Chapter 171 Qiu Yue Betrays the Manor, the Madam's Big Secret (Please Read On)
The moonlight is as dark as ink.
The two people, one tall and one short, walked along the mountain path for several miles before turning onto a narrow path. They turned left and right, meandering and circling, using the vegetation in the forest to conceal themselves.
Very difficult.
Lin Aoshan was extremely anxious, as she could no longer see the two. Li Xian, however, remained calm and composed, still in control, relying on his eyesight.
The Flower Cage Sect is a wicked sect in the martial arts world, known for its unpredictable and eccentric practices. They have their own way of surviving, and their current method of running through the mountains is called "Intestine-Piercing Steps." It is especially effective in places with lush vegetation, dense foliage, and complex terrain.
It could drive a person to the point of losing all five senses, causing them to faint. Li Xian was at a greater distance, with a clear view. As the two circled around, he stopped to observe, not blindly following them.
Thus, they avoided the effects of the "entangled steps" and their minds were very clear. The two people, one tall and one short, made their way through the area, gradually going deeper until they came to an open space.
There was an abandoned mansion. The door plaques were rotten, and the ground was overgrown with weeds taller than a person. The two entered the abandoned mansion, and faint flames could be seen rising from the depths of the mansion.
Having tracked them this far, Lin Aoshan dared not follow rashly and looked at Li Xian. Li Xian said, "Go back first and inform Luo Xia. Have her lead the officers to sneak out of the mountains."
Lin Aoshan had long thought that Li Xian was intelligent, decisive, and willing to listen. Given the urgency of the situation, she nodded, said nothing more, and used her lightness skill to leave.
Weeds grew wildly beside the abandoned house, forming a natural barrier. About thirty paces outside the house stood a towering tree.
It stands over ten zhang tall, its trunk requiring seven or eight people to encircle, its branches and leaves abundant. It can easily conceal a person.
Li Xian pondered, "Waiting idly is pointless. I might as well hide in this tree and use the power of my double pupils to spy on what's inside." Using the "Lightness Technique," he climbed up the tree trunk and nimbly hid in the dense canopy.
A venomous snake lurked in the tree, startled and lunging to bite. Li Xian moved with lightning speed, grabbing the snake by its last inch with his cloud-like hand and squeezing it tightly, killing it instantly.
Once settled, use your double pupils to observe the scene inside the roof through the roof tiles.
Inside the abandoned hall, about seven or eight people sat around a fire, seemingly chatting idly.
Suddenly a man appeared, carrying a torch, dry biscuits, and a water bag. He left the abandoned main hall, passed through a weed-covered corridor, and arrived at a side room in the backyard.
The mansion was abandoned. Only this wing room remained intact, with its tiles neatly arranged and the vermilion lacquer still on. As soon as the man pushed open the door, he heard several cries.
Li Xian stared intently, thinking to himself, "The kidnapped woman is indeed hiding here. This group is undoubtedly from the Flower Cage Sect. All we need to do now is gather the constables and work together to wipe them out."
There were five women in the room, all of them quite beautiful, but they were heavily bound and unable to move. The third wife of the Wang family, a beautiful woman, was the first to be abducted and had been there for several days, so she was the most accustomed to it. She had delicate features and her clothes were neat. Even in this situation, she was able to maintain her good appearance, truly a lady of high birth, extremely dignified.
There was a wooden chair in the room, and her hands and feet were bound to it. Her expression was sorrowful, yet she had already adapted. When she saw the disciples of the Flower Cage Sect approaching, she only sighed softly.
Li Xian muttered, "Although the Flower Cage Sect has committed many evils, their judgment is not bad."
He then looked away. The beautiful women from the Zhao and Luo families did not receive this treatment. Each of them sat in a corner, their hands behind their backs, their wrists tightly bound. Their ankles were free, but knowing that escape was hopeless, they did not struggle.
Lin Qingwan, the daughter of the Lin family, was captured last night. The Flower Cage Gate is extremely experienced in capturing women. They know that the younger the woman, the more likely she is to resist. The first two days are the most intense, hence the extra care and restraints.
She was tied to a pillar, her body bound by seven or eight ropes, as if glued to the pillar. At this moment, her eyes were still blurry with sleep, her long hair was disheveled, and she looked quite pitiful.
