Demons and Shadows 1-8 (Complete)

Chapter One: The Enchanting Shadows of Demons

Bianzhou City, located near the Yellow River, was later known as Bianliang, which is present-day Kaifeng, Henan Province.

Leaving the west gate of Bianzhou City, an ancient road leads directly to Luoyang, and then to Chang'an, the western capital. This ancient road is called Yiyang Road, which existed since the early Western Han Dynasty. It was a major official road extending westward from Yizhou through Xuzhou to the capital.

Twenty li west of the city, there is a small town called Dongchang Bridge. Passing through here and traveling more than ten li west, one reaches Black Knife Ridge, the most treacherous section of the Yiyang Road. Merchants and travelers passing through this area always proceed with extreme caution.

At this time, as dawn breaks and the morning mist thins, Black Knife Ridge appears as a solitary ridge, stretching for three li. On one side is a dense, towering forest; on the other side, a sheer, precipitous cliff hundreds of feet deep.

From afar, Black Knife Ridge resembles a sharp, jet-black dagger, jutting diagonally into the azure sky, towering and imposing, standing alone.

Just then, the faint sound of horses' hooves approached from the east.

The hooves seemed to be galloping rapidly, and soon a swift rider arrived.

The rider was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, who tirelessly urged her horse on, undeterred by the perilous terrain, continuing to ride at breakneck speed.

Upon closer inspection, the girl on horseback was exceptionally beautiful, especially her bright, expressive eyes, which revealed her intelligence and cleverness—truly a captivating beauty.

This ancient road, winding and treacherous along its length, was fortunate to be shaded by lush trees near the mountains, where the sound of the wind rustling through the trees created a cool and tranquil atmosphere. The refreshing breeze, carrying the rich scent of leaves, was truly invigorating.

Just as the young woman spurred her horse onward, rounding a treacherous bend, she saw a large group of people ahead, two large yellow banners with black borders fluttering high in the wind.

Seeing them from afar, the young woman was overjoyed, thinking to herself, "The news was right! I've finally caught up!"

In an instant, she was close to the group, and what she saw before her became clearer.

It turned out that this group was a caravan, with more than thirty guards and escorts protecting five heavily laden carts, slowly moving forward.

The rumble of the carts echoed through the valley. Each cart carried a caravan flag, embroidered with the two large characters "Distant Mountains" in the center. The caravan was led by two head guards on horseback, and the guards were all burly and strong, their steps perfectly synchronized, demonstrating remarkable skill.

The rapid sound of hooves suddenly rose from behind the caravan, as swift as thunder and lightning. The two caravan leaders turned around simultaneously, their brows furrowed and eyes wide with suspicion as they stared intently at the approaching figures.

The young woman, however, paid them no further attention. Her white horse, its speed undiminished, its silver mane billowing in the wind, swept past the caravan like a gust of wind.

In no time, it had galloped more than two miles away from the caravan.

Ahead, the official road was still shaded by dense foliage on the left. Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

As she rode, the young woman pondered the surrounding terrain, her bright eyes constantly scanning for a suitable place to strike.

Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly saw several silvery-white lights flashing in and out of the dense forest in the distance.

Upon seeing this, the young woman raised an eyebrow. She instinctively knew what was happening; the white light was clearly sunlight shining on swords! It seemed there were people hiding in the dense forest. Judging by the flashes of light, the young woman knew there were quite a few of them, and their purpose was obviously to steal the goods being transported!

Although she grumbled inwardly, she continued riding without stopping, secretly cursing, "Who are these blind fools who dare to steal my business?" Just as she had traveled about half a mile, she suddenly pulled on the reins, turned her horse around, and slowly rode back the way she had come, walking slowly and lightly, lest the bandits notice her.

In a short while, she arrived not far from where the group was hiding.

The young woman dismounted, led her white horse into the woods, tied the reins to a large tree, and, with a swift movement, leaped onto another tree with a whoosh, silently crossing it. Soon she reached the bandits' hiding place. Holding

her breath, she crouched low in the tree, peering down. She saw more than ten burly men lurking around, each wielding a knife and spear, their appearance fierce.

Before long, the rumbling of a caravan could be faintly heard, and they were approaching.

The young woman had already devised a plan: she would observe from the sidelines and make her move later.

She remained motionless in the tree, waiting intently.

The rumbling of the caravan grew louder; they were finally drawing near.

Just then, a man's voice suddenly rang out softly above the girl's head: "I didn't expect you to be interested in this single shipment!"

Though the voice was soft, the girl heard it clearly. Her expression changed drastically; this shock was truly extraordinary! The girl abruptly looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a young man peeking out from among the leaves of a treetop, a smiling face on his lips, staring intently at her.

The girl's brow furrowed, she gripped her sword hilt tightly, and uttered a "You…" before she could finish. The man put a finger to his lips, glanced at the bandits below, and gestured for her to remain silent to avoid alerting them.

The girl immediately understood, stopped speaking, and stared intently at the man in the tree with her large, round eyes. He was handsome and dashing, with a refined and elegant demeanor; his appearance was indeed extraordinary, and she couldn't help but admire him inwardly.

After a moment's thought, the young woman quickly grasped the situation. Seeing the man's refined and handsome appearance, devoid of any hint of wickedness, she was certain he wasn't a member of the bandits' group.

However, upon further reflection, something seemed amiss. She inwardly cursed, "If he's unrelated to the bandits, is he planning a double-cross like me? Or is he helping those镖师 (bodyguards/escorts)? In other words, he's also a hindrance, an obstacle to my wealth. It seems I must eliminate him first."

Lost in thought, the young woman glanced outside and saw the caravan approaching with a noisy clamor.

Suddenly, a whistle rang out, and the bandits hidden in the woods shouted in unison. A deafening roar followed, and they charged out of the thicket, spears and knives in hand.

In an instant, the densely shady mountain path was teeming with bandits.

The young woman glanced closer and was immediately alarmed. The bandits numbered at least a hundred, their power and influence truly formidable.

She looked up at the man, eager to see his reaction, but there wasn't a trace of him in the tree. The man had vanished. She wondered, "Could that man also be a bandit, and have already gone out?" She quickly looked towards the group of bandits.

She searched them one by one with wide eyes, but still couldn't find them. She had to give up, but her eyes were already drawn to the scene outside the woods.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), seeing the bandits surging from the woods, knew something was wrong. Having traveled the martial world many times, he had seen his share of battles. Seeing that the head镖师 remained calm and composed, he raised his hand and shouted, "Protect the caravan first! Everyone, don't panic!"

At his command, more than twenty镖师 and 趟子手 (escorts/bodyguards) immediately surrounded the caravan, each with a sword at their chest, ready and waiting without the slightest panic.

The bandits had already surrounded the caravan in layers. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, another镖师 (bodyguard/escort) hurriedly rode up from behind, standing beside the lead镖师. The two then dismounted, and the lead镖师 strode forward, clasped his hands in a bow, and said loudly, "I am Gao Jinying from the Yuanshan镖局 (Escort Agency) of Wuzhou. I am passing through your esteemed territory but have not had the opportunity to pay my respects. Please forgive me, heroes."

At the same time, a man jumped out from the bandits. This man was dressed in gray clothes, black boots, and a black belt. He was about thirty years old, but had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a full beard. He held a thick-backed broadsword and looked extremely imposing. He said with a self-smiling smile, "Who cares if you're Gao or short? Enough nonsense. Just leave your caravan and get out of my way so we brothers can save some effort."

Gao Jinying, seeing this man's striking appearance and arrogant words, frowned deeply, and the muscles in his face twitched. Having been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for over a decade, he knew he couldn't act rashly in this situation. He suppressed his anger and

clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Please forgive my unfamiliarity; may I ask which gang or stronghold you heroes belong to, where your treasure is located, and what the leader's title is?" The burly man with thick eyebrows suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, "Fine, I'll tell you! Just tell that corrupt official Huang that his cartloads of filthy money have already been taken over by the 'Shadow Gang,' hahaha..."

Upon hearing the words "Shadow Gang," Gao Jinying's heart skipped a beat, and he inwardly cursed.

Having traveled all over the country, he was well aware of the Shadow Gang's reputation. He exchanged a glance with the镖师 beside him, their eyes filled with doubt.

It was said that since its establishment, the Shadow Gang had been entrenched in the Hailing area, a newly risen and powerful gang with over a thousand members. Even the government had to show them some leniency! I've heard that besides the four halls of Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, the gang also has nine temples scattered throughout the Central Plains, collectively known as the Nine Temples of the Dragon Hall.

I also know that the members of the Shadow Gang are all chivalrous and righteous heroes, specializing in robbing the rich to help the poor. They are a righteous and benevolent gang with a very good reputation in the martial arts world.

The girl hiding in the tree was taken aback when she heard the thieves call themselves the Shadow Gang. She had often heard about the Shadow Gang's deeds and knew that they never killed, burned, raped, or plundered; their actions were always acts of righteousness and courage, suppressing violence, and they were always praised.

It is said that the previous year, due to the Yellow River changing its course and the summer rainy season causing flooding, the Yellow River and Huai River plains were suddenly flooded, and the floods became uncontrollable. Seventeen prefectures in the north and south were devastated, and the land of fish and rice was turned into a vast expanse of water overnight.

Besides the banditry and chaos caused by famine, the two large counties of Suixian and Zhenqun in Hubei Province suffered even more severe damage due to the spread of plague.

The imperial court, facing a dire situation, allocated 300,000 taels of silver for disaster relief. However, only 100,000 taels reached the disaster victims, clearly indicating that some had embezzled the funds during the relief process.

At that time, the leader of the Shadow Gang, "Shadowless Flying Dragon," learned of the situation and discovered that the governors of the three prefectures were behind it. "Shadowless Flying Dragon" immediately dispatched his four top fighters—Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning—along with his gang members, in three separate groups. That night, they bound the three governors in their homes, retrieved the original relief funds, and extorted an additional 200,000 taels of silver from the three men, bringing the total to 500,000 taels, which were then distributed to the disaster victims.

From then on, the Shadow Gang's reputation spread like wildfire, attracting many righteous figures in the martial arts world. At that time, the entire country knew of the gang; simply mentioning the name "Shadow Gang" was enough to elicit praise.

However, the Shadow Gang's leader, "Shadowless Flying Dragon," was a mysterious and enigmatic figure. His identity remained unknown, and no one had ever seen his true face. Speculation abounded in the martial arts world; some said he was an old, respected elder, others a burly, bearded man. No one could definitively say the truth, only that "Shadowless Flying Dragon" possessed extremely high martial arts skills and was an unfathomable figure.

Upon hearing that the other party was from the Shadow Gang, Gao Jinying couldn't help but think, "These people are using the Shadow Gang's name, but I don't know if it's true. If it's not, how come the Shadow Gang is acting like bandits?" He quickly thought of a question and said, "I see you are quite the hero, could you be your gang leader, 'Shadowless Flying Dragon'?"

The burly man with thick eyebrows suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "What kind of person is our gang leader? This mere petty transaction is nothing to him. Let alone having him do it himself, I, a roughneck, am more than capable of handling it! Hahaha...!"

The burly man with thick eyebrows was very proud of himself, and the gang members behind him also laughed loudly with him.

Gao Jinying's brows furrowed in disbelief. The man with the thick eyebrows before her seemed utterly arrogant, and Gao Jinying felt a surge of anger. He had led his镖局 (escort agency) men all the way from Wuzhou to this place, and the journey had been uneventful. Even the notorious bandits of the Yangtze River Twin Whales Gang feared the reputation of the Yuanshan镖局 and gave way, daring not to covet their goods. She never expected them to cause trouble here. Was she really going to be defeated like this?!

Gao Jinying was naturally unwilling, but the Shadow Gang was a name he couldn't afford to offend. Helpless, he could only maintain a smile and ask, "Since you're not the leader of your gang, may I ask your name and how should I address you?"

The burly man with thick eyebrows raised them slightly, slapped his chest with a "thump!" and said arrogantly, "You really are a scoundrel! You're supposed to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), yet you don't even know my name. Looks like you're really bad at keeping secrets. Since that's the case, I'll tell you, so you'll be convinced and obediently leave your镖车 (cargo cart) here, and then..." "Get the hell out of here! You just listen up, I'm one of the 'Four Shadow Fiends'—'Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning,' a master of fighting the strong and helping the weak, robbing the rich to aid the poor. Evil people tremble at my name; they all run away with their tails between their legs. In the martial world, I'm known as 'Thunder Blade' Mo Dapeng. Now that you know my name, why don't you get out of my way? Or do you want me to take action?"

Gao Jinying only asked him for his name, but received a long, rambling speech in return. He listened with furrowed brows, unsure whether to be angry or amused.

What was most infuriating was the veiled sarcasm in his words, making him, a dignified镖头 (bodyguard/escort), seem worthless and disrespectful, even uttering things like "run away with your tail between your legs"—utter nonsense! How could he not be furious?

However, the title of "Four Fiends" was not fabricated. Those worthy of the word "fiend" possessed exceptional martial arts skills. Therefore, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and say with a smile, "I've heard so much about you! It's you, Master Mo! The Yuanshan Escort Agency has no prior conflict with your gang. This journey to Luoyang is at the request of Lord Huang of Wuzhou. I hope Master Mo will grant me passage for the sake of both myself and Lord Huang. I will

certainly repay your kindness in the future." Upon hearing this, Mo Dapeng burst into laughter, bending over backward with laughter. Pointing at him, he said, "Don't try to amuse me! Just based on your title, it's already far from enough for me to let you pass. Don't make me laugh my head off! Besides, these two cartloads of silver are the blood and sweat of the people, extracted by that old thief Huang!" "If you don't return this money to the people, where will I, Lei Sha, put my face? How will I explain this to my gang leader? Even if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, kowtowing a hundred times, I'm still going to take your money. Don't even think about wasting your breath now, unless you have the ability to get past me. But I don't think you have that ability. You might as well get out of here and avoid making a fool of yourself."

Although Gao Jinying knew that this batch of money was indeed dirty money, those who ran escort agencies only knew how to get by and never cared about the source of the goods. However, Mo Dapeng's last words made him furious. Even a clay figure has a temper. He was so angry that his eyes popped out and his chest cracked. He knew that today's matter would not be resolved with a few words.

The bodyguard who had rushed forward earlier, who had been silent all along, was now seething with anger. He immediately said to Gao Jinying, "I'll deal with this madman and show him the power of our Yuanshan Escort Agency."

Having finished speaking, he drew a crescent hook from his waist and said loudly, "What a boastful scoundrel! You surnamed Mo, today I'll test your skills against you." With a flash, he charged forward.

Mo Dapeng's thick eyebrows furrowed, and before the man could get close, he shouted, "Stop! Who are you? Show me your name! I never fight with nobodys!"

Upon hearing this, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) became even angrier and immediately stopped in his tracks, shouting, "I am Sun Quanzhong, nicknamed 'Invincible Silver Hook'!"

Mo Dapeng shook his head, scratched his back, then frowned and thought for a moment before asking the man beside him, "Have you ever heard of this person? What Invincible Silver Hook? Why have I never heard of him? Strange, strange." He kept shaking his head as he spoke.

In fact, not only had Mo Dapeng heard of the name "Invincible Silver Hook," but most of his gang members also knew of him. However, they all pretended not to know, intending to dampen his arrogance. Naturally, none of them answered Mo Dapeng's question.

Although Sun Quanzhong wasn't a top-tier expert, since his debut, countless underworld figures had fallen to his silver hook in a few moves. He never took ordinary bandits seriously; in the underworld, the mere mention of "Invincible Silver Hook" commanded respect.

Seeing Mo Dapeng's arrogant attitude and contemptuous words, Sun Quanzhong couldn't swallow his anger. He roared, "Take this!" and charged forward.

The young woman, hidden in a tree, watched Sun Quanzhong's powerful and fierce attack intently, her eyes fixed on him, carefully observing how he would defeat him.

Sun Quanzhong leaped into the air, his crescent hook, wielding eighty percent of its power, aimed straight at Mo Dapeng's head.

Mo Dapeng roared, raising his sword in a backhand parry, his strength overwhelming. With a resounding clang, Sun Quanzhong's right hand, holding the hook, was instantly numb and weak.

Sun Quanzhong hadn't expected Mo Dapeng's internal energy to be so formidable; his twenty-plus years of skill couldn't even withstand a casual block. He was startled. Unexpectedly

, while Mo Dapeng blocked the hook with his right hand, his left hand swiftly shot out, striking Sun Quanzhong's chest with a resounding thud. With a powerful push from his palm, Sun Quanzhong was sent flying through the air, letting out a cry of "Ah...yo..." as he was sent flying.

The words had barely left his lips when he was already three zhang away, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop.

A bodyguard standing nearby rushed over and hurriedly helped him up.

Gao Jinying was also shocked when she saw this, thinking to herself, "This Electric Fiend is indeed formidable, his internal strength is extremely powerful. That one push he made was already showing mercy. If he hadn't first struck my chest and then used his internal energy to push out, but instead struck with a palm and a fist, I wouldn't be alive!"

At this moment, Mo Dapeng laughed loudly, "Such a useless fellow, who thought he was some kind of invincible silver hook? He's a laughingstock. He can't even withstand one of my palms and one of my swords. He's finished in one move. How boring, how boring...!"

The girl's eyes also lit up, and she thought bitterly to herself, "This big guy is really powerful."

Just based on Mo Dapeng's palm, the girl knew she was no match for him. She probably couldn't even withstand half a move. How could he talk about robbing a caravan? Her pretty face flushed red, and she secretly trembled.

