Chapter Twenty: Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow

  Chu Gong fought alone in the empty space, just feeling a bit strained, when he heard a loud shout: "Lei Xingkong is here!" Lei Xingkong angrily said: "Chu Gong, do you want to go against our ancestors' teachings and reveal the iron box's secret to outsiders?" Chu Gong sneered: "Who goes against our ancestors' teachings, everyone knows in their hearts." Lei Xingkong remained silent, his fists crackling with even more intense thunder.

  Suddenly, a loud and clear voice rang out, "Four of you, hold your hands! Where is the master of Lei Gong Fortress?" The outsider's arrival forced Lei Xingkong to stop fighting, and he coldly said, "The Divine Eagle Gate and my Lei Gong Fortress have always been like well water not offending river water. You broke into my fortress without permission, what reasoning do you have for this?" Yun Shu smiled and said, "I was tracking three enemies, and followed them all the way here. According to what I saw from friends in Jianghu, two of them came towards Gui Bao, so I feared they were hiding inside the fortress, which is why I rushed in anxiously. If there's anything wrong, I hope you can forgive me."

  Lei Xingkong listened to him speak politely, and his anger slightly subsided. He was in a hurry and his mind was in disarray, so he just wanted to get rid of the visitors quickly. He said, "Alright, I'll give face to Master Lei. Lei Zhen, accompany Cloud Gongzi to search around and see if anyone has sneaked in." Lei Zhen responded with a sound, and in an instant, he suddenly heard Lei Xingkong's angry shout: "Good thief?" Liu Yanyan couldn't help but peek through the door gap, and saw that Lei Zhen and Cloud were standing far away. Chu Gong was waving his long sword and fighting fiercely with Lei Xingkong. Chu Yu was like a yellow oriole flying into the clouds, rushing towards the fake mountain. It turned out that the brother and sister had taken advantage of Lei Xingkong's distraction while speaking to launch a surprise attack together. Lei Xingkong was brushed aside by Chu Gong's several swords and blocked on one side. Chu Yu took the opportunity to rush to the front of the fake mountain, just about to drill in when she suddenly felt a numbness in her waist - her "Five Hinges" acupoint had been sealed. Liu Yanyan chuckled and pulled Chu Yu into her arms, drilling out of the fighting room. Liang Xiao also followed closely behind.

  Two people suddenly appeared, and everyone was shocked. Liu Xiangxiang smiled and said: "Lei Baozhu, Chu Xiansheng, let's make a deal with you. You release us from the fortress, and I'll return your daughter-in-law." Lei Xingkong's eyes blazed with anger, and he coldly laughed: "You're dreaming!" Lei Zhen's face turned pale, and he anxiously said: "Dad, saving people is urgent!" Liu Xiangxiang smiled and said: "Lei Baozhu, don't get angry. Just now, I found something very interesting in the fake mountain. Do you want to take a look?" Lei Xingkong's heart skipped a beat, and his face lost all color. Chu Gong's eyes rolled, and he smiled: "What good thing did the young lady discover? I'd like to take a look." Liu Xiangxiang lightly smiled and didn't answer the question: "Chu Lao Da, your sister is helping you wholeheartedly, not afraid of offending her husband's family. You don't care about her life or death?" Chu Gong was taken aback, thinking that he must get back the iron box, but if he didn't care about his sister's life or death, it would ruin his reputation. He was furious, but could only grit his teeth and coldly laugh.

  Liu Yingying smiled at Lei Zhen and said, "Young Master Lei, what about you?" Lei Zhen replied without hesitation, "You mustn't harm Erniang. Whatever you say, I'll agree to it!" Liu Yingying's few words had trapped the three great masters, and she was extremely pleased with herself. She turned her gaze towards Yun Shu, who stood in the distance with his back to a long sword, a cold smile hanging from the corner of his mouth. He thought to himself, "This person's smile is annoying, but I don't know how to deal with him. Hmm, let's ignore him for now." With a turn of her beautiful eyes, she smiled and said, "Young Master Lei knows what's good for him. Once I leave the valley, I'll return Chu Erniang to you, and she can give birth to two big fat sons for you." Lei Zhen and Chu Yu didn't know that their son was already dead, and Liu Yingying's words had a hidden meaning. Upon hearing this, both of them felt their old faces burning with shame.

  Liu Yingying gave Liang Xiao a look, and the two walked shoulder to shoulder towards the outside of the fort. Yun Shu stood coldly by the side of the road, waiting until the two approached, his eyes wide open, shouting loudly: "Little thief, watch your palm!" With a loud shout, he struck out with his palm, aiming straight for Liang Xiao's shoulder. This palm was full of strength and came with great force. Liang Xiao didn't dare to meet it head-on, so he took a slanted step back, landing one zhang (about 3 meters) away.

  Yun Shu gazed at his footwork and exclaimed, "Huh?" He said, "Strange." Taking a step forward, he pushed out with his left palm and pulled back with his right. Liang Xiao saw the movement of his palms and also looked surprised, furrowing his brow as he said, "Strange..." Yun Shu's movements suddenly accelerated, taking a swift step forward and slapping his palm towards Liang Xiao's face. Liang Xiao dodged this slap and faced Yun Shu, both of them calling out in unison, "Where did you learn that?"

  Liu Yingying saw the two men's strange expressions and words, and was extremely surprised in her heart. Yun Shu said coldly: "The San Cai Gui Yuan Palm is a unique creation of our family's master, and there is no other transmission in the world. You stinky boy, where did you steal it from?" Liang Xiao said coldly: "Who stole it? Most of it was thought up by myself." What he said was actually true, but Yun Shu felt that it was absurd and irritating to his ears, and sneered: "You little beast, spouting nonsense! Creating your own martial arts? You're not even worthy." With a swishing sound, two palms chopped towards Liang Xiao.

  His palm technique was ingenious, and Liang Xiao couldn't resist it, so he retreated again. Yun Shu deliberately observed his movements without using a killing move, but kept a close distance. In an instant, the two of them were like a whirlwind advancing and retreating like lightning, their feet moving in a blur. The crowd saw that their footwork was identical and felt shocked and suspicious.

