Chapter 54 Seizing the vital point

Seeing Ning Jue being surrounded by five or six people while fighting against multiple opponents, Guo Zhong put on a mask and led his brothers to join the battle.

Bai Hua followed the instructions, avoiding battle and staying far away, not only so as not to be of any help but also to avoid becoming a hindrance.

She gripped the sword the young master had given her tightly. Originally, she had no interest in fighting and killing, and felt a deep aversion to bloodshed. However, at this moment, she desperately wished she could actually know some martial arts so that she could help the young master. Otherwise, standing there like this, waiting anxiously, was driving her crazy.

Amidst the back-and-forth fighting, swords gleamed, and women concealed their sharpness, creating an extremely chaotic scene.

Bai Hua kept her eyes glued to the battle, but couldn't clearly tell which side had the advantage.

The young master's swordsmanship is superb; he can attack and retreat as needed, and he is not hindered by the enemy's superior numbers.

The woman in red who fought him had a sinister look in her eyes, piercing red lips, and held a broken umbrella, using the ribs as a shield. Almost every move she made was accompanied by a deadly aura.

Bai Hua could roughly guess the other person's identity from the broken umbrella.

That graceful woman in red must be the famous "Umbrella Fairy" Jiang Shen'er from the martial arts world.

The young master traveled a great distance to find her in order to investigate the death of the Sword Saint. He went to great lengths to fight her alone, not to see who would win or lose, but to test her strength and her skill with poison, so that he could make a basis for judging whether she was suspected of murdering the Sword Saint.

Unfortunately, Jiang Shen'er had too many followers and confidants around her, and Guo Zhong and his men were struggling to fight back and couldn't hold back so many people for the time being.

The people of Tianji Pavilion fought valiantly to protect their master, especially the two masked men who repeatedly interfered, interrupting Ning Jue and Jiang Shen'er's battle and causing great annoyance.

Thus, Jiang Shen'er was hiding her true strength, making it difficult for Ning Jue to achieve his goal of spying.

He originally thought that "Umbrella Immortal," as a senior figure in the martial arts world, was famous and should pay more attention to the rules of the competition than he did.

If a junior comes to challenge her, as long as she accepts, it will be a fair and exhilarating one-on-one fight. This is a rule that all martial arts practitioners should consciously abide by, and it should also be a consensus.

However, Jiang Shen'er didn't care about such things. Relying on her large number of men, she waved her hand and ordered her thugs to swarm forward, completely disregarding the reputation of bullying the weak with numbers. Just as Duan Yi said, now the "Umbrella Immortal" no longer considers herself a member of the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), but rather a lackey of the Southern Fujian court, carrying a great official air. She no longer cares about the dignity of the Jianghu and is obviously more concerned about the face of a superior.

Ning Jue felt ashamed of her, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Since things have deviated from the original plan, continuing the fight is pointless. Ning Jue came to our door not to test his martial arts skills.

He intentionally withdrew, concealing his sword's edge during exchanges, gradually shifting from offense to defense.

Jiang Shen'er, however, began to pursue relentlessly, using a broken umbrella with unparalleled skill. As her red robes fluttered, silver bells jingled on her body, like a clear, soul-locking sound.

Bai Hua's eyes were filled with anxiety as she followed Ning Jue's dodging figure. When she saw a hidden blade lurking in the shadows beside the umbrella, her heart leaped into her throat.

Whether it was because her gaze was too concerned, or because the few bold onlookers who had been standing beside her had all left one after another, leaving her alone among the onlookers, Jiang Shen'er glanced at Bai Hua out of the corner of her eye and naturally took a second look at her.

Their eyes met, and Bai Hua looked away first.

Jiang Shen'er narrowed her eyes slightly, lingering briefly on Bai Hua's face before her gaze shifted downwards, fixing on the sword she held in her hand.

This sword.

It looks so familiar...

Jiang Shen'er quickly shifted her attention away from Ning Jue, signaling to her subordinates. Once she had broken free from her fight, two masked men immediately rushed forward from either side to block Ning Jue and entangle him.

After Ning Jue cleaved down the sword, forcing the masked men back, he looked up again but could not find Jiang Shen'er anywhere.

A bad feeling suddenly welled up in his heart. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, but Bai Hua was nowhere to be seen.

...

In a secluded room, Bai Hua lay on a fragrant bed with soft, warm curtains, half asleep and half awake, her consciousness unclear.