At this moment, Gao Jinying strode forward, slowly drawing an iron whip from his waist, and said to Mo Dapeng, "Lei Sha is indeed worthy of his reputation. I know I am not talented, but I would like to learn from Master Mo's skills."

Mo Dapeng laughed loudly, "Good, good, good! But let me make this clear first, I am just a roughneck. I can't accept any of those 'masters' titles. If you want to fight, come at me. I'll take it. If you can get past me, I won't take a single tael of the escort silver. Is that fair enough?"

As soon as Mo Dapeng finished speaking, he raised his broadsword and shouted to the gang behind him, "Brothers, don't make a move yet. Let me deal with this guy surnamed Gao first, then we can take the escort silver. If I lose even a move to this scoundrel, then so be it."

The Shadow Gang members immediately raised their swords and shouted loudly, creating a deafening clamor.

At Gao Jinying's cry of "Please!", she darted forward with incredible speed. A whooshing sound filled the air as she appeared, a flash of silver light accompanying her as her iron whip swiftly struck Mo Dapeng's "Dai Mai" acupoint from the outside in.

Mo Dapeng roared "Good!", his right hand, holding a knife, swayed, the thick-backed broadsword falling horizontally. With a clang, the blade and whip clashed, Gao Jinying's whip jolting back an inch. Mo Dapeng then thrust his thick-backed sword forward, aiming for Gao Jinying's "Feng Shi" acupoint on her leg.

Despite Mo Dapeng's rough appearance, his fighting style was surprisingly skillful, his accuracy in identifying acupoints and his speed in changing moves were truly extraordinary. Gao Jinying was no ordinary fighter either; she had wielded the iron whip for decades, fighting her way across the country, rarely encountering a worthy opponent.

As Gao Jinying's iron whip was jolted upwards, she instantly shifted her body to dodge, extending her right arm horizontally, and the whip struck Mo Dapeng's left shoulder.

Mo Dapeng lowered his body, his foot slipped, and Gao Jinying's strike missed. The whip then sank downwards, and it seemed Mo Dapeng would have no chance to avoid it. However, halfway through the whip's trajectory, Gao Jinying suddenly retreated sharply. It turned out that as Mo Dapeng lowered his body, the tip of her blade was already pointing at the "Qimen" and "Shanzhong" acupoints below his shoulder.

Fortunately, Gao Jinying was exceptionally agile, managing to retreat quickly and pull the whip back, blocking it with her left shoulder. With a "clang," the whip met the thick-backed blade.

Gao Jinying felt the whip jolt again, her hand going numb. She quickly took a step to the side, swinging the whip back to strike Mo Dapeng's "temple."

Mo Dapeng dodged to the side, seemingly determined to show off his skills. He immediately unleashed his thick-backed blade, striking again and again like a relentless storm. Gao Jinying was forced to parry, utterly powerless to retaliate. He retreated hastily, appearing extremely disheveled.

Gao Jinying was terrified, his mind reeling, realizing his life was over.

Mo Dapeng, having exchanged only two blows, knew his opponent's skill was far inferior. He ceased his deadly attacks, using only thirty percent of his strength, relying on arm strength and the weight of his blade to torment Gao Jinying. Even so, Gao Jinying was already struggling.

Just as Gao Jinying was sweating profusely, dodging and blocking, a creature suddenly flew out of the dense forest. It was a bright red bird, resembling a large, fiery red bird, suddenly spreading its wings and descending from the sky.

A crimson blur approached from afar with incredible speed, making it difficult to discern its nature.

As the red figure swept past the caravan, a series of clanging sounds rang out. The guards stood frozen, as straight as pillars, clearly their pressure points sealed.

The young girl stared in disbelief, letting out a soft "Ah!"

When the fiery object landed beside Mo Dapeng and Gao Jinying, it became clear that it was a woman in red. Gao Jinying immediately leaped back a good ten feet, took a steady look, and froze in shock.

Conversely, upon seeing the young woman, Mo Dapeng burst into laughter, exclaiming, "So it's Third Miss! What brings you here? Your 'Heavenly Rain Watering Flowers' technique was truly masterful!"

At Mo Dapeng's words, the Shadow Gang members erupted in cheers, all jumping for joy, clearly recognizing the woman in red as one of their own.

This woman in red was none other than "Rain Fiend," one of the Shadow Four Fiends, and the third sister of the Shadow Gang leader. Her name was Di Shanshan, known in the martial arts world as the "Red-Clad Witch," and her pressure point techniques were considered unparalleled.

Di Shanshan appeared in a light crimson robe, embroidered with silver thread, its gold gleaming. A silver belt swayed

at her waist, billowing in the wind. She turned slowly, her slender waist swaying gracefully, and smiled slightly at Gao Jinying.

Gao Jinying glanced at her, and his eyes instantly lit up with an unusual light. He had traveled the martial world for decades, witnessing countless extraordinary people and events, and had seen many beautiful women, but never had he seen anyone as beautiful as the one before him, so breathtakingly beautiful that one dared not look directly at her; even a single glance was enough to leave an unforgettable impression.

Despite this, Gao Jinying did not forget his current predicament because of Di Shanshan's appearance; instead, a layer of worry deepened in his heart. He knew he could hardly handle Mo Dapeng alone, and now another expert had been added to the mix. How could he not be alarmed and filled with unease?
Chapter Two: The Alluring

Shadows of Demons Di Shanshan, her lotus-sleeved robes fluttering, gracefully approached Gao Jinying.

Gao Jinying stared at her, her heart pounding, her mind reeling, her legs rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch. Di Shanshan

was about eighteen or nineteen years old, her face pale and radiant, her eyebrows like ink paintings, her eyes like water-almonds, her lips like cherry blossoms. Her steps were like swirling snowflakes, her movements elegant and unique, like a celestial flower from a fairy garden, a fairy maiden from the moon.

Di Shanshan approached him, curtsied, and smiled serenely, "This humble woman greets Chief镖头 Gao."

Gao Jinying, still reeling from his shock, snapped back to reality at her words and hastily returned the greeting, feigning surprise, "Are you perhaps the 'Red-Clad Witch,' Lady Di?"

Di Shanshan smiled and replied, "Indeed, this humble woman. What title, 'lady of the name,' is too much for me."

Gao Jinying bowed again, "So it really is Lady Di! My apologies for the intrusion!"

Seeing his furtive and strange expression, Di Shanshan smiled and said crisply, "Chief镖头 Gao's martial arts are indeed impressive. It is truly a blessing for this young woman to meet you today. However, I feel a little sorry for you!"

Gao Jinying's brow furrowed upon hearing this! What was there to regret? Looking bewildered, he clasped his hands and asked, "Miss Di, I truly don't understand what you mean."

Di Shanshan, still smiling, slowly said, "Although you possess superior martial arts skills and I have long heard of your noble character and integrity, I never expected that you, the镖头 (bodyguard/escort), would actually aid and abet evil, and support a wicked person. Don't you think it's a pity?"

Gao Jinying, who always considered himself upright and selfless, and never doing anything reckless or disorderly, was suddenly filled with confusion upon hearing Di Shanshan's words. He was also greatly puzzled, and his face immediately showed displeasure as he said, "Miss, what..." "How could you say that? While I, Gao, may not claim to be any great benevolence or righteousness, I dare say I have never done anything as despicable as 'the strong bullying the weak, the many oppressing the few,' nor would I stoop to aiding and abetting evil. I hope you can explain why, young lady?"

Di Shanshan smiled slightly and said, "Chief Escort Gao is known as the 'Demon-Subduing Whip,' and his character is self-evident based on that nickname alone. Moreover, you have a wide reputation in the martial arts world, so what you say is naturally true, and I, a young lady, should believe you. However, the silver entrusted to your escort agency by that treacherous official Huang Hongshan, if it successfully reaches Luoyang, will be in the hands of..." "Who did this? Chief镖头, do you know?"

Gao Jinying replied without hesitation, "We make a living by escorting goods. We've never interfered with the head of the镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort service), nor do we care about the source of the goods. Even if it's stolen goods, once it's secured, no matter how treacherous the journey, we'll do our best to escort it safely. Once it's inspected, what happens to the goods afterward is none of our business. This has been the code of conduct for镖局 for thousands of years, and it remains unchanged to this day. As for your question, I'm afraid I cannot answer it."

Di Shanshan said, "Chief镖头, Gao..." "Have you heard of Huang Hongshan, the scoundrel?"

Gao Jinying laughed. "He's the Prefect of Wuzhou, everyone knows that. As for his character, I don't need to go into details."

At this moment, Mo Dapeng was standing next to the two of them. Hearing Gao Jinying's words, he immediately raised his eyebrows in anger and roared, "You bastard! Who doesn't know that Huang is a corrupt official? You're from Wuzhou, so you must know even better! Could it be that you're in cahoots with that corrupt official, secretly colluding with him? I'll kill you with one blow to prevent you from harming the world!" With that, he swung his broadsword, ready to strike Gao Jinying.

Di Shanshan knew his fiery temper and immediately stepped forward to block him, saying, "Brother Mo, wait! Is the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) that kind of person?"

Mo Dapeng always listened to his gang leader's third sister. Seeing her stop him, he had no choice but to suppress his anger, put down his sword, and his tiger-like eyes still stared fiercely at Gao Jinying.

Although Gao Jinying knew the situation was dire, she remained fearless and glared angrily at Mo Dapeng.

Seeing this, Di Shanshan simply smiled and said, "Brother Mo has a fiery temper; I hope Chief Gao won't take offense."

Hearing her melodious voice, so sweet and charming, Gao Jinying's anger immediately subsided by half.

Seeing Di Shanshan say, "Huang Hongshan is truly a corrupt official, and Chief Escort Gao certainly knows this. He extorts money from the people and bullies others with his power; he's reached a point of unbearable evil! This time, he entrusted your escort agency to escort goods to Luoyang, intending to bribe Prince Dejing, Wu Sansi, in order to obtain a high position. Doesn't Your Excellency know anything about this?"

Gao Jinying was taken aback: "This... I've heard of this before, but it's really none of my business!"

Di Shanshan gently shook her head and sighed, "Chief Escort Gao, you're mistaken! If Huang Hongshan succeeds in bribing him this time, he will rise even higher than he is now. When he's in a high position and has great power, won't the common people suffer even more from his oppression? As the saying goes, a thousand-mile dike is breached by an ant hole, and a ten-thousand-foot-tall building is destroyed by a termite. The Western Han and Eastern Han dynasties, both with two hundred years of foundation, were not entirely destroyed by corrupt officials." "The downfall of any nation always begins with corruption in its government, followed by internal strife or the exploitation of foreign invaders. The scourge of corrupt officials is like a raging flood, enough to destroy a court. Tell me, how are these thieves who rob the people and steal the country any different from bandits who kill and plunder?"

She sighed deeply and continued, "Bandits merely use spears and halberds, while corrupt officials use seals and tokens. If we martial artists do not use them to save the people from suffering, to help the weak and suppress the strong, then what is the use of learning martial arts? Wouldn't we be ashamed beyond words? I wonder if Chief Escort Gao feels the same way?"

Gao Jinying listened to Di Shanshan's reasoned words, nodding repeatedly. She thought that her words were indeed philosophical and insightful; she had not expected that this beautiful woman would be so deeply aware of the ills of the times. She couldn't help but admire her secretly. No wonder the Shadow Gang was so prosperous and popular.

Di Shanshan continued, "Furthermore, Wu Sansi is even more wicked and evil than Huang Hongshan. His deeds are too numerous to recount. Not only did he fraudulently claim military merits, build his own faction, and persecute loyal officials, but he also openly sold official positions with Empress Wei. Wu Sansi's current wealth is unparalleled, and he enjoys endless pleasures. Our Shadow Gang will certainly deal with such corrupt officials who rob the people of their livelihood and force good people into theft with swift and decisive action, and will not let them off the hook. Regarding your shipment of silver, our gang must take it. I think Chief Escort Gao is a reasonable man. If the silver falls into our hands, only the people will benefit. Moreover, Chief Escort Gao can rest assured that, apart from taking 10% of the goods for gang expenses, the rest will all go to the people. Chief Escort Gao can also supervise this to ensure fairness. What do you think?"

Having reached this predicament, Gao Jinying knew that this shipment of silver was in grave danger! He was extremely unwilling, but he knew he was powerless to protect the goods. Looking up at his companions, he saw that they were all completely controlled. Breaking through alone would be harder than climbing to the heavens or the sea. Even if he managed to escape, the silver would still fall into the enemy's hands. Once the silver was lost, how could he return to Wuzhou to report to the chief镖头 (chief镖头, a high-ranking镖师, a high-ranking镖师)?

Gao Jinying's thoughts became increasingly chaotic, and he was at a loss.

Just then, Di Shanshan said, "I think Chief镖头 Gao has no other choice. As for the silver being robbed, it's difficult for you to return to Wuzhou. But I have a solution that can resolve your worries!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jinying was taken aback, staring blankly at Di Shanshan, wondering what solution she had in mind.

Di Shanshan smiled and said, "My sudden appearance today is on the orders of our gang leader. The gang leader knows that Chief Escort Gao is an upright man with extraordinary martial arts skills, and has long intended to recruit you to join our gang to help the poor and needy and make great contributions. However, he has not been able to find a suitable opportunity. Now that we have met Chief Escort Gao, such an opportunity may not come again. Therefore, he sent me to meet you and explain my purpose. As for the other escorts, if any of you are willing to join us, our gang would welcome you wholeheartedly. You can also be placed under Chief Escort Gao's command. As for your families left in Wuzhou, our gang will send someone to bring them here and arrange accommodations to prevent the corrupt official from taking revenge in anger. What do you all think?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jinying was greatly surprised. Her gaze involuntarily turned to the escorts, and she thought to herself: "If I fail to protect the goods properly, what else can I say? But if I abandon the goods and flee, and word gets out, how will I ever face anyone in the martial world again? If I stubbornly refuse and fight them to the death, I have no chance of winning! Although a true man has nothing to fear in death, all my companions have children and families. How can I bear to sacrifice my brothers' lives for my own stubbornness? I simply cannot do that! Even if I manage to survive and return to Wuzhou, things won't be much better. Besides paying back the escort fees, the reputation of the escort agency will be completely ruined, making it difficult to maintain a foothold in the martial world!" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He was truly torn between two options, unsure of what to do.

Seeing the worry on his face, Di Shanshan asked, "Has Chief镖头 (Guardian Gao) thought it through?"

Gao Jinying, his mind in turmoil, glanced at her and said, "What will happen if I refuse?"

Di Shanshan replied, "Chief镖头 (Guardian Gao) must not misunderstand. Our gang leader has repeatedly instructed us that we will never harm a single person from your escort agency. I sealed everyone's acupoints just now as a precaution, in case both sides couldn't control themselves and started fighting. In that case, there would inevitably be casualties on both sides. If anything went wrong, I wouldn't be able to explain to the gang leader. I had no choice but to take this measure, and I hope Chief镖头 (Guardian Gao) will forgive me. As for whether you are willing to join our gang, it is unreasonable to ask you to answer immediately. You can discuss it and make a decision later." As she finished speaking, Di Shanshan flicked her sleeves, and with a gust of wind in her right hand, she swung it straight at Gao Jinying.

Gao Jinying was listening intently, never expecting Di Shanshan to launch a sudden attack!

Just as he realized what was happening, it was too late. He felt a numbness in his shoulder; several acupoints, including Fengfu, Dazhui, and Zhiyang, had been struck.

Di Shanshan's movements were lightning-fast, striking three acupoints with precision and speed. Gao Jinying was instantly rendered immobile, like a wooden puppet.

Di Shanshan immediately bowed apologetically, saying, "Please forgive my rudeness. Once we have properly handled the goods, we will release your and everyone else's acupoints."

Unable to move or speak, Gao Jinying could only stare helplessly as the Shadow Gang members took the goods out of the caravan, dividing them into several portions. Several Shadow Gang members then ran into the jungle, soon returning with more than ten horses, which were then loaded onto the horses and carried away.

In no time, the Shadow Gang members had vanished amidst thunderous cheers and applause, leaving only Di Shanshan and Mo Dapeng standing solemnly before Gao Jinying.

Di Shanshan said to Mo Dapeng, "Brother Mo, you should go ahead first. Fourth Brother still has matters for me to attend to."

Mo Dapeng scratched his head, thought for a moment, then immediately made a face and said with a grin, "I understand. Although I'm a roughneck, I'm quite perceptive. In that case, I won't hinder you and Fourth Brother, hahaha..."

Hearing this, Di Shanshan's beautiful face suddenly flushed red, and she said coquettishly, "Brother Mo, what are you saying!"

Mo Dapeng ignored her, his figure flashing away, leaving only bursts of laughter that gradually drifted into the distance, and he had already run six or seven zhang away.

Seeing him depart, Di Shanshan turned back to Gao Jinying and said, "Chief镖师 Gao, I have urgent business to attend to and cannot stay any longer. If you do not mind that our gang is small and weak, and is willing to join us, you may come to Fengming Town. Someone will contact you there."

With that, Di Shanshan floated into the air, and with a flick of her right hand, dozens of silver beams shot down. In an instant, Di Shanshan disappeared into the forest.

As soon as the beams faded, the pressure points on Gao Jinying and the other镖师 were simultaneously released.

Gao Jinying looked down at the projectiles; they were several tiny silver beads, as fine as pearls, which landed on the ground. He crouched down and picked them up. The beads were incredibly light, like white beans. The strength and accuracy with which he handled such delicate objects were truly astonishing, and he couldn't help but admire him even more.

At this moment, everyone's pressure points were released, and they all rushed over. Sun Quanzhong angrily said, "Chief镖高, what should we do now? Are we just going to let them steal the silver?"

