DEMI GODS AND SEMI DEVILS Book 1 of 5 (Adventures of The Youth) by Jin Yong

Descendants Into The Courtyard Part 5

Duan Yu frantically waved his hands. "Wait, wait! Let me fight with him for three stances first!"

Emperor Baoding knew that this nephew of his was often capable of exceeding expectations. Perhaps he had some sort of plan or trick up his sleeve. The Divine Crocodile definitely would not take his life, and with himself, the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment, his brothers, and others present, there definitely wouldn't be any problems. "Everybody, stop. We might as well let this uncouth madman experience the martial talents of the young prince of Dali."

Chu Wanli and the other three were just about to charge, but as soon as they heard the Emperor's decree, they immediately stood down.

Duan Yu repeated, "Yue Number Three, we have to agree in advance. If you can't beat me in three stances, you'll have to take me on as your master. Even if I become your master, you need to be aware that your intelligence is lacking. There's no way I can teach you martial arts. Do you agree to this?" The Divine Crocodile angrily replied, "Who wants you to teach me martial arts? What type of crappy martial arts can you possibly know?"

Duan Yu said, "Good! So you've agreed. After I become your master, you'll have to obey my commands. If I tell you to do something, you must do it. Otherwise, you'll be known as an unfilial person who disobeys his master and insults his ancestors, which is totally contrary to the rules of the wulin. Do you agree?" The Divine Crocodile actually wasn't angry; instead, he laughed. "Naturally. After you lose and take me on as your master, you also would have to obey me."

Duan Yu had been silently pondering ten or so steps of the "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves" [Ling Bo Wei Bu] martial arts he had learned. He felt that to avoid three stances would not be difficult. However, he had never fought with anyone before, and the Divine Crocodile's martial arts was extremely high, leaving him without absolute confidence in victory. It'd be best to leave himself an avenue of retreat.

"Fine," Duan Yu said. "But if you want to take me on as your apprentice, you still need to defeat my masters one by one. Only after proving that your martial arts are superior will I accept you as my master." He thought to himself, "If I am grabbed by him underneath three stances, I'll just point at all the elite martial artists here one by one and describe them all as being my masters, and force him to fight them one by one by one." The Divine Crocodile replied, "Fine! Fine! You keep on talking but you refuse to fight. You aren't like me at all! The students of the Southern Seas sect are never hesitant when it comes to a battle!"

Duan Yu pointed behind the Divine Crocodile with a faint smile. "One of my masters has been standing behind you for a long time, now." The Divine Crocodile hadn't sensed anyone behind him. Swiveling his head, he didn't see anybody. At this time, Duan Yu suddenly advanced one step, moving as though he were floating on the breeze. Clumsily, he reached out towards the Divine Crocodile's chest, attempting to strike at his Shanzhong acupoint with his thumb. This was an extremely clumsy and ungainly move, but Duan Yu's body was filled with the internal energy of seven disciples of the Wuliang sword sect. Although he couldn't use all of that internal energy, the power of this claw was not small.

The Divine Crocodile felt some pain at the pit his stomach as Duan Yu suddenly seized his Shenque acupoint, located at his navel, with his left hand. The scroll for the "Divine Art of the Northern Darkness" [Beiming Shengong] included drawings of numerous myriads of acupoints on it. Duan Yu, however, had only mastered the acupoints on two of the drawings. The "Ren" meridians, and the "Lunar Lung" scripture. The Shanzhong acupoint and Shenque acupoints were two major acupoints of the "Ren" meridians.

Startled, the Divine Crocodile immediately exerted his internal energy to resist. To his great shock, he felt it flow outwards from his Shanzhong acupoint, causing him to feel as though his entire body had lost half of its strength, frightening him even further. Duan Yu had already flipped him around, causing his feet to point upwards and his head to point downwards. With a 'teng' sound, his big bald head collided with the floor. Fortunately for him, the floor of the flower pavilion was carpeted, and so he was not injured. In his great anger, he exercised the skill "The Carp Stands Erect" and rose to his feet, then sent out his left hand in a claw attack towards Duan Yu.

