Chapter 46: Tang Men's Seven Kills

  Tang Zhong's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he asked with a hint of nervousness, "Young Master Wang, is this substitute satisfactory to you?"

  Yang Zhao took a step back, concentrated and looked carefully, feeling that Zhen and the mirror were identical. He praised: "It's really incredible! How did you do it? Who did you choose? But didn't hurt any innocent people?"

  "The humble concubine doesn't dare." Tang Zhong hastily explained: "Among the Seven Killings of the Tang Gate, there is a master of disguise who is unparalleled in the world, called Tang Wuxiang. After receiving the humble concubine's order, he found a scoundrel from Chengdu City, first fed him poison to make him dizzy, and then cleverly crafted this substitute."

  Yang Zhao's heart trembled slightly, and just as he was about to speak, suddenly a loud "thud" echoed from outside the building. Unless the guards outside were simultaneously pounding their long spears on the ground, such a commotion would not have occurred. And apart from Emperor Yang Xiu of Shu, who else could make the guards outside pay their respects at the same time?

  In the midst of heavy rain, footsteps grew louder and closer. Before long, two people pushed open the door and entered the quiet room one after another. The person walking behind lit a candle with a lighter, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Under the dim light, only Yang Xiu, the King of Shu, was seen with a gloomy face, walking straight to the bedside and bowing his head to gaze at "Yang Zhao". After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and murmured: "Zhao'er, actually your uncle has no grudges against you. Today's events are all due to circumstances beyond my control. Now that things have come to this point, for the sake of the Great Sui dynasty's prosperity for generations to come, I can only bear the pain of sacrificing you. If you want to blame someone, blame your father, the king, and Yang Su, that treacherous minister... Alas! If there is an afterlife, may you never be reborn into a royal family again..."

  Yang Xi sighed twice, steeled herself and turned around, saying in a deep voice: "Chang Shi, are you all ready? Then let's get started."

  Tang Ju Xue bowed his head and body, answering: "Yes." He walked towards the fake "Yang Zhao". His wrist flipped over, revealing seven sharp and slender steel needles. He helped the fake "Yang Zhao" sit up in a lotus position, then suddenly struck with lightning-fast movements, inserting the first needle into the Baihui acupoint. The fake Little King was shocked as if electrocuted, his eyes wide open with pain, his pupils filled with suffering that seemed to drag him down to the 18th level of hell. Yang Xiu Mei's brow furrowed in distress, turning her back as if unable to bear looking again, urging: "Chang Shi, hurry up and finish it, don't let him suffer more."

  "Your Highness, the Bodhisattva Locking Needle is a technique that targets the brain's acupoints. If one is even slightly careless, it can be fatal. It's unbearable to watch." Tang Ju Xue replied with his mouth while his hands moved swiftly, and two steel needles were inserted into Yang Zhao's temples on both sides. The four-inch-long steel needles were almost entirely buried in the brain, leaving only half a needle tail exposed. It was truly a shocking sight. Yang Zhao's pain had reached its limit, his face twisted and muscles trembling, he opened his mouth to scream but couldn't make a sound; he struggled to escape, but his limbs didn't listen to his commands. Except for staring at Tang Ju Xue as he picked up the fourth needle and brought it closer to himself, he was completely unable to move. This scene was like a living nightmare that would never end.

  The fourth steel needle pierced in, and the pain of the fake Little King congealed on his face. The fifth steel needle was inserted, and unexpectedly, the twisted eyebrows began to relax. The sixth and seventh steel needles were inserted, and the fake Little King's expression became wooden, his eyes dull, and he looked like a puppet without any difference. Tang Yu Xue retreated back to Yang Xiu's side with his hands hanging down, saying in a low voice: "Your Majesty, it's done. His martial arts and consciousness have both been sealed off. As long as the Locking God Needle doesn't come out, he will be muddle-headed and only listen to commands."

  "Alright." Yang Xiu nodded slightly and turned back to instruct the young master of the mountain stronghold, "Stand up."

