Chapter Nineteenth: The Legacy of Marquis Wu

  No need for idle chatter, here's the second update

  The horses and carriages galloped, advancing non-stop towards the southwest. In just a few days, everyone had already left Daxing City far behind, passing through Longyou to arrive at Wuzhangyuan. Since ancient times, this place has been a strategic location connecting Hanzhong with Guanzhong. From here, two roads branched out. One was a flat and broad road that skirted the Qinling Mountains, followed the Wei River, and led directly to the foot of Daxing City. The other was winding and narrow, passing through the Qinling Mountains - this was the famous Ziwu Valley trail.

  Yang Zhao lifted the car window curtain, gazing at the green mountains and blue waters in the distance. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a surge of nostalgia. He sighed softly: "Where can we find the legacy of the Prime Minister? On Wuzhangyuan Hill, the cypress trees stand tall. The emerald grass on the steps reflects the vibrant colors of spring, while the yellow oriole's sweet melody echoes through the leaves. Three times he declined the throne, worrying about the fate of the world; twice he brought prosperity to the old minister's heart. He died before his mission was accomplished, leaving behind a hero's tears that fill the lapel!"

  Fang Qinghui let out a soft "ah" and turned around with a smile, saying: "Young Master Wang's poem combines scenery and emotion, opening up a new perspective. Especially the last two lines, the emotions are sincere and heartfelt, moving people to tears, truly a rare masterpiece."

  Yang Zhao thought to himself, "Of course it's a good poem. It's the work of the Poet Sage Du Fu, how could it not be?" He humbly said, "It's just wordplay, I'm afraid it will make the Venerable Immortal laugh. Alas, unfortunately, although Zhuge Liang devoted his life to serving the people and was good at strategy, he ultimately prioritized reason over bravery. First, he mistakenly trusted Ma Su, resulting in the loss at Jieting. Later, because of his excessive caution, he didn't use Wei Yan's plan to attack from the northwest. As a result, he failed to gain even an inch of land after six expeditions to Mount Qi, and his northern campaign was all for naught. What a pity! What a pity!"

  The little nun Yuton blinked her big eyes and asked, "Brother Yang, I know about Zhuge Liang's family. But who is Wei Yan again? And what's the story with the Zi Wu Valley plan?"

  After days of traveling, everyone sat in the car facing each other from dawn till dusk, and it was impossible for them to be like a silent gourd all day without speaking. Yu Zhen was young and had never been out before, so she thought everything was fresh and wanted to ask why about everything. Yang Zhao was close in age to her and spoke more freely. Moreover, as a time-traveler, compared to people of this era, he was absolutely knowledgeable and had seen and experienced much. After several days, Yu Zhen, the little nun, almost worshipped Yang Zhao with all her might.

  At this moment, Yu Chen asked, and it happened to be in Yang Zhao's mind. Immediately, he spoke fluently, pointing out the mountains and rivers. He told the story of Zhuge Liang commanding the army to go out of Shicheng six times, and inserted many new perspectives that he had seen when he was a water soldier on the forum before crossing over. For people in this era, it is naturally attractive. Not only did Yu Chen listen with rapt attention, but even Fan Qinghui, Ning Daoqi, and Baiyun were secretly amazed.

  Yuan Tiangai listened for a while and suddenly smiled: "As the saying goes, reading ten thousand volumes is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. This five-zhang land was originally the place where Wu Hou fell from the sky in those years. Since we've come all the way here, and there's nothing else to do, why don't we just get off the carriage and pay our respects with a visit?"

  As soon as the words were spoken, everyone agreed in unison. The driver was immediately summoned to stop the carriage. At that time, the sky was clear and the air was fresh, with a strong sense of spring all around. Getting off the narrow carriage, they took deep breaths, feeling carefree and relaxed. Along the way, they chatted and admired the scenery, enjoying themselves immensely.

  Wu Zhangyuan is only about ten miles in circumference, but it relies on Qipan Mountain to the south and Wei River to the north, with a dangerous terrain. In the middle, there is a small river bay called Luoxing Bay. The rocks are piled up, hiding the remains of the Shuhan army's campsite. Although hundreds of years have passed, the atmosphere is still eerie, even for someone like Lian Ningdao, who can't help but feel a chill.

  Ning Daoqi applauded and praised, saying: "In the past, after Zhuge Wuhou's death, Sima Yi came to visit the remains of this Shu army camp. At that time, he praised and said 'Zhuge Liang is a rare talent in the world'. Ning Mou read history books back then, but didn't quite believe it. But today, seeing it with my own eyes, I realize that Zhuge Wuhou was indeed a sage among sages, and we ordinary people can't compare to him at all."

