The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 416: Challenge in public, save in secret

There were a lot of soldiers and horses, and all of them were good fighters. The weakest one was also second-rate. After they placed the horses, they split into two groups. Murong Fu, Qiao Feng, and Master Xuan Bei took the main road and headed straight for Tianning Temple, while the others took the small road around to the back.

Although the three men intentionally controlled their speed to give others more time to take a detour and hide, they still arrived at Tianning Temple very quickly. They saw more than a dozen Xixia warriors standing at the temple gate, holding long swords and looking fierce.

Without waiting for them to come forward, Murong Fu suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand, took a deep breath and said loudly: "Gusu Murong Fu, Beggar Gang Qiao Feng, and Shaolin Xuanbei Master are here to visit General Helian of Xixia. Please take the time to meet them!"

The sound spread far and wide like a huge bell, and instantly spread throughout the entire Tianning Temple. Not only the dozen or so Xixia warriors guarding the gate, but also the masters of the Yipintang in Tianning Temple and the captured Beggar Gang members heard it clearly.

They knew that Qiao Feng was in Wuxi, but why was this Young Master Murong also there? Not only did he get together with him, but he even kidnapped Master Xuanbei of Shaolin. Although the members of the Beggar Gang were very puzzled, they were quite excited. With Qiao Feng in the north and Murong in the south joining forces, there was almost no one who could do anything to them, but they were saved.

When a dozen Xixia warriors heard the names of North Qiao Feng and South Murong, they were immediately frightened and hurriedly bowed to salute. However, compared to Murong Fu, they were more afraid of Qiao Feng. After all, Qiao Feng's reputation was mostly earned through foreign wars. Many of their colleagues had built the reputation of North Qiao Feng with their blood and lives, so they had to pay attention.

On the other hand, although Nan Murong was ranked alongside Qiao Feng in the north and south, and his martial arts skills were comparable to Qiao Feng's in the eyes of outsiders, he was most famous for his talent, not only as an official but also in business. However, his prestige in the martial arts world was not as great as Qiao Feng's.

Without the need for the gatekeepers to report, the masters of the Yipintang in Tianning Temple also knew that three masters had arrived. Soon, the sound of a horn was heard, and the temple gate opened wide. The head of the Yipintang of Xixia, Helian Tieshu, led Nurhai and other masters to greet them, among whom were Duan Yanqing, Ye Erniang, and Yue Laosan.

The three villains felt a wave of fear when they saw Murong Fu. Murong Fu alone was enough to send the three of them fleeing in panic, so what would happen if someone as famous as him, Bei Qiao Feng, joined in? Not to mention that Shaolin Master Xuanbei was also a rare master. Even the hundreds of Xixia Yipintang members flinched at the sight of the three men.

Helian Tieshu glanced at Qiao Feng but ignored him. They had already fallen out and had always been enemies, with no room for easing. On the other hand, Gusu Murong Fu could still be won over. He smiled and said to him, "I've long heard of Gusu Murong's great name. As the saying goes, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' It's an honor to meet you today, sir."

A faint smile curved Murong Fu's lips, and he snapped his folding fan shut. He cupped his fists and said, "I've heard a bit about the reputation of Xixia's Yipintang. As the saying goes, 'Anyone who reaches the Yipintang is considered the best martial artist in the world.' I just wonder how Xixia's Yipintang compares to the best in the Central Plains martial arts world. I'm Murong Fu, 28 years old. I wonder who in Yipintang could represent the Yipintang? Please enlighten me."

As the saying goes, ignorance is fearless. As a general in charge of Xixia Yipintang, Helian Tieshu is used to seeing so-called "masters". During the battles with the Song Dynasty, he suffered losses at the hands of Qiao Feng many times, so he decided to eradicate the Beggar Gang. However, he easily captured all the high-level leaders of the Beggar Gang early this morning, which made him think that the Beggar Gang is nothing special. Then, is the leader of the Beggar Gang also just a figurehead?

By analogy, Murong Fu, who is as famous as Qiao Feng, is just so-so and not worth taking too seriously.

It has to be said that once a person floats up, it is really difficult for him to land, unless someone can knock him down to the dust. Helian Tieshu was very "lucky" to meet someone who could knock him down to the dust, or to say, he met two people who could knock him down to the dust: Qiao Feng in the north and Murong in the south!

Murong Fu politely declined Helian Tieshu's invitation to enter the temple and simply set up his position to the side, awaiting his advice. Qiao Feng, laughing heartily, moved to the other side. "As the saying goes, a guest is a guest from afar. General Helian has traveled thousands of miles just for the Beggars' Sect. As the leader of the Beggars' Sect, it would be unjust for Qiao Feng to not express his gratitude. I beg the experts of Yipintang to teach me. If I manage to win a single move, I hope General Helian will show mercy and spare my brothers. Qiao Feng will be deeply grateful!"

