Chapter Thirty-Eight: Inseparable

  The rain pattered and poured, like pearls or beads, gradually falling smaller. The east spat out a magnificent dawn glow, the mountains were washed clean, fresh and charming. Two or three farmers had eaten breakfast and led their oxen out, telling each other jokes.

  As we arrived at the edge of the field, a figure suddenly appeared in front of us. The person's hair was disheveled and their body was covered in mud, with several blades of grass stuck to them. A pair of dull eyes stared blankly from amidst the messy hair, fixed on the crowd.

  A thin farmer spat and cursed, "Another stinky beggar has come!" A sturdy villager chimed in, "People from the north are coming in droves, it's a disaster!" The tall man next to him said with hatred, "Yesterday the local security officer said that the Tartars will collect grain again. Damn it, I'd rather die than support these sons of bitches!"

  Seven mouths and eight tongues were speaking, when suddenly a slovenly man rushed forward, hugged the neck of the buffalo, and wailed loudly: "Don't die, don't die!" The buffalo was frightened, stretched out its horns to butt him, but the man stood firm, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground, glaring with his eyes wide open and shouting again: "You come, you can't knock me down, I'm not afraid of you!" The three farmers saw this scene and were greatly startled; the sturdy man exclaimed: "Good heavens, he's a madman!"

  The buffalo was held by the madman's neck, mooing loudly and foaming at the mouth. The man's feet sank into the mud for a foot or so, but he didn't budge an inch, only shouting: "You can't knock me down! I'm not afraid of you..." Three farmers saw this and rushed over to grab his arms, but before they could get close, the man let out a loud roar, flexed his arms and flipped the buffalo onto the ground.

  That man flipped the water buffalo over, clapping his hands and laughing loudly. The farmers in the village heard the news and rushed to the scene, shouting and yelling, wielding their hoes to attack him. He swung his arms wildly, causing blood to flow from the mouths of the crowd, as they fled in all directions. "Don't run!" he shouted, chasing after them, swinging left and right, sending the villagers tumbling to the ground like rolling gourds.

  The man stood with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly, when he suddenly saw several village women rushing towards him. He glared at them and shouted, "Even if you all come, I'm not afraid!" With a flick of his body, he appeared in front of the villagers. The village women were frightened by his ghostly movements and let out a startled cry. When the man heard the women's shrill cries, his body trembled, and he turned around to embrace a young village girl, calling out in a sorrowful voice, "Ah Xue, Ah Xue..."

  This madman was indeed Liang Xiao, who had been deeply traumatized and lost his mind. The village girl was mistaken for Ah Xue by him, tightly held in his arms, which scared her to the point of being frozen all over, almost fainting. After finally calming down, she heard him crying miserably, and after the initial fright, she felt moved, and also started crying.

  A dark shadow flashed through the crowd, and a person rushed to Liang Xiao's front, with a swift hand that slapped his shoulder. Liang Xiao's arms shook violently, unable to hold on, and had to let go of the woman. His eyes revealed a fierce light as he shouted: "Who are you?" The man laughed and said: "You're bullying a girl? I'll slap your ears!" As soon as he finished speaking, he slapped Liang Xiao's ears twice.

  Liang Xiao's mind was lost, but his martial arts skills were still 70% intact. However, when that person attacked, he couldn't even dodge. His face seemed to have opened a soy sauce shop, and after spinning around twice, he spat out a mouthful of dark purple blood phlegm. Before he could steady himself, the person pounced again, striking his chest and neck with one palm, sending Liang Xiao tumbling over. The force of the blow affected the "Zhongfu" and "Yunmen" acupoints. Liang Xiao crashed to the ground, spitting out another large mouthful of blood phlegm, and the stagnant energy in his chest suddenly dissipated, but his mind was still foggy. Just as he was about to get up, the person suddenly pounced again, striking him between the nose and mouth with one fist - this was the "Renzhong" acupoint, also known as the "Water Trough", which connected the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian and the Governor Vessel. Liang Xiao felt a sharp pain shooting up from the "Renzhong" point, spreading throughout his head like a spider web, and suddenly his mind cleared. His eyes scanned around, and he was secretly shocked: "Where am I?"

  He didn't even have time to think, the man's hand was like a bird's claw, reaching towards his heart, Liang Xiao dodged and evaded but couldn't avoid it, and was immediately grabbed by the "Zhong Ji" acupoint, his whole body numb and unable to move. The man laughed and said: "Do you admit defeat?"

  Two men faced each other, and Liang Xiao was surprised: "Crazy old man, is it you?" This person was the strange old man who had stirred up the Yuan army's camp. He had been hit by a palm from He Tuo Luo, escaped with injuries from the Yuan camp, found a place to recover, and after recovering followed the fleeing Song people to this village. His mind was unclear, and he would forget everything after it happened, so he had long forgotten Liang Xiao. Hearing him call out, he looked puzzled: "You know me?" His face sank, and he asked again, "Do you admit defeat?"

  Liang Xiao was stared at by his two eyes, and the past events flooded his mind. He remembered hitting something hard when he fell into the water, and then lost consciousness. Thinking about it, he felt a sour heart, and his desire to win disappeared. He sighed: "Old man, I lost!" The strange old man was satisfied, let him go, and clapped his hands with laughter.

  Liang Xiao looked back at the distant mountains and vast wilderness, his heart filled with a sense of desolation: "Ah Xue is dead, why am I still alive? Is it that heaven hasn't tormented me enough yet?" He had died once before, and so he had given up on death. With a bitter smile, he turned to leave. But unexpectedly, the strange old man stretched out his hand again and grabbed his "Lingtai hole". Liang Xiao was already feeling suffocated, and couldn't help but shout: "What do you want to do now?" The strange old man laughed and said: "You stay behind, come and fight with me!" Suddenly finding something extremely fun to do, he couldn't contain his joy, a smile spreading across his face.

  Liang Xiao's heart was cold and his interest had waned, he didn't want to accompany him in his nonsense, so he said: "If you don't let go, how can I fight with you?" The old man was taken aback, laughed and said: "Exactly! Exactly!" And released his hand.

  Liang Xiao, having gained his freedom, ran with all his might for six or seven miles until he was panting and stopped. Just as he was thinking of finding a place to eat and drink, he heard someone laughing and saying, "Very good, very good! You're not slow!" Liang Xiao was startled and turned around to see the strange old man standing with his hands behind his back, smiling and saying, "Run, why have you stopped running?" Liang Xiao was already out of breath and being teased by this strange person made him even angrier. He sat down and shouted, "I'm exhausted!"

  The old man laughed and said, "I'm not tired!" He stretched out his hand towards his arm. Liang Xiao flipped her wrist, pointing at the "Qu Chi" acupoint on him. The old man cried out in surprise, then quickly blocked it with one finger, spitting out a mouthful of air that hit Liang Xiao's chest. Liang Xiao sprang up and kicked the old man's waist. The old man swept his five fingers diagonally, sending a strong gust of wind towards Liang Xiao, causing her left leg to go numb, leaving only her right leg to support herself as she jumped backward.

  The old man laughed and said, "Wonderful! You're a one-legged ghost, I'm a fairy jumping!" After that, he also curled up his left foot and jumped to Liang Xiao's side on one leg, grasping his wrist. Liang Xiao wanted to break free, but unexpectedly the old man ran wildly, pulling him up like a kite.

  Liang Xiao was pulled by him, and his arm joint almost dislocated. He had to use all his strength to keep up with the old man's frantic running. The old man's speed was like wind and lightning. Liang Xiao only heard the sound of the wind in his ears, and the scenery in front of him flashed by in an instant. He thought that in his life, he had never seen such footwork. At first, for thirty miles, relying on the old man's pulling and dragging, he could barely keep up. After thirty miles, he felt his legs go soft and gradually lose strength.

  The old man was as swift as a running horse, his speed undiminished. Liang Xiao's knees hit the ground and he was dragged for hundreds of feet, his pants worn through, skin broken and bleeding. He thought to himself that being dragged to death was too ridiculous, so in desperation he loudly cried out: "Old sir, I concede...I concede."

  The old man heard this, his heart was greatly pleased, and he laughed out loud: "Very good, it's great that you admit defeat." Liang Xiao collapsed like mud, sat down and said: "I'm both tired and hungry, of course I couldn't outrun you." The old man scratched his head and said: "You're right." He grabbed Liang Xiao with one hand and carried him on his shoulder, running out for two miles, where they saw a white camp in the distance.

