Chapter Fourteen: Besieged on All Sides

  "Bronze bell with long legs?" Liang Xiao was surprised in his heart, and after calming down, he saw clearly that it wasn't a giant bell growing legs, but rather someone carrying a huge bell as they walked, the bell big enough to cover their upper body.

  The big bell came quickly. When it got closer, the bell bearer was an old monk, with a strong physique, white eyebrows and beard, a ruddy face, and no fierce aura. He held up the big bell with one hand and grasped a black wooden staff with the other, striding swiftly to the front of the wine building. Liang Xiao saw that the monk's figure was familiar, but for a moment he couldn't think where he had seen him before.

  The old monk stood still, gazing at the crowd, and smiled: "What a commotion! What a commotion!" His voice was loud and clear. He raised his staff and struck the bell, which let out a loud "hum". The onlookers covered their ears. The old monk struck three times, and the crowd dispersed completely.

  The old monk smiled and said, "It's much quieter now!" With a flip of his hand, the bronze bell fell to the ground, blocking the entrance of the wine shop. The shopkeeper cried out in distress, "You bald thief! You've placed this huge thing at my door, can I still do business?" But seeing how extraordinary and intimidating he was, although he cursed and scolded, he didn't dare approach him to fight.

  The old monk laughed and said, "Good, good! The monk takes a break, and goes to the donor to ask for a cup of wine." Liang Xiao heard this sentence, and his heart skipped a beat: "Ah, it's him."

  This old monk was none other than the formidable monk who had gambled with Qin Bo in Chess Gorge years ago. That night, the darkness was so thick that Liang Xiao couldn't make out his features, and although he knew the monk wasn't young, he hadn't expected him to be this old. After his initial shock, he wondered, "Why is it only the old one? Where has the chubby-cheeked little monk gone?" He looked around but didn't see anyone.

  The shopkeeper said angrily, "None, not a single drop of wine!" The monk was not annoyed and smiled, "A sip of wine for a sip of energy, no wine, this bell can't be moved!" The shopkeeper saw his rascality, got angry and dizzy, turned around and beckoned to the apprentices: "Come, move the bell away!" Seven or eight apprentices surrounded him, used force together, their faces red and ears hot, but it was like a dragonfly trying to shake a pillar. Other diners also came to help, and after a flurry of activity, the bronze bell only swayed a few times.

  One of the apprentices had sharp eyes and whispered to the shopkeeper, "Isn't this the bell from Hanshan Temple?" The shopkeeper's face immediately turned pale. The great bell of Hanshan Temple was famous throughout the land, said to have been cast by Master Zhidé of the Tang Dynasty, weighing over a thousand catties. However, Hanshan Temple was tens of miles away from the city, and this monk had somehow managed to transport this unparalleled treasure here, with abilities akin to those of a god. The shopkeeper was terrified, his heart racing with anxiety.

  Tuohuan was delighted to see the old monk's majestic demeanor, and with a smile, he said: "I'd like to invite the master to have a drink with me!" The old monk looked at him and asked: "Do you know who I am?" Tuohuan was taken aback, then laughed and asked: "May I ask for your honorific name, Master?" The old monk smiled and replied: "You don't recognize me, so why do you want to invite me?"

  His face flushed with excitement, Gan Xing said with a dry smile: "Heroes of old lamented heroes..." The old monk didn't wait for him to finish and smiled slightly: "Heroes? In the past hundred years, jackals and tigers have ruled, what heroes are there?"

  This remark made Tie Huan greatly dissatisfied, and he said loudly: "The master is wrong. The Taizu of the Great Yuan was a great talent, destroying countless countries, isn't that heroic?" The old monk smiled and said: "Genghis Khan? He's just a mad dog that bites people at sight, what kind of hero is that?"

  Tuo Huan revered this great-grandfather as a god, and upon hearing the words, he forgot about the monk's ferocity. He shouted: "You bald donkey, how dare you insult our ancestor..." Realizing his mistake, he quickly shut up. The monk looked at him with a glance, smiled and remained silent. Harris saw that things were not going well, so he hastily stepped forward, injured, and joined his palms together to ask the old monk: "Excuse me, Master, are you perhaps the 9th generation of the Ruoshan Zen master?"

  The old monk looked at the diamond ring on his middle finger and smiled: "Snake Eye Demon Diamond? Are you the son of He Chou Snake? Hey, he's itching for a fight, and he still wants to come to Zhongyuan to ask for trouble?" Harris' facial muscles twitched, and he said in a low voice: "My father has never forgotten the kindness you showed him that day, and he instructed me to pay my respects when I met you. It's been five years at most, or three years at least, but I must come to Zhongyuan to meet with you." He paused for a moment, then added, "He also said that you have a broad mind and never treat others with contempt!" He knew that the old monk was all-powerful and rarely met his match, so he intentionally added this sentence to avoid trouble.

  Jiu Ru Ha Ha burst out laughing, and the black wooden stick "swished" out, pointing at Harris's chest. Harris didn't expect him to make a move despite his identity, and was shocked, just thinking of dodging, but his feet moved on their own, and the black wooden stick floated down, reaching his feet, and with one swing, it knocked him over. Harris couldn't stand up straight, and fell backwards, the black wooden stick suddenly swung again, landing on his back. Harris felt an enormous force like a mountain, his body not listening to commands, "thud", was pressed to the ground by the wooden stick, his head bleeding. Du Huan and others watched with their eyes wide, all of them looking pale.

  Jiuyou smiled and said, "Either your old man was wrong or you remembered it incorrectly. The monk loves to bully people like you who are useless. With a flick of his wrist, the stick poked Harris's chin, and Harris involuntarily flew towards Tuo Huan.

  Huoren and Atan rushed up together, wanting to hold him steady, but as soon as they touched him, they felt a weight like a mountain. Let alone the two of them being injured, even if they were not hurt at all, it was impossible for them to stand firmly. The two of them fell backwards, and all that could be heard was a mournful cry like a pig being slaughtered. The three people's combined weight of over 400 catties pressed heavily on Tuo Huan's body. The three men were frightened pale, and they struggled to get up, holding their master upright. Tuo Huan gritted his teeth in pain, and upon careful examination, it was found that he had broken two ribs. The three men did not dare to delay, and they carried Tuo Huan off to seek medical attention as quickly as possible.

  The shopkeeper saw Jiu Ru's divine power and his heart went blank, he took out a jug of wine and trembled as he said: "Here! Drink up and leave." Jiu Ru smiled and drank the wine in one gulp, licking his lips and saying: "Good wine, is there more?" The shopkeeper was notoriously stingy, seeing him drink such a large jug, he felt a sharp pain, hearing this he stomped his foot and shouted loudly: "How can this be! How can this be?!" Jiu Ru smiled and said: "The monk has already said it, one cup of wine is equal to one part of strength, now I only have half my strength, how can I move this bell?"

  The shopkeeper was so angry that his eyes rolled back, and he pointed at Jiu Ru, stuttering and unable to speak. Liang Xiao couldn't bear it anymore and shouted loudly: "Old monk, your skills are impressive, you should go find a great master to show off, bullying a hotel shopkeeper is nothing to brag about." The shopkeeper heard this and repeatedly nodded in agreement. The old monk glanced at Liang Xiao, put the wine jug to his mouth and tilted it twice, but not a single drop spilled out. He couldn't help but sigh, raised his wooden staff, and hooked it onto the copper ring on top of the giant bell. With a loud "hum" sound, the giant bell rose three feet into the air and then fell back down, creating a strong gust of wind that made people's skin hurt, causing everyone to cover their heads and run away. Jiu Ru, however, took large strides forward, steadily carrying the giant bell on his shoulder, and smiled at Liang Xiao: "Young man, which wine house is closest from here?"