  He turned around again, Yun Shu saw through the reality and laughed coldly, shouting: "Little thief, you must have stolen the skills, but you didn't learn them all!" His feet spun around, his body rose up, and he swung down with one palm. Liang Xiao deeply understood the principles of boxing, seeing his momentum, knowing that he was using the "Seven Big Expanding Steps", his body shrunk back, dodging to the side. Yun Shu's palm wind was like a knife, making a "brushing" sound, cutting off a piece of his sleeve.

  Liu Yingying saw him suddenly encounter a dangerous move, her heart racing and jumping out of her skin. She pulled out a dagger and pressed it against Chu Yu's neck, shouting: "Lei Dalang, do you want her to live?" Lei Zheng was shocked and said: "I do... Ah, be careful with your hand, don't make any sudden moves!" Liu Yingying said: "Alright, go help Liang Xiao!" Lei Zheng had a thousand unwilling thoughts in his heart, but his wife's life was at stake, so he reluctantly took a step forward and struck Cloud Shu with both fists.

  Yun Shu gazed at him, his fists strong and fierce. He abandoned the elegant style of Liang Xiao and used the "Two Instruments Hun Tian Gong" technique. His palms rotated in a circle, enveloping Lei Zheng's twin fists in one turn. Lei Zheng's twin fists collided head-on, causing him to cry out in pain.

  Yun Shu, still young and impetuous, didn't wait for Lei Zheng to change his move. He shouted "Go!" and pushed out with his right palm, pressing down on Lei Zheng's shoulder. This palm strike was heavy, but it left some room for maneuvering. Lei Zheng knew that if he retreated, he could resolve the situation.

  However, Lei Zheng refused to yield, standing still and unyielding. Unexpectedly, Yun Shu's internal energy was extraordinary, persisting without end. The onlookers only saw Lei Zheng gritting his teeth and staring wide-eyed, his feet nailed to the ground, his upper body seemingly pressed down by an immense force, slowly bending downwards.

  A figure flashed by, and Lei Xingkong rushed up to support Lei Zhen. He glared at Yun Wancheng with a cold smile: "Good skill!" Although his tone was harsh, he was puzzled in his heart: "The Divine Eagle Sect is just a name, Yun Wancheng's reputation is not small, but his martial arts are inferior to mine by a notch. This young man is so formidable at such a young age?" As he hesitated, he suddenly heard Chu Gong sneer and say: "The martial arts of Lei Gongbao are nothing more than this. Hmph, what Thunderbolt Fist Method? In my opinion, it should be called the Itchy Fist Method!" Lei Xingkong was furious, his eyes rolled back, and he said: "The Thunderbolt Fist Method is naturally inferior to the 'Divided Fragrance Sword Technique', but people who learn swordplay are mostly timid as mice. When they encounter a superior opponent, they flee in disarray!" His words were clearly hinting at Chu Xianliu's encounter with Jiu Ru, where he retreated without a fight.

  Chu Xianliu was a rare talent in the Tianxiang Manor, who had subdued countless strong enemies with his iron wooden sword. Later, he met another great swordsman and after a day of discussing swordsmanship, Chu Xianliu lost by half a move, calling himself "The Second Sword Under Heaven", sealing his sword and retreating from the world. His reputation in Jianghu gradually declined, but his clansmen revered him as a god, not allowing anyone to humiliate him.

  Chu Gong was struck by Lei Xingkong's sudden movement and drew his sword, shouting: "Yun Gongzi, Chu is not talented, please teach me a high-level move." Yun Shu saw that these people were indiscriminately making things difficult for him, and he was extremely annoyed in his heart. He didn't want to lose face, so he could only cup his hands and smile, saying: "The Tianxiang Divine Sword is indeed famous, I admire it from the bottom of my heart. That day, Senior Chu relied solely on his sword intent and made me suffer a crushing defeat, which I still remember today."

  He thought Chu Gong would save face and retreat. But unexpectedly, Chu Gong sneered after hearing this, saying: "The one who defeated you that day was my uncle, not a certain family." With a swing of his long sword, he stabbed towards Yun Shu. His swordsmanship was swift and sudden, making it impossible for others to react in time.

  Yun Shu gazed at Chu Gong's sword, plucked off the scabbard and long sword, but didn't draw it out. He casually pressed down on the body of Chu Gong's sword. Chu Gong's hilt suddenly felt hot, and the long sword almost slipped from his grasp. After a moment of shock, he hastily retreated with his sword, but unexpectedly, the scabbard followed and was handed over to him. The two swords stuck together, spinning around in circles twice. Lei Xing Kong watched with surprise and delight, laughing: "The 'Fragrant Sword Technique' is nothing more than this! In my opinion, it would be better to call it the 'Stirring Feces Sword Method'!"

  Chu Gong's face turned purple with rage, he took two steps back, let out a loud cry, and swung his sword upwards. Unexpectedly, Yun Shu suddenly withdrew his sword, Chu Gong's sword felt a slight touch, the force of the blow fell empty, all transmitted to the sword body, "ding ding ding" a series of ringing sounds, the four-foot long sword was broken into three pieces.

  Yun Shu sheathed his sword and smiled, saying: "Chu Zhuangzhu, please yield!" Chu Gong's hand grasped the broken sword, his face pale. Chu Yu had once fought Yun Shu at Tianxiang Mountain Villa and was shocked to see this: "In just a few months, this young man's swordsmanship has improved again?" Suddenly, he felt a pain in his neck, a dagger piercing his skin, and heard Liu Yuying shouting: "Lao Tou, Lei Zhen, Chu Lao Da, all of you come together and block him!" The three men looked at each other, but before they could react, Yun Shu let out a long whistle and pounced on Liang Xiao like a big bird. Liang Xiao turned around and yielded, counterattacking with a palm strike.

