Chapter 113 "Good girl, you're really lucky."...

Yuan Zao was stunned for a moment when she saw Jiang Ling'er suddenly appear. Then her eyes lit up and she burst into tears of joy.

"Sister Ling'er...Sister Ling'er, are you alright!"

Jiang Ling'er saw Master Lu lying on the ground, saw blood streaming over his unfocused eyes, her breath hitched slightly, and in a fit of rage she tried to strangle Wenshan Zhenjun, who shouted:

"That little monk is in my hands! If you don't want him to die, feel free to kill me!"

The fingertips that had been gathering at the throat suddenly stopped.

Wenshan Zhenjun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Jiang Ling'er was indeed wavering, he felt slightly relieved. He cautiously observed Jiang Ling'er, squinting as he carefully considered his words:

"Yes...yes. That's the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort)...yes, the young emperor your father risked his life to protect, how many people lost their lives for him?"

Seeing the faint tremor in Jiang Ling'er's eyes, clearly moved by these words, her eyes narrowed even more, obscuring the glint in them. Her hand, holding the whisk, secretly made a hand seal behind her back. "The Crown Prince, whom you've searched for with such difficulty, surely you wouldn't want..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wenshan Zhenjun suddenly made his move, but before his whisk could even reach Jiang Ling'er's face, her neck was snapped.

Jiang Ling'er acted decisively, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

Wenshan Zhenjun seemed still in shock, as if he hadn't expected Jiang Ling'er to actually try to kill him! His pupils dilated suddenly, and after a moment, he said:

"Wanyan Yao is coming! Jiang Ling'er! You...you will all have to pay with your lives!"

As he breathed his last, his eyes were wide open, and he died with his eyes still open.

Jiang Ling'er tossed the lifeless Wenshan Zhenjun to the ground, not glancing at him again. Instead, she knelt beside the lifeless Lu Qingyuan, gently closing his still-open eyes with her hands, and whispered:

"Mr. Lu... I'm late."

"Good girl, you're really lucky."

Although Jiang Ling'er only took Wenshan Zhenjun's life in an instant, it was just a piece of trash who died, and Kong Wu didn't take it seriously. She smiled as she looked at Jiang Ling'er, but her eyes were fixed on a strange man not far away—a man who was almost invincible. Hundreds of Jin soldiers surrounded him, but they couldn't do anything to him. Instead, they were all killed by him in the blink of an eye, and many of them surrendered and fled.

Upon seeing this, a heavy gloom descended upon Kong Wu's delicate brows.

If she wasn't mistaken, it was the long-lost Dragon Binding Fist.

The same renowned and widely known name echoed in her mind—

Ma Rujiao, a master of Southern Fist.

The person she thought had long since passed away was now right before her eyes. Kong Wu's face turned slightly pale, but at the same time, she felt a surge of joy and excitement at having encountered a formidable foe. The surging of her blood made her tremble all over. She hugged the zither in her arms tightly, about to leap forward to meet the enemy, when suddenly a gust of wind swept across her face. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, Jiang Ling'er suddenly appeared before her.

Her robes fluttered without wind, yet her aura remained perfectly composed. Her almond-shaped eyes gleamed as she stared intently at Kong Wu, her right hand slightly raised, assuming a stance:

"Your opponent is me."

Kong Wu paused slightly, seemingly startled by her elusive and ghostly figure.

However, after only a few days apart, the woman in front of me seems to have... become a different person?

No, her eyebrows and eyes were still the same, but her steps were as light as a cat's and as steady as the wind. In particular, her breathing was so subtle that even she couldn't detect it.

She had fought this girl before and tested her strengths and weaknesses, knowing that although the girl was young, her skills were quite impressive.

That's all.

"This time, I won't hold back."

Before she finished speaking, Kong Wu had already plucked the strings of her zither with her fingertips, and a terrifying internal force as vast as the ocean immediately rippled outwards, rushing and roaring towards Jiang Ling'er!

Yuan Zao exclaimed, "Sister Ling'er!"

A dark glint flashed in the young Taoist's dark phoenix eyes, and he stopped just as he was about to move.

The girl didn't dodge, but instead thrust out a palm with her right hand. Thunderous sounds seemed to accompany the roar of a dragon. With a "clang," Kong Wu's hand, which was playing the zither, was suddenly shaken away, her nails, stained with cardamom, cracked, and blood splattered everywhere.

The string broke.

Kong Wu's fingertips trembled, frozen in mid-air. Ignoring the cracks that her carefully nurtured fingertips had taken years to grow, she abruptly looked up:

"The Longevity Technique! No... besides the Longevity Technique, what else is there... there's another force..."

Jiang Ling'er's move just now was extraordinary. Kong Wu had once forced Jiang Ling'er and Lian Sheng to orally transmit the "Longevity Mantra" to her in the back mountain. Therefore, although she was jealous and resentful that this girl could already use the "Longevity Mantra" for her own benefit at such a young age, she was not surprised. However, besides the "Longevity Mantra," she vaguely sensed another... another internal force that was no less powerful than the "Longevity Mantra"...