  The fake Little King subconsciously opened his mouth, but didn't make a sound. He immediately got up from the couch, his movements stiff, as if he was being manipulated by someone else's hands and feet. Yang Xiu's eyes flashed with displeasure, she turned her head to glance at Tang Yu Xue, made a secret decision in her heart, and said: "It's getting late, let's get going. Zhang Shi, it's up to you now. Take care of him, don't cause any trouble." She brushed off her sleeves and didn't even give her nephew a second glance before walking out of the room and down the stairs. Tang Yu Xue's face was gloomy as he instructed "Yang Zhao" to follow him.

  A large group of soldiers had been waiting outside the small building. Yang Xiu pushed aside the oil-paper umbrella handed over by his attendant, mounted his horse, and led the crowd to walk out of the Wang Mansion. The night rain was heavy, but no one noticed that as soon as Yang Xiu left, two more figures flew out from the top of the small building. The direction seemed to be... the South Gate of Chengdu.

  The Min River originates from the northern Minshan Mountains and flows south, also passing through the suburbs of Chengdu. Yang Xiu set out on this trip to search for treasure in Lingyun Mountain, mobilizing more than 2,000 elite soldiers who had all gathered at the dock in the southern gate of Chengdu the night before, waiting on three warships. At this moment, Yang Xiu brought Tang Jigu and the mountain bandit Xiao Wangye, riding horses out of the city straight to the south gate, arriving at the dock in less than half a meal's time, dismounting and handing the reins to the servant beside him, waving his hand at the officer who came forward to greet him, striding onto the lead ship "Xueyin".

  These five-toothed giant ships originated from the battle of conquering Southern Chen in the fourth year of Kaihuang. At that time, Yang Su was responsible for supervising the construction, and the ship was 100 feet high, about 30 meters. The ship could hold 800 soldiers, with six masts installed on the front and back, each 50 feet high. When engaging in battle, approaching enemy ships would drop the masts, and the enemy ships would be crushed instantly, which is the most formidable. In terms of modern warship standards, it was almost equivalent to a battleship of the Sui Dynasty, absolutely magnificent. Because there were five floors on the ship, it was named "Five Teeth".

  To build such a giant ship, the manpower and material resources spent are extremely astonishing. In the year of the war against Chen, the Great Sui dispatched 200,000 troops, but only four of these giant ships were deployed in the army. Later, after the Great Sui unified the north and south, the national strength continued to rise, and the number of giant ships gradually increased to seven. This time, Yang Xiu privately mobilized this ship, "Snow Drink", to go to Lingyun Mountain for a major event, it can be seen that he is determined to succeed and absolutely cannot afford to lose.

  The rest of the people did not dare to slack off, and they also boarded two other secondary Huanglong warships, "Tianzui" and "Jingji". The large red lanterns quickly rose along the mast of "Xueyin", the command was issued, the gangway was withdrawn, the ropes were untied, the iron anchor was lifted out of the water, and hundreds of oars were put down to row vigorously. The three warships were like three giant dragons, slowly leaving the dock, passing through the water gate and entering the Min River through the artificially dug canal, braving the wind and rain, sailing south overnight.

  The strong wind and rough waves, combined with the rowers' desperate efforts, allowed the three warships to maintain an extremely fast speed even in the dead of night. By dawn, they could accelerate further. At this rate, they would likely reach Lingyun Mountain in Longyou County by tomorrow evening. The grand plan that had been years in the making had finally reached this stage, and Yang Xiu couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. However, thinking about using his own nephew as a substitute for his son's life made him feel guilty. He didn't want to see "Yang Zhao" again, so after boarding the ship, he instructed Tang Ju to take the young master away and settle him in well, while he himself went up to the deckhouse. He walked up the stairs to the third floor, pushed open the door, and entered the cabin.

  As soon as he stepped inside, Consort Tang had already greeted him with a smile, first bowing her head in respect, then taking out a towel to help Yang Xiu wipe off the rain from his body. She spoke softly and attentively: "Your Highness must be exhausted. It's raining so heavily outside! Ah, your clothes are all wet. Let me help you change into a new set of clothes, okay?"

