Chapter 135 Men are Yin, Women are Yang

The three followed Ji Yunliu to the altar on the back mountain. Seven or eight leaders, along with their respective clansmen, had gathered a total of several thousand people, who were surrounding Ji Yunyao demanding an explanation.

To Lu Jinlan's surprise, one of the leaders was actually a man.

She quickly grabbed Ji Yunliu, "Who is that man?"

Ji Yunliu said, "His name is You Shun. His mother was You Liang, the former chief of the You Sang tribe. Not long ago, his mother died, and You Shun was her only child. My master saw that You Shun was pitiful and had some skills, so he let him take over his mother's position."

Ji Yunliu was furious as he said this, "He's such an ingrate! If it weren't for my master, he might not have become the chief of the Yousang clan! Now he's actually making things difficult for my master. I'm going to confront him!"

Ji Yunliu kept pushing forward, and Xu Lin sidled up to Lu Jinlan and whispered, "This You Shun is twenty-three years old and still unmarried."

Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "Why are you telling me this? He's not even good-looking."

Xu Lin smiled awkwardly, "I just said it casually, just in case."

Lu Jinlan was speechless. There were plenty of men in the world without a master, but ugly men were no exception for her.

As they were speaking, Ji Yunliu rushed forward, and Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin, as the parties involved in the incident, quickly followed.

*

Standing in the center of the altar, You Shun addressed the crowd: "Sisters, we have gathered here to rebel against the court and kill the tyrannical emperor—a matter that will cost us our lives. Yet our leader has spared two mysterious women, treating our lives as a joke."

The people in the audience nodded in agreement. "Yes, things are so tense right now, how can we let strangers in? We have to be careful."

But some said, "How could the head of the household be so careless? She must have made sure there were no problems before letting the person in."

Before the words were even finished, someone immediately retorted, "You can't judge a book by its cover. The boss doesn't know them at all, so how can you be sure?"

The crowd started arguing, their noise as loud as a hornet's nest.

Ji Yunyao sat quietly in his chair, his face ashen.

Ji Yunyuan held the freshly brewed medicine and said softly, "Mother, why don't you drink your medicine first?"

Ji Yunyao nodded slightly, coughed twice, and drank the medicine in one gulp.

You Shun then turned around and said, "It's not that I disrespect the leader, but as the second leader, I have to consider the interests of everyone in the Eight Clans Alliance. Please give me an explanation, leader."

Ji Yunliu said angrily, "You Shun, who do you think you are to ask my master to explain to you? If you want to explain, I will."

Ji Yunliu stepped onto the stage and said loudly, "Please listen to me. I, Ji Yunliu, am a woman who speaks my mind and values ​​loyalty above all else. These two heroes, Lu Erxia and Yan Sanxia, ​​saved my and my junior brother's lives."

"They are not of unknown origin, but two chivalrous thieves who dared to enter the palace and take action, and are being hunted by the government just like us."

"Although Lu Jinlan was a foolish ruler, she wrote a beautiful poem: 'We are both wanderers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before?'"

"We who roam the martial world should help each other, especially since these two saved our lives. What do we, as members of the martial world, rely on nothing more than trust and loyalty?"

As she said this, she rolled her eyes at You Shun and said sarcastically, "Hmph, being ungrateful is something only men do."

You Shun sneered, "That's your favor, your sense of duty, it has nothing to do with us. These two people's arrival is suspicious, especially since they're from the capital; we can't investigate their backgrounds immediately. If they're colluding with the government, the alliance will be destroyed in an instant. It concerns everyone's life and death; who can guarantee they're without problems?"

Ji Yunliu said, "I can! I guarantee with my life that I will keep these two here. Anyone who wants to drive them away will have to get past me first."

You Shun sneered, "Even if you swear on your life that something really happens, you'll die too. How can you possibly guarantee that?"

Ji Yunliu gritted her teeth in anger, "This won't work, that won't work, what exactly do you want?"

You Shun glanced at Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin, "If they want to stay, let them show their sincerity according to the rules of the alliance. If they can do that, I will trust them to some extent."

As You Shun spoke, he threw a dagger on the ground.

