Chapter 242 Listed on the Red List, Husband and Wife Stealing Rampant

[Your sword strike is breathtaking; the second level proficiency of the Sunset Blood Sword has been increased by 11.]

Streams converge to form rivers, and water droplets can wear away stone.

Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I leisurely gaze at the Southern Mountains. The rural paddy fields are lush and green, with flowers, grasses, and trees displaying their graceful beauty.

Seeing that life was stable, Li Xian roughly planned his journey back south. Before setting off, he needed to save money, so he caught fish, shrimp, crabs, and eels in the fields and went to the county to exchange them for money.

After several days of hard work, he had saved up a dozen or so copper coins, far from enough to cover his travel expenses. He then turned his attention to the county government's "Red List," hoping to catch the culprit and collect the money.

Suddenly, news arrived that a new notice had been posted. Li Xian informed Wen Caishang and then hurried to the county seat, heading straight for the notice board in the bustling market. The crowd was dense, forming a wall. Li Xian moved with agility and reached the notice board.

His gaze swept over them, and he was suddenly taken aback. The two portraits were quite striking, bearing a striking resemblance to Li Xian and Wen Caishang, but with an added sinister air. The details—eyebrows, mouth, face shape—were meticulously crafted, adding to the menacing and bloodthirsty aura. The artistry was superb, clearly meticulously done.

The painting is embellished with red ink: "Li Renshan, the Heart-Eating Gentleman" and "Wen Shexie, the Blood-Drinking Poisonous Woman".

The bailiff who posted the notice said, "Fellow villagers, come and take a look. See if these two people have appeared in this area."

An onlooker asked, "Your Majesty, what are these two doing?"

The constable said, "The husband and wife are thieves, committing all sorts of evil deeds! Li Renshan rips out people's hearts and livers, Wen Shexie cuts off people's hands and feet. In the past two weeks, the two have traveled through several villages, committing numerous atrocities, which are truly outrageous and unbearable to witness!"

"Anyway... everyone be careful. If there's any news, report it immediately. These two are extremely dangerous; if anything goes wrong, it could be disastrous!"

The people condemned the adulterers with their words and writings, and were filled with fear.

turn out to be……

The flower field suffered a crushing defeat that day, leaving Su Qiuwu, Zhao Zhiyuan, and others deeply ashamed. After tallying the dead and wounded, they were even more enraged. They frantically searched everywhere, but to little avail.

Several days passed, and their anger gradually subsided. Su Qiuwu, Li Quan, Zhao Zhiyuan, and the others discussed their plans, sitting around a table and talking by candlelight.

A night passed with little result. Li Xian was cunning and clever, far surpassing Su Qiuwu. Su Qiuwu was frustrated and depressed, and the others were also humiliated and resentful.

Li Quan slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "That bastard brat ruined my grand plan! I wish I could tear him apart and skin him alive!"

What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.

Su Qiuwu's eyes flashed, and a wicked plan suddenly came to him. He muttered, "Pull his tendons, peel his skin?" Li Quan cursed, "What?" Su Qiuwu smiled and said, "I already have a good plan, but... it's quite ruthless. Would you all like to hear it?"

Zhao Zhiyuan said worriedly, "If you have any, please tell me quickly. Otherwise, given Wen Caishang's temperament, she will definitely come looking for you in the future!" Having learned a thing or two about Wen Caishang's methods, he found it hard to fall asleep.

Su Qiuwu said, "Our biggest problem is that we can't find that kid. After escaping the encirclement, that kid is extremely cunning and managed to stay hidden... If we can find that kid, we can gather the brothers of Wuji Blade and Shiluo Village and capture him."

Zhao Zhiyuan asked, "How do we find them?" Su Qiuwu replied, "We'll skin them alive!" He then explained, "We'll skin them alive, create a horrific crime, and say it was done by Wen Caishang and Li Xian. Then someone will help us find them, leaving them nowhere to escape."

Zhao Zhiyuan said, "The plan is indeed wicked and feasible. However, Lady Zhejian's reputation is well-established. If word gets out, what if someone helps her?"