In the corner of the house, there was another woman dressed in colorful clothes. She had also been recently captured and was being treated with special care. But there was only one wooden pillar in the room, and she was in the most pitiful state. The other women could sit or stand. She alone was lying face down, her arms and legs bent behind her back, her wrists and ankles tied together.
Li Xian suddenly felt the woman looked familiar and took a closer look. However, her face was turned to the ground, so he couldn't see her features clearly. Her arms and legs were bent backwards, so he couldn't see her figure either. Having no basis for judgment, he didn't make any wild guesses.
The Flower Cage Sect member said, "Come, have some water and dry rations. Brother Gu has spoken. We're setting off tomorrow. You... come with us."
"Behave yourselves, understand? Although you are women from noble families, they consider you all dead and have no intention of looking for you."
Upon hearing this, the sobbing intensified.
"Cry, cry, cry, what are you crying for?"
"Cheer up, everyone, and eat your fill."
The man's gaze swept over the group of women, noticing their beautiful faces, and he cursed incessantly, "Damn it, a bunch of sluts! If it weren't for Brother Gu telling us to conserve our energy for any unexpected situations, I would have shown you how tough my moves are!"
...
...
A great battle is inevitable soon. Li Xian looked away and instead observed the people of the Flower Cage Sect.
Among them, there are about three particularly skilled individuals.
One cannot discern a person's cultivation level with the naked eye. However, one can glean clues about their martial arts foundation and depth of skill from their gait, movements, voice, and social status.
One of them possessed an impressive aura, his breath rising from his chest and spitting out like a snake... He must have mastered considerable martial arts, and his cultivation level should be at least at the level of a master of spiritual essence.
"This person is quite formidable; he's probably that 'Brother Gu.' Hmm... let's leave him to Lin Aoshan to deal with."
"I'll pick someone who's neither too strong nor too weak to practice against."
Li Xian pondered. Lin Aoshan's martial arts skills and cultivation were both extremely formidable. Her cultivation level was higher than Li Xian's, and as for her martial arts skills... she had been exposed to martial arts from a young age and had learned a great many different styles. Although her mastery of any single style was not as profound as Li Xian's, her breadth of knowledge was greater.
The quality is also high.
An hour later, Li Xian jumped down from the big tree, left the forest, and met up with Luo Xia and Lin Aoshan, telling them about the abandoned house.
Lin Aoshan exclaimed, "How dare you infiltrate the enemy territory! If you've been exposed, you're dead. The Flower Cage Sect doesn't kill women, but it doesn't say they don't kill men. You... Little Brother Li, you mustn't do it again next time!"
She was unaware that Li Xian possessed double pupils and the power of X-ray vision. Li Xian smiled without explaining, but thought to himself, "This Madam Lin has a very good personality. Although she's a bit spoiled, she doesn't neglect her duties and knows how to care for others."
"Fourteen people? That's not many. We can handle them," Luo Xia said. She had brought forty men with her, fully armored, enough to take them down.
Luo Xia took out a map and divided the forty men into four teams. They infiltrated from the southeast, northwest, and other directions, eventually forming a pincer movement to wipe out the villains in one fell swoop.
The operation begins immediately.
Li Xian's Golden Leopard Bow and Lingyu Arrows were both kept at Yihe Manor. Luo Xia knew that he was an exceptionally skilled archer, so she specially brought an extra ordinary bow with her.
With only two stones of strength, it was enough to deal with this situation. After waiting for another half hour, all the constables were in position and surrounded the abandoned house.
Luo Xia shouted, "Kill!" and the constables charged forward.
The members of the Flower Cage Sect were startled. They each drew their weapons and looked at "Gu Shuntong." He was the eldest brother among them, the strongest, and the most cunning.
Gu Shuntong frowned as he heard the loud noise and approaching footsteps. He truly couldn't understand when they had slipped away and who had come to kill them.
But things had come to this point. Gu Shuntong rushed out of the hall, followed closely by the crowd of flower-covered gatekeepers, and the two sides faced off. Gu Shuntong shouted, "Kill!" and attacked first.
