Chapter 17 – Protect his Highness
After reciting his poem, Hong Xiaobao was getting ready to go back to the Great Healthcare. As for the people on the scene, they were left in a state of shock for at least half a minute. Afterwards they all started fiercely applauding the Ninth Prince. “Such skill! Excellent! After today’s event, the Ninth Prince surely established good relations with the Saint Academy ! This definitely is a meritorious deed !
Now it looked like this Ninth Prince had some relations with the Thunder Sound Pavilion (Yun Caixiao), the Lotus Flower Base (Aunt Lan), and the Saint Academy (Zuo Shixian). With such a background his future could be limitless!
“It is a pity though. It is said that the Ninth Prince His Highness dislikes practicing martial arts. n.o.body knows the reason for that, but His Highness must’ve met some kind of an obstacle. Otherwise with such ability, he could casually choose any school, and it would welcome him with open arms!”
Seeing that her own Big Brother Xiaobao was in the limelight, nearby Yun Caixiao chuckled while covering her mouth. She obviously was very happy for Hong Xiaobao.
“In the’ greenish mist and soft sunset rests my home, which from the dust of worldly affairs is free…” Little girl Qingqing had repeated after Hong Xiaobao in a low voice “This Ninth Prince seriously is interesting, it is a shame though, that he doesn’t practice martial arts.”
“People are different, it would be not good to demand everything from him.” The woman said with a nod. “But it is true indeed, that with his intelligence he could become a well-known character in the Jiang Hu.”
When Hong Xiaobao had grabbed Qingqing, she had felt that he did not have even the slightest flow of true qi. She felt pity, but did not say much about it. She just recited that poem again and again.
“The nectar I sipped, ‘midst the bamboo groves I roam. The Buddhist Scripture closed, I watch the mounts with glee… His Highness is truly very skillful! Now this Zuo can die without regrets!” Zuo Shixian deeply bowed to Hong Xiaobao, afterwards he fixed his clothes, and said, “This Zuo’s wish is already complete, since Brother Guan must fight with me, then let us exit and fight!”
No matter what, if they fought here they could very easily injure innocent people. But if you looked at Guan Juxiong you could see that he hadn’t had any intentions of leaving in the first place.
“Going out to play is boring, isn’t it ? Let’s play here!” During Guan Juxiong’s speech his whole body seeped with true qi, as his arms became thicker by a whole circle*. He then grabbed two copper cauldrons which were standing by the entrance, and had thrown them at Zuo Shixian!
That one cauldron’s estimated weight would be around 1000 Jin**!! And this Guan Juxiong had thrown them as if they were feathers
The sound of the cauldron piercing through the air could be heard. The throwing strength of that throw would be at the very least several thousand, maybe even tens of thousand jin!
This Guan Juxiong had drank Demon Bear milk while growing up, so you could say that he had an inborn strength. Zuo Shixian knew that, as he didn’t dare to meet him head on. He jumped to the side, as he simultaneously recited with a loud cry “Side firmly with your chieftain!” When he had recited this poem, true qi had bursted out from his hand. Then he spat a huge mouthful of blood, which unexpectedly turned into a sword. At this time Zuo Shixian’s second poem resounded “300 soldiers defend a blossoming flower!”
Each character serving as sword***, seven b.l.o.o.d.y swords arose as they hit that flying cauldron and had splitted it in seven parts!
“Same trick yet again, ha! Try to do it again!” Guan Juxiong roared as his arms instantly turned red. He then used a scalding hot wind palm technique on Zuo Shixian.
This wind palm was incomparably hot, and about two meters thick. As it brushed past the tablecloth that was nearby, it was instantly set on fire.
“En, Holy Purple Inflammation Palm, it really is the Devil Feng Du’s martial arts.” Qingqing looked at that wind palm, and said lightly “It’s a pity though that he has not practiced it to a proficient degree. Neither the wind palm technique, nor the inflammation.
If these words were said by that middle aged woman, then it would be understandable as she appeared to be very strong, but they unexpectedly came from a little girl’s mouth! It meant that this little girl, Qingqing, had a great background behind her.