  Liang Xiao recognized that it was the Yuan army's large camp and couldn't help but be shocked, thinking that coming here would be like jumping into a trap. However, the strange old man had sealed his acupoints while capturing him, so he couldn't move at all, and could only anxiously struggle in vain.

  The old man strode swiftly, kicking open the camp gate and charging in. The soldiers guarding the camp stood up to block him with their spears. The old man chuckled and dodged left and right, weaving through the crowd and sprinting past two rows of tents. Suddenly catching a whiff of roasting meat, he hastened forward and saw three soldiers laughing and chatting as they roasted a beef thigh over an open flame. The meat was cooked to perfection, with crispy skin and juicy flesh, and the aroma of beef wafted through the air. In a flash, the old man snatched the beef thigh and the soldiers, caught off guard, leapt up, each grasping their weapons.

  The old man grasped the cow's leg, feeling scorching heat, and involuntarily shouted: "It's all over, it's all over!" He swapped his left hand with his right hand, and his right hand with his left hand, switching four times in an instant. As he saw the Yuan army approaching, he wrapped the cow's leg bone in his sleeve and swung it out with a whoosh. A bearded soldier was hit first, scalding hot oil splashing all over his face, and he let out a long, mournful cry. The old man was delighted, using the cow's leg as a weapon, with flying cow oil leaving no one unscathed wherever it passed.

  He entered from the south gate and exited from the north gate, passing through the ten-mile yuan camp in one breath. The generals and soldiers roared with anger, mounted their horses to chase, but that old man's light skill was unparalleled, once he took a step, he soared like a startled dragon, and in just a short while, he left the thousands of troops behind without a trace.

  Liang Xiao saw his majestic demeanor and admired him in her heart: "This person's lightness has exceeded the limits of human power, and even my fastest horse can't keep up with him. Only Liu Yanyan's treasured Lipstick Horse is worthy of comparison with him!" But seeing the strange old man looking around, she felt something was off and called out, "Old sir, those people won't be able to catch up, put me down!"

  The old man stopped in his tracks and shouted, "Hey! How did you get on my shoulder?" He shook his body and threw him off.

  Liang Xiao angrily said: "You carried me on your shoulders, and you still have the face to say that I?" The strange old man smiled and said: "Really? I forgot!" Liang Xiao coldly said: "Who is your grandfather, did you forget?" The strange old man said: "What do you mean by who my grandfather is?" Liang Xiao originally wanted to answer smoothly: "Your grandfather is me!" But seeing the strange old man's bewildered expression, not seeming to be pretending, he suddenly felt a pang of sympathy, tore off a piece of cooked beef, and silently stuffed it into his mouth. The strange old man saw this and also started eating meat.

  Liang Xiao ate until he was half full, then walked to a stream to drink water. When he turned his head back, the strange old man had also arrived at the stream, teasing a large butterfly with colorful spots, catching and releasing it repeatedly. The butterfly's wings were surprisingly resilient, able to withstand his repeated handling.

  Liang Xiao was at a loss to extricate himself, took two sips of water, gazed intently at the reflection in the stream, and felt a wave of dizziness. In his blurred vision, a round-faced girl appeared beside him, smiling brightly with slender fingers, holding back her cascading hair, and smiling at him. He shouted: "Ah Xue..." and reached out to touch her, but the water's surface shattered, sending ripples through the stream.

  Liang Xiao stared blankly at the water's surface, endless sorrow surging up to his heart, and fell down by the creek, wailing loudly. The strange old man saw him crying so pitifully and was greatly surprised, released the butterfly, came over to pat his head, and smiled faintly: "Good baby, sleep a bit, don't cry, sleep more..."

  Li Xue was furious, but today she was overcome with grief and threw herself into the old man's arms, wailing like a child. The old man seemed to be in a trance, letting her into his embrace without any guard, muttering to himself: "Sleeping is sweet, eating sugar is sweet, sugar is sweet, picking up money..." As he muttered, a few lines of kindness appeared between his eyebrows.

  After a while, Liang Xiao's emotions calmed down, and he suddenly realized that he was in the old man's arms, feeling extremely embarrassed. He thought to himself that he should take advantage of the opportunity to get rid of the old man and escape immediately. However, when it came time to take action, he hesitated again. The old man had been kind to him, and if he were to hurt him, wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity? Liang Xiao thought for a moment, sighed, and struggled free, feeling depressed and unhappy.

  The old man stared into the distance, seemingly deep in thought. After a long while, he let out a sigh. Liang Xiao asked, "Why did you sigh?" The old man furrowed his brow and said, "I miss my wife!" Liang Xiao was taken aback, saying, "You can't even remember yourself, how do you still remember your wife?" The old man waved his hand and said, "I may not remember anything else, but I could never forget my wife." Upon hearing this, Liang Xiao sighed and asked, "If you miss her, why don't you go back?" The old man shook his head and said, "No way, if I go back, my wife won't let me out!"

  "He must have a shrewish wife, and the old man is probably driven mad by her. But he's so crazy, yet still thinking of his wife, it shows how much he loves her. Unfortunately, things in life are hard to predict, one day they're separated, maybe forever, just like me and Ah Xue, we parted for a moment, but when we met again, it was already a farewell between life and death..." Just as he felt a chill, the old man gurgled and drank a few mouthfuls of cool water, then lay down on the rock by the stream and fell fast asleep.

  Liang Xiao was taken aback, thinking that he could take advantage of the old man's sleep to slip away. But as soon as he stood up, he felt extremely hesitant. He thought to himself: "If I just leave like this, the old man is not in his right mind, and wandering around will only make him more pitiful." He looked at the old man again and thought: "He doesn't seem like a born fool, but rather someone who has contracted some kind of illness. It's said that people can have amnesia, I might as well trick him into seeing a doctor before leaving, it won't be too late."

  After finishing his meditation and breath control, he didn't expect the old man's snoring to get louder and louder. After a long time, it was like thunder rumbling, with changes in tone and pitch that could shake one's soul. Liang Xiao was repeatedly disrupted from his breathing exercises and felt strange. He got up to take a closer look and found the old man's sleeping posture was peculiar, with his hands clasped to his chest, his body as soft as a caterpillar, and his mouth and nose opening and closing, with his hair fluttering up and down. Liang Xiao seemed to have an epiphany: "Is he also practicing internal energy while sleeping?" He took two steps closer, just wanting to take a closer look, when suddenly the old man's body slightly shook, and two strong gusts of wind broke through the air and struck him.

  Liang Xiao hastily dodged, a strong gust of wind swept across his calf, and he felt a numbness. He looked up to see the old man flip over, snoring even louder, and suddenly realized: "He can still make moves in his dreams, no wonder he sleeps so soundly." Thinking back to the strange events in the Yuan camp, those soldiers who approached the old man were knocked down by strong gusts of wind, which came without warning and left without a trace, making it impossible to defend against.

  He retreated far away, gazing up at the round moon in the sky. Ah Xue's face once again emerged from the depths of his heart, and with a glance and a smile, it seemed as if she was right before his eyes. The pain in Liang Xiao's heart could not be added to, and two lines of silent tears flowed down.

  He was feeling sentimental, and a surge of true energy rose from within him, circulating in an unprecedented way. He was startled, and the true energy suddenly disappeared. Concentrating his mind to think carefully, he unintentionally followed the old man's breathing, as breathing is the foundation of internal strength. The two people's breathing harmonized, and the flow of true energy also tended to be consistent.

  Liang Xiao was born with a curious nature, and he couldn't help but sit cross-legged, clearing his mind of distractions. Before long, his breathing synchronized with the old man's, and true energy circulated up and down, filling his legs with boundless vitality. After sitting for a moment longer, he couldn't contain himself, and with a burst of energy, he leapt to his feet and began sprinting wildly, his body moving involuntarily. Liang Xiao was shocked in his heart, but he couldn't stop running.

  He ran faster and faster, only to feel the wind rushing past his ears, a loud and shrill sound, the scenery in front of him scattered, and the stars in the sky seemed to be pressing down on his head. His internal energy was consumed at an alarming rate, and after running less than twenty miles, he felt a wave of fatigue, as if his legs were no longer attached to his body, alternating between sprinting and flying, with no end in sight.

