Annabelle Hung quickly put away her sadness and said to Luna Xiao beside her, "I am the wife of Xavier Xiao, the King of the West, and your great-grandfather Nathan Xiao was an old hometown friend of his! Before the uprising, those brothers of different surnames all followed Xavier, growing vegetables, farming, and making charcoal to survive in Western Guangxi. When the war broke out, the hardships they faced were all endured thanks to those brothers supporting Xavier!"
(Note: Xavier Xiao, King of the West, grew up with his adoptive father in poverty, surviving in the mountainous regions of northern Guangxi by farming, working the land, and making charcoal. His parents had four sons; Xavier was the third, and due to poverty, he had little schooling and was barely literate. To make a living, Xavier left home as a teenager to work, even serving as a shop assistant. Soon after, he and his parents moved to the Lower Ancient Hamlet in Ping'ai Mountain, Guiping, clearing land and making charcoal to survive. There, he befriended several brothers of the Jianghu. Only after the Taiping Rebellion began did he lead his brothers to join the "God Worshippers' Society," becoming one of Hong Xiuquan's most trusted generals!)
"Mm-hmm, my father often told me this part of our history, reminding us never to forget the kindness of the King of the West!" Luna Xiao nodded in agreement.
"Hehe... Today, seeing all you old friends of the Xiao family together brings me great comfort!" Annabelle Hung said with a smile.
"Oh? Senior Hung, who else have you met?" Luna Xiao asked curiously.
"Oh, the little girl from the Nangong family, Fiona Nangong! She was the one who told me you were in danger. Otherwise, do you think I would have just randomly shown up here?" Annabelle Hung said with a laugh.
"Huh? Fiona Nangong—wasn't she in China? How did she know what was happening to us in Japan?" Shawn Young asked in surprise from the side.
"She's already come to Tokyo. She pretty much knows everything about your situation and movements—she even managed to find me in Okinawa. That Nangong girl really has some skills!" Annabelle Hung praised Fiona Nangong without hiding her admiration.
"Oh, so she really did find you, Senior! But how did you manage to get here so quickly?" Shawn Young was puzzled. Even if Fiona Nangong was in Tokyo and contacted Annabelle Hung, Shawn figured that even with wings, Annabelle couldn't possibly get from Okinawa to Kanagawa Prefecture in an instant.
"Heh, kid, our Chinese heritage goes back five thousand years—there are plenty of mystical arts. Have you ever heard of the 'Thousand-Mile Earthshrinking Technique'? That's how I got here in an instant. This technique can pinpoint your exact location, and it's quite similar to your Taiqing Sect's 'Oracle Vision,' except it adds the earthshrinking effect. Heh." Annabelle Hung said proudly.
Shawn Young shook his head. He really hadn't heard of such a strange technique before, so he just smiled humbly and said, "Though I am a disciple of the Taiqing Sect, I'm not very knowledgeable. Such a magical technique truly amazes me. I hope you'll teach me, Senior."
Annabelle Hung laughed, "Heh, kid, don't flatter me. I haven't been active in China for many years. It's normal that you young people don't know these arts. I'm no master—I've lived a long time, practiced Yunnan techniques, studied dark sorcery, and even dabbled in the Mountainbreaker Enforcers' arts. You could say I've learned a bit of everything. Your Taiqing Sect has a long history and is the most orthodox Daoist school. Your skills are already impressive—just don't underestimate yourself!"
"Oh, I understand, Senior!" Shawn Young quickly replied, remaining humble.
"You're someone destined for greatness, kid. One day, you'll surpass most Daoist practitioners. The 'Thousand-Mile Earthshrinking Technique' is the signature skill of the Mountainbreaker Enforcers. Since you're so interested, when I have time, I'll teach you this technique. That way, the Mountainbreaker Enforcers' legacy will be passed on..." Annabelle Hung said to Shawn Young.
"Oh! Thank you, Senior Hung!" Shawn Young was overjoyed and quickly clasped his hands in thanks, following the traditional etiquette of the Jianghu.
Annabelle Hung, however, waved her hand impatiently, "Enough, don't bother with all those Hung Society rituals. They're so annoying! I don't know how Zhu Yuanzhang taught those useless descendants—each one worse than the last. The great land was just handed over to the Manchus! Such a shame to our ancestors! Anyway, enough of that. Let's deal with that Orochi first."
Shawn Young knew Annabelle Hung was talking about the history of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. As a history major, he was naturally intrigued. Annabelle seemed to know a lot of historical secrets and Jianghu anecdotes, which matched Shawn's interests. He was eager to ask her more, but now wasn't the time.
(Note: The Mountainbreaker Enforcers are said to have thirty-six trades, with tomb-raiding as their specialty. Among the four tomb-raiding sects—Gold-Touchers, Grave-Raisers, Mountainbreakers, and Hill-Diggers—the Mountainbreaker Enforcers are considered the strongest. The Gold-Touchers, Grave-Raisers, Mountainbreakers, and Hill-Diggers are also known as Gold-Toucher Captains, Grave-Raiser Taoists, Mountainbreaker Enforcers, and Hill-Digger Generals, respectively. There's a saying: 'Hill-Diggers have the seal, Gold-Touchers have the talisman, Grave-Raisers have the art, Mountainbreakers have the armor.'
