Chapter Twenty-Five: All Things Return to Storage

  Two men walked and argued, and after a while they went southeast. Liang Xiao waited until the surroundings were quiet, then emerged from the tall grass, his heart still racing wildly. He held his breath and turned back into the valley, only to see Ah Xue gathering firewood, just about to light it up. He hastily rushed over and stomped out the flames. Ah Xue was startled: "Brother, what are you doing?" Liang Xiao took a deep breath and told her about the danger they had just encountered, and Ah Xue's face turned pale with fear. Liang Xiao said: "If we start a fire now, the thick smoke will rise up, won't that reveal our whereabouts?" Ah Xue worriedly asked: "What can we do then?" Liang Xiao gave her a glance and said: "What else can we do? The best of the thirty-six strategies is to retreat. We can't go southeast, so we have no choice but to head northwest."

  Ah Xue had no choice but to follow him. The two of them tidied up a bit and slipped out of the valley, onto the main road. After walking for about ten miles, they saw in the distance a mountain standing alone in the west, its rugged peaks piercing the sky, with peaks rising steeply behind it, disappearing into the clouds. This mountain was different from others, with a vast expanse of white and only a hint of green.

  Liang Xiao frowned and said, "What a hard mountain!" Ah Xue laughed and said, "One mountain is divided into five peaks, shaped like a lotus flower, so it's called Mount Hua!" Liang Xiao asked in surprise, "Have you been here before?" Ah Xue shook her head, "I heard my sisters talk about it." Liang Xiao nodded slightly, seeing that she was walking quickly and lightly, smiled and said, "Ah Xue, your internal strength is quite good. In my opinion, Ah Bing and Ah Ling are not as good as you." Ah Xue's face turned red, and she said, "I'm always clumsy, the skills that my sisters can master in one day, I need ten days or half a month to learn, and I always get scolded by our master!"

  Liang Xiao laughed and said, "This is strange! How did you cultivate your internal energy?" Ah Xue's ears turned red with shame, and she said in a low voice, "Because I'm stupid, and I was afraid of being scolded by my master. So when others practiced once, I would practice five times, and when they practiced five times, I would practice ten times. Whether it was early or late, I just kept practicing until I got better." Suddenly, Liang Xiao didn't respond, and Ah Xue glanced over to see that his face had turned very gloomy. Ah Xue had grown accustomed to seeing him like this in recent days, and she thought to herself, "He must be thinking of Liu Niang again." As soon as she thought of this, her heart felt sour, and she lowered her head to fiddle with the hem of her clothes, no longer making a sound.

  Two people walked in silence, at noon, they arrived at the mountain foot town. The town was built on the mountain, with green bricks and black tiles, having a strong Taoist flavor. It happened to be a market day, inside and outside the town, vehicles and horses were coming and going, very lively.

  As the two were about to enter the town, they suddenly heard someone shouting. Liang Xiao turned his eyes and saw four shabbily dressed young men, exerting all their strength to pull a white donkey. The white donkey was as white as snow, about seven feet tall and six feet long, with its four thin legs firmly planted on the ground, no matter how hard the four people pulled, it didn't budge.

  Liang Xiao was secretly shocked, four young men working together had at least three hundred pounds of strength, but unexpectedly they couldn't budge a donkey, truly unbelievable. A round-faced youth became impatient and shouted "Damn beast", punching the white donkey's ear with his fist.

  The white donkey was in a bad mood, got punched, lost its temper, shook its head and threw the round-faced boy out of the way. With one kick, it knocked down two more people. The remaining pale-faced boy hadn't even come to his senses yet when the white donkey took off running, dragging him along the ground. Although its steps were light and quick, they alternated rapidly, and with five or six strides, the boy was lifted into the air. With a loud bray, the donkey's hind legs kicked out, sending the boy flying far away, tumbling to the ground in a cloud of dust.

  The white donkey, having gained its freedom, rushed towards the town. Unexpectedly, a figure suddenly appeared and jumped onto the donkey's back, with disheveled hair, it was Liang Xiao. Seeing the donkey injuring people and escaping, he had the intention of helping others. The donkey was furious and wanted to go wild, kicking its legs several times. But he used his light body skill, following the donkey's movements, the donkey couldn't shake him off, turning its head, wanting to bite him.

  Liang Xiao met such a stubborn donkey for the first time, and couldn't help but curse: "Good beast!" A slap landed on its head, this one with hidden internal force, and the white donkey was slapped dizzy. It lowered its head and ran again, and received another slap, this time even a lion or tiger would be slapped into submission. The white donkey hung its ears, its big eyes full of pleading.

  Liang Xiao smiled slightly, got off the donkey's back, and beckoned to the four young men: "Come here!" The four of them had blue noses and swollen faces, and they dared not come forward. Liang Xiao frowned, just about to speak, when he suddenly saw the four change their expressions and take off running. Before he could understand the reason, a strong gust of wind rose from behind him, attacking his back. Liang Xiao spun around and dodged, only to see a young Taoist nun standing behind him, as beautiful as a painting, with anger flashing in her eyes.

  Liang Xiao exclaimed: "Female Daoist, you've made your move!" The Daoist nun didn't respond and struck again with her palm. Liang Xiao saw that her palm technique was excellent and her internal energy was rich, which made him even more surprised. He countered with a double-handed strumming motion, as if playing the zither. This move "Xiangru's Zither" originated from the legend of Sima Xiangru, who in the past had used his zither to play the tune "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" to win the heart of Zhuo Wenjun.

  The Taoist nun saw that his moves were swift and elegant, with hidden mysteries, and she didn't dare to be slow. She stepped out in a strange rhythm and slapped out two palms. The two of them exchanged two moves, and the little Taoist nun's internal energy was slightly stronger, her palm techniques more refined. Liang Xiao gradually felt himself at a disadvantage. He had recklessly challenged someone and fallen into a disadvantageous position, his heart filled with shock and anger. He used the "Lice-Combing Technique", mimicking the appearance of the Northern Dynasty's King Meng flailing about in discussion of the heavens. His right hand pointed to the four directions, while his left hand was tucked into his chest, pulling out a "Yin-Yang Ball".

  The little Taoist nun saw him suddenly take a defensive stance, his body quickly rising, and his palm wanting to attack. Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao changed into the "Taibai Drunken Wine" move, dodging her palm by leaning back, his left hand pretending to hold a cup and drink wildly, secretly putting the yin-yang ball in his mouth. Following that, his left palm slanted and pulled, his right palm chopped straight, changing into the "Great Craftsman Wields an Axe" move. The little Taoist nun underestimated him, thinking his internal energy was insufficient, and swung her palm to meet him head-on. Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao, with the help of the yin-yang ball, suddenly increased his internal energy, and with a "ge" sound, the little Taoist nun retreated several feet, her face flushed red, feeling uncomfortable in her chest, and with a reverse motion, she swiftly pulled out a short sword.

  Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow, and his right hand also grasped the hilt of "Huan Yuan" sword. At this time, one person stepped out from the crowd and snatched the small Taoist nun's treasure sword with a clever move. He took a closer look, only to see a Taoist nun, wearing a large grey robe, with white hair at her temples, although not extremely beautiful, but with fair skin, phoenix eyes smiling, making people feel close at first sight.