  Liang Xiao couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, you still want to cheat people out of their wine?" Jiuru smiled and said, "You're absolutely wrong! Monks aren't cheating people, they're begging for alms! If we didn't use this method, who would give bald monks wine to drink?" Liang Xiao found it amusing and thought to himself, "This monk is really straightforward." The shopkeeper hid behind Liang Xiao and said in a stern tone, "What kind of begging is this? It's simply stealing, it's robbery..." Before he could finish speaking, the green-clothed woman grabbed his collar and pulled him aside, smiling and saying, "Old monk, I'll treat you to wine, how about that?"

  Here is the translation:

  Jiuruo looked her up and down, shook his head and said: "Girl, aren't you also like that Yuan dynasty prince, with ulterior motives? Let's make it clear beforehand, drinking is just drinking, and this monk won't listen to your words." The green-clothed woman snorted and scolded: "You're old and ugly, who would have designs on you? I'm just looking at how pitifully greedy you are!" Jiuruo's white eyebrows danced with laughter as he said: "Wonderful, wonderful! For that sentence alone, this monk must drink!" The green-clothed woman turned from anger to joy and said: "You're a monk who takes advantage of the situation and still wants to show off, as if I'm forcing you to drink." Jiuruo laughed and said: "Alright, let's say the monk is forcing you!" The green-clothed woman spoke seriously: "The people I want to invite, will have to drink even if they don't want to; those I don't want to invite, no matter how much I'm beaten or killed, I won't invite them!" After speaking, she glanced at Liang Xiao with a hint of cold smile on her lips.

  "Good! Good!" said Jiu Ru, nodding his head. "The young lady is right, the monk is being pretentious." The green-clothed woman laughed and said, "You, monk, have a heroic air about you, and the young lady likes you very much. No matter what, I must invite you to drink two tanks of wine with us." She pulled out a money bag from her bosom, untied the strap, and inside was glittering treasure. Jiu Ru praised, "Ah, this young lady is indeed wealthy!" The green-clothed woman laughed and said, "Monk, I must tell you beforehand, this money was all stolen by me. Do you dare to drink?" Jiu Ru was taken aback, furrowed his brow, and said, "The young lady is even more interesting. No matter, the monk will swindle and cheat without hesitation. As long as there's wine, I'll drink it without fail." The green-clothed woman burst out laughing when she heard this, but she wore a willow hat, and everyone regretted not being able to see her beautiful smile. She handed a gold ingot to the shopkeeper and said in a crisp voice, "Get ten tanks of 'Old Hag Wine'."

  The shopkeeper was taken aback: "Old lady wine?" The assistant next to him whispered: "It's the Five Beauties Wine." The shopkeeper quickly turned around and went to prepare it. The woman in green laughed and said: "Monk, let's go in and drink." Liang Xiao had already been furious for a long time, his face pale with rage, and shouted: "You thieving girl, aren't you ashamed? Stealing my money to treat others, don't you have any shame?" The woman in green laughed and said: "You're so petty. I'm treating you, and you're giving me money, that's really looking up to you!" Jiuru was surprised and said: "So the mastermind is here, girl, your hands and feet are quite quick!" The woman in green laughed and said: "What about it? I stole the money to treat people to drinks, which is more glorious than him taking it to visit prostitutes." Jiuru nodded and said: "Well said, well said, you're a real croaker!"

  Liang Xiao wanted to refute, but endured. He was irritable and quick-tempered, yet generous and righteous, saying he had a petty household air was unjust to him. Liang Xiao had long seen the old monk's martial arts style, admiring in his heart, not speaking out loud, but thinking: "You don't invite him, if I have money, I'll also invite him for a few cups." Thinking of this, he sighed and said: "Forget it, you thieves, after drinking, we'll settle the account!"

  The green-clothed woman thought that Liang Xiao would definitely get angry and have a big fight with her. But unexpectedly, this little scoundrel didn't get angry at all, which was really beyond her expectations. For a moment, she stared at Liang Xiao, suspicious in her heart: "Is this little rascal afraid of the old monk's martial arts? Hmph, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, how useless." She looked down on him very much in her heart.

  "Hey, little girl, are you going to drink this or not?" The woman in green glanced at Liang Xiao and coldly said, "If I don't drink it, then I won't." She walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiu Ru into the "Drunken But Not Returning Building". Just as Liang Xiao was about to step forward, Ming Gui said, "Forget it, the old monk's 'Great Vajra Power' is unmatched in the world, even a hundred of you wouldn't be able to defeat him." Liang Xiao coldly smiled and said, "I'm not going to fight them, can't I just watch?" He shook off Ming Gui's hand and walked into the wine building.

  Ming Gui reluctantly followed, but saw Jiu Ru hanging the copper bell in the hall, with a green-clad woman holding one of the "Five Beauties" wine jars, sitting opposite each other. The group of sturdy men led by the blue-robed Han did not see any trace, presumably taking advantage of the chaos to leave, emptying two eight-immortal tables, Liang Xiao and Ming Gui stepped forward and sat down beside one of them.

  The woman in green clothes opened the wine jar's mud seal, laughing: "Monk, I'll be the host, let's have a drink first!" She brought the wine jar close to Sakura's mouth and drank it all in one gulp. Wiping her lips, she laughed: "I've finished drinking..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly froze, and in front of Jiu, two empty jars had already been placed down.

  The green-clad woman laughed and said, "Good monk! You really know how to drink!" For a moment, the wine's effects surged up, she took off her willow hat and tossed it aside, and on her snow-like cheeks appeared two touches of peach red. Jiuru again opened a vat of wine, laughing and saying, "Girl, you're born beautiful, but your drinking skills? Ha! They can't compare to the monk's!" The green-clad woman was not convinced, saying, "At the foot of Tian Mountain, no one has ever outdrunk me!" As she spoke, she picked up another vat of wine.

  Jiuruo laughed and said, "What a pity to have wine but no meat! It's just like a general without soldiers, you can't win any battles!" The woman in green laughed and said, "Monk, if you want to eat meat, just say so, why make up so many excuses?" She turned to the shopkeeper and said, "Shopkeeper, bring out a whole roasted sheep!" Jiuruo laughed and said, "A whole roasted sheep? Wonderful! Wonderful!" He downed half a jar of fine wine in one gulp. "Girl, we've eaten and drunk, but I haven't even asked your name yet?"

  The woman in green smiled slightly and said: "My surname is Liu." Jiuru raised an eyebrow and responded with a soft "oh".

  The shopkeeper saw the arrival of Caishen, and hurriedly called on everyone to work harder. Before long, a fragrant whole sheep was brought to the table, and the woman in green tore off a piece and put it in her mouth, praising: "This roasted lamb is different from ours at home, crispy when bitten, soft when chewed, less mutton smell, and more sweet fragrance." The shopkeeper smiled apologetically: "When roasting the lamb, different fire temperatures were used, and chicken, duck, pig, and cow oils were applied. Twelve flavors of dried fruit, including yangmei, longan, apricot, and peach kernel, were also stuffed into the sheep's belly."

  The woman in green said, "So many taboos?" Jiuru tore off a leg of lamb and devoured it, saying, "Still, women's tongues are clever, huh? Monks can't tell these subtleties." The two chatted and laughed, and finished the wine. Jiuru held his wine with his left hand and ate meat with his right, alternating hands as he drank all five jars of fine wine and ate ninety percent of the meat. The woman in green was not convinced, and insisted on drinking two jars of old wine dry, her cheeks suddenly flushed like fire, her cherry lips smiling with hidden feelings, her eyes shining brightly.