The two sides clashed fiercely, their swords flashing and shadows flying.
Lin Aoshan shouted, "You little thief, give me your head!" She then aimed at Gu Shuntong and took the initiative to attack.
Gu Shuntong was taken aback, but dared not be careless and made a move to counter. The two fought several times, neither able to gain the upper hand, and each made their own advances and retreats.
In terms of talent, ability, and social status, Lin Aoshan is naturally superior. However, Gu Shuntong is already over forty years old, having lived for more than twenty years longer; how could such an accumulation be ignored?
With his experience, he could skillfully maneuver around the opponent, avoiding their weaknesses and exploiting their strengths. Moreover, he was most adept at dealing with women. Seeing Lin Aoshan's beauty, he teased, "Little sister, did you call these people?"
“I’m your great-aunt!” Lin Aoshan said, raising an eyebrow.
"Little sister, if you want to see me, why bring so many people?" Gu Shuntong fought and retreated, laughing, "Just call me and I'll come."
Provoked, Lin Aoshan intensified her attacks. She drew a longsword from her waist and unleashed the Lin family's secret martial art, the "Thirty-Six Cotton Wind Swords."
This sword technique is gentle and moderate, and because of this, it does not reveal any flaws. Even when encountering a master whose strength is several levels greater than oneself, one can still use this sword technique to hold one's own for a while.
But as her swordsmanship reached its peak and she unleashed her second strike, an extraordinary phenomenon took shape around her. A gentle breeze, seemingly light and graceful, was in fact sticky and persistent.
No matter what move the opponent uses, it's like hitting cotton.
Lin Aoshan swept her sword across the area. The surrounding withered branches and fallen leaves were all blown into the air and remained suspended for a long time, displaying astonishing power.
Despite Lin Aoshan's furious outburst, she was actually on high alert. Her intention in using this sword technique was not to defeat her, but to entangle her in a prolonged battle. Gu Shuntong frowned, seemingly relaxed, but already sensing the precarious situation.
He frowned coldly, took several steps back, and laughed, "Little brat, try this move of mine." He then struck out with a palm strike from a distance.
Lin Aoshan, who had been giving chase, stopped in her tracks upon seeing the formidable power of the palm strike. She hesitated for a moment, for while the palm was indeed powerful, it seemed to have been unleashed hastily by Gu Shuntong. He had just retreated several steps, creating considerable distance between them; how could this palm strike possibly reach them?
Gu Shuntong sneered, then suddenly felt a jolt in his shoulder. His bones cracked and popped. His arm suddenly extended to twice its normal length, then abruptly closed the distance, slapping Lin Aoshan on the shoulder.
It turns out that Gu Shuntong possessed a special and unusual appearance. This appearance was called the "Snake Bone Appearance," which meant that the person with this appearance had an extra section of snake bone compared to ordinary people.
The appearance of snake bones varies greatly. Some have them on the lumbar spine, while others have them on the neck.
Gu Shuntong was extremely lucky; the snake bone connected his upper arm and forearm. Normally, even with extraordinary abilities, his hand couldn't magically grow longer.
After all, although his bones were long, his flesh and blood vessels couldn't keep up. So Gu Shuntong combined his own characteristics and specially practiced the "Snake Shifting Hand". This is an entry-level martial art, in which the arms are tempered with snake venom during practice.
Then, the arm is soaked in a special medicine to soften the meridians and flesh. At this point, the "snake bone structure" and the "snake-moving hand" technique combine, creating the effect of the arm seemingly growing longer out of thin air.
He then exploited this characteristic. He deliberately stepped back a few paces, luring the opponent into a chase. He then used the "Snake's Shifting Hand" technique. At this point, the opponent, seeing the considerable distance between them, would inevitably relax or hesitate.
Unexpectedly, the arm suddenly grew longer, biting upwards like a venomous snake. Lin Aoshan cried out in pain, lifting her shoulder to reveal two more snake-like wounds.
Gu Shuntong said, "Little sister, you should be glad. If you weren't a woman, and a beautiful one at that, I would have poisoned you long ago."
"What a pity, what a pity for such a handsome face. There are too many of you today, I can't hold you back, so I'll take my leave first. Hahaha."
