[Wuxia] The Jade Bow and the Cloud Sea (Complete) - 11

In Chapter Sixteen of Liang Yusheng's *The Jade Bow and the Cloud Sea*

, the sword was seized by Yang Chifu when Gu Zhihua was captured. He had brought it to present to his senior brother, Meng Shentong, who cherished it dearly. However,
now that he knew Gu Zhihua was his daughter, he naturally had to return the sword to her.
Gu Zhihua accepted the sword, and tears she had held back for so long finally streamed down her face. She bowed deeply, holding the sword, and said to Meng Shentong, "Misfortune and fortune
have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. You, you, I hope you will take good care of yourself!" The door to the stone chamber was already open. Meng Shentong waved his hand and said,
"You don't need to worry about me. Go!" Although his tone was harsh, watching his daughter's back as she walked out the door,
even the most hard-hearted man couldn't help but shed tears.
Meng Shentong had been operating in this secluded valley for many years, owning numerous houses. Following Meng Shentong's instructions, Gu Zhihua escaped from the back garden.
Just as she climbed over the wall, she suddenly heard a shout: "Halt!" Gu Zhihua was startled; it was none other than the monk Miefa who had pursued her!
It turned out that after Meng Shentong left, the monk Miefa had found his attitude towards him somewhat strange. Although he didn't know Meng Shentong's
motives , once suspicion arose, he couldn't sleep. The monk Miefa had decades of internal energy cultivation, and
his hearing and eyesight were extremely sharp; he could hear even the faintest sounds. Although Gu Zhihua's lightness skill was superb, he still detected her. He was extremely puzzled, thinking: Who dares
to spy on Meng Shentong's house? He couldn't resist coming out.
Before Gu Zhihua's toes even touched the ground, she heard a "whoosh," and the monk Miefa had already swept over her head,
turning in mid-air and suddenly landing, his thick, bowl-sized staff blocking her path.
Upon seeing each other, the astonishment of the monk Miefa was no less than that of Gu Zhihua. He hurriedly asked, "Are you here to see your father
?" Gu Zhihua shouted, "I'm here to see you!" The monk Miefa was taken aback and said, "You're here to see me?" Gu Zhihua shouted,
"Who told you to try to dig up my master's grave?" The Frost Flower Sword was suddenly drawn, and with a move called "Jade Maiden Throwing the Shuttle," it unexpectedly stabbed at the monk
Miefa .
This was not like Mangshan; this was Meng Shentong's home. Before knowing Gu Zhihua's intentions, the monk Miefa dared not presume to attack
her. He did not expect Gu Zhihua to be so bold as to strike first. Gu Zhihua's move was ruthless and fast, and the monk
Miefa was caught off guard. With a "whoosh," his monk's robe was pierced by her sword. Fortunately, the monk Miefa had profound internal strength and immediately swallowed
his chest and abdomen. The sword tip missed by only half an inch and did not hurt his flesh.
The monk Mifa laughed loudly, "The floodwaters have washed into the Dragon King's temple! You don't recognize your own family! Hey, do you know your father
lives here? I'm good friends with your father now, why are you still trying to kill me?" Gu Zhihua spat and retorted,
"Nonsense! My father is long dead!" As she spoke, her hands moved with lightning speed, each sword strike more swift than the last
, forcing the monk Mifa back several steps before she fled.
The monk Mifa thought, "Does she really not know this is her father's house? Or does she refuse to acknowledge her biological father? Or
is she trying to atone for her sins by helping Cao Jin'er track me down, thus trespassing here?" Unable to fathom her, he dared not kill Gu
Zhihua , and laughed loudly, "Since you've come here, don't you want to see your biological father?" With a long howl, he
leaped up, his staff flashing, and pounced on Gu Zhihua's back like a shadow.
Gu Zhihua knew that his long howl was a signal to Meng Shentong. She really didn't want to see her father again, but the monk
Miefa's staff swept in like a storm, blocking all her escape routes.
Gu Zhihua parried a few moves and suddenly realized that although the monk Miefa's attacks were fierce, whenever she used a risky move, preparing for mutual destruction,
the monk Miefa would always slightly retreat, not daring to use a deadly attack. Gu Zhihua was clever enough to guess that he
had some immediately boldly attacked him, using the exquisite moves of the Xuan Nu Sword Technique as much as possible, taking risky moves and pressing forward with each strike.
The Xuan Nu Sword Technique was originally left by the One-Armed Nun to Lü Siniang, specifically to counter Yin! Although Gu Zhihua's skill
was far inferior to that of the monk Miefa, her swordsmanship made it difficult for him to defeat her, even if he didn't give an inch. Moreover,
her attack-only approach, without any defense, effectively
doubled her power. In the heat of battle, a sharp "swoosh" was heard as another piece of Miefa's monk's robe was torn away.
Seeing that he couldn't stop her, Miefa gritted his teeth, thinking, "Even if it offends Old Monster Meng, I can't let her escape.
Fine, I guess I'll have to injure her!" Having made up his mind, he changed his staff technique, wielding it with unrestrained power, like a raging storm, pressing
forward relentlessly. It was as if an impenetrable wall of copper and iron had risen before Gu Zhihua. Gu Zhihua charged several times but could not
break through couldn't help but gasp, realizing that the monk's skill was far beyond his expectations. During
their fierce battle at Mangshan, he had only managed to win by chance thanks to Jin Shiyi's help in disrupting the monk's mind.