  At this time, a shout was heard from outside the door, and more than ten monks rushed in, each holding a stick. The old monk's expression was stern, and when he saw the situation inside the store, he became furious, his whole body trembling with rage. He pointed at Jiu Ru: "You scoundrel! You came to hang up a signboard, but you stole the copper bell from our temple. Not only that, but you also drank wine and ate meat with this woman, completely destroying the Buddhist rules of conduct!" The shopkeeper recognized the man as Master Hongwu, the abbot of Hanshan Temple, and hastily stepped forward. Before he could explain, the old monk slapped him to the ground, scolding: "You are also reckless! Selling wine and meat to monks, making the Buddha in the Western Heaven ashamed?" As he spoke, his stick swung down towards Jiu Ru's head.

  Jiuruo dodged the incoming stick, stood up, and was surrounded by a group of monks wielding sticks. Jiuruo smiled and said: "Hongwu, you keep calling out to Buddha's ancestors, do you know where Buddha is? Where are the ancestors?" Hongwu was taken aback, and sternly replied: "Buddha is above your six yang meridians, the ancestors are between your eyebrows! Buddha unleashes thunderbolts, cracking open your stubborn heart; the ancestors emit golden light, piercing through your dim old eyes!" Jiuruo sneered: "I think you're the one with a stubborn brain and dim old eyes!" Hongwu angrily retorted: "Nonsense!" Jiuruo burst out laughing and said: "Can't you see?" Hongwu asked: "What?" Jiuruo pointed to his nose tip, smiling: "You can't guess, right?" Hongwu was stunned again: "What?"

  Like a great bell tolling, the thirty-two words rang out. Hongwu was taken aback, as if he had been struck by a blunt instrument. He stared blankly for a moment, then flew into a rage: "You brazen monk! You're talking nonsense! You've stolen our bronze bell and swindled us out of food and drink. What nerve you have to call yourself the Buddha!" Jiuru burst out laughing and picked up the bronze bell with his black wooden staff, slinging it over his shoulder. He strode towards the gate, while the two monks chased after him, swinging their staffs. The staffs struck Jiuru's body, but instantly shattered into four pieces.

  Jiuruo said in a loud voice: "Stolen from the universe, hidden in my sleeve. Mahaprajnaparamita, who cares what people say is short or long!" He raised his stick and struck the giant bell, looking up at the sky and laughing loudly, the sound of the bell and laughter echoing together, like an angry dragon rushing to the heavens.

  The monks followed and chased out, with Jiu Ru's footsteps as swift as the wind, disappearing from sight in an instant. Hongwu pondered Jiu Ru's words, and suddenly a gleam of insight flashed in his mind. "Ah," he exclaimed to himself, "this monk is pretending to be foolish, but every sentence has a sharp edge, isn't he trying to break through my mental barrier?" After some thought, he felt that if he didn't catch up with Jiu Ru and ask him clearly, this lifetime as a monk would be in vain. So he shouted, "Chase! Chase!" and rolled and crawled forward to pursue. The other monks thought he wanted to retrieve the bronze bell and also chased after him, each holding a staff.

  Liang Xiao saw the old monk disappear, stood up and walked to the green-clad woman's front, coldly saying: "The helper you were looking for is gone!" The green-clad woman supported her cheek with one hand, listening to him speak without lifting her head. Liang Xiao thought she was underestimating him, swung his hand and said: "I'm talking to you! Why don't you pay attention?" He pressed on the green-clad woman's shoulder, the woman stumbled almost falling down. Lifting up her head, her drunken eyes were slanted, her face like a blooming peach flower, she twisted her waist and stood up, muttering: "Little... little lecher... hmm... do you want to die?"

  Liang Xiao furrowed his brow and reached out to grab the girl's right arm. He had calculated that this move would lead to six or seven subsequent moves, and the green-clothed girl would have nowhere to escape. Unexpectedly, as soon as he grabbed her, there were endless changes below, but not a single one could be made. He was taken aback, and before he knew it, the green-clothed girl had fallen into his arms. Liang Xiao feared she was using a trick, and hastily wanted to push her away, but unexpectedly, the green-clothed girl's body was as soft as a feather, sticky and clinging, stuck to his chest, not moving at all.

  Liang Xiao felt a little embarrassed, and pushed her saying: "Thieving girl, what's wrong with you? Get up quickly, we haven't settled our accounts yet! Hey, can you hear me? Hmm... You really fell asleep..." No matter how he scolded, the green-clothed woman just lay in his arms, her cheeks bright red, her eyes tightly closed, her eyelashes long and dense, with a hint of sadness between her eyebrows.

  Ming returned to his seat, laughing and saying: "Little girl doesn't know the weight of things, is this hundred-year-old wine something to be drunk casually? Beautiful women all like it, but too much can harm the body. 'Five Beauties Wine' goes down easily, but its aftertaste is full-bodied, Old Monk's divine skill is unparalleled, he can naturally dissolve it, Little Girl has some weight, dare you compete with him in drinking?"

  He had a look of schadenfreude, Liang Xiao cried and laughed, lowered his head to glance at the green-clothed woman, saw her drunk and charming, couldn't help but think: "This chick looks pretty good, humph, but it's none of my business."

  He hesitated for a moment, and Minggui said again: "Liang Xiao, this woman is unparalleled in beauty, do you like her?" Liang Xiao hummed, led the horse out of the door. Seeing him holding his master, the lipstick horse was also very obedient, and he walked as soon as he pulled it.

  Liang Xiao disliked the green-clad woman, but he loved her horse and couldn't help reaching out to touch it. The first time, the chestnut mare sidestepped and avoided him, but the second time she sensed that Liang Xiao had no malicious intent and allowed him to stroke her silky coat.

  Liang Xiao Ai was eager to ride it, but seeing its proud and extraordinary appearance, he thought: "It's so arrogant, wouldn't riding on its back humiliate it?" So he endured not riding. When Minggui returned and saw him enduring hardship, he only said that he was infatuated with the beauty of the green-clad girl, thinking to himself: "Wonderful! I'll first use some tricks to make you two inseparable like honey and oil, then use this woman as a hostage. Hmph, you little scoundrel's passionate love will be fooled by my intimidation, what more could you not say?"

  Liang Xiao stopped when they reached a secluded area. Ming Gui pointed to a distant place and said, "There's an inn over there, take her to rest." Liang Xiao grunted in response, and Ming Gui smiled again, "She drank three jars of hundred-year-old wine and got extremely drunk. You help her into the inn first, I'll go buy some medicine to sober her up." Liang Xiao looked at him with suspicion: "The old fox is being overly kind, something's not right." Ming Gui laughed, "Don't be suspicious, I just want you to settle this matter quickly so we can set off early and make big plans together!"

  Liang Xiao had no interest in what he said was "big business", but the green-clothed woman twisted and turned in his arms, really making people feel uncomfortable. The young man's blood was not yet settled, holding such a charming beauty, couldn't help but speed up his heartbeat, broke out in a big sweat, heard the words didn't think, just walked towards the inn.

  Ming Gui gazed at his back, faintly sneering. He turned around and walked into a pharmacy on the street, ordering several medicinal herbs. The pharmacist looked puzzled and said in a low voice, "Sir, forgive me for being presumptuous, but these herbs are extremely potent when combined!" Ming Gui coldly replied, "Just prepare them, no need to waste words." The pharmacist nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, "This old man is still sharp-minded despite his age, and he's not afraid of choking to death." Ming Gui grabbed the medicine, had the pharmacist grind it into a powder, and wrapped it in paper. As he walked back to the inn, he thought about how to administer the poison, how to make the two men reconcile, and how to use the young maid as a hostage to force Liang Xiao to reveal his martial arts secrets. The more he thought, the more pleased he became, and he couldn't help but burst into loud laughter. Just as his laughter was subsiding, he heard someone say coldly, "Ming brother is in high spirits!" Ming Gui's entire body shook, and he turned around with a smile, saying, "Qin younger brother has truly gone to great lengths, chasing all the way to Suzhou!"