  The little Taoist nun saw her, gesturing with both hands and muttering to herself. The grey-robed Taoist nun frowned and didn't speak. But Liang Xiao suddenly had an epiphany: "No wonder the little Taoist nun didn't answer me, she's actually mute!" As soon as this thought occurred to him, all the resentment in his heart dissipated.

  The Taoist nun saw her finish, bowed to Liang Xiao and said: "Master, why did you take away our donkey?" Her expression was calm, and her tone was very gentle. Liang Xiao looked at the white donkey, frowned and said: "Did the Taoist priest say that this donkey is yours? Do you have any evidence?"

  The Taoist nun in grey said: "I came into town to beg for alms, and casually left the donkey at the donor's door. Who knew that when I finished and went out, it was gone!" She clapped her hands and called out in a gentle voice, "Quickly, Snow, come here!" The white donkey responded with a loud bray, shaking its head and walking to her side.

  Liang Xiao was shocked and uncertain, turned around to take a look, but didn't see Ah Xue anywhere. He thought: "Where did that silly girl go?" Suddenly he saw Ah Xue pulling out a pale-faced young man from the crowd. Liang Xiao recognized him as one of the donkey drivers, so he said: "Ah Xue, what are you doing?" Ah Xue said: "I saw these guys escaping, and Xiaodao was fighting with you again, I knew something was fishy, so I rushed up to catch them. Unfortunately, I only caught one. Brother, it turns out they're all donkey thieves!"

  Liang Xiao was at a loss for words, and with one swift motion, he pulled over the pale-faced young man and shouted: "Was it you who stole the donkey?" The young man had a smooth face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, but his body was quite frail. He had been kicked by the donkey earlier and was badly hurt, falling behind before being caught by Ah Xue. When Liang Xiao asked him, he stiffened his neck and said: "It was me who stole it." Liang Xiao furrowed his brow and said: "Still pretending to be a hero? Where are your accomplices?" He stretched out his hand and lifted the young man's feet off the ground.

  The young man's neck was constricted by his shirt, almost unable to breathe, yet he said: "Thieves, thieves also stole, you can beat me, want... want me to reveal my accomplices, that... that is impossible..." Liang Xiao's face sank, and he increased the force of his grip. The young man's face turned red as blood, his mouth unable to form words, only shaking his head repeatedly.

  The Taoist nun couldn't bear to look at him and was just about to speak up for him when suddenly Liang Xiao laughed and said, "Good kid, you're quite ruthless!" With a sudden release of strength, the young man blurted out, "I'd rather die than say anything!" Liang Xiao put him down, spat on the ground and said, "Fine, don't say it then, scram!"

  Ah Xue didn't expect Liang Xiao to let him off so easily, and hastily said: "Wait a minute, you have to tell Da Zhang about the accomplices and the whole story of stealing the donkey!" The young man's pale face turned red, and he reluctantly said: "We had heard some Shanxi guests discussing that this white donkey was called 'Chase Wind White', a rare breed that appears only once in a hundred years, which can carry 200 catties for 700 miles every day. So we were tempted to steal it and sell it for money. We also heard that although the donkey has great strength, it is very greedy, so when Da Zhang was not around, we used fried noodles to lure it out of town. Who knew that when we pulled it, the beast became stubborn and refused to move. Just as we were at a loss, fortunately...” He glanced at Liang Xiao and said in a low voice: "This person came to help us tame it."

  The Taoist nun in grey smiled and nodded at Liang Xiao, saying: "Young man is also kind-hearted, Ah Yu, you misunderstood him, you should apologize!" The little Taoist nun gestured repeatedly, the Taoist nun in grey shook her head and said: "You are always reckless, today you even drew your sword, if I hadn't arrived in time, it would have caused trouble!" Liang Xiao listened with displeasure: "Taoist nun is so arrogant, if you didn't come, could Ah Yu defeat me?"

  The mute boy was scolded, and he felt resentful in his heart. However, the teacher's orders were not to be disobeyed, so he could only glare at Liang Xiao with one eye, hastily kowtowed, and turned around to sulk. At this time, three more people emerged from the crowd, who were the other three donkey-stealing boys. The round-faced boy in front put his hands on his hips and shouted loudly: "San Gou'er, are you okay?" The pale-faced boy was taken aback and asked: "How did you guys come back?" The round-faced boy said: "We walked for a while, saw that you weren't following, knew you were caught, so we came back to take a look." He puffed out his chest and loudly told the Taoist priestess: "The donkey was stolen by all four of us together. San Gou'er is injured, if the Taoist master wants to beat someone, then beat the three of us!"

  Liang Xiao thought: "These little rascals actually have a sense of justice." Just as he was about to plead on their behalf, the Taoist nun in grey rushed up to Ah Xue and said with a smile: "Now that everything is clear, can you please hand over the young man to me?" Ah Xue said: "Taoist priest, you're too polite." She handed over the young man to the Taoist nun. The Taoist nun smiled faintly and took out dozens of copper coins from her sleeve, handing them to the young man, who was taken aback.

  The Taoist nun sighed and said, "Looking at you, you're also a child from a poor family. Stealing is not the right way. I don't have much alms to give, only these few copper coins. Alas, I hope you won't harbor evil thoughts from now on and make an honest living." The young man clenched his fists, his face red with shame, and the other three also looked ashamed. Just then, the Taoist nun in gray robes said to the little nun, "Let's go!" She led the donkey, and together they walked through the crowd and entered the town.

  Liang Xiao glanced at the four of them and stepped into town with Ah Xue, buying two new sets of clothes and finding an inn to stay in. Before long, Liang Xiao had finished washing up and was just about to leave the room when he suddenly heard someone downstairs say: "That little brat has come this way, I reckon he won't be able to run far, let's not rush, have a cup of tea to moisten our throats."

  Liang Xiao Ting was shocked, hastily crouched down, and covered his head with the railing. However, he heard Han Ningzi say coldly, "Ask the people here again, maybe that little guy is in the stack." Liang Xiao Ting was even more shocked, suddenly hearing the door respond, turning his head to take a look, Ah Xue's clothes were disheveled as she poked her head out. Liang Xiao Ting made a hand gesture to her, flashed into the door, and the two of them looked at each other with pale faces. Suddenly, footsteps sounded on the stairs, Liang Xiao Ting's heart was racing wildly, he hugged Ah Xue and jumped out of the window. Not taking the main street, they grasped the eaves, climbed onto the roof, and ran wildly.

  Before leaving the town, a clear and long whistle came from behind. Liang Xiao knew that his trail had been exposed, so he ran wildly with all his might. The whistling sound was endless, and in his anxiety, several people ahead were driving an oxcart loaded with hay, moving slowly. As Liang Xiao approached, it turned out to be the three young thieves who stole the donkey, the white-faced boy San Gouer was injured, covering his stomach and lying on the haystack. The four of them saw Liang Xiao's urgent expression and were shocked in their hearts. A thin-faced, broad-foreheaded boy with eight-shaped eyebrows shouted: "What's wrong?" Liang Xiao didn't stop running, urging loudly: "If an old man and a woman catch up, don't say you've seen me."