Kong Wu sensed something was wrong, but she never imagined that the long-lost Ghostly Path manual, with its inscription on the cover, had tricked her again, along with Jiang Ling'er and that seemingly honest little bald monk! She flew into a rage:

"You little brat, how dare you keep secrets from me!"

As they closed in, the demonic sounds echoed incessantly, but Jiang Ling'er did not yield an inch. Her palms were able to unleash different Thunder Palm techniques! Her left palm, "Thunder," flashed with white light, and the palm wind was like a white dragon galloping and roaring. Her right palm, "Shocking Thunder," unleashed a black dragon. The two palms not only used different techniques, but were also formed by different internal forces!

One palm strike after another cleaved through the demonic sounds emanating from Kong Wu, and surprisingly... they were evenly matched!

Among those present were renowned figures in the martial arts world, such as Yuan Wenkang, Abbot Jinghai, and Master Zongshan. They immediately recognized that this technique was similar to Ma Rujiao's Left and Right Universe Hand Binding Dragon Fist, indicating that he had received Ma Rujiao's true teachings!

Yuan Zao, Gan Zishi, Wen Chengan and several other younger members watched from afar, their eyes glued to the screen, almost to the point of obsession.

Chunyu was stunned: "Miss Jiang...when did you become so formidable?!"

Master Ma, who had been a loudmouth all his life, was suddenly speechless, finding it difficult to connect Jiang Ling'er with the slender "Anu" girl from Qing Shi Town.

Everyone was astonished, but Pei Xuan stared intently at her, his clenched fists revealing prominent veins on the back of his hands, and whispered:

"Something's wrong with her."

Chunyu Hun was stunned: "...What?"

Meanwhile, Ma Qingmei watched as Ma Rujiao fought amidst the Jin soldiers in the distance and murmured:

"……father."

--

Jiang Ling'er and Kong Wu fought fiercely, their inner energy surging like waves crashing against the shore, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. Although Jiang Ling'er's palm strikes became increasingly relentless, even subtly oppressive, people like Yuan Wenkang, Abbot Jinghai, and even juniors like Wen Cheng'an and Gan Zishi could see through it…

Jiang Ling'er's breathing became erratic.

Unable to engage in close combat, dozens of Jin soldiers, wielding long spears, simultaneously thrust at Jiang Ling'er's back, only to have them severed by Pei Xuan's sword!

The Taoist priest, wielding only a long sword, caused heavy iron weapons to fall to the ground, startling the Jin soldiers. They saw the young Taoist priest holding the sword behind the woman, his phoenix eyes coldly surveying the crowd, exuding an aura of slaying gods and Buddhas alike!

The Jin soldiers looked at each other, too afraid to move, not even daring to breathe.

Kong Wu flicked her fingers rapidly, managing to mutter a curse in between:

"What are you standing there for? It's just a spent force!"

It's unclear whether she was referring to the young Taoist priest or to Jiang Ling'er, who was fighting her to the death and was almost blinded by rage.

The Jin soldiers rallied their spirits and launched a coordinated attack on the young Taoist priest!

More Jin soldiers brandished their long spears at Jiang Ling'er. Chunyu Hun, Gan Zishi, and others fought fiercely for a long time, many of them seriously injured and unable to take care of themselves. Only Pei Xuan, only that young Taoist, seemed to have no regard for his life. He was actually unafraid of the cold iron blades. Martial artists should never expose their vulnerabilities. He completely abandoned his self-defense, only protecting the woman's back and launching a fierce attack. His long sword disarmed countless cold iron blades.

Even though he was invincible, he could not withstand the meteor-like arrows.

Suddenly, an arrow shot diagonally towards Jiang Ling'er!

However, in the blink of an eye, Jiang Ling'er caught a glimpse of Kong Wu, the Right Protector of the Demonic Sect, and dared not and could not relax her guard. She had prepared herself to take an arrow, but the expected pain did not come. Instead, she suddenly heard a muffled groan.

She shattered the music, formed from internal energy, that Kong Wu was sending wafting towards her with a single palm strike, then turned her head to look...

He is a doctor.

He was the doctor who had treated them before.

The doctor stood in front of her, an arrow piercing his chest, along with the child's clothes, already stained with congealed blood, which he was tightly clutching in his arms.

"We must avenge us... Young Master..."

He murmured as he looked at her, then suddenly his eyes widened, he vomited a mouthful of blood, tears and snot streaming down his face, blood splattering all over his undergarment, and he roared:

"We must avenge us!"

He collapsed into a pool of blood.

Jiang Ling'er suddenly trembled, her eyes trembled, and the red mist in her eyes intensified.

Just then, a long cry like an eagle's hooves rang out. Chunyu Hun's eyes lit up, and he immediately put two fingers to his lips and made the same cry. Instantly, a large number of Mongol cavalrymen rode in. Wen Cheng'an quickly reacted and shouted, "Take this opportunity and run!"

The group understood that if they didn't leave soon, the number of Jin soldiers would only increase, so they had no choice but to take advantage of the chaos to evacuate.