  Liang Xiao stopped in his tracks, but to no avail. Fear crept into his heart: "If this continues, won't I exhaust myself to death?" But thinking of the sins he had committed throughout his life, he felt that even a thousand deaths would be too light a punishment. This thought occurred to him, and he no longer deliberately restrained himself, instead letting things take their course.

  He ran for dozens of miles, feeling extremely exhausted and on the verge of collapse. Suddenly, he heard a faint laugh behind him, followed by a flash before his eyes, and the strange old man appeared in front of him. Just as they were about to collide, the old man reached out and nudged Liang Xiao's shoulder, causing him to change direction involuntarily and run around him in circles. The old man was overjoyed and clapped his hands wildly, laughing uncontrollably. Amidst the laughter, Liang Xiao's eyes turned black, and he suddenly fainted.

  In a daze, a hot current flowed back and forth inside his body. Liang Xiao woke up, opened his eyes, and saw the old man staring at him with wide eyes, seemingly concerned. Liang Xiao only felt pain in his legs, thought of the strange thing that had just happened, and was both shocked and puzzled.

  The old man laughed and said, "Are you going to run or not?" Liang Xiao was startled and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it." The old man said, "If you're not running, then let's have a martial arts match." He raised his fist to strike, but just as he was about to hit Liang Xiao in the face, he suddenly stopped and frowned, saying, "Why aren't you fighting back?" Liang Xiao irritably replied, "I can barely stand up, what's the point of fighting?"

  The old man was very disappointed and walked back and forth with his hands behind his back. Liang Xiao didn't bother to pay attention to him and closed his eyes to rest. Before long, the old man woke him up again, laughing: "Fighting is no fun, let's play rock-paper-scissors." Liang Xiao was disturbed by him and couldn't rest, annoyed, he said: "What's so fun about rock-paper-scissors?" The old man laughed: "It's a lot of fun, I'll throw stone, you'll throw cloth; I'll throw cloth, you'll throw scissors..." They made fists with both hands and compared them back and forth.

  This is a children's game, where the fist represents a stone, the palm represents a piece of cloth, and the index and middle fingers represent scissors. The cloth wraps around the stone, the stone crushes the scissors, and the scissors cut the cloth, with each one overcoming the other in turn.

  Liang Xiao carelessly made a fuss, and said with a hum: "You're so old, yet you still play childish tricks?" The strange old man said: "If I don't play childish tricks, then come and fight with me."

  Liang Xiao saw him mention fighting, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but think it was a bad omen. He reluctantly said, "Let's just play rock-paper-scissors instead." The old man hollered and rolled up his sleeves. The two of them simultaneously threw out their fists, both were scissors, then they threw out another fist, both were paper, the third time they threw out their fists, again both were stone.

  The two men exchanged ten punches, each one identical to the other. Liang Xiao was amazed and couldn't help but exclaim: "Slow down, this punch is strange! We're punching the same way, how can we determine who wins?" The old man smiled and said: "If our punches are different, then you win."

  Liang Xiao was filled with doubts, thinking back to his encounter with the old man in the Yuan camp. Every time he made a move, the old man would counter it perfectly, and Liang couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He stared at the old man and asked, "Can you see through my thoughts?" The old man shook his head and said, "This isn't about seeing through your thoughts, it's about 'adapting to circumstances, formless and shapeless'." Liang Xiao furrowed his brow and asked, "What do you mean by adapting to circumstances, formless and shapeless?" The old man scratched his head and replied, "I'm not quite sure how to explain that myself."

  Liang Xiao sighed, just feeling disappointed, the old man said: "I can't explain the reason, but I can make an analogy. I'm like water, you're like a bottle of water, no matter if you're square or round, I can always fill you up." Liang Xiao was taken aback, and just wanted to think carefully, but the old man urged him to strike again, so he could only respond perfunctorily.

  The two of them gestured and struggled, tossing and turning for half the night, but their fists were still the same. Just as the dawn was breaking, the old man finally let Liang Xiao sleep for a while. After waking up, the two of them arranged some wine and meat to eat.

  After eating and drinking, the old man called for a game of rock-paper-scissors. Liang Xiao thought to himself: "He compares himself to water, flowing water takes on different shapes according to its surroundings, changing without being bound by anything. Whether I'm a bucket or a bottle, no matter what shape, he'll always fill me up. If I want to win against him, unless this vessel is as vast as the heavens and the earth, even with all the waters of the rivers and seas, he won't be able to fill it up. But where in the world can you find a vessel that's so enormous?" As he thought about this, he played another round of rock-paper-scissors, his mind elsewhere, his hand slipped, knocking over the wine bottle beside him. He reached out to steady it, and his heart skipped a beat as he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  The old man asked: "What are you laughing at?" Liang Xiao said: "Old master, you say you're water and I'm a bottle to hold water. No matter if I'm square or round, you can always fill me up." The old man smiled and said: "That's right!" Liang Xiao picked up the wine bottle and knocked it against a stone, "Clang", the bottom of the bottle cracked open, and the remaining wine flowed out.

  Liang Xiao said: "The bottle is broken?" The strange old man was stunned, and hummed: "You are a living person, not a wine bottle. If you were, I would also pick you up and knock you down twice."

  Liang Xiao was startled and quickly said, "Old man, let's play rock-paper-scissors instead." The strange old man smiled with his eyes wide open and forgot to make a move. The two of them simultaneously raised their hands and shouted, "Go!" The strange old man threw out a pair of scissors with his right hand, while Liang Xiao also threw out a pair of scissors with his right hand, but then slowly extended his left fist.

  The old man frowned and said, "What's the meaning of this?" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "I'm going to use a stone to smash your scissors!" The old man angrily said, "How can that be? We agreed on single fist against single hand, scissors against scissors. How can you use two hands?" Liang Xiao said, "We did say we'd play rock-paper-scissors, but we didn't say we couldn't use both hands to play rock-paper-scissors."

  The old man couldn't refute, his eyes wide with anger, circling around him. Liang Xiao saw the situation was not good and hastily said: "I haven't finished eating yet, let's fight after dinner." The old man impatiently said: "Hurry up and eat, hurry up!"

  Liang Xiao pretended to savor his food slowly, but his mind was racing with thoughts. He thought to himself that the martial arts he had learned from others were not his own creation, and in order to break through the "Adaptation of Formlessness" mental state, he must transcend his current level of martial arts and create new moves.

  The old man saw him hesitating and couldn't help but swing his fist. Liang Xiao hadn't thought of a new move yet, turned around and ran away. The old man saw that he was fleeing without a fight and became furious in his heart. His lightness skill was unmatched in the world, with one tight step, he rushed to Liang Xiao's back, stretched out his hand and grabbed. Liang Xiao unfolded the "Ten Directions Step", turned advance into retreat, and flashed behind the old man. The old man exclaimed and spun around like a whirlwind to grab him.

  Liang Xiao saw that he couldn't imitate his own footwork, and was secretly shocked. Suddenly, he realized that all of his martial arts skills, only the "Ten Directions Step" was self-created, breaking the limitations of the "Return to Origin Step", so the old man couldn't imitate it. He understood the crux of the problem, and used the "Ten Directions Step" to dodge. The strange old man was unable to land a hit for a while, and angrily shouted repeatedly.

  The two men entwined for a while, the strange old man was swift and fierce, unpredictable, Liang Xiao gradually felt overwhelmed, his movements stagnated, and he was pointed down by him. The strange old man forced Liang Xiao to admit defeat, only then did he stop, pulling his beard and laughing loudly.

  After only a few dozen moves, Liang Xiao seemed to have used up all his energy, and he crawled to the side to catch his breath. Seeing the old man dancing with his hands and feet, he thought that although the old man was afraid of being young, how could he still have such skills at his age?

  He meditated for half a day, but the old man's enthusiasm rose again and forced him to take action. Although Liang Xiao had already thought of several new moves, they were all useless when he started fighting, and he was subdued in less than ten moves. Fortunately, this time he lost, the moves he created were not imitated by the old man.

  It was night, and the two of them went to bed. Liang Xiao tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, bitterly thinking of new moves, but what he had learned so far were all top-notch martial arts in the world, creating new moves was not easy! He thought hard for a whole night, but only came up with three palm techniques and two leg techniques, and they were all loose moves, not a complete set.