Gao Jinying shook his head and sighed, knowing that he was no match for them and that getting the silver back would be harder than climbing to heaven. But he couldn't just give up, so he said to everyone, "They haven't gone far since they left. Let's follow them and then we can make a plan!"

Hearing this, everyone didn't delay and hurriedly chased after them. 　　The girl in the jungle had witnessed everything that had just happened. She shook her head and muttered to herself, "Sigh! The Shadow Gang got involved, and those two scoundrels are so powerful, I'm afraid we won't be able to retrieve this shipment of silver. If my brother were here, perhaps there would still be some hope!"

The 　　girl looked up at the tree again, but the man was not there. After a moment's thought, she realized something was seriously wrong: "Hmm! Could it be that he wants to keep all the silver for himself? If so, he might have followed the Shadow Gang and take advantage of the situation to strike again. It seems I should go and see what happens, lest I miss this golden opportunity." 　　With that thought, the girl jumped down from the tree and flew to retrieve her horse. 　　When the young woman arrived at where her horse was tied, her beloved white horse was nowhere to be found. Panicked, she searched everywhere, but to no avail. Furious, her eyebrows furrowed, her fists clenched, and the image of the man in the tree flashed through her mind. A moment's thought made her furious. She stamped her foot and cursed, "It must be him! That scoundrel is a horse thief! If I see him again, I'll give him a good beating!" 　　Without her horse, the young woman had no choice but to use her light-footed skills to chase after the Shadow Gang in the direction they had gone. However, after chasing for more than ten miles, she still couldn't find any trace of the Shadow Gang or their bodyguards. Just as she was about to quicken her pace, she suddenly heard the sound of hooves behind her. Turning around, she saw several riders galloping towards her. Her beautiful eyes darted around, and an idea immediately came to her. She quickly slipped into the woods. 　　Four yellow horses appeared in an instant, their riders all burly men. As the four riders galloped swiftly, a young girl suddenly emerged from the woods, her arms outstretched like a roc spreading its wings, blocking their path. 　　Startled by the sight of someone blocking their way, the four riders simultaneously reined in their horses, which reared up with a screech. Fortunately, these were all well-bred and robust steeds, and once restrained, they immediately came to a stop. The riders, however, were skilled enough to prevent the horses from charging directly at the girl. 　　Upon closer inspection, they saw that the girl before them was a beautiful girl of sixteen or seventeen, with a full bust and a slender waist, exceptionally graceful. She was boldly spreading her arms wide, her left hand holding a longsword in a silver sheath. 　　The four men exchanged glances. One of them, a burly man in gray, had a fiery temper and immediately became enraged, shouting, "You little brat, do you want to die? Why are you blocking my way?" 　　The young woman scrutinized them and saw that all four had green faces, fangs, and weasel-like eyes. She knew at a glance that they were not good people, so she smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just want to borrow something from you gentlemen."

Upon hearing this, the four men's expressions changed instantly. They all thought, "So it's just a female highway robber, and she's after that thing!"

One of the burly men in black, noticing her brazenly blocking their path without the slightest fear, wondered if she had spies hidden in the woods. He quickly looked around, but seeing nothing amiss, he rushed forward and laughed loudly, "Little brat, you dare to provoke us 'Four Tigers of Yuebei' with your delicate appearance? Do you have someone backing you up?"

The girl pouted, thinking to herself, "These men are really something. I just wanted to borrow a horse. They can lend it if they want, or not if they don't. Who needs backing me up? It's a joke. Judging from their tone, so aggressive, I guess borrowing it is out of the question. It's fine if they don't lend it to me." "Why wouldn't I just rob it?"

she said, lowering her eyes and looking pitiful. "So you're determined not to lend it to me?"

The burly man in black laughed. "Listen carefully, kid. There are plenty of people who want to steal our treasure. There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, but they all end up with the same fate. If they don't die, they'll be badly injured. Seeing that you're young and pretty, we brothers can't bear to hurt you. You'd better leave now."

The girl blinked her big eyes and moved slowly to the side of the road, saying softly, "Judging from how you talk, it seems I can't borrow it."

Seeing her move to the side of the road, Yue Bei Si Hu knew she was afraid and became smug. They laughed and spurred their horses forward.

But before the horses had taken more than a few steps, the girl suddenly swayed and pounced on the burly man at the back, her sword tip aimed directly at his waist.

The burly man was the third of the Four Tigers, known as Red-Eyebrow Tiger, skilled in using a soft iron whip.

The Four Tigers of Yuebei had been renowned for over a decade, and were certainly no weaklings. Seeing a figure flash beside him, Red-Eyebrow Tiger knew something was amiss and lashed out with his whip, only to miss! The young woman, halfway through her attack, suddenly changed her move, flipping her sword sheath and striking his hand with lightning speed.

Red-Eyebrow Tiger cried out in pain, the iron reins flying more than ten feet away.

Taking advantage of his surprise, the young woman's right hand reached down to his collar, striking two major acupoints on his neck: "Tianzhu" and "Fengchi."

Red-Eyebrow Tiger had never expected this petite and delicate girl to be so skillful and swift; a moment of carelessness had allowed her to launch a successful sneak attack. Suddenly, Crimson-Eyebrowed Tiger felt a numbness in the back of his neck, his limbs instantly went limp, and then the girl pulled him, sending his massive body flying off the saddle, tumbling several times.

The girl, having succeeded in her attack, remained calm. Already seated in the saddle, she pulled on the reins with her left hand, just as she was about to swirl the horse's head, when she heard a loud curse behind her: "You little bitch, you're asking for death..." Before the words were finished, a flash of silver light appeared, and a large blade came crashing down.

The girl parried with her sword, blocking the blow, and with a spur of her legs, the horse suddenly lurched forward, galloping more than ten feet, barely avoiding the second strike.

A burly man in gray also shouted. This man, nicknamed Golden-Haired Tiger, was the leader of the four tigers, wielding a meteor hammer with unparalleled skill. Seeing the girl gallop away, he didn't hesitate; he channeled his power into his meteor hammer, aiming straight for her back.

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, the girl swung her right sword back, deflecting the meteor hammer with a flick of her wrist.

The Golden-Haired Tiger was greatly surprised. His meteor hammer strike had been incredibly powerful, carrying at least several hundred pounds of force—enough to shatter even a stone. Yet, she had effortlessly deflected it with a mere flick of her wrist, completely neutralizing its force. This skill truly astonished him.

Then, the girl poked the horse's rump with the tip of her sword. The horse, in pain, immediately bolted. At the same time, the girl turned around, made a face at the three men, and called out loudly, "I'll borrow this horse for a bit. See you later, brothers!" With that, she flicked her left hand, throwing a ball the size of an egg behind her. The ball exploded with a "bang" upon hitting the ground, releasing a thick cloud of green smoke that then dissipated in the wind.

Just as the three tigers were about to spur their horses to give chase, a sudden boom echoed, and billowing smoke obscured everything in their path. A pungent odor wafted through the air. Seeing this, the three realized it was some kind of poisonous smoke and quickly reined in their horses. Before they could even escape, they felt dizzy and their eyelids grew heavy; they all tumbled headfirst from their horses.

※※※

Soon the smoke dissipated, and the young woman returned. Seeing the four tigers lying motionless on the ground like dead tigers, she smiled smugly and said, "I thought you four were something special, but you're just a bunch of useless cowards. With a few simple tricks, I've already got you lying all over the place!"

The young woman kicked the golden-haired tiger twice, thinking, "Judging from their conversation, they seemed to be hiding some kind of treasure, and they even mentioned attracting over a thousand people ..." "They've come to steal it, so this treasure must be incredibly valuable. Since the goods are already in the hands of the Shadow Gang, there's probably no hope of getting them back. Luckily, I'm fortunate to have encountered these four big, clumsy tigers."

The more she thought about it, the happier she became, and she couldn't help but feel smug. She quickly squatted down and reached out to search the golden-haired tiger, but as soon as she stretched out her slender hand, her wrist was suddenly tightened and firmly grasped. Then, her "Zhongdu" acupoint went numb, and her whole body instantly went limp and paralyzed, unable to move. Only then did she realize that she had been tricked.

The four tigers of Yuebei jumped up at the same time, and even the Red-browed Tiger's acupoints had already been released.

The golden-haired tiger grinned and said, "You little slut, now tell me who's the coward. With your petty tricks, you think you can mess with us brothers? You're dreaming. Now you need to answer me properly: what's your name? What sect are you from? Who sent you?"

He bombarded her with questions, but the girl remained unmoved, coldly snorting and turning her face away, refusing to even glance at them.

The golden-haired tiger wasn't annoyed. He reached out and touched her pretty face, grinning wickedly, "Fine, you're stubborn and won't tell, but I'll find a way to make you say it." He turned to the red-browed tiger and said, "Third brother, she just dragged you off your horse. Now drag her into the woods and tie her up."

"I won't…! If you dare touch me, you'll be sorry!" the girl shouted.

Red-browed Tiger, having been ambushed by her, stumbled and fell hard. Filled with shame and anger, he ignored her shouts and curses, grabbing her and dragging her into the woods, angrily saying, "Now we'll see how you teach us a lesson!"

The four tigers of Yuebei followed into the forest, and in no time, the girl was tied to a large tree.

※※※

The girl was terrified; her once rosy face had turned pale, but her small mouth remained unchanged, still fierce and menacing: "What do you want? If my eldest brother finds out, none of you four will survive! Let me go!" Desperate, she had no choice but to mention her eldest brother, who seemed to be a very important figure.

Golden Tiger frowned and asked, "Who is your elder brother?"

The girl raised her eyebrows, exuding arrogance, and said, "I can tell you, but be careful not to scare yourself. My elder brother is the leader of the Four Young Masters of Jiangnan, the 'Carefree Young Master' Zhuo Yilang. I bet you wouldn't dare mess with his own sister, would you? If you know what's good for you, let me go, and we'll call it even. I won't pursue it any further. Otherwise... hmph... you'll be in for a world of hurt."

Upon hearing this, the four men exchanged glances, their facial muscles instantly tensing.

The girl thought to herself, "They're clearly terrified by their elder brother's name. No wonder, the Carefree Young Master is a formidable figure. Whether in the legitimate or criminal world, officials or outlaws, everyone trembles at the mere mention of his name, let alone you four sick cats."

The more she thought about it, the more smug she became, and the fear on her face lessened somewhat.

It turned out that this young girl was the younger sister of the carefree young master, named Zhuo Wei, only seventeen years old, and known for her mischievous and eccentric nature. A few months ago, she secretly ran away alone, intending to roam the martial world, relying on her early-taught "Plum Blossom Sword Technique," determined to emulate her elder brother Zhuo Yilang and make a name for herself in the martial world.

At the time, she thought that since her elder brother was called "Young Master," she should also adopt the title "Young Master." Knowing she was beautiful, she had heard praises like "fairy of the mortal world" and "fairy descended to earth" since childhood, so she gave herself the name "Plum Blossom Fairy." In the past few months, although she had committed many petty thefts, her name remained unknown until recently, when she learned that a shipment of goods was being transported from Wuzhou to Luoyang. She immediately had a plan: if she could seize the shipment and leave behind the name "Plum Blossom Fairy," the world would surely know.

Unexpectedly, not only did she fail to steal the goods, but she was also tied to a tree, like meat on a chopping block, awaiting execution.

Fortunately, her elder brother had a powerful reputation, and when she brought it up, it worked immediately!

The Third Chapter of "The Beautiful Shadows of Demons

" Seeing the four men standing silently, Zhuo Wei felt a little more at ease, her arrogance instantly rising. She loudly proclaimed, "I knew it! You'll be shocked to hear this. I'm not an unreasonable person. First, you haven't suffered any loss, and second, we have no grudge against each other. Just let me go immediately, and I guarantee my brother won't pursue the matter further. Rest assured!"

The golden-haired tiger snorted coldly and stepped forward, followed closely by the three tigers.

The golden-haired tiger reached out his large hand and felt the rope around her chest for a while, seemingly checking its tightness. He laughed, "So you're the sister of 'Young Master Xiaoyao'! Nice to meet you."

Seeing him inspect the rope, Zhuo Wei didn't immediately suspect anything. She pouted and said, "Of course! Why would I lie to you? If you're scared, just release me now, and we can talk things over."

The golden-haired tiger smiled coldly, "Since you're Young Master Xiaoyao's person, I'll release you, but not now. Wait until we... " " We'll let you go back once the four of us have finished our business."

Zhuo Wei refused. If they hadn't finished their business in ten days or half a month, wouldn't she be tied up here and starve to death? In her anxiety, she immediately shouted, "Release me now! I don't have time to wait for you to finish your business. If you anger me, you'll be sorry!" Zhuo Wei herself was oblivious. She kept cursing and cursing, never stopping at "you'll be sorry." She just kept shouting that she should be released. The four men were already tired of hearing it and naturally ignored her.

Then, Golden-haired Tiger Xiao Rong said, "We, the Four Tigers of Yuebei, have always been clear about our grudges and favors. Now, let me show you something." He turned around and pointed to the black-clad man beside him: "This is my third brother, Red-browed Tiger. Third brother, open your chest so that Miss Zhuo can see clearly."

Red-browed Tiger grabbed his chest and tore it open, revealing his black, oily chest and abdomen to Zhuo Wei. Zhuo Wei's beautiful eyes widened as she looked closely, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

It turned out that on the Crimson-Eyebrowed Tiger's chest, more than a dozen scars crisscrossed his dark, muscular skin. These scars were straight and clean, clearly made by the tip of a swift sword! Most ingeniously, the scars formed the Chinese character for "illness."

Zhuo Wei laughed, "You're a tiger, but you have the character for 'illness' on your heart, so you're called a 'Sick Tiger'!"

The Crimson-Eyebrowed Tiger's eyes blazed with fury. The four tigers glared at Zhuo Wei, their faces filled with intense hatred.

Upon seeing the four men's faces, Zhuo Wei felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly suppressed a laugh, stuck out her tongue, and thought, "Who is this prankster who dares to write on a tiger's chest? I'd like to see what kind of person they are."

The Golden-haired Tiger continued, "We four brothers will never forget your brother's kindness, and we will never forget it. You might as well take a closer look..." As he spoke, the three men simultaneously pulled open their shirts. Zhuo Wei gasped in surprise, looking closely. She saw that, like the Black-faced Tiger, each of the three men had several written scars on their chests, though the number and strokes varied.

The Golden-haired Tiger's scar was the character "四" (four), the Black-faced Tiger's was the character "头" (head), and the White-browed Tiger's was the character "猫" (cat). Adding the Black-faced Tiger's "病" (sickness), and reading it from the eldest, the Golden-haired Tiger, it became "四头病猫" (Four Sick Cats).

Upon seeing this, Zhuo Wei could no longer contain herself, her laughter growing even louder. The "Four Tigers of Yuebei" had been changed to "Four Sick Cats," how could she possibly hold back her laughter? "How amusing! It's so aptly written… 'Four Tigers of Yuebei' has become 'Four Sick Cats'…" But as soon as she finished saying the word "cat," she realized her words were inappropriate and quickly stopped.

The Golden-Haired Tiger said, "Miss Zhuo, do you want to know who did this?"

Zhuo Wei nodded repeatedly, overjoyed, "Yes, who is this remarkable person?"

The Golden-Haired Tiger glared, his tiger eyes wide, and said fiercely, "This person is far more familiar to you than we are; that person is your good elder brother, the Carefree Young Master Zhuo Yilang."

Zhuo Wei exclaimed, her beautiful eyes widening, "It's my elder brother? Really?" She seemed overjoyed.

Golden Tiger said, "We four brothers originally only wanted to find out your background. If we had no connection with you, we would have just taught you a lesson and let you go. But now it's not that easy."

Red-browed Tiger roared, "You wretch, it's a blessing from heaven that you've fallen into our hands today. Prepare to die!"

At this moment, Zhuo Wei realized the situation was bad and hurriedly said, "Hey...hey...what do you want? This is my eldest brother's business. What does it have to do with me?"

Golden Tiger said, "You're just unlucky, but don't worry, we four brothers won't kill you like this. After we've made you half-dead, we'll let you go back to meet Zhuo Yilang so he'll know about Yue Beixi." "Tiger's methods."

Zhuo Wei grew increasingly terrified as she listened, her voice trembling as she said, "You...you want to do what to me? I'll tell you...I'll tell you...I'm not someone to be trifled with. If you dare do anything to me now, I...I'll repay you double in return. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, the four men immediately grinned and burst into laughter. Golden Tiger chuckled and said, "Good, good...well said. We four brothers will each rape you once. If you want to repay double, we brothers won't mind, but I'm afraid you can't handle it."

Zhuo Wei trembled violently as she listened. Seeing the four men's eyes burning with lust, their faces showing a desire to tear her apart and devour her alive, she turned pale with fright, knowing that she could not escape their clutches this time.

The golden-haired tiger suddenly stepped forward, then stretched out his large hand, claws outstretched, aiming straight for her high, alluring breasts. Zhuo Wei immediately cried out, "Ah..." and twisted her waist wildly, trying to dodge his wicked hand. But her pressure points were sealed, and her hands were already firmly bound to the tree. She couldn't move even an inch, let alone avoid this greedy claw.

The golden-haired tiger roughly kneaded her breasts through her clothes a few times. Sure enough, his hands were full and firm. He immediately laughed lewdly, "I didn't expect you to have such a good figure at such a young age. It's round and firm. It seems that we four brothers are truly blessed today." Before he finished speaking, his palm, as large as a fan, had already grabbed her collar and pulled it down sharply.