  Two people each showed off their footwork, exchanging several moves in a flash. Yun Shu's excitement grew, and his long, drawn-out shouts didn't stop, his footwork getting faster and more varied by the second. Liang Xiao gradually felt like he couldn't keep up with his eyes, encountering one dangerous move after another. Liu Xiangxian saw that things were taking a turn for the worse and scolded: "You three idiots, why don't you go help?" Those three people got angry, forced by the situation, and could only surround them. Yun Shu saw that things were urgent, suddenly leapt up, and with one palm struck towards Liang Xiao's left side. Liang Xiao turned his body to dodge to the right. Unexpectedly, Yun Shu had already calculated this, suddenly using "Great Evolution Step", sweeping horizontally through the air for several feet, rushing to Liang Xiao's right side, using the move "Three Talents Return to the Origin", both palms fluttering and slapping down.

  Liang Xiao did not expect him to display his footwork in mid-air, truly mysterious and divine. He only felt the palm wind hitting his face, and his breath was closed. Unable to help himself, he also made a move "Three Talents Return to Origin", with both palms meeting upwards.

  "Seize", the four palms of the two men clashed. Liang Xiao only felt a warm current surging, rushing over, his whole body's blood and energy churning, his chest feeling unbearably uncomfortable. Lei Zhen and three others happened to rush over just in time, Yun Shu's double palms produced an enormous sticky force, his body shape twisting and turning, pulling Liang Xiao with his back facing the crowd, smiling slightly and saying: "Who comes?"

  Liu Yingying saw him speaking with ease, but Liang Xiao's face turned red and his eyes bulged, knowing he was at a disadvantage. He hastily said, "Quickly retreat!" Lei Xingkong and the others were delighted to watch from the sidelines as they retreated to one side. Yun Shu gazed at Liu Yingying, smiling: "Miss, it's best if you release Chu Erniang! Otherwise, I'll unleash my strength, and that little beast will lose his life!" As he spoke with a smile, his palms secretly mobilized the "Hao Ran Zheng Qi", his internal energy surging back and forth like a tide, repeatedly striking Liang Xiao's meridians. Liang Xiao wanted to resist, but the warm flow was unstoppable, and when his true energy collided with it, it was like ice melting in snow, dispersing into fragments, leaving him disoriented and disconnected.

  Liu Yingying saw his face turn from red to purple, and then black, with sweat all over his body. As soon as it flowed out, it turned into a white mist. Her pretty face turned pale, she bit her lower lip, and said loudly: "Good, you let him go first!" Yun Shu said: "Strange, why didn't the girl let him go first?" Liu Yingying was furious: "Will you let him go or not? If not, we'll all die together!" She turned the dagger over and wiped it on Chu Yu's neck. Lei Zhen was so scared that his face turned pale, and he waved his hands wildly: "No, no!" He glared at Yun Shu with a fierce gaze and shouted: "You're surnamed Yun, I told you to let him go, why are you talking nonsense?"

  Yun Shu's heart was annoyed: "This foolish fellow, I designed to rescue your wife, but you come to blame me?" He didn't care about Lei Zhen, and smiled lightly: "Since that's the case, Miss will not be released for a moment, everyone will waste a moment, one day she won't be released, everyone will waste a day, let's see who can outlast each other?" Liu Yingying saw him refusing to take the bait, getting angry and flustered in vain, but also having no way to deal with it.

  Liang Xiao was in the steamer, the heat was unbearable, and she felt that every drop of sweat that flowed out made her true energy disappear a little. The sweat turned into steam, and in a short while, the mist seemed to be a big cocoon, wrapping her whole body inside. Liu Yingying was both angry and painful, gritted her teeth, and wiped the dagger on Chu Yu's face back and forth, saying: "You don't let me go, I'll cut eighteen knives on her face and make her an ugly monster!" Chu Yu only felt the cold air of the dagger, and her heart was inexplicably frightened. She had always cherished her beauty, and if her beauty was destroyed, it would be worse than death. Her heart tightened, and tears fell. Lei Zhen saw her cry, his heart was anxious, but he didn't dare offend Liu Yingying, so he could only scold Yun Shu to vent his anger.

  Yun Shu listened to him scolding coarsely, secretly annoyed, smiled and shouted: "Good, Miss, you cut one knife, I will dismantle this little thief's bones, see how many bones he has to dismantle?" Liu Yanyan saw that he was not willing to take the bait, suddenly became anxious and defeated. If there were no hostages, it would be difficult to move an inch. But if Chu Yu was not released, Liang Xiao would suffer torture, and for a moment, there was nothing to do. Her eyes were slightly red. At this time, she suddenly heard a loud shout from afar, turned her head to take a look, and saw that the southeast corner was ablaze with flames soaring into the sky, and thick smoke billowing. Lei Xingkong's father and son changed their faces greatly.

  The Liu sisters knew that Zhu Da Cheng and the others would not return for a long time, so they started a fire. The flames were fierce and spread quickly with the help of the wind. The Lei father and son looked worried, but they couldn't leave as the situation was too critical. Yun Shu also knew that delaying further would make it impossible to control the fire, so after some hesitation, he smiled and said, "Why don't we release them together?" Liu Yingying had no other choice but to nod in agreement. Yun Shu withdrew his palms, and Liang Xiao's body was as soft as cotton, swaying unsteadily, unable to stand upright. Yun Shu grasped his left wrist to prevent him from falling and smiled, saying, "Please, miss." Liu Yingying had no choice but to step forward, her left hand holding onto Liang Xiao and her right hand grasping Chu Yu. Yun Shu then stretched out one hand, grabbing hold of Chu Yu's right wrist, smiling as he said, "Let go." The two simultaneously released their grip on one hand each, retrieving the hostages.

  Yun Shu suddenly turned to the right, burst out laughing, and with his left hand formed a claw, swiftly pulling out. Liu Yingying hastily retreated backward, Yun Shu was about to pursue, when he suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him, and hurriedly raised his palm to block. The fists and palms clashed, the forceful wind overflowed, Yun Shu fixed his eyes on the newcomer, who turned out to be Lei Xingkong, and couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Lei Gongzhu, what is the meaning of this..." Lei Xingkong remained silent with a gloomy expression, and launched another two-fisted attack. Yun Shu was both shocked and enraged, and could only use his hands to deflect. Chu Gong however understood Lei Xingkong's intentions, since the pure Yang iron box was in Liu Yingying's hands, Lei Xingkong would never allow her to fall into Yun Shu's hands, so he took advantage of the two men being entangled, and wielding a broken sword, charged straight at Liu Yingying.