  He thought of the fifth watch in the sky, and he was just dazed to sleep. However, before an hour had passed, he was woken up by the old man again. The old man had slept enough and was full of energy. With three moves and two styles, he forced him to surrender with his hands tied behind his back. He had no choice but to admit defeat. It's strange that the old man is good at fighting and being unreasonable, but there is one advantage: as long as his opponent admits defeat, he will not bother him again.

  Liang Xiao repeatedly fought and retreated, his competitive spirit arose. He thought that winning by drawing fists was due to breaking the rules of drawing fists, and if he wanted to win a fight, he had to break the rules of fighting as well. His gaze shifted, and he saw a pile of boulders, each weighing about a thousand catties. Liang Xiao's ingenuity moved him to get up and push the giant rocks.

  The old man saw him pushing the boulders into piles on both sides, and he was very curious. After watching for a while, his hands itched, and he asked Liang Xiao what he was doing. Seeing that he didn't answer, he simply rolled up his sleeves and helped him push the giant rocks.

  In a moment, the stones were all in place. The old man looked up and saw Liang Xiao staring at him with a smile that was not quite a smile on his face. Before he could ask any questions, Liang Xiao's figure flashed by, and he vanished into thin air. The old man was shocked and shouted, "You little scamp, don't run!" He chased after him, running in circles among the rocks for dozens of times. His intuition was astonishing, and he felt that Liang Xiao was nearby, but no matter how skilled his lightness technique was, he couldn't catch a glimpse of Liang Xiao's shadow.

  After running for a while, the old man got angry and shouted loudly: "You stinky kid, stop playing hide-and-seek, come out quickly!" He scolded and cursed in a loud voice, but no one responded. Out of breath and frustrated, he sat down on the ground with a thud, stroking his beard to vent his anger.

  Liang Xiao pushed the boulder, forming a stone array. The old man was frantic and couldn't see through the mystery, although he felt that Liang Xiao hadn't gone far, but didn't think that he was hiding behind this pile of rocks. Liang Xiao hid behind the rock, seeing him acting crazy, secretly amused in his heart. He gained an opportunity to catch his breath, thinking about how to make a move, how to change tactics, and after a long time, he walked out from behind the stone array, smiling and calling out: "Old sir."

  The old man, who had not seen him for a long time, was taken aback and exclaimed with joy: "Good kid, I'm calling you to escape." He rushed forward, stretched out his hand to grab. Liang Xiao dodged the incoming claw and countered with a slap.

  The old man unexpectedly gained the ability to counterattack in a short period of time, and he was overjoyed, laughing loudly. He transformed his claws into palms and chopped towards Liang Xiao's arm. In an instant, the two men exchanged more than twenty moves, advancing and retreating. Seeing that his skills were exhausted, Liang Xiao dodged into the stone array, thinking deeply and creating a new move.

  The two of them fought intermittently several times. The strange old man couldn't understand the weird stone array, and Liang Xiao turned the tables on him, wanting to fight then fighting, wanting to leave then leaving, no longer under his control. At night, he came out of the array to look for food, quietly passing it over to the old man's side.

  The old man, after a long time, developed an obsession in his heart, and was convinced that Liang Xiao would always be nearby, no matter what, and would never go far. When Liang Xiao made his move, he knew nothing about it, and with his unclear mind, when he saw food, he didn't think twice, ate and then slept, waiting for Liang Xiao to reappear before engaging in battle again.

  The two men fought day and night, Liang Xiao single-mindedly breaking through the old skills, creating new moves, gradually becoming one with himself, his mind only on martial arts. At first, he thought of all sorts of changes before daring to take action, but later, he was able to adapt to changing circumstances, creating new moves on the spot. The strange old man could occasionally imitate a move or two, but Liang Xiao's moves were too clever and unpredictable, and after two or three moves, he had no way to continue.

  The old man was a martial arts fanatic, wishing that everyone in the world had extraordinary martial arts skills, so he could have a worthy opponent to fight with. Every time Liang Xiao appeared, his martial arts improved a bit, and he was overjoyed. He no longer held it against him for hiding in the stone array, and several times when he subdued him, he couldn't bear to leave him by his side, so he put him back in the stone array. He eagerly awaited this young man's next appearance, hoping that he would become even more powerful, making their fight even more thrilling.

  March passed in the blink of an eye, and Liang Xiao devoted himself to martial arts day and night, seeking to forget the sorrow in his heart. Occasionally, he would hear news of the outside world, such as the fall of Yangzhou and Taizhou to the Mongols, and the death of Song general Li Tingzhi, who had died defending his country. The elite troops of the Song army were almost completely wiped out. Meanwhile, the Western Xia dynasty was also facing a crisis in its northwestern territories, with the Mongol princes clashing fiercely with Kublai Khan. As a result, many of the Song army's generals returned north to reinforce their defenses. The remnants of the Song army took advantage of this opportunity to regroup and plan their revenge. Liang Xiao heard these news and felt a deep sense of disgust, wanting only to focus on his martial arts training with the mysterious old man and end his miserable life.

  On this day, they fought to the hundredth move, and Liang Xiao lost one move. Having already fought three rounds that day, he was exhausted and didn't even have time to dodge into the stone array before collapsing onto the ground, panting heavily. The strange old man had been interacting with him for a long time and was close to him, so seeing this didn't make things difficult, and he went off to one side to shout and wave his fists, tempering his inner strength.

  Liang Xiao gasped for a long time, and when he came to, he didn't think that his mind would wander again, and the brutal battles of the past flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but shudder all over, closing his eyes and pressing down on his heart. Just as he was about to get rid of those golden armor and iron horses from his mind, a pale round face floated up in his mind, with a pair of big eyes staring at him intently, full of sorrow and reluctance.

  Liang Xiao only felt that all his thoughts had turned to dust, and when he looked again, the strange old man was dancing with joy, without a care in the world. He couldn't help but feel a deep envy: "If I were like him, how good it would be to forget the past!" Sighing, he thought about how he had been focusing on his own martial arts training these days and had forgotten about the old man's condition of forgetting things easily. Since they had met once before, he couldn't just stand by and watch as the old man wandered the world alone.

  He had made up his mind and called the old man, coaxing and deceiving him, to take him to a doctor. The doctor saw that their clothes were tattered and worn out, and he was already eight or nine parts displeased in his heart, fearing that the two would cheat him, hesitating again and again, holding onto the old man's pulse, pondering for a moment, saying: "The energy and blood are full, all the pulses are harmonious, there is no sign of illness!"

  Li Xiao frowned and said, "Take a closer look, he might have amnesia!" The doctor had already lost his patience, glared at him and said, "Is forgetfulness also an illness? As people age, they become forgetful, it's inevitable. In my younger years when I studied, I could memorize everything after just one glance, nowadays when I read a book, I can barely remember two or three out of a hundred words. If this were a curable disease, I'd want to be cured too!" Li Xiao asked again, "Does he have any mental illness?" The doctor sized him up with a cold smile and said, "I think you're the one who's a bit mentally ill, scram, don't waste my time doing business."

  Liang Xiao saw that he was self-interested and was greatly infuriated in his heart, but having experienced many hardships, he no longer had the vigor of his youth, so he suppressed his anger and coldly laughed as he walked out. He then visited several other famous doctors, all of whom gave similar responses. Some didn't even bother to look at him, while others ridiculed him with cold sarcasm.

  The old man was getting impatient, and Liang Xiao had been holding back his anger for a long time. He thought that this illness couldn't be cured by an ordinary doctor. He remembered that when he was at the Tianji Palace, Hua Xiaoshuang had told him that Wu Changqing, also known as Evil Hua Tuo, lived in Lao Mountain. Although Wu Changqing had a bad temper, his medical skills were said to be excellent. Liang Xiao made up his mind and coaxed the old man, saying: "There's a famous top-notch expert living in Lao Mountain, do you want to meet him?"

  The old man was suddenly spirited, and said repeatedly: "Good, good." Without asking the reason, he pulled up Liang Xiao and headed south. Liang Xiao hurriedly said: "Wrong, only going north is right." He pulled back the old man and walked slowly northward.

  After walking for about a mile, the strange old man thought Liang Xiao was too slow and, in a burst of energy, gave him a boost on his elbow, pulling him into a frantic sprint. Liang Xiao couldn't keep up with the running, so he could only use the breathing technique he had learned from the strange old man's snoring. With each breath, his legs seemed to gain endless strength, and all he thought about was running, and with the help of the pull, he managed to barely catch up.