"No... ah..." Zhuo Wei twisted her body wildly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her clothes were immediately ripped open, revealing her pinkish-purple inner pockets. Zhuo Wei's ample bosom strained against her chest, creating a beautiful, arched silhouette. This, combined with her smooth, jade-like skin, left the four tigers speechless, their throats dry.

Golden Tiger reached out and untied the ropes binding her, laying her on her back. At this moment, Zhuo Wei had no choice but to let them do as they pleased.

Golden Tiger said to the other three tigers, "This little slut is more and more alluring the more you look at her. Come and have some fun with her."

Seeing Zhuo Wei's fair skin and her firm breasts, the three men were already burning with desire. Without further ado, the second and third tigers pounced, pulling apart her legs, while the fourth tiger ripped off her silk skirt, revealing a pair of moon-white underpants.

Zhuo Wei gritted her teeth, struggling desperately, her face filled with fear and shame, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The golden-haired tiger released her underpants and tossed them aside. Zhuo Wei was now completely naked except for her underpants. The four men, gazing at her delicate, jade-like body, were all captivated, their lust ignited. Her pair of white, jade-like breasts were now in the golden-haired tiger's hands.

"No...don't...ah..." The golden-haired tiger seemed to have no concept of tenderness, manipulating Zhuo Wei's beautiful breasts, making them appear round and flat, their shapes varied.

Golden Tiger gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "You slut, the four of us have served you alone, are you satisfied now? Your elder brother drew a sword and left a message on my chest, so I'll do something to your chest too, an eye for an eye. Just you wait and see." With that, he pinched hard, and the two tender mounds of skin instantly changed shape. Zhuo Wei couldn't bear it and cried out in pain.

At the same time, Red-Eyebrow Tiger ripped off her remaining panties, spread Zhuo Wei's right leg, and immediately revealed a bright red vulva. Sparse and neat pubic hair was scattered on the swollen mound, and the area around the labia was already moist and glistening. Red-Eyebrow Tiger's penis swelled up, and two fingers immediately plunged into the flower garden.

"Ah...it hurts...no..." Zhuo Wei was attacked in three places, but she felt no lust, only a nauseating pain coming from the places that were attacked.

Red-browed Tiger thrust and dug into the ground dozens of times, then suddenly straddled her, cursing, "You brat! See how I deal with you today!" He reached into his trousers and unbuckled his belt.

Zhuo Wei panicked and screamed in terror. Her acupoints were sealed, and she couldn't resist at all. She felt the disgusting mushroom head pressing against her crotch, rubbing up and down. Terrified, she cried out, "No...no!" Red-browed Tiger

raised his spear, thrusting forward, and the mushroom head penetrated her. Just as he was about to push harder, aiming for her core, Red-browed Tiger suddenly cried out "Ah!" and his body flipped backward.

The three men, hearing the Red-browed Tiger's roar, glanced at him and saw him lying on the ground. Startled, they jumped up before they could think. Looking around, they saw nothing unusual except for the dappled shadows of trees and withered vines. The Golden-haired Tiger looked back at the Red-browed Tiger and saw that he was motionless, but his eyes were rolling around. He knew that the Red-browed Tiger had been acupunctured. He shouted, "Who are you, sneaking up on me? What kind of hero are you?"

The White-browed Tiger touched the Red-browed Tiger and found that his acupoints were sealed. He released the seal and then noticed a copper coin beside him. He picked it up.

As soon as the Red-Eyebrowed Tiger's acupoints were released, he flew into a rage. Before he could even tie his trousers, he leaped up, hurriedly fastening his waistband, drew his iron whip, and roared, "Which bastard is it? Get out here right now!"

"That's right, there are indeed four bastards here." A man's voice drifted in from outside the forest, a voice so soft it was almost a thin thread, yet every word was clear.

The four tigers of Yuebei, upon hearing this, were about to rush towards the sound when they saw a young scholar slowly emerge from the bushes. He gently waved a folding fan in his right hand and strolled towards them. In his left hand, he led a white horse, an exceptionally tall and magnificent steed with a glossy coat.

Zhuo Wei lay on her back, unable to move her entire body, but her head and neck were not restrained. She turned her head and looked around, feeling both happy and angry. She was happy that someone had come to her rescue, but angry that the person was the horse thief. Fortunately, her horse was still with him and hadn't been sold.

The four tigers saw this person walking slowly towards them, looking very relaxed and not paying any attention to them. They were already furious. Golden Tiger leaped forward, pointing his halberd and shouting, "Hey you scholar, you hurt my brother and then used foul language to insult us. Show me your coin!"

Golden Tiger was always meticulous. He saw that this person was outside the forest, no less than seven or eight zhang away, yet he could restrain someone's pressure points with just a copper coin. The strength and precision of that person were truly formidable. Therefore, he dared not be careless and decided to find out the identity of the person first.

The scholar smiled slightly and said, "I am but a poor, wandering scholar, a mere penniless scholar, hardly deserving of the title 'ten thousand'."

The white-browed tiger, suppressing his anger, roared, "I ask you, is this copper coin yours?" With that, he raised his hand, sending a beam of yellow light shooting towards the scholar.

But the scholar remained calm and composed. When the yellow light was about a foot away from him, he flicked his folding fan, deflecting the light back with several times its initial force.

Seeing the copper coin flying towards him with such ferocity, the white-browed tiger dared not catch it with his bare hands, lest he make a fool of himself. He quickly slipped and dodged, and with a "thud," the copper coin struck a tree, embedding itself several inches into the wood.

The four tigers, seeing this, felt a chill run down their spines, realizing they had encountered a formidable opponent. They exchanged glances, and with swift movements, scattered in all directions, surrounding the scholar.

Golden Tiger raised his meteor hammer and shouted, "Friends, show your weapons!"

The scholar shrugged and shook his folding fan in response.

The four men were taken aback to see him fight with only a paper fan. The brothers all thought the same thing: "The four of us are already at a great advantage. If we fight with weapons against his paper fan, even if we win, it will be dishonorable. How can we face others if word gets out?"

Golden Tiger tossed his meteor hammer aside and said, "Alright, I don't want to take advantage of you any further. The four of us brothers will use our bare hands to learn from your skill." As he spoke, the other three also sheathed their weapons and assumed fighting stances.

The scholar simply smiled and tucked his folding fan into his waistband: "Please!"

Seeing that his fourth brother had almost suffered a loss, Golden Tiger knew that he was probably no match for him alone. He gave the other three a wink, and the four of them, understanding each other perfectly, rushed forward and launched an attack without saying a word.

Red-browed Tiger and Black-faced Tiger struck first, one after the other. The scholar's left hand dipped slightly, flicking and pulling, resulting in a loud crack. Red-browed Tiger's palm struck Golden-haired Tiger, while Black-faced Tiger's palm was redirected to White-browed Tiger.

Caught off guard by their brothers' sudden attack, the two brothers knew they couldn't dodge and had no time to think, simultaneously striking out with their own palms.

The four brothers, all taught by the same master, shared similar palm techniques and skill levels, and were immediately struck, their arms numb and sore. They were momentarily baffled as to why they were clashing with each other.

Just as the four were filled with shock and anger, the scholar's palms also struck out, this time targeting Golden-haired Tiger and White-browed Tiger.

The two men each unleashed their palms, striking from above and below. The other two tigers were not to be outdone, rushing forward as well. However, the scholar continued to guide and pull, keeping the four men's palms locked in a fierce exchange. This time, however, the blows were far more severe than before. The golden-haired tiger struck the white-browed tiger's arm, the white-browed tiger swept towards the black-faced tiger's waist, the black-faced tiger parried the red-browed tiger's shoulder, and the red-browed tiger slammed into the golden-haired tiger's wrist. Four resounding blows echoed, and all four tigers were thrown back several steps by their own brothers.

The four tigers were terrified. Before they could even understand what was happening, the scholar's palm strikes arrived again, relentlessly pressing forward, leaving them with nowhere to retreat or stop. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and parry with their own palms. But this time, they all felt an extremely strong adhesive force within the scholar's palm strikes, drawing their own power outward. It was a cycle of one tiger striking another, the other returning the blow, all striking their own brothers, ultimately unable to break free.

The four tigers cried out simultaneously, blood spilling from their mouths, their faces turning purplish-red, and their bodies swaying unsteadily.

Only then did they realize that the scholar's skill was unfathomable and far superior to their own. Even if they refused to accept defeat and continued fighting, they would only suffer more serious injuries.

The four brothers, of one mind, had no choice but to give up and admit defeat. Golden Tiger wiped the blood from his mouth and said to the scholar, "Your martial arts are profound. We brothers are convinced of your defeat. May we ask your name?"

The scholar stood with his hands behind his back, shook his head, and said, "My nickname is Half-Bottle of Vinegar, my surname is Sour, and my given name is Ding. Just call me Sour Ding. If you four don't want to fight anymore, please excuse us." He then turned his back and walked towards Zhuo Wei.

The four Yuebei tigers, hearing this, knew he was unwilling to reveal his real name, and further questions were futile. They could only turn away without looking back, angrily galloping out of the forest, leading their horses back and riding off.

After the four left, the scholar approached Zhuo Wei and smiled slightly, "Oh, we meet again." But upon seeing the girl before him, completely naked, he felt extremely embarrassed and looked away, not daring to look at her again.

Seeing him approach, Zhuo Wei was instantly overcome with embarrassment and blushed deeply. She quickly snapped, "Close your eyes!"

The scholar smiled slightly, seemingly not hearing her, but still dared not look at her. He teased, "Looking at you like this, why aren't you wearing any clothes? What are you doing lying here so stiffly?"

Zhuo Wei retorted angrily, "Hey! Didn't you hear me? I told you to close your eyes!"

The scholar still smiled, "Why should I listen to you? Hurry up and put your clothes back on."

Zhuo Wei, both ashamed and angry, finally whispered, "I...I can't move..." "

The scholar said in a calm voice, "Ah, so you've acupunctured those four. That's troublesome. I'll chase them back right now to untie them."

Zhuo Wei grew angrier and angrier, angrily saying, "You stupid scholar, you sick scholar, stop pretending to be stupid! Can't you untie my acupuncture points?"

The scholar was taken aback: "What kind of attitude is this? When asking for a favor, you should be polite. Besides, you told me not to look, and I did as you said. I didn't dare to look at you even once. Now that I can't see, how am I supposed to untie your acupuncture points?"

Zhuo Wei knew he was deliberately teasing her, and thought, "Fine, you..." "You're always arguing with me. Once my acupoints are released, I'll have my own way of dealing with you."

She was distressed by the current situation and had no choice but to ask him for help, so she suppressed her anger and said in a soft, sweet voice, "My good man, I was wrong. Please, just please, do me a favor and release my acupoints, okay?"

The scholar chuckled inwardly; this girl's tone changed so quickly. He then smiled and said, "Releasing your acupoints isn't difficult, but I need to turn around. But you're naked. You should know that men and women shouldn't touch each other. I think..." "It's still not a good idea!"

Zhuo Wei's face flushed even more, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Go ahead and look. Besides, I've already shown you everything. But this time, you're only allowed to look once, not twice. Otherwise, I'll gouge out your eyes. Once your acupoints are released, you have to turn back and wait until I'm dressed."

The scholar shook his head, muttering, "Sigh! To release someone's acupoints requires so many rules. If I had known this, I shouldn't have bothered with this." He then squatted down, picked up her outer garment, and threw it over her, covering her body before turning back and, through the garment, releasing her acupoints with his fingers.

As soon as the acupoints were released, Zhuo Wei quickly clutched the garment to cover herself, crying out, "What do you mean, 'it's none of my business'? I almost let them do that to me! Hey... turn around quickly, don't look!"

The scholar shrugged and turned back helplessly.

Suddenly, a sobbing sound reached his ears from behind. The scholar froze, realizing she was grieving over what had just happened. He also felt remorse for his frivolous and disrespectful words, which had offended the beauty. He slowly turned around, intending to comfort her, but as soon as he did, he saw Zhuo Wei holding a sharp sword, about to slit his own throat. The scholar was shocked and quickly leaped forward, his movements as swift as lightning. He grabbed her small hand holding the sword and said urgently, "Miss, why do you need to..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw a smile in her eyes. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and he knew something was wrong. He thought to himself, "Oh no!" As soon as he realized this, he felt three fingers strike his chest. Zhuo Wei had struck three acupoints, and his whole body went limp, causing him to fall to his side.

Zhuo Wei quickly dressed, turned the scholar over, and laughed, "Now do you know how powerful I am?"

The scholar lay on the ground, speechless for a moment, only sighing and smiling bitterly. He hadn't expected this girl to be so cunning, taking advantage of his pretense to commit adultery.

Zhuo Wei smiled and said, "Who asked you to release my pressure points? Where would a fool like you come from? I didn't even give you a sword strike; that's me showing mercy."

The scholar sighed, "It seems I really am a big fool. I've always been warned that the more beautiful a woman is, the less one should provoke her. I just didn't believe it, and now I've finally gotten myself into trouble. I can't blame anyone but myself. I just never expected you to repay kindness with enmity. I guess I'm just unlucky..."

Zhuo Wei retorted angrily, "You dare accuse me of repaying kindness with enmity? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this state today. It's all because of you!"

The scholar was taken aback, "You were stripped naked, what does that have to do with me? If I hadn't come to save you, you would probably already be... sigh!... never mind."

Zhuo Wei's eyes widened, and she said angrily, "If you hadn't stolen my horse, I wouldn't have had to steal their horses, and I wouldn't be suffering this humiliation today. You still dare to say it has nothing to do with you?"

The scholar protested, "Hey! Miss, you should speak more clearly. What do you mean by 'stealing' and 'stealing'? How did I steal your horse? Are you saying..." "This white horse is yours."

Zhuo Wei retorted angrily, "Of course it's mine! Its name is 'White Whirlwind,' and it was a gift from my elder brother two years ago. Now it's in your hands; if you didn't steal it, who would?"

The scholar, annoyed by her ungrateful behavior and eager to tease her, feigned innocence, saying, "That's right, I found this horse on the road, but it wasn't stolen. I saw it was empty, running around aimlessly, and the owner hadn't returned for a long time. I thought the owner must have met with an accident, perhaps even death. You know, in the martial arts world, fights are common; people die, but horses remain—it's a very common occurrence. I thought it was..." "It has no owner, and seeing that it's quite a fine horse, I plan to take it to the town to sell it for twenty or thirty taels of silver to buy some wine. But if you claim to be the owner of this horse, you need to find proof. It's not enough for you to just say so."

Zhuo Wei glared and said, "Fine, you're indirectly cursing me, but now it seems you're the one who'll suffer the accident, and you're the one who'll die. Am I right?"

The scholar said, "You don't need to bluff me. I was just careless for a moment, and I didn't know you were such a shrewish and poisonous little vixen. I was careless and fell into your trap."

Zhuo Wei wasn't angry and smiled slightly, "Whether I'm a vixen or a witch, say what you will." "It's alright, you'll find out soon enough. First, let me ask you, have you ever ridden my 'White Whirlwind'?"

The scholar said, "Oh, right, that's a reminder. I'll tell you something strange. Don't be fooled by its impressive appearance; it's all show and no substance. I just mounted it, but no matter how much I whipped it, it wouldn't budge an inch. Isn't that eerie?"

Seeing the horse tied several feet away, Zhuo Wei walked over. The white horse, seeing Zhuo Wei, neighed loudly even before she got close. Zhuo Wei grabbed the reins, leaped onto the horse, and easily turned its head.

But when the girl looked back, the spot where the scholar had been lying was now empty; the scholar was nowhere to be seen.

Zhuo Wei looked around and saw that there was someone there. She immediately became so angry that her beautiful face turned red and her eyes widened: "You dead scholar, you sick scholar, I haven't even taught you a lesson yet, and you dare to leave. When I see you again, I will chop you into three big pieces."
Chapter 4 of The Demonic Shadows

Just as she was furious, clenching her fists and brandishing her claws, a soft cough suddenly sounded behind her. Zhuo Wei quickly turned around and saw a young man dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe sitting on a tree root. Upon closer inspection, he was dashing and tall, holding a silver-sheathed longsword, smiling at Zhuo Wei.

Upon seeing him, Zhuo Wei exclaimed in surprise, "Brother!" She dismounted, ran to him, and threw herself into his arms, asking playfully, "I missed you so much! What are you doing here? When did you arrive?"

This man was none other than Zhuo Wei's elder brother, "The Carefree Young Master" Zhuo Yilang. His appearance here was no coincidence; he had been secretly following Si Hu, never expecting to witness his sister's actions.

Zhuo Yilang's brows furrowed deeply as he coldly said, "You have quite the nerve, leaving Xiaoyue Palace alone, causing Second Madam to send people to search for you. You're lucky you didn't get taken advantage of by those four bastards this time."

Zhuo Wei retorted, "So... so you were following me all along. Well, you just watched your sister being bullied without offering any help, causing me to be..." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, her face suddenly turning red.

Zhuo Yilang snorted, "If I don't teach you a lesson, so you know how dangerous the martial world is, it's no joke. Now you know, right? I told you long ago, the martial world is not a place for young women to roam freely. After this, let's see if you're still afraid."

Zhuo Wei pouted, "I'm not afraid at all! If I run into those four sick cats again, I'll smash them to pieces! And you, Big Brother, you watched those guys humiliate me without lifting a finger. Luckily that person appeared, otherwise what would I have done!"

Zhuo Yilang ignored her, gazing into the distance, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing his silence, Zhuo Wei grew even angrier and was about to explode when she suddenly heard Zhuo Yilang mutter to himself, "That scholar is indeed a bit strange. His skills just now were at the level of a top expert, but in all my years of wandering the martial world, I've never seen such a person before. Unless he is… wait, that's it, it must be him."

