Pearl Order [Complete] - 2

Chapter Three: The girl in green and the girl in green

walked and talked, arriving at the Dragon King Temple around four in the morning. The Dragon King Temple was originally a town, located south of Huaiyang and north of Shenqiu, with about one or two hundred households. They searched all the way to the west of the town before finally finding the Dragon King Temple. Entering the temple, they saw a yellow wall, nestled against the woods and facing the river, quite a grand structure, but years of neglect gave it a dilapidated

and desolate feel. Reaching the temple gate, they saw a person curled up on the ground not far from the entrance, motionless in the darkness. The girl in green was startled, hesitated slightly, and asked, "Uncle Ling, do you think that person is dead or alive?"

Ling Junyi, of course, saw it and quickly stepped forward, turning the person over. Upon looking at them, he exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be a one-eyed person?"

Who else could it be but a one-eyed person curled up and stiff? His face was purplish-black, black blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his right eye was wide open, bulging out—a truly terrifying sight. It was clear at a glance that he had died from poisoning. Ling Junyi thought to himself, "Could it be the man in green again?" He carefully examined the one-eyed man, finding no trace of injury. He had arrived too late; the one-eyed man was already dead. His two days of tracking had been a complete waste of effort, yielding nothing.

The girl in green stood at a distance, and seeing him remain silent for a long time, she couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Ling, do you know this man?"

Ling Junyi replied, "He is the one-eyed man."

The girl in green asked, "Is he dead?" Ling Junyi nodded.

The girl in green continued, "His goods have already been delivered to the destination; did they kill him to silence him?"

A sudden thought struck Ling Junyi, and he immediately reached into the one-eyed man's robes. Sure enough, the one-eyed man's belongings had been taken; nothing was left. Ling Junyi slowly straightened up, unconsciously humming, "What a vicious method."

The girl in green greeted him, asking, "Uncle Ling, what did you say?"

Ling Junyi replied, "He died from poisoning. The pill in the envelope was probably poison."

The girl in green widened her eyes and asked, "Wasn't that pill the antidote to the sleeping potion?"

Ling Junyi coughed lightly and said, "If I'm not mistaken, that pill probably had two layers. The outer layer was the antidote to the sleeping potion, but the inner layer was poison. And the timing was perfectly calculated; the poison took effect just after he arrived at the Dragon King Temple."

The girl in green said, "The thing he sent has already been taken. Uncle Ling, should we continue the pursuit?"

Ling Junyi had just discovered the Shaolin monks being killed outside the ancestral hall and had already connected it to the small paper package given by the one-eyed man, which might be related to Master Leshan's disappearance. Naturally, he was unwilling to give up the pursuit. Although the one-eyed man had been killed, it was assumed that the things he had delivered had not yet reached their destination. If the items were only delivered to the Dragon King Temple, they would not have allowed the one-eyed man's body to lie outside the temple; that would only make things more obvious and attract more attention. If the items had not yet reached their destination, then in such a short time, the person who delivered them would not have gone too far. Even if he did not know who had replaced the one-eyed man, as long as he found the blue-clad man and his servant, it would not be difficult to find the person who delivered the items.

His mind raced, and he shook his head slightly, saying, "I was merely curious. If you hadn't come earlier, I wouldn't have wanted to meddle. Now that the blind man is dead, the trail has gone cold. Where are we supposed to look?" He glanced at the girl in green and continued, "Miss Fang, the world is dangerous. You are alone, and even if your martial arts are excellent, you are still inexperienced and shouldn't pry into other people's privacy. I advise you to go home. I am just passing through and have other important matters to attend to. I cannot accompany you. It's almost dawn, and Shenqiu is just ahead. I will escort you into the city and then take my leave."

The girl in green blinked and giggled, saying, "Uncle Ling, since you have other matters to attend to, please go ahead. I'm not a child; I can walk by myself. No need to see me off."

Ling Junyi was about to speak again when the girl in green waved her hand, saying, "Uncle Ling, I'm off!" With that, she turned and sped away.

Being called "Uncle" repeatedly by a pretty girl wasn't a pleasant feeling. Ling Junyi watched the slender figure of the girl surnamed Fang gradually disappear into the darkness, a sense of loss washing over him, a feeling of bewilderment rising within him. He suddenly realized he liked this unknown girl in green; it was because of her innocence, liveliness, and touch of childishness. Dawn

broke, and a mountain breeze brought a slight chill. Ling Junyi's gaze swept quickly across the room, his figure suddenly leaping up like a hawk, soaring over the wall, his feet barely touching the ground, his long body crossing the courtyard, reaching the eaves of the front hall, then leaping again, over the roof ridge, and landing in the back courtyard. The Dragon King Temple only had these two halls; apparently, there was no temple keeper.

Ling Junyi put down the bundle from his shoulder and sat down on the stone steps, his mind preoccupied with where the person who had replaced the one-eyed man would take the things. West of the Dragon King Temple lies Shangshui and Xiangcheng, south lies Shenqiu and Linquan, and east lies Taihe and Fuyang. He calculated that their route from Kaifeng was southeast, so heading towards Taihe and Fuyang should be a good option.

Having made up his mind, he glanced at the sky; the east was already showing signs of dawn. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small box containing his disguise pills. He knew that the blue-clad master and servant were secretly escorting him, and he needed to frequently change his appearance and appear under different identities to avoid attracting their attention. He opened the box, took out a cleansing pill, applied it to his palm, and then rubbed it onto his face. Next, he took out a small bronze mirror, looked at himself in the mirror, and gently wiped his face with a cloth until the disguise was completely removed. Now, he had regained his original appearance. He hesitated for a moment, then picked up a purplish-brown pill and was about to put it on his face...

Suddenly, someone on the wall chuckled softly. Ling Junyi was startled and stood up abruptly, shouting, "Who goes there?"

A delicate voice replied, "Uncle Ling, it's me." A slender figure gracefully leaped down from the wall.

Ling Junyi was taken aback and asked, "You haven't left yet?"

The girl in green stood before him, her large, clear eyes fixed on Ling Junyi's face. Suddenly, her cheeks flushed, and she stamped her foot, saying, "So, you've disguised yourself! What I saw just now wasn't your true face. And your name, Ling Junyi, was also a fabricated one?"

Ling Junyi smiled slightly: "My name is indeed Ling Junyi."

The girl in green pouted and said, "Who knows if you're real or not?"

Ling Junyi said, "If you don't believe me, then it's hard to say."

The girl in green blinked, then smiled shyly and said, "Then why did you keep it from me?"

Ling Junyi said, "I didn't hide anything from you."

The girl in green said, "If you didn't hide anything from me, why wouldn't you tell me you had disguised yourself?"

Ling Junyi said, "When traveling the martial world, disguise makes it harder to attract attention." The girl in green, her face pale, said, "

I think you must have some secret. Did you disguise yourself to follow the one-eyed man?"

Seeing her innocent face, Ling Junyi couldn't bear to hide it and could only nod, saying, "That's right, I came to follow the one-eyed man."

Hearing that she had guessed correctly, the girl in green couldn't help but beam with joy, giggling, "Then you must know what he delivered."

Ling Junyi said, "I don't know."

The girl in green said, "Then do you know which road they're from?"

Ling Junyi said, "I'm not sure either."

The girl in green snorted coldly, "I don't believe

you." Ling Junyi said, "The facts speak for themselves; believe it or not."

The girl in green said, "You know nothing about them, so how did you manage to follow them?" Ling Junyi then briefly recounted how someone had mistakenly delivered a secret letter to him on the streets of Kaifeng.

The girl in green raised her eyebrows, delighted, and said, "This is so much fun, Uncle Ling..." She started calling him Uncle Ling, but then stopped abruptly, only managing to say "Uncle Ling."

Ling Junyi laughed, "Why aren't you calling me Uncle Ling anymore?"

The girl in green pouted, "Who called you Uncle? Humph, you're not much older than me. Calling you Uncle? I'd rather call you Brother Ling." She changed "Uncle Ling" to "Brother Ling" because Ling Junyi had suddenly transformed from a middle-aged man into a young man. Keeping "Uncle Ling" and changing "Uncle" to "Brother" was perfectly logical and natural. After speaking, she blushed and looked at Ling Junyi with expectant eyes, silently saying affectionately, "Can I call you Brother Ling?"

Ling Junyi felt a surge of heat throughout his body, a rush of impulse in his heart. He reached out and pulled the girl in green into his arms, simultaneously sealing her alluring cherry lips with his own. Caught off guard, the girl in green let out a soft moan, her body going limp, oblivious to everything around her. Their breaths quickened as they kissed, and Ling Junyi felt a fire rise from his dantian. He gently held her small, fragrant lips, indulging in the intoxicating aroma of her breath. Her pearly teeth parted slightly, and her soft, delicate tongue involuntarily intertwined with the provocative tongue that had entered her mouth. When that tongue withdrew, she couldn't help but extend her own small, delicate tongue into his mouth. From that moment on, he never let that fragrant tongue leave his mouth again, greedily sucking and teasing it. With his sensitive, nimble tongue, he conveyed messages of love to her. Silence spoke volumes, yet it wasn't absolute; her soft breaths and moans occasionally escaped her lips.

Ling Junyi's large hands began to roam over her body, caressing every inch. When a large, burning hand gently slipped inside her clothes, caressing her firm, shapely breasts, she trembled, her heart pounding. She didn't struggle, nor did she resist, for she craved his caresses, craved his passionate kisses. Her skirt loosened, her body exposed, her clothes tossed aside, naked before him, without any obstruction.

Although it was Ling Junyi's first time, he had heard stories of this. He caressed her freely, sucking on her shapely breasts. The green-clad girl writhed, calling out softly, "Brother Ling." Ling Junyi laid her down on the clothes on the ground, his mouth searching for targets on her upper body, his hands not idle either, covering the lush mounds of her breasts, his fingers secretly probing the small stream among the pubic hair, now flowing gently. The girl in green trembled, twisting more frantically, Ling Junyi, like a sword at the ready, quietly aimed at her target, pressing down hard with his waist.

"Ah." The girl in green suddenly felt something hot inside her body; Ling Junyi's thrust had broken through her defenses, penetrating all the way in.

"Does it hurt? Good sister, I still don't know your name?" Ling Junyi considerately stopped, gently kissing her.

"It hurts a little... My name is Fang Ruping..." The girl in green frowned.

"Sister Ping, my good girl, you have to bear with it a little, it will be over soon." Ling Junyi said, his hands also caressing Fang Ruping's jade breasts, which were now so firm.

Seeing Fang Ruping gradually relax, Ling Junyi began to move slightly. "Mmm...hum..." Fang Ruping made indistinct sounds as Ling Junyi moved. Ling Junyi knew she was beginning to enjoy the pleasure, so he began to thrust in and out with a "nine shallow, one deep" rhythm. Gradually, Fang Ruping also began to move, tightly embracing Ling Junyi. Ling Junyi knew it was time, so he began to thrust wildly.

"Ah...mmm...oh..." Fang Ruping's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and she twisted her waist wildly, responding to Ling Junyi's thrusts.

Ling Junyi accelerated his thrusts, his whole body already drenched in sweat. Half an hour had passed, and the battle was extremely intense. Fang Ruping was at her limit.

"Ah...big brother...I can't take it anymore..."

Fang Ruping's body went limp, releasing a large amount of vaginal fluid. Stimulated by this, Ling Junyi's penis loosened, and a thick stream of semen gushed out violently, drenching Fang Ruping's body with heat.

After their passion subsided, the two embraced weakly. Ling Junyi kissed Fang Ruping's cheek and asked, "Sister, will you regret this?"

Fang Ruping came to her senses and said, "Brother Ling, you saved my life, and my body belongs to you. I will never regret it. As long as you can keep me by your side, I will be content. If one day you no longer love me, I will never cling to you."

Ling Junyi was unaware of the depth of Fang Ruping's love for him. Moved to tears, he kissed her cheeks, lips, neck, and breasts passionately. After a long while, he said, "Sister Ping, you are too good to me. I will always love you."

Fang Ruping said softly, "I... " "I know many girls like you, brother. Go ahead and love them. As long as you have me in your heart, I'll be content,"

Ling Junyi said gratefully. "I won't let you down, sister. Please rest assured."

Fang Ruping replied, "I'm very relieved."

After resting for a while, Ling Junyi felt his desire rising. Fang Ruping naturally sensed his reaction, blushed, and whispered, "Brother, do you want more? I can still handle it."

Ling Junyi said, "I made you suffer earlier. Let me enjoy it this time."

The two naturally entered into a state of intense intimacy. Ling Junyi was indeed gentle and considerate. Fang Ruping truly experienced the pleasure of sex. The two lingered all night until dawn before getting up to clean up. Looking at the bloodstains on the floor, Fang Ruping's face was flushed, but her heart was sweeter than honey.

Ling Junyi whispered, "Are you alright?"

Fang Ruping blushed and said, "I feel a little uncomfortable."

Ling Junyi said, "Then let's rest at the inn for the day." Fang Ruping was naturally happy to see Ling Junyi's thoughtfulness and had no objections.

Ling Junyi said, "It's already dawn, we can't stay here any longer. Please wait a moment while I change my appearance."

Fang Ruping nodded and said, "Perfect, I'd like to see it too."

Ling Junyi rubbed a purplish-red pill in his palm, then rubbed his hands together a few times and spread it evenly on his face. In the blink of an eye, a handsome young man with jade-like skin transformed into a purplish-brown-faced man! The green-clad girl, Fang Ruping, stared intently at Ling Junyi's face with her dark, lacquered eyes and laughed, "This is so funny, it's like a girl applying powder."

Ling Junyi then took out a small piece of willow charcoal from his small container, and using a bronze mirror to thicken and darken his two sword-like eyebrows. In this way, he completely transformed into a different person. The girl in green, Fang Ruping, asked curiously, "Brother, your disguise skills are superb! Who taught you?"

Ling Junyi put away his small gesture, casually tucked the girl into his pocket, and smiled, saying, "Naturally, I learned it from my master."

Fang Ruping continued, "Who is your master?"

Ling Junyi replied, "My master originally didn't want anyone to know, but since you're not an outsider, it's fine. My master is 'Tathagata with a Backhand.'" Fang Ruping

exclaimed in surprise, "So you're his disciple!"

Ling Junyi nodded and said, "We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's go." After saying that, he and Fang Ruping walked towards the temple exit.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard a voice from ahead on the path: "Selling steamed buns!" A burly man wearing a blue cloth shirt and trousers, carrying a wooden bucket, walked towards them. When he reached Ling Junyi, he greeted him with a smile, saying, "Would you like some steamed buns, sir?"

Ling Junyi shook his head slightly, but before he could answer, he suddenly heard Fang Ruping call out, "Brother, be careful!" "

Ling Junyi suddenly saw a flash of blue light, and a poisoned nail shot straight towards his throat! Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Ling Junyi instinctively leaned back slightly and flicked his right finger, deflecting the poisoned nail with a 'ding' sound. Enraged, he roared, 'Why did you suddenly attack me with such poison for no reason?'"

