The autumn breeze is blowing, the moonlight stars are sparse in the night sky over the capital, and the cold moonlight is falling, adding a bit of coldness out of thin air.
The weather is getting colder and colder, and every house in Beijing is closed.
But in a certain splendid mansion in the southwestern part of the capital, the lights were still bright, and the mansion was heavily guarded, making it look like it was facing a formidable enemy.
By the light of the lantern at the door, we can see the word 'Zhang Mansion' written on the plaque above the door.
At this time, there were several people sitting in the main hall of the mansion. The leader was an old man wearing a red robe. He had a majestic air as if he had been in a position of power for a long time.
This person is the owner of the Zhang Mansion and the chief minister of the former dynasty, Zhang Haiduan.
He has been in the court for many years, and it is naturally impossible for him to successfully sneak into the position of chief minister and retire safely.
Although Zhang Haiduan has retired now, he can be said to have disciples and former officials everywhere in the court. In addition, many relatives in Zhang's mansion are still officials in the court, so it is not an exaggeration to say that Zhang's mansion is extremely glorious. , enough to be regarded as the top group of wealthy families.
On both sides of Zhang Haiduan's head, there are several younger men. These people are the core members of the Zhang family. Among them, the highest-ranking ones are Zhang Renlong, the eldest son of Zhang Haiduan, and Zhang Renfeng, the second son.
At this time, Zhang Renlong looked solemn and looked at Zhang Haiduan, who was sitting in the chair, and said in a deep voice:
"Father, the information has been found out clearly. The West Factory has sealed off the capital and searched everywhere for the case of the emperor falling into the water. It is said that the mastermind behind the matter is King Xin."
"King Xin has been planning this matter for a long time. This time, he also recruited a group of good people from the world to come to Beijing to help. He wanted to take this opportunity to 'change things', but he was found out by the West Factory. At this moment, King Xin has been arrested and handed over. It was tried by Dali Temple, and Xichang took advantage of this matter to further expand its power, and its status in the court has reached that of Hulong Villa, and all officials are afraid of it."
Hearing this, Zhang Haiduan frowned slightly and said, "So, wasn't that why the people from the West Factory came here two days ago?"
"no."
Zhang Renlong shook his head: "That thing has been in our Zhang Mansion for many years and has never been known to anyone. Even if Xichang has great hands and eyes, there is no way it can be traced to us."
Zhang Haiduan nodded slightly, and his heart suddenly relaxed a little.
The 'thing' that Zhang Renlong was talking about was actually the 'Rama's body' that everyone in the world wanted to get.
For hundreds of years, there have been rumors in the world that whoever can obtain Rama's body will be able to practice peerless magic and dominate the world.
Although the Zhang family belongs to the imperial family and has little connection with the Jianghu, Zhang Renfeng, the second son of Zhang Haiduan, is a martial arts fanatic, and his yearning for the Jianghu is no less than the eldest son Zhang Renlong's pursuit of the power of the imperial court.
Three years ago, while traveling around the world, Zhang Renfeng accidentally got this treasure that everyone in the world dreamed of. Then he brought it back to his home and studied it hard.
Although Zhang Haiduan is not in the Jianghu, he also understands how tempting this thing is to the Jianghu people. He knows the principle that "every man is not guilty but carries the jade." Once people learn that Rama's body is hidden in the Zhang Mansion, it will definitely cause turmoil in the entire Ming Dynasty. The world is in shock. Even if the Zhang family has its back to the imperial court, there will definitely be constant trouble.
At first Zhang Haiduan wanted to hand over this hot potato, but then he thought about it. The second son Zhang Renfeng was so obsessed with martial arts. If he could really understand Rama's body, practice magical skills, and become a figure like Rama eight hundred years ago, the Zhang family would His power will definitely expand further, and even without his protection, it will be able to be glorious for dozens or even hundreds of years, so he gritted his teeth and hid the matter, leaving Zhang Renfeng to fiddle with it on his own.