  Lightning flashed in the empty space, how could he let him succeed? He pushed aside Yun Shu and with a loud whooshing sound, his two fists forced Chu Gong to retreat. Then he saw Yun Shu rushing towards Liu Yanyan at an angle, and hastily blocked her way again. Yun Shu had no choice but to turn around and resist. Chu Gong thought that these two people's martial arts skills were better than his own, and even if he got the iron box, it would be hard to escape, suddenly a poisonous idea arose. Suddenly he jumped up, seemingly pouncing on Liu Yanyan, halfway through, with a swift movement of his swords, he stabbed at Lei and Yun Shu. The two were shocked and angry, and they shouted and cursed as they resisted.

  Three people were fighting together, and the sound of their battle was like a single entity. Just then, Liu Yingying took advantage of the opportunity to grab Liang Xiao and make a frantic dash for it. Suddenly, they heard shouting behind them, and Chu Yu and Lei Zhen rushed up. Liu Yingying was in a difficult position, fighting against two people at once, and after several rounds, Chu Yu saw an opening and attacked with all her might, determined to kill Liu Yingying. Just as she was about to deliver the final blow, Yun Shu suddenly appeared, having escaped from the battle, and was shocked by what he saw. He drew his sword and swung it out, clashing with Chu Yu's long sword. Lei Zhen saw that Yun Shu had intervened to stop his wife, and in a rage, turned around and punched him. For a moment, the two of them were fighting Yun Shu together. Liu Yingying took advantage of the distraction to slip away into an alleyway.

  The two of them ran for a while, and then Liang Xiao slowed down to catch his breath. He felt weak all over and said, "Yingying, let me rest for a bit." Liu Yingying released him from her grasp. Liang Xiao focused on his dantian, took a deep breath, and tried to gather his internal energy. However, he found that his dantian was empty. He thought it was just because of fatigue, so he tried again several times, but there was still no movement in his dantian. Liu Yingying was worried that their pursuers would catch up, so she kept looking back. Suddenly, she saw Liang Xiao staring blankly and couldn't help but scold him, "You little rascal, if you don't hurry up, we won't make it!" Liang Xiao's body trembled as if he had just woken up from a dream. He hesitated and said, "Yingying, something strange is happening... I can't muster my internal energy!" Liu Yingying stamped her foot and said, "You're seeing ghosts now? Do you still have the nerve to deceive people?" Liang Xiao looked crestfallen and said, "I'm not deceiving you, I really don't have any internal energy left!"

  Liu Yingying saw his dejected expression and was slightly startled, when she suddenly heard the sound of clothes fluttering in the wind from behind her. Turning around, Yun Shu rushed over like a shooting star, shouting: "Little color devil, let's talk later." He carried Liang Xiao on his back, released the "Tian Tui Claw", grasped a distant eave, and leaped onto the roof.

  Yun Shu suddenly accelerated, sprinting up the roof, and closely pursued. At this time, Lei Xingkong, Chu Gong, and Lei Zhenfu couples rushed over one after another. Liu Yingying was a woman after all, slightly weaker in strength, and carrying an extra person, so within a hundred steps, she was already panting heavily, covered in sweat. Liang Xiao saw his opponents closing in from all sides, his heart racing with anxiety, and loudly shouted: "Yingying, you go first, I'll catch up later!" Liu Yingying scolded: "Nonsense..." Liang Xiao said in a dry tone: "Yingying, I don't want to drag you down." Liu Yingying angrily retorted: "What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you carry me on your back before? Today it's my turn to carry you..." As she spoke, her breathing became disordered, and her footsteps slowed even further. The crowd pressed in closer and closer.

  Liang Xiao's eyes moistened slightly upon hearing this, and he gazed up at the towering buildings. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he called out: "Yingying, go down to the lower house." Liu Yingying was in a state of panic, but she responded promptly by jumping down from the rooftop. All she heard was Liang Xiao's low voice saying: "Turn left, then turn right at the intersection." Liu Yingying didn't ask any questions and followed his instructions as she ran.

  The layout of the Lei Gong Fortress is in accordance with the principle of Bagua Xiang Sheng, originally intended to trap external enemies. Although Liang Xiao's internal strength has been lost, his insight remains sharp and he points out the details one by one. The willow warbler follows the law and moves eastward and westward, and the people on the roof are slightly slack, and they are thrown far away.

  Liu Yingying rushed out for a while, only to hear Liang Xiao say: "Turn left." Liu Yingying turned to the left, and just as she turned around the corner of the wall, her feet stopped, and she was stunned on the spot. In front of her, fierce flames were raging, burning a large area of houses with crackling sounds. The heat wave rolled in, and although Liang Xiao was familiar with the formation, the big fire in front of him was unexpected. It seemed that twenty yards away was the city wall, but the road ahead was blocked by the fierce fire. Suddenly, two long whistles were heard, and when she turned her head to look, Yun Shu and Lei Xingkong flew down from the roof and ran over shoulder to shoulder.

  Yao Yingying rushed forward in a hurry, her cheeks as red as peach blossoms. In the brief moment, she looked around and saw a large flag standing between the houses and the city wall, several meters high with a square flag on top. Her heart skipped a beat, and she shouted: "Little demon, hold on tight!" Liang Xiao responded by tightening his arms, but he couldn't help feeling Yao Yingying's slender body warm and soft as cotton, even in the midst of danger.