The man selling steamed buns missed his first attack. Before he could finish speaking, the seller pushed with both hands, sending the wooden bucket hurtling towards him again. At the same time, he swiftly retreated, his right hand flashing out a gleaming blue steel knife. Just as the man retreated, two more men dressed in blue cloth trousers leaped out of the woods, also wielding gleaming blue steel knives. They split to the left and right, forming a triangular shape to block Ling Junyi's path. Ling Junyi didn't even look. As the bucket approached, he lightly flicked his left hand, and with a hiss, even faster than before, the bucket hurled itself back at the man selling steamed buns in the middle.

The man selling steamed buns was startled. He dodged the bucket, which flew more than ten feet away, crashing into a tree. With a loud bang, the bucket shattered, and the tree trunk, thicker than a bowl, snapped in two and fell to the ground. The man in the middle's expression changed, and he sneered, "Your skills are indeed superb."

Ling Junyi's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he said coldly, "What do you three mean by this?"

The man in the middle asked, "Where are you two going?"

Ling Junyi replied, "Where we go is none of your business."

The man in the middle said, "We brothers are here to await you."

Ling Junyi's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he asked coldly, "Do you know who I am?"

The man in the middle said, "We don't know you, but rather what you're carrying."

Ling Junyi was taken aback and asked, "What do you know about what I'm carrying?"

The man in the middle laughed loudly, "While we may not tolerate bluffing, don't play dumb."

Fang Ruping couldn't help but angrily say, "You've attacked us without warning, and now you're blocking our way. I want to know clearly,
what are your true intentions?

" The man in the middle sneered, "Very well, an honest man doesn't do things in secret. Our purpose is to ask you to leave your things behind. Is that clear enough?"

Ling Junyi's heart stirred. He thought to himself, "I only have a family heirloom antidote pearl and a silk pouch given to me by Wen Wanjun. These three are either coveting my antidote pearl or being instigated by Xiao Qiqing, the Sixth Master of the Golden Ring, to forcibly take the silk pouch given to me by Miss Wen."

Thinking of this, he laughed loudly and said, "That's right, the things are in my possession. I wonder how you intend to take them?"

The man in the middle said, "You want to fight?"

Ling Junyi sneered, "Do you expect me to hand them over with both hands?"

The man in the middle said, "Very well, show your weapons."

Ling Junyi first said to Fang Ruping, "Pingmei, step back a bit. Let me deal with these clowns." Fang Ruping did as she was told and stepped aside.

Ling Junyi coldly addressed the man, "I don't need to use weapons against someone like you. Show me what you've got, my friend. I'll take it."

The middle man's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he chuckled, "Be careful, sir." He took a step forward, his steel blade flashing with a blue light, aimed straight at Ling Junyi's chest with lightning speed.

Ling Junyi raised an eyebrow slightly: "You're still a little short. Stand firm." He slightly shifted his body, his left hand already gripping the middle man's right wrist holding the blade, and gave it a gentle shake. The middle man cried out in alarm, his steel blade falling to the ground. He lost his balance and staggered backward, almost falling to the ground. The two men on either side were shocked; they roared and suddenly closed in, their steel blades slashing down simultaneously.

Ling Junyi smiled coldly, his figure spinning swiftly. Without any visible movement, two muffled groans were heard, followed by two clangs as the two steel knives fell from their hands to the ground. The two men retreated hastily, their left hands clutching their right wrists, their faces flushed crimson. It turned out that Ling Junyi had slashed their right wrists, causing excruciating pain. Although they gritted their teeth and didn't utter a sound, the veins on their foreheads bulged.

Ling Junyi remained nonchalant, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Do you still want the Shangxi I'm carrying?" he said, his gaze slowly shifting to the man in the middle. His expression turned cold as he coldly said, "Of the three of you, friend, you're probably the leader? You pretended to be a steamed bun seller, then ambushed me with a vicious hidden weapon, and later robbed me by force. Just looking at how your weapons are coated with poison, it's clear how wicked you've been all this time. Today you've met me, and I should have crippled your martial arts, but perhaps you were sent by someone else. I'll just cripple each of you for now." " My arm, as a small punishment."

The man in the middle, upon hearing that his and his companions had lost their right arms in a single move, turned ashen-faced. His fierce eyes glared at Ling Junyi, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Give me your surname, sir."

Ling Junyi chuckled and said, "You are not worthy to ask my surname."

Knowing he was far inferior to his opponent, the man in the middle shouted, "Let's go."

Ling Junyi shouted, "Wait! Take these three knives with you."

The three men remained silent, bent down to pick up the steel knives, and were about to turn around when suddenly they all froze.

At that moment, a thin, old man dressed in black emerged from the forest path. The old man had a thin, dark, and dry face, with downturned lips, looking rigid, sinister, and expressionless. He emerged from the woods, his triangular eyes darting around before settling on the three men. He said with a mocking air, "What? You couldn't handle him, and now he's the one who's done it to you?"

The middle man replied respectfully, "Reporting to Seventh Master, this kid is quite formidable. All three of us had our right arms crippled by him."

Ling Junyi's heart skipped a beat. He said, "Could you be 'Ghost-Slayer' Tang Seventh Master?"

The old man in black said, "Indeed, it is I. My intention is that I will not hold your injuries against my three men. But you can only keep one of them: your life or what you carry."

Ling Junyi said, "Ghosts may fear you, but people may not."

Tang Seventh Master sneered, "Good lad, you truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth." The words had barely left his mouth when his figure blurred, his left hand flashing like lightning, lunging for Ling Junyi's shoulder. The grab was swift and deadly, arriving in an instant. Fang Ruping, watching from the side, was extremely anxious. Although she knew Ling Junyi's martial arts were high, she was still uncertain; as the saying goes, "concern leads to confusion."

Ling Junyi had been waiting patiently. When Tang Qiye's left hand was inches from him, he suddenly stepped forward, dodging the grab, and slashed out with his left palm. Tang Qiye hadn't taken Ling Junyi seriously at all, confident that his grab was incredibly fast and accurate, something few martial arts masters could dodge. He thought the opponent was just a young man in his early twenties, easily defeated. But to his surprise, the opponent simply dodged, and Tang Qiye was startled. He immediately gathered his inner strength, preparing to unleash his most powerful technique, the "Five Ding Mountain-Splitting Palm," to kill his opponent in one fell swoop. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Just as his murderous intent arose, Ling Junyi's "Dragon Rising from the Clouds" palm strike, with its powerful wind, was already upon him.

Ghost-Seeing Sorrow Master Tang, a seasoned veteran of the martial world and a renowned figure for many years, immediately channeled the power of his opponent's palm strike into his right hand, meeting the incoming attack with a powerful clash. The two palms collided with a resounding boom.

Master Tang's strike had used at least sixty or seventy percent of his strength, but upon exchanging blows, he suddenly felt a numbness in his right wrist, his body swayed, and he almost lost his footing. His black robe fluttered wildly in the wind, and he was filled with dread! A flicker of surprise crossed his usually rigid, sinister face. His cold, piercing eyes scanned Ling Junyi from head to toe, and he gave a sinister smile, saying, "Not bad, kid."

The word "not bad" was barely out of his mouth when he raised his left hand, delivering another palm strike to Ling Junyi's chest. He then grinned maliciously, "Come on, kid, try taking one of my palms!" His words were highly provocative, implying that Ling Junyi would have a very difficult time withstanding it.

Young and impetuous, Ling Junyi was unwilling to admit defeat. Hearing this, he raised a thick eyebrow and laughed loudly, "Taking one of your palms? What's wrong with that?" He raised his right arm, unleashing a "Dragon Turns Head" horizontal palm strike.

Tang Qiye's attacking palm strike was initially very slow, but as Ling Junyi's right hand extended, Tang Qiye's palm suddenly accelerated forward. Just as the two palms were about to meet, Tang Qiye suddenly pulled back his left arm, retracting his outstretched palm. The attack was fast, but the retraction was even faster.
Ling Junyi looked on curiously, but just then, he suddenly felt a prickling sensation in his palm, and all five fingers went numb.

He heard Tang Qiye sneer, "Boy, you've been hit by my palm needle. I'll count to six, and you'll be lying down."

Fang Ruping panicked upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Brother Ling, take a look!"

Ling Junyi was startled and quickly reached into his robes. In just a moment, Ling Junyi felt his arm go numb and almost unable to bend. He was shocked, thinking, "What kind of deadly poison did this Tang guy use? It's so potent!" But he reacted quickly enough, his five fingers already grasping the "poison-repelling bead" in his robes.

His master had told him about this "poison-repelling bead," which, when worn, would protect against all poisons. If injured by poisoned weapons or hidden weapons, simply placing the bead on the wound would draw out the poison. He had been injured by the opponent's "palm needle," so grasping the bead was the right thing to do.

Seeing him reach into his robes, Tang Qiye assumed he wanted to retrieve the antidote and chuckled dryly, "This old man has a needle in his palm; only my unique antidote can cure it. Kid, you're doomed..."

Fang Ruping couldn't help but shout, "Old ghost, what are you going to do?"

Tang Qiye chuckled again, and Ling Junyi, holding the "poison-repelling bead" in his right palm, felt a cool sensation penetrate his palm, and the numbness in his fingers immediately lessened considerably. Relieved, Tang Qiye's eyebrows shot up involuntarily upon hearing this, and he roared, "What grudge do I hold against you that you would dare to use a poisoned needle?"

Tang Qiye looked up at the sky, his expression sinister, and said, "I never waste words with a dying man. This is called killing the goose that lays the golden eggs; by killing

the goose, you can get the golden eggs." Ling Junyi was enraged, his handsome eyes flashing with cold light. He coldly shouted, "Old thief, you have treacherous intentions, you are despicable and shameless! If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll think everyone in the world fears your poisoned needles!" He flashed forward, his left hand rising in a lightning-fast motion to strike Tang Qiye's right shoulder.

Tang Qiye never dreamed that someone about to be poisoned by his "Palm Needle" would actually retaliate. With a "clang," Ling Junyi's palm landed squarely on his left shoulder socket. He groaned, suddenly felt a sweet taste in his throat, his vision went black, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering back several steps, almost falling! The three men in blue were shocked at the sight and quickly jumped forward, supporting him on either side.

Tang Qiye's face was deathly pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His triangular eyes widened in astonishment as he said, "Boy, you're lucky. My needles never miss, yet you missed just now."

Ling Junyi slowly withdrew his right hand, coldly saying, "I did hit you, but how could your mere poisoned needle possibly harm me?" In his palm, there was still an extremely fine needle hole.

Tang Qiye's face turned ashen, and he exclaimed in horror, "You...you...you're actually unafraid of the deadly poison!" Ling Junyi waved

his hand arrogantly and said, "You can leave now, otherwise, I won't be so polite.

" Tang Qiye gritted his teeth and said sternly, "Boy, if you've got the guts, leave your name."

Ling Junyi said coldly, "Ling Junyi.

" Tang Qiye sneered coldly, "Boy, I won't let you go." Supported by two men, he left unwillingly.

Fang Ruping had already jumped to Ling Junyi's side, grabbed his hand, and asked worriedly, "Brother Ling, are you really alright? I was so scared just now. Please check me quickly and see if there's anything wrong."

Seeing Fang Ruping's nervous expression, Ling Junyi whispered, "Don't worry, Sister Ping, I have the 'Poison-Repelling Pearl,' I'm not afraid."

Fang Ruping was relieved and said, "That's good." Then she asked, "What exactly do they want from you?"

Ling Junyi shook his head and said, "I don't know either, it's all inexplicable." Ling

Junyi and Fang Ruping arrived in the city and found an inn to rest. Around 2 PM, they were chatting in their room when a waiter called out from the door, "Is there a Master Ling in this room?"

Ling Junyi opened the door and asked, "What is it?"

The waiter replied, "Someone has delivered a letter for you."

Ling Junyi took the letter and looked at it, then asked, "Where is the messenger?"

The waiter said, "He's up ahead."

Ling Junyi said, "Go tell him I'll be right back."

The waiter agreed and left. Fang Ruping asked, "What is it?"

Ling Junyi said, "I'm going to see the lay abbot of Shaolin. You're not feeling well, so stay here and rest. I'll be back soon."

Fang Ruping wanted to go with him, but then she thought Ling Junyi's words made sense, and she was indeed still a little uncomfortable, so she agreed, "Alright, come back soon."

Ling Junyi nodded in agreement and went to the front. He saw a man in gray standing by the counter. The waiter, seeing Ling Junyi come out, hurriedly said to him, "This is the gentleman." The man in gray said, "

Master Ling."

Ling Junyi nodded and said, "I dare not accept such praise. Please lead the way for me, my friend."

The man in gray replied, "Yes," and turned to walk forward. Ling Junyi followed him, walking slowly. After turning two streets, they came to a crossroads and saw a hotel called Dingshenglou, with a five-bay facade that looked very grand. The man in gray led Ling Junyi into the hotel and continued walking inside. After passing through a courtyard, they arrived at the back courtyard, where flowers and trees were lush, and winding corridors provided ventilation. It was extremely quiet and secluded.

The man in gray led him around the corridor to the door of a side room, where he stopped and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the old master, Master Ling has arrived."

An aged voice said, "Please, please." The door opened, and a bald old man with white hair and beard, his arms ruddy, chuckled, "Brother Ling, please come in and have a seat." This red-faced old man was none other than Jin Ding, Jin Kaitai, the lay abbot of Shaolin Temple.

Ling Junyi asked, "What brings Master Jin to Taihe?" As he spoke, they entered the room.

The side room was exquisitely furnished, with a small round table by the window surrounded by four chairs. On the table were a white porcelain teapot and two small bowls. At this moment, an old man wearing a blue satin robe and trousers stood up from his chair with a smile, indicating that the two had been enjoying tea and conversation.

Jin Kaitai hurriedly introduced, "Brother Ling, let me introduce you. This is my junior brother, Ao Shuhan, formerly known as the 'Multi-Armed Ape,' now the owner of this Dingsheng Restaurant."

He then turned to Ao Shuhan and said, "This is the Brother Ling I just mentioned."

Ling Junyi sized up Ao Shuhan. He had a refined appearance, was about fifty-four or fifty-five years old, with prominent temples and piercing eyes, clearly a master of both internal and external martial arts. He immediately clasped his hands in greeting, "I have long admired your name, Master Ao. It is an honor to meet you today."

Ao Shuhan quickly replied, "You flatter me. Brother Ling, you are exceptionally handsome, like a rare auspicious creature. I have been eager to meet you ever since Senior Brother Jin mentioned you."

Jin Kaitai smiled and said, "We are all family here. Please sit down so we can talk." The three sat down around a small round table.

Ling Junyi raised his eyes and asked, "Old Master Jin, you have personally come to Taihe. Could it be that the 'Pearl Token' has already made progress?" Jin Kaitai shook his head slightly: "

You could say there's something to it, or you could say there isn't."

Ling Junyi asked, "What do you mean, Master Jin?"

Jin Kaitai replied, "Brother Ling, you probably remember that I told you the other day that besides the Tang Clan of Sichuan and the Wen Family of Lingnan, there's another family in the martial arts world known for their poisons."