  Qin Bofu stood five zhang away, coldly smiling and saying: "Where's Liang Xiao?" Ming Gui burst out laughing and taunted: "The person is gone, but there's a pile of white bones! Do you want them or not?" Qin Bofu's eyes widened in rage, he let out a loud roar, and with a flash, his palms shot out.

  Ming Gui's single palm sealed one side, and the two men's palms clashed in mid-air. Ming Gui suddenly flew up several feet. Qin Bo Fu was slightly stunned for a moment before he came to his senses: "This thief is cunning, using my own strength to escape!"

  Ming returned to the rooftop, suddenly feeling a strong gust of wind approaching. His heart skipped a beat as he turned around and met another palm strike. He felt his opponent's force was majestic, like a high mountain and flowing water. Glancing sideways, Hua Qingyuan's face was deathly pale, shouting: "You...you really killed Xiao'er! If I don't kill you today, heaven will not tolerate it!" With a loud whooshing sound, he launched six palm strikes in succession, all fueled by rage.

  Ming Gui retreated step by step, easily standing firm on his feet. Qin Bo Fu also jumped onto the roof, considering Hua Qing Yuan's identity, he stood aside and watched. After less than twenty moves, Ming Gui burst out laughing, clapping out a palm. Just as Hua Qing Yuan was about to counterattack, Ming Gui suddenly raised his left hand, **powder flying straight at him**. Hua Qing Yuan feared it was poison, holding his breath as he retreated. Qin Bo Fu saw Ming Gui use a sinister move to harm someone, disregarding the rules, loudly shouting as he attacked with his palm. Ming Gui flipped his foot and kicked back, several green tiles flying towards him. The tiles flew into mid-air, but were pushed back by Qin Bo Fu's palm wind, unexpectedly rebounding back.

  Ming Gui bowed his head to let him pass, Hua Qingyuan rushed over, just in time to meet the tile, and had no choice but to stop his momentum and slap it open. Ming Gui saw an opportunity, flew out from beside him, and attacked with a palm. Hua Qingyuan was caught off guard, flailing about in a flurry of activity.

  Ming returned to the alley, exerting his lightness skill to escape. Qin Bo and Hua Qingyuan chased after him, and the three of them ran wildly through the streets of Suzhou. Ming took advantage of the terrain, using cunning tactics to shake off his pursuers. After a long chase, Qin and Hua finally lost track of him. Enraged, Qin smashed a stone horse-tethering post with one punch. Hua had already suspected that Liang Xiao was doomed, but still held onto a glimmer of hope. Alas, fate played tricks on people, and Liang ultimately fell into evil hands. Overwhelmed with grief and despair, Hua pounded the earthen wall by the street, wailing loudly, oblivious to the crowd around him.

  Qin Bohou grasped the nature of the situation, suppressed his sorrow and anger, patted Hu Qingyuan's shoulder and said: "Palace Master, what's the use of crying? We should find the traitor and avenge Liang Xiao!" Hu Qingyuan gritted his teeth and nodded: "Brother Qin is right, let's go find Minggui now!" The two men harbored a bellyful of hatred and anger as they headed north.

  Ming Gui shook off the two men, knowing that the masters of Tianji Palace would soon arrive one after another, and it was bad luck. He circled back to the inn, preparing to take away Liang Xiao. Before he arrived, he suddenly heard loud shouts and cries for help. Looking from a distance, the inn was engulfed in thick smoke, with people nearby fetching water from the river to put out the fire. Ming Gui's eyes widened in shock, fearing that the fire would attract enemies, and thought to himself: "Of the thirty-six strategies, running away is the best; can't bother with that little brat anymore." He fled out of Suzhou City in one breath, heading north overnight.

  Liang Xiao hugged the green-clad woman, called for a guest room, and threw her onto the bed. He then asked his partner to bring hot water to wash his face. Feeling listless, he sat by the window, thinking about embracing the green-clad woman, only to feel his heart racing, his ears burning, and couldn't help but steal glances at the woman.

  After a while, Minggui didn't return, and suddenly, from afar, near the stone arch bridge, a yellow horse came galloping. The horse's owner was an old man with a long beard, about fifty years old, with a precious sword at his waist and a silver bow on his back. He glanced over here, then suddenly took out an arrow, lit it with a fire starter, took down the silver bow, and shot an arrow into the sky. The fire arrow pierced the air, bursting into six-colored flames. Liang Xiao thought to himself: "This flame is quite interesting, I wonder where he bought it, I'll buy one too to play with!"

  That man shot an arrow, then drew another one, aiming at the vermilion horse in front of the inn. Liang Xiao was shocked. "Whoosh", the old man with a curly beard loosed his longbow, and Liang Xiao hastily threw out his teacup, hitting the arrow right on target. The arrow fell to the ground, that man raised his eyes to look over, only to see Liang Xiao lightly jumping down, picking up the feathered arrow, and shouting: "Return it to you!"

  An arrow flew towards the old man with a curly beard.

  The old man raised his bow and shot an arrow, Liang Xiao dodged to the side of his horse, using "Xihe's Sun Control" from the "Great Spirit Realm", flipping over and kicking. The old man was not to be underestimated, he flipped off the stirrup and emerged from under the horse's belly, counter-kicking Liang Xiao's back. Liang Xiao avoided the kick, his body flipping over, both legs wrapping around the old man's neck. The old man also flipped onto the horse's back, kicking down with his feet.

  Two men stuck to Huang's horse, exchanging six or seven moves. Liang Xiao couldn't gain the upper hand and was extremely surprised in his heart: "What origin does this old guy have?"

  Suddenly, the sound of horseshoes echoed loudly. Liang Xiao turned his head and saw several riders galloping towards him from the east. The leader shouted in a loud voice, "Chu Lao Da, where is the female thief?" The old man replied, "The horse is here, but the person... Ah!" As he was distracted, Liang Xiao's finger wind swept past his forehead, and he hastily cried out, "Little thief, catch him!"

  Liang Xiao took advantage of the opportunity to rush out, looked up and saw that more than a dozen riders were rushing towards him from all directions. Chu Lao Da escaped the predicament, flipped onto his horse, hooked on an arrow branch, just about to open the bow, when suddenly "bang" - the bowstring snapped into two pieces. He was taken aback, then suddenly realized that Liang Xiao had sabotaged him before leaving, using his fingertips to snap the bowstring.

  Liang Xiao saw the approaching person with a fierce momentum, and in a strange interval, a clear whistle came, and a yellow-clad woman jumped up from her horseback, without touching the ground, rushing towards the guest house.

  Liáng Xiāo blocked her way, grabbing at the woman in yellow and shouting: "Where are you going?" The woman in yellow turned around and slapped Liáng Xiāo's paw with her palm. Liáng Xiāo looked closely and saw that it was a beautiful middle-aged woman with a delicate face. The woman shouted: "Who are you?" Liáng Xiāo heard her voice and suddenly remembered that the person was the one called "Second Wife" by the canal.

  Liang Xiao's eyes rolled, and she smiled slyly: "Second Lady, has your husband's broken leg healed?" Very few people knew about Lei Xing's broken leg, so the woman in yellow was stunned, exclaiming: "You... how did you know?" As she spoke, her feet came to a stop.

  Liang Xiao took advantage of the opportunity to rush into the room, grab the green-clad woman on the bed, and was about to jump out the window when the yellow-clad woman flashed over like lightning, waving a long sword in her hand, and shouted: "Put that wretch down!" The long sword flew back and forth, its technique exquisite and extraordinary. Liang Xiao was hard-pressed to counterattack with his hands tied behind his back, and could only dodge left and right. After exchanging less than three moves, there was a loud crash from the east side, the wall collapsed, and an iron tower-like giant leapt in on horseback, holding a massive iron hammer weighing dozens of kilograms, with thick iron chains wrapped around his sturdy arm, shouting: "Second Lady, where is the female thief?" His voice was coarse and loud, and he was none other than Lei Dalang, who had personally chopped off his son's leg by the canal.