  The eight-character-browed young man frowned and said, "If we can't escape, let's hide under the haystack." Liang Xiao saw that the haystack was very high and could easily hold two people, and his heart moved. He looked at the four young men again, their faces were all very calm, and he thought, "That's right, there's no way to escape, let's take a risk." He nodded, and with Ah Xue came to the front of the cart. The group of young men quickly took down the hay and piled it on top of the two people. The brother and sister squeezed together, shoulder to shoulder, Liang Xiao felt that Ah Xue was trembling all over, afraid that she would shake off the hay and reveal their whereabouts, so he stretched out his hand to hold her tight. He felt Ah Xue's body gradually becoming hot, and her trembling slowly stopped.

  The three dogs lay back down in the grass heap, and the ox cart continued to move forward with a jolting motion. The whistling sound came closer, then suddenly stopped. Ming Gui laughed and said: "Four little guys, have you seen a young couple?" Liang Xiao's heart leapt up to his throat, and the eight-character-browed youth smiled: "We saw them, the boy was wearing a brown shirt, and the girl had a round face and big eyes." Liang Xiao repeatedly cried out in distress, thinking to himself that he had no relation to these four youths, why did he believe their nonsense. Suddenly, Ah Xue's hands tightened around him, holding him tightly, burying her head in his chest, her face wet with either sweat or tears, soaking his shirt.

  Ming Gui smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad. It's these two people. Where did they go? You said it, this silver ingot is yours." Liang Xiao was even more panicked in his heart. The eight-character eyebrow youth let out a "heh" laugh and said, "Good, they went to the fork in the road up ahead and headed north." Ming Gui fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, I'll believe you for now. If there's no one there when we turn back, I'll skin you alive." Han Ningzi let out a cold snort and said, "Ming old ghost, why bother with these country bumpkins? Catching the little thief is the real deal."

  Ming Gui smiled and said, "That's right." The round-faced young man suddenly shouted loudly, "Hey, don't go! We gave you the information, but you haven't given us any silver yet!" Ming Gui sneered and said, "This ingot of silver is not cheap, it's worth four heads." The round-faced young man seemed to be afraid, muttered a few words in a low voice, Ming Gui laughed loudly and left.

  Liang Xiao heard the sound of Ming Gui's laughter fade away, and his heart finally felt at ease. Suddenly, he noticed that the top of the carriage was open, and the straw mat had been lifted. Ah Xue saw the light and hastily spread her hands, retreating to one side, her eyes slightly red. Liang Xiao jumped down from the carriage and bowed his hands, saying: "The kindness of saving my life, Liang Xiao will never forget." The round-faced young man smiled and said: "Just now you let off San Gouzi, everyone is very grateful to you, helping out is only natural." Liang Xiao nodded and smiled, unexpectedly finding that even in this poor and remote place, there were people who were generous and righteous.

  The youth with the eight-shaped eyebrows said, "Brother, those two have unusual footwork. If they discover they've been deceived and turn back, it won't be good for you at all. Where are you going now?" Liang Xiao replied, "They're heading north, so I'll naturally go south. As that old man said, 'do the opposite of what they expect'." Before he finished speaking, someone burst out laughing: "Good one, doing the opposite of what they expect! Liang Xiao, you really underestimate people!"

  Liang Xiao's expression changed slightly, and he glanced around before standing up straight. A sneer hung on his face. Turning back to look again, Han Ningzi was smiling and standing behind him. The two were naturally cunning, and Ming Gui was even more so with age. Seeing the four people's eyes flickering and their expressions unusual, and noticing that the straw pile was scattered about, he became suspicious in his heart. Pretending to leave with Han Ningzi, they circled around and then turned back.

  Four young men were frightened in their hearts, each pulling out a stick from the cattle cart. Liang Xiao sighed and said loudly: "Ming Gui, Han Ningzi, one person does things and one person takes responsibility, if you want to capture or kill, come at me Liang Xiao, don't vent your anger on these few passersby." Han Ningzi smiled and said: "Little beast, now that things have come to this point, you still don't know what's good for you? Who to capture and who to kill is up to you?" Ming Gui also stroked his beard and smiled, saying: "Well said!" With a sly smile on his face, he and Han Ningzi pressed forward, one in front of the other.

  Liang Xiao glanced at Ah Xue, seeing that she was also looking at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and fear. The four young men were also holding their staffs, their bodies trembling all over. Liang Xiao thought to himself: "I, Liang Xiao, am not worth grieving for, but dragging Ah Xue and these four people down with me is unbearable." He felt guilty in his heart, drew his sword, and secretly grasped a sword technique.

  Han Ningzi saw clearly, coldly smiled and said: "A desperate struggle!" He gave a wink to Minggui, ordering him to kill all the others, while he himself would capture Liang Xiao. Minggui understood, let out a long laugh, and his energy surged through his fingers. At this moment, they suddenly heard the sound of horseshoes, turned their heads to look back, and saw two female Taoist priests leading a white donkey, walking towards them with an ethereal air.

  Ming returned a glance at Han Ningzi, saw her hand waving downwards, and suddenly understood. He thought: "This woman is ruthless, not even sparing these two Taoist priests."

  Two people and a donkey arrived very quickly, walking to the front and stopping. The Taoist nun in grey robes sized up the crowd with an astonished expression. Ming Gui smiled and said: "The two Taoist priests, it's better for you to retreat." The Taoist nun's eyebrows relaxed as she smiled: "Is that so? I'll take a step back first..."

  A Xue saw the Taoist nun and, for some reason, felt a sense of closeness in her heart. She blurted out: "Taoist priest, don't leave, they...they want to kill us..." The gray-robed Taoist nun raised an eyebrow, astonished, and asked: "Is this true?" A Xue's eyes turned red as she nodded repeatedly.

  The Taoist nun in grey shook her head and said, "Killing is not good." She turned around and bowed to Ming and Han, saying, "If they have committed any offense, I will plead for mercy on their behalf. Your Excellencies are magnanimous, please let them off!"

  Han Ningzi smiled lightly and said, "Unfortunately, my capacity is the smallest, not even a grain of sand can be accommodated." The gray-robed Taoist nun's expression changed, and a yellow shadow flashed beside her, and Minggui's double claws suddenly arrived. The gray-robed Taoist nun also did not turn around, and with a big sleeve, she swept away several feet diagonally.

  The tip of the sword was swept into his sleeve, and he felt a slight numbness. He exchanged a glance with Han Ningzi, and they formed a pincer movement, one on the left and one on the right, closing in on Xiang Dao. Liang Xiao saw this and shouted: "You think you can take me down just because there are more of you?" He drew his sword and took a step forward.

  The Taoist nun in grey robes waved her hand at him, pulled out a two-foot-long bamboo flute from her sleeve, and struck a pose. "My skills are shallow, please instruct me," she said with a sigh. Minggui stared at the flute in her hand, his eyebrows furrowed in surprise, his body trembling as he stared at the nun. "You...are you?" The Taoist nun looked him up and down, then sighed gloomily. "Mr. Ming's eyes are like an eagle's, you've finally recognized me." Minggui was acting strangely, seemingly both annoyed and shocked, muttering to himself: "You...you're Lin..." He looked around nervously before stopping mid-sentence.