  After running for a while, Liang Xiao paid attention to the old man's movements and found that his running steps were quite particular. Sometimes he ran like a deer, sometimes like a rabbit, sometimes like a fish jumping out of water, and sometimes like a gecko climbing a wall. His body adapted to different terrain with corresponding footwork. Liang Xiao followed suit and suddenly felt much lighter.

  The old man's breathing and footsteps were originally one, and only when used internally and externally could they be done at will. As time went on, Liang Xiao became less tired, his breathing stabilized, and he couldn't help but feel pleased in his heart: "Once this breathing method is applied, the energy inside the body cannot be released unless it is frantically vented. However, how to release it has its own rules. It's like a windfall coming in, good business flowing in and out, making money from money; a spendthrift only seeks temporary pleasure, spending all at once! Next, he had doubts, using the same breathing method, why could the old man still sleep peacefully while he was running frantically? He couldn't figure it out, knowing that the old man had some secret technique that outsiders didn't know.

  On this day, he arrived at the Yangtze River and was looking for a boat to cross the river. Suddenly, an old man appeared with a broken bamboo pole, laughing and rushing towards the river water.

  Liang Xiao saw that he had another fit of madness, and hastily called out: "Old master, come back quickly..." Before the words were finished, the strange old man's palm wind was like a knife, cutting off a section of bamboo pole, and swiftly throwing it out. Just as the broken bamboo fell into the water, his body swayed, crossing over three zhang, his body tilting, almost level with the river water. His left foot kicked onto the bamboo, the broken bamboo slightly sinking, following his momentum sliding out two zhang, bringing up a trail of white water marks.

  The old man didn't wait for the bamboo to sink, he broke off another piece, and threw it out in the same way. One somersault took him three zhang, his right foot landing on the second broken bamboo. The bamboo slid across the water, taking him two more zhang. Repeating this several times, before using up one bamboo pole, he had already flown across the great river, standing on the opposite bank with his hands on his hips and laughing loudly.

  Liang Xiao thought it was fun, so he also found a bamboo pole, broke the bamboo and threw it out, flew up and jumped onto it. Who knew that the bamboo joints would fly away with the water, Liang Xiao's left foot stepped on empty air, and with a splash, he fell into the river. He was ashamed and could only pretend to be brave, and honestly swam across the river.

  The old man stood on the opposite bank, already laughing so hard he was doubled over. Liang Xiao stormed ashore, furious: "It's all your fault for coming up with such a rotten idea!" The old man chuckled: "Who told you to be reckless and try to learn my skill of riding the wind and sailing the seas?" Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat at this: "Riding the wind and sailing the seas? How did this old man come up with such elegant words? Could it be that his lightness skill is actually called 'riding the wind and sailing the seas', and he just happened to say it out loud?" He thought back to the carefree spirit of riding the long winds and sailing the four seas, and couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

  Crossing the Yangtze River, they rested for a night and then entered Shandong via Huaiyang. On this day, they arrived at the foot of Laoshan Mountain, it was still early in the day, so they went into the town at the foot of the mountain to have some wine and food first.

  Liang Xiao made a few dozen copper coins by selling bamboo utensils along the way, found an inn and ordered two jars of wine, bought ten catties of mutton, and shared it with the strange old man. Just as he was about to ask the shopkeeper about Wu Changqing's residence, suddenly outside the shop, horses and donkeys were calling out, more than a dozen men rushed in, shouting loudly.

  People came with swords and knives, all dressed as if from the rivers and lakes. Among them, two young men supported a youth whose face was dark purple and lips were dry and cracked. The sickly youth walked two steps, felt extremely tired, sat down and only breathed heavily.

  A group of people with solemn faces ordered wine and dishes, and drank a round in silence. The middle-aged man with a tumor under his chin asked the waiter, "Little second, when will the Bodhisattva from the mountain come out?"

  The fellow laughed and said, "You're also here to see the Bodhisattva? That's hard to say!" The meatball man frowned and asked, "What do you mean it's hard to say?" The fellow laughed and replied, "Last month that Bodhisattva came out every day, but this month he comes out less often. He hasn't even shown up once in half a month!"

  The ruffian's face sank, and he said angrily: "How can this be? My young master's injury cannot wait." The shopkeeper sighed: "People from all around are waiting! If the Bodhisattva doesn't come out, what can we do?" The ruffian snorted in anger and coarsely said: "If she doesn't come out, I, 'Meat Whisker', will set fire to that forest just by looking at it from afar."

  Suddenly, a hoarse male voice faintly came: "Xiao Qing, have you seen this earthworm?" Everyone was stunned, turned their eyes to look, and found that in front of the wine shop, a cloth puppet theater had been set up at some unknown time. On the edge of the stage stood a black curtain with large pink characters written on it: "The Universe in a Bag".

  The scenery on the stage is simple, with three bundles of flowers and two blades of grass scattered about. A man and a woman, both made of cloth, walk side by side. The man's voice falls to the ground, and a sharp, fine female voice says: "Look, isn't it just an earthworm? What's so good about looking at that?"

  The man's voice laughed: "Xiao Qing, the earthworm is also called Dilong, meaning the coiled dragon in the ground, and it can be used for medicine!" The woman's voice sighed: "This earthworm is so small and thin, I'm afraid even the Medicine King Bodhisattva couldn't make use of it as medicine." The man's voice laughed again: "Although it's small, it has a special feature - look at the fleshy lump on its chin, that's why it's called 'Rou Xu Gen' (Flesh-whiskered Earthworm), and it's the best among all earthworms."

  "Meat whiskers" suddenly stood up, his face red and green, and cursed: "Fuck your ancestors! Where did this rubbish come from, dare to tease me?" He was full of profanity, but the people playing with the cloth bag ignored him. The woman asked in a tone: "What's different about this 'meat whisker' compared to other earthworms?" A male voice laughed and said: "Very different, other earthworms all grow up eating soil, only this 'meat whisker' grows up eating shit, so it smells extremely foul."

  Always looking at the sea, one jump three feet, suddenly scolding: "Let your mother fart!" The little green cloth bag woman responded and said: "Brother, you say that, it's really smelly, just like letting his mother fart..."

  Chang Wanghai could no longer bear it, let out a loud roar, and leapt out of the shop door. With one move, "Iron Door Sill", he made a sweeping kick along the ground. The stage retreated backward, lightly and nimbly making way. Xiao Qing sighed, "Look, this earthworm heart is black, and still dares to bite people!" Chang Wanghai's leg fell empty, his heart slightly chilled, he sprang up high and low, and with one breath, made three punches and five kicks. The crowd following him watched with dizzy eyes, and all cheered in unison.

  The stage swayed back and forth, and the fists and feet were let go one by one. The male voice sighed: "Xiao Qing, you don't know that earthworms eat mud, so their hearts are naturally black. This 'meat whisker' eats dung, its heart is not only black but also stinky, it can be said to be both black and stinky, a rare thing in the world!" Chang Wang Hai was furious, his seven orifices smoking with rage, his right hand feinting, his left foot kicking into the stage, suddenly feeling a pain in his ankle, as if something had wrapped around it, before he could react, the stage floated up and collided with his chest.

  He gazed out at the sea and let out a mournful cry, flying horizontally for several feet before spitting up blood. His chest was stained with a crimson handprint, his clothes torn to shreds like butterfly wings. The crowd gasped in shock, rising to their feet as a man in yellow robes trembled and asked, "Y-you're one of the puppeteers?" The group's faces were filled with alarm, each drawing out their swords.

  The puppet show stage stood quietly in the middle of the street, with two puppets leaning against each other, seemingly in perfect harmony. The male voice softly sighed and said: "Xiao Qing, someone is asking for our brother!" The female voice giggled and replied: "Yes, what did brother ask us to do?" The male voice laughed and said: "Let's bring the things to them!"

  That group of men could no longer hold back, and they rushed forward with their knives. The stage retreated backward, and a thing flew out from among them, hitting the chest of the man in yellow. The man in yellow spat out fresh blood, fell far away, and when everyone looked, it was a white-haired skull.