“It is so,” the woman said disdainfully. “His skills are unpolished”
She couldn’t care less about Guan Juxiong’s attack, but Zuo Shixian’s expression was quite dignified.
Guan Juxiong’s skin was rough and thick, which made dealing with him extremely hard. Seeing the Holy Purple Inflammation Palm coming right at him, Zuo Shixian didn’t dare to be negligent so he recited a long poem “The wheel of life did not allow one to chase death, therefore his soul now refuses to disturb the clear ice”****
Instantly the seven b.l.o.o.d.y swords turned into the icy swords. At that moment the Warm Fragrant Building’s temperature dropped by a few degrees, as Zuo Shixian’s swords barely managed to block Guan Juxiong’s attack.
Afterwards the fierce struggling wind palm vanished under the resistance of the cold sword qi.
Guan Juxiong was standing completly still, but Zuo Shixian had to retreat three steps back, only then did he manage to stop.
“Ha, ha, ha, I, your father, knows that you’re almost spent kid!” Guan Juxiong said with laugh. “You probably can make a few more moves, but i’m only warming up. Hey kid, I, your father, will let you make your move, come, hah!”
As he said that he looked secretly at Hong Xiaobao.
Today really was his lucky day. When he killed Zuo Shixian, he would have taken an advantage from the Thunder Sound Pavilion. This was like killing two birds with one stone!
The Ninth Prince’s strength was like a speck of dust in his eyes!
Seeing Guan Juxiong’s ominous glare, Zuo Shixian recited “In the’ greenish mist and soft sunset rests my home, which from the dust of worldly affairs is free!” It was Hong Xiaobao’s poem!
The effects were also strange, because as soon as Zuo Shixian declaimed this poem, the entire Warm Fragrant Building was covered in a warm, greenish glow. As for Zuo Shixian his pale face had recovered some of his colors.
“Ohh…” The nearby standing Hong Xiaobao looked at him. “This fellow unexpectedly used my poem. Oy, Old Zuo you can use my poem if you wish to. Do you want me to make another one?” Ah, poetry, this father, has not used since being a seven year old!
“I wish for that earnestly !” Zuo Shixian instantly became very happy. He could feel that injury in his body was quickly restoring. He hurriedly followed up with another verse “Th’ nectar sipped, ‘midst the bamboo groves I roam. Th’ Buddhist Scripture close’d, I watch the mounts with glee.”
When these two verses exited his mouth Zuo Shixian’s movement speed doubled. He closed up at Guan Juxiong, and when he was near him, another verse resounded “I love reciting poems; ’bout mishaps who’d care? Amuse myself here and there as well as I may.”
“Good ! Come at me ! When Guan Juxiong saw with his own eyes the might of the first two stanza’s, he didn’t dare to be negligent. His whole body erupted with scalding hot air, which made the surrounding people back off 50 meters. People that were still observing, were all martial artist. All the common folk had long since left the Warm Fragrant Building.
“Purple Inflammation Nirvana!” Guan Juxiong’s body heat was so hot that all the surrounding chair’s became charcoal. Then the hot air shot towards Zuo Shixian at an insane speed!
The might of his technique was enormous, he after all was still a 7 star martial artist. It was just that he didn’t want to kill Zuo Shixian this fast. He also couldn’t afford to thoroughly offend the Lotus Flower Base. Otherwise his technique could easily burn this small place down.
Nevermind that, this steam was still as deadly to normal citizen. And Hong Xiaobao was still a normal man, not a pract.i.tioner.That leftover steam moved towards Hong Xiaobao at alarming speed.
If he got hit by it, even if he managed to survive, he would not escape some serious burns that could endanger his life.
“Protect His Highness!” At this time, the guards, which were standing off to the side, jumped before Hong Xiaobao to make a human wall. They simultaneously emitted their true qi to defend against that steam!
*Basically doubled
**Yet again, pretty sure everybody knows but just in case. 1 jin ~ 0,5 kg. Divide by two, get your weight in Kg. 1 Jin is roughly 1,6 pound if your wondering. So 1000 Jin is ca. 1102 pounds. And for british people that’s like 78 stones.
*** In chinese these poems had 7 characters each
**** My best attempt at translating this “生轮未让追求死,今拒他魂扰冰清”