Ling Junyi nodded: "Master Jin mentioned it; it's Longmian Manor."

Jin Kaitai said, "That's right, Longmian Manor. In the past three months, the heads of the Tang Clan of Sichuan and the Wen Family of Lingnan, along with Senior Brother Leshan, have all disappeared one after another. Only Master Zhu of Longmian Manor hasn't disappeared. It's clear that the 'Pearl Token' group hasn't made a move against Longmian Manor yet. Of course, we can also speculate that the 'Pearl Token' might be related to Longmian Manor, because I told you to pay close attention to them that day."

Ling Junyi nodded and said, "Master Jin's insight is truly profound; I also considered this point at the time."

Jin Kaitai smiled slightly and said, "After Brother Yao left that day, I received reports from my disciples that several groups of suspicious martial arts figures had suddenly been discovered in Kaifeng City..."

Ling Junyi said "Oh."

Jin Kaitai continued, "That night, one of my nephews, whose Dharma name is Liaowu, rushed from Luoyang to Jinding Manor, saying that he had discovered a master and servant who were acting mysteriously, and their martial arts style was also suspicious. According to his speculation, they were very likely related to the 'Pearl Token,' and he had followed them all the way from Luoyang. Fearing that he couldn't handle them alone, I sent one of my lesser disciples to accompany him..."

Ling Junyi thought to himself, "He's probably referring to the blue-clad man and his servant." Suddenly, he exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly thought, "The two people who were killed outside the feeding hall last night were a monk and a layman; could they be Monk Liaowu and Master Jin's disciples?" "Thoughts raced through his mind, but since Jin Kaitai was speaking, he didn't want to interrupt him.

Jin Kaitai continued, 'The next morning, I received reports from my disciples that several groups of martial artists who had stayed at inns in the city had all left early that morning, and all in the same direction. I suspect there must be a reason for this. That same day, I also discovered that Wen Lao Er from Lingnan, leading four or five followers, stopped briefly in Kaifeng and hurriedly headed towards Chenliu. Although Wen Lao Er often travels the martial world, his hasty journey to the Central Plains this time must be related to the "Pearl Token," so I felt I had to come down and see for myself.'

Ling Junyi waited for him to finish, then looked up and said, 'I

have a question I'd like to ask you, sir.' Jin Kaitai smiled and said, 'Brother Ling, don't be so formal. We're family. Please feel free to ask me anything.'"

Ling Junyi said, "I have disguised myself three times along the way, changing my appearance. I wonder how you recognized me, Master Jin?" Jin

Kaitai stroked his beard and chuckled, "Young master, your skills are those of a master from a senior family. Your knowledge is such that few in the martial world can rival you."

Ling Junyi said, "Master Jin flatters me."

Jin Kaitai continued, "Moreover, you are also skilled in disguise. You should have no more mistakes while traveling the martial world. However, this is my first time traveling, and my experience in the martial world is still lacking."

Ling Junyi said, "Master Jin is right. My experience in the martial world is indeed very shallow. But how did you recognize me, Master Jin?"

Jin Kaitai smiled and said, "You must have met them along the way, revealing your presence. Therefore, someone must have made a mark on your luggage. Even though you disguised yourself three times, a discerning person could recognize you at a glance."

Ling Junyi was taken aback and said, "How could I not see it?" Jin Kaitai smiled and pointed to the lower corner of the blue cloth bag, saying, "

It's these few specks of white powder. The other party's stitches were extremely fine; you wouldn't notice them if you weren't paying attention, brother."

Upon Jin Kaitai's pointing, Ling Junyi indeed discovered seven tiny white dots, as fine as a needlepoint, at the lower corner of the cloth bag. He blushed and said, "If it weren't for your guidance, Master Jin, I would still be completely unaware..." Just then, light footsteps sounded from outside the corridor, stopping at the door.

Ao Shuhan asked, "Tingying, what is it?"

A young man's voice came from outside the door, saying, "Reporting to Master, a waiter from Xiangyuan Inn has brought a letter for Master Ling."

Ling Junyi was startled, thinking to himself, "I just arrived in Taihe; who would bring me a letter?"

Jin Kaitai's expression shifted, and Ao Shuhan said, "Come in." The door opened, and a young man in blue robes entered, holding an envelope.

Ao Shuhan asked, "Where is the waiter from Xiangyuan Inn?"

The young man in blue robes replied, "He's already gone."

Jin Kaitai asked, "Did he say who asked him to deliver this?" The

young man in blue bowed and replied, "I asked, and according to the waiter, it was a guest who asked him to deliver it."

Ao Shuhan took the letter, waved his hand, and the young man in blue bowed again before leaving.

Ao Shuhan handed the letter to Ling Junyi and said, "Brother Ling, your letter..."

Jin Kaitai asked, "Do you know anyone at Xiangyuan Inn?"

Ling Junyi took the letter and said, "I just arrived in Taihe when Master Jin summoned me. I came here immediately, and only my cousin is at the inn. I don't know anyone else." Ling Junyi blushed slightly when he mentioned his cousin. Actually, Fang Ruping wasn't his cousin; he just couldn't think of the right word and used "cousin.

" Jin Kaitai's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he said, "That's strange." He then said, "Brother, quickly read what the letter says." Ling

Junyi tore open the seal, pulled out a piece of paper, glanced at it, and trembled. Two lines of writing were on it: "To Your Excellency, Master Ling, your younger sister is currently a guest at my humble abode. Please do not worry about her. I would be most grateful if you could present this item to my beloved. Tomorrow at sunset, I will await your arrival at Mount Bagong." The handwriting was quite elegant, but there was no signature at the bottom.

Ling Junyi held the letter in his hand, speechless for a long time. Judging from the tone of the letter, they had kidnapped his sister and demanded that he bring the item he was carrying to ransom her. The time was sunset the next day, and the place was Bagong Mountain. "Item he was carrying"—they probably coveted "Pesticide-Repelling Elixir"; his sister? Could it be that he was right? Fang Ruping had been kidnapped, and they really considered Fang Ruping their sister. However, their aim was the item, not the person, so Fang Ruping wouldn't be in any immediate danger.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Jin Kaitai couldn't help but cough lightly and asked, "Brother, who wrote this letter?"

Ling Junyi handed over the letter and said, "Please take a look, Master Jin."

Jin Kaitai didn't reach out to take it, hesitatingly saying, "May I take a look?"

Ling Junyi said, "Please take a look, Master Jin. My cousin has been kidnapped. " Jin Kaitai's eyes widened in surprise. "Such a thing could happen? "

he exclaimed. He then took the letter. After

just one glance, his expression changed slightly. He sneered, "Who are these people who dare to act so recklessly? Junior Brother Ao, look at what this letter says. Who are their underworld friends in this area? They're clearly after us brothers."

Ao Shuhan read the letter, his eyebrows furrowing as he pondered, "As far as I know, there are no underworld figures in this area. In Bagong Mountain, there's only the Wu family's villa. Although the Wu brothers are the leaders of the Huizhou Gang, they've always done business honestly and their business is very large. They have branches all over the province, so they would never kidnap or extort anyone..."

Jin Kaitai said, "The Wu brothers? You mean the brothers Wu Wenhui, the God of Wealth and Civil War?"

Ao Shuhan nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly."

Jin Kaitai stared intently, "Junior Brother Ao, aren't you quite familiar with these brothers?" "Then send Tingying to ask if their manor on Bagong Mountain is
vacant,"

said Ao Shuhan. "Brother Jin, do you think that if the Wu family's villa is vacant, it might be used by bandits as a hiding place for Brother Ling's sister?" Jin Kaitai

nodded, "That should be the case."

Jin Kaitai continued, "What exactly do these people want from Brother Ling to redeem him?"

Ling Junyi said, "They might be eyeing my family's heirloom, the Poison-Repelling Pearl."

Jin Kaitai's expression shifted, and he asked, "The Poison-Repelling Pearl? The one you want to pawn?"

Ling Junyi said, "Yes, I've worn this pearl since I was a child. It wasn't until my mother disappeared that my master told me before I left that this pearl could ward off poison."

Jin Kaitai asked, "Did anyone shine a light on that pearl on your journey?"

Ling Junyi said, "No, I've kept it in my bosom ever since I left Kaifeng..." Suddenly

remembering his encounter with Master Tang, the "Ghost-Seeing Sorrow," he casually remarked, "Could this person be Master Tang?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Kaitai exclaimed, "Seventh Master Tang? You mean the seventh son of the Tang family? How did you come to think of him?"

Ling Junyi replied, "This morning he intercepted me at the border and I injured him."

Jin Kaitai's expression turned serious, and he glanced at Ao Shuhan, saying, "The Tang family has also arrived. These people are appearing in Jiangnan one after another, which seems to be no coincidence."

He then asked Ling Junyi, "How did you get into a conflict with the Tang family of Sichuan?"

Ling Junyi said, "This is what happened. He sent people to ambush me, insisting that I leave behind what I was carrying." He then recounted his encounter that morning in detail.

Jin Kaitai suddenly chuckled and said, "Perhaps this is a misunderstanding. The seventh son of the Tang family may have mistaken someone for someone else."

Ling Junyi asked in surprise, "Mistaken someone for someone else?"

Jin Kaitai stroked his beard and smiled, "Didn't I just mention that one of my nephews, whose Dharma name is Liaowu, followed the master and servant from Luoyang? It is said that they were carrying something and their whereabouts were extremely mysterious. As far as I know, many martial arts masters have been secretly following them. You happened to be there, which attracted the attention of the Tang Clan, hence this misunderstanding."

Ling Junyi said, "To be honest, Master Jin, I was just curious and followed them down."

Jin Kaitai's eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly, "So you discovered it too, Brother Ling?"

Ling Junyi said, "This matter should be traced back to Kaifeng. I didn't discover anything at the time either. It was the messenger who mistakenly gave me the secret letter." He then recounted in detail everything he had encountered along the way, except for the silk pouch that Wen Wanjun gave him, omitting the details.

Jin Kaitai nodded and said, "What you said, brother, is pretty much what I know. I surmise that this item should be arriving soon."

Ling Junyi asked, "Since you came personally, you must know the whereabouts of the delivery person, right?"

Jin Kaitai smiled and said, "Brother, don't be impatient. I invited you here tonight for two reasons. First, your whereabouts have been exposed without your knowledge, which is extremely dangerous when traveling the martial world. Second, I've already sent several of my apprentices to secretly monitor the one-eyed man delivering the item, so you won't need to show yourself."

Ling Junyi said, "That one-eyed man has already died from poisoning at the Dragon King Temple."

Jin Kaitai smiled and said, "That's right, but the one who replaced him is also one-eyed, except this person is blind in his right eye."

Ling Junyi said, "I see."

Just then, the young man in blue from before... Nian entered again, bowing to Ao Shuhan and saying, "Master, the food and wine are ready. Please invite Uncle Jin and Master Ling to take their seats."

Ao Shuhan nodded, stood up, and smiled, "Brother Jin, Brother Ling, this is just simple food and wine, nothing special. Let's sit outside."

Jin Kaitai stood up and chuckled, "We're all family, no need to be so polite. Brother Ao, the chef here is truly excellent. It's said that his father was once a royal chef, cooking for the emperor. Several of his signature dishes even earned him a hefty reward. Now that his son is in charge, his skills are still extraordinary. Brother Ling, there's no need to worry about your sister. Since the other party is after the treasure, your sister won't be in danger for the time being. Let's discuss this properly."

Ling Junyi nodded, and everyone stepped out of the side room. Outside was an exquisite little living room, with an eight-immortal table in the center, already laden with food and wine. Ao Shuhan waved his hand to invite the guests to sit down. Jin Kaitai offered Ling Junyi the seat of honor, but Ling Junyi insisted on refusing. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jin Kaitai took the seat of honor, followed by Ling Junyi and Ao Shuhan. The young man in blue immediately took out a wine pot and poured wine for the three of them.

Ling Junyi said, "Brother, please join us."

Ao Shuhan replied, "This is my young apprentice, Xie Tingying. Brother Ling, there's no need to stand on ceremony with him." There weren't many dishes on the table, but each one was indeed exquisitely prepared and delicious.

After a few drinks, Ao Shuhan raised his eyes and asked, "Brother Ling, what do you plan to do with the letter that just arrived?"

Ling Junyi replied, "Since this person came with the letter, I must go and meet him."

Jin Kaitai pondered, "Tang the Seventh is always ruthless and cunning, hence his nickname 'Ghost's Sorrow.' Brother Ling really shouldn't make enemies with the Tang Clan of Sichuan."

Ling Junyi said, "Regardless of whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Tang the Seventh attacked me the moment we met. I only gave him a light punishment, which was already showing mercy. This matter is not my fault. This time, he kidnapped and extorted money, abducting my cousin. Such behavior is no different from banditry. How can I ignore it? If Tang the Seventh encounters me again this time, even if I don't cripple his martial arts, I'll make sure he's bedridden for a year and a half." "Carry."

Jin Kaitai said, his eyes flashing with a cold light, a hint of murderous intent in them. Yu Lu was startled, thinking, "This brother has such a strong murderous aura." He continued, "Brother Ling, you're going to keep your appointment. I've met the Tang brothers a few times. Tomorrow I'll accompany you to Mount Bagong. This matter is purely a misunderstanding. Let's be on good terms and resolve it if possible."

Ling Junyi replied, "It's a small matter. I wouldn't dare trouble you, Master Jin. Since you know Tang Laoqi, I won't harm him."

Jin Kaitai was the lay abbot of Shaolin Temple, a man of great influence in the martial arts world, known as "Golden Cauldron." For many years, no one had dared to speak so arrogantly before him. Ling Junyi, young and impetuous, made a rather presumptuous statement.

Jin Kaitai, however, remained unperturbed, smiling slightly as he thought, "Tang Laoqi is ruthless, and the Tang Clan's poisons and hidden weapons are renowned far and wide, exquisitely crafted and impossible to defend against. I'm just worried you lack experience in the martial world and might suffer a great loss." This wasn't wrong. In the martial world, one learns from mistakes, but while losses from other clans are easy to bear, losses from the Sichuan Tang Clan are unacceptable. Their poisons and hidden weapons are lethal; once you've suffered a loss, you'll never learn your lesson.

After a hearty meal and drinks, the servants cleared away the leftovers. Ling Junyi stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I have benefited greatly from the guidance of the two gentlemen tonight. It is getting late, and I must go and investigate the situation. Farewell."

Jin Kaitai nodded and said, "Brother Ling, I wish you success in rescuing your cousin." Then, turning to Ling Junyi, he said, "Regarding that blind man, although we do not yet know what he delivered, since it has attracted the attention of the Wen family of Lingnan and the Tang family of Sichuan, it must be related to the 'Pearl Token.' I have ordered several of my apprentices to take turns secretly monitoring him. His whereabouts are now under my control. My apprentices and I have agreed on three secret communication codes. If you memorize them, you can contact them." He immediately told Ling Junyi the three secret communication codes. Ling Junyi wrote them down one by one and then got up to take his leave.