Legend has it, the founder of the Mountainbreaker Enforcers learned special techniques from a mysterious master, granting them immense strength. Members are famed for their superhuman power and martial arts skills, which is why they're called 'Enforcers.' It's said that the legendary Lü Bu was once a Mountainbreaker Enforcer, raising funds for Dong Zhuo's army (rumor has it he even dug up Emperor Qin Shi Huang's chamber pot) and excavated several Han dynasty imperial tombs.
This sect originated in the late Han dynasty, and during the Northern Song period, it gradually merged with the Gold-Touchers and Laoshan Sect, forming a distinct school. They developed unique insights into feng shui techniques, combining the strengths of both traditions. They're also experts at breaking magical formations and know the weak points of various feng shui terrains.
Mountainbreaker tomb-raiders always worked in groups, looting ancient graves and braving countless dangers—not just relying on agility or brute force. As the saying goes, even thievery has its techniques, and the Mountainbreakers' skill lies in their tools. These methods have been passed down for nearly two thousand years, giving rise to countless legendary tales.
(This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!)
During the Yuan-Mongol era, the Mountainbreaker Enforcers were persecuted for opposing the regime. In retaliation, they set out to destroy the feng shui of Genghis Khan's tombs, vowing to topple the Yuan dynasty. They succeeded in ruining several of his burial sites and helped restore Han rule. This sparked a blood feud with the Mongols, who, when they ruled China, issued the Golden Eagle Order—summoning a secret organization of assassins to hunt down Mountainbreaker Enforcers. It's said that even today, descendants of those assassins still follow ancestral orders to hunt Mountainbreaker members. That's why the Enforcers are so secretive—they won't even tell their own families their true identity. Later, they faded from the Central Plains, moving to Miaojiang, Outer Mongolia, Northwest China, and even Central Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Their traces have appeared in many places.
But as with all things, what rises must fall. The Mountainbreaker Enforcers began in the chaos of the Han dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song, declined in the Ming and Qing, and by the Republic era, they finally vanished from history.)
Suddenly, everyone cried out in surprise. Shawn Young quickly turned to look—Orochi had already finished drinking the fine wine from all eight deep pits. Its eight ugly heads poked out, burping loudly, and its massive body swayed, staggering and leaping into the air only to crash down again. It tried to get up and fly, but kept falling, repeating this several times like a drunken fool. The scene was actually pretty funny.
"Senior, now that Orochi's finished the wine, it seems drunk. Will it still go on a rampage?" Shawn Young asked curiously.
Annabelle Hung sneered, "Heh, Japanese sake tastes pretty good, but it's nowhere near as strong as China's Erguotou or Russian vodka. Even if you added several times more, you couldn't get Orochi drunk. That monster's tough, but it has one weakness—it loves booze. The moment it smells alcohol, it wants to drink. And its tolerance is better than a hundred northern men! But I added a little something special to the wine for it, heh."
"Uh, Senior, what did you put in the wine?" Shawn Young asked.
"It's a special anesthetic from Yunnan! The amount I put in the wine could knock out ten elephants! Heh." Annabelle Hung giggled.
"It's about to drop! Three, two, one—down! Haha!" Annabelle Hung counted, and five hundred meters away, Orochi finally collapsed to the ground, snoring loudly. The strange rumbling echoed far and wide, and the faint red glow that had been wrapped around its body slowly faded away.
"Hahaha! See that? No matter how fierce Orochi is, it's still just a dumb monster! I don't get why so many Japanese got messed up by it. Anyway, enough talk—let's go chop it up!" Annabelle Hung shook her head, pulled out a wooden box from behind her, opened the lid, and took out a giant hammer and a gleaming broadsword.
"These are the Kingbreaker Hammer and the Celestial Shatterblade, unique weapons of the Mountainbreaker Enforcers. Their founder forged them from millennium black iron, and even had Grandmaster Zhang Daoling of the Celestial Masters bless them with heavenly power. They're made for fighting tough monsters. Here, kid—take this! Let's smash Orochi! Legend says it's a demon god with a thousand-year-old core inside. That's a real treasure, so don't waste it." Annabelle Hung said, tossing the Celestial Shatterblade to Shawn Young.
Shawn Young quickly caught the sword by its hilt, but it was so heavy that he almost dropped it. He gripped it with both hands, channeling all his strength, and felt its weight—it must have weighed at least a thousand catties! If he hadn't cultivated Half-Step Collapse Fist, he wouldn't have been able to hold such a heavy blade.
Annabelle Hung looked at Shawn Young mischievously and said with a smile, "Heh, kid, didn't expect you to be this strong! You know, these weapons are made from celestial meteorite—usually only Mountainbreaker Enforcers can even lift the box. The whole set, with the ancient dragonwood box and three divine weapons inside, weighs over three thousand catties!"
"No wonder it's so heavy! I can't imagine how Mountainbreaker Enforcers use weapons like these!" Shawn Young exclaimed.
"Heh, you think the name 'Mountainbreaker Enforcer' came out of nowhere? Their techniques grant superhuman strength! Lü Bu, the greatest warrior of the Three Kingdoms, was a top Mountainbreaker Enforcer!" Annabelle Hung explained with a laugh.
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