In the heat of battle, Gu Zhihua was using the move "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers." This move involved scattering six or seven sword flowers from top to bottom,
allowing him to strike seven acupoints in one strike. Originally a subtle and deadly move of the "Mysterious Maiden Sword Technique,"
it was less powerful because it targeted seven acupoints. It was easy to use against those with lower skill, but against those with higher skill,
it gave them an opening. In her haste and without thinking, Gu Zhihua used this move.
A clang as the Frostflower Sword struck the staff, seemingly drawn in and unable to be pulled back. The monk Miefa laughed, "Miss Meng, drop
your sword and come with me to see your father!"
Just then, Meng Shentong shouted, "Monk Miefa, what did you say? Who's here?" The monk Miefa replied
, "Old Meng, come quickly, come quickly! Your daughter is here!" He was distracted by his words, and seeing Meng Shentong arrive
, he was no longer afraid of Gu Zhihua escaping. He also didn't want to pressure Meng Shentong too much about his daughter. Seizing this
opportunity, Gu Zhihua used the move "Yaksha Deep Sea," extending the Frostflower Sword forward to break free from the monk Miefa's sticky grip, and immediately turned and
ran!
The monk Mifa laughed, "Miss Meng, your father is here! Don't you believe me?" At this moment, Meng Shentong had already arrived
before him. The monk Mifa thought to himself, with Meng Shentong here, Gu Zhihua will be gone without a trace; there's no need for him to chase after her.
Meng Shentong feigned surprise, repeatedly asking, "You mean this woman, is she really...is she really my daughter?" The monk
Mifa , "Absolutely right. Old Meng, congratulations on your reunion today!" Before he could finish speaking, Meng Shentong
suddenly shouted and leaped forward, like a wild goose taking flight or an eagle swooping down, instantly catching up to Gu Zhihua. He acted very
convincingly; his shout was full of joy. The monk Mifa thought, "Old Meng is overjoyed! I wonder if his
daughter will acknowledge him?" Although the monk Mifa was curious and wanted to know how their meeting would unfold, he thought of the father and daughter...
Upon meeting, they were bound to have much to say. Meng Shentong, of course, did not welcome outsiders intruding on their conversation, and as a monk who had destroyed the Dharma, he could not easily
eavesdrop . So he stood guard at the door, waiting for their return.
Gu Zhihua, caught up by her father, unsure of his intentions, simply stopped, sheathed her sword, and said with her hands at her sides, "Your
good friend won't let me go. Fine, then take me back!" Meng Shentong suddenly pushed her with his palm, sending Gu Zhihua tumbling through
the air and flying more than three zhang away.
His technique was superb; Gu Zhihua, following the force of his push, landed lightly, unharmed.
Just as she was beginning to wonder, she heard her father say, as if in her ear, "Run! Quickly call your helpers!" Gu Zhihua was stunned
, thinking, "What helpers do I have?" Before she could finish her thought, she suddenly saw Meng Shentong swing his arm and flick it backward. With a "whoosh,
" a ball of fire immediately rose from the ground more than ten zhang behind him. In that instant, Gu Zhihua realized that her father had intentionally let
her escape to avoid arousing the suspicion of the monk Miefa. Therefore, he had deliberately created a diversion, pretending that Gu Zhihua had accomplices. The projectile he flicked backward
was actually a gunpowder projectile, like a glazed bullet.
Gu Zhihua suddenly understood and, without hesitation, shouted, "Come on, my friend!" Meng Shentong flicked his fingers repeatedly, and fire broke out in all four directions—east,
west, south, and north with the flames landing in the middle of his house and garden. At the same time, he feigned anger and shouted,
"Well, you little brat, it's one thing to disown your father, but how dare you have your accomplices burn my house down?" Gu Zhihua also cried out,
"My father is long dead! How dare you claim to be my father!" As she shouted, she used her superb lightness skill, and in
an instant , she had covered a distance of about a mile. But then they heard rustling footsteps behind them, as if several people were
fleeing . It turned out this was also a feint by Meng Shentong. He threw pebbles in all directions, the pebbles scraping the ground to make it seem as if a
highly skilled person was performing "land leaping," while he himself darted east and west, pretending to be
distracted by several enemies discovered simultaneously. After this elaborate charade, by the time the monk Miefa arrived, Gu Zhihua was already
far away.
However, Meng Shentong had many disciples, who, seeing the house on fire, assumed it was the enemy and rushed in all directions.
Meng Shentong shouted, "Putting out the fire is the priority! All of you, get back!" This shout carried for miles, and the disciples, of course, dared not
disobey and returned. The monk Miefa secretly became suspicious, thinking, "The fire wasn't big, why is Old Monster Meng so flustered?
Gu Zhihua is so young, besides her fellow disciples from the Mangshan Sect, how many influential figures could she possibly know? How could so many martial arts masters have arrived
overnight ?" Although the monk Miefa was suspicious, he couldn't possibly guess that Meng Shentong himself had set
the fire.