Ao Shuhan said, "Brother, take care. It's at least two hundred li to Bagong Mountain. I'll have Tingying prepare a horse for you."

Ling Junyi said, "I must conceal my whereabouts on this journey, so riding a horse would be inconvenient. I appreciate your kind offer, Second Master Ao." After bidding farewell to the two, he gracefully left Dingsheng Tower and headed straight for the inn.

Sure enough, Fang Ruping was nowhere to be found, but there were no signs of a struggle inside the room. Ling Junyi smelled a faint fragrance, knowing that the other party must have used a sleeping potion. Looking at the window, he saw it was indeed ajar. He found the waiter, but the waiter knew nothing, clearly indicating that the enemy had entered through the window.

Knowing he wouldn't get anything more out of him, Ling Junyi left the inn and hurried to the city wall. Suddenly, he noticed a figure about ten feet ahead of him, leaping swiftly forward. The person's movements were extremely fast; upon reaching the city wall, he lightly leaped up as if riding the wind, gracefully descending towards the outside of the city.

Ling Junyi was startled, thinking to himself, "I wonder who this person is, possessing such superb lightness skill." Thinking this, he immediately quickened his pace, reaching the city wall, and with a sweep of his arms, used the "White Crane Soaring to the Sky" technique to fly onto the city wall.

Looking up, the figure had already covered twenty zhang in the blink of an eye. He immediately landed and followed. The black shadow in front moved with lightning speed, and even with Ling Junyi gathering his inner energy and extending his speed, he could only maintain a distance of twenty zhang to avoid losing the pursuer. He was even more surprised: "It seems this person's lightness skill is even superior to mine."

The two ran along the main road, one after the other. The black shadow in front looked back twice, but Ling Junyi skillfully avoided them. Ultimately, they were twenty zhang apart, and in the darkness, they were not easily detected. After running for a full hour, the walls of Fuyang City came into view. Suddenly, the black shadow abandoned the main road and headed towards a small path on the left.

Knowing that the opponent's lightness skill was already so advanced, Ling Junyi's martial arts were naturally not low either. To avoid being discovered, he dared not approach too closely. Only after the black shadow had passed for a while did he slowly circle around it, using the trees for cover. The path led east, and in that brief delay, the dark figure ahead had vanished without a trace.

Ling Junyi used both his eyes and ears to search forward, and after walking for about a mile, he saw a faint light shining from a grove of trees on the left side of the path! So he followed the light into the woods. After walking about a hundred paces, he found a temple, with the words "Chahua Temple" written on a horizontal plaque above the entrance.

Ling Junyi looked around to make sure no one was there, then quietly leaped onto the wall, immediately disappeared into the shadows, crouched down, and looked up at the hall. A red candle was lit in the main hall, and a man and a woman were sitting on two wooden chairs before an incense table, talking. The woman sitting on the left was a beautiful young woman of about twenty-three or twenty-four, with her hair tied up, wearing a black dress, and possessing unparalleled beauty and captivating eyes! The one sitting on the right was none other than the man in blue! Standing in the corridor in front of the hall was also a man in green, the one with a poisoned iron hand attached to his left arm. Judging from their seating positions, the woman in black seemed to be of higher status than the man in blue. Could the figure who had walked in front of him earlier be the woman in black?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard the man in blue's clear voice say, "Aunt Chu has come. What instructions does my godfather have?"

The woman in black smiled slightly and said, "Your godfather was worried about you and sent me to check on you."

The man in blue said, "Aunt Chu, you've come at the right time. I have something to report."

The woman in black hummed in agreement, her eyes sparkling, and asked, "What is it?"

The man in blue said, "I recently spotted members of the Wen family from Lingnan near Huaiyang..."

The woman in black said, "It was Wen Yixia."

The man in blue was startled and said, "Aunt Chu saw them too? " "Him?"

the woman in black asked. "Anything else?"

the man in blue replied. "The third and seventh sons of the Tang family from Sichuan have also arrived."

The woman in black nodded slightly and chuckled. "So you've already noticed, but you've missed one thing."

The man in blue asked in surprise, "Which other group are there?"

The woman in black replied, "Shaolin."

The man in blue exclaimed, then laughed. "That bald thief is just a third-rate member of the Shaolin Temple. He's been following me since Luoyang. I've already had Hou Tieshou deal with him." It turned out the man in green was named Hou Tieshou.

The woman in black giggled. "Young Master Tian, I told you you missed one thing, didn't I?"

The man in blue paused again. "There's another one named Ling Junyi, whose martial arts are extremely high. I can't discern his background."

“Ling Junyi?” The woman in black hesitated for a moment before saying, “Young Master Tian, you said he is highly skilled in martial arts, so you must be right. I just don’t know what kind of person he is. I’ve never heard of him before.”

The man in blue said, “This man is only in his early twenties, very handsome, and seems to be left-handed.” The woman in black’s eyes flashed with a strange light, and she called out to him, then casually added, “An unknown young man.” At this point, she suddenly chuckled and said, “I’m talking about Jin Kaitai.”

The man in blue was surprised and said, “Jin Kaitai is here too?”

The woman in black chuckled and said, “Young Master Tian, don’t you believe me? He’s at Dingsheng Tower in Taihe City.”

Ling Junyi was secretly taken aback, thinking, “This woman in black is indeed formidable; she even knows where Old Master Jin lives.” "We've figured out everything."

The man in blue, his handsome face slightly angry, snorted, "It seems they're all here for me. If we don't teach them a lesson, they might follow us to our destination and ruin our plans."

The beautiful woman in black chuckled, "Young Master Tian, these three groups aren't easy to deal with. We can't confront them openly. Young Master Tian, just focus on your business. Leave these people to me; I'll take care of them."

The man in blue said, "With Aunt Chu's words, I'm relieved."

The beautiful woman in black snorted, "Don't flatter me."

The man in blue stood up and said, "Aunt Chu has no further instructions. I'll take my leave." The

beautiful woman in black nodded, "It's good that you go first."

The man in blue bowed and strode out of the hall. Hou Tieshou stood in front of the corridor, following closely behind him.

Ling Junyi watched the blue-clad man and his servant leave the temple, intending to slip away quietly. However, in the blink of an eye, the beautiful woman in black on the main hall had vanished without a trace. He was secretly startled, thinking, "This woman's martial arts are indeed extremely high. Even from my elevated position, I didn't see how she left. I must be careful next time I encounter her."

Just then, a cold laugh came from behind him, followed by a delicate, bell-like voice that echoed in his ears, coldly saying, "Stand up. I have
something to ask you."

Startled by the voice, Ling Junyi quickly turned around and saw the beautiful woman in black standing not far behind him. Her lotus-like face seemed veiled in frost, and her two icy eyes were fixed on him.

Ling Junyi's heart jolted. He immediately circulated his internal energy, quickly turned around, and said with a calm smile, "What superb lightness skill you possess, young lady."

The beautiful woman in black coldly asked, "Who are you? Who sent you?"

Ling Junyi replied, "I was passing by and saw the streetlights, so I came here."

The beautiful woman in black said, "You've been following me all the way from Taihe City. Do you think I didn't know? If the Black-Clad Rakshasa really had such makeup, she wouldn't need to roam the martial world." So her name was "Black-Clad Rakshasa."

Ling Junyi said, "That's right, I did come from Taihe City. I saw your figure, young lady, moving swiftly and rapidly about ten zhang away. I was momentarily aroused and followed you. Please forgive my abruptness." He then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

The Black-Clad Rakshasa lightly parted her lips and said, "Easier said than done?"

Ling Junyi was taken aback and said, "What you mean, young lady..." He drew out his words, then looked up at the Black-Clad Rakshasa.

The black-robed Rakshasa suddenly smiled slightly and said, "I want you to come with me."

Ling Junyi said, "Miss, you jest."

The black-robed Rakshasa's face darkened again, and she coldly snorted, "I never joke with people."

Ling Junyi saw the black-robed Rakshasa suddenly become smiling and then cold as ice in an instant, and thought to himself, "This woman is capricious and seems difficult to deal with." Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a gust of wind, as if two people were rushing towards him from behind. The two people were incredibly fast. By the time Ling Junyi realized it, they were already within a zhang behind him. Ling Junyi was secretly startled and quickly turned around.

He caught a glimpse of the black-robed Rakshasa smiling, waving her hand, and saying in a low voice, "This is none of your business." It was all over in the blink of an eye. Ling Junyi turned around, which was also very fast, but when he turned around, he only saw two black shadows rushing towards him and then suddenly retreating, as fast as ghosts, disappearing in a flash.

Ling Junyi was startled again, thinking to himself, "Who are these two dark figures? Their lightness skill is so fast!" The black-clad Rakshasa raised an eyebrow, glanced at Ling Junyi, and suddenly smiled sweetly, saying softly, "Alright! Tell me, are you disguised?"

Ling Junyi didn't want to get entangled with her, and said coldly, "I have nothing to say, please excuse me." He lightly touched the ground with his feet and leaped into the air.

The black-clad beauty giggled, "Wait, you haven't answered my question yet, and you want to leave?" As she spoke, she waved her right hand in the air, and a very thin line flew out from her sleeve, shooting towards Ling Junyi's foot.

Ling Junyi leaped into the air, just clearing the wall, when he suddenly felt as if someone had pulled his right foot, and his body suddenly sank down, involuntarily falling to the ground. A fragrant breeze wafted over, and the black-clad Rakshasa landed before him, her hair swaying gracefully. With a soft rustle, she giggled, "Why aren't you leaving again?"

Chapter Four: The Arrogant

Rakshasa Ling Junyi stopped abruptly, looking down at his feet. He saw nothing amiss, but when he leaped, he felt a distinct force pulling at his ankle. He coldly asked, "What did you use to ambush me?"

The black-clad Rakshasa's eyes sparkled, and she giggled, "A red silk ribbon tied to my ankle." With a flick of her right hand, a thin, almost invisible black line shot towards Ling Junyi's head with a hiss! The two were extremely close. Seeing her sudden attack, Ling Junyi tried to dodge, but it was too late. He felt a slight movement on his arm; he had been struck by her hidden weapon. He was secretly shocked.

The black-clad Rakshasa chuckled, "Don't be afraid. Didn't you ask me what attacked you? Why don't you take it off and see?" Ling

Junyi reached out and touched the hair-beast, taking out a half-inch-long embroidery needle. Sure enough, a very fine red thread was threaded through the eye of the needle. One end was held in the hand of the black-clad Rakshasa, clearly coated with a

potent poison. The black-clad Rakshasa gently flicked her right hand, pulling the red thread and retracting the embroidery needle. She smiled sweetly, saying, "You see clearly, this needle of mine has been poisoned. A mere prick from it will be fatal. But don't worry, I only stuck the needle in your shoe earlier because I hadn't finished speaking and wouldn't let you leave."

Ling Junyi asked, "What do you want to ask?"

The black-clad Rakshasa glanced at him with her beautiful eyes and smiled, "Many things, such as your name, who you belong to, and who sent you. Tell me
clearly , and I will let you go."

Ling Junyi snorted, "I have nothing to say."

The black-clad Rakshasa snorted, "You dare speak to me like that?"

Ling Junyi said, "Why wouldn't I dare?" "

The Black-Clad Rakshasa smiled and said, 'It seems you still don't know who I am?'

Ling Junyi replied, 'How could I not know? You are the Black-Clad Rakshasa.'

The Black-Clad Rakshasa asked curiously, 'Who told you?'

Ling Junyi said, 'You told me yourself, otherwise, how would I know?'

The Black-Clad Rakshasa's autumn-like gaze suddenly turned cold, and she said in a cold voice, 'Since you know who I am, you must have heard people say that I am ruthless and not easy to talk to.'

Ling Junyi said, 'I'm sorry, this is the first time I've heard that tonight.'

The Black-Clad Rakshasa was taken aback, then suddenly giggled and said, 'So you're a newbie.'

Ling Junyi blushed at her laughter and said, 'I don't have time to talk to you anymore.' The Black-

Clad Rakshasa blocked his way and said coldly, 'No, you're not leaving until you explain yourself.'

Ling Junyi raised an eyebrow, looked up, and laughed loudly, 'If I want to leave, I will leave, and no one can stop me.' "

The black-clad Rakshasa raised an eyebrow and coldly said, "Try it." Ling

Junyi said, "Does the young lady want to fight me?"

The black-clad Rakshasa smiled and said, "You are no match for me."

Ling Junyi said, "Not necessarily."

The black-clad Rakshasa stretched out a slender, white hand and beckoned to Ling Junyi, saying, "Come, if you don't believe me, try a few moves."

Ling Junyi said, "If the young lady wants to test my strength, it should be the young lady who makes the move."

The black-clad Rakshasa smiled and said, "Very well, if you can withstand ten of my moves, I'll let you go." "

With these words, she raised her left wrist and lightly patted towards Ling Junyi's shoulder. Her move was neither a pat nor a grab, its technique strange and unpredictable, seemingly containing countless mysteries. Ling Junyi's body tilted to the side, his right palm upright, ready to unleash a 'Cloud from Beyond the Heavens' attack.

Suddenly, the Mysterious Maiden Rakshasa advanced, then launched her right palm, slashing towards Ling Junyi's left ribs. Her coordinated attack was exquisite, instantly multiplying the power of this horizontal strike several times over." Power. Without hesitation, Ling Junyi reversed his left hand and swiftly swept it towards the wrist of the black-clad Rakshasa. The black-clad Rakshasa was forced to withdraw her palm, and Ling Junyi's upright right hand seized the opportunity to unleash a sharp internal force, advancing like a knife, hissing and extremely fierce.

The black-clad Rakshasa truly did not expect that this purple-faced youth would possess such skill. For a moment, she was stunned, then dodged, scoffing, "I didn't realize you were quite capable." After exchanging two blows, Ling

Junyi knew that the Black-Clad Rakshasa was indeed not to be trifled with. The Black-Clad Rakshasa also realized that Ling Junyi's martial arts were far stronger than she had imagined. The two separated and reunited, their four palms flying, exchanging three blows. Suddenly, the Black-Clad Rakshasa changed her stance, unleashing a series of strange and unpredictable moves, forcing Ling Junyi to retreat repeatedly, almost unable to defend himself.

Ling Junyi was secretly surprised, slowly taking a breath, and quickly launched a counterattack. His internal energy was extremely refined; at this moment, the sound of his palms swirling filled the air, his attacks sometimes feinting, sometimes real, his fingers and palms working together. The attack was swift and unpredictable, forcing the Black-Clad Rakshasa back four or five steps, finally turning the tide.

Ling Junyi began his counterattack, employing a style that alternated between claws and palms, interspersed with finger techniques. His attacks were often unexpected, their moves seemingly deceptive yet real, seemingly straightforward yet contradictory, leaving his opponents bewildered! The Black-Clad Rakshasa, having fought countless battles since her debut, had never encountered such a bizarre style. Growing increasingly alarmed, she twisted her body, suddenly retreating two steps, her hands concealed, and looked at Ling Junyi, asking, "Who exactly is your master?"

