Chapter 159 Indestructible Body
The carriage rumbled and rolled out of Kaifeng, heading west. A few days later, Luoyang was already in sight.
Luoyang, formerly known as Luoyi, is the capital of thirteen dynasties. Although it no longer possesses the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties, it remains an important town in the Central Plains. Outside the city, the Longmen Grottoes stand majestically, and the Yi River flows gently by, its banks lined with willows, creating a picturesque scene. The main road into the city is bustling with carriages and merchants, rivaling even Kaifeng in its vibrancy.
The Wang family of the Golden Saber Sect was located in the south of Luoyang City, in a vast mansion. Two imposing stone lions stood before the gate, and a plaque with golden characters—"Golden Saber Sect"—hung above the vermilion gate. Several disciples dressed in tight-fitting clothes, with golden sabers at their waists, stood at the entrance, exuding an air of grandeur.
As soon as Lin Zhennan and his wife arrived at the door, someone rushed inside to report. A moment later, a sprightly old man with gray hair and beard strode out to greet them; it was none other than Wang Yuanba, the leader of the Golden Saber Sect. Behind him were two middle-aged men, his two sons—Wang Bofen and Wang Zhongqiang—and several young men, all members of the Wang family.
Madam Wang called out from afar, "Father, brother, why are you coming out to greet us personally? Come inside quickly."
"My dear daughter, Zhennan!" Wang Yuanba's voice boomed, his face beaming. "We've been waiting for you!"
Lin Zhennan quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Father-in-law, your son-in-law is late."
Wang Yuanba helped him up, laughing, "We're family, no need for formalities. Come in, come in!" He turned and saw Shi Potian.
Wang Yuanba's eyes reddened, and he rushed forward, grabbing Shi Potian's hand, his voice trembling slightly: "Ping'er, my good grandson, you've finally come!"
He held Shi Potian's hand and looked him up and down, then said to Madam Wang, "Ping'er takes after you, so handsome! Good, good, good indeed, truly a fine grandson of the Wang family!"
He said "good" three times in a row, his voice full of satisfaction and pride.
He turned to look at Lin Zhennan, then at Madam Wang, and sighed, "You've all suffered these past few days. I've heard about what happened at the Fuwei Escort Agency. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, but fortunately, with Ping'er here, the revival of the agency is just around the corner."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Shi Potian, his eyes filled with affection: "Ping'er, I heard that you displayed great skill in Hengyang City, defeating the five great protectors of the Songshan Sect single-handedly and killing Yu Canghai with a single palm strike, avenging the Fuwei Escort Agency. Well done! You truly deserve to be my grandson, Wang Yuanba's grandson!"
Shi Potian called out, "Grandpa, hello."
Wang Yuanba laughed heartily, pulling Shi Potian's hand and leading him inside. As they walked, he said to his children and grandchildren behind him, "Look at him! This is your cousin Lin Pingzhi, now renowned throughout the land as the righteous and invincible Invincible of the South! You good-for-nothings should learn from Ping'er!"
The young men exchanged glances, some with unconvinced expressions, others secretly scoffing. Their elders had been nagging them endlessly about comparing them to their cousin, belittling them and labeling them as useless good-for-nothings. They'd long harbored resentment, and now, seeing their cousin in person—a pale-faced eighteen or nineteen-year-old—how capable could he possibly be?
It seems that the Songshan Sect and Qingcheng Sect are just empty names. If the Golden Saber Wang family were present, they would probably also earn the title of Golden Saber Invincible.
As soon as everyone entered the gate, they saw a large black lacquered plaque hanging on the beam, with the four golden characters "Acts of Righteousness and Courage" written on it, and below it was signed by a certain governor of HEN Province.
Qu Feiyan thought to herself that the Golden Saber Sect's martial arts were not very good, but their style was quite impressive.
Upon entering the main hall, guests and hosts took their seats. Madam Wang instructed Shi Potian to pay his respects to his two maternal uncles, Wang Bofen and Wang Zhongqiang. Both men were in their forties, broad-shouldered and burly, quite resembling their father. They praised Shi Potian highly, but inevitably scolded their own son again.
