Chapter 116x, page 116. An additional 1300 words were added at the end; a rewrite is recommended…

The night of slaughter and carnage, the night of bloodshed and turmoil, seemed to freeze at this moment, at the moment when Zhang Xu and Zhang Liangxiang bowed to the crowd on behalf of the court.

Until a woman spat fiercely on Zhang Liangxiang's face.

"Do you think a simple 'I'm sorry' can bring my son back to life?!"

Zhang Xu paused, his face instantly turning pale.

Almost at the same moment the Song soldier's long-handled axe was aimed at the woman, Jiang Ling'er struck out with a "Thunderous" palm strike in the void!

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, or the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, the long-handled axes of the Song soldiers were all shattered!

Jiang Ling'er's elusive footwork appeared in front of the woman in an instant, like a gentle breeze, and before anyone could react, she had already shielded her behind her back, though her hands behind her back trembled uncontrollably.

After a night of fierce fighting, I was almost completely exhausted.

She gritted her teeth, her hands trembling before she clenched them tightly again. She raised her hands in a defensive stance, staring at the Song soldiers around her.

As if being stared at by a cheetah, the leading Song soldier inexplicably shivered, then flew into a rage a second later:

"Jiang Ling'er!"

"Traitor!"

Song soldiers surrounded Jiang Ling'er, and Yuan Wenkang, Yuan Zao, the Seven Masters of Lingxiao and others also stepped forward. The martial arts world and the imperial court were locked in a standoff, and the situation quickly became tense again.

Zhang Xu shouted:

"stop!"

At the same time, a seriously injured disciple of the White Tiger Hall was helped over:

"Master...Master, the demoness Kong Wu has gone east, severely injuring all my fellow disciples. I am powerless to help you..."

Yuan Wenkang frowned: "The demoness is the Right Protector of the Demonic Sect. If we don't seize this opportunity to capture her and severely damage the Demonic Sect, we may never have another chance."

"You may go." Zhang Xu glanced at the group of Song soldiers in front of him, and finally his gaze fell on Jiang Ling'er. "Leave this to me."

Jiang Ling'er treated Zhang Xu coldly because of the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), even though he was a powerful official of the court. But as Yuan Wenkang said, if Kong Wu were released this time, it would be even more difficult to severely damage the Demonic Sect in the future. Especially since Kong Wu colluded with the Jin soldiers and even addressed Zhao Xiao as her master and disciple, the old镖头's false accusation of colluding with the Jin was inextricably linked to these two!

After weighing the two options, Jiang Ling'er stopped thinking about it and immediately set off eastward using the Mysterious Steps.

Seeing that Zhang Xu, Yuan Wenkang, Song Shiliang and other younger members of the family were present, Yuan Zao, Ling Xiao and the Seven Sons of Ling Xiao also followed Jiang Ling'er eastward to search for her.

However, Yuan Zaoxing suddenly thought of something and changed direction, breaking away from the main group.

Although Gan Zishi followed behind his senior brother Wen Cheng'an, his eyes were always on Yuan Zao. During the day and night of the fierce battle, he secretly protected Yuan Zao and never left her side.

Seeing this, he was only slightly taken aback, but followed without hesitation.

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"You're asking for it! Get out of my way!"

Kong Wu fled eastward, each palm strike aimed at either the throat or the heart of her pursuers; every palm strike was a deadly blow!

Her fleeing steps grew increasingly unsteady, her heart trembled, and with each breath she took, it seemed as if her chest was about to burst open! This was the internal injury left by Jiang Ling'er's "Tengshe Wuzu" palm strike.

She had heard the Left Protector mention the Thunderclap Palm, a martial art renowned for its swiftness and domineering power. However, with the passing of the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), this skill gradually disappeared. Even Zhao Xiao, who claimed to have inherited the old镖头's true teachings, only possessed four-tenths of the Thunderclap Palm's power, let alone being comparable to the old镖头 in his prime.

She had never fought the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) herself, but she could glean from Zhao Xiao's aura how amazing the old镖头's Thunderclap Palm was in its prime. Even so, no matter how much the Left Protector described the Thunderclap Palm as miraculous, she never took anyone seriously, and even felt quite sorry that the old man hadn't died at her hands.

However, Jiang Ling'er's palm strike, "Tengshe Wuzu," just now made her feel as if her liver and gallbladder were about to shatter, and her right hand, which had clashed with hers, was now useless!