However, in private, he is also extremely cautious. Whenever there is any big movement in the capital, he will associate it with this thing, and then people will pay close attention to it, for fear that the matter will be accidentally leaked and bring big trouble to the Zhang family. There is a feeling of being in trouble.
This time, Xichang sealed off the capital and conducted a door-to-door search, which already frightened him. He did not relax a little until he found out Xichang's true purpose.
But for the past three years, this secret has been carefully guarded, but there was no movement from Zhang Renfeng's side, which made Zhang Haiduan feel extremely tired.
After pondering carefully for a moment, he frowned and looked at his second son, Zhang Renfeng, and asked:
"Renfeng, how are you comprehending that thing? If you really can't comprehend it, why not throw it out for those Jianghu people to fight for, so that we can get out of this matter. Otherwise, we will always be worried like this, as a father It’s so tiring.”
Zhang Renlong also looked at Zhang Renfeng and advised:
"Father is right, second brother, what our Zhang family should be pursuing is power. As long as we hold the power and stand firm in the court, we will not get what we want? Why pursue the illusory path of a martial artist? Why? This will cause more trouble!"
Zhang Renfeng frowned slightly when he heard this, and was about to defend himself when a calm voice suddenly sounded from outside:
"What Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhang said is right. Since you can't comprehend the things, it's useless to keep them. Why don't you just hand them over and let me keep them for you."
Swish——
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Immediately, everyone in the mansion was startled. They looked up and saw a tall, cold-looking swordsman in black walking slowly from the door. However, the many night guards in Zhang Mansion did not notice him at all.
Zhang Renfeng was the first to react. He instantly stood up from his chair, looked at the swordsman in black with sharp eyes, and shouted coldly:
"Who are you? How dare you break into my Zhang Mansion late at night!"
The swordsman in black looked calm and did not hide his identity. He said calmly: "Yan Shisan."
…
The next day, instead of getting warmer, the weather got colder.
The sky was gloomy, the dark clouds were extremely low, and a heavy rain seemed to be coming at any time.
The impact of King Xin's arrest for treason has not yet completely passed. Everywhere in the capital was quiet, especially in the south of the city. There were only a few pedestrians on the street.
But the world doesn't stop because of someone or something.
Although this matter caused a lot of noise, the danger has now been eliminated, and the various government offices in the imperial court are still operating normally and handling the case.
West Factory.
Unlike the outside world, the Yamen was very lively.
During these few missions, Xichang suffered heavy manpower losses. There were originally more than a thousand elite masters, but now there are less than half of them, and they are in urgent need of fresh blood. Yuhuatian has given the full responsibility of the deputy governor Tan Luzi, so Tan Luzi has been busy with this matter these days.
Xichang's recruitment channel is also very simple, just transfer people directly from Jinyiwei.
Although Xichang and Jinyiwei are at the same level, according to the division of power, Jinyiwei is just a subordinate of Xichang. Compared with being promoted within Jinyiwei, many people still yearn to join Xichang.
After all, an ordinary fan in Xichang has much higher salary and rights than Jin Yiwei, and can even compete with Jin Yiwei's general banner. No one wants to hold the same position, but have to be dominated by others.
So now that there is an opportunity, many people want to enter the West Factory. The internal competition in Jinyiwei is in full swing these days, and all the major offices want to get some people in.
However, Tan Luzi did not accept everyone. The full complement of Xichang was only about 1,400 people. The emperor was worried if there were more people, and there were not so many positions for management. Therefore, Tan Luzi's principle was to rather lack than to overwhelm, and recruit people in Xichang. , must all be elites.
Especially those who are responsible for missions must have at least second-rate acquired martial arts skills, and must have a clean background to ensure their loyalty.
"Tap-ta-"
The yamen was filling in information and reviewing recruitment, and Yan Shisan slowly walked into the mansion with an object wrapped in black cloth in his arms, and there was a faint smell of blood on his body.