Wang Bofen then introduced his two daughters to Shi Potian. The two cousins were quite curious about Shi Potian, not expecting him to be so handsome.
The grandsons, however, were young and impetuous, and they all stared intently at Shi Potian, their eyes full of eagerness.
Shi Potian also introduced Qu Feiyan and Sarutobi Riyue. Qu Feiyan was very sweet-talking, calling Wang Yuanba "Grandpa Wang" and "Uncle Wang" repeatedly, which made Wang Yuanba very happy. Sarutobi Riyue's deeds of killing Yu Canghai's son and defeating Jia Kunlun in one move had already spread throughout the martial arts world. He was dressed as a Japanese samurai, so the Wang family naturally recognized him.
Sarutobi Higetsu treated the Wang family with utmost respect and courtesy, which surprised the Wang family.
Rumors circulated that this Japanese ronin had recognized Ping'er as his lord, and judging from his respectful expression, it was indeed true.
After the family finished catching up, a welcome banquet was prepared at the Wang family home, and everyone took their seats. After several rounds of drinks, Wang Yuanba's grandson, Wang Jiaju, finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up, saying, "Cousin, I've heard that you single-handedly defeated the Five Great Protectors of Songshan in Hengyang City and killed Yu Canghai with a single palm strike. Your martial arts are unparalleled. I've admired you for a long time and would like to ask you to give me a few pointers. Is that alright?"
Before Shi Potian could speak, Wang Yuanba retorted, "Insolence! Ping'er is now renowned throughout the land, and there are very few in the martial world worthy of fighting him. Your name doesn't even shake Luoyang City, yet you dare to challenge Ping'er?"
Wang Jiaju didn't dare to talk back, but he still looked at Shi Potian with resentment.
Qu Feiyan curled her lips, thinking to herself that this guy was really ignorant of his own limitations. She could easily defeat him, yet he dared to challenge the young man.
If Sarutobi Higetsu hadn't known that Wang Jiaju was a relative of the lord, he would have jumped out and cleaved him in two with a single blow.
Seeing that it was her second brother's youngest son, Madam Wang gave Shi Potian a look and said with a smile, "Ping'er, your little cousin wants to spar with you. Why don't you go down and exchange a few moves, so that your maternal grandfather can see if you've improved?"
When Madam Wang spoke, Shi Potian naturally nodded in agreement.
Wang Jiaju was overjoyed and immediately went to the open space in the hall, where he assumed a fighting stance. He drew his golden knife from his waist, the blade gleaming, which did indeed give him a certain imposing presence.
Shi Potian smiled, stood up, walked to the center of the field, and waited for Wang Jiaju to make his move.
I thought to myself, "It's going to be difficult for my maternal grandfather and uncle to see if I've made any progress. How do they know if I've made any progress?"
Wang Jiaju frowned and said, "Cousin, aren't you going to draw your sword?"
Shi Potian shook his head: "No need. I rarely use weapons when I fight."
Wang Jiaju's face darkened. He thought to himself, "Others are others, but my Wang family's swordsmanship is not to be underestimated. How dare they treat me like they are the same as them?"
Wang Jiaju felt that Shi Potian was underestimating him, so he shouted and slashed down with his golden blade, aiming straight for Shi Potian's shoulder. He used seventy percent of his strength in this strike, wanting to test Shi Potian's abilities.
Shi Potian finally figured out how to show improvement in the competition. When he saw Wang Jiaju slashing at him, he neither dodged nor avoided, but simply stood still.
Unaware of Shi Potian's true strength, the Wang family members cried out in alarm. The two cousins screamed, "Cousin, get out of the way!" "Cousin, watch out!"
Then, a "clang" was heard as the golden knife struck Shi Potian's shoulder, producing a metallic sound as if it had struck iron or stone.
Wang Jiaju felt a violent tremor in his hand, and the golden knife almost flew out of his grasp. He looked down and saw that a chip had appeared on the blade!
The entire room was shocked. Even Lin Zhennan and the others did not expect that Shi Potian was hit by Wang Jiaju. But why did it make a metallic clanging sound? Is that a sound that a human body can make?