  The Taoist nun in grey shook her head and said, "Don't worry, he's not nearby." Ming Hui thought to himself, "I'm not a three-year-old child, how could I fall for your trick? You say he's not here, but most likely he is. As an old man, my wings are not yet fully grown, it's not suitable for me to confront that person head-on." He had already made up his mind by the time he thought of this, and gazing out at the distant forest, he called out in a loud voice, "Since you won't show your face, I, Ming, won't bother either. The mountains are high and the waters are long, we'll meet again someday."

  Han Ningzi heard his strange words and frowned, saying: "Ming Lao Gui, who are you talking to?" Ming Gui didn't answer, turned around and left. Han Ningzi saw him leave in such a hurry, as if there was a monster chasing behind him.

  She felt inexplicably wonderful, and as he disappeared from view, she turned to glance at the female Taoist, smiling: "This little woman doesn't know what's good for her, let me learn from the Taoist master's superior skills." She made a move with "Ice Flower Six Emerges", her body whirling like a windmill, rapidly circling around the Taoist nun. Unaware of her opponent's true abilities, she intentionally probed, circling twice before lightly slapping out a palm.

  The Taoist nun held a bamboo flute, motionless, and when she saw Han Congzi's palm approaching, she stretched out the flute, its tip perfectly aligned with the "Laogong" acupoint on Han Congzi's palm. Han Congzi's heart skipped a beat, hastily withdrew her hand, took several quick steps back, and clapped again. The Taoist nun turned around, and the bamboo flute was still pointing at Han Congzi's "Laogong" acupoint.

  Han Ningzi was shocked, let out a clear cry, and spun faster and faster. In an instant, she slapped out six palms towards the Taoist nun. The nun remained calm and unhurried, turned around and swung out six fans, with the tip of each fan never leaving her "Labor Palace Acupoint". Han Ningzi suddenly flipped over and flew out, landing lightly on the ground, staring at the nun with a pale face as white as paper.

  The Taoist nun frowned and bowed her head, saying: "Your Excellency comes from the Heavenly Mountains?" Han Ningzi was taken aback, smiled and said: "Taoist priest is wise and knowledgeable, I admire you." After speaking, she bowed her head in return.

  Liang Xiao knew she was hiding a knife in her smile, and secretly paid attention. Suddenly, he saw Han Ningzi cupping his hands, with blue light flashing between his fingers, shouting: "Dao Zhang be careful!" As soon as the words came out, a blue light shot out from Han Ningzi's fingers, rushing straight to Dao Gu's throat.

  The Taoist nun was awakened by Liang Xiao, and with a wave of the bamboo flute, a blue steel needle appeared on the flute hole, and she exclaimed in surprise: "You are so poisonous!"

  Han Ningzi didn't hold back, using the move "Thousand Snows Covering the Top", swinging her palm upwards, and striking downwards from the sky. The Taoist nun retreated several steps, her bamboo flute slanted to one side, still pointing at her opponent's palm.

  Han Ningzi hastily withdrew her hand and chopped at her shoulder. As soon as her palm landed, she let out a pained yelp and fell back several feet. Looking down, she saw that a blue steel needle had appeared on the "Labor Palace" acupoint. In an instant, half of her arm was numb, and her face turned deathly pale. She hastily pulled out a porcelain bottle, poured out the antidote, and swallowed it, saying angrily: "The Daoist's gift today will be repaid by Han with double interest!" Turning to leave, she heard Liang Xiao call out: "Wait."

  Han Ningzi was shocked by the words, but she didn't want to show weakness, so she coldly laughed and said: "What? Han certain is not afraid of you even if I'm injured." Liang Xiao had been thinking of taking advantage of her vulnerability, but when he heard her provocation, he felt it wasn't suitable, so he coldly said: "Liang certain doesn't stoop to take advantage of others' misfortunes. I'll just tell you one thing, the hatred between us will be repaid double." Han Ningzi's heart sank, and she smiled, saying: "Good, I hope you have that ability." Suddenly, she felt numbness in her palm spreading up her arm, and her heart seemed to be getting numb too. She knew the remaining poison was attacking her heart, and if she didn't use her internal energy to resist it, the consequences would be unbearable. So, she quickly turned around and rushed into the woods by the side of the road.

  Liang Xiao watched her back disappear, and only then did he realize that letting this person go would lead to endless troubles. He felt a slight regret in his heart, but since the words had already been spoken, he could only let it be. Suddenly, he heard the sound of carriage wheels, and when he turned to look, four young men hastily drove their ox cart away without saying a word. He knew that they had stolen the donkey earlier and were now ashamed to face the owner. So he bowed his hands to the Taoist nun in gray and said: "Thank you, Taoist priest, for your help."

  The Taoist nun sighed, "I have cultivated for a long time, but I still can't cut off my anger and hatred. Just now, I was a bit too heavy-handed." Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Taoist master, don't worry about it. That woman is extremely evil, and one poisonous needle is getting off lightly." The Taoist nun frowned and said, "She may be extremely evil, but she didn't deserve to die." Her words were profound, but Liang Xiao couldn't understand them, so he furrowed his brow and remained silent.

  The Taoist nun in grey said, "That woman's martial arts are powerful and she is ruthless. You have had dealings with her before, it will be very difficult to resolve this peacefully. Once her poison injury heals, she will definitely come looking for you again, why not go to the Small Observatory to hide out for a few days and avoid trouble?"

  Liang Xiao thought that the Taoist nun's martial arts were unfathomable, and if he could get her protection, it would be great. He smiled and said: "Taoist priest is high-minded, Liang Xiao respectfully obeys." Before he finished speaking, the mute Taoist nun crossed her arms, furrowed her brows, and glared at him with a series of gestures. The gray-robed Taoist nun sighed and said: "You're being too cautious, Ah-yu. The distinction between men and women is not as important as human life." Turning to Liang Xiao, she said: "Don't mind what she says, sir." Liang Xiao smiled and said: "Is she scolding me? Let her scold, I don't understand anyway." The gray-robed Taoist nun laughed and said: "She's not even scolding you. Girls are just careful, don't take it to heart." Liang Xiao was amused, but Ah-yu was reprimanded by her master, her face turned red with anger, she stomped her foot and left in a huff.

  Liang Xiao said, "May I ask the Taoist priest's name?" The gray-robed nun said, "I am Liao Qing." Liang Xiao said, "The Taoist priest single-handedly forced back two great villains, truly remarkable." Liao Qing smiled wryly and said, "Those two are very formidable, one is difficult to deal with, if they join forces, I will surely be defeated. To tell the truth, I also relied on someone else's reputation to scare away that yellow-robed old man." After speaking, her eyebrows seemed to have a hint of melancholy, and she sighed. Liang Xiao asked strangely, "Who has such a great reputation?" Liao Qing's lips moved, wanting to speak but stopping, finally shaking her head. Liang Xiao saw that she didn't say anything and didn't ask further.