In a daze, she seemed to be guided to answer questions. Her mouth was dry and she didn't want to make a sound, but she smelled a strange fragrance that stimulated her mouth to open and close uncontrollably.

Therefore, when questioned, he had no choice but to confess everything.

Who are you? What is your background?

"Bai Hua, the descendant of a disgraced official, currently resides at the home of Ji Ling's aunt."

"What's your relationship with the Sword Saint's apprentice? Look how anxious he is when I kidnapped you, his expression is so vivid."

"We're just master and servant, nothing...nothing more."

You're lying!

"I...I have been secretly in love with you, young master..."

Jiang Shen'er scoffed and curled her lips, finding it somewhat amusing.

Her gaze swept over the beauty on the ice bed. The candlelight was dim, and the ice surface was crystal clear. Her fair skin was tender and smooth, and she lay there quietly, so alluring that one couldn't help but want to touch her.

But the beauty clearly didn't sleep well; her brow was slightly furrowed and her fingers were curled up as if she were on guard against something.

But her struggles to stay conscious were completely futile.

Even martial arts masters of ordinary skill would find it difficult to evade the power of the Soul-Dispelling Incense, let alone a frail girl who is powerless to even kill a chicken. Once she smells this incense, she is guaranteed to be unable to keep any secrets in her heart.

Jiang Shen'er persisted in asking questions.

"Just because we're master and servant, he's so willing to part with you? Do you even know that the sword you hold was forged by the Sword Sect in the past, named 'Wild Goose'? That's a divine weapon that every swordsman in the world dreams of."

"...I don't know."

Jiang Shen'er lowered her gaze and sighed: "A girl who knows absolutely no martial arts wields a peerless divine weapon. I wonder if this is a waste of talent, or if everything is predestined..."

After saying that, she turned around with her sword in hand, her thoughts drifting away in a daze.

As if recalling something, she let out a deep sigh, and after that sigh, her lonely figure appeared even more desolate and cold.

Once upon a time, this wild goose sword was also her delusion and obsession.

Unfortunately, my heart was set on the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter.

"Lonely Moon" and "Wild Goose" were originally a pair of swords worn by husband and wife. Back then, the Sword Saint wielded "Lonely Moon" and his swordsmanship was superb and invincible. Now she has also taken up "Wild Goose" and it is a perfect match for his sword... But alas, things have changed and people are no longer here. What meaning do old things have?

Jiang Shen'er unconsciously increased the force with which she gripped the sword, but after a while, she slowly relaxed her grip.

She raised her hand to close the window, shutting out the chill of the night, then turned back to look at the girl lying on the bed.

Although ice beds have therapeutic effects, the temperature is quite low. Bai Hua was wearing thin clothes and lying on it, and if the window was open for too long, she would easily catch a cold.

Just now, by taking Bai Hua's pulse, she confirmed that there was residual poison in her body and identified it as a common aftereffect of elixirs in southern Fujian. So, out of kindness, she helped Bai Hua by using an ice bed to detoxify her.

As for why she was so kind, it was certainly not out of benevolence or kindness, but rather... to fulfill her own selfish desires.

She hadn't heard anything about Situ Kong for far too long. Come to think of it, he had only been dead for a little over two years. How could the once-renowned Sword Saint have faded from the hearts of the people so quickly?

He was born without parents, brothers, or sisters. His master had passed away, and his wife had committed suicide. The only person he was connected with in the world was his disciple.

Fewer and fewer people in this world will remember him each day, and among those few, she will certainly be one of them.

Jiang Shen'er didn't consider herself a sentimental person, but after Situ Kong pierced her umbrella years ago and then personally repaired it for her, she couldn't bear to replace it and used it for many, many years. However, today, the umbrella was deliberately slashed to pieces by his good apprentice. Jiang Shen'er was truly frustrated and had to admit that she had underestimated her enemy.

On the ice bed, Bai Hua turned over and found a more comfortable position to continue her light sleep.

Jiang Shen'er approached again, ready to ask another question.

"You like Ning Jue, and he clearly cares about you too. Why don't you two just openly express your feelings?"

Bai Hua spoke softly, completely guided by the effects of the drug, revealing her true feelings: "My cousin sent me to deliberately approach you, young master, in order to find an opportunity to learn the Lone Goose Sword Technique. My purpose was impure, and I harbored disloyal intentions. I am not worthy of your sincere treatment."

Jiang Shen'er wasn't surprised, and asked again, "Who is your cousin?"

