesitate.

Zhang SongXi said, "Once this 'Tiger Claws Destroying Procreation Skill' grapples onto other's vital points, there is a chance that it will end their chances of procreation. Your brother I have a plan, we can choose only monks or Taoist priests as our opponents, or if not, then old men in their seventies and eighties will also be suitable." Yu LianZhou smiled faintly and said, "Brother, your vigilant thinking is not only nimble but also ingenious. Since monks and Taoists priests will not be having any children, to use this move on them is acceptable."

After the two brothers finished discussing their plans, the split up to inform Song YuanQiao and the other three brothers. Each one of them targeted a specific opponent and as soon as they hear a loud shout of "a-yo" from Zhang SongXi, the six of them would each use the "Tiger Claws Destroying Procreation Skill" to capture their opponents. Yu LianZhou selected the oldest of the Kong Tong elders Guan Neng, while Zhang CuiShan chose Kun Lun's taoist priest XiHua Zi.

After the various guests finished their simple meal, the culinary workers took away the eating utensils. Zhang Song Xi then loudly said, "Honoured heroes and fellow friends, today is our master's hundredth year birthday. To be graced by the presence of so many heroes today fills everyone in our sect with glory and honour. But please do forgive us for the bareness and inefficiency in our reception here today. Our master had originally planned to invite all our respected guests to WuChang town's Yellow Crane Restaurant for a festive gathering. During that date, we most certainly will make up for the discourtesy in our reception here today. My brother Zhang CuiShan has been separated from us for ten years now, and it was just today that he finally returned to us from afar. He has not even had the chance to explain in detail to my master all of which he has encountered and experienced within the last ten years. Besides, today is our master's big celebration, if we bother ourselves with discussing about the martial art world's various scores of gratitude and vengeance, duels and deaths, it may be a very untimely and inappropriate thing to do. Our honoured guests' pure intentions of offering birthday blessings will then turn into a purposely contrived plan of coming here to incite disharmony and create more trouble. Very seldom will all our honoured guests be gathered together here at Wu Dang, please allow me the honours of accompanying everyone for a tour around the mountain where we can appreciate the scenery."

This speech from him caused everyone to be at a loss for words. By stating ahead of time that today was a blessed day of celebration, if anybody mentioned Xie Xun and Dragon Gate Escort Agency's incident, then they are purposely and openly making enemies with the Wu Dang Sect.

These groups of people arrived on the mountain one after another, and aside from the E-Mei sect, they were all originally prepared to engage in a good battle in order to force out the whereabouts of the Golden Mane Lion King Xie Xun. But the Wu Dang sect's great fame was so authoritative and respected, nobody dared to make enemies with the Wu Dang sect on their own. If these few hundred people all rushed forward as one group, they would of course have nothing to be worry about. But when requiring somebody to stand out by themselves to make the first move, nobody wanted to take on the role of the sacrificial lamb.