  Yuan Tiangong smiled and said, "Think back to the year when Zhuge Wuhou was at Fish Belly Bay, he used the Qimen Dunjia technique to lay out the Eight Arrays Diagram. The changes were endless, comparable to 100,000 elite soldiers. The famous Eastern Wu general Lu Xun didn't recognize it and mistakenly entered, almost dying in the array. It's really breathtaking. Unfortunately, this array method was lost later, and it's truly heartbreaking. Master Uncle, I think the layout of this camp is not simple at all, and it seems to contain some hidden array mysteries. Why don't we go in and take a closer look?"

  Ning Daoqi's enthusiasm was ignited, and he stroked his beard, saying, "Good." He then walked along the main road with a leisurely pace. Yuan Tiangang walked shoulder to shoulder with him, constantly discussing the Eight Trigrams Diagram. Yu Chen and Bai Yun fell two steps behind. Fan Qinghui trailed at the end, walking alongside Yang Zhao.

  These past few days, Yang Zhao surprisingly didn't show the slightest awareness of being a captive, instead appearing carefree and relaxed, as if he was out on an excursion. Fan Qinghui seemed indifferent on the surface but actually felt puzzled in her heart. At this moment, she was loose outside but tight inside, despite knowing that the acupoints on his body hadn't been released and his internal energy couldn't be mobilized. She still allocated a few strands of her mind to keep an eye on Yang Zhao, not daring to relax for even half a moment.

  In the midst of conversation, Ning suddenly said that he had already entered the old campsite. He stroked the stone piles and said: "The Eight Arrays Diagram of Zhuge Wuhou..." Yang Zhao suddenly stopped in his tracks and interjected: "The Eight Arrays Diagram is indeed a good thing. If I were to learn it, in the future when we encounter Li Yuan and his son on the battlefield, we wouldn't need to expend any troops or effort; just relying on these stone piles would be enough to trap them inside, what a bargain!"

  Ning Daoqi's body shook and he quickly turned around, his voice stern as he asked: "Young Master Wang, what did you just say?"

  Yang Zhao puffed out his chest and sneered: "Ning Sanren, didn't you hear clearly? I said that in the future, when we meet Li Yuan and his family on the battlefield, we will annihilate them all. Not only those with the surname Li, but also anyone who has ever supported the rebel traitors of the Li family will be captured and exterminated to the ninth degree, not a single one will be left!"

  The two sentences contained a thick and heavy murderous intent, making one's hair stand on end. Ning Daoqi was secretly shocked in his heart, but instead of getting angry, he smiled and said: "Little King..." As soon as the three words came out, Yang Zhao suddenly bit his lip and spat a mouthful of blood onto the stone basin beside him. The stone basin was stained with blood, and a brilliant light burst forth, instantly revealing the ? Kun hexagram on its surface. Yuan Tiangang's face changed greatly, and he hastily shouted: "Not good! Quickly catch him!" He flew out first, his palms joined together, and struck Yang Zhao with a move of pure yang energy, the Taishan Collapse.

  At the same time, Fan Qinghui also made a swift move, grabbing towards Yang Zhao's shoulder. The sudden attack from both sides put Yang Zhao in a precarious situation. Although this quiet and reserved person was still recovering from his injuries and had hastily launched an attack, his speed and strength were only about 20% of what they were at their peak. But judging by the fact that Yang Zhao's acupoints were sealed, shouldn't he have been easily captured?

  In the blink of an eye, Yang Zhao stepped on the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams Step and turned around in mid-air, lightly avoiding Fang Qinghui's grab. With a loud shout, he struck out with his palm, and the Qian Hexagram golden light appeared, solidly colliding with Yuan Tiangang's palm. Amidst the short, dull thud, Yuan Tiangang let out a long, mournful cry, spewing out a large mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a broken kite, coincidentally flying straight towards Ning Daoqi, who was rushing forward. With no choice, Ning Daoqi could only catch Yuan Tiangang first, and didn't have time to ask Yang Zhao why his internal energy had suddenly recovered. He loudly called out: "White Cloud Daoist friend, please lend a hand!"

  Yang Zhao hastily stepped forward from beside Bai Yun, brushing past her and calling out in a low voice: "Aunt Bai Yun, my father the king..." Before he could finish his sentence, he quickly retreated like lightning, narrowly avoiding Fan Qinghui's swift and unmatched sword. Bai Yun's heart softened, and she reached out to hold back Yu Zhen, who was eager to try, using the secret method of transmitting sound to send a message: "The dragon swims in the Min River, paying respects to the Buddha." And with that, she stood by and did nothing to help either side.