Hearing this, Zhuo Wei's anger vanished instantly, and she couldn't help but become excited: "Brother, you know who he is, don't you? Since you know, you naturally know where he is."

Zhuo Yilang glared at her fiercely . "Why are you asking? Do you want to go find him? You just teased him like that, he'd run far away if he saw you."

Zhuo Wei retorted coquettishly, "Who told him to dare tease me? I'll get my revenge."

Zhuo Yilang frowned, "Could it be that you've taken a fancy to him...?"

Zhuo Wei blushed even more and said, "I...I...how could I have taken a fancy to him? He's far inferior to you, brother."

Zhuo Yilang crossed his arms, remained silent, and just stared at her with a smile on his lips.

"What...what are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?"

Zhuo Yilang laughed, "I just think it's his misfortune that he's been entangled with you!"

Zhuo Wei retorted angrily, "What are you saying? Am I that despicable?!" Zhuo Wei suddenly frowned and said, "Strange, I already sealed his pressure points, so how could he..."

Zhuo Yilang shook his head and said, "Do you really think you sealed his pressure points?"

Zhuo Wei said confidently, "Of course! Our Zhuo family's Plum Blossom Pressure Point Technique, once subdued by us, no matter what kind of martial arts master or wild expert he is, it will take him half a day to release his pressure points on his own. This is what my mother told me, how could it be false?"

"Of course it's true." Zhuo Yilang, with his hands behind his back, asked with a smile, "But where is he now?"

Zhuo Wei was taken aback. "Yes, that's really strange! I understand now. You must have released his pressure points to free him from my clutches."

Zhuo Yilang said, "I don't have that kind of free time."

Zhuo Wei tilted her head in thought, murmuring, "That's strange?"

Zhuo Yilang laughed, "Which martial arts master doesn't know the trick of shifting pressure points? As long as he's prepared, he can just move the pressure points a few points beforehand. Actually, when he turned his back, he already knew you were up to no good. How could your three fingers have subdued him? That's why I said you were playing with fire. If he were like Si Hu, a lecherous man, you would have had a good time."

"I... I wouldn't have any fun with him."

"You're so stubborn. I bet if you meet him again, you'll forget even your older brother." Zhuo Yilang smiled slightly.

"No way! My brother is the best! Even if I get married, I'll never forget you." Zhuo Wei nestled against Zhuo Yilang like a lamb, acting coquettishly. Suddenly, she looked up and asked, "Right, didn't you say you knew who he was? What kind of person is he, and how is his kung fu so amazing? He made those four sick cats cry out in pain with just a flick of his wrist?"

Zhuo Yilang's face darkened, and he said, "You still want revenge? I'm afraid you won't be so lucky next time! You only know a little bit of the basics, yet you love to act recklessly. In the end, you're the one who suffers." "

Tell me!" Zhuo Wei raised her pretty face and stared at him.

Zhuo Yilang said, "If I'm not mistaken, that scholar is indeed a figure of great importance, very likely the Shadow Gang leader 'Shadowless Flying Dragon.' Although I can't be entirely certain, the possibility is extremely high."

Zhuo Wei immediately replied, "Yes, it must be him! The first time I met him was at the scene of the Shadow Gang's robbery of the Yuanshan Escort Agency. He was hiding in the woods then, and later stole White Whirlwind, which is why I sought revenge. Now that you've told me, and considering his martial arts skills are so formidable, it's impossible..." "It must be him."

Zhuo Yilang said, "Whether it's him or not, it doesn't really matter to us, let's not worry about him."

Zhuo Wei was indignant: "No, I have to go find him! Who told him to play tricks on me? I'll let him know that I, the 'Plum Blossom Fairy,' am not someone to be trifled with."

Zhuo Yilang laughed: "What 'Plum Blossom Fairy'? How come even I, as the eldest brother, don't know her?"

Zhuo Wei glared at him: "I named myself that, is that not allowed?"

Zhuo Yilang shook his head and smiled: "If you want to find him, do you know where that scholar is?"

Zhuo Wei said: "Fengming Town, let's go to Fengming Town to find him now. I heard Yu Sha tell that the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) that if you want to find her, you can go to Fengming Town. Since he is the leader of the Shadow Gang, he will naturally be there. If he is not there, you can just find someone from the Shadow Gang and ask, right? Now that you have met me, I believe you will not leave. To be honest, Zhuo Wei also misses you very much, so that's why she came out to find you alone."

Zhuo Yilang said to Zhuo Wei, "You go to Fengming Town alone first. I still have something to do, and I will follow you later." "

Zhuo Wei protested, "Brother, you're just going to abandon me like this? I won't..."

Zhuo Yilang smiled and said, "How could I ignore you? Don't overthink it. I'm also worried about you wandering the world alone, so how could I not be by your side to protect you? But this matter is truly important, and I have no choice but to go. Just listen to your brother and don't cause any trouble on the way. I will definitely reach Fengming Town tonight to meet you. I will find you then, so you can rest assured."

Zhuo Wei mounted her white horse, parted ways with Zhuo Yilang, and galloped off alone towards Fengming Town.

※※※

This unnamed rural town was mostly inhabited by farmers.

To the northeast of the town, one could see fields stretching for miles, crisscrossed by paths; the wheat fields rippled all around, a truly delightful sight.

If one were to describe this small town, it would seem to be the most desolate within a hundred miles.

The town has only one main street, running north to south; there isn't a single decent shop on either side of the street, only small stalls with wooden planks, selling mostly farm tools.

Fortunately, at the end of the main street, there's a large bamboo shed-like restaurant, a place for villagers and travelers to gather and drink tea.

Despite its simple appearance, the restaurant is quite lively inside.

It's late afternoon, and the sun overhead is scorching. In this sweltering summer heat, everyone wants to stop and rest, find a cool place to drink tea and have a meal.

Inside, everyone is either holding a bowl of wine or munching on steamed buns, sweat pouring down their backs and dripping from their foreheads.

Although the shop was still unbearably hot, being able to sit down and rest there was much better than enduring the scorching sun.

Fifty li from this small town lay Fengming Town, a major town on the way to Luoyang, so the inn was frequented by many merchants and travelers.

Di Ji was one of them. Judging by his appearance alone, he was nothing more than an unknown scholar, a pampered young master from a wealthy family with no strength to even tie a chicken's head.

However, who would know that this young man was actually "Wind Fiend," one of the "Four Shadow Fiends," and the younger brother of Di Jun, the leader of the Shadow Gang?

Since his elder brother Di Jun married Shen Yaolin, he had reorganized the Shadow Gang, dividing it into four halls: Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning. Di Ji was the leader of the Wind Hall, Mo Dapeng, a master of the Shadow Gang, led the Thunder Hall, Di Shanshan, the third sister, led the Rain Hall, and Shen Yiming, Di Jun's uncle and Di Shanshan's husband, led the Lightning Hall.

The lineage of the three Di siblings is even more astonishing: their master was none other than the renowned Old Man of the North Sea.

In his youth, the Old Man of the North Sea was known in the martial arts world as the "Eccentric of the North Sea." His name was known to everyone in the martial arts world; even those who had never seen him were familiar with his reputation, especially those in the underworld and evil sects, who feared him greatly.

The Old Man of the North Sea roamed the martial arts world for over half a century, long considered a martial arts prodigy. His martial arts skills were unparalleled, reaching a level of unfathomable prowess and transcendence.

However, thirty years ago, the Old Man of the North Sea suddenly disappeared into seclusion in a famous mountain, never to be seen again.

Because of this sudden turn of events, some said he had already passed away, while others claimed he had left the Central Plains and gone into hiding overseas.

Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the martial arts world, with many conflicting accounts and no consensus.

Now, let's talk about the three siblings, Di Jun, Di Ji, and Di Ji. Their father was falsely accused and died in prison, and their mother also tragically passed away. The three siblings were then pursued by enemies, but fortunately, their servant Bao Xiong took them away, allowing them to escape. Later, by chance, they were taken in as disciples by the Old Man of Beihai, who imparted to them all the essence of his martial arts, secret techniques from various schools, and anecdotes of the martial world.

Under the Old Man of Beihai's meticulous tutelage, the three studied diligently for over ten years. Di Jun's martial arts skills were naturally extraordinary, and Di Ji was no less than his elder brother. The only shortcoming was that, due to their age, their skills were not yet fully refined; compared to the Old Man of Beihai, they probably didn't even possess seventy percent of his full power.

Even so, in the world today, there are truly very few who can defeat the three siblings of the Di family.

※※※

Just then, several golden-headed flies were buzzing around Di Ji. With his current skill, he could easily have killed these pests with a wave of his hand, but he didn't. He could only brush them away casually, but in the countryside, flies were everywhere, and it was impossible to get rid of them all.

Just then, the sound of hooves came from outside the restaurant. The hoofbeats were neither fast nor slow, and after a moment, they reached the door. The once noisy restaurant suddenly fell completely silent, becoming so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even the breathing of the people in the hall could be clearly heard.

Di Ji, who had been sitting with his back to the door, suddenly felt the unusual change in the atmosphere around him. He looked up at the people in front of him, and they were all staring blankly, looking behind him.

He was greatly surprised, and when he turned around, he was also stunned!

The person who just entered was a young girl of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a light robe, with an exceptionally beautiful and stunning appearance, surpassing even the most beautiful flowers in the celestial garden. Her hair was styled in a misty, flowing style, and her graceful figure made one almost believe she was a fairy descended from heaven. Especially striking were her bright, clear eyes, which darted about with captivating charm, revealing her intelligence and wit.

When Di Ji saw her, he was about to turn away, but the girl, with her sharp eyes, spotted him immediately and called out in a sweet voice, "Well! I've found you..." Before she finished speaking, she had already fluttered over like a butterfly and unceremoniously sat down to Di Ji's left. This girl was none other than Zhuo Wei.

All the guests in the room were stunned, staring at the two of them, speechless.

Zhuo Wei stared at him with wide, round eyes, utterly bewildered. "You scoundrel! How dare you play tricks on me! Tell me, why did you pretend to acupuncture my pressure points? Tell me!"

Di Ji shrugged and smiled. "If I hadn't done that, how could you have gotten over this, Miss?"

"You..." Zhuo Wei puffed out her cheeks, about to explode, when the waiter came strutting over.

"Young Miss, what would you like to eat?" he said, setting out bowls and chopsticks for her.

"Fine! I'll settle this score with you later." Zhuo Wei snapped at Di Ji, then looked up and asked the waiter crisply, "What good food do you have here?"

"We have northern-style steamed buns, rice cakes, local dumplings, meat and vegetable pies, fried dough sticks, and..."

Zhuo Wei's eyebrows furrowed as she listened, and she waved her hand to stop her, saying, "Alright, alright, why are you going on and on? Do you have any wine?"

The waiter, still all smiles, bowed and said, "Our shop doesn't have many good wines, but we do have second-grade Guizhou Moutai, Luzhou Laojiao, and some of those, as well as our own homemade rice wine."

Zhuo Wei smiled and said, "Second-grade Moutai, although not mellow or spicy enough..." "It'll have to do!" she said to the waiter. "Give me a pound of Moutai, dumplings, and meat pies, a little of each."

After the waiter left, Zhuo Wei turned her gaze to Di Ji and saw him staring at her with his mouth open. She asked curiously, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Di Ji replied with some surprise, "Miss, I didn't expect you to be so young, yet you have such a high tolerance for alcohol!"

Zhuo Wei laughed and said, "Not bad. If I weren't so hot from the spiciness, I probably wouldn't have the energy to scold you later." "You rascal!"

Di Ji chuckled. "I see, I've learned something!"

Di Ji never expected that this girl before him was not only charming and adorable, but also so endearing in her speech. He immediately felt a strange sensation towards her, a feeling he couldn't quite understand. He couldn't help but look at her a few more times, and the more he looked at her, the stronger the urge to kiss her became. He asked, "We've met before, but I still don't know your name, young lady?"

Zhuo Wei pouted and said, "What do you mean, 'met before'? You rascal, you've seen my body and you still speak so casually! Let me ask you first, what's your surname and given name? If you don't tell me, I won't tell you."

Di Ji was immediately taken aback, not expecting her to be so direct and bold. He smiled and said, "Since we're so close, I should tell you. My name is Di Ji. And what about you, young lady?"

Zhuo Wei rolled her beautiful eyes and pouted, saying, "My name is Zhuo Wei."

Di Ji cupped his hands in greeting: "So it's Miss Zhuo,

I've heard so much about you." "We've only met three times, what's with all the talk?" She suddenly remembered something and asked, "I have something to ask you, and you must answer me honestly, without a single lie."

Di Ji frowned and looked at her: "What is it?"

Zhuo Wei lowered her voice and asked, "Are you... are you the leader of the Shadow Gang?"

Di Ji's brows furrowed even more: "Why do you think that?"

Zhuo Wei said, "My elder brother told me. He saw how skilled you are in martial arts and that you appeared at the same time as the Shadow Gang, so I have this suspicion."

Di Ji asked, "Who is your elder brother?"

"He is the leader of the Four Young Masters of Jiangnan, known as the 'Carefree Young Master'."

"Oh!" Di Ji nodded. "So Zhuo Yilang is your older brother."

Zhuo Wei pouted. "I already told you, but you haven't answered my question yet."

Di Ji shook his head. "I'm not the gang leader."

Zhuo Wei raised an eyebrow. "That's quite obvious. If you say you're not the gang leader, you're admitting you're a member of the Shadow Gang. Am I right?"

Di Ji nodded. "I am, but the gang leader isn't me. It's someone else."

"What's your gang leader's name? Can you tell me?"

Di Ji pondered for a moment. "His name is Di Jun. He's my older brother. Is that satisfactory?" For some reason, he felt an invisible sense of closeness towards the girl in front of him, so he didn't hide anything and told her frankly.

Zhuo Wei smiled. "Since you're brothers, it seems you hold a high position in the gang."

Di Ji just smiled slightly and didn't answer her.

Inside the restaurant, after a brief silence, voices slowly returned, restoring the atmosphere.

The waiter had already brought their drinks and snacks.

Zhuo Wei sniffed the aroma of the wine, a smile on her face. She poured herself a bowl, took a sip, and then coughed uncontrollably, her pretty face as red as a ripe persimmon: "It's so spicy... so spicy... I'll never drink this rubbish again!"

Di Ji chuckled to himself as he watched her, then ordered a waiter to bring her a bowl of tea, handing it to her and saying, "It seems you've released all that pent-up heat. I should have some good days ahead of me!"

Zhuo Wei quickly picked up the tea, sipping it again and again. In the blink of an eye, she had drunk more than half the bowl. Then she patted her chest, exhaled, and said to him, "Don't even think about it. From today onwards, I'll teach you a lesson you won't have any good days."

Di Ji shook his head, picked up a pie, and put it in his mouth.

At this moment, the sound of horses' hooves came from the road again. Everyone in the shop looked up again, wondering if some beautiful fairy had arrived.

Outside the restaurant, two horses galloped in side by side, their speed astonishing. The dust they kicked up formed two clouds of yellow smoke, completely obscuring the riders.

In the blink of an eye, the two riders arrived before the restaurant and came to a stop.

Di Ji looked in the direction of the sound and, as the dust cleared, he could clearly see the riders: two men dressed in close-fitting clothes, not some fairy princess.

The two dismounted and walked into the restaurant side by side.

The one on the left was a short, thin man with exceptionally light steps; the other had a handsome face and fair skin, but his expression carried a hint of frivolity.

The two swaggered in, and Di Ji immediately recognized them as skilled martial artists.

The fair-skinned man glanced around the shop, his gaze immediately landing on Zhuo Wei. Seeing her eyes suddenly light up, he nudged the short man with his elbow and said with a smile, "Third Brother, look, I didn't expect to find such a pretty girl hidden in this poor little town."

Upon hearing this, Di Ji's brows furrowed.

The short man sized up Zhuo Wei for a moment, leering, "Truly a beauty among men. If I could have her, it would be incredibly pleasurable!"

However, Zhuo Wei seemed oblivious to their conversation, whether she didn't understand or was simply naive. She blinked blankly, then turned to Di Ji and asked, "What do you mean by 'have her'? Where are they going?"

The two men were immediately taken aback, exchanging glances. The short man then laughed heartily, "Interesting, interesting! Indeed, fresh and delicious!"

The fair-skinned man said, "Third brother, as the saying goes, rare treasures are hard to come by. Today, we've stumbled upon a rare gem; it's a godsend. Why don't we bring this girl over for us to enjoy?" The short man

smiled and said, "Sixth brother, you're incredibly bold. Look, she has a young man with her.

They're probably already a couple." The fair-skinned man smiled obsequiously, "What are we afraid of? Let's go over there now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two men walked towards the girl.

Di Ji glanced at the two men, thinking to himself, "Looks like a good show is about to begin!

" Chapter 5 of "The

Beautiful Shadows of Demons" The two men approached Zhuo Wei. The fair-skinned man's eyes widened even more. Upon closer inspection, the girl before him was even more captivating. Not only was her appearance incomparably beautiful, but her figure was also exceptional—a high, firm bust and a slender waist—all of which made him feel aroused.

The fair-skinned man chuckled shamelessly, "Miss, my name is Yin Lu, and this is my third senior brother, Huang Kun. It's truly a blessing for us brothers to meet you today. Since we've met by chance, why don't we two brothers treat you and keep you company?"

Zhuo Wei slowly raised her head, sized them up for a moment, then suddenly pouted and said, "I don't need you to keep me company. Besides, aren't there empty tables over there? Why don't you two sit down?"