  The sickly youth was still gasping for breath at the table when he suddenly saw the skull, his expression changed to one of horror, and he lunged forward, shouting in a hoarse voice: "Dad! Dad!" He hugged the skull and let out two mournful wails, then looked up at the shadow puppet stage. "You... you killed my dad!" A man's voice chuckled and said: "Not just your dad!" A woman's voice chimed in: "Many people have been killed, we're just waiting for you to die, and from now on, there will be no more 'Angry Dragon Gang' on the rivers and lakes." As she spoke, she let out a series of high-pitched giggles, seeming to take great pleasure in it.

  The young man heard this and was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. The crowd of men were indignant and shouted: "Let's fight him!" They brandished their knives and swords and rushed forward. The stage floated east and west in the crowd, like a ghost. Everyone's moves could be seen clearly by the people on the stage; but the reality inside the stage was unknown to everyone. In martial arts fighting, it is essential to know oneself and one's opponent. Since I knew my enemy and they didn't, several more of the Angry Dragon Gang fell.

  Liang Xiao originally didn't want to get involved in these vendettas, but seeing the ruthless and poisonous moves of the people on the stage, he felt a strong urge to intervene. He got up and walked out of the door without saying a word, grabbed the men of the Angry Dragon Gang and threw them backwards one by one, with a series of loud thuds, sending all seven surviving gang members flying behind him.

  The people on the stage saw that it was a formidable opponent, and stopped in their tracks. The man's voice was stern as he asked, "Who are you? Are you an ally of the Angry Dragon Gang?" Liang Xiao sighed and said, "Sir, spare those who should be spared!" A cold female voice sneered, "'Purple-faced Dragon' Liu Xiuyun killed my father and humiliated my mother. Did he show mercy back then? If we don't wipe out his entire family, it will be hard to dispel the hatred in my heart!"

  Liang Xiao furrowed his brow, glanced at those men, and thought to himself that indeed, as the people on the stage had said, these men were guilty of unforgivable crimes. But then again, hadn't he also been blinded by hatred and committed countless murders? Liang Xiao fell silent for a moment before pointing at the white-haired head on the ground: "Is this Liu Xiuyun?" A male voice replied: "That's right!"

  Liang Xiao Dao said: "The ringleader has been executed, the followers are not to be blamed. For my sake, you should also let go!" The male voice hummed and coldly said: "You want to meddle in other people's business?" The female voice chimed in: "Kill him together with them!" Without warning, six flying knives flashed out from the stage, shining with a cold light.

  Li Shuo swung his large sleeves from top to bottom, drawing an arc in the air. The flying knife lost its trajectory and fell to the ground with a series of clinking sounds after he shook his sleeve.

  The stage shook slightly, and a woman's voice shouted: "Good!" From the stage, more than 20 hidden weapons such as flying stones, three-edged darts, bee-tail needles, and iron lotus flowers flew out like heavenly maidens scattering flowers. Three of them were aimed at Liang Xiao, while seven were directed at those men.

  Liang Xiao gave a faint cold smile, his left palm slapped forward and his right palm swept horizontally. Two waves of palm force rolled over like a hurricane, clanging loudly as all the hidden weapons fell to the ground. With one move, Liang Xiao had knocked down all the hidden weapons and with a light wave of his sleeve, he stood upright in his original position.

  The street was quiet for a moment, then a man's voice shouted loudly: "Let's fight to the death!" The puppet stage burst out with a strong gust of wind. Liang Xiao said coldly: "You want to fight to the death? Come out and say it again!" His hands moved like the wind, and with a ripping sound, the puppet stage was torn into two pieces. A figure rushed out and slapped Liang Xiao's chest with both palms.

  That person succeeded with one move, and retreated flying, laughing loudly: "You've been hit by my 'Flame Palm', your life won't last long, it's a pity you interfered in other people's business!" She had a full head of black hair, a face as beautiful as a peach blossom, and was a lovely young girl. The onlookers were amazed, originally thinking there would be two people on the stage, a man and a woman, but unexpectedly there was only one person, and it was a woman.

  The woman had just finished speaking when she suddenly saw Liang Xiao smiling with his sleeves rolled up, not seeming to have suffered a serious injury. In an instant, his smile disappeared and his eyes widened as he let out a sharp cry and swung his palm at her again. Liang Xiao flipped his hand over and grasped her wrist, causing the woman's entire body to go numb. She shrieked in shock: "You stinky rascal, let me go!" Liang Xiao didn't pay any attention to her, raising an eyebrow as he gazed forward.

  The girl suddenly felt strange and heard a thumping sound. Her heart skipped a beat as she blurted out, "Brother!"

  Everyone looked up and saw a man in colorful clothes walking towards them on the street, about 20 years old, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and a hint of dark energy on his pale face. Beside him was a three-foot-tall Nezha puppet, with a round head and big eyes, eight arms holding various weapons such as knives, guns, swords, and wheels. The puppet's head, body, hands, and feet were all connected to the colorful man's five fingers by thin strings. As the colorful man walked, his five fingers moved, and the wooden Nezha followed him like a real person, its wooden legs knocking against the stone pavement, making a dull sound. The people of the Angry Dragon Gang looked at the newcomer with faces full of shock, fear, and resentment.

  The man in the colored clothes walked up to Liang Xiao, his brow twitching, and said word by word: "Let my sister go!" Liang Xiao nodded and said: "I'll let her go, can you spare these people?" His gaze swept towards the crowd of Angry Dragon Gang members, and the sickly youth had already woken up, staring at the man in colored clothes with fiery eyes.

  Cai Yi's facial muscles twitched slightly, and he shook his head, saying: "No way, not one will be left!" His right hand rose, and Mu Ya jumped up, eight arms flying in unison, eight blades covering Liang Xiao. The agility was no less than that of a living person. Liang Xiao's hands and feet didn't move, floating over a meter away, avoiding his strange door weapons. He thought to himself: "A wooden puppet as a soldier is truly a wonder of the world."

  The Rainbow Killer's strike missed, and Liang Xiao was even more astonished. With a whoosh, he leapt up over ten feet, and slapped out with his palm, the force of which was as hot as fire. Just as Liang Xiao was about to swing his own palm in response, the Rainbow Killer swung his right arm, and Mu Nianci's wooden puppet danced and pranced, lightning-fast. Watching him, his arms rose and fell, his palm strength flying out with the wooden puppet, catching Liang Xiao off guard, forcing him back six steps.

  Liang Xiao lost his smile and said, "Alright, let's see who's more powerful, your wooden puppet or my human puppet?" The person in the colorful clothes thought to himself, "What human puppet? This guy is talking nonsense." His sister had fallen into someone's hands, and he was extremely anxious, so he launched three swift attacks in a flash.

  Liang Xiao stepped aside, his right hand suddenly relaxed, and the girl's internal energy recovered. Without thinking, she thrust out her right palm, slapping it towards his chest. Just as her palm was about to strike, Liang Xiao swung his sleeve, and the girl involuntarily stumbled to the side, along with her palm, falling onto Mu Nuozha's left side. A loud "crack" sound was heard, and Mu Nuozha's two wooden arms were knocked off by her palm strength, turning it into a six-armed Mu Nuozha. The girl was both shocked and regretful, and just as she was about to leave, her left wrist was suddenly tightened again, and she was caught by Liang Xiao once more.

  The girl in the colorful clothes felt her heart sink, and with a flick of her wrist, she suddenly released the wooden puppet. Liang Xiao also let go of the woman, but the young girl was not giving up, and with a slap, she struck his abdomen, but unexpectedly, a gust of wind came, and her body lost its balance again, and her palm strength was deflected by Liang Xiao. "Bang bang" two sounds, Nezha's arm broke off two more pieces. The girl cried out anxiously: "Brother, this...this can't be blamed on me..." Her wrist was suddenly tightened, and she was caught by Liang Xiao again.

  The crowd of Angry Dragon Gang was filled with surprise and applause. The girl twice made a clever move, but ended up in trouble, getting angry to the point of tears, and made up her mind not to make another move. Just as "Four-Armed Nezha" was about to attack, Liang Xiao did as expected, suddenly let go, and immediately dodged to the side, but unexpectedly, a figure flashed before his eyes, Liang Xiao blocked in front, right palm shot out, powerful wind pressed down like a mountain.