Su Qiuwu said, "Therefore... the words 'Lady Broken Sword' and 'Wen Caishang' cannot appear in the Red List of wanted persons. Just say that she is a bloodthirsty poisonous woman, a viper. Wen Caishang has faded from the martial world for a long time. With such a wanted person, who but us would think that she is Lady Broken Sword? Just think of her as a bloodthirsty evil criminal. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we acted on behalf of Heaven?"

After careful consideration, everyone agreed that the plan made sense. This scheme was ruthless and efficient, and they immediately acted under cover of night. They used brutal methods to massacre several villages, creating a horrifying crime scene.

Zhao Zhiyuan had an elder brother named Zhao Zhigao, who belonged to the Bureau of Astronomical Inspection. He drafted a letter to explain the situation.

Through a series of ingenious maneuvers, and by stepping forward to correct the situation, two figures were fabricated: "Li Renshan, the Heart-Eating Gentleman" and "Wen Shexie, the Blood-Drinking Poisonous Woman." The story spread far and wide, continuously brewing.

The news spread by word of mouth. The whole world was brewing with anticipation, and suddenly it was closing in. Li Xian, who had been hiding for so long, was truly forced out by this scheme.

Li Xian thought to himself, "What a vicious plan! Even if the lady is ruthless, she wouldn't kill someone for no reason. They actually did such a terrible thing to kill us!" Taking advantage of the chaos, he left and used his lightness skill to rush back to the earthen house.

A small courtyard with earthen walls. Wen Caishang wielded her sword, dancing lightly and gracefully, her swordsmanship remarkably skillful. Li Xian exclaimed with delight, "Madam, you can walk now?"

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "Last night I circulated my blood and qi, which connected my bones and muscles, and I can already walk. Why are you in such a hurry? What's the matter?"

Li Xian recounted everything he had heard in the city. Wen Caishang's eyes flashed coldly, and after a brief discussion, the two decided to leave immediately. Li Xian packed his bags, while Wen Caishang folded her clothes.

Seeing the flowers and plants in the courtyard, and the paddy fields outside, so peaceful and harmonious, she felt a pang of reluctance. Wen Caishang thought, "Su Qiuwu, Li Quan… Hmph, I'll get them all back one by one, making them wish they were dead!" She drew her sword and carved on the earthen wall:

"Your life will be spared for now; we'll take it another day."

Li Xian held Wen Caishang's hand and channeled his inner energy to her, making her walk lightly. When circulating the energy, he avoided the Qi Lake and directed it directly through the acupoints on her hands and feet; otherwise, it would all be wasted if the Gu worm absorbed it.

His Qi was abundant and powerful, and even after a slow and steady flow, it remained plentiful. Wen Caishang tightened her grip, a smile on her face, her clothes fluttering, a truly pleasing sight. As they reached the village entrance, a loud shout suddenly rang out: "The villain is here! Shoot him!"

Dozens of arrows came flying. Li Xian pulled Wen Caishang behind him and held his sword protectively. He knocked all the arrows down and saw that dozens of people had already surrounded the village entrance.

They were all dressed in armor and helmets, carrying spears and swords, and came on menacingly. It turned out that "Li Daqin" had entered the city today and, upon seeing the "Red List of Wanted Persons," was terrified and immediately went to the county government to report it.

The leading general said, "The wicked Li Renshan and the vile woman Wen Shexie, why don't you surrender and await your fate immediately?! Those who disobey will face our ruthlessness."

Knowing further words were useless, Li Xian said, "Hmph, so what if you're impolite?" He raised his palm in a feint. His inner energy surged wildly, and the force of his palm strike was immense. The besiegers were pushed down in droves, and cries of alarm rose and fell.

This move is called "adding fuel to the fire." The Qi flows through acupoints such as Xia Bai and Chize, causing the Qi waves to surge and create a powerful impact.

Li Xian uttered, "A raging storm!" and withdrew both palms. The powerful Qi energy sent everyone staggering and falling, losing their armor and weapons, all suffering a crushing defeat.

The palm strike, pushing the waves outwards, and the palm strike, unleashing a torrent of energy inwards, are like two opposing waves colliding. In an instant, a powerful killing force erupts, attacking from both sides, pushing and pulling from both within and without.