  A woman in yellow was worried about the beam being slippery, when she suddenly saw her husband rushing over and exclaimed: "It's right in this kid's hands!" The big man let out a loud "Hah" and swung his iron hammer through the air, causing the wall to collapse and the bed to break, with debris flying everywhere.

  Liang Xiao didn't dare to confront her directly, so he leapt up and kicked off the iron chain, using the momentum to dash towards the door. The woman in yellow saw through his intentions and stabbed at him with her long sword. Liang Xiao used all his strength for this jump, and his hands were not free, so in his desperation, he spat a mouthful of saliva straight at the woman's face. The beautiful woman was fastidious and even in her surprise and anger, she didn't forget to dodge, giving Liang Xiao the opportunity to rush out of the door with one breath.

  As soon as he went out, two men rushed towards him. Liang Xiao kicked his leg into the air and took big strides as if in a frenzy. The two men couldn't withstand this move "Receiving the Whirlwind Song" and hastily retreated. Liang Xiao gained some space, turned around and kicked again, using the fake mountain in the courtyard as a springboard to jump onto the rooftop. He stood on one foot, his body swaying in the wind. The crowd wanted to follow him up but he lifted his leg and kicked off the tiles, sending those who were climbing up tumbling down.

  "With a loud crash, the wall was broken and the room was destroyed. The giant man rode his horse out of the house, cursing: "Straight mother thief!" He shook the iron chain, and a piece of the wing room was knocked down. Liang Xiao dodged to the side, and the big man wanted to swing his hammer again, but the iron chain was entangled in the beam, unable to move, and he cursed loudly."

  Liang Xiao burst out laughing. Lei Dalang cursed twice, then suddenly shouted: "Use 'fire thunder' to force him down!" Three shells flew in response. Liang Xiao hastily dodged, and as the shells hit the ground, a deafening roar erupted, debris splashed everywhere, and flames burst forth.

  Liang Xiao was shocked in his heart, and saw three "fire thunder" thrown over, hastily flying out of the body. The back of the explosion sounded continuously, the debris hit the back, a sharp pain. At this time, the fire followed the wind, and the guest house was wrapped in flames. Liang Xiao looked down and saw more than ten people holding knives and swords, surrounding him from all sides. He lost his geographical advantage, and hugged the green-clothed woman, with both hands inconvenient, couldn't help but cry out in distress repeatedly.

  Suddenly a "hua" sound was heard, and a white shadow flashed in front of the house. Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he shouted loudly: "Yanzhi!"

  The vermilion horse galloped wildly, its four hooves splayed out, and it kicked two people. It was agile and powerful, with boundless energy, its speed unmatched by even the most skilled martial artists. The crowd's attention was focused on the young couple on the rooftop, when suddenly the horse's hooves came flying in, catching them off guard, and several people fell to the ground, rolling around like gourds.

  The Lipstick Horse whinnied loudly and leaped into the air, its body suspended in mid-air. Liang Xiao executed a perfect somersault and landed steadily on the horse's back. The Lipstick Horse galloped like lightning, darting into a narrow alleyway. Before they had run less than a hundred paces, an eight-foot high wall blocked their path. Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat as he thought of reining in the horse to change direction. But then he saw the Lipstick Horse's hooves flying by like feathers, and his heart stirred. Closing his eyes, he shouted loudly: "Good Lipstick, I trust you!"

  The horse neighed loudly, as if responding, and ran to the front of the high wall. With a burst of energy, it jumped over the wall and landed on its hooves, then took off running. Liang Xiao's eyes widened with joy, and he couldn't stop praising: "Good horse, good horse..."

  He turned back to see thick smoke billowing, rushing straight up into the sky, the inn was set ablaze by "fire lightning", and the fire spread rapidly with the wind, unstoppable.

  Liang Xiao was secretly shocked, and from a distance he saw that the front was already the city gate. At the head of the city gate's drawbridge, no less than ten riders on horseback were coming face to face. Liang Xiao wanted to turn around, but five more riders came from the left side, and there were also knights surrounding him from behind and from the right side. Before he could react, Zhenzhi didn't dodge or avoid them, and instead charged forward. Liang Xiao was startled and shouted: "This horse is too stupid! It should go where there are fewer people!" As he spoke, Zhenzhi had already reached the bridgehead, with both sides less than ten zhang apart.

  Liang Xiao's steel teeth bit down, and he laid the green-robed woman across his horse. "Clang" - he drew out his sword. Unexpectedly, Zhu Yiren stood up while running, let out a long whistle, her voice like gold and stone, piercing through the sky.

  This proud horse was originally the king of wild horses north of Tian Shan, later it was tamed by the master of the green-robed woman. Vermilion was born to be overbearing, able to fight tigers and leopards, ordinary horses were naturally afraid of it, this one whinny, showed its intimidating aura that awed all horses. The fine horses opposite heard it, shook their heads and tails, scattered and galloped wildly. Many knights pulled the reins and ropes, got their horses' mouths bleeding, but couldn't stop their mounts from fleeing. One horse didn't distinguish east from west, brought its master with it, "whoosh" rushed into the moat.

  Liáng Xiāo saw its majestic appearance, and was both startled and delighted. The vermilion horse retreated the group of horses, and leaped over the bridge. The crowd of knights knew that if this horse escaped, even with all the troops in the world, it would be impossible to catch up. As they galloped, with Chǔ Lǎo Dà at the lead, they repeatedly drew their bows and nocked arrows, and behind Liáng Xiāo's back, the sound of arrows whizzing through the air was like rain hitting banana leaves.

  The vermilion horse suddenly darted left and right, galloping wildly, but the archers were mostly skilled marksmen, and it was still shot in the hind leg by an arrow. The arrowhead was a three-edged blade, and once hit, fresh blood gushed out along the blood groove. The precious horse let out a loud neigh in pain. Liang Xiao's heart was burning with anxiety, when suddenly someone shouted loudly: "Don't shoot anymore! It's agreed that this horse belongs to me!" The shouting grew louder and louder, and by the time it reached "me", the voice was like thunder, as if right beside his ear. As soon as this shout ended, the rain of arrows paused for a moment.

  Liang Xiao hastily turned his head, a green-clad man was walking swiftly, less than ten feet behind the horse. Liang Xiao drew his sword and lay down, the man laughed loudly, without stopping his steps, his right hand swung out, "Ding" sound as he struck the hilt of the sword. Liang Xiao's tiger mouth felt numb and aching, his long sword almost slipped from his grasp. The man pointed again but didn't send Liang Xiao's precious sword flying, instead he let out an "Eh?" sound, his left hand reached for the rear of the horse.

  The vermilion horse let out a long whinny, took a step forward and suddenly darted out more than four zhangs. The man missed his grab and hastily chased after it, but unexpectedly the vermilion horse was still swift and unrivaled despite its injuries. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached a distance of over twenty zhangs. The green-robed man couldn't catch up to it, feeling both shocked and delighted in his heart. He was shocked that this precious horse could still have such speed even after being injured; he was delighted because this precious horse was matchless and he wanted to get it even more.

  The vermilion-painted arrow flew for dozens of miles, and the pursuers were finally shaken off. Liang Xiao couldn't bear to let it run anymore, so he stopped by the side of the road, pulled out an arrow, and bandaged the wound with a piece of cloth torn from his clothes. Taking a closer look, he saw that the arrow shaft was engraved with the character "Chu". He couldn't help but glance at the green-clad woman who was still sleeping soundly on horseback, thinking to himself: "Could it be that the female thief mentioned by Lei Dalang and Erniang is actually her?" Recalling the tragic scene of Lei Xing's leg being chopped off by his own father, he thought again, "This wicked girl deserves to be caught by her enemies."