  Liu Yingying waved her hand, and the "Tun Tian Claw" caught a corner of the eaves. She borrowed force to climb up the house, and with another wave of her hand, the "Tun Tian Claw" seemed like a long snake, winding its way through the air, until the thin rope was fully extended. With a "click", it landed perfectly on the flagpole. Her heart filled with joy, she gazed at the raging fire, her eyes shining brightly. Suddenly, she heard the sound of wind behind her, and let out a chuckle, grabbing onto the steel rope as she flew downwards.

  Yun Shu took a step forward, flying to grab Liang Xiao's back, "hiss", and only tore off half of Liang Xiao's robe. Watching as Liu and Liang rushed like a gust of wind, they broke through the raging flames and landed on the opposite fortress wall.

  Liu Yingying's heart was racing as she felt the flames engulfing her clothes and hair, but with a swift motion, she put down Liang Xiao and patted out the fire with her palms. Her "Ice River Mystic Skill" emitted a cold aura that extinguished the flames instantly. Turning around, she saw Yun Shu and Lei Xing separated from her by a sea of fire, standing on the rooftop, staring at her with a look of despair. Liu Yingying felt triumphant in her heart and burst out laughing, her face glowing like a radiant sunset reflected in a serene lake, shining brightly beyond compare.

  Lei and Yun exchanged a few words, then turned around and ran swiftly. Liu Yingying guessed that the two must be taking a detour to chase after them, so she shouted loudly, and the crimson horse suddenly burst out of the forest. Liu Yingying carried Liang Xiao on her back, leaped into the air, and landed on the wall head, mounting the horse and galloping swiftly. After running for several hundred steps, she turned her head to see Yun Shu and Lei Xingkong standing on the wall head, and with a deliberate intention to provoke them, she took out the pure yang iron box from her brocade bag and smiled: "Master of Lei's Fortress, thank you for gifting me this precious box. You don't need to send me off any further."

  Lei Xing's face turned iron green, Chu Gong and Lei Zhen couple also arrived one after another. The four of them blamed each other and quarreled in a mess. Yun Shu looked at the two riding horses far away, feeling empty and sour in her heart, not tasting good at all. Just when she was lost, suddenly saw dust rising from the end of the official road, dozens of riders coming and going.

  Yun Shu recognized them clearly, and his heart was filled with great joy. He shouted loudly: "Big Brother Master, you've arrived just in time! Stop these two people!" A horseman responded to the call and rushed out. The thin old man on the horse glared with anger, his face full of rage. Liu Yanyan recognized him as Bai Sanyuan, while Liang Xiao recognized the leader as a tall and majestic figure with long arms and legs, who was none other than Yin Fei, the master of the Divine Eagle Sect.

  Jing Fei saw Bai San Yuan riding out alone and was afraid he would lose, so he urged his horse to hurry up and caught hold of the reins, saying: "Brother Bai, don't be rash." Yun Shu jumped down from the city wall at this time and shouted loudly: "The opposing cavalry is approaching quickly, form an array and wait!" Jing Fei nodded slightly, raised his left hand, and the crowd of horsemen behind him dispersed into a semicircle, heading towards Liu Yingying to intercept her. Again, Yun Shu was heard shouting: "Big Brother Shi occupy the shock position! Fang Lao guard the Kan position, Liu Shi Xiong guard the loss position, Lang Shi Di occupy the same person position..." Everyone responded and moved, occupying their respective positions. Only the sound of horseshoes could be seen, left and right crisscrossing, rolling and rushing towards the rouge horse.

  Liu Yingying was about to charge forward on horseback, when suddenly she heard Liang Xiao say: "Yingying, don't be rash." Liu Yingying frowned and said: "You little scoundrel, all you know how to do is sit around and talk." Liang Xiao said: "Give me the reins." He had just guided them on a path that threw off their pursuers, and Liu Yingying had some faith in him, so she handed over the reins. As soon as Liang Xiao took hold of the reins, he felt a surge of energy, but then his arm suddenly felt weak and numb, and for a moment he couldn't express the emotions swirling inside him. But seeing their enemies closing in rapidly, he had to collect himself and shouted loudly: "The 'Eight Gates Heaven Lock Array' is just a trivial trick - watch me break through it!"

  Yun Shu was shocked to hear him shout and break through his own formation, and in an instant, Liang Xiao pulled the reins tight, and the horse's hooves scattered as it retreated five yards. Liang Xiao shouted again, and the reins shook diagonally, the horse understanding, dashing to the left. After rushing out three yards, Liang Xiao suddenly pulled the reins again, turning the horse sideways four yards. Like this, after four or five advances and retreats, the horse let out a long whinny, its hooves pounding the air, as it suddenly entered the "Eight Gates Heaven's Gate Formation", seeming to advance but actually retreating, appearing to run but actually dashing.

  This sudden change was so fast that everyone's eyes were dazzled. Yun Shu looked more and more shocked, suddenly had an epiphany, and exclaimed: "Good thief! Return to the origin step!" It turned out that Liang Xiao was in a precarious situation, thinking wildly, driving this unparalleled treasure horse, using the unpredictable "99 Return to the Origin Step".

  "Guiyuan Step" conforms to the number 99, is the most powerful step of "Three Talents Returning to the Origin Palm", requires extremely high internal power to control. With Liang Xiao's cultivation, he knows the theory but not the power. The Vermilion Horse is the leader among horses, extraordinary and unmatched, born with spiritual awareness, once ridden by Liang Xiao, it becomes like a top master of "Three Talents Returning to the Origin Palm". In an instant, its four hooves create wind, two rounds, and it breaks through the "Eight Gates Heaven's Boundary Array", crumbling apart. Following a long whinny, it bursts out like lightning. No matter how loudly Yun Shu shouts, he can't block its path.

  Jing Fei shouted loudly: "Steady your horses, take out your bows and arrows!" The crowd quickly took out their bows, arrows, and hidden weapons. Liang Xiao sneered: "Aren't you ashamed?" With a flick of the reins, the horse suddenly darted east and west, advancing and retreating, and those arrows and hidden weapons seemed to be enchanted, falling on either side of the horse. In just one moment, the group of heroes fell further and further behind, shouting loudly and cursing wildly, but they had no way to catch up.