Ling Junyi replied, "My master dislikes being known, so I will not reveal it to you now."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa's face darkened with anger, her expression hardening, and she coldly retorted, "Stop playing coy! I'll make you reveal your true form!" Suddenly, she lunged forward, closing in on Ling Junyi in an instant. With a swift movement, she grabbed out with both hands. Her wrists were incredibly flexible, and this single grab was more varied than five or six attacks combined. Her ten sharp fingers, with their scarlet nails, looked unusual and might even be coated with a strange poison.

Ling Junyi quickly retreated half a step, his right hand slashing out with a powerful strike, while his left hand swiftly met the black-clad Rakshasa's grabbing right hand. His arm was slightly bent, his fingers seemingly clenched, as if grasping a pressure point on the wrist or patting the elbow joint. The black-clad Rakshasa, bewildered, was forced to quickly withdraw her hand. Unexpectedly, Ling Junyi's move was incredibly swift. As you withdrew your hand, his five fingers, like hooks, were already grabbing at her shoulder.

The Hundred-Clothed Rakshasa's right shoulder sank, her body dodging to the side. Her right palm rose, slashing fiercely at the back of Ling Junyi's hand. A crisp "snap" rang out, and her palm struck Ling Junyi's hand. But in that split second, the Hundred-Clothed Rakshasa felt his hand suddenly sink downwards, flipping under hers, then rising upwards. A tremendous force surged from Ling Junyi's palm, rising up her arm, causing her arm to suddenly go numb, and her body involuntarily staggered back three steps. This move was truly incredibly fast; the two figures instantly separated.

A smile flashed across the face of the black-clad Rakshasa as she stared intently at Ling Junyi. She took a couple of light breaths and asked, "Your name is Ling Junyi, isn't it?"

Ling Junyi was taken aback. He had intended to ask her, "How did you know?" But then he thought, "The man in blue just told her that he
's left-handed." With that thought, he smiled proudly and said, "That's right, I am indeed Ling."

The black-clad Rakshasa blinked her piercing eyes, then suddenly chuckled, "Don't be so arrogant. Let me tell you, I scratched your hand with my fingernail, leaving a bloody mark." Ling Junyi had already noticed the unusual redness of her fingernails, which were likely coated with a strange poison, but he feigned ignorance, saying, "So what if I scratched you? Do you think you've won?"

The black-clad Rakshasa stretched out her hands, revealing a pair of sharp, delicate fingers, like ten pieces of white jade, slightly drooping downwards, and presented them to him, giggling, "Look at my fingernails." Her slender fingernails, glistening with balsam juice, were a striking contrast of red and white, enough to make one's heart flutter.

Ling Junyi glanced at her and said coldly, "You've applied poison?"

The black-clad Rakshasa grunted and said, "It's good that you know. The strange poison I apply to my fingernails only needs to be scratched to draw blood, and you
'll be dead noon."

Ling Junyi looked at the back of his hand and snorted, "Indeed vicious. No wonder you're called the Black-Clad Rakshasa."

The black-clad Rakshasa said, "I'll scratch your hand, and I'll give you the antidote, as long as..."

Ling Junyi interrupted, "No need, I'm not afraid of poison."

The black-clad Rakshasa's starry eyes sparkled, and her red lips curled into a smile. She said, "Then you can leave."

Ling Junyi didn't want to get entangled with her, so he immediately clasped his hands and said, "Excuse me." He leaped up and, in a few bounds, flew away.

He ran out of the path and onto the main road, only to hear someone call out behind him, "Young man, slow down! I have something to ask you." Judging from the tone, there was clearly trouble again! Ling Junyi frowned and looked back. He saw a tall, dark figure approaching slowly from several dozen feet away. However, his feet seemed to barely touch the ground; although his steps appeared leisurely, his movements were actually as swift as the wind. In the blink of an eye, the figure was right in front of him.

This man was tall, with a bronze face, short eyebrows, narrow eyes, a lion's nose, and a wide mouth. He wore a bronze-colored outer robe that only reached his knees, and was barefoot, dragging a pair of bronze shoes. Even his attire was rather strange.

Ling Junyi asked coldly, "Was it you who called me?"

The bronze-robed man's narrow eyes fell on Ling Junyi, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them. He nodded slightly and said, "If it wasn't me, who else could it be?"

Ling Junyi asked, "Who are you, and what business do you have with me?"

The bronze-robed man let out two cold laughs from the bottom of his throat and said in a deep voice, "Young man, you have quite the nerve. According to my rules, you can only answer, not ask questions, understand?"

Ling Junyi found his arrogant demeanor laughable and said proudly, "That's just your rule. Do you know my rules?"

The bronze-robed man's narrow eyes widened, flashing with shrewdness, and he asked, "You have rules too?"

Ling Junyi said, "That's right. My rule is that no matter who it is, they must first state their name. Only those who are qualified to speak to me will I speak to them." This was obviously meant to provoke the other party.

Upon hearing Ling Junyi's words, the bronze-robed man not only didn't get angry, but instead burst into laughter! The laughter erupted like the banging of a gong, deafeningly loud. It grew louder and louder, echoing through the surrounding mountains, making his eardrums buzz.

Ling Junyi's expression changed slightly, but he remained standing firm, secretly shocked: "This person's skill is incredibly high." The laughter abruptly stopped. The bronze-robed man's eyes, narrowed to slits, gleamed with a cold and sharp light. He chuckled, "Since everyone has rules, let's see whose rules are more effective." As soon as he

finished speaking, he slowly raised his right arm. From his wide sleeve, he pulled out a strange hand, bronze in color, with five fingers curved like claws, each finger bearing a half-inch-long, sharp nail. He made a move to grab Ling Junyi; it was a bronze hand.

Ling Junyi had seen the gray-robed man, Hou Tieshou, whose left hand was cast in iron. An iron hand, like an iron claw, could only be used as a weapon; its five fingers naturally couldn't extend or retract freely. But this man's bronze hand was no different from a normal palm; his five fingers were spread wide and extended freely.

Just then, a delicate voice called out in his ear, "Little brother, retreat quickly!" Ling Junyi recognized the voice as belonging to the Black-Clad Rakshasa, but without seeing the true strength, he refused to retreat. He stood firm, waiting until the opponent's bronze hand was about to grab him before suddenly channeling his power into his right hand, flipping his palm forward to parry.

Although the bronze-robed man's attack was slow, Ling Junyi's parry was incredibly fast. However, when his palm struck the back of the opponent's wrist, it felt as if he had struck an iron pillar, remaining completely still. The opponent's bronze claw continued to slowly extend, without any resistance, and was about to grab his shoulder. Ling Junyi's parrying right palm felt a sharp pain, almost numbing his shoulder blade, and he was greatly shocked. He hadn't expected the opponent's bronze hand to be so powerful. He quickly inhaled and retreated, leaping backward.

The bronze-robed man didn't press the attack, but merely gave a cold look, then turned and shouted towards a grove of trees to his left, "Who's in the woods? What are you whispering to this kid?"

Ling Junyi was startled again, thinking, "Just now, the Black-Clad Rakshasa's words were clearly spoken using the 'Secret Transmission of Sound' technique. How did he hear them?" As his thoughts raced, a soft hissing sound pierced the air, followed by a fragrant breeze. Not far away, a beautiful young woman in a flowing black dress appeared. She was none other than the Black-Clad Rakshasa.

The bronze-robed man glanced at her and said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa giggled, "Can't I come?" Her pretty eyes glanced at the bronze-robed man, and she asked, "Do you know me?" Her tone was tinged with surprise.

The bronze-robed man's gaze was cold and stern as he said dismissively, "I have no knowledge of you."

The black-clad Rakshasa chuckled and said, "You may not know me, but I do know you."

The bronze-robed man asked, "Do you know who I am?"

The black-clad Rakshasa replied, "You are the Copper-Armed Heavenly King, a marvel of the Southern Frontier, aren't you?"

Ling Junyi thought to himself, "The Copper-Armed Heavenly King? How come I've never heard my master mention him?"

The bronze-robed man's narrow eyes widened, shooting out two sharp, cold beams of light. He then glanced at the black-clad Rakshasa and said with an "Oh," "So, there are actually people in the Central Plains martial arts world who recognize me." He nodded slightly and said, "Very well, I won't make things difficult for you. You should leave now."

The black-robed Rakshasa giggled and said, "If I were to leave like this, I wouldn't have come at all."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King asked, "What is it?"

The black-robed Rakshasa ignored him and turned to Ling Junyi with a smile, saying, "It seems you really are not afraid of poison?"

Ling Junyi said, "I have said before that I am not afraid of poison."

The black-robed Rakshasa said in a low voice, "I thought you were young and impetuous, unwilling to admit defeat, which is why you followed me all the way..."

Ling Junyi said, "I am not dead. " "You're quite surprised, aren't you?"

The black-robed Rakshasa rolled her eyes at him, scolding, "I came with good intentions, bringing you the antidote."

Ling Junyi blushed upon hearing this, and could only clasp his hands in a fist and say, "In that case, I misunderstood you, young lady."

The black-robed Rakshasa glared at him intently before saying, "It's good that you know." Then she added, "Since you're not poisoned, then hurry up and leave."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King snorted coldly, "If I didn't tell him to leave, who would dare to leave?" The black-robed

Rakshasa smiled and said, "Didn't you hear that I told him to leave?"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King said, "Since you know my name, young lady, you still dare to act on my behalf. You must have a death wish."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa chuckled, "That's true. If I didn't have the guts, I wouldn't have let him leave."

Ling Junyi said arrogantly, "I can leave whenever I want, and no one can stop me."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa winked at him, then used "secret telepathy" to say, "The Copper-Armed Heavenly King reigns supreme in the Southern Frontier. Young brother, I'm not underestimating you, but you're no match for him. Let me hold him off for you for a while. You should leave now." She was truly kind.

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King's narrow eyes flashed, and he said angrily, "What are you whispering about in front of me?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa laughed, "I urged him to leave."

The Bronze-Armed Heavenly King angrily said, "No, this brat must stay."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa asked, "Why do you want to keep him here?"

The Bronze-Armed Heavenly King stretched out his bronze arm and coldly replied, "I want to ask him someone."

Ling Junyi asked, "Who do you want to ask?"

The Bronze-Armed Heavenly King said, "The Reversed Hand Tathagata."

Ling Junyi asked, "What do you want with him?"

The Bronze-Armed Heavenly King asked, "Where is he?"

Ling Junyi said, "I don't know."

The Bronze-Armed Heavenly King asked, "Aren't you his disciple?"

Ling Junyi said, "So what if I am, so what if I am not?"

The Bronze-Armed Heavenly King chuckled coldly, "When you fought her just now, the techniques you used were clearly those of that old bald thief. Do you think I was wrong?" It turned out that he had seen the fighting techniques of Ling Junyi and the Black-Clad Rakshasa and that's why he followed them.

Hearing the word "old bald thief," Ling Junyi's heart flared with anger. He raised his sword-like eyebrows and roared, "That's right, you're talking about my master. What do you want with him? You can talk to me about it." The black-robed Rakshasa, upon hearing that Ling Junyi was indeed the successor of the Reversed Hand Tathagata, couldn't help but give him a deep look.

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King chuckled loudly, "So you really are that old bald thief's disciple. Very well, tell me quickly, where is that old bald thief now?"

Ling Junyi replied, "My master's whereabouts are uncertain, I cannot tell you."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King suddenly stepped forward, pointing at Ling Junyi, and said, "You are that old bald thief's disciple, how could you not know where he is hiding? If you don't speak up, don't blame me for not letting you off the hook."

Ling Junyi angrily said, "I just won't tell you, what can you do to me?"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King gave a chilling laugh, his five sharp copper fingers reaching out to grab at the air, and said sternly, "So I'm going to keep you here, kid. If you catch the little one, I'm not afraid the old one won't come out." His copper hand stretched out, as if to grab Ling Junyi.

The Black-Clad Rakshasa shouted in time, "Wait!"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King stretched out his copper hand, stopped halfway, and turned around to shout, "What do you want?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa said, "If you want to find your master, go find him yourself if you have the ability. With your name, Copper-Armed Heavenly King, fighting with someone else's disciple, aren't you afraid the martial arts world will laugh at you for bullying the weak?"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King said angrily, "I never care about these things. I've been looking for that old bald thief for thirty years. It's rare that this kid is his disciple. I absolutely cannot let him go..."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa said, "No, I said let him go, and I will let him go."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King's two narrow eyes opened, and his sharp light shone straight at the Black-Clad Rakshasa's face. He chuckled and said, "Little lady, you really dare to meddle..." As soon as the word "meddle" came out, the copper hand that was originally grabbing at Ling Junyi but stopped halfway slowly reached out to grab the Black-Clad Rakshasa.

In that instant, Ling Junyi had already drawn his longsword from the blue cloth bag and shouted, "Stop!"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King said in a deep voice, "Are you willing to lead this old man away?"

Ling Junyi stood tall and imposing, sword in hand, and said, "This matter has nothing to do with this young lady. It's not difficult for me to take you to see my master, but you must first defeat the sword in my hand."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King glanced at his sword, then suddenly grinned and coldly laughed, "If I want to keep you here, I will make you lose convincingly."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa said, "Young brother, you are no match for him. Quickly step back."

Ling Junyi said, "Thank you for your kindness, young lady. This matter has nothing to do with you. You should leave now." Ling Junyi had indeed developed some goodwill towards the Black-Clad Rakshasa.

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King coldly remarked, "You two seem to have become acquainted through a fight, quite the acquaintances."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa blushed and scoffed, "You old scoundrel, if you're going to die, just die already! What nonsense are you spouting?"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King ignored her and sternly shouted, "Boy, watch out!" He spread his five copper fingers and reached out to grab Ling Junyi.

Ling Junyi had learned swordsmanship since childhood, his skills passed down through his family. Although his master had repeatedly warned him not to show off unless absolutely necessary, seeing the Copper-Armed Heavenly King's strange martial arts—copper arms and palms, harder than refined steel—he feared he couldn't protect himself in a hand-to-hand fight, so he withdrew his sword. Now, seeing his opponent reach out to grab him, he thought in a flash, "Even if this man's right arm is impervious to swords, the rest of his body is still flesh and blood. Why should I fear him?"

With a thought flashing through his mind, he moved in, instantly appearing on his opponent's left, and with a flick of his wrist, slashed horizontally with his sword. His sideways strike was swift and deadly, the sword striking before the man himself, a move executed with incredible speed. Though it was a simple "Mysterious Bird Slicing Sand," his execution was graceful and agile, showcasing his exceptional swordsmanship.

The black-clad Rakshasa's phoenix eyes flashed with a strange light; the Buddha, who had never wielded a sword, had a disciple who was a master of swordsmanship! The Copper-Armed Heavenly King's five fingers were spread wide, his attack appearing extremely slow. He had initially intended only to seize the man, but seeing Ling Junyi's formidable swordsmanship, he suddenly let out a cold laugh and grabbed at the sword. His attack was unpredictable, his change of move even faster; with a mere twist of his arm, he had already grasped the blade, and with a flick of his left hand, he pointed towards Ling Junyi's shoulder.