  He let out a sigh, placed the green-clad woman on the horse's back, and tied her securely with the reins. "Good horse, I'm not going to bother with you anymore, take her and escape." He turned around and walked away. However, he heard the sound of hooves behind him, and the crimson horse followed him stupidly, so he had to say again: "Good horse, when I said I wouldn't bother, I meant it. If anything happens, blame your owner for being cruel and attracting so many enemies." He turned around and walked away again, but the crimson horse continued to follow him. Whenever Liang Xiao sped up, the horse would speed up too; whenever Liang Xiao slowed down, the horse would slow down as well. Just when Liang Xiao was about to scold it, the horse approached him with its nose and breathed on his face. Liang Xiao's heart softened, and he stroked the horse's mane. He glanced at the green-clad woman again, and his heartbeat quickened. With a bitter smile, he said: "Good horse, I'm staying because of you, not because of your owner." He turned around and carried the woman on his back. This time, their skin touched, and it felt different from before. Liang Xiao's heart beat faster, feeling strange, but no matter how clever he was, he couldn't figure out the reason behind it.

  Passing through a small valley, I saw the misty waves of Taihu Lake. Liang Xiao was thinking of going somewhere when he suddenly heard the sound of horseshoes. Someone exclaimed with joy: "He's here!" Liang Xiao dodged too late and turned around to see a young man with a handsome face jumping off his horse, sneering coldly: "You little brat, what is your relationship with this cheap woman? Hmph, has she been injured? You're doomed...". His voice was clear and crisp, speaking rapidly, but when he saw the other party didn't respond, he said again: "Are you mute? Put down the female thief and get out of here quickly!"

  Liang Xiao remained silent, his face cold. The young man's cheeks flushed red as he shook his hand and thrust his sword at Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao used one hand to steady the green-robed woman on his back, watching the sword come towards him before slapping the hilt of the young man's sword with his palm. The young man's sword tip veered off course, leaving his chest wide open, and he instinctively withdrew his sword to defend himself, looking up to see Liang Xiao still standing in the same spot. Enraged, the young man stabbed again, this time faster and more viciously. Liang Xiao watched the sword come towards him, slapping it away with a loud "slap" once more. In an instant, the young man unleashed five swift and deadly stabs, each one deflected by Liang Xiao's palm strikes.

  The young man used the sixth sword, ashamed and angry, he didn't care about any moves, his body and sword merged into one, and he rushed up fiercely. Liang Xiao's move "Palm Operation of the World" comes from Yang Zhu in "Horizontal and Vertical Realm", Yang Zhu was one of the pre-Qin masters, who once said "Ruling the world is like operating palms". This palm is extremely good at being heavy yet light, it looks like a casual slap, but it's actually mysterious and boundless. To deal with a formidable opponent, you need to combine it with body techniques and add changes. The young man's martial arts are far inferior to Liang Xiao's, who can defeat him even when standing still.

  Suddenly seeing the opponent's urgent and desperate situation, Liang Xiao smiled slightly, made a move "Yi Qiu Tossing Son", with his left hand's two fingers as if picking up chess pieces, pressing on the sword body. Yi Qiu is the god of Go, this move is quite in line with the Tao of Go, hitting exactly the place where the old and new forces of the sword are cut off.

  The young man's hand slipped out of the tiger's mouth, and his long sword fell to the ground. Liang Xiao's right claw suddenly extended, reaching for his opponent's chest, but as soon as he touched it, he felt a soft, smooth, and slippery sensation, and his heart was filled with wonder. His hand hesitated for a moment. The young man struggled desperately, and with a ripping sound, several layers of clothing were torn apart, revealing a pink camisole underneath.

  Liang Xiao was taken aback, staring intently. The young man let out a shrill cry, covering his chest and retreating two steps. Liang Xiao suddenly realized, blurting out: "Ah, you're a woman!"

  The girl, dressed as a boy, had a face red like blood, and she covered her chest with her clothes, staring at Liang Xiao with tears rolling in her eyes. Liang Xiao wanted to tease her for another sentence or two, but suddenly heard a long whistle coming from the east. The girl heard the laughter and exclaimed excitedly: "Dad, come quick!" Liang Xiao saw her face filled with joy, and an evil thought arose in his heart, coldly saying: "Even if your mom came, it would be useless." He waved his hand and grabbed the girl's chest again. The girl had been grabbed by him once before, and she was so ashamed that she wanted to die, how could she let him succeed? She scolded: "Little lecher!" One hand protected her collar, and the other hand came to block Liang Xiao's paw. Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao's grab was just a feint, seeing that she used all her strength to protect her chest, her waist and abdomen revealed a weakness, he smiled slyly, and lightly pressed the girl's Qi Hai point. The girl's energy was drained, and she was hugged by Liang Xiao.

  Liang Xiao had a beauty on his back and a young girl in his arms. If Deng Tu Zi were to see him, he would surely envy his good fortune. But Liang Xiao was in a precarious situation and didn't have time to enjoy the warmth of the soft jade, as he could only watch the horses and men closing in on him from all sides. Seeing that there were fewer people in the north, Liang Xiao took large strides and rushed over. The first person he encountered in the north was a woman in yellow clothes, who drew her sword and stabbed at Liang Xiao as soon as she saw him. Liang Xiao chuckled and pulled the girl into his arms. This move of taking a hostage was an evil trick he had learned from Ming Gui.

  The beautiful woman's sword aura was fierce and piercing, causing the young girl's face to ache with pain, unable to bear it, she let out a sharp cry: "Auntie!"

  The beautiful woman saw her appearance, and without a moment's delay, she drew back the long sword. "Chu Wan..." She hadn't finished speaking when Liang Xiao rushed out two zhang, four people in front of him waving their swords to block his way. Liang Xiao treated Chu Wan as a weapon and danced wildly.

  Everyone's heart was filled with apprehension, four swords flew electrically and hovered in front of Chu Wan, scaring the girl into closing her eyes and screaming repeatedly. The beautiful woman rushed up, wielding her long sword, clanging loudly, and the four swords fell to the ground.

  Liango smiled and said, "Thank you, Second Lady!" The woman in yellow scolded him with a "tch" and glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes. Seeing that many people were approaching, Liango patted his horse's rear and said with a smile, "Good horse, let's suffer a bit more?" He turned over and mounted the horse, which galloped away with its four hooves scattering mud everywhere, dashing into the mountains. The crowd found out that Chu Wan had been captured and didn't dare to pursue too closely, but instead followed from afar.

  Liang Xiao took advantage of the mountain terrain to circle around, and by dusk, he was afraid that Zhu Yan's injury would worsen, so he got off his horse and walked with Qing Yi Nu on his back. Chu Wan was lying across the horse, scolding "little beast, little rascal" all the way. At first, Liang Xiao didn't have time to bother with her, but after listening to a few sentences, he became annoyed, glared at her with anger in his eyes, and Chu Wan didn't show weakness either, staring back at him with wide eyes, and scolding again: "Little lecher."

  "Alright, curse one more time and I'll rip your pants off too!" Chu Wan was startled by him and tears began to flow from her eyes. Liang Xiao calmed down and thought: "One thief is already a burden, adding another would make it impossible to escape." He pulled Chu Wan off the horse, opened up her acupoints, and shouted: "Scram!" After that, he walked away.

  Chu Wan was taken aback, gritted her teeth, seemingly made up her mind, ran a couple of steps, and shouted loudly: "Little... little brat, stop right there! I have something to say!"