  The willow warbler suddenly burst out, as if in a dream. Not until the rouge had run for ten miles did she come to her senses, turned around and gave Liang Xiao a punch, happily saying: "Little scoundrel, you really have your way!" This punch was very light, but unexpectedly Liang Xiao fell backwards, tumbling off his horse.

  Liu Yingying was startled and dismounted to help him up. She saw that Liang Xiao's head had a gash, with blood gushing out like a spring, his face flushed red as if drunk, and his body soft and limp, unable to stand up no matter what. Liu Yingying felt both pain and guilt in her heart, and softly said: "Little scoundrel, I'm sorry." Liang Xiao bitterly smiled and said: "It has nothing to do with you, I just used too much force when riding the horse, my hands are a bit numb." Liu Yingying furrowed her brow and asked: "Little scoundrel, where don't you feel comfortable?" Liang Xiao sullenly replied: "Nothing's uncomfortable, it's just that my whole body feels warm and fuzzy, I'm too weak to exert any strength." Liu Yingying said: "If it doesn't hurt or itch, then it's not a big deal, sleeping for a while will make you better."

  Liang Xiao thought it wouldn't be that simple, but he didn't want to say more, so as not to annoy Liu Yuanyuan. Liu Yuanyuan saw him looking weak and spoke lightly, but was actually very worried, bandaging his wound and helping him onto the horse's back. Looking around again, she suddenly had an idea. She urged the horse to go back a bit, leaving a trail of hoof prints in the wheat field. Liu Yuanyuan smiled: "Look, if that fool catches up, he'll see the hoof prints and definitely get confused, chasing in the wrong direction." Suddenly, she felt Liang Xiao being quiet, looked down and saw him closing his eyes, about to fall asleep. Liu Yuanyuan was afraid he wouldn't wake up after sleeping for a long time, so she pinched him hard. Liang Xiao opened his eyes in pain: "Yuanyuan, I'm sleepy."

  Liu Yingying couldn't help but burst into tears, but she was afraid that Liang Xiao would see her and add to his worries. So she turned her head away and pretended to scold him: "What are you sleeping for on horseback? If you want to sleep, go find a safe place to sleep." Liang Xiao nodded and struggled to keep his eyes open. Liu Yingying rode the horse for a while, laying out a false trail along the way, traveling over a hundred miles. When she looked up again, she saw a thatched cottage on the mountain slope in front of her. She urged the horse forward, but the house was already dilapidated. Liu Yingying supported Liang Xiao as they entered the house, and all they saw were tables, chairs, and beds covered in dust. Liu Yingying guessed that this place was near Xiangyang, where the Song and Yuan armies had clashed frequently, and the war had made it impossible for the people to farm on time, so they had abandoned their fields and houses.

  Liu Yingying helped Liang Xiao onto the bed. Liang Xiao's face was flushed, his eyes were dull, and he said, "I'm dying of thirst, is there any water to drink?" Liu Yingying took out a wine pouch, which still had a few mouthfuls of rice wine left in it. Liang Xiao drank it all in one gulp, but still felt unsatisfied. Liu Yingying went outside and looked around, and saw a well behind the house with a broken wall. She was overjoyed and rushed over to it, but found that the bottom of the well was full of stagnant mud and had been dry for some time. She sat down dejectedly by the well, resting her cheek on her hand, deep in thought. Suddenly she remembered that there was a small stream along the road they had taken, so she got up and went back inside. But when she saw Liang Xiao, he was already fast asleep. She checked his breathing and found it steady, but when she touched his face, it felt scorching hot. Liu Yingying's heart ached with sorrow, and tears began to flow as she thought, "Let him sleep for now, the stream is not far away, I'll go quickly and come back."

  She quietly stepped out of the door, closed it behind her, let out a sigh, and gazed into the distance. The sky was a deep blue, with white clouds stacked up like jade. Her heart felt a little more at ease as she thought to herself: "Nothing is more important than life. That little scoundrel has become a useless person; I'll take care of him for the rest of his life." As soon as this thought occurred to her, all troubles in the world seemed to disappear. She turned around, jumped onto the horse's back, and galloped away into the distance.

  Liang Xiao didn't sleep well, his mind was foggy and he couldn't open his eyes. He had been forced to exert himself by Yun Shu's internal power, breaking out in a cold sweat, and his throat felt like it was on fire. In his daze, he still remembered to drink water, and with great effort, he opened his eyes. But when he saw that the room was empty, he couldn't help but be shocked, calling out "Yingying" twice, but there was no response.

  Liang Xiao's heart was in a flurry, and he struggled to sit up, only to feel his mouth dry and suddenly realized: "She must have gone to find water." Thinking of this, his heart felt sweet, and his chest seemed no longer suffocating. He closed his eyes and focused on his internal energy, but after a while, the true energy in his lower abdomen was like a dead earthworm, and it didn't move even after a long time.

  Liang Xiao suddenly felt a sense of loss, but then he heard some noise outside the house. He was overjoyed and supported himself on the bed, pushing open the door to welcome whoever it was. Dazed, he saw what looked like Liu Yingying with her back to him, her ear pressed against the window paper, as if listening to something. Liang Xiao found this amusing and went forward to pat her shoulder, shouting "What are you eavesdropping on?" Liu Yingying's delicate body trembled, and she hastily turned around. Liang Xiao was shocked when he saw her face - it wasn't Liu Yingying at all, but a strange young girl wearing a green jacket similar to Liu Yingying's, yet with a completely different appearance. Her round face was pale and smooth, with clear and beautiful eyebrows and eyes. She stared at Liang Xiao in shock.

  "Who are you?" Liang Xiaoqi suddenly realized the danger and quickly used a move from "Shengwen Jing", "Jia Xun's Penmanship", pointing at the girl's Qimen acupoint. However, his strength was insufficient, and his hand moved slowly, pressing on the girl's left chest instead. The round-faced girl let out an "ah" and took two steps back, her right palm suddenly shooting out to slap Liang Xiaoqi's heart.

