The Return of the Condor Heroes

Chapter 17 – The hidden Loveless Valley, Part 9

Zhou Botong laughed as he sat on the beam. The beam was thirty feet off the floor; though there were many good fighters in the hall, to follow him and leap up in one go was something that none of them could do.

Fan Yiweng was the Master of the passionless valley’s senior disciple and was older than his Master. Apart from his Master, he was the most skilled fighter of the valley; after being ridiculed by Zhou Botong many times, how could he not be angry? He was short and skilled at climbing; his body leapt up and grabbed a pillar, climbing up it like an ape. Zhou Botong loved it when someone tangles with him, he saw him climbing up but couldn’t wait for him to reach the beam so he stretched out his hand to receive him.

How would Fan Yiweng know that that it was a kind gesture? When he saw his right hand stretching out towards him, he stretched out his finger and poked the ‘Great tomb’ pressure point on Zhou Botong’s wrist. Zhou Botong felt a slight sensation in his hand and immediately sealed off his pressure point and loosened his muscles. Fan Yiweng felt that his finger was poking something like cotton wool; he quickly pulled his finger back. Zhou Botong’s palm turned and struck the back of his arm with a very crisp sound, he called out, “One basket of barley, two baskets of barley, you and me slap the great barley!”

Fan Yiweng was extremely angry, he swung his head and his long beard swept towards Zhou Botong. Zhou Botong heard that urgent gust of wind and propped his left foot against the beam and moved his body, his left hand then held onto the beam and hung his body in the air.

Xiaoxiang Zi knew that Fan Yiweng was not a match for Zhou Botong; even if he went up there to join in as well he would not be able to beat him. He turned around to Nimoxing and Ma Guangzou and said, “Brother Ni and Ma, that old man doesn’t give any respect to the six of us; he really has gone too far.”

Nimoxing was a rash person and could be offended, Ma Guangzou was slow witted and wasn’t clear on what was happening, when they heard him say, ‘doesn’t give any respect to the six of us’, they were angered and both of them shouted. They then leapt towards the beam to grab Zhou Botong’s leg. Zhou Botong kicked away their palms with his legs.

Xiaoxiang Zi turned to Yin Kexi and said coldly, “Brother Yin, are you really just going to watch?”

Yin Kexi gave a wry smile and said, “Brother Xiaoxiang, you go first and I’ll be right behind you.”

Xiaoxiang Zi made a strange whistle, the walls trembled and he suddenly leaped up. His knees were not bent; his whole body and arms were straight as a ruler as he went for Zhou Botong’s abdomen.

Zhou Botong saw the incoming attack and pulled in his body and became almost sphere like; his right hand swapped with his left hand in holding the beam. Xiaoxiang Zi clutched thin air and dropped back down. His body was straight as a stick, his feet touched the ground and he jumped up once again. Fan Yiweng was holding onto the pillar and sweeping his beard while Xiaoxiang Zi, Nimoxing and Ma Guangzou kept on going up and down trying to attack him.

Yin Kexi laughed, “This old man’s martial arts really are incredible; I’ll join in as well.” He searched his pockets and took out a weapon. The hall was lit up with the reflection of pearls and the glimmering of gold; there was a whip in his hand. This whip was made out of gold and silver silk and was embedded with pearls and gems. In the world of Jianghu, one would not be able to find such a precious and lavish weapon as this. There were glimmers of gold and glistening of pearls as the whip was swept towards Zhou Botong’s leg.

Yang Guo was amused with what was happening and thought, “These five are showing off their abilities in attacking the Old Urchin; if I don’t do something out of the ordinary, I can’t claim to be capable.” He had an idea; he put on the human skin mask and copied the strange call of Xiaoxiang Zi. He then picked up Fan Yiweng’s staff, stood it up against the floor and used the force to throw himself up into midair. The staff was already over ten feet long, so using it as a lever he was able to face Zhou Botong face to face. He called out, “Old Urchin, watch out for the scissors!” The large scissors cut forwards towards his white beard.

Zhou Botong was delighted, he moved his head and called out, “Little brother, your move is pretty amusing.”

Yang Guo said, “Old Urchin, I haven’t done anything to offend you, why did you make fun of me?”

Zhou Botong, “Things come and go and you haven’t suffered one bit; instead you’ve gained something.”

Yang Guo was startled and said, “What came and went?”

Zhou Botong laughed, “Right now I need to be excused, and I can’t speak with you.” He saw the incoming Golden Dragon whip of Yin Kexi and stretched out his hand to seize it. Yin Kexi’s whip twisted and he was about to counterattack his opponent’s back when he fell back to the floor.

The Old Urchin said, “Your colorful dead snake is pretty funny.” At this moment, Fan Yiweng’s beard came sweeping across; his hands were holding onto the pillar and he was relying on his beard to attack his enemy.

Zhou Botong laughed, “So a beard can be used like that?” He copied him and swung his beard towards him, but his beard was a lot shorter that Fan Yiweng’s and he had never practiced with it before; the move he made with his beard was useless. A ‘shua’ sound was heard as he was struck by Fa Yiweng’s beard across the cheek leaving a red mark; if he didn’t have such profound internal energy, he would have been knocked out. After receiving this attack, Zhou Botong wasn’t angry, instead he had great respect towards Fan Yiweng and said, “My beard can’t compare to yours, I admit defeat, we don’t need to continue.”

Fan Yiweng had just had a successful strike and was not going to hold back; his beard came out again. Zhou Botong did not dare to use his beard to meet it again, so his left hand used the techniques of the “Vacant Light Fist”, throwing out soft fists. The wind created by the fists forced Fan Yiweng’s beard to the right and just at this time, Ma Guangzou had leaped up to make an attack, the beard brushed against his face.

Ma Guangzou’s eyes were covered so he grabbed the beard with his two hands. Fan Yiweng’s beard had originally been under his control but after being forced away by the wind from Zhou Botong’s fists, he lost control of it and it was now in Ma Guangzou’s hands. He was startled and did not use force to pull it back. Ma Guangzou was holding it tightly and as he descended, he dragged Fan Yiweng down to the floor.

Ma Guangzou was thick skinned and the fall didn’t hurt much. However, Fan Yiweng had fallen on top of him.

Fan Yiweng said angrily, “What are you doing, you still haven’t let go?”

Though Ma Guangzou didn’t feel much pain from the fall, Fan Yiweng’s feet had landed on his stomach and it was quite painful; his anger also erupted and he shouted, “I don’t want to let go; what are you going to do about it?” After he said this, he quickly wrapped the beard around his arm.