Chapter 3: The Mountain Stronghold's Horrific Nightmare (Part 2)
The mountain where Shuang Xiong Zhai is located originally had no name, but since the existence of Shuang Xiong Zhai, this mountain has been called Shuang Xiong Mountain.
Shuang Xiong Fortress is located on the halfway up Shuang Xiong Mountain, Xiao Ziyang quickly climbed to the top of the mountain and took advantage of the moonlight to observe the terrain around the fortress from a high vantage point.
During the day, Xiao Ziyang found a mountain col near Qinglong Stockade that was close enough to observe the stockade from a height while searching around it. There were fresh signs of human activity in this mountain col.
Xiao Ziyang wanted to find a place like this outside the Double Bear Mountain stronghold. If he could guess where the person who slaughtered the mountain bandits was hiding, perhaps he could do something tonight.
Shuang Xiong Stockade is located on a flat area at the middle of Shuang Xiong Mountain. Behind it, there is a very steep slope with several platforms formed by huge rocks protruding from the mountain wall.
Xiao Ziyang finally chose a platform about 7 or 8 zhang above the Double Bear Fort. The platform was roughly two to three zhang in diameter.
He chose this place because it is very similar to the mountain pass he found outside Qinglong Village, with a similarly broad view.
On this mountain slope, this not small platform is quite prominent and easy to find.
Having chosen this platform, Xiao Ziyang began to choose his best ambush location.
He soon spotted a prominent rock about ten zhang above the platform.
This rock is not large, only about seven or eight feet in diameter, and it's covered by dense shrubs on the hillside. If he hadn't been standing where he was, directly opposite a gap in the trees above the rock, it probably wouldn't have been discovered.
Having chosen a location, Xiao Ziyang slid down the steep slope, grabbing onto shrubs as he went.
To avoid leaving too obvious a trail and to avoid startling the people in the mountain stronghold, Xiao Ziyang was extremely careful and spent half an hour before landing on that rock.
He drew out the two sabers tied to his back and placed them within easy reach on either side, then knelt down on the stone pedestal, where the dense shrubs hid him completely. He waited quietly.
He had been fooling around in the mountains for half a day, and the mountain stronghold, which was originally bright with lights and occasionally transmitted laughter that sounded like ghosts crying and wolves howling, had gradually quieted down.
Looking at the mountain stronghold, Xiao Ziyang thought that perhaps it wouldn't be long before this place became a purgatory, and everyone would die in extreme misery. His heart felt some reluctance.
He came here to face his own cowardice and fear, not to play the role of a good-for-nothing.
The prestige and reputation of the Twin Bears' stronghold in the green forest were earned through murder. Among the more than thirty bandits in this stronghold, who didn't have several lives on their hands? Although Taifu, the leader of the Twin Bears, was a straightforward person who followed the rules of the underworld, this did not mean they were good people. How could good people become leaders of bandits?! The methods used by these two brothers to deal with merchants and escorts who fell into their hands were actually extremely ruthless!
In Xiao Ziyang's eyes, there wasn't a single person in this village who shouldn't die!
Xiao Ziyang didn't have to wait for long. Under the bright moonlight, Xiao Ziyang saw a gray figure from afar, like an owl, on top of the tree canopy, swiftly flying towards the mountain stronghold.
That person moved extremely fast, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. In just over ten breaths' time, he swept up from the foot of the mountain to its waist, and came to a steady stop in front of the mountain stronghold, on top of the tallest silver locust tree. He was as light as a swan feather, his feet floating with the branches in the gentle breeze.
That person stopped for a moment on the branch, seemingly observing the surroundings of the mountain stronghold. As expected by Xiao Ziyang, he soon discovered this platform that stood out from the steep slope.
Having chosen his target, the man once again brought up a trail of lingering shadows, following the dense forest outside the mountain stronghold, towards the rear of the stronghold, and circled around to this side of the cliff.
Xiao Ziyang crouched in the shadow of a bush, motionless, he strained to control his heartbeats and breathing that were growing more rapid due to tension.
Xiao Ziyang regretted it when he saw the man's ghostly movements, and he couldn't help but want to slap himself in the face. What was wrong with him that he had to come and see for himself?!
Although many people claimed it to be true, Xiao Ziyang did not believe that there existed any immortal masters who could manipulate fire and ice in this world. In his opinion, this was too absurd, so he had to come and investigate personally.
But when he saw that person's ghostly movements, he understood that whether or not this person was an immortal master, once he was discovered, there would only be one path to death.
Such an exquisite lightness of body and agility, he had never seen before, and had hardly even heard of.
Earlier, Xiao Ziyang was worried that the place he had chosen to hide was too far from the platform below and he might not be able to see clearly. But now, he wished he could get even farther away from that platform.
Some people tend to panic when faced with a crisis, but others become calmer and more composed under pressure, bringing out their best performance.
Xiao Ziyang was undoubtedly the best among them. The man moved with a ghostly agility from the front of the mountain stronghold to the back, and in just four or five breaths' time, Xiao Ziyang had already forced himself to calm down.
At this time, he actually closed his eyes and forced himself to forget the danger in front of him. Almost at the same time that person pounced on the lower platform, Xiao Ziyang entered a very strange state.
His breathing became almost imperceptible, his heartbeat extremely slow and weak, and even his body temperature was rapidly dropping. This is the Turtle Breathing Technique.
There are many kinds of turtle breathing techniques, and Xiao Ziyang's is the most stupid one, also the most widely spread in Jianghu. It is the only kind that does not require internal strength to practice.
Xiao Ziyang doesn't know internal family kung fu. Internal family kung fu is extremely precious and definitely not something that a roughneck from a remote place like Danyang County can learn.
Xiao Ziyang's turtle breathing technique is said to have originated from street performers, and is a skill used by street performers when performing some miscellaneous magic tricks such as being tied up with big rocks and sinking into the water without dying, or being buried alive for several days without dying.
This is a kind of kung fu that is extremely hard to practice, and apart from being used to save one's life, it has little other use.
This turtle breathing technique also has a huge flaw, requiring no less time to enter the turtle state, and requires a calm mind to perform.
Xiao Ziyang mastered Lei Dabao's kung fu skills at the age of twelve.
Lei Da Biao Tou is the leader of Jin Dao Biao Ju and also the foster father of Xiao Ziyang.
These years he can't learn new kung fu, only can work hard on the existing kung fu. Even the turtle breathing technique, a specialized skill, was practiced to perfection by him.
Even so, even on a quiet night, he needs twenty breaths to enter the turtle state.
But today, under such tense circumstances, he actually only used three breaths to enter the Turtle Breath State!
This super-long shot under the pressure of life and death saved his life!
A moment later, Xiao Ziyang slightly opened his eyes. At this time, his state was very strange, dazed and confused, as if he was both asleep and awake.