  Time waits for no one, the Kun trigram on the stone mortar suddenly appeared in a brilliant light. It had already spread rapidly to cover the entire old site of the Shu Han military camp. The brilliant light turned into a thick fog that obscured the sky and sun. The countless piles of stone mortars all around seemed to have been infused with life, rising up into the air and gathering together, actually coalescing into a gigantic stone dragon. The stone dragon circled in mid-air for half a circle, then without warning opened its huge mouth and pounced on Ning Daoqi. Its momentum was so fierce that it was unbelievable.

  Yang Zhao burst out laughing and shouted, "The dragon battles in the wild, its blood is dark yellow. Enjoy the Eight Trigrams Spirit Dragon Great Array of Zhuge Wuhou, you evil Daoist!" He quickly retreated with his light skill, and in just two or three leaps, he jumped to the edge of the array. Suddenly, a soft voice shouted beside his ear, "Young Master!" A slender jade hand, seemingly slow but actually fast, followed a mysterious trajectory that contained the ultimate principle of heaven and earth, and reached out to grab him.

  In the blink of an eye, Yang Zhao judged that if he didn't get rid of the fake move, he would be trapped in three to five moves. The formation had already been activated, and if he didn't leave immediately, he would also be trapped, and the plan to escape would be ruined. At this point, he could only let Fang Qinghui grab his wrist tightly, and his feet did not stop moving. The two of them, one in front of the other, quickly left the range of the stone array.

  A thick gray fog enveloped the entire array, rippling like lake water with wave after wave of ripples, and then instantly restored to its original state. The two had just stood still, when suddenly a loud rumbling sound came from within the array. Within a radius of ten zhang, there was a violent shaking. The aftershocks reached even the trees on the small hillside a hundred paces away, which rustled "shasha" in response. However, the thick fog obscured their vision, and despite being only a few feet apart, neither of them could see what had happened within the array.

  They didn't even have time to look. Fang Qing's heart was filled with uncertainty, but on the surface, she maintained her calm and elegant demeanor. Her left hand tightly grasped Yang Zhao's right wrist, while her right hand's middle and index fingers formed a plucking flower shape, brushing towards Yang Zhao's shoulder paralysis point. If she brushed it accurately, Yang Zhao would immediately become numb from the waist down, unable to move again.

  This move, "Flower Petal Brushing Hole", was elegant and mysterious, with an inexplicable beauty that was even more profound and ingenious. It was not something that Yang Zhao could resolve. In a state of urgency, Young Master Wang suddenly took a deep breath and let out a thunderous roar. He didn't care about the intricacies of his opponent's "Flower Petal Brushing Hole", he just closed his eyes, concentrated all his energy, and struck out with a palm at the chest of the person from the Quiet Chamber. The center of his palm revealed the Qian Hexagram, which was the most powerful and strongest move in the Yi Jing Xuan Jian: "Qian Tian Ji"!

  Yang Zhao's response was completely lacking in technique, relying solely on brute force to fight. If he were at the height of his powers, it would be easy to deal with him. Unfortunately, he is currently hindered by his injuries and can only muster half of his usual internal energy. Previously, Yang Zhao had been worried that he would escape, so the capturing hand that was gripping his wrist suddenly became a self-imposed trap. The distance between them was so close that they could hear each other's breathing. When the opponent raised his palm to strike, there was no way to avoid it. With no other choice, Jing Zhai's successor could only counterattack and defend himself, pointing at Yang Zhao's palm with a finger as sharp as a sword.

  "Boom!" The sound of the explosion shook the air, and two figures flew apart to the left and right. Yang Zhao's movements were swift and agile, like a dragonfly touching water, as he repeatedly dissipated the residual force of the internal shock before finally stabilizing on the ground. Fang Qinghui, on the other hand, was as light as a willow leaf, drifting seven steps away with an effortless glide, calmly steadying her body. This person might be the most outstanding successor in the history of Ci Hang Jing Zhai, with a calm and serene expression. Her pretty face showed no worry or joy, and she asked indifferently: "Young Master Wang, Ning Dao brother and Bai Yun Shijie, are they going to be alright staying there?"

  Yang Zhao only felt a faint pain in his chest, and he knew that compared to the top masters of this world, he still had a big gap with his current level. He secretly circulated his true energy to suppress the surging blood and qi, and smiled: "The Bagua Linglong Great Array is activated by the true dragon's bloodline, gathering the spiritual energy from all directions within a hundred miles. Once started, if the people inside the array don't move, it's fine, but once they move, it will immediately trigger the dragon's attack, and there will be no end to it. Baiyun Shigong and Yuqin Xiaojie have good hearts, so they are naturally safe and sound. As for Ning Daoqi that demonic daoist... Hehe, that's hard to say."