  The girl couldn't help but think, with both palms exerting force to push out, suddenly feeling empty at the bottom of her hands. Liang Xiao's palm strength retracted, and his left sleeve brushed away. This time she was determined to save herself, her palm strength even stronger than before. All that could be heard were muffled sounds, as Nezha's remaining four arms were all severed. The person in colorful clothes stood frozen on the spot, their heart cold as ice. The girl looked at the wooden puppet's remains, feeling unutterable grievance in her heart, and suddenly tears gushed from her eyes, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Liang Xiao saw her desolate and sorrowful expression, with Ah Xue's shadow flashing before his eyes, a deep pain in his heart, he sighed, withdrew his hand and retreated. Suddenly, he saw the person in colorful clothes sway and fall to the ground, their cheeks twitching repeatedly, as if enduring extreme suffering.

  The girl was startled, and hugged him saying: "Brother, what's wrong with you?" The sickly youth stared at her, suddenly his eyes gleamed brightly, and he laughed loudly: "Good thief, you've been hit by my father's Dragon Whisker Needle. Ha! Retribution, retribution!"

  The man in the colorful clothes let out a cold laugh, gritted his teeth and struggled to get up. He said coldly: "Liu Zhi, I can take another needle and still kill all of you." Liu Zhi smiled and said: "I'll die contentedly, but before you die, you'll have to suffer for three days and three nights, suffering until the end, tearing your skin and flesh apart, and then biting off each of your fingers one by one..." The girl listened with a chill running down her spine, trembling as she said: "You...you take out the antidote, I...I'll spare your life..." Liu Zhi let out a cold laugh and said: "This dragon's whisker needle has entered the meridians, flowing through the blood. Not to mention that there is no medicine to save you, even if there was an antidote, how would I give it to you?"

  The Colorful Clothes Person said faintly: "Liu Zi, do you know why I didn't kill you with one palm?" Liu Zi slightly sneered. The Colorful Clothes Person said sternly: "I used the Flame Palm to injure your three vital points, within four days, you will definitely suffer endless pain, until your whole body is swollen, your blood and energy are broken, and your skin splits inch by inch. Hmph, Liu Xi Yun that old ghost harmed my entire family, would I let you die easily?"

  Liu Zi's whole body trembled with rage, his eyes rolled back, and he shouted: "Damn it! We'll both end up in the same place, I'll be a martyr, waiting for you in the 18th level of hell..." He grabbed his companion's knife, wanting to take his own life, but his hand shook violently, the knife clattered to the ground, and all he could do was clutch at his chest, gasping for air. The man in colorful clothes also contorted his face in extreme agony. Both men were on the verge of death, yet their gazes still refused to yield to each other.

  Liang Xiao watched with a cold eye, thinking that the world was full of endless revenge and retaliation, and no one was an exception. Feeling disheartened and listless, he had no desire to intervene anymore, turned around and sat down, finishing the strong wine in his bowl in one gulp. He felt that even if mountains were formed from bones and rivers flowed with blood, it would have nothing to do with him.

  Suddenly, a voice was heard from afar: "The Bodhisattva has emerged!" The crowd was taken aback, but their faces were filled with joy. "Meat Whiskers" gazed out at the sea, clutching his chest and saying: "Young Master, as long as the green hills remain, we needn't worry about having no firewood to burn. Cough... now that my palm wound has healed, I'll settle scores with them... cough, cough..."

  Liu Zi thought of the miserable situation described by Cai Yi, and he shivered with fear. He bowed his hands to Liang Xiao and said: "Great hero's great kindness, I will never forget it..." Liang Xiao silently drank wine, not even looking at him.

  Liu Ziyu felt embarrassed, thinking that there were many strange heroes in the world of Jianghu, and didn't dare to say more. He made another bow and left with his men. The bagged girl glanced at Liang Xiao and also followed her brother from behind.

  Liang Xiao drank a whole pot of wine, thinking about what Chang Wanghai had said. That "Bodhisattva" with his exceptional medical skills might just be Wu Changqing. He immediately called over the shop assistants and asked: "Is the Bodhisattva you mentioned an old fat man?"

  The fellow stood still for a moment, then smiled and said: "Sir, have you seen the Bodhisattva in the Guanyin Temple?" Liang Xiao thought to himself that the Bodhisattva in the Guanyin Temple was a woman, and he couldn't help but feel puzzled. He pulled the old man along, following behind the brother and sister in colorful clothes. The pain of the person in colorful clothes slightly alleviated, originally wanting to catch up with Liu Zi and kill him, but turning his head to see Liang Xiao, he suppressed the murderous intention once again.

  After walking five miles, I saw three peaks standing opposite each other, with two streams flowing apart. The water was so clear that it seemed to be without a speck of dust; the round rocks in the brook were scattered about in a most charming way. On the east bank, various flowers bloomed on the trees, and orioles chirped wildly; while on the west bank, there was an apricot orchard stretching as far as the eye could see, with countless blossoms competing to bloom, their beauty like clouds and mist.

  In front of Apricot Forest, over a hundred people had already gathered. Liang Xiao and the strange old man crossed the stream and were about to squeeze into the crowd when they suddenly heard a mournful cry, and the crowd dispersed in all directions. He looked up to see a short, stout man wearing a green robe and a small hat beating an elderly sick person, while the patient's relatives fought with him but were kicked to the ground one by one.

  Liang Xiao frowned deeply, thinking that the scoundrel was deceiving people. What female Bodhisattva? It's just Wu Pangzi with a stinky face and a crooked heart.

  Wu Changqing was left and right opening bow, fist and foot kicking, every move was calling out to the acupoints. The old man's face was pale, his eyes tightly closed, and he had no sensation even when punched or kicked. At first, Liang Xiao was shocked, but soon saw through the trick. Wu Changqing's punches seemed fierce, but were actually not heavy, with different strengths and speeds for different acupoints. Some acupoints were just grazed, while others required a few more presses after being struck.

  Wu Changqing gave a loud shout, and the old man was thrown back onto the stretcher, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The relatives thought the old man had died and hugged him, wailing loudly. The onlookers were enraged, shouting: "Lock up the old thing and take him to see the official!" "No need to see the official, let's just beat him to death with one punch each!" "We came to find Bodhisattva to treat illness, how did this old fatty come to commit murder?" Wu Changqing smiled slightly, only sipping his tea from the bowl.

  In the midst of the commotion, the ailing old man let out a breath and said with a smile: "Comfortable, really comfortable!" With both hands supporting himself on the ground, he shook off the weakness and stood up. The crowd was stunned, and his relatives were even more astonished. They knew that the old man had suddenly contracted a strange illness, which left him completely paralyzed and beyond medical help. Coming here was just a desperate attempt to try their luck and fulfill their filial duties. Unexpectedly, they met Wu Changqing, who took one glance at the old man and immediately started treating him. It should have been a case of adding insult to injury, and the old man would surely have died. But unexpectedly, not only was he unharmed, but his illness had also completely disappeared, and he stood up.

  Wu Changqing put down his tea bowl and coldly laughed at the patient, saying: "Old thing, listen clearly! Walk more and sleep less, don't indulge in women for half a year, and don't eat too much greasy food. Humph, toughen up your old bones, next time you come, I'll have something to work with."

  The relatives had long understood that the doctor's medical skills were extraordinary, and although his words sounded like scolding, he was actually explaining various taboos. They remembered every word and sentence in their hearts, but before they could thank him, the old man pushed away his family members and took a few big steps forward. The crowd was both shocked and delighted, calling out "Father" and "Grandfather", and rushed up to him.

  The onlookers changed their tune, one by one, and shouted "Divine Doctor, Divine Doctor!" Wu Changqing snorted, put his hands on his hips, scanned the scene with a pair of small eyes, and coldly said: "Less flattery, who scolded me just now? Get out here, let me teach you a lesson!" The scene fell silent, everyone shrinking their heads.

  Suddenly, a woman said: "Master, I just went out for a while, and you're scaring people again?" Wu Changqing hummed and said: "It's not your turn to teach me. Hmm, has the water been brought?" The woman said: "Yes." A slender woman in white clothes walked out of the woods, carrying a small stove with her left hand and a small water bottle with her right hand. Everyone saw her and cheered in unison: "The Bodhisattva is here!"