She didn't want to run away immediately; her heart was filled with immense anger and excitement.

She was furious that she had been defeated by a mere girl, but at the same time she was shocked by the power of the Thunder Palm, which was enhanced by the Longevity Manual!

She was absolutely convinced that Jiang Ling'er was in no way inferior to her father, and even completely surpassed him!

At this moment, his internal organs were being burned by the remaining power of the Thunderclap Palm, and he was also being scorched by his determination to obtain the "Longevity Manual"!

Seeing that she could escape Jinling City once she crossed this pass, Kong Wu endured the excruciating pain, gritted her teeth, and climbed several meters into the air. Suddenly, a dark figure leaped in front of her, and Kong Wu raised her hand and choked the other person's throat with a palm strike!

"court death!"

However, the newcomer was nothing like the previous shrimp soldiers and crab generals. He blocked her attack with a "thunderous" palm strike!

Although he and Jiang Ling'er both learned the Thunderclap Palm from the same school, their Thunderclap Palm techniques were completely different from Jiang Ling'er's, which resembled the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, or the sound of a golden dragon and a silver snake.

Dull, like a swamp of electricity coursing through it.

It was a muffled fart, like a loud fart in a clear sky, but with a power far greater than before.

Kong Wu paused only briefly, withdrew her palm strike, turned around, and a slight smile appeared on her face:

"Good disciple, it's you."

"You lied to me! How dare you lie to me!"

The newcomer was none other than Zhao Xiao. However, his eyes were bloodshot, and a dark mist flickered between his brows, clearly indicating he had suffered a qi deviation…

The side effects of the Qing Dynasty rubbings have become apparent.

"Witch! You dare to try and fool me with a fake 'Longevity Manual'!"

Zhao Xiao grabbed Kong Wu by the throat, staring at her with eyes wide with rage.

Kong Wu could have dodged, but she let Zhao Xiao grab her by the neck. She still stared at Zhao Xiao and smiled, her smile even deepening.

"How did I lie to you? You're... able to use force again, aren't you?"

Kong Wu looked him up and down, as if she knew he wouldn't be able to do it, and smiled freely on her beautiful face.

"You're too eager to succeed, so don't blame me. If you kill me, there will be no one to help you."

Kong Wu stared intently at him, a strange light flashing in her beautiful eyes. Her slender hand moved intimately to his waist, her fingertips lightly tracing his waist... upwards, her gaze like a net, each word spoken with a distinct ambiguity:

"I know you desire unparalleled martial arts skills. Come, let your master help you."

Under Kong Wu's bewitching influence, Zhao Xiao slowly loosened his grip, his bloodshot eyes widening. In an instant, Kong Wu's gaze changed, and without warning, she struck Zhao Xiao's chest at the center of his acupoint, Tanzhong!

Suddenly, before anyone could react, Yuan Zao appeared and knocked Zhao Xiao away with a palm strike, while Kong Wu's palm landed on her!

Yuan Zao: "Ah!"

Zhao Xiao was knocked to the ground, staring blankly as Yuan Zao's inner strength was absorbed by Kong Wu, muttering to himself:

"...Xiaozao."

"Miss Yuan!" Gan Zishi followed closely behind, thrusting his sword forward. "Witch, let her go!"

Jiang Ling'er and the others rushed over, and upon seeing this, their pupils suddenly dilated:

"Xiaozao!"

Kong Wu didn't take that junior disciple of the Lingxiao Sect seriously. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Ling'er smile, a smile that contained hatred, jealousy, admiration, and ruthlessness.

"Jiang Ling'er, we have a long future ahead of us."

With that, he struck Yuan Zao with a palm, sending her flying like a rag doll. Using the momentum, he leaped away, leaving behind a string of giggles, and escaped swiftly using his lightness skill.

"Xiaozao!"

"Miss Yuan!"

Jiang Ling'er and Gan Zishi simultaneously leaped to catch Yuan Zao. Using the same stealthy footwork, Jiang Ling'er moved like a ghost, catching Yuan Zao first. Their relieved smiles froze upon seeing Yuan Zao's gray hair, which indicated he was over fifty.

An uncontrollable surge of anger welled up within her, causing her eyes to redden slightly. She handed the unconscious Yuan Zao to Gan Zishi:

"Take good care of her for me, I'll be right back."

Gan Zishi paused, glanced at the unconscious Yuan Zao, and nodded solemnly.