Meng Shentong had fired a glazed bullet, a type of gunpowder weapon used to burn an enemy's skin and flesh; however, its small
size meant the fire wasn't very intense, and it was extinguished in the time it takes to eat a meal. Meng Shentong deliberately feigned
anger, scolding his disciples for their carelessness in allowing the enemy to sneak in and set the fire. While he was hurling insults, Xiang Hong and several other disciples
suddenly brought in two injured fellow disciples: his second brother, Yu Wumeng, and his sixth disciple, Zhang Yan.
Meng Shentong thought to himself, "This girl is truly ignorant of her own limitations. I let her go, yet she still tries to hurt people." But upon
closer , he saw that the two men's faces were bluish-black. Meng Shentong cried out, "Oh no!" He quickly tore off their shirts, revealing
a poisoned caltrop hidden in each of their vests. Meng Shentong was greatly alarmed, thinking, "Could it really be an enemy?"
The Mangshan Sect never used poisoned hidden weapons, a fact well known to the monk Miefa. Seeing this, he was also quite surprised,
pondering, "Could it be the Tang family from Sichuan? Old Meng, do you also have a grudge against the Tang family?" Meng Shentong replied, "
No , this isn't the Tang family's method. The Tang family's hidden weapons, once unleashed, always strike a vital acupoint." Immediately
, Meng Shentong used his internal energy, pressing his palm against the wounds of Wu and Zhang, drawing out the poisoned blood. Then he ordered Xiang Hong to
carry a quiet room for treatment. The monk Miefa was astonished to see that his internal energy was actually... He admired Gu Zhihua's fearlessness in the face of poison, and thought to himself, "
Although this man's hidden weapon skills are not as good as the Tang family's, his lightness skill is so high, and he can use poisoned hidden weapons. He is quite a formidable person. Sigh,
how did Gu Zhihua manage to get so many skilled people?"
Leaving aside the monk's secret suspicions, Gu Zhihua escaped into the cup and suddenly saw two people searching nearby, seemingly
unaware of her presence. Gu Zhihua recognized one of them as Wu Meng, whom she disliked the most and wanted to teach him a lesson.
Suddenly, the two men screamed and collapsed to the ground. Gu Zhihua was also startled and uncertain, thinking, "Could it be that he... to let me escape, he
actually harmed his beloved disciple as well?" Fearing that others would continue to pursue her, she dared not look further and hurriedly fled.
It was dawn, and the morning breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, refreshing Gu Zhihua. Looking back, she saw the sparks had died down. She
emerged from the secluded valley, finding no one pursuing her, and slowed her pace, pondering her next move. Although she was out of danger, her mind was still
unsettled.
The first urgent matter, of course, was to find a way to rescue Li Qinhui. Gu Zhihua thought, "I wish I would never see
my father again in this life, but for Qinmei's sake, I fear I still cannot avoid seeing him. But if I go directly to rescue him, even if he doesn't want to harm
me, will the monk Miefa let me go? Besides, there's Yang Chifu and his many disciples." After much thought, she decided she had to find someone
to help . But who could she turn to?
Li Qinmei's mother was one of the three most renowned female warriors in the martial arts world. If she were to come, she could certainly defeat Meng Shentong. However, Li Qinmei
's mother is far away in the Tianshan Mountains, and distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. It seems that the only person who can be sought for help is Jin Shiyi. Jin Shiyi said that
he would not set sail for sea for about two months. If anything happens, one can wait for him at Shangqing Palace on Laoshan Mountain in Qingdao. The journey to Laoshan will not take more than a month. However, it is estimated that
Jin Shiyi 's skills are only comparable to those of the monk Miefa, but still not enough to defeat Meng Shentong. Meng Shentong
hates Jin Shiyi to the bone because he was poisoned by his needles. It is feared that instead of saving Meng Shentong, Jin Shiyi might lose his life. Unless Li Qinmei and Jin Shiyi join forces to fight together, there is no
possibility of defeating Meng Shentong. But how can Li Qinmei personally fight her father?
Gu Zhihua was in a state of turmoil, hesitant and unable to make a decision. But thinking of Li Qinmei's deep affection for Jin Shiyi, she made up her mind: "
No matter what , I must tell him about Qinmei." Lost in thought, she murmured to herself, unconsciously uttering Jin Shiyi's
name.
Suddenly, she heard someone chuckle, and a cold wind blew against the back of her neck. Startled, Gu Zhihua assumed it was a sneak
attack. As a martial artist, self-defense was instinctive, and without thinking, she immediately swung her sword in a backhand strike.
As the sword thrust out, a clear voice exclaimed, "Ouch, that's impressive!" Gu Zhihua whirled around.
"Come on!" The voice didn't seem hostile, but Gu Zhihua couldn't stop in time; her second sword strike was already launched. A woman
leaped , and Gu Zhihua's sword just grazed the sole of her shoe.
It seemed this woman's lightness skill was no less than hers. Gu Zhihua hurriedly withdrew her sword, but before she could even ask a question, the woman landed, looking at her with a half-smile, and
said in a coquettish voice, "I sent two people away for you, and you rewarded me with two sword strikes? Isn't that a bit too much?" Gu Zhihua then
realized that Wu Meng and his junior brother had been injured by this woman's hidden weapon.