  Yang Xiu and Tang Zhong had been married for three years, and he had always doted on her. Although she was only a concubine, everyone in Chengdu knew that her status was far higher than that of the empress, Peng Shi. However, since visiting his biological son, Yang Xiu's attitude towards Tang Zhong had changed, and last night's loving partner now seemed out of favor. Yang Xiu's face turned cold, and he waved his hand, saying, "No need." With a subtle movement of his internal energy, the heat emanating from his body instantly dissipated, drying his half-wet clothes in just a few breaths. The King of Shu pulled up a chair and sat down, asking, "Have all seven killers from the Tang family arrived?"

  "I have been waiting for Your Highness for a long time." Tang Zhong's eyes flashed with a hint of melancholy, but his mind immediately conjured up Yang Zhao's appearance, and he felt a wave of intoxication and sweetness. He perked up and asked: "Is Your Highness going to receive them now?"

  This time, although there were many soldiers following him, more than half of them were regular soldiers from the Great Sui Dynasty. They would naturally be able to fight and kill on the battlefield, but when it came to dealing with high-ranking martial artists, they would not be up to the task. The 500 "Iron Soldiers" directly under the Shu King's command could be used, but they were the foundation of Yang Xiu's future achievements, and losing even one of them would cause him great pain. Therefore, although there were many soldiers on this expedition, their mission was only to seal off Lingyun Mountain at the right time and ensure that the road was clear and unobstructed. Once inside Lingyun Cave, they would still need to use real high-ranking experts.

  Is a true master easily found? Yang Xiu himself was extremely talented and had received the transmission of the "Far-Reaching Divine Skill" and the "Great Wind Cloud Hand", two absolute skills, from an extraordinary person. After more than ten years of bitter practice, his martial arts skills were higher than those of Li Yuan, Yuwen Shu, Yang Su, and other older generations in the imperial court. However, he had always kept a low profile and rarely showed off his skills in front of people, so it was believed that except for himself and the current head of the Tang Sect, no one else knew what level his martial arts had reached.

  But even so, he himself can't make a forest with one tree. Cultivating high-level experts requires at least a hundred years of accumulation, and the Shu Kingdom's efforts to cultivate them have been in vain. Therefore, this time, apart from Qingcheng Fengyeyu, Diancang Muxinghe, and Yanjia Yanwang, there are only seven top-notch experts on the ship, including Tangmen Qi. In a battle where soldiers don't know their commander and commanders don't know their soldiers, the chances of winning are extremely low. Yang Xiu nodded and said in a deep voice, "Pass it on."

  Tang Zhong's expression changed, and he walked to the outside of the cabin door, clapping his hands three times. Footsteps sounded from outside, and seven people entered one after another, standing in a row in front of Yang Xiu, bowing their heads and saying in unison: "The Seven Kills of the Tang Sect pay respects to Your Highness, and pay respects to Miss."

  Seven people of different heights and weights. When they fell, some were floating, some were stagnant, and some were sinking; when they spoke, their voices were either loud and clear, or sharp and thin, or weak and low. But in the eyes of all, there was a bright light flashing, with an extraordinary air. It showed that the internal family's cultivation was deep, not under the three masters of Feng Ye, Mu Xinghe, and Yan Wugou. Yang Xiu looked at it and couldn't help but nod slightly. He turned to Tang Zhong and said, "I've long heard of the reputation of the Seven Kills of the Tang Sect. Today, I see that the reputation is indeed well-deserved. Sister Qing, please introduce them to me one by one."

  "I obey." Tang Zhong's expression changed to a gentle smile, and he raised his arm to point at a middle-aged man standing at the far left, who was completely unremarkable in appearance, physique, speech, and attire, making him impossible to pick out from the crowd: "This is Qi Sha Zhi Shou, Tang Wu Xiang. He is well-versed in the art of disguise and can change his appearance at will. His cultivation of the 'Wu Xiang Chan Tong' qigong allows him to mimic any extraordinary skill or technique in the world without leaving any flaws."