Yan Shisan's identity is no longer a secret in Xichang and Jinyiwei. Everyone knows that he is a capable general under the command of the factory leader Yu Huatian, so when they see this, they all respectfully get out of the way and salute.
Tan Luzi also noticed Yan Shisan coming, and glanced at the object wrapped in black cloth in his hand. He was a little curious, but did not ask any more questions. He politely held his hand and said, "Master Yan is back."
Yan Shisan looked calm, nodded, and said, "Where is the Governor?"
"The Governor has been retreating in the backyard these days." Tan Luzi replied.
Yan Shisan nodded slightly, then ignored them and walked straight to the backyard.
Not long after, he came to the quiet room where Yuhuatian was retreating. He saw two Xichang fans guarding the door. When they saw him coming, they quickly bent down and saluted.
Yan Shisan nodded and said, "I want to see the governor."
"Yes, please wait a moment, Master Yan."
The two fans did not dare to neglect, and Yuhuatian had never told others not to disturb them. After hearing this, they immediately turned around and knocked on the door of the quiet room:
"Reporting to the Governor, Master Yan asks for an audience."
There was a slight silence in the room, and then Yu Huatian's voice sounded from inside: "Come in."
"yes!"
The two fans bowed respectfully, then pushed open the door, turned around and raised their hands to Yan Shisan: "Master Yan, please come in."
Yan Shisan did not hesitate and stepped straight into the quiet room. He saw that the lights inside were slightly dim. On the futon in the center of the quiet room, a man in white clothes was sitting cross-legged. There was a faint white energy flowing on his body. It seemed that he was practicing martial arts. .
Yan Shisan didn't bother, just stood in front and waited quietly.
After a long time, the figure on the futon started to move. The white vapor on his body was slowly absorbed into his body. All his energy returned to calmness, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"call……"
Yuhuatian took a long breath, a trace of satisfaction and expectation flashed in his eyes.
After practicing in seclusion for several days, he not only completely cultivated the 'Divine Movement' to perfection, but also improved his skills once again, and he had clearly touched the barrier between the Grand Master and the Great Grand Master.
Next, as long as he finds out what conditions are needed to break through the Grand Master, he can try to break through.
I believe this time will not be too long...
Suppressing his thoughts, Yu Huatian raised his head and looked at Yan Shisan standing in front of him. When he noticed the black cloth package in Yan Shisan's arms, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes:
"found it?"
Yan Shisan nodded and handed the black cloth package directly to Yuhuatian without saying anything more.
Yuhuatian was also looking forward to this thing. He took the package and unwrapped it, and half a withered corpse came into view.
This half of the mummy has completely withered and its original appearance cannot be seen, but it is very completely preserved, but only the upper part is missing, and the part below the waist is missing.
The upper part of Rama’s body!
There was a trace of fire in Yuhuatian's eyes, he held the corpse in his hands, and his true energy moved around the mummy.
But the next moment, his brows frowned slightly.
Death is like a lamp going out. Rama has been dead for hundreds of years, and there is no way that there is any true energy left in his body. Therefore, what Yuhuatian searched was the meridians and major acupoints in Rama's body, hoping to find out. His movement route, thus inferring his past realm and the number of practice methods.
But after exploring around, Yuhuatian was a little disappointed.
The exercise route of Rama's body is no different from that of most warriors, except that the remaining imprints of the three major acupoints, Shenfeng, Lingxu, and Mingfu, are deeper. Obviously, these three acupoints are the main routes for the exercises he practiced. .
Beyond that, nothing can be seen.
But his meridians and acupuncture points are much wider and thicker than ordinary people, which shows that Rama's skill was indeed very strong back then, at least much stronger than Yuhuatian's now.
At the lowest level, I am afraid he is also a great master.
But this doesn't mean anything.
There is no so-called peerless magical power, nor the method of 'regenerating the disabled and regenerating the good' that Yuhuatian is more concerned about.