  Liang Xiao glared and said, "You want to get beaten up again?" Chu Wan rushed in front of him, hands on her hips, eyebrows raised, and hummed, "Why did you let me go?" Liang Xiao saw that she had gained freedom, his temper rose again, and he was both angry and amused. He said, "You're ugly, your mouth is unpleasant, whoever meets you will be unlucky. Let's just forget it and consider ourselves lucky."

  Chu Wan's cheeks flushed red, and she glared at the green-clad woman with a scowl. She bit her lip and whispered, "Who's ugly? How much better looking is she than me?" Liang Xiao chuckled and said, "You're right, she does look better than you." Chu Wan had thought so too, but when Liang Xiao said it out loud, she felt a strange sensation in her heart. She burst into a loud scolding, "You little rascal... humph, you're talking nonsense!" As the most beautiful woman in her family, everyone looked at her with admiration, but now she was being compared unfavorably. The more beautiful a woman is, the more jealous she becomes when it comes to looks. Chu Wan couldn't help but say angrily, "So what if she's beautiful? She's just a thieving woman!" Liang Xiao asked in confusion, "You call her a thief, what did she steal from you?"

  Chu Wan said, "She stole the treasure of my family's ancestral home."Liang Xiao said, "What treasure?"Chu Wan hesitated for a moment and said, "Didn't the female thief tell you? Hmm, this...can't be told to you."

  Liang Xiao recalled the words of the woman in yellow clothes by the canal, his heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out: "Pure Yang Iron Box?" Chu Wan let out an "ah" and was shocked: "Little thief, how did you know? Is... is that box in your hands?"

  Liang Xiao's heart was filled with joy: "This is what they call 'effortless success', heaven has brought this treasure into my hands." Chu Wan saw him smiling and thought to herself: "I need to think of a way to trick him into handing it over." So she coldly said: "When that female thief escaped, she killed three gardeners from the 'Tian Xiang Mountain Villa' and burned down Third Uncle's entire flower field. Hmph, I heard she even stole from officials and wealthy families along the way, and even dared to steal from the Emperor's inner palace. What's most infuriating is that every time she steals, she always leaves behind the name 'Tian Shan Liu Yingying', truly arrogant." Liang Xiao thought: "So the thief girl's name is Liu Yingying." He smiled slightly and nodded, saying: "Stealing and leaving a name, impressive!"

  Chu Wan snorted, "You know what? Third Uncle is furious this time. He broke through the barrier and left the village to catch the female thief. His martial arts skills are unparalleled, if you don't hand her over to me, your life will be in danger!"

  Liang Xiao thought to himself, "Among the people I've met, only Xiao Qian and Jiu Ru can be considered to have unmatched martial arts skills. Your Third Uncle is probably just bragging about his own abilities!" However, he didn't say anything out loud, merely smiling slightly. Chu Wan observed his expression and thought that she had convinced him, so she continued, "If you're tempted by this female thief's beauty, I advise you to give up on that idea. My cousin Lei Xing was infatuated with this fox spirit and ended up losing a leg, becoming a cripple for the rest of his life."

  She was talking about the misfortune of her cousin, with a tone of schadenfreude. She paused for a moment and then said: "You don't know yet, do you? Our 'Tian Xiang Mountain Villa' and Uncle Lei's 'Lei Gong Fortress' are the two most powerful martial arts families in the world today. Even 'Participating in Heaven' Fang Lan and 'Master of the Divine Eagle Gate' Jing Fei have to show respect when they come to my house. Besides, now that the government is furious and has sent out Jiangnan's number one detective He Shengyang, if you help this female thief again, it will be like going against the whole world."

  Li Shao heard the three words "He Xiangyang" and snorted, thinking to himself: "He Xiangyang is a scoundrel. Whoever he wants to capture, I will definitely protect them completely." Having made up his mind, he pursed his lips tightly and didn't say another word.

  Chu Wan was confident in her eloquence and thought that she could persuade Li Shao with ease. She wanted to use her silver tongue to convince him to hand over the pure yang iron box and the female thief, which would be a great achievement.

  The more Li Shao refused to speak, the more Chu Wan believed that her persuasion was effective. She continued: "You're so young and your martial arts skills are already so good! If you follow the right path, you'll definitely become a great hero. Why do you want to associate with a female thief?"

  Li Shao furrowed his brow and said: "What's the benefit of being a great hero?" Chu Wan replied: "As a great hero, you'll be admired by the world." Li Shao asked: "Does Yun Wancheng count as a great hero?"

  Chu Wan exclaimed, "You also know Yun Daxia?" Liang Xiao couldn't help but glance at her sideways when he heard her call out "Yun Daxia" with an unusual warmth. Chu Wan's expression was strange, seeming both gentle and yearning, as she gazed into the distance and murmured, "Yun Daxia is a towering figure in the Southern Martial Arts world, someone who can make Third Uncle bow his head slightly when speaking of him. Do you know? Third Uncle views worldly affairs with great detachment, and there are only three or four people in this world who have earned his nod of approval."

  Liang Xiao coldly said: "Yun Wancheng, humph, you won't die a good death!" Chu Wan angrily retorted: "You're the one who won't die a good death!" Liang Xiao's eyebrows rose in anger, but before she could explode, Chu Wan suddenly gazed off into the distance, her expression softening as she spoke in a gentle voice, "But Third Uncle said that Yun Daxia is not bad, it's just that he can't compare to Young Master Yun." Liang Xiao asked: "Who is Young Master Yun?" Chu Wan gave him a sideways glance, a faint cold smile playing on her lips: "Young Master Yun is the son of Yun Daxia. Humph, you're not even worthy of hearing his name."

  Liang Xiao snorted and said, "You're talking about that crying little ghost?" Chu Wan was baffled by his words, as Yun Gongzi was someone she secretly admired, and she wouldn't let anyone humiliate him. She couldn't help but retort, "You're the little ghost!" After saying that, she sighed and continued, "Anyway, even a hundred of you can't compare to one of Yun Gongzi's fingers. Last time he came to Tianxiang Mountain Villa with Master Jing, asking Father to come out of retirement and fight against the Yuan dynasty. But Father didn't agree, only saying that Tianxiang Mountain Villa minds its own business and doesn't get involved in worldly affairs. Yun Gongzi listened to this and fell silent for a moment before standing up and saying, 'I've long heard that Tianxiang Mountain Villa's "Fen Xiang Sword Technique" is unparalleled in the martial world. I, Yun, have always admired it from afar, and today I'm fortunate enough to be able to learn from you.' At first, everyone thought he was arrogant, but young, and looked down on him. Who knew that when my several older cousins took turns fighting him, no one could withstand even a single sword..."

  Liang Xiao interrupted, "Just because your brother is useless doesn't mean that someone with the surname Yun is impressive." Chu Wan gave him a white eye and didn't bother to argue with him. She continued, "My Aunt Yu and Uncle are also here. Seeing Father being forced out, Aunt Yu stood up and said, 'I've been married for a long time, but I still remember two moves of my family's sword technique. Although I haven't grasped the true meaning, I hope you won't mind teaching me, sir.'" Liang Xiao thought to himself, "This Aunt Yu must be that woman in yellow clothes. Her sword technique is quite good. If we really fought, I might not be able to beat her." He became interested and listened intently.