  Four people walked and talked, gradually going up the mountain path. Having lived in the mountains for a long time, she was familiar with the scenery and could point out the sights to the other two as they climbed. She had a vast knowledge of poetry, literature, and history, and could recite them from memory. She would often explain the subtleties of a single blade of grass or a stone tablet, and although she was only talking about Mount Hua, her listeners felt as though they were experiencing the grandeur of the mountains and rivers throughout the ages. Not only did Ah Xue listen with rapt attention, but even Liang Xiao found himself enthralled by her words.

  They had walked for thousands of feet, and the crowd sat down to rest. The mute child alone pulled far away, not sitting with the crowd. Liang Xiao turned to ask: "Liao Qing, I have something to ask you." Liao Qing smiled: "Please speak, sir." Liang Xiao said: "When my father was alive, he once told me that when he was young, he grew up in Mount Hua, and there was an elder here who was also a Taoist priest, with the Taoist name of Xuan Yin. Do you know him?" Liao Qing exclaimed, looked Liang Xiao up and down, and after a while nodded: "I just happen to know him!" Liang Xiao was delighted: "Ah, where is he?"

  She sighed and stood up, saying: "Follow me!" Liang Xiao looked at her appearance, slightly surprised, and followed her. After walking for a few miles, a cliff appeared in front of them, steep and straight, standing tall. Ling Qing grasped the old vines and climbed up. Her movements were quick and agile, her sleeves fluttering like an eagle soaring through the air, circling several times before landing on the top of the cliff. The mute tied up the white donkey and followed closely behind.

  Liang Xiao felt a sense of wonder in his heart, and with renewed energy, he climbed up alongside Ah Xue. Suddenly, the view opened up before them. It turned out that the top of the cliff was a flat area of about 100 square meters, with towering pines forming a forest, surrounding a Taoist temple. Liang Xiao walked to the front of the earthen mound beside the temple and said solemnly: "This is it."

  Liang Xiao stopped in his tracks and looked at the mound again, where a thick layer of green grass had grown. In front of it stood a stone tablet with the four characters "Xuan Yin's Mausoleum" inscribed on it. Liang Xiao was shocked: "Is he dead?" Leng Qing nodded and said: "This tomb was built by me personally, and it has been many years." Liang Xiao's mind was in a daze, and he asked: "How did he die?"

  "Fifteen years ago, I had not yet entered the Xuanmen sect. To avoid an acquaintance, I came alone to the foot of Mount Hua. Coincidentally, I encountered a group of Mongolian soldiers on horseback, killing an old and young Daoist. I drove away the Tartars, rescued the two, but the young Daoist was hit by multiple arrows and trampled by horses, dying instantly. The old Daoist was seriously injured and soon died. He feared that the pursuing soldiers would return, so he asked me to bring him here and told me his Daoist name was Xuan Yin. Because of the Mongolian invasion, he was resentful in his heart and heard that a Mongolian general would pass through from below the mountain, so he led his disciple to assassinate... Ah! They were supposed to succeed, but unexpectedly, his young disciple, Yu Ling, fled at the critical moment and betrayed him. As a result, they were pursued and killed by the Mongolians..."

  Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow and said, "Yu Ling?" He glanced at Ah Xue, "Isn't that the one who was beheaded by Han Ningzi's sword?" Ah Xue looked surprised and said, "I've heard Ah Bing sister mention that Yu Zongguan used to live in Huashan when he was young." Liang Xiao hummed in response, saying, "It must be him! This scoundrel has never been a good person since childhood." Looking at the desolate grave before him, his heart felt bleak: "Father is dead, and Xuan Yin Daozhang is also dead. Is it that heaven is unfair and doesn't bless kind people?" Lost in thought, he became dazed.

  Seeing his expression, he sighed and said: "When I came to this place years ago, I was very depressed. Although Xuan Yin Dao Zhang was on the verge of life and death, he comforted me a lot. I entered the Xuan Gate also because of his words. He is considered half a master to me, but unfortunately, he still can't be saved. Alas, people's lives and deaths are all destined, little donor, you don't have to be too sad."

  Liang Xiao was silent for a moment, then knelt down and kowtowed three times. Ah Xue saw him and also knelt down, kowtowing three times. Liang Xiao asked in surprise: "What are you kowtowing to?" Ah Xue replied: "You're my brother!" Liang Xiao thought to himself: "That's right, he's my elder, and now he's her elder too."

  After the worship, the four entered the hut. The Xuan Yin Hut had a thatched roof, not too big or small, about two rooms in size. In front of one room, an old picture of Lao Jun riding a cow was hung, its color faded with age. On both sides were two wing-rooms, and the back room was a study. Ah Xue and Ya Er lived together in one wing-room, while Liang Xiao slept in the study.

  After finishing his meal, Liang Xiao was extremely bored and began to flip through some books. He discovered many notes written by his father, which made him both surprised and delighted. It turned out that when Liang Wenjing was younger, he would often come to the observatory to read books and loved to write and draw in them. As Liang Xiao continued reading, he found his father's words to be naive and clumsy, such as "氓之蚩蚩，抱布贸丝" (a quote from a poem), which had been annotated with "Don't get cheated, catch this thief and beat him up". When he read "硕人之宽", it was annotated with "Such a robust woman is similar to Aunt Liu of the Feng family". When he read "父慈子孝" (a phrase about filial piety), his father had written "At noon, Father severely spanked me". There were many more examples like this. Liang Xiao couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, feeling both amused and saddened.

  He saw it at midnight, his heart was surging, he had no intention of sleeping, so he got up and walked. After walking for a while, he suddenly heard the distant sound of a Xiao (a Chinese flute) coming from afar, the tune was mournful, it made people's blood run cold, and it shattered their liver and intestines.

  Liang Xiao was moved by the sound of the flute, and he went out. As soon as he stepped out, the flute sound suddenly stopped, leaving only a gentle breeze that brushed against his ears. He walked through the pine forest, looked around but saw no one, and stood still in front of Xuan Yin's tomb. He thought of his mother's tragic farewell and his father's unjust death, and couldn't help feeling sad and indignant. He also thought of Liu Yingying, which made him even more resentful. He remembered the "Seven Styles of Piercing the Heart", drew out his sword, and performed a few moves, but felt uninterested. Remembering Chu Xianliu's words, he raised his head, and saw only the clear night sky with twinkling stars.

  Liang Xiao gazed up at the starry sky, his mind stirring: "Chu Xianliu said that the way of the sword is not to kill people, but to cultivate one's heart - where is my heart?" In an instant, he gave rise to a previously unheard-of idea. Shaken by this thought, Liang Xiao gazed up at the starry sky, and infinite sword intentions surged into his mind. For a time, his sword was like a whirlwind blowing snow, swinging freely, moving in dragon-like curves, flying like lightning, thrusting upwards towards the North Dipper, slanting to draw in the Three Stars, with gleaming points of light, shining up and down together with the starry sky. When he reached the most satisfying part, the pent-up energy in his chest was transformed into his sword, the sword's glow revolving like the stars moving, the sun and moon expanding and contracting, everywhere subtly matching the celestial rhythms.