The soldiers were thrown to the ground, screaming in agony, unable to get up.

Li Xian glanced at "Li Daqin". Li Daqin fell to the ground with a "plop", his clothes and pants were soaked.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Now that this has happened, our tracks have been exposed. Those people will definitely chase us to this village. To further our notoriety, they might take the opportunity to massacre us and create another horrific murder case." He shook his head and sighed, "If you hadn't said anything, we could have pretended nothing happened. But you insisted on telling us. You'd better run away quickly and pray for your own good fortune."

After leaving Heshi Village, they headed straight north and came to a rushing river. It was a tributary of the Benhua River. Li Xian waved his hand and shouted, attracting a boat. They sailed along the river.

The two sat at the stern of the boat. Flowers bloomed along both banks, bees and butterflies fluttered about, and life was vibrant. Li Xian and Wen Caishang walked hurriedly, yet without any panic. Enjoying the scenery and cruising the river, they were completely at ease.

The river flowed gently, and the boat drifted swiftly. Several miles away, with no pursuers in sight, Li Xian guessed that although Su Qiuwu and his men had devised a treacherous scheme to locate him, their reaction would take time. Furthermore, he had already escaped the encirclement; the difference in time between them gave him the upper hand.

"Huashui Prefecture is located in the northeast of Yuzhou Road. Although I am not familiar with its rivers, mountains, and cities, I have dealt with merchants during this period of recuperation. I know of a convenient route to Qiongtian Prefecture that few people know about."

The boatman rowed with practiced skill, steadying the boat as the waves pounded against it. Li Xian recalled the ethereal music and the legend of "transformation upon contact with water." He reached his hand into the river. The instant his fingers dipped in the water, they felt an immense weight, as if pressed by a massive boulder.

Li Xian sighed, "So this is what it feels like for clear water to rise and turbid water to sink. In that case, even if I have the 'Azure Pearl,' I dare not easily enter the water."

Wen Caishang pricked her fingertip, drawing out a drop of blood, and said, "Drink this blood, and let's try again."

Li Xian did as instructed. Touching the water with her fingers, the turbidity lessened considerably. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Madam, what's the reason for this?"

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "It concerns the three realms. You will understand when the time comes. There's no use in saying it now."

Half an hour later, the boat reached the shore, and ten copper coins were paid. The boatman shouted and rowed away. Li Xian knew that Wen Caishang could only walk, and her strength was very weak; she would not be able to endure a long journey. After traveling several more miles, they stopped to rest and drink water.

Wen Caishang lightly wiped away her sweat, which inevitably left her smudged with dust. A light sweat trickled from her forehead, her cheeks flushed slightly, her demeanor dignified yet possessing a unique charm.

For several days in a row, they walked over a hundred miles.

Li Xian digested the [essence] every day, and the ethereal celestial music became increasingly clear, faintly emitting three soft sounds.

This day.

Li Xian pointed to a river and said, "The river system of the Great Wu Dynasty is incredibly complex! It flows in all directions, and the tributaries and main streams branch off from each other."

“I’ve gathered information. If you go this way, there’s a Wei-Hu River about fifty li away. This great river leads directly to the capital, but very few people know about it. Do you know about it, Madam?”

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "I know you're showing off your talent. I don't know, tell me."

Li Xian said, "The Wei-Hu River flows southwest, and its main channel passes through Lin'an Prefecture, which is far from Qiongtian Prefecture. Therefore, no one knows about it."

"In reality, after crossing the Wei-Hu River, one turns into the tributary of the 'Niao-Yan River,' then into the tributary of the 'Piao-Sha River'... and so on, and so forth, and one can reach the Land of Abundance. The river network is so complex. It took the merchants decades of exploration to figure out this route."

The Great Wu territory is vast. But precisely because it is so vast, rich in resources, and diverse in terrain, rivers flow in all directions, and mountains rise one after another… a single river can have hundreds of names. They are clearly interconnected, but due to the narrow perspective of travelers, they are completely unaware of them.

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "Are you asking me to praise you?" Li Xian said, "Otherwise?" Wen Caishang said, "Alright, alright, you're great. Let's go, lest something unexpected happens."

(End of this chapter)