  Fang Qing's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she let out a soft sigh. "Young Master Wang, although Ning Dao and I may have wronged you in some way, it was all done with good intentions for your sake. We had no intention of harming you, but rather wanted what was best for you. Why must you be so full of resentment?"

  Yang Zhao's face sank, his expression cold as he said: "For my own good? Thank you for your concern. But what am I to you all? Why should Yang certain bow down and listen just because of a casual 'for my own good'? Humph! Spare me the lecture. What kind of person Yang is, what path he will take, none of this concerns outsiders. Except for my parents, who else has the right to point fingers at Yang or gossip about him?"

  Fang Qing smiled and said calmly, "Young Master Wang really misunderstood. I and Ning Dao brother didn't mean to manipulate you, but for the sake of the world's fortune and misfortune, we want to do our best to help you see clearly your own choices."

  Yang Zhao said calmly, "Yang Mou has a clear view of his own path and doesn't need anyone's help. The fortunes and misfortunes of all living things under heaven? Haha, how grandiose. But as monks, shouldn't you have transcended worldly attachments already? Why bother with the fortunes and misfortunes of all living things? Your six senses are not clear and pure, you yourself have no hope of liberation, yet you speak of helping others? How ridiculous, truly laughable."

  As they spoke, the ground shook violently again. This time, the tremors lasted longer and were more intense. Yang Zhao involuntarily stumbled backward several steps. Jing Zhai's eyes flashed with a cold glint as he smiled wryly: "Young Master Wang is still obstinately refusing to understand, Qing Hui has no choice but to use some extreme measures." As he spoke, his body fluttered up like a swallow, still using his fingers as swords. The endless sword energy surged forward like the Yangtze River, pressing down on Yang Zhao with great force.

  Ci Hang Jian Dian, sword energy Long Jiang! Yang Zhao's eyes sparkled again, and he let out a loud roar, stabilizing his body as he swam upstream. His palms flew back and forth, revealing the Qian Tian Kun Di shock thunder fire, chopping down Kan Shui Gen Mountain Xun Feng Duo Ze, the Bagua shape changing and transforming without any fixed rules. In the midst of the intense explosion, two figures collided and entwined with each other. Relying on that fierce and courageous energy in his chest, Yang Zhao actually performed beyond his usual level, momentarily pulling the battle into a stalemate, making it difficult to distinguish who was winning or losing, and their fight became even more brilliant and intense.

  However, one stock can make gas, and the second is declining, and the third is exhausted. The swordsmen clashed with each other for over a hundred moves, and Fan Qinghui gradually gained the upper hand relying on her deep and rich experience. Suddenly, the sword edge violently lengthened, and Yang Zhao's old moves could not withstand it, and he had no choice but to lean back and make an iron plate bridge. Just as the sound of "whoosh" passed by, Fan Qinghui's sword pointed at his right cheek and slid past, instantly staining half of his face with blood. Yang Zhao gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, using all his strength to kick out, not biased or inclined, just kicking on this rare beauty's lower abdomen dan Tian.

  This kind of street urchin-like fighting style, Jing Zhai's successor is truly unheard of and unseen. Since her debut, she has only exchanged blows with others in a perfunctory manner, but which master would learn from Yang Zhao's completely unrefined methods? Suddenly caught off guard and kicked squarely, she couldn't help but let out a pained cry of "Ah~".

  Dan Tian was injured, and the internal force suddenly dissipated. The sword energy that had been as mighty as the Yangtze River immediately lost its momentum. The delicate body retreated backwards, finally losing control and falling to the ground. Yang Zhao no longer had the strength to strike again. He took advantage of the momentum to perform a backflip, jumped up with all his might, and exerted his lightness skill to sprint straight towards Chessboard Mountain in the south.

  Although the Chessboard Mountain is small, it is also a remnant of Qinling. Once Yang Zhao gets in, the mountain is high and the forest is dense, making it difficult to catch him again. In an instant, Fan Qing pondered the pros and cons, looked back at the Wuhou relic array still shrouded in thick fog, and finally stomped his foot, no longer caring about the faint pain in his dantian, forcing himself to take a deep breath and chase after Yang Zhao hastily. In a moment, the two of them entered the forest one after another, just like two stones being thrown into the ocean, leaving no trace behind.