Gu Zhihua bowed with her sword in hand, saying, "Thank you for your help, sister. Please forgive my rashness." Gu Zhihua, seeing
the woman as a woman of noble birth and dignified character, thought to herself, "We've never met before, and you're already playing games like this on our first meeting. I don't say you're
being unreasonable , but you say I am?" Even so, she maintained her polite demeanor towards the woman. The woman seemed to have guessed her
thoughts, and chuckled again, saying, "Perhaps you're secretly resentful that I played a trick on you? Yet you ask me to forgive you,
isn't that mocking me?" Gu Zhihua blushed; she wasn't used to lying, so she asked, "Why did you
play a trick on ?" The woman laughed, "If I hadn't tested you, how would I have known you were Lü Siniang's disciple? I heard that Lü Siniang's last
disciple is named Gu Zhihua; you must be her, right?"
Gu Zhihua said, "That's right, I am Gu Zhihua. May I ask your esteemed name, sister?" The woman laughed, "You were with
Li Qinmei , yet Li Qinmei didn't mention me to you?" Gu Zhihua said, "Is it Sister Li? Qinmei is very grateful
to you; she said that last time she was imprisoned in a cave by Meng and Meng Shentong, it was all thanks to you that she was rescued."
The young woman ... She said, "That's right, I am Li Shengnan. Haha, Li Qinmei hasn't forgotten me, and I haven't forgotten her either. I
guessed that Old Monster Meng wouldn't let her go, and sure enough, he did. However, I didn't expect that it was the monk Mifa who used her as a favor. These two
monsters working together, this is even more outrageous!"
Last time, Li Shengnan rescued Li Qinmei and then hurriedly tricked her away. Li Qinmei was very grateful to her, but also found her very
strange . When she and Gu Zhihua talked about it, neither of them could guess her background. In Gu Zhihua's mind, since Li Shengnan dared to risk
rescuing someone from Meng Shentong's hands, she must be a highly skilled female knight-errant. Unexpectedly, now that she had met her, she
was not . Not only did her speech and behavior not resemble those of a disciple of a prestigious sect, but there was also a hint of
evil between her brows, which surprised Gu Zhihua. But then she thought, "There are many wandering knights-errant in the martial world, Jin Shiyi is one
example . Who knows if this woman isn't like him?"
Thinking this, and remembering that she was the one who had saved Li Qinmei, even though they didn't get along very well, Gu Zhihua frankly said to her,
"Indeed, Meng Shentong and the monk Miefa have joined forces. What's going on? Is there any way to rescue Li Qinmei again?"
Li Shengnan glanced at her and suddenly laughed, "Didn't you want to ask Jin Shiyi for help? Why did you lie and say you hadn't come up with
a solution ?" Gu Zhihua was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed, "Huh, how did you know?" She didn't know that she had
mentioned Jin Shiyi's name while pondering alone, and Li Shengnan had overheard her.
Li Shengnan laughed, "I have the ability to foresee things before they happen, to guess what others are thinking." Gu Zhihua blushed
. She said, "Sister, please don't joke. I did intend to ask Jin Shiyi for help, but even if I could find him, it would
take a month to travel back and forth. Besides, Jin Shiyi might not be a match for Meng Shentong. I was just about to ask you if you had any other ideas?"
Li Shengnan didn't answer her question but instead asked, "Do you know where Jin Shiyi is?" Gu Zhihua said, "He said he
wants to go overseas, but it will be about two months from now. During that time, you can go to Shangqing Palace on Laoshan Mountain to wait for him."
Li Shengnan's face darkened, and then... Then she laughed and said, "Is that what Jin Shiyi said? Rumor has it that he's a fearless
monster , and it's true. Does he really dare to go overseas alone? What is he going to do there?"
Gu Zhihua replied, "He grew up on an island, so crossing the ocean is nothing to him. As for
why Zhihua wasn't used to lying, but Jin Shiyi's trip to find Qiao Beiming's martial arts
manual was a big secret, and Gu Zhihua had to keep it from Li Shengnan.
Li Shengnan felt a sense of relief, thinking, "Thank goodness, Jin Shiyi didn't tell her my secret." She then smiled and said, "You
seem to know Jin Shiyi quite well!"
Gu Zhihua blushed and said, "Jin Shiyi's master, Venerable Poison Dragon, had a past relationship with my master, and I've met
Jin Shiyi a few times. Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought of asking him for help. Sister, do you also know Jin Shiyi?"
Li Shengnan smiled and said, "I've met him once or twice, but not as often as you two. But I heard him say that he seems to
have no plans to go to sea." Gu Zhihua asked in surprise, "When was the last time you saw him?" Li Shengnan said, "Just
the day before yesterday . He said he wanted to visit a good friend. This friend lives outside Suzhou, so unless he told me..." "That's a lie.
Otherwise how could he have returned to Laoshan within two months and even prepared a large ship to sail out to sea?"
Gu Zhihua was quite surprised, thinking to herself, "I only broke up with Jin Shiyi the day before yesterday. What a coincidence that he
met with Li Shengnan the day before yesterday? Jin Shiyi told me so confidently, how could he change his mind overnight?"
