Chapter - 463 Graceful Movements of Three Pines In the Lush Green Forest (4)

The yellow-faced old monk suddenly let out a clear whistle and said, "Zhang Jiaozhu, Lao Na's Buddhist name is Du E [lit. crossing distress]. This white-faced Shidi [younger martial brother] is Du Jie [lit. crossing calamity]. This black-faced Shidi is Du Nan [lit. crossing difficulty]. Since Yang Dingtian [his given name means 'top of the sky'] has died, our three people's deep hatred and great resentment must fall into the current Jiaozhu. Our martial nephews, Kong Jian and Kong Xing have died under your honorable Cult's hands. Since you dare to come over here, you must be a fearless man. As for the dozens of years gratitude and grudges, let our martial art skills be the judge."

Zhang Wuji said, "Junior [wan3 bei4] does not have any enmity against your precious Sect. I come here to rescue Yifu, Jin Mao Shi Wang Xie Daxia. Although Kong Jian Shen Seng [divine monk] accidentally perished under my Yifu's hands, the background story is rather complicated. As for Kong Xing Shen Seng's death, it has nothing to do with my humble Cult. The three of you cannot listen only to one side of the story. You must be able to discern right from wrong."

The white-faced old monk, Du Jie, said, "So according to you, who harmed Kong Xing?"

Zhang Wuji frowned and said, "According to Junior's understanding, Kong Xing Shen Seng died under the imperial family's Ruyang Palace's warrior."

"Who is the leader of the Ruyang Palace's warriors?" Du Jie asked.

"The daughter of the Ruyang Prince," Zhang Wuji replied, "Her Han name is Zhao Min."

"I heard from Yuan Zhen," Du Jie continued, "That this girl has joined hands with your honorable Cult. She has abandoned her royalty, abandoned her father, and defected to the Ming Cult. Is it true?" He was aggressively pressing on step by step.

Zhang Wuji did not have any choice but said, "That's right, she … right now, she … she has crossed from darkness to light."

In a loud voice Du Jie said, "The killer of Kong Jian is the Ming Cult's Jin Mao Shi Wang Xie Xun. The killer of Kong Xing is the Ming Cult's Zhao Min. This same Zhao Min has also broken into the Shaolin Temple, captured our Temple's disciples. The worst of it all, she went as far as engraving insulting words on our revered sixteen Luohan idols. If we add my Shixiong's [older martial brother] eyeball to those offenses, the three of us bear a hundred years of grievance. Zhang Jiaozhu, if we do not settle this debt with you, then with whom?"

Zhang Wuji heaved a deep sigh, thinking that since he had decided to shelter Zhao Min, her previous excessively wicked deeds could only be heaped on his head. In that blink of an eye, he suddenly understood his father's feelings when he committed suicide when confronted with his beloved wife's former crimes. He thought that as the settlement of Yang Jiaozhu and Yifu's enmity from the past until today, "Du Jie is right: If I do not undertake it, who would?" He stood straight up, sending his strength to his foot, and the bobbing tree branch he was standing up suddenly stayed still. In a loud voice he said, "Since the three honorable masters say so, Wanbei cannot run away from this responsibility. Then only Wanbei, one person, can accept all offenses. But as Yifu harming Kong Jian Shen Seng, there were innumerable difficulties surrounding that event. I am asking three honorable masters not to hold him accountable."

Du E said, "What do you depend on that you dare to plead for Xie Xun? Do you think we, three martial brothers, will not kill you?"

Zhang Wuji thought that as things had come this far, he must fight to the end; he said, "With one against three, Wanbei is definitely not your match. Which one of the three honorable masters will grant instruction to me?"

Du Jie said, "Fighting one to one, we cannot defeat you. This is about an enmity as deep as the sea, we don't have to follow Jianghu custom. Good devil head, come to receive your death. Amitabha Buddha!"

As he invoked the name of Buddha, Du E and Du Nan spoke in chorus, "May Buddha shows mercy!" Three black ropes flew in a flash to coil around his body.

Zhang Wuji dropped down to evade the ropes, but before his feet touch the ground, he flipped midair and charged toward Du Nan. Du Nan raised his left palm; with an abrupt turn of his palm, a strong gust of wind attacked Zhang Wuji's lower abdomen. Zhang Wuji turned sideways to evade; using the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi on his palm he ward off the attack. In the meantime, Du E and Du Jie's pair of black ropes curled down on him. Zhang Wuji smoothly skated half a circle. Du Jie waved his left palm and launched a noiseless attack.

Zhang Wuji moved from tree to tree, sending attack after attack. Suddenly his palm hacked down, several hundred raindrops, as big as soybeans, flew toward Du E, carrying a strong gale of wind. Du E leaned his head sideways to evade, but dozens of raindrops still hit his face so he felt pain nonetheless. "Good kid!" he shouted. The black rope shook. It made two circles in the air and struck down toward the top of Zhang Wuji's head. Zhang Wuji flew like an arrow to avoid the circle of rope and attack Du Jie at the same time.

The more he fought, the more alarmed he became, as he felt his body was surrounded by the airstream from the three black ropes and the gust of wind generated by the three palms, which gradually tightened around him like glue. Ever since he started teaching himself martial art, he had never met such superior opponents like these three monks. Not only their stances very complicated, the abundance of their internal energy was matchless.

At first, Zhang Wuji was still able to use 70% of his strength in defense and 30% for offense. More than 200 stances, however, he started to feel that his pure and clear internal energy gradually turned muddy that in order to survive he could only defend and not attack at all. His Jiu Yang Shen Gong was actually unlimited; the more he used it, the stronger he was. But right now, every move he made consumed enormous internal energy that little by little he felt his stamina decrease. Actually, it was also because he had never had this kind of experience ever since he trained the Shen Gong [divine skill/strength].

After several dozens more stances, Zhang Wuji thought, "If I keep fighting, I will only deliver my life in vain. I'd better escape today, and come back with Grandfather [orig. wai4 gong1 – maternal grandfather], Yang Zuo Shi [left emissary], Fan You Shi [right emissary], and Wei Fu Wang [bat king]. With five of us joining forces, I am sure we will defeat these three monks. At that time we will be able to rescue Yifu."

Immediately he sent three stances attack toward Du E in his attempt to break out of the encirclement. Unexpectedly, the circle of three long black ropes was as tight as copper wall or iron rampart. Several times he attacked, each time he was pushed back and was unable to get out. He was greatly shocked. "Turns out these three monks collaborate as one individual," he thought, "Can anyone in the world really achieve this kind of interlinked minds?"

He did not know that Du E, Du Jie and Du Nan, three monks had spent more than thirty years sitting in meditation together. Their biggest skill was in using the 'interlinked minds'. As one person moved, the other two understood his intention immediately. This 'telepathic' skill sounded mysterious, but these three men had been together in one room for more than thirty years; concentrating in interaction with each other in training, so it was not surprising that their minds could react as one person.