Lu Jinlan was somewhat puzzled and asked Xu Lin in a low voice, "What does this mean?"

Xu Lin hurriedly explained, "This is the rule here. If someone thinks someone joining the alliance is suspicious, that person needs to be stabbed twice to prove their sincerity. The so-called 'double stab' means stabbing a dagger into the leg and then having the tip of the dagger protrude from the other side of the flesh."

Yan Wuxin frowned upon hearing this. "Isn't this insane? Who would willingly do this, Lao Xu? You were also stabbed twice when you joined the alliance."

Xu Lin shook her head repeatedly and said in a low voice, "No, no one doubted me when I joined the alliance, so I don't need to prove myself. In my opinion, His Majesty's health cannot be harmed, you..."

Yan Wuxin clicked his tongue. "My body cannot be harmed either! Your Majesty, say something!"

The three whispered amongst themselves, and Lu Jinlan glanced at Yan Wuxin, then at Xu Lin, and said meaningfully, "Uh, Lord Yan and I are as close as sisters. Old Xu, what do you think we should do about this?"

Xu Lin sighed inwardly. So the Emperor was implying that she should go ahead and have sex with him?

Xu Lin pursed her lips and obediently said to the emperor, "It is the duty of a subject to share the emperor's burdens. Let me go."

Lu Jinlan looked heartbroken. "Absolutely not."

Yan Wuxin agreed, "Let me go instead."

Although she knew that neither of them was sincere, Xu Lin still cooperated, saying, "This matter is something that I can't do alone, so don't argue."

It's just two cuts, right? Taking two cuts and making a great contribution will make the Emperor and Grand Commandant Yan owe her a favor, and she'll rise to the top in rank. That'll be worth it.

Thinking this, Xu Lin gritted her teeth and took a step forward with a righteous air when she suddenly saw Ji Yunliu pick up a dagger and say, "It's just one cut and two holes, I'll do it for them!"

Xu Lin quickly turned back, extremely relieved, and said, "Someone has taken my place."

But if Ji Yunliu were to do it, the situation would be completely different. She didn't know the truth and simply wanted to help the two of them prove their innocence. If she were to actually get stabbed twice and then find out she had been deceived, things would be very difficult to handle.

Seeing Ji Yunliu raise her sharp dagger, Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "Stop her!"

Just as Yan Wuxin was about to rush forward, there was a whoosh, and something flew through the air and knocked the dagger out of Ji Yunliu's hand, making a clanging sound.

Upon closer inspection, the object that had been thrown was actually a walking stick.

Everyone turned their gazes towards him, only to see Ji Yunyao's face as cold as a deep pool.

The mountain wind blew her full head of white hair, making it fly wildly, and her eyes grew even colder.

She said coldly, "You Shun, let me ask you. What exactly do you want by calling so many people here today? I've been listening for a long time, and I only feel that the two young heroes, Lu Yan and Lu Yan, are just an excuse for you. Even if they are stabbed twice, I'm afraid you still won't give up."

You Shun raised his chin and said, "Boss, what do you mean by that? It's clearly your fault for not doing things properly, so why are you blaming me? I called everyone here so that they could be witnesses."

"In my opinion, the more people there are, the more rules we should follow. If one person, whether it's the leader or me, makes all the decisions, everyone will inevitably be dissatisfied."

"Since we are an alliance, we should elect a strong person to be the recognized leader. The leader will decide all matters, and then no one will have anything to say."

Ji Yunyao laughed twice, "So that's why you've been so aggressive today. It's a pity that your mother and I were sworn brothers. If she knew what you've done in the afterlife, she would be heartbroken."

“If it weren’t for your mother’s sake, I wouldn’t have helped you, a man, to the position of second-in-command. I pitied you then, but I never expected you to harbor such wolfish ambitions. You truly have the most poisonous heart of a man. Now I’m reaping what I sowed, and I’m utterly heartbroken. Fine, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your mother.”

As Ji Yunyao spoke, he stood up to fight, but Ji Yunyuan hurriedly advised, "Mother, you are still ill..."