Yuhuatian frowned, a little confused.
This body of Rama has been circulated in the world for hundreds of years. Many people in the world want to get it, including some long-established great masters.
If the secret of Rama's body was false, it would have been impossible for it to have been circulated for so many years, and there would still be people trying to get it.
Then why is the upper half of the body so ordinary?
"Could it be that the real secret is hidden in the lower half of the body? In other words, only the complete body can be seen to reveal the secret..."
Yuhuatian was thoughtful, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that his guess might be correct.
After all, the incomplete part that Rama had repaired back then was located on the lower half of the body, and the key acupoints and meridians were also there. But now that the most critical lower half of the body is missing, it is natural that the movements of Rama's lower half cannot be seen. What is the difference between the gong route and ordinary warriors?
Perhaps the key lies in the lower half of the body.
Of course, there is also a possibility that Rama's body does not actually have any so-called peerless magic. At that time, Rama probably had a breakthrough in martial arts due to his profound skills and martial arts breakthrough to a certain level, and then directly relied on his own abilities to regenerate nature and complete the incompleteness. body, so that his body after death would have no defects.
Both of these guesses are impossible.
But the specific situation can only be determined by finding the lower part of Rama's body.
Yuhuatian took a deep breath, put the body aside, looked at Yan Shisan, shook his head and said:
"You can't see much from the upper part of the body. Let's put it away first. If there is a chance in the future, we can find the lower part of the body."
Yan Shisan was not surprised. He had already inspected the body when he got it, and found nothing.
In his opinion, this so-called Rama's body may simply be a scam.
Moreover, even if it was true, he didn't bother to pursue it.
All he wants is the way of the sword!
Yu Huatian glanced at him and asked, "Is there any accident after getting this half of the body?"
Yan Shisan said calmly: "No, the Zhang family has had this body for three years, and they haven't figured out anything. They killed a few people, and they took it out obediently. But they didn't destroy the Zhang family. This half of the body is under supervision." The information in the Lord’s hands may well be leaked in the future.”
"That's nothing to worry about."
Yuhuatian shook his head: "Whoever dares to snatch it will be killed directly. If you are lucky, you may be able to use the upper half of the body to lead to the lower half."
As he said that, he shook his head and ignored the matter. He turned to look at the sword in Yan Shisan's hand and asked, "What are your thoughts on the fourteenth sword?"
When Yan Shisan heard this, his eyes became more serious and said: "I have found the direction, there is only one last opportunity left, I will definitely be able to understand this sword!"
Yuhuatian nodded slightly: "Haste makes waste. Kendo is different from other martial arts. The foundation of kendo and the state of mind are both indispensable. There is no need to rush, just take your time."
"I see."
Yan Shisan held the sword tightly and nodded seriously.
This kind of martial arts can only be understood by one's own state of mind. Others can't help. The most they can do is provide a direction. Once there is a direction, you can only rely on yourself for the rest.
The essence of the Fourteenth Sword is to transform from death to life, so Yu Huatian named it the 'Sword of Life'.
Yan Shisan is also going to take this path, but whether he can realize it depends on him.
Yuhuatian said nothing more, stood up and walked towards the door, but as soon as he walked out of the door, there was a rush of footsteps in the distance.
A Xichang spy walked over quickly, saluted Yuhuatian, presented a secret letter with both hands, and said:
"Report to the Governor, the secret message from the stall!"
Yu Huatian took the secret letter, opened it and looked at it carefully, his eyes suddenly narrowed slightly:
"Shaolin Temple..."
He turned his head and looked in the direction of Songshan Mountain, with a dangerous light flashing in his eyes...
——
Rama's body is just a foreshadowing for the time being. It is related to the protagonist's breakthrough to heaven. It is not used for the time being. It just happens to involve Black Stone Drizzle. Get the first half in advance and lay a foreshadowing in advance.
(End of chapter)