Half believing and half doubting , she asked, "Did Jin Shiyi say which friend he was looking for?" Li Shengnan said, "He said he was going to see Chen Tianyu,
a friend he met in Tibet." Gu Zhihua thought back. When she first met Jin Shiyi, he was entrusting Jiangnan to give the Bilingdan that Tang Xiaolan
had left him to Chen Tianyu. She had also heard Jin Shiyi mention his friendship with Chen Tianyu. Could it be that Chen Tianyu
had encountered some accident, and Jin Shiyi was rushing to meet him?
Gu Zhihua harbored suspicions, yet dared not distrust Li Shengnan, so she said, "That's even worse. If Jin Shiyi can come, there might
still be a sliver of hope. If he can't, who else can we rely on to save Li Qinmei?"
Li Shengnan said, "I have a plan, but sister, you must tell me the truth." Gu Zhihua asked, "What is it?"
Li Shengnan said, "I think Meng Shentong intentionally let you go just now, didn't he?" Gu Zhihua's face darkened, and she said in a low voice,
"That's right, he intentionally let me go." Li Shengnan said, "Old Monster Meng kills without blinking an eye. Would he
easily let go of someone who falls into his hands? What is the reason behind this?" Gu Zhihua was deeply saddened by this, but on one hand, she thought
of working together with her, and on the other hand, she remembered that Cao Jin'er had revealed her background at the Mangshan Conference, and Jin Shiyi also knew
. So, letting Li Shengnan know wouldn't matter much. Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth and said, "He, he is my..."
"My biological father!" Li Shengnan was startled, her expression suddenly changing, and a spark of hatred flashed in her eyes. Gu Zhihua immediately followed up,
saying, "Although he is my biological father, I no longer consider him my father. He... he is the greatest
enemy !" Li Shengnan nodded and said, "I also know about his feud with the Mangshan Sect."
Gu Zhihua felt relieved after revealing the secret. Only then did she notice the strange expression on Li Shengnan's face, but
she thought it was a horrifying matter and didn't take it to heart. She never dreamed that Li Shengnan
and Meng Shentong also had a blood feud, and that she was now plotting the cruelest revenge. But in a moment, Li Shengnan's
expression returned to normal, and she smiled and said, "So you are Meng Shentong's daughter. Then there's a way."
Gu Zhihua said, "No, I can't ask him for help!" "Li Shengnan said, 'I don't want you to go to him. We'll
go together tonight. As long as Meng Shentong doesn't dare to hurt you, I have a way. You distract Meng Shentong, and I'll go rescue the people.' Gu Zhihua said, '
There's also the monk Miefa...' Li Shengnan said, 'If I rescue Li Qinmei, the two of us can handle the monk
Miefa.' Gu Zhihua said, 'His...his Asura Yin Sha Gong is very powerful. What if I can't stop him, and he hurts you?'
Li Shengnan said, 'Don't worry about that. Although I can't defeat Meng Shentong, his Asura Yin Sha Gong hasn't been able to hurt me.
In short, you come with me, and I have a way.'
Gu Zhihua thought, 'Could it be that she also has the ability to resist the Asura Yin Sha Gong? Hmm, she dared to go to Meng Family Village to rescue people last time,
perhaps she really has extraordinary abilities. '" "
Li Shengnan laughed, "I bet you didn't sleep well last night. Let's go to the small town ahead and find something to eat. You can rest
for a while and recharge your energy before we go again tonight."
The two went down the mountain together. Along the way, Li Shengnan probed Gu Zhihua with her words, and only when she confirmed that Gu Zhihua was unaware of her
secret did she feel relieved. Gu Zhihua also wanted to inquire about her background, but Li Shengnan didn't reveal anything. Gu Zhihua guessed
that she had something difficult to say, so she stopped probing. What she found strange was that Li Shengnan and Jin Shiyi
seemed to , so why had Jin Shiyi never mentioned her?
It turned out that when Li Shengnan parted ways with Jin Shiyi last time, he had asked her to meet him three months later on the night of the full moon at
the Shangqing Palace on Laoshan Mountain by the East China Sea. At that time, she guessed Jin Shiyi's intentions, thinking, "It's only half a month's journey to Laoshan, so why did he
ask for three months later and refuse to travel with me? He must be planning to go find Li Qinmei." For some reason, she felt a pang of jealousy
towards Li Qinmei. She learned that the Mangshan Sect would be holding a grand gathering on the fiftieth anniversary of the One-Armed Nun's death,
where heroes from all walks of life would surely come to pay
their respects. She decided to go to Mangshan herself, hoping to encounter Jin Shiyi and Li Qinmei. However, she was a day too late; the Mangshan gathering had already ended. While searching for Jin Shiyi nearby, she encountered several disciples of Meng Shentong. She secretly followed them, and by sheer coincidence
, she witnessed the monk Miefa confronting Li Qinmei. Qinmei was captured and put into a sack. Last night, when Meng Shentong "drove" Gu Zhihua out, she
was lying in ambush in the woods.
Now, she was also filled with suspicion, not only because Gu Zhihua was Meng Shentong's daughter, but also because, judging from Gu Zhihua's tone, her
relationship with Jin Shiyi seemed to be no less than Li Qinmei's. Li Shengnan couldn't help but feel jealous of Gu Zhihua.