Di Ji, however, watched coldly, sipping tea and eating a pastry, ignoring the two men.

Huang Kun quickly laughed, "That table is dirty and flimsy, how can it compare to this table, Miss! Besides, with such a beautiful lady like you by my side, even a sip of wine or a bowl of tea tastes exceptionally sweet!" The two laughed heartily, completely ignoring Di Ji, treating him as if he were invisible.

The more Di Ji looked at them, the more he felt their arrogance and shamelessness. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, wondering who these two were, so incredibly wicked, truly a disgrace to the martial world!

Zhuo Wei blinked her big eyes and asked Di Ji, "Brother Di, do you find the wine tastier at this table?" She even called Di Ji "Brother Di," appearing unusually intimate, which made Di Ji feel lightheaded for a moment.

Di Ji shook his head and said, "Really? I don't think so."

Zhuo Wei spat at them and said, "My brother Di said there's no such thing, you two can't fool me!"

Huang Kun laughed and said, "He's your brother, so of course he doesn't have that feeling, but we're outsiders, so of course it's different."

Zhuo Wei shrugged and said, "If you want to sit down, I can't stop you, but let me make this clear beforehand: if anything happens, don't blame me for not warning you."

The two of them smiled coldly at the same time, and Yin Lu sneered, "Are you trying to scare me, young lady! I'd like to see what happens."

Zhuo Wei casually said "Oh," and didn't look at them again. She picked up a pie and took a bite.

The two of them sat down and called the waiter to bring wine. Their four lecherous eyes kept darting around Zhuo Wei, and they were spouting nonsense, which made Di Ji frown deeply.

The aroma of wine filled the air as the two men sipped their drinks. Suddenly, Yin Lu reached out a strange hand and groped for Zhuo Wei's leg under the table. Just as his hand touched her, he abruptly collapsed onto the table with a thud, motionless, spilling the wine all over the floor.

Huang Kun, startled, nudged him and asked, "Sixth Brother, what's wrong with you today? You're already drunk after only two bowls of wine!"

But despite several shoves, Yin Lu remained unresponsive. Upon closer inspection, he noticed faint red spots on his hands and face, realizing something was wrong! Had he fallen for someone's trick?

Huang Kun thought for a moment, slammed his hand on the table, and leaped up. In one bound, he was in front of the waiter, grabbed his collar, and shouted, "Are you looking for death? How dare you poison my food and wine?"

The waiter's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with disbelief. He trembled uncontrollably and stammered, "Sir, how could I dare? You...you shouldn't talk nonsense..."

Despite his short stature, Huang Kun's strength was astonishing. He lifted the waiter off the ground with one hand and yelled, "You sold the wine! If not you, then who else?! Bring me the antidote now, or don't blame me!"

The waiter was so frightened that his body went limp, and he could only stammer, "Sir, I...I really didn't..." His face was already pale with fright.

Huang Kun refused to believe him. Seeing his companion unconscious, he was already furious and roared, "How dare you play dumb in front of me! I'll take one of your eyes to serve the wine first, and see if you bring the antidote!"

Before he finished speaking, his single finger, like a hook, aimed for the waiter's eye. But as his hand reached midway, he suddenly cried out, his raised right hand hovering in mid-air. A silver needle, as thin as a hair, had somehow pierced Huang Kun's elbow at the "Quchi" acupoint.

Huang Kun felt a numbness in his hand, looked down, and was terrified. He exclaimed, "A hundred-step bone-penetrating needle!" He quickly pulled out the needle and threw it on the ground, then turned around abruptly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd in the hall.

Upon hearing this, Di Ji was equally startled, thinking to himself, "A hundred-step bone-piercing needle? Isn't that the formidable hidden weapon of 'Xiaoyue Palace'? It's said that this weapon is launched with internal force, without a trace or sound. Within a hundred steps, it can kill a person with a single needle, or at least cripple them for life! Judging from the silver needle at the 'Quchi' acupoint of this short man, it didn't penetrate into the bone, which means they've shown mercy and haven't crippled his right hand."

But the name "Xiaoyue Palace" made him keep his attention.

Huang Kun's gaze shifted, landing on Di Ji and Zhuo Wei. A thought flashed through his mind, and he swiftly drew his longsword, leaping back to the table. Pointing his sword, he shouted, "Are you two from the Demon Palace?"

Di Ji slowly raised his head, squinting, and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? I've never heard of any 'Demon Palace' in the martial world."

Huang Kun angrily retorted, "Don't play dumb with me! My sixth brother was poisoned by Plum Blossom Shadow, and I was hit by a Hundred-Step Bone-Piercing Needle. Isn't that a hidden weapon from the Dawn Moon Palace? I'll ask you again, are you two from the Dawn Moon Palace?"

Zhuo Wei feigned surprise, saying to Di Ji, "Brother Di, I've heard that the Hundred-Step Bone-Piercing Needle specifically targets vital points, often piercing bone without leaving flesh, but this..." The dwarf monkey actually said that he had been hit by one. How could he still bark and jump around?

Di Ji nodded and said: "Yes, yes, it means it is a bone-penetrating needle. How come a large part of it is exposed? People can jump around like monkeys."

Zhuo Wei smiled and said, "Is it possible that the bones of this dwarf monkey are so hard that even bone-penetrating needles can't penetrate them?"

Di Ji laughed and said: "It's okay if the bones are hard, but it won't be fun if the meat is also hard!"

Zhuo Wei turned her head and thought: "The flesh is hard, isn't it a dead person...!" "

The two sang together, but Huang Kun didn't take him seriously. He was so angry that he roared and shouted: "You two are looking for death! "The long sword made a circle in the air, and Huo's sword was suddenly extended, piercing Di Ji's chest. When

Di Ji saw Huang Kun's sword move, he couldn't help but be startled. Isn't this an authentic "cloud-piercing sword technique"? Could this man be a disciple of the demon?

When he saw Huang Kun suddenly drawing out his sword, he didn't panic, reacted extremely quickly, and jumped behind him to avoid it.

Seeing his attack miss, Huang Kun suddenly changed direction, unleashing a move called "Sky Piercing the Sky," the blade slashing horizontally towards Zhuo Wei's shoulder. Zhuo Wei cried out "Ouch!" as if terrified by the incoming sword, falling backward along with her chair, miraculously avoiding the fatal blow.

Di Ji, deeply versed in the essence of the Northern Sea Elder's teachings, had mastered various schools, especially the techniques of the current top masters.

Seeing that each of Huang Kun's sword strikes was a masterpiece of the Heavenly Demon, though his execution was clumsy and lacked even a fraction of his skill, Di Ji, being a fellow swordsman, naturally recognized its power.

Not wanting to cause trouble in the shop and ruin the business, Di Ji leaped out. Huang Kun, seeing this, fearing he would escape, ignored Zhuo Wei on the ground and gave chase.

As soon as Huang Kun rushed out, he was greatly surprised to see two people standing before him: Di Ji, who had just leaped out of the shop, and beside him, Zhuo Wei, lying on the ground inside.

He wondered if the girl could split herself into two. Huang Kun was completely baffled.

Little did he know that as he turned around, Zhuo Wei had already leaped out of the window behind her. The window was much closer than the doorway, and her speed was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Although Huang Kun was surprised, he didn't dwell on it. He took two steps forward, his longsword suddenly thrusting straight at Di Ji.

Unexpectedly, halfway through the attack, he heard Di Ji let out a strange cry, and the longsword in his hand suddenly flew out of his grasp.

Strangely enough, his longsword seemed to have eyes, flying straight into Zhuo Wei's hand.

Zhuo Wei casually caught the longsword in her hand, laughing, "Hello! You little monkey, you startled me just now, and now you're throwing a sword at me. I'll let you taste what it's like to be scared."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuo Wei's longsword suddenly spun, flashing silver light, and swept straight towards the short man's chest. Instantly, the sword shadows flickered, creating dozens of points of starlight that pointed towards Huang Kun from all directions.

Huang Kun only saw a blur before his eyes; his hair, temples, and belt had been sliced off. Startled, Huang Kun hurriedly leaped backward to avoid it, but before his feet could land, the tip of Zhuo Wei's sword was already in front of him. He retreated repeatedly, stumbling several times, and had to quickly flip backward, a leap of several feet, trying to avoid the attack!

Di Ji was increasingly astonished, never expecting this beautiful young woman to possess such extraordinary skills.

He paid close attention to Zhuo Wei's moves, noticing that her swordplay occasionally produced flashes of light resembling plum blossoms. Her sword techniques were agile and unpredictable, making them difficult to anticipate. He suddenly remembered his master mentioning a martial arts style called "Plum Blossom Swordplay," the unique skill of the legendary swordsman Zhuo Qinghan, who had once been renowned throughout the martial world, defeating countless masters.

However, over a decade ago, Zhuo Qinghan suddenly vanished from the martial world. Some said he was dead, others that he was in seclusion practicing his skills; the reason remained uncertain.

As Di Ji thought of Zhuo Qinghan, a thought suddenly occurred to him: this young woman also shared the surname Zhuo—could she be from the Zhuo family?

At this moment, Zhuo Wei chuckled and said, "You little monkey, your skills are indeed not bad. Your leaping ability is quite fast. The name 'little monkey' is truly fitting. But you won't escape."

She leaped, her words following her sword, like a colorful butterfly fluttering among flowers, dancing around Huang Kun. Her graceful and agile movements were truly breathtaking.

Huang Kun dodged left and right, each sword piercing his side, making him sweat profusely. He thought to himself, "I've really had a bad day. How could I have messed with this wicked girl?"

Zhuo Wei's sword strikes were swift and skillful, both fast and precise. Huang Kun felt a chilling light envelop him, yet no sword struck him. It was clear Zhuo Wei was merely toying with him, forcing him to jump and tumble like a monkey.

Huang Kun understood her intention, but with the sword at his feet, he had no choice but to dodge, unable to escape, leaving him in a truly pathetic state.

Meanwhile, most of the people in the restaurant had come outside and were watching the spectacle. They were all astonished by Zhuo Wei's skill, but seeing Huang Kun's predicament, they secretly applauded and chuckled inwardly.

Di Ji, arms crossed, watched with a smile, inwardly praising her. With Zhuo Wei's swordsmanship and agility alone, taking Huang Kun's life would be a piece of cake. It seemed she didn't intend to harm him, but rather wanted to teach him a lesson.

The sun in the sky was still exceptionally fierce. Under the blazing sun, Di Ji suddenly made a discovery. He noticed a silvery-white light flashing on Huang Kun's right wrist. He immediately understood that a silver needle had already been inserted into Huang Kun's "Shenmen" acupoint. No wonder his longsword had suddenly flown out of his hand.

Zhuo Wei's body merely circled around Huang Kun, her sword light never straying more than three inches from him. Her movements were light and swift, leaving onlookers in awe. If the tip of her sword had been just a little too far, the short man would have been splattered with blood on the spot. At this moment, Huang Kun didn't even have time to pull back the silver needle.

Suddenly, a figure flashed in from the side, deflecting Zhuo Wei's longsword with a "clang." Zhuo Wei was startled, sheathed her sword, and leaped back to Di Ji's side. Looking up, she saw a middle-aged man in a green robe standing tall, his sword held horizontally in front of the short man.

Upon seeing this man, Huang Kun was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Senior Brother Weng, you've come at the perfect time!" He quickly pointed and said, "These two are from the Demon Palace. They just injured Sixth Brother. Capture them quickly!"

Di Ji sighed. This Huang Kun was utterly incompetent, a disgrace to martial artists! Didn't he realize that if Zhuo Wei hadn't shown mercy, he would still be alive?

He shifted his gaze to the man, noticing his burly build and broad shoulders; he was a middle-aged man around forty.

Hearing Huang Kun address him as Senior Brother Weng, Di Ji wondered if this man was Weng Gui, a disciple of the Heavenly Demon. If so, he was far more ruthless, and Zhuo Wei alone would likely not gain any advantage.

Weng Gui was known as "Heavenly Star Sword," his swordplay extremely ruthless and swift as thunder. He was also very arrogant, making him a truly dangerous opponent.

Upon hearing the words "Demon Palace," Weng Gui glanced at the two men and thought, "I never expected to encounter Master's mortal enemies today. If I can capture these two and bring them to Master, it will be a great achievement." He then asked the short man, "Junior Brother Huang, what exactly is going on here? Why are they fighting?" Although he asked this, it was just a polite formality. Just hearing the words "Xiaoyue Palace" was enough for him to know that he had to take action today.

Huang Kun said, "These two fiends first used Plum Blossom Shadow to poison my sixth brother, and then used Hundred-Step Bone-Penetrating Needle to injure me twice. They don't take our 'Azure Sky Sect' seriously at all." He completely concealed the fact that he had harassed the young girl.

But Di Ji was furious when he heard this. Everyone had seen what the two men had done in the shop, and the short man even dared to claim it as his own sect's fault. Wasn't he bringing shame upon himself? Even Di Ji felt ashamed for him.

Hearing about Plum Blossom Shadow and Hundred-Step Bone-Penetrating Needle, Weng Gui was even more certain that the two men before him were indeed from Xiaoyue Palace. Enraged, he said to Huang Kun, "Step aside and let me take them down first."

Di Ji grew increasingly angry, knowing that if he didn't act, Zhuo Wei would suffer a great loss. He also dared not be reckless and fight with a folding fan, so he drew his longsword, took a step forward, and with a "clang," a dragon's roar instantly erupted. He drew his sword and laughed, "At first I thought they were some madmen from some mountain stronghold, these two beasts running around in broad daylight, turns out they're from the Azure Sky Sect, truly disrespectful!"

These words didn't seem particularly offensive to the others, but... Hearing this, Weng Gui was only fueled by anger. He immediately pointed his sword and cursed, "Boy, stop your rudeness! Today, you two have met your end in my hands. If you know what's good for you, surrender and come back with me to see our master. You might still have a chance to live."

Di Ji scoffed, "You've got quite the nerve. I'll exchange a few blows with you and see how capable you are."

Weng Gui didn't say a word or make any warning. Suddenly, he flicked his wrist and slashed his sword, the blade aimed straight at Di Ji's waist. This was the behavior of a heretical and demonic sect, completely lacking the demeanor of a great general. Di

Ji snorted and parried with his sword. A sharp clang rang out as the two swords clashed, creating a flurry of sword shadows. Before they knew it, they had exchanged more than ten blows.

Zhuo Wei stared wide-eyed at the two as they fought back and forth, exchanging sixty or seventy blows in the blink of an eye, still without a clear winner.

But she saw it clearly: Di Ji's attacks were clearly showing a willingness to yield, repeatedly stopping halfway through. She was greatly surprised. Could Di Ji have another reason? Perhaps it was a trap?

Just as Zhuo Wei was thinking this, the sword light suddenly vanished, and everything returned to stillness. It turned out that Weng Gui had been struck down.

Di Ji sheathed his sword and laughed, "I thought you were so powerful, but you're nothing special. A lot of noise, little action."

"My skills are inferior, words are useless. Kill me or let me die, I have no complaints. Why fight with words?" Weng Gui knew that in Xiaoyue Palace's hands, there was no way to survive, so he closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

"What good will killing you do me? Go back and tell the old demon to keep his disciples in check, so they don't run rampant and harass women."

Weng Gui had nothing more to say, knowing that his two junior brothers were always lecherous, and he had gotten himself into this mess!

Zhuo Wei brushed a corner of her hair aside, took two steps forward, and took out a wax pill from her bosom, casually tossing it to Huang Kun: "This is the antidote for Plum Blossom Shadow, take it!"

Huang Kun hurriedly caught it, glanced at Weng Gui, and immediately lowered his head.

Then, Di Ji flicked his hand, and with a "poof

," Weng Gui's pressure points were instantly released by a pebble. Just then, a loud voice suddenly rang out from afar: "What a brilliant move, 'Flying Floss Touches the Acupoints'!" Everyone's vision blurred, and a person stood before Weng Gui and Huang Kun.

This person wore a gray long robe, had several strands of gray-white beard under his chin, a ruddy complexion, and piercing, piercing eyes.

Upon seeing this person, Weng Gui and Huang Kun cried out in unison, "Master..."

The old man in gray waved his hand, "This is none of your business. Get out of here!"

The two men's faces changed color instantly, and they stammered, "Master, but..."

The old man in gray shouted, "Didn't you hear me tell you to leave?"

Helpless, Weng Gui and Huang Kun hurriedly ran back to the hotel, picked up Yin Lu, and fled without daring to look back.

When Di Ji suddenly saw the newcomer, he knew from their conversation that this person was the Heavenly Demon, and his heart was suddenly startled. Zhuo Wei was also intimidated by his aura and took a step back, leaning her body against Di Ji's side.

The old man in gray stroked his beard and laughed, saying, "May I ask how 'Hero Plum Shadow' and the two of you address each other?"

Zhuo Wei pouted, "Tell me first, who exactly are you..."

Di Ji, with his vast experience, knew that this demon was not to be offended. Seeing that Zhuo Wei was young and naive, only interested in verbal sparring, he quickly signaled her to stop, clasped his hands in greeting to the old man, and said, "Junior Di Ji, may I ask who you are, senior?"

The old man in gray looked up and chuckled, "Good, good..." As soon as his laughter ended, his face turned serious, and he said, "Go back and tell Zhuo Qinghan that I, 'Old Man of the Hidden Valley,' will come to Xiaoyue Palace to find him in a month to repay his kindness from twenty years ago."