  Liang Xiao was in a state of abandon, wielding the sword for nearly half an hour before finally dissipating the lump in his chest. He sheathed his sword and stood still, slightly panting. Just then, he heard someone clapping their hands in praise: "Good swordsmanship!" Liang Xiao looked up to see a figure standing quietly in front of him, holding a bamboo flute with speckled holes.

  Liang Xiao sheathed his sword and bowed, smiling: "So it was the Daoist's flute playing. It sounded so mournful and sorrowful, enough to kill a person!" The Daoist smiled: "I'm afraid I played carelessly and disturbed your peaceful sleep." Liang Xiao smiled: "Anyway, I couldn't sleep either. My name is Liang Xiao, Daoist, you'd better call me by my name, don't just keep saying 'master' this and 'master' that, it makes me feel uneasy all over."

  "Good! I'll give you a nickname, call you Liang Xiao!" He paused for a moment, "Just now your swordsmanship seemed to contain the essence of astronomy." Liang Xiao exclaimed: "Master, you have a good eye!" Liao Qing smiled and asked: "Who taught you?" Liang Xiao bitterly smiled: "No one taught me, I was suddenly inspired and came up with it myself." Liao Qing was surprised: "This swordsmanship is your own creation?" Liang Xiao said: "A few days ago, I was trapped in a place, with nothing to do, and could only study astronomy for fun. Just now, looking at the star chart in the sky, I suddenly had an epiphany and randomly swung my sword a few times."

  Ling Qing smiled and said: "You're so young, yet you've grasped the celestial phenomena and created a new sword technique. It's really not easy. Hmm, I see. This sword technique is called 'Tian Xing Jian Fa' (Heavenly Movement Sword Technique), which follows the movements of the stars and imitates the heavens." Liang Xiao smiled: "Master Ling is being too kind, this humble skill of mine doesn't deserve to be called 'Tian Xing'." Ling Qing said: "Don't be modest. You know very little about sword principles, so you have the heart but not the power. If you understand the ultimate sword principle, all things in the world can be incorporated into your sword technique. Why limit yourself to just celestial phenomena?" Liang Xiao's eyes widened with excitement as he asked: "Speaking of the ultimate, does the Chu Xian Liu (Chu Immortal Flow) sword technique count as the ultimate?"

  Ling Xiu smiled and said, "Do you know him? Well, in terms of swordsmanship, Chu Xianliu is indeed a top-notch figure." Liang Xiao asked, "Who would win if Daozhang were to duel with him?" Ling Xiu smiled slightly and said, "How can my humble light compete with the radiant moon?" Liang Xiao was dissatisfied and protested loudly, "Daozhang, why be so modest!" Ling Xiu shook her head and said, "It's not modesty. Chu Xianliu's swordsmanship is extraordinary, and he is a carefree person. His character as a swordsman can live up to the four words '皓月当空' (Radiant Moon in the Sky)." As she spoke, she seemed lost in thought and let out a soft sigh, saying, "However, no matter how dense the moonlight is, it can never surpass the intensity of sunlight." Liang Xiao laughed and said, "I see. Chu Xianliu is known as the second-best swordsman under heaven. I wonder who the first is?" Ling Xiu remained silent, her gaze drifting into the distance. Liang Xiao followed her gaze and saw that the clouds had parted to reveal a crescent moon shining brightly, casting a silver glow over the mountainside.

  After a long time, the elegant and refined woman said: "In today's world, when it comes to swords, there are two people who can be called masters. One is named Ou Longzi, he is the master of sword casting. This person has a strange habit, every time he casts a sword, he must destroy one."

  Liang Xiaoqi said: "The sword has been cast, why must it be destroyed?" Leng Qing smiled and said: "Ou Longzi himself said that he would not cast a sword unless it was the best in the world. Among all the swords in the world, those that can rank among the top three are all cast by him. Therefore, he cannot surpass the swords he has already cast, and will not recast them. He only needs to cast one sword, and it must be the best in the world. Afterwards, this Mr. Ou will definitely go to great lengths to destroy the swords he had previously cast." Leng Qing smiled slightly as she said this, "Because he is arrogant as a master of his generation, he absolutely will not cast a 'second-best sword'!"

  Li Xue laughed and said, "This person is interesting. If we meet him, let's ask for his help in forging a sword." Leng Qing shook her head and said, "Ou Longzi has been missing from the Jianghu for many years." Li Xue was taken aback and sighed, "What a pity." Leng Qing smiled and said, "Don't be discouraged, everything has its own destiny. If we are meant to meet him, we will. As for another person, he is a great master of swordsmanship. This person is well-versed in both literature and martial arts, but unfortunately, his life was full of twists and turns. When he studied literature, his straightforward writing style offended the authorities, and he failed the exams repeatedly, becoming a low-ranking official. He lived a miserable life, but he was enthusiastic about current events, submitting memorials to the imperial court, criticizing the ills of society. As a result, he angered the powerful officials, was severely tortured, exiled three thousand miles away, and his family's property was confiscated; his parents were also insulted by the authorities and died one after another." At this point, Leng Qing let out a long sigh and suddenly fell silent.

  Liang Xiao thought of his life experience and sympathized with him, nodding his head and saying: "This person has courage and wisdom, but it's a pity that the imperial court is too unreasonable." Leng Qing shook her head and said: "This has nothing to do with courage and wisdom. He was born with a biased temperament, and once he recognizes a dead-end principle, even ten horses can't pull him back. Before the age of 17, he revered the words of saints and Confucian teachings, speaking and acting in accordance with Confucius and Mencius, fearing that the emperor was not as wise as Yao and Shun, and the ministers were not as virtuous as Qi and Ji. That's why he did such a foolish thing, disregarding consequences. Unexpectedly, his sincere heart suffered this misfortune, and in a fit of anger, he again became biased, shaving his head and making a vow to heaven: from now on, even if the heavens collapse and the earth sinks, he would not care about the affairs of the imperial court. From then on, he distanced himself from politics and abandoned literature for martial arts. However, he indeed was an extraordinary talent, and in just six or seven years, he became a master of his generation."

  Liang Xiao heard this and praised: "Great, a real man should be like that. I wonder if he avenged himself later? If it were me, I would grab those emperors and nobles and kill them all with one knife." Leng Qing listened to these words, frowned deeply: "You child, how can you be even more extreme than him?"

  Liang Xiao Dao said, "This is what I call extreme. My mother always says that one cannot suffer losses as a human being. This is the normal state of mind." He asked again, "Liao Qing Dao, that person is a great master of swordsmanship, his sword techniques must have something unique about them."

  She smiled and said, "Speaking of uniqueness, it's hard to put into words. You can infer the sword from astronomy, and I suppose you also understand numerology. The so-called 'Lian Shan' of Xia, 'Gui Cang' of Shang, and 'Zhou Yi' of Zhou are all extraordinary books that explore the subtleties of the universe. 'Lian Shan' is crude and not worth mentioning; 'Zhou Yi' has been annotated by many sages and is widely circulated, but it's a pity that it has lost its natural flavor...". She said this, furrowed her brow and asked, "Perhaps I've said too much, Liang Xiao, do you know the origin of these three books?"