Bai Hua's chest heaved, and after a pause, she replied, "Rong Linyan is the head of the Jiling Guihong Sword Hall."

Jiang Shen'er raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "The Rong family of Jiling... I've heard of them. Back then, the Rong family's ancestors were imperial merchants. Situ Kong had a good relationship with an old man in the Rong family. Seeing that the old man loved studying swordsmanship, he taught him a few moves of the Lone Goose Sword Technique. I heard that he later generously gave the old man half of the sword manual. What's going on now? The younger generation of the Rong family are insatiable. They're not satisfied with getting something for nothing, and now they're coveting the complete Lone Goose Sword Manual?"

Bai Hua could only answer what she knew, so she remained silent on the question.

Jiang Shen'er continued, "If you truly love Ning Jue, you should choose the man you admire over your cousin. Perhaps you have other concerns or difficulties?"

Bai Hua's lips trembled as she felt her thoughts being exposed, and then tears welled up in her eyes as she murmured, "My elder brother is an official in the capital, but he has been framed and imprisoned. If I can help my cousin obtain the Lone Goose Sword Manual and help him win the competition set up by the Great General, my cousin will have the opportunity to become a favorite of the Great General and embark on a career in government. In this way, we will have someone in the court, and perhaps my brother's predicament can be resolved."

Jiang Shen'er pondered for a moment and said to herself, "Times have changed. The political situation in your Great Yan Kingdom is turbulent. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he first disbanded and abolished the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Situ Kong is dead, and Duan Yi resigned. Now Ning Jue's power in the capital is weak. Relying on some old acquaintances can probably only ensure that your brother suffers less in prison. If you want to get out of prison, you will indeed need a higher official position."

Suddenly, Jiang Shen'er's eyes lit up as she offered a suggestion: "If Ning Jue wins the championship and gains the prince's favor, wouldn't that help you too?"

Bai Hua remained silent for a long while, sweat beading on her forehead. She stammered, "I...I'm afraid that if you find out the truth, you'll resent me for deliberately getting close to you with impure motives, and you'll despise me. I...I dare not gamble..."

It's so contradictory.

Jiang Shen'er clicked her tongue and shook her head.

These young people are actually less carefree and fearless than their older generation.

Back then, she fell for Situ Kong at first sight, captivated by his unparalleled handsome appearance and fascinated by his swordsmanship that could take on a hundred men single-handedly. She was also eager to get to know him, only to find out that he was already married with a wife. Unwilling to accept this, she went directly to Ning Liu's door to declare war, wanting to compete with her for her husband...

The past cannot be retrieved. In my youth, I was impulsive, reckless, ignorant, fearless, and a bit shameless.

Looking back on those absurd things now, I don't regret them, but I'm a little embarrassed.

In the end, only a trace of sorrow remained in my heart.

Situ Kong is gone, and Ning Liu has gone with him. Jiang Shen'er asked herself if she would have the courage to commit suicide by crashing into his coffin if it were her. Perhaps she would, or perhaps she would back down at the last minute. She didn't know.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Jiang Shen'er sighed and looked at Bai Hua's restless sleeping face, rarely showing any interest in meddling in other people's business.

In her youth, Jiang Shen'er had the opportunity to travel with Situ Kong, and naturally heard a lot about his exceptionally talented disciple from him. Situ Kong loved his disciple like his own son and worried about him constantly. He was worried that he would be too aloof and have no friends, and that he would not play with girls and would be easily deceived by pretty girls when he grew up.

Jiang Shen'er enjoys chatting with Situ Kong, even when he talks about things she doesn't care about at all, she still listens with great attention.

Therefore, she understands Ning Jue; at the very least, Jiang Shen'er understands him better than he understands her.

Many years ago, Situ Kong told her that he had three great wishes in his life:

First, to be with one person for life; second, to carry forward the Lone Goose Sword Style; and third, to be able to witness my disciple get married.

Situ Kong's first wish is that the person he needs is not her.

As for the second wish, he can fulfill it independently.

The only wish that Situ Kong could not fulfill before his death was the third one, something he still regretted before he closed his eyes.

Jiang Shen'er's eyes dimmed for a moment, then she placed the Wild Goose Sword back into Bai Hua's hand, stood up, and made up her mind.

Without an outsider's help, who knows how long these two young people would have kept their secrets from each other? In that case, it would be better for her to play the good guy.

Let it be to fulfill Situ Kong's third wish.

Now it can no longer be called a wish; more accurately, it is a dying wish.

...