Di Ji finally realized that the gray-robed old man was indeed Tianmo himself, and hurriedly bowed, saying, "So you are the renowned Senior Yougu, known as Tianmo? I am deeply sorry

for my rudeness." Zhuo Wei frowned immediately upon hearing him address her father by his name and his words filled with malice.

Anyone who had even dabbled in the martial world knew the name Tianmo. He founded the "Azure Sky Sect," recruiting numerous disciples and terrorizing the north and south of the country for over twenty years. It was rumored that he also

had connections with the government. Because Tianmo was despicable, cruel, and ruthless, even the smallest offense could lead to him dismembering someone and gouging out their eyes. It was said that a righteous gang had three members killed by Tianmo, and in retaliation, a hundred men were ambushed. The gang suffered heavy casualties, with nine out of ten dead. Tianmo, still not satisfied, then three days later, he burned and slaughtered the entire gang in one night, leaving no survivors, not even sparing infants in their arms.

Furthermore, this man's martial arts skills were truly unbelievable. Among the current martial arts masters, probably none could withstand even fifty moves from him. Only two people at the time could defeat him: one was the Old Man of the North Sea, Di Ji's master, but unfortunately, he had long since retired from the martial world; the other was the Great Hero of Plum Shadow, Zhuo Qinghan.

Since his debut, Tianmo had only ever been defeated by "Great Hero of Plum Shadow," Zhuo Qinghan. The two fought in Liangzhou, Gansu, shaking the martial world. In that battle, Tianmo suffered a crushing defeat, struck in the chest, leg, and shoulder by swords simultaneously, ultimately escaping with his life.

Given his arrogant and disdainful nature, he naturally considered this defeat a great humiliation. From then on, he disappeared from the martial world, never leaving the Cangqiong Sect, diligently training to avenge this defeat. For over ten years, he was nowhere to be seen in the martial world.

Unexpectedly, he has reappeared in the martial world today, and it is expected that from now on, the martial world will be stirred up with even more turmoil.

Everyone could tell from Tianmo's words just now that he came for revenge, because the duel between the two in Liangzhou years ago had caused a sensation in the martial world, and everyone knew that Tianmo was defeated and went

into hiding. Seeing that he was deliberately provoking her, Zhuo Wei could no longer restrain herself and said angrily, "So it's you, you old devil. You want to fight with Hero Mei Ying? Aren't you afraid of hiding for another ten years?" Although she meant it as a joke, it was like hitting Tianmo's weak spot. Upon

hearing this, Tianmo immediately became furious, his eyes turned red, and everyone saw a gray shadow flash, and Zhuo Wei was already pulled over by him. Her acupoints had been sealed, and she could not move or even speak.

The Heavenly Demon's movements were incredibly fast, as if he hadn't moved at all. Di Ji was about to stop her from speaking when, in the blink of an eye, Zhuo Wei was already in his grasp.

In a moment of panic, without thinking, he thrust his sword forward. The Heavenly Demon sneered, instantly pinching the sword tip between his middle and index fingers, releasing a surge of internal energy that shot straight through the blade to the hilt.

Di Ji felt a jolt throughout his body as a powerful internal force crashed into him, causing him to lose his grip on the hilt. He was thrown back more than ten feet by the force before regaining his footing.

With a flick of his fingers, the Heavenly Demon snapped the sword in two with a series of "crack" sounds, then casually tossed it to the ground, laughing loudly, "I'll take this girl with me first. I'll be at Xiaoyue Palace this time next month. If I don't see Zhuo Qinghan, don't blame me for being ruthless and tearing her to pieces, ha...ha...ha..." Before his laughter subsided, he grabbed the girl by the waist, leaped over the crowd, and flew more than ten feet away, heading west in the blink of an eye.

Di Ji was shocked and quickly gave chase. The three of them, two in front and one behind, covered several miles in an instant.

Although the Heavenly Demon possessed profound skill and extremely high lightness skill, Di Ji's lightness skill was even better. The Heavenly Demon carried Zhuo Wei westward, but Di Ji followed closely, always keeping a distance of seven or eight feet, yet he dared not reveal himself, only following from afar.

It turns out that the Old Man of Beihai possessed a secret ancestral skill that could be traced back to the early Han Dynasty, preserved for over ten generations. Originally a family secret passed down through generations, it was never taught to outsiders. However, by the time of the Old Man of Beihai, it seemed impossible to continue the lineage, as he had always been a single man with no children. Only after taking the Di siblings as his disciples did he pass on this unique skill to the three of them, preventing it from being lost forever.

This secret skill was called "Phantom Flowing Light," an extremely superior lightness skill, truly unparalleled and unmatched in the world! The advantage of this skill was that it did not rely on one's own internal energy, but entirely on the secret breathing techniques, forming a unique system. It allowed one to move swiftly within a hundred miles, as fast as a shooting star or lightning, truly an unprecedented and extraordinary skill.

Even so, Di Ji dared not approach rashly. From the previous battle, he knew the Heavenly Demon's inner strength was profound, and he was no match for him. He could only follow behind, seeking a strategy, intending to wait until the Heavenly Demon settled down before making further moves.

Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Demon hadn't stopped, running for over two hours straight, from day to dusk, and then from dusk into night.

The night was now deep, and Di Ji, seeing that they were approaching Xushui Town, couldn't help but worry.

Xushui Town was very close to Luoyang and much larger than Fengming Town, with a dense population, making it a rather prosperous town. Di Ji knew that once they entered Xushui Town, with its numerous houses and crisscrossing streets offering many hiding places, if he maintained his current distance of several feet from the Heavenly Demon, he might be able to escape once they reached Xushui Town! Thinking it over, he quickened his pace, gradually closing the distance.

This rapid running covered several more miles.

Suddenly, the demon ahead stopped abruptly and turned around.

Di Ji, who was running at full speed, noticed the other's sudden halt and quickly darted behind a large tree.

"Friend, you've got quite the nerve. Now get out here." The demon's eyes flashed, and his deep voice slowly reached Di Ji's ears.

Di Ji knew his hiding place was exposed and he could no longer conceal himself. He had no choice but to step forward slowly, forcing a smile, and said, "Senior is indeed powerful. I am truly convinced."

The demon's gaze fell upon Di Ji, and he was quite surprised. He never expected that the person following him was this young man in his twenties.

Knowing the depth of the Heavenly Demon's power, Di Ji sensed someone behind him as he closed the distance. He immediately quickened his pace, gathering his strength to rush forward, mainly to gauge the strength of the approaching figure. However, no matter how hard he flew, the person behind him remained close behind. He couldn't help but be secretly alarmed, thinking that even a first-rate master wouldn't be able to keep up with him, given his own superior lightness skill. Now, seeing that the person before him was the same young boy who had just fought with him, how could he not be surprised and suspicious!

The Heavenly Demon scrutinized him for a while before sternly saying, "Boy, you do have some weight to your name. Judging from your movements, you're not a disciple of that Zhuo fellow. What is your master's name?"

Di Ji slowly walked forward, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to deal with the situation. However, he wasn't worried about his own safety. In terms of martial arts, he knew he was no match for the Heavenly Demon, but when it came to escaping and dodging, he was confident.
Chapter Six of "The Beautiful Shadows of Demons"

Di Ji stopped about two zhang away from the Heavenly Demon, smiling slightly. "My master... I haven't received his instructions, so I can't tell you. Please forgive me, senior."

The Heavenly Demon snorted coldly, saying, "What a cunning brat! You don't want to reveal your master, but do you think I don't know?" Before he finished speaking, the Heavenly Demon's figure blurred, like a floating arrow soaring through the air, rushing straight at Di Ji. At the same time, a powerful palm wind surged towards his chest.

Just as the Heavenly Demon saw his right palm about to strike Di Ji's shoulder, he suddenly felt a blur before his eyes, his right palm instantly missing its mark. The person in front of him had already vanished in a flash. He was secretly shocked. He turned around abruptly, and Di Ji was already standing about ten zhang away, still smiling.

This truly filled the Heavenly Demon with shock and anger. Since he started his career, he had rarely encountered an opponent with such superb lightness skills. His fierce and swift attack hadn't even touched the other's clothes. This was truly rare.

Although Di Ji had dodged the palm strike, the Heavenly Demon's attack was so fierce that Di Ji was taken aback. The Heavenly Demon was already carrying someone, yet his movements were already so swift; if he were empty-handed, what would become of him? Faced with such a powerful opponent, Di Ji had to be on high alert.

The Heavenly Demon also thought to himself, "I've been in seclusion for over ten years, and I never expected such a young and skilled fighter to emerge in the martial world. If he continues for another ten or eight years, who knows what level his martial arts will reach? If this boy joins forces with Zhuo Qinghan against me, it will be disastrous. I should seize this opportunity to eliminate him today, to avoid having another major threat in the future!"

Di Ji knew that dodging and weaving was not a wise strategy. If the Heavenly Demon didn't release Zhuo Wei, no matter how good his martial arts were, it would be futile, and how could he save her? Di Ji pondered the situation several times before deciding on a risky tactic. He laughed and said, "Now that we've met, I never imagined that the once-powerful Heavenly Demon is nothing more than this! To be honest, just from your move just now, I already have the victory in my grasp. Today's battle is a sure win."

Wow... This is outrageous! The Heavenly Demon's eyes immediately turned bloodshot, and his hair stood on end. He had never heard anyone dare to call him by his name, let alone speak to him with such contempt and disdain. Even when the great hero Mei Ying fought him, although the Heavenly Demon was defeated, both sides still treated each other with great courtesy and dared not speak so arrogantly in front of him. But this brat in front of him had actually eaten the gall of a leopard and the heart of a bear. He truly didn't know what death was.

The Heavenly Demon trembled with rage, his eyes blazing with fury.

He roared, "Shut up, young master! I swear I won't be human until I tear you to pieces today!" Di Ji, who had been deliberately trying to provoke him, grinned and said, "Alright! I'll see what you, old monster, can do to tear me to pieces with just one hand."

The Heavenly Demon's mind raced. He thought, "It seems this kid, though arrogant, does have some skill. What he said makes some sense. It seems it won't be easy to defeat him with one hand. I'll put this girl down first, so she won't get in my way. No matter how high your lightness skill is, you'll still taste the power of my bare hands. Let's see how you escape my grasp this time." He then placed Zhuo Yun on the ground and slowly walked towards him.

"You brat, I'll see what you're capable of today!" The Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed with ferocity as he shouted at Di Ji, "Come and give me your life!"

Di Ji sneered, "You want to take my life? I'm afraid it won't be that easy for you alone. You'd better worry about yourself." As he spoke, the Heavenly Demon, enraged beyond measure, roared and suddenly lunged forward, his right hand pointing diagonally, aiming straight for Di Ji's shoulder. His movements were swift, ruthless, and powerful.

But Di Ji easily dodged. The Heavenly Demon's palm strikes were continuous and relentless, making a whooshing sound, but Di Ji dodged to the left and right, his body like a phantom. This move, "Phantom Flowing Light," was indeed divine. Although the Heavenly Demon's steps and palm strikes were fast, his attacks still missed. Enraged, the Heavenly Demon roared, "Boy, you're just dodging? What kind of nonsense is that!"

In an instant, the Heavenly Demon fought faster and faster, like a fierce tiger. The tiger's shadow soared into the air, its sharp claws dancing rapidly. After all, the Heavenly Demon possessed decades of internal energy, had roamed the martial world for a lifetime, and had fought hundreds of battles, large and small. His combat experience far surpassed that of Di Ji. While unleashing his palm strikes, he simultaneously analyzed his opponent's movements. The Heavenly Demon was indeed a martial arts prodigy; in no time, he mastered Di Ji's movements. Overjoyed, he intensified his attacks, temporarily overwhelming Di Ji with nowhere to dodge.

Suddenly, with a sharp hiss, Di Ji flew sideways, his sleeve torn off by the Heavenly Demon.

Having succeeded in his attack, the Heavenly Demon leaped forward again, his power unparalleled. This grabbing technique was truly swift and ruthless, unlike anything Di Ji had ever seen before. He could only retreat and leap away, using stillness to counter movement.

The Heavenly Demon unleashed palm strikes with his left hand and claw attacks with his right, a continuous barrage. Seeing the speed and ferocity of the attacks, Di Ji was unable to defend himself and retreated again.

Every time the Heavenly Demon lunged forward, Di Ji would leap backward, causing his palms to miss their mark. Fortunately, Di Ji relied on the profound footwork of "Phantom Flowing Light" to evade each attack. In terms of skill, the Heavenly Demon had already been utterly defeated.

This back-and-forth continued for several dozen moves, enough time for half a cup of tea. Di Ji and the Heavenly Demon remained locked in a close but not too close encounter, always about two or three feet apart. Di Ji constantly observed the secrets of the Heavenly Demon's palm and claw techniques, noticing that although the moves changed direction, they were repeated over and over. He had no idea what the Heavenly Demon's swift and strange moves were all about, but after sixty or seventy moves, he could clearly see and remember every single one of the Heavenly Demon's attacks.

Although Zhuo Wei was lying on the sidelines, she was also terrified. She had never seen such a powerful move before. She had witnessed Di Ji's martial arts skills and admired him greatly. How elegantly Di Ji had dealt with the Four Tigers back then! He was nothing like this disheveled state now. She couldn't help but worry about him.

Di Ji became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. Although he understood the Heavenly Demon's moves, he couldn't find any flaws.

Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon leaped up, his body abruptly turning, and pounced on Zhuo Wei, raising his palm to strike her.

Di Ji was shocked and rushed forward, gathering all his strength to try and take the blow head-on. Otherwise, Zhuo Wei would surely die under his palm.

The two palms collided, and with a loud "bang!", Di Ji was thrown more than ten feet away, crawling on the ground.

Seeing this, Zhuo Wei burst into tears. Although she couldn't speak, her heart was bleeding with pain.

Seeing the Heavenly Demon laugh heartily, Zhuo Wei knew that this palm strike had either killed or severely injured him, rendering him powerless to resist. She lowered her guard and slowly approached Di Ji.

Di Ji lay motionless on the ground, seemingly lifeless. Zhuo Wei felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest, desperately wanting to scream.

Suddenly, a deathly silence descended. The wind seemed to stop abruptly. The low, dark sky, the gray rocks… everything before her eyes froze in this deathly stillness, forming a suffocating, pale scene.

The Heavenly Demon slowly approached Di Ji, coldly sneering, “See if you dare to be arrogant, brat. You’ve taken this palm strike from me, so you’ll know…” Before he could finish speaking, a figure flashed before her, and her cheek was wiped by a hand. Startled, she quickly retreated two steps, and in a glance, she saw Di Ji standing before her.

Seeing Di Ji unharmed, Zhuo Wei was overjoyed.

Di Ji had taken the blow head-on, causing his blood to surge and his vision to blur. He knew his internal injuries were severe, but fortunately, his skill was profound, and although seriously injured, he wouldn't die on the spot. He lay on the ground, repeatedly crying out in his heart, "I can't die! If I die, no one can save her! I still have so many things to do! How can I die like this! Hold on, I must hold on..."

Di Ji began to slowly circulate his qi to seal his heart meridian, not daring to gather his inner strength. Fortunately, his "Phantom Flowing Light" lightness skill could be used without internal energy, which was his only way to counterattack.

"Boy...you..." The Heavenly Demon roared angrily, raising his palm to strike, determined to kill him before his eyes.

"If you want to save your life, don't move!" Di Ji said leisurely.

The Heavenly Demon was startled, suddenly feeling his left cheek, which had been touched, gradually become hot and spicy. This startled him greatly, and his tiger eyes widened in anger. In his fury, he roared, "You brat, how dare you poison me?"

Di Ji endured the excruciating pain in his body, not daring to show the slightest emotion, and smiled, "Why wouldn't I dare? It's because you're not as skilled as me. Even when I'm in front of you, you still angrily let me touch you."

"You..." The Heavenly Demon felt a lump in his throat, only glaring angrily at him. Under normal circumstances, with the Heavenly Demon's skill, there would be no way he wouldn't notice that Di Ji was seriously injured. However, his thoughts were in chaos at the moment, and he was worried that something had been done to his face, so he did not notice Di Ji's abnormality.

Di Ji slowly said, "Old monster, you've probably heard of the 'Fire Cicada Bone-Corroding Powder,' haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, Tianmo felt a chill in his heart. He had long heard that the Fire Cicada Bone-Corroding Powder was a unique poison of the Crimson Fire Sect of Yunnan and Guizhou. Its poison was derived from a kind of poisonous cicada with a body that was entirely red. The moment one touched the venom, the point of contact would become as hot as fire. Within two hours, when the venom seeped into the body, it would circulate along the bloodstream and gradually corrode the five internal organs, leading to an extremely painful death.

The Heavenly Demon gritted his teeth and said, "So you're a member of the Crimson Fire Sect!"

Di Ji merely smiled and said, "It seems you know how potent the Fire Cicada Bone-Corroding Powder is. But there's something you might not have heard: those poisoned by this must be extremely careful not to circulate their internal energy or move around, lest their blood flow accelerate. Even with the antidote, it will be too late then."

The Heavenly Demon roared, "Fine! Today I've fallen into your hands. Tell me what you want!"

Di Ji said, "Indeed, you're quick to speak. I'll tell you then, I want..." " That's the woman. Of course, since you've been poisoned with the Bone-Corroding Powder, I'm not afraid of your luck in chasing me. Even if you wanted to, you might not be able to catch me!"

The Heavenly Demon said, "You can take this woman away, but what about the antidote?"

Di Ji laughed, "I don't want your life either. I'll give you the antidote myself." Saying that, he took out a packet of medicine from his pocket and handed it to the Heavenly Demon: "You just need to apply it to the hot spot and wait until the heat dissipates before you can move. Otherwise, I won't be able to save you anymore!"