Ling Junyi felt a jolt in his sword, his hand going numb. He also noticed a gleaming bronze finger guard on his opponent's left hand, which struck with lightning speed. Startled, he knew he would be struck by the bronze finger if he didn't abandon his sword and retreat. He quickly released his sword and used the "Floating Light and Shadow" technique to leap backward.

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King snatched Ling Junyi's sword with his right hand, but his left hand continued to point straight at him, shouting, "Boy, lie down!" He flicked his index finger forward, and the bronze finger guard on it flew out with a whistling sound, hurtling towards Ling Junyi's left shoulder.

The Black-Clad Rakshasa cried out, "Young brother

, be careful!" Ling Junyi, already terrified by having his sword disarmed in a single move, suddenly saw a flash of yellow light shooting towards him. His anger flared, and he laughed loudly, "Well done!" He flicked his left finger at the bronze finger guard.

This move was none other than the "Finger Flicking Skill" from the Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin Temple. With a "clang," the copper finger sheath was flicked several feet away. For thousands of years, the Copper-Armed Heavenly King had never missed a strike, yet this young man possessed such a miraculous Buddhist skill, flicking his copper finger away. He was momentarily stunned, his eyes flashing with a fierce light as he stared at Ling Junyi, chuckling coldly, "Good lad, it seems this old bald thief has even passed on his most treasured skills to you."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa chuckled, saying, "In this battle, one of you had your longsword taken away, and the other had your copper finger flicked away. It's a draw; neither of you gained an advantage..."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King's narrow eyes flashed with murderous intent as he angrily snorted, "Nonsense!"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa retorted, "Who's talking nonsense? Even after your copper finger was flicked away, you still won't admit defeat?"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King curled his copper finger, shouting angrily, "Get out of my way!"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa said, "I have a..." "There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Would you be willing?"

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King said, "My word is my bond; there's no room for negotiation. I'm determined to keep this brat here."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa said, "What I'm talking about has nothing to do with him."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King impatiently asked, "Then what is it?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa smiled charmingly and said, "I see your martial arts are quite formidable, and you have a copper arm..."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King hurriedly said, "Speak quickly, don't waste words..."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa flicked her handkerchief, pursed her lips, and said sweetly, "Then I'll be frank. I see your right arm is like it's been cast from wind-milled copper, and it's used with great agility, far superior to my Twelve Iron Hands, so...so..."

The Copper-Armed Heavenly King asked hastily, "So what?"

The black-robed Rakshasa said, "Copper Arm, isn't Iron Hand a level higher? So I'd like to invite you to be the leader of my Iron Hand team..."

Good heavens, so he just wanted him to be the leader! This is a huge misunderstanding! Copper Arm Heavenly King's face darkened, and he snorted, "You... actually... want... me to be the leader?" Copper Arm Heavenly King dominates the Southern Frontier; asking him to be a leader is a gross underestimation of him.

The black-clad Rakshasa tossed her hair and said, "What, you're unwilling? Or is it beneath your dignity? To be honest, the Twelve Iron Hands are all renowned figures in the martial arts world. They're not much different from you, Copper Arm Heavenly King. Is the reason I'm appointing you as their leader because you possess a copper arm, or am I giving you an honor?"

The Copper Arm Heavenly King was enraged and roared, "You lowly wench, how dare you provoke me?"

The black-clad Rakshasa's face suddenly turned cold, and she sneered, "I've taken a liking to your copper arm, so you have to take on the role of Iron Hands' leader. You won't listen to reason, so I'll have to make you drink the penalty cup." With a flick of her jade arm, a fragrant breeze swept towards him.

The Copper Arm Heavenly King, having experienced much of the martial world, felt a sudden chill and leaped backward, shouting, "You lowly wench..." Before he could finish his shout, he suddenly sensed a warning behind him.

It should be known that the Copper-Armed Heavenly King possessed extremely high skill. Within a few dozen feet of him, anyone who approached could be detected without him even turning around; he could sense it simply by feeling. However, this time, by the time he became alert, the person behind him had already closed to within a foot! No! He could tell from the other person's breathing that there were actually two people approaching! He
pretended not to notice , but was secretly shocked, thinking, "These two were able to get within a foot of me before I noticed them; their skill is clearly no less than mine."

The black-robed Rakshasa raised her starry eyes, nodded, and smiled, "Very well, you've captured him." With that, she gracefully retreated.

The two people behind her exchanged a hand gesture, let out a soft whistle, and leaped up, swinging their arms as they pounced on the Copper-Armed Heavenly King. The Copper-Armed Heavenly King was furious. He roared, swung his copper arm fiercely, and exchanged a blow with the person attacking from the left. He then spun rapidly, launching his right foot to sweep across the person on his right. In that instant, he discovered that his attackers were two men in blue robes, both over forty years old. What shocked him most was the men's left hands, a bluish-green color, their five fingers curled like claws, sharp and gleaming with a sinister green light, clearly coated with deadly poison. He couldn't help but feel suspicious, thinking, "She just said that her family has twelve Iron Hands, all renowned figures in the martial world. I wonder who these people are?"

His mind raced, and he shouted, "You lowly wench, even if all three of you come at me together, you're no match for this old man!"

The black-robed Rakshasa ignored him. With a clang, metal clashed against metal. The Copper-Armed Heavenly King's copper palm collided with the iron hand of the man in blue on the left, causing both of them to stagger back a step. The man in blue on the right seized the opportunity to close in, his left iron claw slashing like a dragon's liver, fiercely grabbing at the Copper-Armed Heavenly King's waist.

Unable to dodge in time, the Copper-Armed Heavenly King was forced to channel his strength into his copper arm and parry with his wrist. With another clang, the copper arm and iron claw clashed, and the man in blue on the right was forced back three steps, while the Copper-Armed Heavenly King also lost his footing. He took a step back, secretly shocked; although these two were not as skilled as him, they were not far behind! At this moment, the man in blue on the left had already pressed forward again, his left hand wielding an iron claw, his right palm a blinding crimson, attacking simultaneously and blocking the Copper-Armed Heavenly King's retreat.

The man in blue on the right retreated and then advanced, leaping forward, his green iron hand unleashing a move called "Angry Dragon Seizing the Pearl," carrying hidden wind and thunder, aimed directly at the Copper-Armed Heavenly King's head. The Copper-Armed Heavenly King was extremely enraged, letting out a loud roar as his body suddenly lifted several inches off the ground, his sleeves fluttering as he launched a counterattack against the two. He was known as a wonder of the Southern Frontier; aside from his copper arm, his martial arts skills were enough to rank him among the top masters in the martial arts world. Little did he know that the two men in blue robes fighting him were also top-tier fighters in the underworld, possessing considerable martial arts skills. None

of the three used weapons, yet the fight was far more dangerous than a weapon-based duel: the three engaged in close combat, their fighting growing increasingly fierce. Their copper fingers and iron claws moved with the speed of a sudden storm, each targeting the other's vital points. Any slight hesitation from any of them would result in death or severe injury. In the blink of an eye, the three had exchanged twenty or thirty blows. The Copper-Armed Heavenly King grew increasingly enraged and alarmed. He estimated that with his martial arts, he could defeat the two within twenty moves. But now, thirty moves had passed, and the two opponents, with their two iron hands, were coordinating their attacks, growing ever more ferocious and ruthless.

Realizing this, the Copper-Armed Heavenly King roared, his right copper hand swishing through the air, from which five thin streams of yellow water, like fountains, shot out from his five fingertips! It turned out that the Steel-Armed Heavenly King's right bronze arm was specially crafted by a skilled artisan. It could store poisonous water in its center; simply pressing a spring would cause the poison to spray from his fingertips. The spray covered an area of about ten feet, and anyone it hit would immediately rot, making it extremely difficult to defend against – truly vicious.

The two men in blue were caught off guard. Two screams rang out, and they rolled on the ground in agony.

The Black-Clad Rakshasa and Ling Junyi shouted simultaneously, "You villain, how dare you!" and attacked at the same time. The Steel-Armed Heavenly King, having succeeded in his attack, relaxed slightly. When he realized Ling Junyi and the Black-Clad Rakshasa were attacking, it was too late to dodge. He hardened his heart and gritted his teeth, saying, "You wretched woman, you're dead!" Suddenly, four golden lights shot out! These were the bronze finger guards he wore on the five fingers of his left hand. The Black-Clad Rakshasa screamed and tumbled backward.

At the same time, Ling Junyi's sword had already pierced his chest. The Copper-Armed Heavenly King said, "Boy...you..." Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed to the ground with a thud. A wicked scoundrel of the martial world died just like that.

Ling Junyi pulled out his sword and turned around. He saw that the two men in green had turned into two blobs of yellow liquid, which showed how potent the poison was. Ling Junyi leaped to the Black-Clad Rakshasa's side, helped her up, and asked urgently, "Miss, how are you?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa barely raised her head, looked at Ling Junyi, and said with difficulty, "Young brother...I was hit by his copper finger glove...it's poisonous...I know I can't escape today..."

Ling Junyi said, "Miss, don't be discouraged, I..." Ling Junyi was about to say that he had a "poison-repelling bead" and that she could be saved.

The black-clad Rakshasa interrupted him, "Little brother... let me finish... We were originally on opposing sides... but when I saw you, I couldn't bear to harm you... so I've been following you..."

Ling Junyi nodded gratefully, "I know."

The black-clad Rakshasa took a breath and continued, "I know... I'm already a withered flower... unworthy to say these words... but I still have to say it... little brother... I love you... I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me... I've never loved anyone before... although my body is no longer pure... my heart is pure... my name is Chu Yuying... little brother... can you call me sister..."

Tears streamed down Ling Junyi's face, "Sister Ying, you'll be alright, I can save you." Saying this, he picked up the black-clad Rakshasa and looked around. Soon, Ling Junyi spotted a cave in the distance. He carried the black-clad Rakshasa and quickly arrived at the cave.

The cave was surprisingly clean. Ling Junyi spread his outer robe on the ground, put the black-clad Rakshasa down, and then, still not entirely at ease, made some arrangements outside the cave entrance so that it would be difficult to tell from the outside that it was a cave. The Black-Clad Rakshasa watched quietly as the other woman busied herself with various tasks, finally unable to resist saying, "Little brother, don't bother."

Ling Junyi lit a pile of firewood and turned back, saying, "Sister Ying, I have a 'Poison-Repelling Pearl,' so you can rest assured."

The Black-Clad Rakshasa exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! So you have a 'Poison-Repelling Pearl,' no wonder you're not afraid of poison. If I had known this, I wouldn't have said those things. How embarrassing!" The Black-Clad Rakshasa was actually shy, and her face turned bright red.

Ling Junyi finished preparing and said to the Black-Clad Rakshasa, "Sister Ying, now you can tell me where you're injured?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa blushed and stammered, "My chest... and down there..."

Ling Junyi's face also turned red as he said, "Sister Ying, then I'll have to apologize." The Black-Clad Rakshasa blushed and gave a soft "Mmm," barely audible.

Saving lives was paramount for Ling Junyi, so he disregarded social etiquette and quickly stripped the Black-Clad Rakshasa naked. The Rakshasa's eyes were tightly closed, her body trembling slightly, revealing her inner excitement. Ling Junyi wasn't much better off. Before him: fair skin, smooth as cream; slightly trembling breasts, especially the red nipples, exuding a captivating allure; below her flat, smooth abdomen, an enticing bulge; a dense black forest, with a babbling brook running through it.

Ling Junyi took a deep breath, suppressing his impulse, and turned to look at her. He noticed two copper finger-shaped otterings embedded in the Rakshasa's flesh, the surrounding flesh already blackened—symptoms of the poison spreading. One was in the groove between her breasts, the other below her abdomen. Thank goodness; any lower and it would have been much worse.

Ling Junyi dared not delay. He heated the sword until it was red-hot in the fire, then said to the black-clad Rakshasa, "Sister Ying, bear with it." The black-clad Rakshasa nodded slightly with her eyes closed.

Ling Junyi moved with lightning speed; with two quick "plop" sounds, accompanied by the black-clad Rakshasa's painful cries of "Ah... Ah...", the copper finger sheath was successfully removed. Without further hesitation, Ling Junyi took out the "Poison-Repelling Bead," held it in his hand, and placed it on the wound to absorb the venom, alternating between the two wounds. During this process, Ling Junyi's hand inevitably touched the erect breasts and the raised mons pubis. Each time this happened, the black-clad Rakshasa's breath would catch in her throat, completely like a virgin.

Ling Junyi was also in bad shape, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He used the "Poison-Repelling Bead" to absorb the venom while monitoring the wound. After about half an hour, bright red blood finally flowed from the wound, and the surrounding blackness disappeared. Ling Junyi used the "Poison-Repelling Bead" to absorb the venom for a while longer, making sure that the poison had been completely removed. Only then did he put down the "Poison-Repelling Bead," take out a small jade bottle from his pocket, and pour some powder into the wound. The powder was truly effective, and the wound healed quickly.

Ling Junyi asked considerately, "Sister Ying, how are you feeling?"

Xuan Yi Luosha didn't answer; instead, she convulsed. Ling Junyi was startled. "Sister Ying, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Does your wound still hurt?"

Xuan Yi Luosha cried even harder. Ling Junyi hugged her tightly and said urgently, "Sister Ying, say something!"

Xuan Yi Luosha looked up through her tear-filled eyes, stopping her sobs, and said, "Brother, I'm so happy. No one has ever been so kind to me. Even if I were to die now, I would be willing."

Ling Junyi was relieved and comforted her, "Sister Ying, don't talk nonsense. Does your wound still hurt?"

Xuan Yi Luosha wiped away her tears. "Your medicine powder is very effective. The wound healed quickly, and there's a cooling sensation. I can't feel the injury at all now."

Ling Junyi smiled. "That's good. Sister Ying, put on some clothes, be careful not to catch a cold..."

"No!" Xuan Yi Luosha suddenly shouted.

Ling Junyi stared at her in astonishment. The black-clad Rakshasa said softly, "Little brother, look at your sister." Ling Junyi stared blankly at her. Before him stood the black-clad Rakshasa, her breasts undulating, and Ling Junyi's heart skipped a beat.

"Little brother, am I beautiful?" the black-clad Rakshasa asked.

"Beautiful, very beautiful, Sister Ying, you are so beautiful," Ling Junyi exclaimed sincerely.

Xuan Yi Luosha asked incredulously, "Really?"

Ling Junyi nodded, "Really, sister is truly a rare beauty."

Xuan Yi Luosha suddenly avoided Ling Junyi's gaze and said softly, "Brother, I disregard all shame and want to use this body to thank you for saving my life and for your kindness..."

Ling Junyi said, "Sister Ying, speaking of which, you saved me too, so we're even. Besides,..."

Xuan Yi Luosha interrupted Ling Junyi, "Brother, if you think it's dirty..."

"Sister Ying..." Ling Junyi could no longer suppress his excitement, and he hugged Xuan Yi Luosha tightly, his lips naturally sealing her sexy little mouth, preventing her from saying anything more. Ling Junyi's hands were also busy, roaming over the body of the black-clad Rakshasa. His mouth gradually parted and moved downwards: her pink neck, her breasts, not just kissing, but also sucking wildly. Ling Junyi's actions became even more unrestrained, one arm tightly holding the black-clad Rakshasa, pressing her tightly against his body; the other hand roughly kneading her free breasts.