Ji Yunyao gestured for him to remain silent, and she said loudly, "Although I am old and have a chronic illness, I am not a coward. I have always acted with integrity and uprightness. Although I am a rebel, I have never indiscriminately killed innocent people, nor have I ever betrayed my promises."

“Young heroes Lu Yan and Lu Yan have been of great kindness to my family. Now that they are in trouble, I must save them.”

"You Shun, let's make this clear: whoever wins in the end today will become the alliance leader and have the power to decide all matters within the alliance."

You Shundao said, “That’s right. I’m young, and all of you leaders are older than me, so I’ll take the initiative to challenge you to avoid being accused of bullying the elderly. Whoever can defeat me, I will step down immediately without saying a word.”

“Okay.” Ji Yunyao was about to step forward when Ji Yunliu quickly stopped her. “Master, let me go in your place.”

Ji Yunyao glanced at her and said in a low voice, "The Yin Technique of the Yousang Clan is extremely vicious. He inherited his mother's true skills, and you are no match for him. If your senior sister hadn't injured her leg, she might have been able to... sigh."

Thinking of Ji Yun Tieshu, Ji Yunyao sighed, "You step back and let me deal with him."

Ji Yunyao coughed, leaped onto the stage, and gestured, saying, "Please."

The two clashed instantly and engaged in battle.

Ji Yunyuanzhen and Ji Yunliu rushed over to Lu Jinlan and the others in a panic. Ji Yunyuanzhen hurriedly asked, "My martial arts skills are rudimentary, and I can't see through the tricks. Do you two heroes think my mother has a chance of winning?"

Lu Jinlan stared intently at Ji Yunyao. Although he was old, he was still skilled in martial arts. At this moment, he unleashed a power that could shake mountains and rivers, and every move he made revealed his seasoned skill.

Although You Shun's strength was inferior to hers, his movements were surprisingly unpredictable. He seemed to employ more defensive moves than offensive ones, but his occasional attacks were ruthless and deadly, targeting vital points and striking fear into people like a venomous snake.

Lu Jinlan frowned as she watched, and Yan Wuxin couldn't help but sigh, "I have never seen this kind of martial arts before. It gives me chills and goosebumps just looking at it."

Ji Yunliu said in a low voice, "This is the Yin-Heavy Technique of the Yousang Clan. Don't think it's cold just because it looks cold to us. It is said that those who fight against it will feel colder and colder. And the longer the fight lasts, the weaker their internal energy will become."

“The Yousang tribe originally lived in extremely cold places, and every move of this Yin Technique carries a chill. Moreover, You Shun is a man, and men belong to Yin, so this Yin Technique is even more adept in his hands.”

Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "Men belong to Yin."

Ji Yunliu said strangely, "Don't you know? This is common sense. Men belong to Yin and women belong to Yang."

Lu Jinlan blinked. "It's not mentioned in the book, but is there a source?"

Ji Yunliu glanced at Ji Yunyuanzhen beside him and whispered in Lu Jinlan's ear, "Why write something that everyone knows in a book? I know this even without reading. Think about it, Yin and Yang correspond to the moon and the sun, right?"

"The sun is round, just like a woman's genitals," Ji Yunliu pointed to her chest, then added, "The moon is crescent-shaped, just like a man's genitals. Isn't it obvious who is yin and who is yang?"

Lu Jinlan suddenly realized that there was no fixed rule about Yin and Yang, Heaven and Earth. Whoever held the power had the final say and whoever determined the fate of Heaven and Earth was in charge.

Ji Yunyuan said urgently, "Stop talking about those irrelevant things, my mother seems to be about to collapse."

He muttered anxiously to himself, "I hate that my martial arts are so poor, that I didn't inherit Mother's true skills like my sister. I hate even more that I'm a man, unable to help Mother. My sister hasn't fully recovered yet; if Mother gets injured again, what will I, a man, do?"

Ji Yunliu said, "Junior brother, don't worry. If anything happens to Master, I will take care of you."

Lu Jinlan coughed lightly, "Let's say something auspicious. Your master hasn't lost yet. The most important thing right now is to win today's fight."

Ji Yunliu said helplessly, "I know I am no match for You Shun. If my master is defeated, who can save us from today's predicament?"

Lu Jinlan said, "I can."