Upon seeing this series of events, every person present was extremely shocked. Duan Zhengchun, seeing that the Divine Crocodile sent out that claw with extreme force, was just about to intervene when Duan Yu suddenly sidestepped towards the left. His footwork was strange to the extreme. With but a single step, he managed to dodge the opponent's attack, which had struck with the speed of a peal of thunder or a flash of lightning. Duang Zhengchun exclaimed, "Incredible!" The Divine Crocodile's second palm attack came slamming down towards Duan Yu, who did not try to block or counter. Instead, he took two oblique steps and once again completely dodged the attack.

The Divine Crocodile had missed two attacks in a row. He was both startled and angry. Duan Yu was standing right in front of him, not more than a meter away. Suddenly, with a crazy howl, he sent out a two-handed attack, grabbing at Duan Yu's chest and stomach. He used all of his energy in this attack; arms, hands, and his claws. In his anger, he had completely forgotten that if this double blow connected, his "future heir to the Southern Seas sect" would suffer tremendous physical damage.

Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, the Sage of Hollow Jade, and Gao Shengtai shouted in unison, "Careful!" Only to see Duan Yu take a step to the left, then a step to the right. With breeze-like ease, he had already managed to somehow appear behind the Divine Crocodile. With his two hands, he patted the Divine Crocodile on his bald head.

The Divine Crocodile felt that his opponent's attack was totally mysterious and unpredictable. Somehow, the kid had managed to pat him on the top of his head! He darkly exclaimed, "My life comes to an end!" But as soon as his opponent touched the top of his head, he realized that there was no power behind this blow at all. With a sneer, he reversed his left hand and sent it upwards. Suddenly, five bloody lines appeared on the back of Duan Yu's hand. Duan Yu hastily retracted his hand, but the Divine Crocodile's power hadn't diminished yet. The clawing attack slid down from Duan Yu's retracted hand, resulting in five bloody cuts also being made on the Divine Crocodile's head.

Actually, after having avoided three separate attacks in a row, Duan Yu had already won this battle. Only, he was far too mischievous, and so patted the Divine Crocodile on his head. He wasn't aware that his internal energy was now quite strong, and also didn't know how to utilize it either. Consequently, he was almost captured instead. With a series of interconnected steps, he flew backwards and hid behind his father, so terrified that his face was pale and bloodless.

The Sage of Hollow Jade cast him a glance and thought to herself, "Hmph. Your father and your uncle taught you such a marvelous skill, and you've been hiding it from me all along."

Mu Wanqing said loudly, "Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas! Not only were you unable to hit him within three strokes, but you took a nasty tumble yourself instead! Quick, get over here and pay respects to your master!" Red-faced, the Divine Crocodile scratched his ear. "He wasn't fighting with me for real. This one doesn't count." Mu Wanqing pointed directly at his face. "Have you no shame? If you aren't going to accept him as your master, then you must be a bastard son of a turtle! What's your choice? Are you going to accept him as your master, or be a bastard son of a turtle?" The Divine Crocodile angrily replied, "Neither! I want to fight him again!"

Duan Zhengchun saw that his son's footwork was miraculous to the extreme, but was unable to discern the secret behind it. Quietly, he whispered to his son, "Don't fight with him head on. Just take an opportunity to seize his acupoints." Duan Yu whispered back, "Your son is afraid now. I don't know if I can do it." Duan Zhengchun replied softly, "Don't be afraid. I'll secretly assist you from the side."

With his father supporting him, Duan Yu's courage arose, and he reappeared from behind Duan Zhengchun's back. "You weren't able to hit me in three stances. Time to accept me as your master!" The Divine Crocodile let out a thunderous bellow, then struck out at him with a powerful palm.

Duan Yu took a single step towards the northeast and easily avoided the attack. With a loud sound, 'ka-la!', this palm attack from the Divine Crocodile shattered a tea table. With all his willpower, Duan Yu focused, then softly recited, "See my body, advance and retreat. Follow his back, do not capture him. Go to the front courtyard, see nobody present. Hide both sides of the urn, go to a strategic place. Peel, disadvantageous to go towards the construct. The ram and goat touch the border, they cannot retreat, nor can they be fulfilled."

He ignored the origins of the Divine Crocodiles palms, focusing only on his own footwork, retreating and dodging with strange, slanted steps. The twin palms of the Divine Crocodile became faster and faster, and the force of his blows stronger and stronger. A ceaseless stream of cracking sounds continually could be heard from within the flower pavilion as the chairs, tables, teapots, and teacups were shattered one after another. But he couldn't land a single blow on Duan Yu's body.