Sarutobi Higetsu stared wide-eyed, completely taken aback.
Wang Jiaju's face turned deathly pale. He took two steps back, staring in disbelief at the golden knife in his hand. This golden knife was made of fine steel, capable of cutting through iron like mud. How could it have chipped a gash when it struck a person's shoulder?
Shi Potian patted his shoulder.
He laughed and said, "Cousin, your knife is quite nice. It's a real shame that I broke it. I'll have Mother buy you a new one."
Qu Feiyan almost burst out laughing.
Wang Yuanba was so shocked that he stood up, staring wide-eyed at Shi Potian. After a long while, he said, "Ping'er, you...you're wearing iron armor?"
Even the so-called Golden Bell Cover and Iron Shirt techniques in the martial arts world have never been known to produce such a sound.
Shi Potian said, "Grandpa, didn't you want to see what progress I've made? This is my recent progress. This is called the Indestructible Body, which I just mastered."
Upon hearing the words "indestructible," the Wang family members gasped in shock.
He really mastered this legendary martial art, and so easily, without even needing to circulate his internal energy or hold his breath?
Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a high-ranking monk at Shaolin Temple mastered this divine skill, but he was later ambushed by someone and killed with a single punch before he could even use his power.
Is his indestructible body even more powerful than that of the Shaolin monk?
Wang Yuanba took a deep breath and said to Wang Jiaju, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to your cousin!"
Although Wang Jiaju was terrified and pale, he still didn't believe it and stepped forward to Shi Potian, saying, "Cousin, are you really not wearing armor? Can I see it?"
Qu Feiyan walked over and picked up Shi Potian's clothes from his shoulder. There was a tear in them. She said angrily, "Little brother is invincible, why does he need to wear armor? Apart from the hole you cut in his clothes, he's completely unharmed. Come and see for yourself."
Before Wang Jiaju could even go over to check, the two Wang cousins rushed to Shi Potian's side to examine him. They saw that the skin on his shoulder inside the hole was snow-white, without even a scratch. The two sisters looked at each other in horror, their eyes practically sparkling as they stared at Shi Potian.
My cousin exclaimed, "Wow, cousin, you're amazing! You really weren't wearing any armor!"
My cousin exclaimed admiringly, "Cousin, you actually mastered the Indestructible Vajra Skill! Doesn't that make you invincible?"
When Wang Jiaju went over to take a look, he was so shocked that his face turned ashen. He realized that he really was a clown, and his reputation couldn't even be spread beyond Luoyang City.
Wang Bofen sighed, "Ping'er, your skills are truly unheard of. With you at Fuwei Escort Agency, its reputation will be restored in no time."
Wang Zhongqiang also said, "Brother is right. From now on, our Golden Saber Sect will definitely give our full support to the business in Luoyang. The Songshan Sect and Shaolin Sect have controlled the Henan Escort Agency business for many years, and it's time for them to take a share."
Lin Zhennan neither agreed nor disagreed, but repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
After the banquet, everyone was led to their guest rooms to rest. Madam Wang, having not returned to her parents' home for many years, wanted to stay for a while. Wang Yuanba, a wealthy man from Zhongzhou, owned numerous residences, and everyone stayed at the Golden Saber Sect's residence.
The next day, Qu Feiyan took Shi Potian out shopping. She was very familiar with Luoyang, and led Shi Potian around, letting him eat all the local snacks and see all the sights.
Tired from walking, the two sat down in a teahouse, ordered a pot of tea, and drank while watching the street scene.
The teahouse was bustling with people from all walks of life, their voices mingling with the sounds of their conversation. At the next table, several江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and outlaws) men were engaged in a loud discussion, their voices occasionally drifting over.
A man said, "Have you heard? There's been new news about that big tomb over in Zhongnan Mountain. It's said to be the tomb of Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School of Taoism!"
"Wang Chongyang? He was the number one martial arts master in the world hundreds of years ago! There must be something good in his tomb!"
"That's right! I heard that his tomb contains all the martial arts manuals he learned in his lifetime, as well as the legendary Nine Yin Manual!"