  Yang Xiuyan's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness as she calmly said, "Tang Wuxiang, receive my palm." Far away, the divine wind and cloud hand was activated, using its six successful forces to strike out from a distance. Tang Wuxiang remained expressionless, taking two steps forward and exchanging palms with Yang Xiuyan in a single move. As their palms met, Yang Xiuyan suddenly felt that her opponent's palm force contained a hidden, elusive, and rotating momentum, which was the unique characteristic of the divine wind and cloud hand. Immediately after, a faint "popping" sound passed by, and Tang Wuxiang retreated back to his original position as if nothing had happened. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your guidance." His tone and voice were astonishingly identical to Yang Xiuyan's own when she spoke.

  Yang Xiu was taken aback, and praised: " Wu Xiang Chan Tong? Good, very good. The first of the Seven Killings, the name is not in vain. Qing Mei, who sits in the second chair among the Seven Killings?"

  Tang Zhong said softly: "Below the first seat of Qi Sha, there is no second chair. The other six people are all equal in status. But if we talk about seniority, then Uncle Bing should be counted as the highest."

  That old man with a sickly complexion, weak and frail, as if he would go to see King Yanluo at any time, coughed repeatedly and said: "Cough, cough, the old man... Cough, cough... is Tang Bing. Your Majesty must not... Cough, cough... look down on the old man... Cough, cough... this appearance. The power of Tangmen's 'Injury Defeat Evil' technique will be revealed when it enters Lingyun Cave, and Your Majesty will know the outcome."

  Tang Zhongqing explained: "The 'Injury-Defying Technique' is one of the thirty-six arts of our Tang Sect. Once mastered, no matter what divine weapon or sharp instrument, it cannot harm the practitioner in the slightest. Uncle Ben has been bitterly cultivating this extraordinary skill for forty years and has long since reached the realm of perfection."

  Yang Xiu nodded slightly, but didn't intend to make a move like before. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the next two people. The two men's appearance and physique were almost identical, and anyone could tell at a glance that they must be brothers without a doubt. As expected, Tang Zhongqing continued: "These two are twin brothers. The older brother, Tang Dian San, cultivates the 'Crazy Devilish Skill', while the younger brother, Tang Dao Si, cultivates the 'Reversal of Heaven's Leg'. When the two brothers join forces, their power becomes even more formidable."

  The three of them bowed in unison, and Tang Zhong's expression turned serious as he pointed to the fifth and sixth individuals. "Tangmen's Four Greats, Killer Sword Dark Poison," he said solemnly. "Although the poison is only ranked last, it is actually the most terrifying and unparalleled school of learning. These two are the masters of poison in my Tangmen, Tang Wan and Tang Yi. The 'Thousand Corpse Heart Gu' and 'Rotting Muscle Bone Erosion' poisonous techniques each have their own strengths. Just these two alone can rival a thousand elite soldiers."

  Yang Xiu just smiled and didn't comment. Poisonous skills have always been looked down upon by the martial arts community, who consider them to be lacking in honor and integrity. Although Yang Xiu wasn't a member of the martial arts community, he couldn't help but be influenced by similar views. Tang Dan and Tang Yi exchanged glances, both with a hint of anger in their eyes, and secretly made up their minds to make a show of themselves, so that they could gain recognition from the King of Shu.

  But Yang Xiu wouldn't mind the thoughts of the two. His gaze shifted to the last person of the Seven Kills, and his eyes suddenly lit up. It turned out that she had a long sword on her back, looking heroic and majestic. Although there was still some childishness between her eyebrows, she was actually an extremely beautiful female swordsman. Tang Zhong walked over and warmly pulled up her hand, saying: "Ming Yue is the only granddaughter of the old master of the previous generation, and the Three Absolute Swords of the Tang School have already reached 80% of the old master's fire. Together with the Divine Soldier 'Yin Sheng', she is absolutely a top-notch expert among high-ranking experts. Your Highness, with the Seven Kills assisting, nothing in the world can't be achieved. I also take this opportunity to congratulate you on your victory and success."

  ——————

  Originally wanted to complain a bit, but 12 also found that there's really nothing to complain about. It's completely reasonable and impossible, but 12 will try to be as reasonable as possible. Thanks for the concern and care from friends. ORZ