A group of ruthless bandits of unknown origin broke into Guocheng under cover of night. They neither killed nor looted, but instead completely surrounded Tianji Pavilion.

Among them were those skilled in using poison. They sneaked into the kitchen of Tianji Pavilion in advance, put sleeping pills in the food, and then, with the help of those inside and outside, broke down the gate of Tianji Pavilion without breaking a sweat.

After entering, the bandits ransacked Tianji Pavilion, searching high and low for the person. In the process, they inevitably released prisoners from other cells and secret rooms. The commotion continued until late at night, and finally, before dawn, they safely withdrew from the city.

The next day, news of the nighttime attack on Tianji Pavilion spread throughout the streets and alleys, even alarming the Emperor of Southern Fujian.

The young emperor could not tolerate the bandits running rampant under his nose, especially since Tianji Pavilion was an intelligence organization he valued. In his anger, he issued several imperial edicts, urgently summoning Jiang Shen'er to the palace and ordering Prince Cheng to lead 3,000 patrol troops to completely wipe out the bandits.

As the patrol battalion prepared to leave the city, the tea shop waiters who had previously disguised themselves as bandits changed back into their normal clothes, brushed past the soldiers, and quietly slipped back into the city to continue discussing their search plan.

Several people sat around the table, their faces serious.

Chen Fu spoke first: "Our original plan was to keep a low profile throughout the process, but we didn't expect that even the Emperor of Nanmin has been alarmed. It was my fault for not doing things properly and for not making thorough arrangements in advance, which has put Miss Apeng in danger. We don't know if she is safe or not."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zhong's face showed even deeper shame. His dark face drooped down, looking ashamed to face anyone.

“Brother Fu, this matter has nothing to do with you, it is my fault! I was the one who brought Miss A Peng there, but afterwards I was so focused on the battle that I completely forgot about Miss A Peng.”

After saying this, Guo Zhong cautiously glanced at Ning Jue's expression.

Ever since Miss Apeng disappeared, Young Master Ning's face has been terrifyingly gloomy, and his whole body exudes a cold pressure that makes people dare not speak or meet his eyes.

Chen Fu didn't respond, but Jiu Qiu comforted everyone, saying, "Miss A Peng is a lucky person. Besides, we can now confirm that she was not imprisoned in Tianji Pavilion by Jiang Shen'er. Therefore, Jiang Shen'er must have other plans. Since she still wants to use people, she won't casually harm Miss A Peng's life. She is definitely safe now."

Ning Jue was feeling depressed and uneasy, and couldn't listen to anything anyone said.

But Jiuqiu's words eased his heavy heart a little.

Ning Jue stated, "I don't blame any of you. You all fought and worked hard for me. In any case, I want to thank my brothers for their hard work. Jiu Qiu is right, A Peng will definitely be alright."

Guo Zhong and Chen Fu exchanged a glance, feeling slightly relieved, but the two grown men couldn't say anything comforting or reassuring.

At times like these, we must wait and see.

Jiuqiu chimed in, "Let's wait a bit longer. Jiang Shen'er is unpredictable. She even dared not to respond to the summons from the Emperor of Southern Fujian. We don't know what she's planning right now. Maybe we won't even have to look for her. She might send us a message after she's finished planning."

Jiuqiu's words were mostly meant to comfort him, but unexpectedly, they actually came true.

As evening approached, the group, having just finished their dinner with little appetite, emerged from the main room one after another.

As Ning Jue stepped down the stairs, he saw a tea shop waiter running inside, arms outstretched and holding something. He quickened his pace, panting and shouting—

"Someone shot a letter through the door! The arrow bore the exclusive sun and moon emblem of the Tianji Pavilion!"

The words were clearly audible to everyone. Guo Zhong was the first to be startled, surprised that the teahouse had been exposed. He forced himself to calm down and ordered, "Bring the letter here, quickly!"

Ning Jue took it, removed the arrows, and unfolded the letter.

The letter contained very little, only three lines of text.

"If you want someone, go alone to Qimeng Manor outside the city. I will grant your wish and fight you one-on-one." - Jiang Shen'er

Clearly, the letter was addressed to Ning Jue, and it conveyed a sense of threat and an overconfident sense of dominance.

Chen Fu also read the contents of the letter and cautiously said, "Young master, be careful, there may be a trap."

Ning Jue folded the letter, held it tightly in his hand, and said in a deep voice, "So this is what it feels like to have your life force grabbed. It's my first time experiencing this, so it's quite novel."