--

"Get out of my way if you don't want to die!"

Kong Wu fled all the way, but when she reached the banks of the Qinhuai River, her path was blocked again.

She recognized the young monk Liansheng, and Liansheng obviously recognized her as well.

The two spoke almost in unison:

"It's you?!"

"It's you?"

Although Kong Wu absorbed Yuan Zao's internal energy, she still needed time to process it. The multiple battles and escapes had used up almost all of her strength, leaving her with no extra energy. At this moment, she was truly powerless, probably unable to even defeat a child.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ling'er was relentlessly pursuing her, and for a moment... no, Kong Wu even doubted that she might never be able to get rid of this little girl.

However, she quickly dismissed this absurd thought. Who was she? She was the Right Protector of the Demonic Sect, while this girl had only been lucky enough to receive the true teachings of the "Longevity Manual." As long as she escaped successfully today, what was meant to be hers would eventually be hers.

Seeing the Qinhuai River flowing endlessly behind the young monk, Kong Wu suddenly had a plan.

She knelt down.

Lian Sheng was stunned for a moment: "You..."

Kong Wu kowtowed several times, tears streaming down her face, and cried, "Little Master, please let me go! It was all the Jin people and that treacherous Danxia Cave True Lord Wenshan who forced me. I know I was wrong. From now on, I will repent and do good. I will never set foot in the Central Plains again! Little Master, please let me go this time!"

Jiang Ling'er's voice drifted from afar:

"Stop her!"

Lian Sheng trembled very slightly, avoiding Kong Wu's tearful eyes:

"...I'm sorry, I can't let you go."

Lian Sheng reached out and grasped Kong Wu's shoulder, but the soft silk gauze slipped off at the touch of her fingertips, revealing a large expanse of her delicate shoulder.

Lian Sheng paused, her long eyelashes fluttering for a moment like butterfly wings.

Her fair, smooth shoulders were covered with glaring old wounds, including whip marks, knife marks, and even burns.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Kong Wu nimbly dodged him and leaped into the Qinhuai River.

Jiang Ling'er walked here, her feet tracing a mysterious path. The object was almost right in front of her, just... just a little bit away!

She was so close to catching her!

But he watched helplessly as Kong Wu leaped into the Qinhuai River, only to be swallowed by the water and disappear in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Ling'er stared intently at the now calm Qinhuai River, bloodshot veins creeping into her almond-shaped eyes. She turned and glared angrily at Lian Sheng:

Why can't you do it?

Why can't you do it?!

The young monk's face was deathly pale, his thin, pale lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing. Or perhaps it was because saying anything now would be pointless.

After a night of fierce fighting, everyone was either dead or wounded and exhausted. Only Lian Sheng, who had been protected, had some strength left, but his indecisiveness allowed the demon to escape.

Jiang Ling'er grew increasingly angry, raising her hands high. The young monk did not resist, slowly closing his eyes, his face almost deathly pale. Only his slightly fluttering eyelashes betrayed his fear.

Her chest heaved with unvented anger and helplessness, but in the end she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Suddenly, one or two drops of blood trickled down from the tip of his nose.

Jiang Ling'er didn't care at all, and was about to wipe it away with her sleeve when a handkerchief appeared in front of her.

"Quickly wipe it clean."

Jiang Ling'er was stunned. She looked up and saw a woman she had never seen before.

"you……"

Aren't you afraid of me?

Before she could even utter those four words, the woman seemed annoyed that she was too slow and didn't take care of herself, so she took matters into her own hands and wiped away the gushing blood from her nose.

He kept reminding her to take good care of herself. Gradually, more and more people gathered around. Since the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) committed suicide, Jiang Ling'er had become accustomed to being avoided like the plague and to being treated with hostility. This was the first time she had experienced something like this...

She was stunned for a moment, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, not even knowing where to put her hands and feet.

At the same time, after this battle, almost everyone in the world knew that the "Longevity Manual" was in her possession.

Her portrait finally became clear, no longer bearing the title of "the old镖头's orphan daughter," but rather depicting her as—

The name "Jiang Ling'er" has spread throughout the country.

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Thousands of miles away.

The man in the blue robe lowered his eyes and stared at the scroll in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Until someone knelt down to report:

"Right Protector, the Master requests your presence."

The man put down the scroll, revealing the face of a refined and handsome middle-aged man.

The smile on his face had vanished completely.

"Let's go."

