The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 299 - 111: Fishing Alone in the Cold River Snow

Chapter 299: Chapter 111: Fishing Alone in the Cold River Snow

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In the harsh winter of the twelfth lunar month, the biting northern wind cut sharply through the sky, carrying silver-grey clouds that galloped and charged above, rolling forth an endless surge of bone-chilling currents that showered down innumerable goose-feather-sized snowflakes.

The whole world was dyed pure white with snow.

And it was amid such a frigid and harsh snow day that a group of devotees wearing Daoist robes, the men called Daoist and women called Daoist Nun, trudged their way northward against the biting wind, along the frozen Luoshui River, heading for the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

Qingming, fighting against the wind, took several vigorous steps forward and yelled into the snow-bearing northern gales, "Daoist Qingxu, Chen Qinglin can hardly hold on any longer. Should we find a place to rest for a bit?"

Qingming didn’t actually value the life of Chen Qinglin, who could be considered a traitor; didn’t you notice how he didn’t even bother to address him as Junior Brother? But Chen Qinglin was, after all, someone whom Master Xuanming had entrusted them to look after, and it would be unsightly for him to lose his life.

Upon hearing this, Qingxu turned his head and called out, "Junior Brother Qing Lin, can you hold on a bit longer?"

Though his words did not show any annoyance, Qingming, who was close to Qingxu, could see impatience on Qingxu’s face. After all, the group consisted of Martial Artists at least of the Innate Fifth Realm. Although the snow was cold, it could not penetrate the True Qi of warriors at their level. Even in such harsh weather, they should have been able to proceed as normal.

But ironically, within this group of generally Innate Fifth Realm and above warriors, there was the Innate Second Layer Chen Qinglin, and he was seriously slowing them down, to the point where they had yet to enter the territory of the Northern Zhou.

"Please be assured, Daoist Qingxu, your Junior Brother will hold on until he sees Gong Ziyu’s end," came the weak yet more so invigorated reply.

Chen Qinglin had joined this team pursuing Gong Ziyu on the pretext of wanting to witness Gong Ziyu’s demise personally. Even though it was freezing cold, his body continued to take steady, unrelenting steps.

Such resolute determination slightly altered the other sect members’ opinions of this traitor, who had betrayed the sect’s Absolute Skill.

However, if those Zhenwu Sect disciples who had changed their opinions saw who Chen Qinglin’s eyes gleamed at when talking about being invigorated, they would probably not feel the same way.

After hearing Chen Qinglin’s response, Qingxu said, "Good, not far ahead should be Baihe Town, the small town before Linchuan Prefecture. We will stop in Baihe Town and, after this heavy snow passes, we’ll continue our journey to Northern Zhou."

Just then, by the riverside ahead, there was an angler wearing a straw raincoat and hat, who had drilled a hole in the icy Luoshui River and was now sitting fishing on the ice near the bank.

The brisk northern wind carried countless snowflakes, a scene that should make one feel the harshness of the weather, yet at that moment, the presence of this angler amidst the severe natural elements created an oddly harmonious sensation.

Seeing someone there, Qingxu approached and asked, "May I inquire how far ahead is Baihe Town?"

"Oh? How do you know that I’m a ’brother’ and not an ’uncle’?" the angler replied with a clear and forceful voice.

"In the twelfth lunar month’s cold winter, at a time of such biting cold, ’brother’ is still able to wear just a thin shirt for fishing on the ice. An ’uncle’ would not have such a constitution," Qingxu pointed at the black clothes visible beneath the angler’s straw raincoat.

"What else? If one possesses high Martial Arts, it doesn’t matter if it’s ’uncle,’ even the very elderly could ignore the severe cold. Unless you give a good reason, I might not tell you the news," the angler asked with interest.

"Daoist Qingxu, we still need to hurry on our way and can’t afford to waste time," Qingming, seeing that Qingxu was inclined to continue answering, couldn’t help but step forward and urge him.

In Qingming’s view, with their Martial Arts skills, regardless of distance, they would undoubtedly reach their destination in a short time. Asking for directions was truly unnecessary.

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However, Qingxu did not think so at all. He waved his hand and said, "Junior brother Qingming, this is not a waste of time; on the contrary, asking for the way can save us a great deal of time and help us reach our destination earlier."

Speaking, Qingxu pushed aside the somewhat perplexed Qingming and continued, "If he were truly old and frail, he would not have such a straight back, and if he were to use True Qi to resist the cold, I would be able to feel it."

"And moreover..." Qingxu leisurely approached the angler, "I also know that you, brother, are not here to fish. In this freezing cold, with the biting wind, this ice cave might get blocked by the snowstorm in a short while. Ordinary people would not have such a mood to come here for fishing."

"You say, am I right..."

Suddenly, a four-colored brilliance burst forth from Qingxu’s body, the Four Symbols circulating, concentrating all his True Qi into a single handprint and struck towards the angler who was facing away from Qingxu, "Gong Ziyu!!!"

This name, which made Qing Yu grit his teeth in anger, was almost uncontrollably roared out by Qingxu.

"Right, but also wrong."

Somehow, the angler had already stood up and with a sideways stance, fended off the move from Qingxu. Against the backdrop of the wind and snow, the bronze mask under the wide-brimmed hat twinkled with a sinister light.

"You’re right that I’m not an old man, and you’re right that I am Gong Ziyu," the originally clear voice had now become a strange sound overlaid with the tones of several people, "but you’re wrong about one thing..."

"I indeed came to fish, but not for the fish in this river; rather, for you, the big fish. Now, the big fish is hooked."

Clearly, Qingxu could distinctly hear a sense of lightness and triumph in the other’s odd tone, and this kind of disdain, as if regarding himself as a fish in a pond, filled Qingxu’s heart with a sense of humiliation.

"Let’s see then, who is the fish that’s been caught!!"

With an angry shout, the four-colored glow symbolizing the Four Symbols on Qingxu’s body suddenly unified, turning into black and white, but this duo of colors only lasted an instant before reverting back to the hues of the Four Symbols.

But this time, the Four Symbols Qi had an unprecedented coherence, as though completely merging into one, no longer maintaining the distinct boundaries of each Symbol as before, even though they still cycled.

"Gong Ziyu, die! Heavenly Yan Four Symbols Palm."

The Qi of the Four Symbols coalesced into an earth-shattering handprint, within it the Four Symbols circulating, Yin and Yang intermittently visible, its unparalleled oppressive force relentlessly grinding down on Qing Yu who was countering Qingxu’s palm.

The sudden surge in palm force’s power caught Qing Yu off guard, and the Qi force that solidified from all directions left him nowhere to dodge.

"Daoist Qingxu, you have greatly improved." In such a dire situation, Qing Yu still had the leisure to joke, which only served to intensify the anger in Qingxu’s heart. He stoked his True Qi to its utmost, pressing down with the "Heavenly Yan Four Symbols Palm" that bore an immeasurable hatred, determined to crush his repeatedly humiliating foe to dust.

"Boom—"

When the "Heavenly Yan Four Symbols Palm" struck down, the entire frozen surface of the river cracked under the unrivaled strength of the blow, and the spot where Qing Yu stood was marked with a massive handprint.

The solid palm force not only outlined the handprint distinctly on the ice but also displaced the water underneath, from the surface all the way down to the riverbed, no river water entering within the imprint.

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