  Liang Xiao tried to use "Mian Yi San Mao" to deflect her palm, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't muster enough strength. Not only did he fail to deflect the girl's palm strike, but she also landed a direct hit on his chest. The girl was more surprised than happy at landing a successful blow, and in her momentary confusion, she hastily grabbed Liang Xiao's "Xuan Zhong" acupoint. Xuan Zhong is one of the key energy points on the human body, and Liang Xiao let out a muffled groan as he crumpled to the ground, paralyzed.

  The round-faced girl was stunned again, and whispered: "It's really strange." Hurriedly carrying Liang Xiao on her back, she rushed into the forest, where a small black horse was waiting. Liang Xiao was both angry and anxious, and suddenly spat up blood, losing consciousness.

  After a while, he came to, but felt a sense of discomfort in his heart and his internal organs were churning. He opened his eyes to find himself lying across the horse's back. Liang Xiao's body was originally weak, and he couldn't help but vomit violently. The round-faced girl looked down and exclaimed, "Oh no, I'm sorry!" She reined in the horse, helped him sit up straight, and wanted to hold him, but felt too shy, so she pressed his face against the horse's mane and slowly led the horse on, comforting him, "Don't worry, we'll be at Tu'er Gang soon." Liang Xiao was furious and cursed, "Damn Tu'er Gang!"

  The round-faced girl was taken aback, and said in surprise: "You know my mother? I've never seen her since I was a child." Liang Xiao was also taken aback, thinking to himself: "Is this girl pretending to be stupid?" He scolded again: "You don't have a mother, did your father give birth to you?" The girl was taken aback once more, and said dejectedly: "I don't have a father either. My sisters often say that I came out of the cracks in the stone, so my brain is like a rock, stupid and foolish."

  Liang Xiao couldn't help but burst out laughing when he heard this, but his smile quickly faded and his heart felt sour. He had been alone and struggling since childhood, and hearing that the young girl was an orphan, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. "Little girl, let me go and we'll call it quits," he said. But the round-faced girl shook her head, saying, "No way, Ah Ling sister told me to track you down along with that Liu girl, and if I get the chance, I'm supposed to catch you guys." She sighed, "I don't want to catch you either, but my master's orders are law." Liang Xiao snarled, "What can you do with your little skills? Hmph, if it were in the past..." The round-faced girl just hummed and said, "No matter what you say, you're still caught by me!"

  Li Shuo couldn't help but burst out laughing, to mock himself, and at the same time he couldn't help but burst into tears, to express his anger. He gritted his teeth and said: "I'm like a 'dragon trapped in a shallow pool being teased by shrimp, a tiger fallen on flat ground being bullied by dogs'. Little girl, if you have guts, let me go, and we'll have another round."

  The girl shook her head and said, "No way. I don't have the guts to fight with people, and my master always says that once you get something, you must take good care of it, or else you'll lose it inexplicably." Liang Xiao's plan fell through, and he cursed, "Bullshit!" The girl's cheeks turned red as she awkwardly said, "You want... to fart? Hmm, if you do, I'll just cover my nose." Liang Xiao angrily scolded, "I'm saying your master is talking nonsense!" The girl's face turned pale as she hastily said, "It's fine if you scold me, but if you scold my master, that would be terrible!"

  "What's so great about it? I just want to scold him." The girl looked embarrassed, thought for a moment, and suddenly stretched out her hand to press the "Tian Tu" acupoint on Liang Xiao. This was a mute point, and Liang Xiao immediately fell silent. The girl muttered: "I think it's better if you don't speak, in case Master hears you, it won't be good for you." Liang Xiao was furious in his heart: "This girl isn't too bad, but who is her master?" He was full of doubts, but couldn't make a sound because of the mute point.

  The young girl urged the horse on for a while, arriving at a mountain ridge. On the slope were two long, thin stones that resembled a pair of rabbit ears. The round-faced girl saw no one on the mountain ridge and muttered to herself: "A-Ling sister told me to wait for her at Rabbit Ear Ridge, why hasn't she come yet?" She dismounted the horse and led Liang Xiao up the mountain ridge, sitting down under the left rabbit ear stone. She took out a leather bag of clear water and asked Liang Xiao: "Do you want to drink? If you do, blink your eyes." Liang Xiao was extremely thirsty, so he blinked his eyes. The girl held up his head and gave him half a bag to drink, then drank some herself. Who knew that after just one sip, she thought of Liang Xiao having just drunk from it too, and looked at him with a blush, her round face red like a big apple.

  The girl finished drinking water, feeling extremely bored and unable to speak with Liang Xiao. She could only lower her head and fiddle with the hem of her clothes. Liang Xiao was also happy to be left alone, taking the opportunity to close his eyes and focus on his breath, trying to break through the blockage in his meridian. However, the energy in his dantian was weak, and he couldn't even move it an inch upwards before it retreated back down. He tried several times, but all were unsuccessful, leaving him feeling extremely disheartened.

  Before long, a burst of soft and charming laughter came from the foot of the mountain. Liang Xiao looked up to see a beautiful woman walking towards them, wearing a green shirt, with a plump buttocks and slender waist, her gait as gentle as a swaying flower branch. The round-faced girl saw her and exclaimed happily: "Sister Ling, you've finally arrived!"

  A Ling climbed up the mountain ridge and saw Liang Xiao, with a surprised look in her eyes. She smiled and said: "Ah Xue, you came so early!" The round-faced girl nodded and said: "A Ling sister, I listened to your words and desperately chased after that Liu Yueyue, but didn't catch her, instead caught her companion." A Ling made a sound, looked at Liang Xiao with a hint of jealousy in her eyes, and smiled: "Ah Xue, this is a great achievement, the master will surely reward you greatly when he finds out."

  "Ah Xue hummed in agreement, and said with a smile: 'Whether or not I'm rewarded doesn't matter, as long as Master doesn't scold me, I'll be grateful.' Ah Ling picked up a stone and sat down leisurely, laughing: 'You've earned merit, Master will dote on you before he even has time to get angry. Alas, Ah Xue, you're truly blessed with good fortune, achieving such great merit on your first outing! Now, my and Ah Bing's prestige have been overshadowed by yours!'"