  The girl originally had her head down, but when she heard the shout, her ears turned red. She hesitated for a moment, walked to Wu Changqing's side, and put down the kettle. Wu Changqing's face showed joy, lit up a red fire, boiled water, and brewed tea. He leaned on a bamboo chair, proudly showing off his big belly, humming: "One bowl moistens the throat, two bowls break the loneliness. Three bowls search the intestines, only five thousand volumes of texts. Four bowls make light sweat, all the unfair things in life are scattered through the pores. Five bowls lighten the muscles and bones... hum... Six bowls connect with the immortal spirit... hum hum... Seven bowls can't be eaten also... hum hum hum... Only feel the cool breeze on both armpits." He loved tea like his life depended on it, before the tea was even brewed, he had already hummed a "Seven Bowls of Tea" poem with great pleasure. Everyone saw him acting strangely and thought it was funny in their hearts, but since the female Bodhisattva still called him Master, they didn't dare offend him and could only endure their laughter.

  The woman in white lowered her head and sat down, looking weak and timid. Just as the crowd was about to surge forward, more than a dozen burly men pushed their way through the crowd and rushed to the front. The crowd shouted: "Don't you follow the rules of first come, first served?" Chang Wanghai sneered, and the big men drew out their knives and swords, causing the scene to fall silent. Chang Wanghai turned his head to look around, let out a loud laugh, and helped Liu Zhi to the table, bowing and smiling: "Goddess, take a look at our young master for us!" The woman in white murmured in response, just about to take his pulse, when suddenly someone sneered: "I'll count to three, if there's one person by the table, I'll kill one; if there are two people, I'll kill a pair!"

  The figure in colorful clothes walked slowly, their face pale and expressionless. The crowd from the Angry Dragon gang tensed up, gripping their swords tightly. The colorful-clothed person spoke coldly: "One..." Just then, the white-robed woman didn't lift her head, stretching out a slender hand to take Liu Zhi's pulse, when suddenly Wu Changqing shouted sternly: "Feng'er, don't treat him!"

  The woman in white asked, "Why?" Wu Changqing said coldly, "Do you see the dragon on his sleeve?" The woman glanced over and saw that Liu Zhi's sleeve had a silver dragon embroidered on it. Wu Changqing said, "This is the emblem of the Angry Dragon Gang. Hmph, the Angry Dragon Gang is a tyrant in Tai'an, doing all sorts of evil deeds. Such a scoundrel isn't worth saving!" The people from the Angry Dragon Gang were both shocked and enraged, and if it weren't for the strong enemy nearby, they would have rushed forward to teach this dead fatty a lesson.

  The man in the colorful clothes smiled slightly and said, "Old master understands things clearly, so I'll take care of it for you and drive them away!" Wu Changqing looked at him with a cold smile and said, "What are you trying to curry favor with? I won't save him, nor will I treat your Dragon's Whisker Needle. Hmph, Puppet Double Killers, are you Wooden Puppet Killer?" He glanced at the girl beside him, "Are you Cloth Bag Killer? Hmph, two young whippersnappers who rely on a few dirty tricks, don't distinguish between good and evil, kill people like flies, and aren't anything good. Scram, both of you, get out of here before you sully my place!"

  Mu Yu listened to him reveal his own injuries in one breath, and was inwardly full of admiration. But then he heard him speak with shame and humiliation, a flash of anger crossing his brow, and coldly said: "Fine, if you won't treat me, I don't ask for your help either. But let's get the ugly words out of the way first - if you save that little beast surnamed Liu, don't blame me for not being polite!" Wu Changqing suddenly stood up, angrily saying: "Oh yeah? How will you not be polite?"

  The ragged bag saw the two sides quarrel, and was so anxious that she shed tears. But thinking of begging the wicked old man would be useless, she suddenly took two steps forward, and knelt down in front of the white-clothed woman, choking with sobs: "Goddess, have mercy, please save my brother!" She kowtowed on the ground repeatedly.

  The woman in white hastily helped her up and said, "No, no, I...I must think of a way to save him." The bag was overjoyed. Wu Changqing's eyes widened in anger, and he shouted, "Fang'er, how dare you disobey me? From now on, you're not allowed to come out again!" The woman in white said softly, "Master, if their injuries act up, it will be terrible...I...can't bear to see people suffer..." Her body swayed, as if she was unstable, and she reached into her bosom, took out a white porcelain bottle, poured out two medicinal pills, and stuffed them into her mouth.

  Wu Changqing stared blankly at her, paused for a moment, and suddenly said: "I'm telling you, these people are all evil, killing and robbing, bullying men and women. Hmph, do you still remember what I said when you became my apprentice?" The white-clothed woman trembled all over, saying in a low voice: "I remember. You said that to be your disciple, one must have 'Bodhisattva's methods, Yan Wang's heart'!"

  Wu Changqing said, "That's right, medical skills must be as wonderful as a Bodhisattva, with the ability to bring life to spring; but one's heart must be as hard as Yan Wang, distinguishing clearly between good and evil, loyalty and treachery. If a good person is ill, of course they will be treated; if a bad person is ill, that is heaven's punishment, a great blessing. Otherwise, saving an evil person would harm even more good people!"

  The white-robed woman shook her head and sighed softly, "Sun Simiao's 'Qianjin Fang' says: 'Human life is precious, worth a thousand pieces of gold.' For a doctor, regardless of wealth or poverty, good or evil, loyalty or treachery, all are precious lives worth a thousand pieces of gold."

  Wu Changqing became angry and scolded, "Nonsense! These are just old sayings from who-knows-when! Hmph, you won't listen to me? I'll throw you out the door!"

  The woman in white trembled on her shoulders, and said in a hoarse voice: "But I can't bear to see people suffer, I...I can't bear to see people suffer..." As she spoke, her voice became smaller and smaller, tears fell from her snow-white chin onto the mud, leaving tiny marks. Wu Changqing's face turned iron-blue, he stared at her for a while, then turned around and angrily said: "I don't care anymore, humph, I don't care anymore!"

  The woman in white was silent for a moment, then wiped away her tears and took Liu Zhi's pulse. After a brief pause, she said: "Your Tiangong, Bingfeng, and Tiaohuan three acupoints have been invaded by the inflammatory poison of Yangming. These three acupoints are connected to the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, and Foot Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian. All four meridians belong to the yang meridians, which have been infiltrated by the poison, just like pouring oil on fire, causing the essence and blood to wither away, and the skin to crack. Alas, who did this? It's too sinister!" Mu Ou was indeed the one who had done it, and he knew the principles of this method. Hearing her speak without error, his heart was shocked and terrified, but then a poisonous thought arose: "Kill this little girl, and see who can cure this Liu kid?" As he thought about it, his fingers moved, but before he could act, he heard a cold hum, turned around, and saw Liang Xiao standing three feet away, her eyes shining brightly, fixed on his face. Mu Ou's body stiffened, and he didn't dare move again.

  Liu Zi gasped: "Is... is there a way to cure it?" The woman in white said: "Knowing the root of the disease, it's easy to treat." She took out three steel needles and stabbed them into three injured acupoints. Her movements were quick, and her accuracy was remarkable. The steel needles entered the body, and three strands of black blood shot out from the needle tips, revealing that the needles were hollow. Liu Zi only felt his whole body relax, all pain disappeared, and he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

  The woman in white waited until the black blood turned red, then she put away her needle and said: "The blood gas has been released, and the yang toxin will also come out. I'll write another prescription for you to take according to this, and you'll be cured in ten days." As soon as she finished speaking, she wrote a prescription and was about to hand it over to Liu Zhi when suddenly a figure flashed by, and the prescription was snatched away by Bu Dang.

  The woman in white said, "Sister, what are you doing?" The beggar smiled and said, "Living Bodhisattva, you saved my brother, I'll give it to him again!" Liu Zhi was furious and scolded loudly: "Stinky girl, little ***, I'll...". Suddenly, he heard the woman in white say softly, "You... don't scold people!" Liu Zhi was taken aback, smiled apologetically and said, "Yes, yes, trouble Bodhisattva to write another one." The woman in white said, "Okay!"

  The cloth bag suddenly turned red, and the flat mouth said: "Living Bodhisattva, you promised to save my brother." The woman in white said: "I didn't say I wouldn't save your brother, please return the prescription to him!" The cloth bag was overjoyed and said: "Good, just save my brother!" With a pout, she spat on the prescription and then threw it at Liu Zhi's face. Liu Zhi was furious in his heart, first putting the prescription into his sleeve, then bowing to the woman in white with a smile, saying: "Thank you, Doctor..." Amidst the conversation, he flipped his wrist, and a dagger stabbed towards the woman in white's heart.