Zongshan Zhenjun, together with Yuan Wenkang and others, helped the people leave Jinling. Before leaving, he glanced at the dead Wenshan Zhenjun... He tightened his grip on the whisk and turned his face away with a heavy heart.

As expected, the Jin army surged in and unleashed a barrage of arrows.

Jiang Ling'er stared at the doctor lying in a pool of blood, then turned and looked up at Kong Wu. For some reason, Kong Wu subconsciously took a step back.

Kong Wu was stunned for a moment, then cursed herself inwardly. Could it be that she was really afraid of that girl?!

She smiled coldly, picked up her zither, and stepped forward. At the same time, a row of arrows from the Jin soldiers appeared in front of her.

Seeing that Jiang Ling'er remained motionless amidst the chaos of battle, locked in a stalemate with Kong Wu, Yuan Wenkang shouted:

"Ling'er, let's retreat!"

"Ling'er!"

"Good girl, I'm here to help you!"

With a powerful roar, the Dragon Binding Fist was unleashed, and a row of golden soldiers wielding feathered arrows fell to the ground!

Ma Rujiao arrived, stepping through the air. Kong Wu glanced at Ma Rujiao and then at Jiang Ling'er, who was staring at her with red eyes. She frowned slightly, thinking that things were not good, but she was not flustered.

Because they were completely surrounded by arrows.

"Brother Ma Rujiao, we must not attack head-on. It would be better to retreat and advance!"

"Yes, Benefactor Ma! Let us leave for now and discuss this further!"

The younger generation may not know who Ma Rujiao is, but Abbot Jinghai and Xuanwu Hall Master Yuan Wenkang certainly do.

However, Ma Rujiao had been imprisoned for many years, his mind fluctuating between lucidity and delirium, and he was inherently an unruly and untamed man. The only people in this world who could make him bow his head, besides his wife and daughters, were the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort). Now, upon learning of the old镖头's death, he was even more unwilling to submit to anyone. His naturally violent temper meant that no matter who it was, the rage over the loss of his close friend would be quenched with blood!

He immediately struck Abbot Jinghai with a palm strike, sending him flying more than three zhang away, where he vomited a handful of blood!

Just as another palm strike was about to be delivered to Yuan Wenkang, a slightly high-pitched female voice rang out:

"Father! Are you still going to leave me?!"

Ma Rujiao froze, turning around slowly and stiffly. Seeing the person who had appeared, seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar girl with long, blond hair, he seemed unable to believe it, as if muttering in a dream:

"...Mei...Mei'er?"

Some Jin soldiers, fearing Ma Qingmei's imposing presence, accidentally let go of her, and the arrow shot straight at her!

A vein bulged on Ma Rujiao's forehead: "How dare you?!"

With a palm strike of his left hand, he shattered the arrow; with a palm strike of his right hand, he struck the Jin soldier, causing him to bleed from all seven orifices and die instantly! The Dragon-Binding Hand technique was unleashed without restraint; wherever it struck, arrows fell to the ground, and the Jin soldiers breathed their last!

Knowing she was no match for Ma Rujiao, Kong Wu grabbed a Jin soldier and threw him over, then used the chaos as cover to escape.

Jiang Ling'er stared intently at her and chased after her, when suddenly a graceful figure blocked her way.

The young Taoist priest stared at the woman before him, his long eyelashes trembling slightly. For some reason, his voice was somewhat hoarse:

"Ling'er, let's..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Ling'er, her almond-shaped eyes bloodshot, attacked without warning!

Wen Chengan and Gan Zishi, who were already on guard, grabbed Jiang Ling'er's left and right hands respectively. Suddenly, a furious roar was heard:

"Don't hurt her!"

The two paused. Gan Zishi turned his head, intending to say something, but upon seeing the young Taoist's gaze, he couldn't help but... release his grip. However, he still couldn't resist saying:

"But she's lost consciousness and gone mad! If we don't hurt her, we'll hurt her..."

Gan Zi was stunned before he could finish speaking.

Gan Zishi and Wen Cheng'an stared blankly as the young Taoist priest took a blow from Jiang Ling'er's palm, yet offered no resistance. He wiped away the specks of blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

He looked at the girl's bloodshot eyes and rapid breathing, and chuckled softly. He lowered his gaze to Jiang Ling'er's hand resting on his chest, and slowly covered it with his own. He murmured softly:

"...It's alright, it's alright."

Just as she was about to have another attack, one hand reached behind her neck and pressed on an acupoint. The girl, who had just been burning with anger, immediately closed her eyes and fainted.

She collapsed against his chest.

Gan Zishi and Wen Chengan were both startled awake. Just as they were about to take the unconscious Jiang Ling'er in a flurry, the young Taoist priest dodged them.

The two could only stare blankly as Pei Xuan picked up Jiang Ling'er and carried her further and further away through the chaotic crowd. A figure in green robes embraced a splash of water.

Until they disappear.

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A message from the author: Belated Women's Day wishes to everyone! Happy Women's Day!

Just a little heads-up, the first volume is almost over!