  Liang Xiao smiled and said, "I've heard of it. In ancient times, Da Yu controlled the waters with the help of the Old Heavenly Father, and a dragon emerged from the Yellow River carrying a map, while a turtle emerged from the Luo River holding a book." Leng Qing furrowed her brow and said, "That's not a turtle, that's the divine beast Xuan Gui!" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Turtle or Xuan Gui, they're basically the same thing. It doesn't matter if it has an extra turtle shell on its back."

  She thought to herself, "This kid is really mischievous, even when telling a story he's all over the place." She asked again, "What happened next?" Liang Xiao heard that she was testing him and smiled, saying: "Later on, the diagram came to be known as the River Chart and the book was called the Luo Book. Da Yu used the River Chart and the Luo Book to demarcate the territories, dredge the rivers, and bring peace to the nine states after the great flood. In his later years, he had nothing better to do, so he added his insights on water control to the River Chart and wrote a book called 'Lian Shan', which means 'water and mountain are connected', to remind himself not to forget about water control." At this point, he suddenly realized that he was showing off, so he stopped talking.

  Ling Xiang smiled and said: "Well said! Why don't you say more?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "I'm ashamed, Daozhang wants me to sharpen my axe, so I'll speak up again. Let's just say that after a few more years, Da Yu was indeed very impressive, but still... his two legs kicked out..." Ling Xiang asked strangely: "What do you mean by 'two legs kicking out'?" Liang Xiao said: "He died!"

  She sighed and smiled wryly, "Liango, Da Yu was a great hero who brought benefits to the people. We should respect him." Liango didn't dare to tease her, so he just smiled and said, "Yes, yes. After the great hero Da Yu passed away, his son Xia Qi became the emperor of the Xia Dynasty and revered the 'Lianshan' as a sacred book, using it as a basis for divining good or bad fortune. Many years later, another great hero emerged - Shang Tang, who destroyed the Xia Dynasty and established the Shang Dynasty. The 'Lianshan' fell into the hands of Shang's prime minister, Yi Yin. This Yi Yin was also a clever person, who spent a lot of effort revising and editing the 'Lianshan', producing a new book called 'Gui Cang'. The name 'Gui Cang' means 'all things in heaven and earth are stored within it', showing how proud Yi Yin was of this book. Later generations of Shang kings used it to determine good or bad fortune."

  He said that the world is unpredictable, and success or failure is hard to know. He sighed and said: "It's a pity that 'good fortune and bad luck are predetermined by heaven, and have nothing to do with human effort.' No matter how insignificant the Book of Changes may seem, after many years, the Shang Dynasty will soon come to an end. At that time, the world was in chaos, and King Zhou of Shang burned his own buttocks and captured his enemies everywhere. He was afraid that Ji Chang, a vassal of the Zhou state, would rebel against him, so he imprisoned him in a place called Youli. Ji Chang was also a clever man, and while he was bored in prison, he studied the Book of Changes thoroughly and came up with a brilliant idea, writing the famous Book of Changes. From then on, the Book of Changes was perfected, and its wisdom has shone for thousands of years. Therefore, it can be said that although these three books have different names, they are actually connected by one breath." When he finished speaking, Liang Xiao knocked his head, "I don't understand what you mean, Master. Among the three books, if we talk about their subtlety and perfection, the Book of Changes is generally considered to be the best. But from your words, it seems that the Book of Changes is not as good as the Book of Changes?"

  "As for the ultimate truth, it should be the 'Book of Changes' (I Ching). Throughout history, scholars studying the I Ching have been as numerous as fish crossing a river, and their commentaries and annotations have filled libraries. However, these scholars have only relied on their own subjective opinions, making reckless comments and annotations, turning the I Ching into something that reeks of pedantry. Alas, they do not realize that the principles of the I Ching originate from nature and are in harmony with it. Over time, a good book like the I Ching has been distorted by a group of corrupt scholars to become unrecognizable and fragmented."

  Liang Xiao deeply felt it, clapping his hands in praise: "Daozhang's words are indeed precise." Leng Qing shook her head and said: "These words were not spoken by me, but by that great Zongshi. He said that the 'Gui Cang' inherits the past and opens up the future, has already obtained the hexagram's samadhi, so he took its essence, blended it with martial arts subtleties, and at the age of fifty created a sword technique called 'Gui Cang Jian'."

  Li Shuo suddenly said, "Qiguan Sword? All things in the world return to it." Leng Xue listened and understood the subtlety of the sword technique, smiled and said, "That's right, Qiguan Sword has eight sword paths, divided into Qian, Kun, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui, and Zhen. According to the principle of 'Qiguan', they interact with each other and evolve into the infinite phenomena of heaven and earth." Li Shuo looked at this and said, "This is the Qian Sword Path." The word "Qian" means heaven, the sword's momentum is high and far-reaching, like the ancient clouds in the sky, empty and boundless.

  Liang Xiao watched for two moves, and suddenly understood: "Ling Dao Chang Fei spent so much effort speaking, it turns out he wanted to point out the flaws in my swordsmanship. But why didn't he just say so, instead of beating around the bush like this?" The Returning Storage Sword was indeed a wondrous technique that couldn't be put into words; as soon as it was used, his eyes were firmly fixed on it, unable to tear themselves away.

  "Qianjian Dao" contains the celestial image, and "Tianxing Jianfa" is similar. The changes are more complex. There are eighty-one "big sword styles", each containing eighty-one "medium sword styles", and each "medium sword style" includes eighty-one "small sword styles".

  After explaining with his mouth and hands, it took an hour to finish the entire set of "Qianjian Dao". He said: "Liang Xiao, do you understand?" Liang Xiao nodded and said: "Generally understood." Liao Qing was stunned, "Qianjian Dao" is complex and varied, and he didn't believe it. He said: "Okay, show me how to use it."

  Liang Xiao quietly composed his thoughts, drew out his long sword, and from start to finish, executed the "Qian Jian Dao" move by move. Leng Qing watched with increasing astonishment, Liang Xiao's movements were not fast, but he advanced and retreated in a steady rhythm, his sword moves smooth and natural, with perfect coordination and timing. After Liang Xiao finished, he stopped and asked: "Did I do it correctly, young one?"

  She was stunned for a moment, shook her head and said: "It's really like a dream! That great master would also like you very much if he saw you." Liang Xiao felt proud in his heart and smiled: "Daozhang is overpraising, I also can't remember many of the changes!" Ling Qing lost her smile and said: "If you remembered all of them, wouldn't that make you an immortal? I thought I wasn't stupid, but learning this 'Qianjian Dao' took me six whole days." She was so excited that she forgot to refer to herself as "Pindao" and addressed Liang Xiao directly.

  Actually, the "Qianjian Dao" moves are complex and numerous, but their underlying principles do not go beyond the boundaries of ancient arithmetic. Liang Xiao was well-versed in mathematics, and at the joints, it was not just memorization, but also relied on mathematical reasoning. He saw the situation with a pleased expression and said: "The Taoist master has taught such swordsmanship, I have gained without effort, and my heart is uneasy!"