"Ah... um... hmph..." The black-clad Rakshasa groaned and trembled, like a lamb under the wolf's claws, at the mercy of her lover. Ling Junyi suddenly released the black-clad Rakshasa, quickly removing the obstacle on his body, leaping up and straddling her, covering her beneath him.

"Hmph..." The black-clad Rakshasa let out a muffled groan as Ling Junyi's burning member entered her body. Without further hesitation, Ling Junyi began to thrust violently, fiercely and rapidly.

"Ah... um... hmph..." The black-clad Rakshasa groaned with pleasure.

"Slap...slap...slap..." The music of bellies meeting.

"Plop...plop...plop..." The sonata of the baby's entry and exit.

"Hmph...hmph...hmph..." Ling Junyi's heavy breathing.

The black-clad Rakshasa tightly hugged Ling Junyi, twisting her waist wildly, welcoming Ling Junyi's frenzied whipping, the two cooperating so perfectly. Ling Junyi felt as if there was a ball of fire in his heart, wanting to melt the black-clad Rakshasa, he thrust wildly, moving quickly and fiercely, like a tireless ox, diligently plowing the black-clad Rakshasa's fertile field. They

fought wildly for an unknown amount of time, both of them were covered in sweat, the black-clad Rakshasa was gradually unable to take it anymore, her hands fell weakly to the ground, her whole body collapsed to the ground, she had already climaxed several times, powerless to resist Ling Junyi's attack.

"Ah... little brother..." Xuan Yi Luosha cried out softly, her yin essence gushing out. Ling Junyi, after a long and intense thrusting, was also at his limit. Stimulated by the yin essence, his manhood loosened, and a thick stream of hot semen poured into Xuan Yi Luosha's uterus. Ling Junyi collapsed weakly onto Xuan Yi Luosha.

It took them a long time to come to their senses. Ling Junyi and Xuan Yi Luosha embraced each other. Ling Junyi finally sobered up from his extreme excitement. Xuan Yi Luosha was completely exhausted by him. Ling Junyi felt both heartache and guilt. "Sister Ying, I'm sorry..." he said, kissing Xuan Yi Luosha repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

A blissful smile appeared on Xuan Yi Luosha's face as she kissed Ling Junyi, saying, "Silly brother, what is there to apologize for? I'm overjoyed! It's rare that you think so highly of me. From now on, my body belongs only to you. You need me anytime, and I'll give myself to you anytime. I'm so content and happy. I haven't lived in vain, as long as you don't mind..."

"Sister Ying, I won't allow you to say anything that belittles yourself. I will never look down on you. You will always be my good wife. I, Ling Junyi, swear to heaven that I will love you for life. If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning and never..." Ling Junyi's lips were silenced by Xuan Yi Luosha's small mouth.

"Brother, I won't allow you to say such things. I know you love me, but you don't need to say this. I'm not worthy to be your wife. I'm only worthy to be your maid. At most, give me the title of concubine, and I'll be more than satisfied. Anyway, I will never be your wife. I can't let anyone look down on you," Xuan Yi Luosha said.

“Sister Ying, you’re so good to me. No one will look down on you, and I won’t allow anyone to look down on my dear Sister Ying.” Ling Junyi said affectionately.

“Little brother, you’re so good… oh…” The two kissed tightly again, for a long, long time…

After an unknown amount of time, they finally ended their passionate embrace, got up, and dressed. Ling Junyi glanced around the cave and suddenly noticed that there seemed to be another exit at the back. He immediately said to Xuan Yi Luosha, “Sister Ying, look, there seems to be another cave over there. Let’s go take a look.”

Xuan Yi Luosha had completely changed by this time, and naturally obeyed Ling Junyi in everything. She immediately said, “Okay, let’s go take a look.”

The two approached and, upon closer inspection, discovered a hidden passage leading to an unknown destination. Ling Junyi took a torch, and the two entered together. The passage wasn't high, requiring them to stoop. After walking about ten meters, a hole suddenly appeared ahead. Looking around, they both exclaimed in unison, "Oh dear!" Their faces flushed red.

The walls of the hole were covered with erotic paintings, depicting various actions with remarkable realism and lifelike detail. No wonder they blushed. The black-clad Rakshasa, blushing, asked curiously, "How come there are these things in this hole? It's strange."

Ling Junyi said, "Yes, let's look around."

Suddenly, the black-clad Rakshasa cried out, "Brother, look..." She had found a box in a corner.

The two carefully opened the box and found a small, yellowed booklet inside, and a small jade bottle containing a pill. Xuan Yi Luosha opened the booklet and flipped through it, only to find it filled with erotic illustrations and strange writing—none of which she recognized.

"Brother, look, what kind of writing is this?" Xuan Yi Luosha handed the booklet to Ling Junyi.

Ling Junyi took it and looked at it with delight. After a while, he closed the booklet and said to Xuan Yi Luosha, "Sister, the writing in this book is Indian script."

Xuan Yi Luosha also asked with surprise, "You recognize it? What does it say?"

Ling Junyi said, "This was left by a strange person two years ago. This martial art is called 'Qi Yang Shen Gong,' and the pill in the jade bottle is the 'Fu Yin Dan.' After taking it, one's power can be increased by sixty years."

Xuan Yi Luosha frowned and asked, "Judging from the name and the erotic illustrations, it doesn't seem like a proper martial art?" Ling Junyi laughed, “

Sister Ying, you’re mistaken. This martial art is actually a dual cultivation technique, not some evil practice like ‘absorbing yin to replenish yang.’ It’s called that because this dual cultivation technique is led by the man and assisted by the woman. If you reach the tenth level, you can maintain your youthful appearance and even attain immortality.”

Xuan Yi Luosha clicked her tongue, “Is it really that powerful?”

Ling Junyi said, “Anyway, that’s what it says here. However, because the man’s yang energy is too strong after taking the ‘Subduing Yin Pill,’ he needs multiple women to withstand it. Otherwise, if the man can’t control himself, the woman’s life will be in danger.”

Xuan Yi Luosha laughed, “That’s easy. Just find more sisters.”

Ling Junyi scratched his head, “Wouldn’t I become a complete playboy?”

Xuan Yi Luosha laughed, “You’re wrong. You should be a great hero who collects beauties. By the way, you should quickly take this ‘Subduing Yin Pill.’” Ling Junyi nodded and said, "Okay. "

He then took out the pill and swallowed it. He felt a surge of heat rising from his dantian. Ling Junyi quickly sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing. After three cycles, Ling Junyi leaped up, his face beaming.

Xuan Yi Luosha asked, "Brother, how do you feel?"

Ling Junyi smiled and said, "I feel relaxed and refreshed all over. I just secretly tested it, and my power has increased considerably. The effects of the 'Subduing Yin Pill' haven't fully manifested yet; it may take some time for it to take effect."

Xuan Yi Luosha laughed and said, "From now on, I won't be your match."

Ling Junyi smiled and then said, "Sister Ying, I'll now tell you the incantation for the 'Strange Yang Divine Skill,' which will save you effort when you practice it later. However, I still need to spend time understanding it properly before we can practice it." After half an hour, Ling Junyi taught the incantation to Xuan Yi Luosha, and the two then packed their things and left the cave. Ling Junyi had already destroyed the erotic pictures on the wall and sealed the cave entrance to avoid any unforeseen complications.

Ling Junyi asked, "Sister Ying, what are your plans?"

Xuan Yi Luosha replied, "I have an unfinished business to attend to, and I must return."

Ling Junyi asked, "What is it? Can I help?"

Xuan Yi Luosha's expression turned grim: "The cause of my sister's death."

Ling Junyi said, "Then how will I find you?"

Xuan Yi Luosha said, "Brother, after your wish is fulfilled, I will come to find you. I believe it should be easy to find out your whereabouts."

Ling Junyi said, "Alright, sister, please come to find me as soon as you finish your business. I left this time because my mother has disappeared." "

Brother Xuan Yi Luosha said, 'Brother...' Parting is always sad, and Xuan Yi Luosha's eyes reddened.

Ling Junyi was also heartbroken, and he hugged Xuan Yi Luosha in his arms, comforting her, 'Sister, our good days are yet to come, the future is long, this separation is only temporary.'

The two shared a final tender moment, and Xuan Yi Luosha forced herself to pull away from Ling Junyi's embrace, choking back tears as she said, 'Brother... take care...'

'Sister, take care too.' Ling Junyi's eyes also welled up with tears.

'Yes.'" The black-clad Rakshasa stared intently at Ling Junyi, finally hardening her heart, turning away and galloping off. Ling Junyi watched her figure gradually disappear, sighed, and set off as well.

He traveled swiftly, arriving in Yingshang at daybreak. After entering the city, he found an inn to stay in, where he sat quietly, meditating and gradually entering a state of absorption. When he awoke, it was already noon. He asked the innkeeper to bring him food, ate quickly, changed into a long robe, fastened his long sword, and then went to his tent and out.

In broad daylight, the roads were bustling with people, so he couldn't use his light-footed skills. However, the journey from Yingshang to Shouxian was at least two hundred li, so he had to buy a horse for transportation. He rode swiftly, and by evening, he arrived at a small village, not far from Mount Bagong. Beside the road stood a tiled house with a sign advertising wine and food; it was a small inn.

Ling Junyi, having traveled for most of the day, was feeling hungry and thought it best to eat something before continuing his journey. He dismounted, tied his horse to a tree by the roadside, and turned to walk into the inn. In the distance, he saw a man dressed in homespun clothes wiping a table. It was nearing evening, and travelers in a hurry wouldn't eat by the roadside, so there was little business.

Ling Junyi reached the door and asked, "Innkeeper, is there anything left to eat?"

The man looked up, sized Ling Junyi up, and said with a forced smile, "The food is readily available, but if you want to enter the city, you must hurry, or the city gates will close." His words were well-intentioned.

Ling Junyi replied, "I'm not going into the city." A strange glint flashed in the man's eyes. "This is Shuangqiao, "

he said. "There are no more towns beyond this point. Where are we going? There's no place to stay up ahead
."

Ling Junyi had already sat down at a table and said, "I need to hurry on my way. Please bring me whatever you have to eat."

The man glanced at Ling Junyi again and nodded repeatedly. "Please sit down, sir. I'll make you some tea first." With that, he hurried inside.

Ling Junyi noticed how light his steps were and a thought suddenly struck him. "This innkeeper is dressed in simple clothes, but he walks without kicking up any dust. We're close to Bagong Mountain. Could he be their spy? I must be wary of him."

As he pondered this, the man brought over a pot of tea, smiling. "Please have some tea, sir. We only have steamed buns and mantou readily available."

Ling Junyi nodded. "Whatever you have, please bring it."

The man agreed and went inside. Although Ling Junyi was extremely thirsty, he dared not drink the tea immediately. He took out the silk pouch that Wen Wanjun had given him, took out a "Mind-Clearing Pill" and put it in his mouth, then picked up the teacup and drank it down in one gulp .

After a while, the man came out carrying a plate of steamed buns, smiling, "Sir, the steamed buns are here." He put down the plate, his eyes darting around, and seeing that Ling Junyi had finished his tea, a look of delight appeared on his face. He reached for the teapot, poured Ling Junyi another bowl, and said with a smile, "Sir, you must be thirsty after your journey. The tea in our shop is really good; it's old mountain tea from Bagong Mountain. Although the color isn't very appealing, the aroma is strong, and it quenches thirst."

From his tone, Ling Junyi knew that the tea had indeed been tampered with, but he had taken a "mind-clearing pill" beforehand and wasn't afraid of any trickery. He nodded and said, "This tea is indeed good." He took the teacup, drank it down in one gulp, and then picked up the steamed buns to eat.

Seeing that he had finished another bowl of tea, the man was even more pleased and poured him another bowl. In a short while, Ling Junyi finished a plate of steamed buns, picked up a teacup, took another sip, and looked up at the man, asking, "Guest, how much... money?" Before he could finish the word "money," he
suddenly clutched his head and exclaimed, "Wait a minute! I feel a little dizzy."

The man, who had been standing by the table, smiled slyly and said, "Sir, you must be in a hurry to get somewhere and are a little tired."

Ling Junyi looked at the man, frowned, and said, "Wait a minute! Why am I dizzy for no reason? Could it be... you... you tampered with... the tea?" By the last few words, his speech was slurred, his head lolled to the side, and he fell asleep on the table.

The man suddenly laughed, saying smugly, "Kid, by the time you realize it, it's too late."

At that moment, another man rushed out from the back room, asking, "Has this kid been taken down?"

The first man grinned, "Brother, I drank twice as much as usual, how could I not take him down? But this kid is really tough. An ordinary person would be dizzy after just one sip, but he drank three bowls and ate a whole plate of steamed buns. Seventh Master said he's not afraid of poison. I was really worried that the 'human stimulant' wouldn't work on him."

The other man said, "You stay here and watch him. I'll go and inform Seventh Master right now." He immediately walked out of the shop. Ling Junyi had naturally heard everything they said. The one who had invited him to Bagong Mountain was indeed the "Ghost-Frightening" Seventh Master Tang! How could he allow the other to go and report? He flicked his right finger, sending a wisp of wind shooting straight at the back of the man who had just reached the shop entrance! The man had just reached the door when his pressure points were sealed, rendering him immobile.

The other man, seeing him stop at the door, urged, "If you're going to inform Seventh Master, you'd better hurry. This kid's an animal. He's tied to the tree, what are you waiting for?"

The man, his pressure points sealed, couldn't speak or move, so he didn't answer.

Seeing his silence, the other man muttered to himself and shouted, "Hey, Cui Laosan, what's wrong with you?" Just then, a very faint voice whispered in his ear, "Cui Laosan is possessed. You should go and inform Seventh Master Tang."

The first man was shocked. He looked around; only Ling Junyi was in the shop, still slumped over the table, clearly unconscious. Who could be speaking? His keen senses told him something was amiss, and he cried out in alarm, "Who are you?" There was no one else in the shop besides himself; who would answer?

The man puffed out his chest, mustered his courage, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and shouted, "Which friend is speaking to me? I am a member of the Tang Clan from Sichuan, here on orders from Master Tang Qi to handle a matter. Friend, you are just passing through, let's keep to ourselves, so please be lenient."

Ling Junyi slowly raised his head and smiled, "I can be lenient, but you must tell the truth."

The man was terrified, his eyes wide, and said, "You...you didn't drug me?" He wanted to run away, but for some reason, his legs wouldn't obey him.

Ling Junyi looked at him and smiled faintly, "Didn't you just say that your Master Tang Qi said I'm not afraid of poison? I'm not even afraid of poison, so how could mere sleeping pills drug me?"

The man stood in front of Ling Junyi's table, unsure whether to run or not, beads of sweat the size of soybeans already forming on his forehead.

Ling Junyi said, "Friend, you'd better be quiet. You won't escape three steps from me."

The man indeed didn't dare to move an inch, stammering, "Sir, you...you're a wise man. I'm just following orders, I have no choice..."