The scroll was placed on the table. And on the scroll was—

A portrait of Jiang Ling'er.

--

Meanwhile, in a remote wilderness.

The wheels of the cart stirred up dust and sand as an old man slowly drove his oxcart past.

The oxcart was covered with a gray cloth. The old man held a wine jug in one hand and a whip in the other. He would take a sip of wine and then crack the whip. In no time, the wine jug was empty. He casually threw the jug on the ground and laughed heartily.

The laughter seemed to ripple through the air, and the ground was dented by the wine jug, but the jug remained unharmed.

Before the laughter had even subsided, a clear, gentle male voice rang out.

"Senior Gongye Chi, please wait a moment."

The old man narrowed his cloudy eyes and saw a group of people walking out of the sandstorm.

The leader sat astride a tall horse, wrapped in a fox fur coat despite the sweltering heat. His face was obscured by the thick fur. Only his clear, slightly husky voice could be heard as he opened the door:

"Let's make a deal."

"You know me? And who are you to dare to make a deal with me?"

The old man is none other than Gongye Chi, the old poison master known as the King of Ten Thousand Poisons. At this moment, he was cursing and swearing, reaching behind him, but not finding any new wine, so he cursed even louder.

The cursing and swearing seemed to have a tangible impact, causing many people behind the man in the fox fur to suffer internal injuries and fall from their horses. However, this young man, who looked the thinnest and sickly, remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

Gongye Chi did think more highly of him because of this, but that was all.

His murky gaze swept over everyone with a sinister look, making them all feel as if they had been licked by a venomous snake, and they shivered for no reason.

"We're out of wine, so using you little brats as snacks isn't so bad..."

The man in the fox fur coat interrupted him calmly:

"I wonder if this is enough to persuade the senior to come out of seclusion."

The young man took something out of his sleeve, and with a flick of his wrist, the object shot out like an arrow with eyes, piercing through the flying dust and sand, and heading straight for the old poisoner Gongye Chi on the oxcart!

The skill lies in the smallest details, even the old poison master couldn't help but praise in his heart, "Good!"

He caught the object with a wave of his hand, and upon lazily glancing at it, he suddenly sobered up considerably:

"...The Longevity Manual?!"

Thanks to his good disciple, he had glimpsed the "Longevity Manual." He never expected that old man Xu Fu was so shrewd, even in death he had taken precautions.

The "Secret of Longevity" was written in Persian and cannot be easily faked.

The coveted martial arts manual, "The Longevity Manual," was discarded by him like trash, tossed to him casually.

"How do I know if it's true or false?" The old poisoner said doubtfully, but his hand had already stuffed the "Longevity Manual" into his pocket. At this moment, he was seventy percent sober, and only then did he realize that apart from the consumptive leader, the group of people were all dressed in the clothing of Sun and Moon Fortress.

Who in the world doesn't know about Sun and Moon Fortress?

In particular, the death of the wife of the Lord of Sun and Moon Fortress and the theft of her body led the Lord of Sun and Moon Fortress to issue a kill order, causing a great uproar throughout the city. The person being hunted down was none other than his good disciple.

He had certainly heard about it.

"Oh, so it's the brat from Sun and Moon Fortress. Sun and Moon Fortress possesses all the rare treasures in the world, so it can't be fake."

"This is only the first volume; as for the second volume..."

The young man in the fox fur coat spoke calmly, showing no fear of the old poisoner's terrifying face that had already sunk. He lifted the fox fur coat, dismounted, and although his figure was thin, he was still worthy of the description "a fine and elegant man".

As you approach, the wind and sand brush against your face, yet it does nothing to diminish his dashing and unparalleled charm.

He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, bowing as if to an old poisoner.

"This junior is Ji Yunshu, the lord of Sun and Moon Fortress, who respectfully welcomes Gongye Chi, the King of Ten Thousand Gu, on behalf of Sun and Moon Fortress."

The old poison master's gloomy face instantly broke into a hearty smile.

"Good lad, you know how to handle things better than my turtle apprentice!"

Just then, a gust of wind blew by.

Lift a corner of the gray cloth covering the oxcart. A huge jar, as tall as an adult, is revealed, along with half a pale, sickly, androgynous face peeking out from the jar's mouth.

Ji Yunshu seemed to sense something and lifted her thin eyelids to take a look.

Then it was moved away.

However, in a short while, her peach blossom eyes remained calm and unmoved, showing no concern.