The Heavenly Demon took the medicine packet and said, "If you walk like this..." "How do I know if this medicine is real or fake?"

Di Ji shrugged. "You have no choice but to believe me. Do you expect me to wait until your poison is completely gone before I leave?"

Tianmo thought to himself, "I'll let you two off the hook for now. I'm not afraid you'll fly to the sky. Just wait and see!"

Di Ji came to Zhuo Yun's side and, knowing that her acupoints were sealed, frowned. He said to her, "Your acupoints have been sealed by a unique technique, and I can't undo it for you right now. My actions towards Tianmo just now also prevented him from using his qi to unseal your acupoints. I can only wait for the acupoints to close." "Once the acupoints are closed for the required time, they will release themselves."

Di Ji struggled to gather his inner strength, picked up Zhuo Wei in his arms, and quickly headed west. After walking about a mile, he felt a tearing, twisting pain within his body. This intense pain made it difficult for him to continue. He put Zhuo Wei down beside a large tree and said, "I... will take you... to the Xushui Town branch... to settle you in first. In... two hours... the Heavenly Demon... won't be chasing us..." He managed to finish these words after much difficulty, and then sat cross-legged to circulate his inner energy.

Zhuo Wei leaned against the tree, looking at Di Ji's condition. She already knew he was seriously injured, and her heart was filled with anxiety. She thought that if Di Ji hadn't been trying to save her, he wouldn't have been injured. But at the moment, she couldn't offer any help, not even to cry out loud. She could only let the tears stream down her cheeks.

Seeing his pained expression, Zhuo Wei felt a pain even greater than her own. She couldn't deny that this man had deeply moved her, slowly opening her heart. Was this love at first sight? Zhuo Wei had to admit that ever since she first saw Di Ji, his image had lingered in her mind. Just thinking about him would leave her lost in thought for a long time.

Zhuo Wei thought to herself, "Could this be fate that brought us together? If it is fate, how could Heaven let him die like this... No... I don't want him to die... He absolutely cannot die..." She kept crying out in her heart.

Just then, Di Ji cried out "Ah..." and spat out a jet of blood from his mouth. He then collapsed to the side, his chest and abdomen heaving.

Zhuo Wei was instantly terrified, her face turning deathly pale. Seeing the blood on the ground, her mind went blank, the world spun around her, and she was completely stunned. Unable to move or speak, she could only anxiously cry out in her heart, "Di Ji, don't die, you can't die... Please, don't scare me!"

※※※

The night grew darker, the evening wind howled, rustling the leaves.

Before she knew it, an hour had passed, but though it was only a short moment, it felt like ten years to Zhuo Wei. Worry, anxiety, and helplessness overwhelmed her.

Suddenly, the sound of broken hooves came from afar. Judging from the sound, there were probably dozens of riders, but they weren't galloping; they were walking slowly. Zhuo Wei was startled. She didn't know who they were. The place where she and Di Ji were hiding wasn't particularly secluded. Di Ji had been badly injured and exhausted, so he had only left Zhuo Wei a short distance from the roadside. In the current situation, Zhuo Wei's pressure points were still locked, and Di Ji was unconscious. If they were found by bandits, the consequences were unimaginable.

At this moment, the sound of hooves approached, a soft, chaotic clatter that slowly drew near, mingling with the voices of people. This only made Zhuo Wei more uneasy. She overheard one of the newcomers say, "Alas! After more than two years of drought, the Emperor actually sent two members of the Wu family to Qianling to pray for rain. I don't know if they're real gods or fake ghosts, but after Wu Sansi bowed to them casually a couple of times, it really rained. It seems the Emperor trusts the Wu family even more!"

Another person laughed and said, "Of course! Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have issued an edict to restore the Wu family's 'Chong'en Temple.' Now, even the Wu family's 'Haoling' and 'Shunling' have been renamed. Wu Sansi is still not letting up, and he petitioned the Emperor to change the name of Empress Wei's father's 'Fengwang Temple' to 'Baode Temple.' His intentions are obvious."

Although Zhuo Wei didn't understand what those people were saying, hearing the way they addressed him as "Emperor," she thought these people must be officials. Even so, she was still extremely worried. What would happen if those people discovered her was unknown. Seeing her feet stretched out by the roadside, she wanted to pull them back, but she was powerless, her whole body limp and unable to move an inch. She could only silently pray that they wouldn't see her.

At this moment, a rather young voice rang out: "Brother Xuanli, I heard that the Emperor will soon appoint Prince Wei as Crown Prince. Is that true?"

The man said, "It's probably true. In my opinion, even if Prince Wei becomes Crown Prince, it probably won't solve anything. As long as the Wu family exists, the Li family's rule will still be precarious. The Emperor is really..."

The young man sighed and suddenly said, "Brother Xuanli, look." Hearing him call out like this, Zhuo Wei knew something was wrong. Sure enough, she heard another person say, "How come someone is lying by the roadside?" After that, several horses arrived at Zhuo Wei's hiding place.

Zhuo Wei inwardly groaned, staring wide-eyed outwards. Before her stood a dozen or so riders, only one dressed in scholar's robes; the rest were all in military uniforms, but these uniforms were strange, quite different from anything she'd seen before. Their uniforms were painted with yellow and black tiger stripes, and their saddles were speckled with leopard print. Each soldier carried a large sword, looking exceptionally imposing.

Zhuo Wei, having long resided in Xiaoyue Palace and rarely venturing out, had seen many soldiers on this solo journey, but none looked like this. She was greatly surprised, wondering what these oddly dressed individuals were.

Little did she know, this group was none other than the Imperial Guards of the palace. Since the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin), the Imperial Guards had been established. At that time, Li Shimin selected brave and strong men from among the confiscated families of criminals, marking their clothing with tiger and leopard patterns. These men accompanied the emperor on hunting trips and were known as the "Hundred-Rider Guards." During the Southern Zhou Dynasty under Empress Wu Zetian, this number increased to a thousand, becoming the "Thousand-Rider Guards," all subordinate to the Left and Right Imperial Guards. Under the current emperor, Li Xian, the number further increased to ten thousand, becoming the "Ten-Thousand-Rider Guards," and officials were appointed to lead them. However, today, for some unknown reason, the "Ten-Thousand-Rider Guards" had left the

Forbidden City and appeared here. At this moment, the young man, dressed in Confucian robes and appearing to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, glanced at Zhuo Wei leaning against a tree from his horse, his brow furrowing slightly. He then dismounted and slowly walked towards her. The tall warrior beside the Confucian scholar also dismounted and walked behind him.

Zhuo Wei looked up at him, her heart pounding. She saw a scholar with a large face, broad ears, a straight nose, and a dashing appearance. When he approached her, he asked, "May I ask why this young lady is sitting by the roadside?" His gaze then fell on Di Ji on the ground, his brows furrowing even more.

How could Zhuo Wei answer him? Her eyes darted around nervously. The scholar, seeing this, understood everything. Ignoring Zhuo Wei, he knelt down in front of Di Ji, reached out and opened Di Ji's eyelids, then ran his hands over Di Ji's body. He then turned to the warrior and said, "Brother Xuanli, this man is badly injured. It seems he was severely wounded by a master."

The warrior was named Chen Xuanli, a deputy commander of the Imperial Guard's conscription office. He took two steps and arrived at Di Ji's side, wiping open the clothes on his chest to reveal a bright red palm print, perfectly positioned on his chest. Chen Xuanli's brows furrowed as well, and he said, "What a powerful 'Vajra Tendon-Severing Palm'! This is the unique palm technique of the Heavenly Demon Azure Sky Sect. Could it be that the Heavenly Demon is nearby?"

Upon hearing this, the scholar was also taken aback and said, "Brother Xuanli, I've heard that the Azure Sky Sect has always had contact with the Wu family. Could this person have a grudge against someone from the Wu family and was thus murdered?" Xuanli

said, "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, although the Azure Sky Sect has many members and great power, there is currently no master with this level of skill, unless it is the Heavenly Demon himself, but he has been in seclusion for more than ten years..." Thinking of this, he moved to stand in front of Zhuo Wei. Zhuo Wei heard the two talking and knew that they were not from the Heavenly Demon's faction, which relieved her. Hearing the warrior call the scholar "Your Highness," she thought, "How could such a young man be a prince?" Just as she was wondering, Chen Xuanli had already arrived in front of her.

He pressed on Zhuo Wei a few times, then swiftly flipped his right palm and, with lightning speed, patted her three times. Zhuo Wei cried out "Oh!" as the acupoints on her body were immediately released, and she could move her hands and feet again. As soon as the acupoints were released, Zhuo Wei cried out, "Di Ji, how are you..." and rushed over, but as soon as she moved, her body went limp. It turned out that her acupoints had been sealed for too long, and her blood and qi had not yet flowed smoothly. Although she could move with difficulty, she was still weak all over.

Upon seeing this, the young prince helped her sit up and said, "Miss, don't move. With Brother Xuanli here, this brother will be fine. Don't worry."

But Zhuo Wei ignored him and slowly crawled towards Di Ji, hugging him tightly and crying, "Di Ji, why aren't you making a sound? Wake up!"

The young prince, seeing this, looked at the two of them and couldn't help but shake his head. It turned out that this child was none other than Li Longji, the third son of Prince Xiang, Li Dan, born to one of Prince Xiang's concubines. Prince Xiang, Li Dan, was the fourth son of Empress Wu Zetian and the current emperor's younger brother. Prince Xiang had six sons in total: the eldest son, Li Chengqi, who had been designated as crown prince when Prince Xiang ascended the throne, but was later demoted to Prince of Shouchun after Prince Xiang stepped down; the second son, Li Chengyi, was enfeoffed as Prince of Hengyang; the fourth son, Li Longfan, was enfeoffed as Prince of Balu; the fifth son, Li Longye, was enfeoffed as Prince of Pengcheng; and the sixth son, Li Longti, was enfeoffed as Prince of Runan, but died young due to illness.

Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) was fond of riding and archery, possessed a heroic character, and was quite knowledgeable in music. He was initially enfeoffed as the Prince of Chu, and later as the Prince of Linzi. During the reign of Empress

Wu Zetian, at the age of twenty, he was appointed as the Prefect of Luzhou, but was later dismissed and returned to the capital. That year, Empress Wu Zetian passed away, and her third uncle, Li Xian, succeeded to the throne. Less than half a year later, he discovered that Empress Wei harbored treacherous intentions, cultivated factions, and gathered power in the court. She was also secretly having an affair with Wu Sansi, intending to emulate her mother-in-law, Wu Zetian, and destroy the Tang dynasty. At present, most of the military power in the country was in the hands of the Wei and Wu families, and most of the important officials below the prime minister were Empress Wei's confidants. Li Longji's father, Prince Xiang, Li Dan, and his aunt, Princess Taiping, were completely excluded by the Wei and Wu families and could not play any role. Aside from this, the most dangerous situation was that, surrounded by the Wei and Wu families, they faced the constant threat of extermination. Under these circumstances, Li Longji knew that further tolerance was futile and would only lead to his death. The only solution was to confront them and reverse the tide.

From then on, Li Longji secretly cultivated relationships with heroes, especially the Imperial Guards in the palace. He had served as a brave soldier in the Imperial Guards after returning to the capital and had a long-standing friendship with Chen Xuanli, later becoming close confidants. The two had already secretly formed a faction and were plotting an uprising.

Chen Xuanli was also a member of a martial arts family, and his master, Daoist Zixu, was a renowned figure. More than ten years ago, Daoist Zixu had been defeated by the Heavenly Demon and had since retreated into seclusion, devoting himself to studying the Heavenly Demon's martial arts techniques, hoping to one day avenge his defeat. Daoist Zixu's years of study had not been in vain; he had managed to grasp the essence of the Heavenly Demon's martial arts and develop a method to subdue him, which he then passed on to Chen Xuanli. This allowed him to release Zhuo Wei's pressure points.

Chen Xuanli then said to Zhuo Wei, "Miss, if you want me to save him, you must first leave his body. How can I reach out to save him while you're holding him like this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Wei's eyes lit up, and she immediately turned to look at Chen Xuanli. He nodded at her, and seeing the confidence in his expression, she felt reassured and quickly moved aside.

Chen Xuanli gently helped Di Ji up, placing his palms on the two vital acupoints "Soul Gate" and "Soul Gate" on Di Ji's back, slowly channeling his internal energy.

After a moment, Di Ji coughed lightly, spitting out another mouthful of blood, and his eyes opened slightly. He then realized that he was surrounded by people, and Zhuo Wei was staring at him with worried eyes. Di Ji felt a strong and pure internal energy continuously flowing into his body from his back, knowing that someone was channeling their internal energy to help him. He immediately closed his eyes again, concentrating his mind and gathering his energy to prevent his internal energy from going astray.

After a short while, Chen Xuanli gently laid Di Ji flat on the ground, massaging his chest and lower abdomen with his palms. After a while, he said, "Young brother, don't move around too much. Close your eyes and rest for a while." He then nodded to Zhuo Wei again, indicating that Di Ji was alright, so she could rest assured.

Seeing this, Zhuo Wei was naturally delighted and quickly said, "Thank you so much! May I ask how you... and this... Your Highness address me?" Zhuo Wei knew that Li Longji was a prince, and she had never dealt with the emperor before, so she wasn't sure if asking this was appropriate and stammered.

Li Longji saw this and smiled, "My surname is Li, this brother's surname is Chen, and what is your surname, young lady?"

Seeing his amiable smile and unusual friendliness, Zhuo Wei also became bolder and smiled, "My surname is Zhuo, and this is Brother Di Ji. It's fortunate that I met you today, otherwise..." At this point, she couldn't help but look at Di Ji.

Chen Xuanli asked, "Why did you and Brother Di end up fighting with the Azure Sky Sect?"

Zhuo Wei replied, "The Azure Sky Sect? Oh, right, I heard Brother Di Ji and that short monkey mention it. They said they were from the Azure Sky Sect. Then that Heavenly Demon came and took me away. Finally, Brother Di Ji came to rescue me."

Li Longji and Chen Xuanli exchanged glances upon hearing this, realizing that the Heavenly Demon had reappeared. Chen Xuanli was both surprised and delighted. His master had left a will before his death, instructing him to eliminate the Heavenly Demon. However, Chen Xuanli knew he was no match for the Heavenly Demon, yet he couldn't disobey his master's dying wish. Hearing the Heavenly Demon's name now, he was astonished. He then pressed Zhuo Wei for details of what had happened, and Zhuo Wei recounted the whole story.

The two remained silent for a moment after hearing it.

Zhuo Wei was most concerned about Di Ji, and immediately asked Chen Xuanli, "Is Brother Di Ji alright?"

Chen Xuanli smiled and said, "Don't worry, Brother Di is so young, yet his skill is so profound. If it were anyone else, that palm strike from the Heavenly Demon would have killed them. Now, Brother Di only needs to rest for a few days, and he will recover quickly. You can rest assured."

Hearing Chen Xuanli say this himself, Zhuo Wei was immediately relieved. Li Longji then said, "Miss Zhuo, although Brother Di is unharmed, he still needs to find a place to rest. I wonder where your residence is? Let me take you and Brother Di back first, otherwise, it's not a good idea for you to stay here."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Wei felt a headache coming on. She thought that staying here was not a solution, and Di Ji's injuries had not fully recovered, so although she needed to take care of him, she couldn't think of a way to go. After a moment of thought, she said, "My home is in a very far place, and I don't know where Brother Di Ji lives..."

Although Di Ji was lying on the ground resting, he was quite lucid and heard everything they were saying. He tried to sit up, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and cried out, "Ah!" Hearing this, Zhuo Wei rushed to his side and asked anxiously, "Brother Di Ji, are you alright?"

Di Ji shook his head with a wry smile. Li Longji also came over and said, "Brother Di, your injuries haven't healed yet, you should rest first. I have a villa in Fengming Town, not far from here. Why don't you rest at my residence for a few days?"

Di Ji said, "I just heard Miss Zhuo say that you hold a high-ranking position. May I ask what your official title is?"

Li Longji replied, "My surname is Li, and my nickname is Shanglongxiaji. I am the third son of the Prince of Xiang."

Upon hearing this, Di Ji immediately tried to stand up and bow, but Li Longji pressed him down. Di Ji could only say, "So you are the Prince of Linzi. I am honored to meet you."

Li Longji smiled and said, "Brother Di, we are about the same age. There is no distinction between noble and lowly. If you don't mind, from now on, let's address each other as brothers. What do you say?" He saw that Di Ji could fight against a master like Tianmo. Although he was defeated, he could tell that Di Ji's martial arts were not weak, so he wanted to recruit him.

Di Ji, being a magnanimous man, was pleased to see that Li Longji, despite his high status, was forthright and unpretentious, without any airs of officialdom. He immediately said, "In that case, I will follow your advice, elder brother." Li Longji nodded and smiled, while Di Ji turned to Chen Xuanli and said, "Brother, I haven't yet thanked you for saving my life. May I ask your name?"

Chen Xuanli replied, "Brother Di, no need for formalities. My name is Chen Xuanli, and I currently serve as a commander in the Imperial Guard."

Di Ji said, "So it's Brother Chen. If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid..."

Li Longji immediately interrupted, "Brother Di, don't say that. Today is an auspicious day for us to meet. Let's not utter any unfavorable words. Brother Di, why don't you come to my residence to rest first?"

Seeing his sincere sincerity, Di Ji no longer declined. Zhuo Wei was even more delighted to see this and laughed, "Then what about me? Can I come to your place too?"

Li Longji and the other two couldn't help but laugh at her innocent and carefree manner.
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