  He smiled slightly and said, "No wonder you're puzzled. When the great master taught me swordsmanship back then, he said that the essence of the Returning Void Sword is unfathomable, and only one in ten thousand can comprehend it. If I were to find a worthy student with good material and quality, I wouldn't mind passing it on, otherwise the sword technique would be lost and that wouldn't be beautiful. Mute learned a few moves, but limited by his natural talent and understanding, he couldn't fully utilize even 30% of the sword technique's potential. Seeing you create your own sword technique, being cleverer than others, I thought I'd test you out, now it seems I've misjudged!"

  Liang Xiao valued her highly, with hot blood boiling in his chest, he said loudly: "Since that's the case, Daozhang is Liang Xiao's master, please accept my bow!" He was proud, but he knew that being taught this sword technique was a great benefit, and out of gratitude, he had the idea to acknowledge her as his master. Just as he was about to kneel down, Ling Qing stretched out both hands and supported him. Liang Xiao only felt a surge of gentle energy coming from her, vast and boundless, with the ability to "defeat an enemy without fighting", and couldn't help but stand up with her support, his heart full of surprise.

  Ying Qing waved her hand to stop him from kowtowing again, and with a half-smile and half-scolding tone said: "Nonsense! I'm a female Taoist priestess, what would I do with a male disciple?" Liang Xiao didn't care about the distinction between male and female disciples, but seeing Ying Qing's intention, he could only give up. Ying Qing glanced at him and smiled: "The sword technique originated from that great master, I'm just passing it on for him. If you're sincere, when we meet again in the future, it would be best to become his disciple!"

  Liang Xiao knew she had intentionally left room for herself, so that she could ask the great swordsman to be her master. She was even more grateful in her heart and bowed her hands, saying: "Master Dao does not accept Liang Xiao, the kindness of teaching me skills, Liang Xiao will never forget for the rest of her life."

  Ying Xiong smiled and let him express his doubts, explaining them one by one. The heart method of Qian Jian Dao was not all about numerology, but also included a lot of martial arts. The two of them took turns speaking and listening, until the stars flowed westward, Liang Xiao had already grasped three or four layers of the heart method of "Qian Jian Dao". Just as he was about to learn more, Ying Xiong saw that he hadn't slept for a night, fearing that his energy would be depleted the next day, and urged him to go back and rest.

  Liang Xiao's heart was racing, and he couldn't sleep well after returning to bed. He easily slept for two hours before getting up, holding his sword and going out the door. At this time, the sky had already brightened, and suddenly he heard the sound of a sword cutting through the wind. He looked up to see Ah Yu practicing sword in the pine forest, advancing and retreating with lightning speed. A short sword shone brightly, its cold light illuminating the surroundings, causing the pine needles to fly wildly. Ah Xue was watching from the side, and when she saw Liang Xiao, she called out: "Brother, come quickly! Ah Yu's sword skills are really formidable!"

  Liang Xiao frowned and said, "Ah Xue, you don't know what's good for you, sneaking a peek at someone else practicing swordplay isn't right." Ah Xue looked rather wronged, lowering her head to say, "But Mute let me watch." Mute also ran up, with an expressionless face, pointing his sword at Liang Xiao. Ah Xue hastily said, "Don't take action, he wasn't scolding me!"

  She glanced at her, then rushed to Liang Xiao and pouted, slowly putting down the short sword. Liang Xiao exclaimed, "Ah, good! Ah Xue, when did you collude with her? One nostril breathing together?" Ah Xue held onto Mute's hand, laughing: "Brother, you don't know, Mute is cold on the outside and warm on the inside..." Mute suddenly reached out to pinch her, Ah Xue cried out in pain, Mute jumped away, and went off to practice swordplay by herself.

  A Xue burst out laughing. Liang Xiao Qi asked, "What's going on?" A Xue said, "Last night I stayed in the same room as Mute, but didn't understand sign language and was at a loss for what to do. Suddenly, Mute wrote some words on paper and asked me my name. That's how we ended up having a written conversation all night long. When the paper was used up, Mute wrote on my palm and then erased it. Brother, you wouldn't have guessed that although Mute looks cold on the outside, he has a kind heart."

  Liang Xiao smiled slightly, turned his eyes away, and suddenly the swordsmanship of the mute changed unpredictably. Occasionally, he also used a move called "Qianjian Dao". Unbearable, he rushed forward, shouting: "Look at this move!" The long sword swung, exactly the move of "Qianjian Dao".

  He suddenly made this move with the sword, Ah Yu stared blankly and lowered his sword, forgetting to defend himself. Liang Xiao's long sword reached his chest before he came back to his senses. Ah Xue cried out involuntarily: "Brother..." Before she finished speaking, Liang Xiao smiled and tapped Ah Yu's shoulder with his sword, saying mockingly: "Can't you even counterattack?"

  Mute child's face sank, and he stabbed out with his sword. Liang Xiao had intended to practice his moves and also used the "Qianjian Dao" to resist. However, he was still a novice and felt very awkward, and after just a few moves, he was struck by Mute Child's sword on his wrist, causing him intense pain. Liang Xiao gritted his teeth and cursed, "Little cow nose..." but before he could finish, he received another slap on the left cheek, which hurt so much that it twisted his mouth.

  The two of them exchanged over twenty moves, and Liang Xiao focused on practicing his sword skills, using the "Qianjian Dao" to meet his opponent. As a result, all that could be heard was the sound of clashing, Ah Dou wielded his treasured sword like a thorny stick, with one hand on his waist, assuming the posture of San Niang's teachings, striking horizontally and vertically, fighting with an exceptionally joyful heart.

  A Xue knew she wouldn't hurt Liang Xiao, but she was still frightened and shouted "Stop!" Leng Qing heard the shout and went out to take a look, frowning deeply.

  Liang Xiao was hit more than a dozen times, his whole body burning with pain, suddenly losing patience, he cursed: "Let your cow nose be beaten again!" He threw away his sword and rushed up, just about to fight to the death, when he heard a voice calling out: "Wait!"

  Liang Xiao saw the situation and felt a bit awkward, thinking to himself: "Oh no, I was so focused on scolding 'Cow Nose' that I accidentally scolded Leng Qing as well." He couldn't help but feel his face burning. Leng Qing sighed and said: "Dumb kid, I taught him some sword moves, you go practice with him, just a little bit, don't take advantage of the situation to hit him." Dumb kid shook his head repeatedly. Leng Qing furrowed his brow and said: "What's wrong with this kid again?" Dumb kid looked at Liang Xiao and suddenly used the tip of his sword to write on the ground: "I hate that little thief, I won't practice sword with him."

  Liang Xiao's face turned pale with anger, and he shouted: "You don't want to? Fine! I couldn't care less!" He flung his sleeve and walked away, Ah Xue following closely behind. Liang Xiao was furious, only focusing on running wildly, in an instant, he disappeared from sight, Ah Xue called out twice, her eyes suddenly turning red.

  Filled with emotions and annoyance, wanting to scold the mute apprentice a couple of times, but ultimately softening his face and being kind-hearted, also knowing that this apprentice was born with muteness, having a different temperament than ordinary people. If he spoke harshly, he feared it would lead to trouble. After thinking it over, all he could do was sigh, furrow his brow, and secretly worry.