The two walked for a while, when suddenly they saw a group of three people riding towards them. Li Shengnan said, "Oh no, I've run into my
enemies. I'd better hide." Just as she was about to hide in the woods, Gu Zhihua suddenly heard a familiar voice giggling, "You thieving
thief , I've spotted you!" Gu Zhihua was very surprised. It turned out that this person was Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan sprang up on his horse, doing two somersaults in mid-air, and shot like an arrow to Li Shengnan's side.
Li Shengnan sneered, "You brat, you dare mess with me? I'm here, come and catch me!" With a flick of her wrist, Jiang Nan, before he could even
regain his footing, fell to the ground with a thud.
Gu Zhihua hurriedly cried out, "Sister Li, this is an acquaintance! He's Chen Tianyu's page!" Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Nan
suddenly jumped up, grabbed Li Shengnan's arm, and laughed, "Haha, aren't I going to catch you? Oh, Miss Gu, it's you!
What are you doing with that female thief?" It turned out that Jiang Nan had learned the "Inverted Acupoints" technique from Huangshi Daoren. He deliberately
let Li Shengnan strike his acupoints, then caught her off guard and grabbed her—this was Jiang Nan's specialty. But his skill
was far inferior to Li Shengnan's. Just as he grabbed her arm, he made a move, and Li Shengnan used the "Removing Robe and Unarmor" technique,
sinking and shaking his arms, throwing him to the ground again.
Jiang Nan jumped up, about to curse, but Li Shengnan laughed, "If it weren't for knowing you, Sister Gu, I wouldn't have broken your bones!" Jiang Nan thought for a moment and realized that the other party had indeed shown mercy, so he stopped cursing. Gu Zhihua said, "
Jiang Nan, stop fooling around. What exactly
happened ?" Jiang Nan said, "My sworn brother and sister-in-law are here. If you're afraid I'm lying, ask him. She really did try to steal our
things last night. Oh, and... I... I'm no longer a page. Hasn't Jin Shiyi told you yet?" Gu Zhihua suppressed a laugh
and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I forgot."
The young couple who had been with Jiang Nan had now stepped forward. Gu Zhihua thought to herself, "Jiang Nan calls them sworn brother and sister-in-law,
so they must be Chen Tianyu's wife. Li Shengnan said Jin Shiyi went to find them, so why are they here instead?"
Jiang Nan said, "This is Miss Gu. She's the one who helped Jin Shiyi defeat the three demons, including Cang Ling Shangren, and saved my life that day
!" Chen Tianyu cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your help, Miss. I am Chen Tianyu." Chen Tianyu's wife, Youping, also
came forward to express her gratitude, saying, "It's all thanks to Master Jin and Miss Gu for helping Jiangnan so much; he was able to deliver the Jade Spirit Pill and save my life."
While thanking Gu Zhihua, she glanced at Li Shengnan out of the corner of her eye. Li Shengnan blushed and awkwardly laughed, "
So you're a loving couple! My apologies! I was just joking with you last night."
Jiangnan said, "You say you were joking! If I hadn't noticed early last night, you would have almost stolen my sister-in-law's precious sword
." "It turns out that last night, Li Shengnan and the Chen Tianyu couple stayed at an inn in the small town. Youping's precious sword was originally the work of Princess Huayu of Nepal, the mother of
the Ice Maiden . Years ago, she forged an Ice Soul Cold
Light Sword from ten-thousand-year-old cold jade, and then mixed the jade fragments with ten-thousand-year-old mysterious ice to forge nine more ice swords, which she distributed to her maids. Youping's sword was the best of the nine.
Li Shengnan found it strange that a cold light and chill emanated from its sheath, and decided to steal it.
Li Shengnan stayed at the inn until midnight, then quietly got up and used the 'Crane's Cry at Five Drums Resurrection Incense' to drug the Chen Tianyu
couple , stealing the ice sword. Before she could even draw it to examine it, Jiangnan discovered her, shouting and chasing after her relentlessly."
The woman had already discerned that Jiang Nan's martial arts skills were not high; she only wanted to steal the sword and didn't want to waste time. When she made her move, she overlooked
Jiang Nan in the next room and failed to drug him. However, although Jiang Nan's martial arts were not high, he possessed some peculiar abilities,
relentlessly pursuing her. Li Shengnan threw him several times, but he still wouldn't give up. Li Shengnan became angry and was about to
teach him a lesson when Chen Tianyu and his wife, relying on their refined internal energy, dispelled the effects of the sleeping incense in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea
, and caught up. You Ping's "Ice Soul Divine Bullet" forced Li Shengnan to drop her Cold Light Sword and flee.
At this moment, Chen Tianyu and his wife saw her with Gu Zhihua and didn't want to talk about the previous night anymore. Chen Tianyu scolded, "Jiangnan, don't
talk nonsense. If Miss Li were really a thief, she would have beaten you up last night." Jiangnan muttered to herself, "She says she's not a thief,
but she's not a ruthless thief, that's for sure."