  A Xue fell silent for a moment, furrowed her brow and said: "A Ling sister, is this merit really that great?" A Ling's eyes were filled with even more jealousy, and she said lightly: "I heard the master say that this little brat is Liu Yueyue's lover, she loves him to death. That's why as long as he's in her hands, no matter what the master asks of her, she'll do it, and she definitely won't dare disobey."

  A Xue stared at Liang Xiao for a while, then lowered her head and said: "Thanks to Sister Ling, if you didn't let me desperately chase after him, I wouldn't have caught him." A Ling's cheeks twitched twice, forcing a smile as she said: "You know that's all, but this matter can't be told to the master!" A Xue asked: "Why not? If the master finds out, he'll heavily reward you too." A Ling's pretty face sank, her voice stern as she said: "Foolish girl, I tell you not to speak, you just don't speak. Speak one more sentence carelessly, and I'll cut off your tongue!"

  A Xue was caught off guard by her sudden rage, and was so frightened that she didn't dare to speak. Liang Xiao watched with a cold eye, guessing the strangeness of it all. He thought that the master had ordered two people to track down Liu Yuying, but A Ling had shrunk back at the last minute and told A Xue to track her instead, while he himself went off somewhere else to idle around. He had thought that A Xue was foolish and would either lose her or get herself killed if she caught up, but unexpectedly she had achieved a great success. A Ling's plan had not come off as expected, and instead had helped someone else, which already made him very unhappy. Now he was also afraid that A Xue would reveal his own laziness, and so his mind was in complete disarray, naturally making him even more angry.

  A Ling scolded, her face flushed red, her chest heaving with agitation. She turned around and smiled: "Ah Xue, sorry, sister is a bit irritable, just lost my temper, don't take it to heart!" Ah Xue nodded: "I'm originally stupid, sister didn't scold wrongly." A Ling said: "I knew Ah Xue was the most obedient. Hmm, do you know why I got angry?" Ah Xue shook her head in confusion.

  "A Ling smiled wryly: "It's because you've achieved great merit, but I haven't accomplished anything, so my heart isn't feeling too good." Ah Xue didn't catch the underlying tone and said: "Sister, don't be sad, there will be more opportunities to achieve merit, I'll definitely let you have them." A Ling looked at her not understanding the situation, her eyes widened in annoyance, but then she smiled again: "Ah Xue, it's been a long time since we last practiced palm techniques together. Today is a rare occasion, why don't we exchange moves?" With that, she stood up.

  Ah Xue didn't dare to disobey her, and also stood up saying: "Please sister, instruct me." Ah Ling smiled and nodded, taking a stance, Ah Xue also took a stance, facing her from afar. Liang Xiao couldn't help but be greatly surprised, the two of them taking this stance, was clearly the "Snowflake Divine Palm". When he had practiced with Yueliang Yue, she had once demonstrated this palm technique to him, which is why he recognized it at a glance.

  Ah Ling's eyes sparkled as she chuckled and said, "Good little sister, I'll take the lead." With a gentle leap, her palms fluttered out in rapid succession. Liang Xiao recognized it as the move "Thousand Snows Covering the Top" and couldn't help but focus his attention to watch. Ah Xue's left palm struck vertically while her right palm cut horizontally, executing the move "Ice Freezing Three Feet". The two exchanged blows, their palms clashing, sending a faint chill towards Liang Xiao. He thought to himself, "This move isn't bad, but compared to Yingying, it's far inferior." Just then, Ah Ling chuckled and said, "Ah Xue, your palm technique is great! No wonder you achieved great merit." As she spoke, she executed the move "Snowflake Six Emergences", striking out six palms in an instant, each corresponding to the six angles of a snowflake. Ah Xue hastily used "Autumn Frost Four Dispersals" to barely deflect the attack.

  "Piaoxue Shen Zhang" was originally created by the founder of the sect from the midst of raging winds and snow, as if floating like flying snow, with a beautiful and mysterious shape. Ah Ling and Ah Xue were young and in their prime, with slender figures, and this time they paired up to fight, rising like startled birds, falling like perched butterflies, their jade palms scattering and falling, like snowflakes drifting away.

  The two of them, being fellow disciples, were familiar with each other's moves and quickly exchanged over twenty blows in the blink of an eye. Ah Xue was initially flustered, but as the fight wore on, she became more focused and her movements gradually stabilized. Ah Ling's attacks were swift and unpredictable, but his internal energy was lacking, and after a while, he found himself overwhelmed by Ah Xue's palm strikes. After two more exchanges, Ah Xue suddenly used the "Prosperous Snow" move, striking Ah Ling's shoulder with a reverse palm. Ah Ling felt numbness spreading through his body and retreated several steps, gritting his teeth as he shouted: "You clumsy girl, how dare you hit me?"

  A Xue was taken aback, and suddenly saw A Ling's face turn cold and fierce as she pounced on her. A Xue saw the venom in her eyes and couldn't help but feel fearful, slowing down her movements, and was hit by A Ling's "June Flying Snow" on her shoulder. A Xue stumbled back three steps, her shoulder aching in pain, almost bringing tears to her eyes. A Ling had not expected to knock her down with one palm, and was slightly surprised, circling around to A Xue's back and striking again, hitting her on the back of the heart. A Xue leapt forward two steps, trembling as she cried out: "Sister, A Xue is in so much pain."

  A Ling was not only not knocked down, but also shocked. It turned out that A Ling was born cunning and often loved to sneak away when encountering difficult tasks. Ah Xue's thoughts were dull, but she was honest and had a solid foundation of internal power. A Ling thought her martial arts skills were above Ah Xue's, but today she fell behind, feeling ashamed and angry. She had already come up with the evil idea of killing Ah Xue with one palm strike to take credit for herself, but unexpectedly the little girl's inner strength was thick, and if they were to fight desperately, she might not necessarily win. Changing her mind, she laughed and said: "Ah Xue, are you still going to compare?"