Chapter - 419 Long Flute, Short Lute, And Tan Clothing (6)

That day in the Mi Le Temple he saw the battle between the Xuan Ming Elders and the Beggar Clan's masters, but he was hidden on the tree and did not dare to expose himself to look closely. This time he experienced it first hand and found out that Chuan Gong and Zhi Fa two elders were truly top ranking martial art experts of the present age. Zhang Bang Longtou was the weakest among them, but still, he was only a notch inferior to the other two.

In a flash, the Beggar Clan's three elders and Zhang Wuji had exchanged more than twenty stances. Suddenly Chen Youliang loudly called out, "Arrange the Killing Dog Formation!"

The crowd of beggars shouted and yelled; their blades flickered with a snowy white ray of light. There were 21 Beggar Clan martial art masters, each with a curved saber in their hands; they quickly spread out, surrounding Zhang Wuji in the middle. These twenty-one beggars were singing the 'lian hua luo' [falling lotus (flower)]. Some of them were moaning and groaning as if they were in pain, while some others beat their own chests with their fists, and some called out in loud voices, "Laoye, Taitai [master, mistress (or madam)], have compassion! Share us your cold rice!"

At first Zhang Wuji was stunned, but then he understood; these weird shouts and actions were to disturb the enemy's mind. He saw these beggars moved in a random pattern; they were advancing and retreating in haste, but upon a closer inspection, he found that actually they were following some strict pattern.

"Stop!" Chuan Gong Zhanglao shouted; he took two steps backward and lifted his sword horizontally across his chest. Zhi Fa Zhanglao and Zhang Bang Longtou also leaped backward, but the 'killing dog formation' was still jumping around here and there, their movements did not cease in the least bit.

"Zhang Jiaozhu," Chuan Gong Zhanglao called out, "We are relying on large number to gain victory; it is improper. But within the Beggar Clan there is not a single person who is worthy to be Sire's match. Other than using this cowardly act, we can never fight you following the way of chivalry."

Zhang Wuji smiled slightly and said, "Well said, well said."

Chuan Gong Zhanglao continued, "All of us are wielding some weapons, while Zhang Jiaozhu is bare-handed; the Beggar Clan should not take too much advantage over you. Whatever weapon Zhang Jiaozhu desires to use, we will respectfully offer that weapon to you."

Zhang Wuji said in his heart, "This Chuan Gong Zhanglao not only possesses a high level of martial art, he is also chivalrous; he is totally different from that sly Chen Youliang." He said, "Since I am playing around with you, why should I whirl a saber or sweep a staff? If I want to use weapon, can't I fetch it myself?" As he was speaking, his shadow flashed to leave the 'killing dog formation'. His hands moved and pressed both Chen Youliang's and Song Qingshu's shoulders. In a twinkling of an eye, he had already snatched their swords. His shadow flashed again and he returned to his original position.

The way he moved out and re-entered the formation was so fast that none of the moving twenty-one blades even touched the hem of his clothes. The crowd of beggars was frozen in amazement as they heard his loud and clear voice say, "Your precious Clan's 'killing dog formation' has earned a very good reputation. Only, killing a dog is easy, but if you want to subdue a dragon or overcome a tiger, this formation is not of much use." While saying that, he raised the swords and transmitted his strength into the swords' blade. 'Crack, crack!' both the swords snapped into pieces.

"Everybody, move!" Zhang Bang Longtou shouted, his iron stick pointed toward Zhang Wuji's chest. Zhi Fa Zhanglao also brandished his hook and crutch into two circular snow flowers, sweeping toward Zhang Wuji.

Zhang Wuji dashed to the left, but his body was slanted to the right, according to the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi technique. A series of white rays flashed by, followed by a series of 'pop, pop, pop' noise, as all the curved sabers in the hands of the beggars of the 'killing dog formation' were snatched by Zhang Wuji and thrown to the beam of the main hall. The twenty-one curved sabers were stuck neatly in one row, each saber entered the beam about one foot deep.

Suddenly Chen Youliang's voice was heard, "Zhang Wuji, aren't you going to stop?"

Zhang Wuji turned his head only to see Chen Youliang had a sword in his hand, with the tip pressed toward Zhou Zhiruo's back. With a cold laugh Zhang Wuji said, "For a hundred years the people of Jianghu say, 'the Ming Cult, the Beggar Clan, and the Shaolin Pai,' among the Jiao-Pai [cults and sects], the Ming Cult ranks first; among the Bang-Hui [clans and associations/societies] the Beggar Clan holds the highest honor. With your action, aren't you afraid of bringing disgrace on the prestige of Hong Qigong Laoxia [old hero]?"

"Chen Zhanglao," Chuan Gong Zhanglao angrily said, "Release Miss Zhou. We are fighting a life and death battle with Zhang Jiaozhu. The Beggar Clan is pouring out the entire Clan's power to face Ming Cult Jiaozhu one man. If we do this despicable act, will any of us still have face to live an honorable life?"

Chen Youliang laughed. "Real men fight with wits and not with strength. Zhang Wuji, haven't you surrendered yet?"

"All right!" Zhang Wuji loudly laughed, "Today Zhang Wuji experienced the Beggar Clan's impressive power."

Abruptly he took two steps backward and flipped backward into the air; and when he fell back down, his legs landed on Shi Huolong's shoulders. His right palm laid flat on top of Shi Huolong's head, while his left palm grabbed the main artery on the back of Shi Huolong's neck. It was a stance from the martial art of Sheng Huo Ling, which was executed rather easily so that it surprised even Zhang Wuji himself.

His original intention was to take Shi Huolong by surprise with one of his weird moves. He had prepared three stances of the most difficult to be dealt with, combined with his lightning fast movement, to capture Shi Huolong. His only concern was that Chen Youliang would be truly cruel and merciless; perhaps he would really stab Zhou Zhiruo as soon as Zhang Wuji made his move. Who would have thought that he did not even need a single stance form the three fiercest stances he had already prepared, since Shi Huolong did not even attempt to resist and let himself be captured.

Zhang Wuji rode on Shi Huolong's shoulder just like a child riding on an adult. It was not the most elegant scene to behold, but since he had already gained control over the vital acupoints on the enemy's head, he was not willing to jump down and thus give the enemy a chance to take back control.

As they saw their Clan Leader was captured, the crowd of beggars cried out in alarm. Zhang Wuji's right palm laid flat on the 'bai hui xue' [hundred-meeting acupoint]; which was the intersection of the 'tai yang jing' [sun passage] and the 'du mai' [supervise artery]. It was the most important point on the human body. Zhang Wuji only need to tap it lightly, Shi Huolong's passages and arteries would be shaken and he would die violently; no medicine would be able to revive him.

Nobody within the Beggar Clan dared to move. From the clamoring noise of shouting and yelling, the main hall suddenly turned very quiet. All eyes were looking at Zhang Wuji and Shi Huolong; nobody knew what to do.

Right this moment, suddenly they heard the soft but clear sound of 'qin' [zither] and 'xiao' [flute, but not the modern traverse orchestral flute]. It sounded like there were several zithers and several flutes were being played together. The cheerful sound of music floated in the air, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes distinct, sometimes vague, but everybody was able to hear it clearly. Sometimes the music came from the east, another time it came from the west; nobody knew for certain from which part of the roof the sound of music came from.