Li Shengnan laughed, "It's not that Jiangnan is talking nonsense, Madam Chen's sword is very strange, I really wanted to take a look. This joke
went a bit too far." Youping laughed, "My sword is something that doesn't exist in the Central Plains, no wonder you find it strange, sister." Jiangnan
said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you lend it to her to take a look?" You should know that this Frost Sword has an unusually cold aura as soon as it's drawn. Even someone with ordinary martial arts skills would
get sick just by looking at it. Jiangnan guessed that she might not get sick, but she certainly couldn't withstand the cold aura, so he intentionally wanted to make her
suffer a little .
Li Shengnan said, "If you don't mind, sister, please lend it to me for a look, to broaden my horizons." Youping wanted to point out the sword's peculiarity
, but fearing Li Shengnan might misunderstand and think she was underestimating her, and remembering the Ice Soul God sword from last night—though it hadn't hit her, she had
withstood chilling light and cold aura, so she figured she wouldn't be injured by the sword. So she drew the Cold Light Sword and showed it to her.
Li Shengnan brought the sword close to her eyes, flicked it twice, and exclaimed, "Neither gold nor iron, what is it made of?" Before she finished speaking
, she shivered, quickly moved it away, and laughed, "This strange chill seems somewhat like the cold wind emitted by Meng Shentong's
Asura Yin Sha Gong ." She sheathed the sword and returned it to Youping.
Youping saw that she had only shivered once, her expression unchanged; and He Zhihua beside her remained completely still. She
greatly admired their skills. Little did she know that Li Shengnan was well-prepared. When Ruojian appeared, she had already used her family's unique
internal protect her heart; while He Zhihua, having practiced the Shaoyang Divine Skill, was immune to the cold yin energy.
As they began to chat, Chen Tianyu, upon hearing that Gu Zhihua was the successor of Lü Siniang, became even more respectful, saying, "It's a pity
I arrived a few days late and couldn't attend your sect's grand gathering." Since it was their first meeting, Gu Zhihua didn't want to mention her expulsion from the sect
, so she changed the subject, asking about their arrival.
Chen Tianyu said, "My wife is deeply grateful to Master Jin for his generous gift of the elixir, which has saved her from illness. I haven't seen him for many years and have been looking for him to express my gratitude.
I know his whereabouts are uncertain, so if we can't find him, we'll go to Tianshan to visit Mr. and Mrs. Tang Jingtian, hoping to find out
some news ."
Gu Zhihua asked in surprise, "Jin Shiyi is also looking for you. Didn't you meet him on the way?" Chen Tianyu quickly asked,
"When and where did he set off?" Li Shengnan said
, "I met him in Xin'an Town the day before yesterday, and that's what he told me. It's a pity you missed him on the way." Jiangnan exclaimed, "That's strange. We stayed in
Xin'an Town
before yesterday. Xin'an Town isn't very big, with only two inns. Even if we didn't find him, he should have found us, right?" Li Shengnan asked, "Which inn did you stay at?" Chen Tianyu said, "We stayed at Wanli Inn.
We arrived after dark and immediately inquired around town, but we didn't hear of any martial arts figures passing by." Li Shengnan said:
"Ah, that's right. Jin Shiyi disguised himself as a crazy beggar and stayed at that dilapidated temple behind town.
I stayed at Yongfa Inn. I had arranged to meet him beforehand, so I left the inn in the middle of the night and talked with him at the temple until the fourth
watch before returning. I just found you had set off when I got back; it wasn't even dawn yet. It's a pity I don't know you, otherwise I
would have rushed back to call him." Chen Tianyu sighed with regret upon hearing her explanation.
Gu Zhihua, however, was secretly suspicious. She thought to herself, "Although Jin Shiyi seems eccentric, he's a meticulous person, and he's always been
a busybody. Chen Tianyu and his group of three arrived on horseback after dark. Why didn't Jin Shiyi come out
to check on them when he heard the sound of hooves? That's one reason. Jin Shiyi has never mentioned her to me. Although he's used to playing the field,
he's not her closest friend. Why would he have a late-night heart-to-heart talk with her without any restraint? That's another reason. Besides, why would he disguise himself as a beggar?
He's going to find Chen Tianyu. Given their relationship, there's no need for him to pretend to be a beggar to joke with Chen Tianyu. That's a
third reason. Moreover, he already told me he would be going to sea in two months, and he even asked me if I found out anything about Li Qin's regret..." "Why would you send someone to wait for him at Shangqing Palace
on Laoshan ?" Although Gu Zhihua found many suspicious points, she couldn't understand why Li Shengnan would lie, so
she didn't dare completely disbelieve her. However, Chen Tianyu didn't suspect Li Shengnan, because he had indeed set off from Xin'an Town at
dawn . Little did he know that Li Shengnan, wanting to steal Youping's sword, had been following them for two days. Jiangnan,
hearing that Jin Shiyi had gone to find him, was very anxious and said, "Since Master Jin missed us in Xin'an Town the day before yesterday,
our ride back quickly now, we can catch up with him before he reaches Suzhou,
lest he arrive in Suzhou empty-handed and then not see him again."
Chen Tianyu said, "What you say makes sense. Miss Gu, Miss Li, let's take our leave." He cupped his hands in greeting and was about
to mount Gu Zhihua suddenly said, "Young Master Chen, wait!"