Ling Junyi: "Enough nonsense. I'm asking you, where is your Seventh Master?"

The man said, "Seventh Master is on Mount Bagong."

Ling Junyi said, "Where on Mount Bagong?"

The man said, "At...at the Wu family's villa."

Ling Junyi said, "Whom did you kidnap?"

The man said, "I heard it's a girl, she's...your master's sister..."

Ling Junyi knew it must be Fang Ruping. Thinking this, he nodded and said, "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you, but you must stay here." As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed into the air and pressed the man's pressure points, saying, "Although your pressure points are restricted, they will release themselves after midnight." After saying this, he got up and walked outside. He went out of the shop, untied the knotted rope, mounted his horse, and rode towards Mount Bagong.

In no time, they arrived at the foot of Mount Bagong. A smooth, paved road led directly to the Wu family's villa.

Suddenly, a deep shout rang out from ahead: "Dismount!"

It was already dark, but Ling Junyi's skills were now vastly different. Looking ahead, he saw a grove of trees. In front of the grove stood four men in black, dressed in a tight-fitting style and carrying single-edged swords. Behind

them stood an elderly man in a blue robe, appearing to be in his early fifties. He wore a melon-shaped hat, had a thin face, sharp eyes, and prominent temples. He was clearly a master of both internal and external martial arts. He held a two-foot-long pipe in his hand, his expression cold, merely observing Ling Junyi without uttering a sound.

Ling Junyi sat upright on his horse, coldly asking, "What is it?"

One of the four men in black spoke up, saying, "Who are you, and where are you going?"

Ling Junyi replied, "Who I am and where I go is none of your business."

The man who spoke up frowned and said, "Do you know where this road leads?"

Ling Junyi said, "What do you think?"

The man said, "Didn't you find out?"

Ling Junyi smiled and said, "I found out before I came."

The man said, "This road only leads to 'Wu Family Villa'."

Ling Junyi said, "I am going to 'Wu Family Villa'."

The old man in the melon-shaped hat grew impatient, waved his hand to stop the man from speaking further, and coldly said to Ling Junyi, "What business do you have at 'Wu Family Villa'?"

Ling Junyi sneered, "What am I going there for? Why ask me?"

The old man in the melon-shaped hat coldly sneered, "Friend, if you don't want to cause trouble, I advise you to go back."

Ling Junyi raised an eyebrow and laughed loudly, "It's your Tang family that's provoking me, not the other way around." The

old man in the melon-shaped hat's expression changed slightly, and he snorted, "You already know who lives in the 'Wu Family Villa,' yet you still dare to come and cause trouble?"

Ling Junyi sneered, "If I were afraid of trouble, I wouldn't have come."

The old man in the melon-shaped hat's face turned angry, and he snorted, "What an arrogant brat!" Saying this, he pointed his pipe and ordered the four men, "Which of you will go and capture him?"

As soon as he finished speaking, two burly men in tight-fitting clothes drew their single-edged swords and strode towards Ling Junyi's horse, one on the left and one on the right. When they got close, they raised their swords and shouted, "Friend, will you dismount and surrender yourself, or wait for us to do it?"

Ling Junyi remained seated gracefully on his horse, laughing, "You two figure it out."

The two men in tight-fitting clothes, seeing Ling Junyi on horseback, instinctively drew their swords, swiftly slashing at his horse's legs, shouting, "Boy, get down here!"

Ling Junyi's eyebrows furrowed sharply, and he retorted, "What grudge has my horse committed against you?" With that, he flicked his whip, striking the right wrist of the man holding the sword with a sharp "snap." The man cried out, dropping his sword, clutching his wrist, and crouching down. Judging from the sweat

pouring down his face, the blow was severe. Ling Junyi's whip moved with lightning speed; just as he struck, the whip was already on the left, striking the left man's shoulder with another "snap." That man also cried out, releasing his sword, and rolled on the ground in agony.

The other two burly men, enraged at the sight, roared and charged forward, brandishing their swords. But as they reached the horse, a figure flashed before their eyes; they hadn't even seen how Ling Junyi had dismounted before he was already in front of them.

The Tang Clan of Sichuan, for three hundred years, had been renowned in the martial world for its poisons and hidden weapons. People from both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds had some connections with the Tang Clan, and were wary of their poisons and hidden weapons, unwilling to antagonize them. Although Tang Clan members rarely ventured into the martial world, they had unconsciously developed the belief that no one dared to provoke them; even their subordinates were often arrogant and overbearing. Seeing Ling Junyi approach, the two men didn't utter a word, but exhaled sharply, their two single-edged swords flashing blue light as they slashed at Ling Junyi like scissors.

Despite being mere servants of the Tang family, members of the Sichuan Tang Clan rarely traveled the martial world, spending their days practicing martial arts and swordsmanship on their estate. Therefore, everyone involved possessed refined martial arts skills. Ordinary martial arts masters could easily defeat them in a few moves, but today they had encountered Ling Junyi, which was like bumping into a tyrant.

Ling Junyi landed with a leap, seeing two gleaming blue blades slashing towards him. He laughed loudly, "Two more pieces of trash." He raised both hands, fingers spread wide, and reached for the two single-edged swords. He dared to grab at the sharp, poisoned blades with his bare hands.

The two men were startled, suddenly feeling the weight of the blades; they had been caught. They were greatly alarmed, realizing they had encountered a master. They quickly tried to pull back their swords, but the blades seemed to be clamped by a giant iron clamp, unable to budge an inch. Ling Junyi smiled coldly, secretly channeling his inner strength, a surge of internal energy flowing from the blades. The two men felt a jolt in their wrists, a numbness rising to their shoulders; they could no longer hold their swords.

Ling Junyi easily snatched the two single-edged swords, splitting them in two and striking the two men with the hilts. This hilt-striking technique was originally unorthodox, but in his hands, it was unique and extraordinary. The two men, bewildered by the sudden loss of their swords, were startled, then felt a sharp pain in their knees, cried out "Ouch!" and collapsed to the ground.

Ling Junyi's series of movements was incredibly fast; he leaped from his horse, landed, seized the swords, and struck the two men—all in the blink of an eye! Even the old man in the melon-shaped hat standing at the edge of the woods, watching helplessly as he injured two people, hesitated to intervene, his heart filled with shock and anger. He couldn't believe that this young man in his early twenties possessed such extraordinary skills. His sinister gaze fixed on Ling Junyi's face, and he sternly said, "You are indeed quite capable, no wonder you dare to come here seeking trouble."

Ling Junyi casually tossed the two swords he had seized to the ground and laughed arrogantly, "I came to keep my promise, not to seek trouble. If you don't wish to teach me a lesson, then go and announce my arrival."

The old man in the melon-shaped hat, hearing that he had come to keep his promise, initially wanted to clarify that they had made an agreement, but upon hearing the last few sentences, the implication was clear: he dared not fight him. This was intolerable!

The old man in the melon-shaped hat suddenly frowned, his shriveled face darkening. He chuckled and said, "Very well, as long as you defeat me, I'll inform them."

Ling Junyi laughed heartily, "What my friend says is exactly what I want."

The old man in the melon-shaped hat let out a dry chuckle, quickly transferring his pipe to his left hand. With a flick of his right hand, a jet-black palm

struck towards Ling Junyi's chest. Ling Junyi saw the palm glowing black and secretly exclaimed, "Black Fiend Palm!" But he wouldn't take it seriously. He gathered thirty percent of his strength in his right hand and met the palm strike head-on. With a loud thud, Ling Junyi received the old man's palm strike. Knowing that the old man practiced poison techniques, he quickly reached into his robes and grasped the "Poison-Repelling Pearl."

The old man in the melon-shaped hat was shaken by Ling Junyi's palm strike, his blood surging and he staggered back more than ten steps. He was secretly shocked: "How can this young man possess such profound skill at such a young age?" A sinister smile unexpectedly appeared on his gaunt face as he waved his hand, saying, "Boy, you can go back now."

Ling Junyi stood tall, surprised, and asked, "What, have I been defeated?"

The old man in the melon-shaped hat chuckled sinisterly, "Boy, remember, this day next year will be your death anniversary."

Ling Junyi smiled faintly and said, "Friend, those words..." "It's quite perplexing. You seem to be saying I won't live past tonight?"

The old man in the melon-shaped hat snorted. "That's exactly what I meant."

Ling Junyi smiled and said, "That's strange. How could I not sense it at all? Besides, I was actually hoping you would go up and report it."

This old man in the melon-shaped hat was Geng Tugui, the deputy head of the sect and a practitioner of the Black Fiend School. He was usually a very cunning person, especially since his "Black Fiend Palm" was made with the Tang Clan's unique poison. Compared to the "Black Fiend Palm" of ordinary martial arts practitioners, it was more than ten times more powerful. If it hit a person, they would die before noon. This young man in front of him had clearly exchanged a palm strike with him. The deadly poison traveled from his palm up his arm, directly attacking his heart meridian. The poison spread much faster than if it had hit any other part of his body.

But the young man before him showed absolutely no signs of poisoning. His shock was even greater than when he had been forced back more than ten steps by a single palm strike

. His eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Ling Junyi, thinking to himself, "This kid is actually immune to potent poison?" Suddenly, he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll lead the way." With that, he turned and walked towards the paved mountain path.

Ling Junyi smiled proudly, leading his horse and following behind. The mountain path was wide and flat; although it was an uphill climb, it felt effortless. Towering pines and cypresses lined the path, the wind whistling through them! Before they knew it, they had reached the halfway point. Here lay a rather spacious platform. Even in the darkness, Ling Junyi could clearly see that the platform was surrounded by white stone railings planted with exotic flowers and plants, their fragrance filling the air.

In front stood a tall gatehouse with clear brick walls, its lintel made of square bricks. The four large characters "Wu Family Villa"

stood prominently above two large, vermilion-lacquered gates, wide open and unobstructed. A pair of enormous lanterns hung at the entrance, each bearing what appeared to be the character "Tang," suggesting they were temporarily staying at the villa. Two men in black, each carrying a single sword, stood facing each other, motionless like statues, exuding an imposing air. Gang Sha Zhang, Geng Tugui, led Ling Junyi to the center of the platform, then stopped, turned back, and coldly said, "Friend, please wait here. I will go in and inform them." He then turned and walked towards the gate.

Ling Junyi thought to himself, "Judging from the grandeur of this 'Wu Family Villa,' perhaps some important figure from the Tang Clan of Sichuan has arrived?" After a short while ,

Geng Tugui emerged with a man. This man was also in his fifties, with thick eyebrows and piercing eyes, wearing a sky-blue robe. He was tall and appeared quite arrogant. Just as the two appeared at the gate, eight burly men with blue turbans, wearing sky-blue close-fitting clothes and carrying gleaming blue broadswords, appeared like ghosts from both sides of the mansion. Although they didn't surround Ling Junyi, they quickly dispersed, forming a wide encirclement. Ling Junyi stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the platform, not even glancing at them.

The man in the blue robe stopped at the steps, his piercing eyes gleaming like lightning. He scrutinized Ling Junyi for a while before asking Geng Tugui in a deep voice, "Is this the man you're talking about?"

Geng Tugui replied, "Yes."

The blue-robed elder fixed his gaze on Ling Junyi and coldly asked, "What's your name? What brings you here?"

Ling Junyi stood arrogantly, seemingly oblivious.

The blue-robed elder's face darkened, and he snorted, "Young man, did you hear me asking you a question?"

"Asking me?" Ling Junyi slowly turned around, glanced at him, and said, "You'd better explain who you are first."

The blue-robed elder said, "I am Ba Tianyi, the steward of this place."

Ling Junyi still stood with his hands behind his back, showing no courtesy, and simply said "Oh."

Ba Tianyi's face darkened with anger. "Now you can state your purpose," he said.

Ling Junyi replied, "Since Steward Ba doesn't know my purpose, then go and call out Master Tang, the Ghost-Seeing Sorrow. He knows."

Ba Tianyi's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. "So my friend is looking for Master Tang, but he's not here."

Ling Junyi sneered, "He dares not come out to see me? That's alright. Just release the woman you kidnapped."

Ba Tianyi was furious. He shouted, "What an arrogant brat! You can't run wild here!"

Ling Junyi raised an eyebrow. "Listen, you surnamed Ba," he said coldly. "I came as promised. Now that I'm here, I must take that girl away. Tell Master Tang to release her immediately."

Ba Tianyi retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm telling you, Master Tang isn't here. Get out of here!"

Ling Junyi asked, "Aren't the people living in the Wu family's villa from the Sichuan Tang Clan?"

Ba Tianyi shouted, "Boy, do you know who lives here?"

Ling Junyi said, "I don't care who lives here. You kidnapped my sister, and I'm coming to you Tang family to demand her release." Ba

Tianyi chuckled and said, "Coming to the Tang Clan to demand her release? You have quite the nerve."

Ling Junyi sneered, "Abducting innocent women in broad daylight, does your Sichuan Tang family have any regard for the law?"

Ba Tianyi's eyes widened in anger, and he laughed loudly, "I never imagined there would be someone in the world like you who doesn't value his own life." Saying this, he suddenly waved his hand and said, "This arrogant brat has come to our door seeking death; chop him up." Upon hearing this

, eight burly men in blue robes, who had been standing far away, moved with lightning speed, instantly closing in on the center of the platform! They seemed to be arranged in a Bagua formation, closing in to within a few feet of Ling Junyi before swiftly shifting their positions. Simultaneously, each man's gleaming blue blades flashed out in rapid succession. In an instant, the blade shadows were like a mountain, a surge of blue light erupting as they attacked Ling Junyi from all directions.

Ling Junyi thought to himself, "It seems they were well-prepared. This blade formation is incredibly well-organized and quite powerful." With a thought, a sudden "clang" rang out as his longsword was drawn from its sheath. A streak of azure light rose around him, transforming into a protective barrier. Then, from all sides, eight rapid, resounding clangs of metal clashing echoed.
This eight-man sword formation was likely the elite of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Each member was highly trained; once deployed, the azure blades grew increasingly sharp, weaving into a tight net that completely surrounded Ling Junyi, enveloping him in its light. This was the Sichuan Tang Clan's "Eight Seals Sword Formation." While it couldn't compare to Shaolin's "Arhat Formation" or Wudang's "Five Elements Sword Formation," it possessed considerable power, and few in the martial world could escape alive.

That was because Sichuan... The Tang Clan is renowned for its poisons and hidden weapons. These eight men are not only skilled in sword formations, but also wield the Azure Blood-Turning Blade. Each of them has mastered an extremely powerful hidden weapon, their final move, "Eight Immortals Offering Longevity," truly displaying the power of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. All eight hidden weapons are unleashed simultaneously, determined to obliterate you completely.

Ling Junyi fought them for seven or eight rounds, but felt the eight men's sword formation was relentless and persistent, like a shadow that wouldn't let him escape. Unwilling to engage in prolonged combat, he swung his longsword and leaped into the air. These eight men, known as the Eight Generals of the Tang Clan, were exceptionally skilled. As soon as one leaped, they followed, their blue broadswords still positioned to attack from all directions.

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