Although he was expressing his gratitude, he moved forward step by step, leaving shallow footprints on the bluestone ground wherever he passed. Although the footprints were shallow, they were extremely clear. There was nothing unusual in his movements, and there was no loud noise. This skill made all the masters in Yipintang gasp in surprise.

It is difficult to live up to the reputation. The slogan of "North Qiao Feng and South Murong" has been said for many years, and there are countless people ranging from twenty to forty or fifty years old who challenge them. Even today, there are still only North Qiao Feng and South Murong in the world. This shows that the strength of the two is by no means false.

"Amitabha." Master Xuanbei chanted the Buddha's name nearby, waking up the masters in Xixia Yipintang. This skill was also shocking, but it also told them nakedly that he was also a great master and should not be ignored.

However, compared with Qiao Feng in the north and Murong in the south, Master Xuan Bei knew that his martial arts skills were slightly inferior, and he was too old to endure a long battle, so he did not jump out to provoke, but supported from the side with a big pestle in his hand. As for what he supported, he couldn't actually say it himself.

Will Qiao Feng in the north and Murong in the south be defeated?

Master Xuanbei swept his eyes across the entire room, lingering on Duan Yanqing for only a moment, and then he felt relieved. No one here could be their opponent, well, not even himself.

Seeing the expressions of the two men, Helian Tieshu knew that it was impossible not to fight, and he also wanted the chief warrior to intimidate these two top young masters of the Central Plains. If he could convince them, that would be the best, but if not, he would let them know how powerful Yipintang was.

Just one warrior, two warriors, three warriors, and seven or eight Xixia warriors were knocked away. No one could force out three moves from Qiao Feng of the North and Murong of the South. They even defeated their own warriors with their legs and feet with their hands behind their backs.

Master Xuanbei secretly laughed. This scene was so familiar. But do you have to be so disrespectful? Xixia warriors also have to save face.

Helian Tieshu was furious, so he ordered three warriors to besiege Murong Fu, and five warriors to besiege Qiao Feng. However, he knew in his mind that no one of his men could win in a one-on-one fight.

This time, Qiao Feng didn't hold back, swinging his palms with vigor and ferocity. His Dragon Subduing Palm commanded everyone's attention, and the five Xixia warriors collapsed before even taking thirty strikes. Meanwhile, Murong Fu, on the other side, was even more reckless. He didn't even kick, his eyes tightly shut, moving back and forth like a breeze, effortlessly dodging the attacks of the three Xixia warriors. He even deliberately channeled their attacks, only to grow bored after a moment and kick them one by one.

Kick quickly, accurately and fiercely, kill a kid with one kick, and never need a second kick.

Duan Yanqing, who was watching from the side, saw clearly that this Southern Murong was really arrogant and he really couldn't beat him. On the other hand, Northern Qiao Feng was equally famous as him and his Dragon Subduing Palm was definitely better than his. If he confronted him head-on, he probably wouldn't be able to last more than thirty to fifty moves.

Just when Helian Tieshu didn't know how to respond, he suddenly heard shouts from behind and a large group of people rushed out, led by a group of beggars.

"Boss Qiao, we're here to help you!" "The Xixia Tartars are despicable and shameless, using poison to launch a sneak attack!"

When Helian Tieshu saw this group of beggars rushing out, he knew that he had lost this battle. He did not expect that Qiao Feng in the north and Murong in the south were just baits, and they had other people sneaking in from behind and rescued these Beggar Gang leaders.

"You win." Helian Tieshu, a man who could take things as they came, said confidently, "But what can you really do to us? I'm a great general of Western Xia, a member of the diplomatic corps representing the Western Xia king to the Song Dynasty."

The members of the Beggar Gang couldn't help but sigh in admiration when they heard this. It seems that as long as you have a legal identity, you can do whatever you want. You can attack us, but we can't kill you?

Murong Fu opened his folding fan with a swish and stepped forward with a smile. "The Xixia delegation stayed at Tianning Temple, desecrating the Buddhist sanctuary with wine and meat. The abbot of Tianning Temple, a devout Buddhist, was blinded by rage and secretly murdered all the Xixia delegation members. Later, he attained enlightenment and sacrificed his life for the Buddha to ascend to the Western Paradise. This is a cause for celebration, a cause for celebration."

Helian Tieshu was furious when he heard this. I am shameless enough, but there is someone here who is even more shameless than me. Although Murong Fu said it well, he didn't really do it. If a real fight breaks out, I will definitely win, but casualties are inevitable, and we may not be able to catch them all in one fell swoop.

Anyway, the people have been rescued, and it was the leader Qiao Feng who directly attracted attention, while the deputy leader Ma Dayuan secretly rescued the people. Although some disciples of the Beggar Gang were injured, almost no senior leaders were sacrificed, so the result was acceptable.