Chen Tianyu said, "What can I do for you, Miss Gu?" Gu Zhihua asked, "Young Master Chen, do you know Li Qinmei of the Tianshan Sect?"
Jiang Nan replied, "My young master is good friends with Tang Jingtian and Jin Shiyi, so of course he knows Li Qinmei." Chen Tianyu was slightly surprised and
asked, "I heard that Li Qinmei is also searching for Jin Shiyi's whereabouts. Did you perhaps meet her somewhere, Master Gu?"
Gu Zhihua said, "I was with her last night." Chen Tianyu hurriedly said, "In that case, why don't we go find her first, and then
go find Jin Shiyi together?" Gu Zhihua said, "Unfortunately, she is currently in the hands of a great demon, imprisoned in a stone house
. I can't save her!"
Chen Tianyu was shocked and asked, "Who is so bold as to imprison Li Qinmei? Doesn't he know Li Qinmei's
background ?"
Gu Zhihua said, "He knows, and that's why he refuses to release her." Chen Tianyu said, "Isn't he afraid of Tang Xiaolan and
Feng Lin ?" Gu Zhihua said, "Perhaps he still has some fear of Tang and Feng, but this great demon is currently cultivating a strange..."
"His martial arts are extraordinary. Tang Xiaolan is far away in Tianshan. By the time he learns the news and finds that great demon, his martial arts will have already been mastered
. At that time, he might not be afraid of Tang Xiaolan anymore. That's why he refuses to release Li Qinmei now, precisely because he's afraid that Tang Xiaolan and Feng Lin will
seek revenge on him before he's fully mastered his skills."
Chen Tianyu said, "Who is so powerful? From what you've said, although he's not as good as Tang Xiaolan now, he's not far off
." Gu Zhihua said, "That's exactly why he dares to act so recklessly. This person is called... called... Meng...
Meng ." Chen Tianyu said, "Meng Shentong? This name... is the first time I've heard of it. Miss Gu, you just said that
you were with her last night. Was she not yet captured by that great demon then?"
Gu Zhihua said, "At that time, both she and I were imprisoned by that great demon. I escaped." She then
recounted how Meng Shentong had become enemies with the Mangshan Sect, and how she and Li Qinmei had been captured, but omitted the
detail , yet also somewhat suspicious.
He thought to himself, "She described that great demon as so powerful, yet how did she manage to escape? If it was just a
coincidence , taking advantage of the demon's laxity, that she and Li Qinmei were imprisoned together, then why couldn't Li Qinmei escape? Also,
when she mentioned the demon's name, her expression and tone completely changed; what's the reason for that?" However, despite his
deep remembering that Gu Zhihua was Lü Siniang's disciple, still believed she was innocent.
After pondering for a while, Chen Tianyu said, "Since Li Qinmei is in danger, how can we sit idly by and do nothing? Even if Meng Shentong
is indeed incredibly powerful, we must at least fight him!" "
At that moment, everyone discussed and decided to follow Li Shengnan's original plan: first, find an inn in the small town ahead to rest and recuperate
, and then go to rescue the people at midnight.
Jiang Nan was the most talkative, pestering Gu Zhihua with conversation the whole way. Gu Zhihua praised his martial arts for their great improvement, and Jiang Nan
chuckled and said , "Isn't it all thanks to Master Jin's guidance? But speaking of which, you also helped me a lot!" Gu Zhihua
laughed and said, "When did I help you? I didn't teach you a single move." Jiang Nan said, "Oh, have you forgotten? The other
day you asked me to deliver a gift to Master Jin. At first, I was confused by it, but later I found out it was
the Master Jin was overjoyed when he saw it. He said that although it was a gift, I also deserved credit, so
he taught me all his acupoint striking techniques and the secret formulas of superior martial arts. Unfortunately, the time was too short, and I
haven't been able ." " Haha, although I, Jiangnan, have no other merits, I will never forget the kindness of others. This time, I received
a favor from Master Jin, and I must remember where it came from. It was all thanks to your help, and I haven't even thanked you yet!" After saying this, he actually
kowtowed deeply to He Zhihua on the main road.
Gu Zhihua was afraid that he would reveal Jin Shiyi's secret, but Jiangnan was so eloquent that Gu Zhihua had no way to interrupt him. She was
secretly anxious, but glancing at him, she saw that Li Shengnan was listening very attentively. She stared intently at Jiangnan and suddenly asked,
"What kind of strange painting is that? Tell me so I can see it?" Gu Zhihua said, "Jiangnan likes to exaggerate, but actually,
there's nothing to it..." He didn't finish his sentence. Jiang Nan exclaimed, "This time I'm truly not bragging! You haven't
seen ? There's a volcano spewing fire on the sea, and a giant standing at its foot, bow drawn and arrow nocked. Isn't that
strange enough? I asked my young master, and he also found it strange, saying he didn't understand the meaning of the painting!" Li Shengnan said, "Hmm, that
's certainly strange enough!"
At that very moment, Gu Zhihua suddenly noticed an extremely peculiar expression on her face. Gu Zhihua was greatly puzzled,
thinking, "Could she have some connection with this painting?" Indeed: The speaker may not have meant anything by it, but the listener took it to heart.

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