  Chu Wan said, "Yun Gongzi listened and said, 'Senior guest, let's not use force, just exchange moves, and stop at the first touch.' Yu Gu Gu smiled and said, 'Yun Gongzi is being kind to me, how can I not reciprocate?' The two of them each held a long sword, just about to engage in combat, when suddenly they heard someone sighing behind the white silk screen saying, 'Chu Yu, you're using the "Yu Di Heng Chui" move. If he stabs your shoulder at the Tian Zong hole, how will you defend yourself?' Yu Gu Gu was taken aback and after a while said, 'H-How did he manage to stab me there?' The person said, 'Don't ask that now, just tell me how you'll defend.' Gu Gu thought for a moment and said, 'I'll use the "Guo Se Tian Xiang" move to stab his Qing Ming hole.' The person said, 'Attacking the enemy must be rescued, seeking a mutually damaging situation is a bit clumsy, but it's barely passable. But if he uses the Kun position to attack your Qi Men hole on the left side, how will you resist?' Gu Gu couldn't help but say, 'I-I'll use the "Luo Hua Jing Yan" move to stab his Jiao Sun hole.' The person sighed and said, 'This move is not bad either. But if he uses the Xiao Chou position to attack your Hui Zong hole...' Hum, this girl won't tell you anymore, anyway, these sword moves are beyond your comprehension. In short, that person asked a question, and Gu Gu answered one by one, including Yun Gongzi, everyone felt strange. This Q&A continued until the 12th move, when they only heard the person say, 'If he attacks from the Da You position and stabs your Guan Chong hole on the right side, how will you resolve it?' Yu Gu Gu's eyes widened, and she couldn't speak anymore. The person sighed and said, 'Alright, Chu Yu, use all your strength to receive his 12 sword moves, don't humiliate your deceased father's reputation.' Yu Gu Gu's face turned pale, her fingers gripped the sword tightly, and her joints turned white. Suddenly, she took a deep breath and really used the "Yu Di Heng Chui" move. It was strange to say, but Yun Gongzi responded with one move, and his sword tip, as that person had said, really stabbed towards Yu Gu Gu's Tian Zong hole."

  Liang Xiao snorted and said, "You just keep blowing! Even ten layers of cowhide can be blown through." Chu Wan coldly smiled and said, "Don't you believe me? The strange thing is yet to come. Cloud Gongzi and Yu Gu had agreed beforehand not to use internal energy, only comparing techniques. Just watch as the two long swords went back and forth, one move at a time, without differing from what that person had said by even a single thread, until the twelfth move, when Cloud Gongzi suddenly thrust out with his sword, the tip stopping right on Yu Gu's guan zhong acupoint.

  Liang Xiao shouted again: "Blowing cow, blowing cow!" Chu Wan angrily said: "You don't believe it, forget it. Anyway, this matter has long been spread throughout the Southern Wulin, you can find out by asking around." Liang Xiao heard her say so and didn't dare to make another sound.

  Chu Wan said: "However, when Cloud Gongzi drew his sword, not only was he completely expressionless, but his face was also pale and wan. He stared at the white silk screen and slowly said: 'Who are you?' The man laughed and said: 'Didn't your master tell you?' Cloud Gongzi sighed and said: 'Is it really Brother Chu? I'm so bold as to ask for your guidance.' The man said: 'I'm just a withered old tree, I haven't wielded a sword in years. I don't dare accept the word "guidance". However, since you've come today, I'll also stir up my stagnant thoughts. Alright, I'll write some clumsy characters behind the screen, please take a look.' Before he finished speaking, someone presented him with an ink treasure, and the man wrote three lines of small words on it, reciting: 'Willow threads are long, peach leaves are small, deep courtyards have no one to visit.'"

  Liang Xiao interrupted, "What is this? It sounds like plain talk." Chu Wan smiled and said, "The words are extremely elegant, but the characters written out are powerful, each stroke sharp as a long sword, almost piercing through the paper. Alas, my skills are rough, I couldn't see any special technique, but Cloud Master is proficient in swordsmanship, he was so absorbed in it that he stood there for a long time, his face getting paler and paler, suddenly he took three steps back, 'whoa' spat out a mouthful of blood..." Chu Wan's voice choked up at this point, she couldn't continue, her gaze fixed on the distance, revealing a hint of worry.

  Liang Xiao listened intently, and couldn't help but ask: "Is he dead?" Chu Wan gave him a white eye: "You're the one who's dead! Yun Gongzi took a deep breath and said: 'I'm inferior, I couldn't break through the sword intent in Senior's words. Today, I lost with a willing heart and mouth.' The man sighed: 'You've only obtained two or three tenths of your master's skills. If you want to dominate the world, it's still not enough. Moreover, sword techniques are dead things, people are alive, whether the Split Fragrance Sword Technique is good or bad depends on the person. Your sword technique, isn't it also like that?'

  Li Shuo nodded and said, "This makes sense." Chu Wan couldn't help but smile slightly and continued, "After hearing this, Yun Gongzi was speechless for a long time. The man then said, 'Yun Lao is too straightforward and lacks cunning, having practiced clumsy skills all his life.' He paused and said, 'However, you, surnamed Jing, have a heroic air about you, but in reality, you're just a fool.' When he heard this, the master of the Jing family looked very displeased, and Yun Gongzi was also very embarrassed. But then the man said, 'But you are different, with refined bones and a clear spirit, your future prospects are limitless, truly limitless...' He laughed loudly and left." Chu Wan glanced at Li Shuo with a hint of pride in her eyes.

  Liang Xiao thought that she had said it in a very roundabout way, and was afraid that she couldn't make it up. For a moment, she hesitated, then asked: "Who is the person behind the screen?" Chu Wan hummed and didn't answer. Liang Xiao pondered: "Could it be your Third Uncle?" Chu Wan said: "That's right, Third Uncle has come this time too. You'd better surrender early."

  Liang Xiao hesitated greatly: "This Liu Xianxian is neither a relative nor an acquaintance of mine, and we even have past grievances. I've made her offend powerful enemies for no reason, it's not worth it." Chu Wan saw his wavering expression and secretly rejoiced, saying: "You think Yun Gongzi can't defeat San Shu Gong, do you still want to try to crack eggs against a rock?"

  These two sentences are like adding feet to a snake, Liang Xiao listened and his chest was filled with pride, coldly saying: "What is the surname Cloud, even if I am ten times worse, I will not lose to him." Chu Wan heard him belittle the intention of the person, anger rising from her heart, loudly saying: "With your little talent, you are not worthy of picking up Cloud's shoes." Liang Xiao was furious, raised his fist to hit, Chu Wan saw his appearance was fierce, her heart beating rapidly. Liang Xiao swung his fist, but ultimately did not fall, turned around and got on his horse, leaving quickly.

  Liang Xiao rode his horse for a while, but then stopped again, fearing that the wound would reopen. Suddenly, he heard Liu Yanyan make a soft sound on the horse's back. Liang Xiao turned around to look and saw that the girl had flipped over onto her side, lightly furrowing her brow as if uncomfortable. He held her in his arms, supporting her against his chest, and the woman's face was illuminated by the soft moonlight, resembling a white lotus flower.

  Liang Xiao's emotions were hard to control, he lowered his head and pressed his face close to her forehead, only feeling the smoothness like silk, and his spirit flew away. In the midst of his fluttering heart, a gust of cold wind blew in front of him, Liang Xiao shivered, thinking: "What am I doing? Ah yes, the important matter is pressing, while she's still unconscious, I'll first find the Pure Yang Iron Box."

  He searched in the saddle bag on his horse, but didn't find an iron box, only a silver one. He opened it and found it was full of rouge powder, with a small glass mirror on the lid that could be used to admire oneself. At that time, glass was produced in the Western Regions and was extremely rare in China, so this small silver cosmetic case was already quite valuable.

  Liang Xiao turned the silver box over for a long time, but didn't see anything unusual, so he put it back in his saddle bag with a humph. He glanced at Liu Yingying and thought to himself, "Could it be on her?" Just as he was about to take action, his heart started racing and his hands began to shake, and he couldn't help but think, "Taking advantage of someone's misfortune isn't very heroic. I'll wait until she wakes up and then I'll ask her for the iron box in a straightforward manner." So he steeled himself, picked up Liu Yingying, and walked for a while. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of meaty aroma, and his stomach growled loudly. He looked up to see that on the north side, the corner of a dilapidated temple was visible through the trees, with a faint flicker of firelight.