"What is the Nine Yin Manual? Is it very powerful?"
"Of course it's powerful! That's the ultimate guide to all martial arts! Have you heard of the Mount Hua Sword Tournament? Legend has it that Wang Chongyang gathered heroes from all over the world to hold the Mount Hua Sword Tournament in order to compete for the Nine Yin Manual. Isn't that amazing?"
"If someone wants to be the best in the world, then they must be incredibly powerful."
A man at another table chimed in, "Come on, I heard the tomb entrance is sealed tight, and no one can get in. Countless tomb raiders have gone there recently, and they've all returned empty-handed."
When Qu Feiyan heard the words "Nine Yin Manual," her eyes lit up. She tugged at Shi Potian's sleeve and whispered, "Little brother, did you hear that? Nine Yin Manual!"
Legend has it that it was created by the extraordinary figure Huang Shang, and since its creation, it has stirred up countless bloody storms in the martial arts world. It appeared hundreds of years ago alongside the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, and now it has unexpectedly resurfaced.
It's said that the Nine Yin Manual is an extremely Yin Taoist mental cultivation method; isn't that exactly what Sister Long wants?
Shi Potian was also intrigued and nodded, saying, "Yes. Judging from the name, it's the Yin-Yang Manual. If we can find the Nine Yin Manual, Sister Long's martial arts deficiencies can be corrected."
Qu Feiyan said, "Then let's go to Zhongnan Mountain! Anyway, we don't have much to do in Luoyang. Maybe if you're lucky, you can find a way in."
Shi Potian said, "Alright. I'll tell my parents when we get back."
As the two were talking, a commotion suddenly arose downstairs. Shi Potian peered out and saw a large crowd gathered in the street, some people screaming and others cursing. He frowned; the screams sounded familiar.
He greeted Qu Feiyan and got up to go downstairs. Qu Feiyan followed behind, and the two squeezed into the crowd to see three ragged beggars being beaten on the ground by three well-dressed men. They were being punched and kicked until the three beggars were bruised and swollen, rolling on the ground.
"I'll beat you all to death, you filthy beggars! Weren't you all so powerful back in Hengyang? Why aren't you powerful anymore?" one of the men shouted as he beat the beggars.
Another person said, "Brother, don't kill him. Keep him alive to play with slowly."
The third person laughed and said, "Make them kneel down and kowtow, call them 'Grandpa' three times, and we'll spare them."
Shi Potian took a closer look and was taken aback. Although the three beggars were disheveled, he recognized them at a glance—they were the three heroes of Jibei who had impersonated the Sun Moon Cult outside Hengyang City and tried to steal the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual.
The three of them were defeated by Shi Potian and had their martial arts sealed, which saved their lives. They never expected to end up like this.
Shi Potian recognized the three men who had attacked him; they were actually the three sons-in-law of Master Xia.
Back in Hengyang, the three heroes of Jibei impersonated envoys of Dongfang Bubai of the Sun Moon Cult, displaying their imposing manner and terrifying the three sons-in-law, who fled in terror. Now, with their martial arts crippled, it's truly a case of bad luck that they've run into these three. They're lucky they weren't killed.
Shi Potian couldn't stand it any longer, so he stepped forward, flicked his sleeve, and a gentle force surged out, pushing his three sons-in-law backward, almost causing them to fall.
"Who goes there?" the eldest son-in-law roared, turning around to see what was happening. His face immediately changed, and his legs went weak. "Lin... Young Master Lin..."
The other two sons-in-law also saw Shi Potian clearly, and were so frightened that they turned pale and retreated repeatedly.
Shi Potian said, "Their martial arts have already been crippled. If you continue to fight, you will kill them."
The eldest son-in-law stammered, "Young Master Lin... we... we just wanted to teach them a lesson..."
Shi Potian waved his hand: "Then you can leave."
The three sons-in-law, as if granted a pardon, turned and ran away without daring to look back.
The three heroes of Jibei lay prostrate on the ground. When they looked up and saw Shi Potian, they were first stunned, then burst into tears: "Young Master Lin..."
Read Chapter 159, The Indestructible Body, now to begin your exciting day.