Gu Shuntong leaped away, abandoning his companions from the Flower Cage Sect, and fled into the distance. Lin Aoshan wanted to give chase, but felt weak and numb, unable to muster any strength.
She was inhaling a potent poison in her shoulder; though not fatal, it was extremely painful. She had tried to solidify her blood and close her orifices to prevent the poison from spreading. However, the poison contained internal energy, which propelled it further, causing it to continue spreading.
Gu Shuntong breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped the encirclement. Just then, a sharp arrow shot towards him. Gu Shuntong ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding it.
"Kid, you're trying to stop me too?" Gu Shuntong cursed when he saw Li Xian.
Li Xian remained silent, nocked an arrow, and fired. Gu Shuntong's heart skipped a beat, his hair stood on end, and he instinctively sensed danger. He tried his best to dodge, but it was difficult. He barely managed to avoid it, but before he could catch his breath, a second and a third arrow came.
This man's archery skills are absolutely divine!
Gu Shuntong thought to himself, "If I don't kill this man, he will surely not escape. I am twenty feet away from him, and he will have no way to avoid the flying arrows. I might as well not dodge them, just protect my chest, and kill him by force!"
He immediately charged forward despite the flying arrows. He had already entered the "Essence Consumption" stage, and his body had undergone several transformations. With each transformation, his physical strength increased, and the snake bone in his arm gained another segment.
He had taken ten arrows, each piercing his skin. Yet, he remained undeterred, his momentum undiminished. Now that they were close, he roared and unleashed a palm strike.
His arm suddenly lengthened, striking towards Li Xian's chest. Two poisonous thorns, imbued with potent venom, sprouted from Gu Shuntong's palm. He used his inner energy to force the poison out, injecting it into his opponent's body. This would cause a swift and fatal poisoning!
Li Xian possessed keen observation skills and the ability to "traverse Yin and Yang." He discerned Gu Shuntong's intentions and, anticipating his opponent's move, had already prepared to raise his sword. Gu Shuntong sensed danger and quickly withdrew his palm. As he withdrew his palm, Li Xian seized the opportunity to thrust his sword forward.
The sword pierced through the arm, embedding itself completely. Gu Shuntong howled in agony. Li Xian thought to himself, "Yang Yuan Sword Qi!" Sparks flew from the sword, the entire arm exploded, and Li Xian, with a single horizontal slash, killed Gu Shuntong.
Li Xian, though several feet away, witnessed many strange and unusual techniques used by martial artists. Lin Aoshan, being even stronger, suffered greatly from this, which led to her defeat.
He immediately fired three darts.
He unleashed three Azure Palm strikes from a distance of several feet. After waiting a moment to confirm that the body was completely dead, he then approached and touched the corpse.
"Is this the Flower Cage Gate token?"
He first touched a token with strange patterns. Li Xian didn't have time to examine it closely and put it into his pocket.
Another search ensued.
He found a martial arts technique. Li Xian was greatly surprised: "I have killed quite a few powerful martial arts masters, but it is really rare to find a martial arts technique in my search."
I didn't have time to examine it closely. But I saw on the cover that it read "罡雷指" (Gang Lei Finger), indicating that it was a martial art of extremely high quality, even though it was of inferior grade.
Hearing the clash of weapons, Li Xian remembered that the fighting was not yet over. He immediately returned to the abandoned house and slaughtered the members of the Flower Cage Sect.
After quelling the chaos, Li Xian helped Lin Aoshan expel the snake venom, then went to the side room in the backyard to rescue Lin Qingwan and the other women.
The women were rescued and wept with joy. Lin Aoshan, being a woman herself, naturally sympathized with them and offered a few words of comfort. Luo Xia, meanwhile, cleaned up the mess, looted the corpses for valuables, and tallied the casualties.
Li Xian stared at one of the figures, his brows furrowing: "Qiu Yue?"
When Qiu Yue saw Li Xian, she was terrified, as if she had encountered a ruthless bandit. "Li...Li...Li Xian, what...what are you doing here? Could it be...that Madam sent...sent you here?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something was wrong and quickly covered his mouth.
Li Xian had already sensed something was wrong. Qiu Yue was the lady's personal maid, and usually lived in the manor. Even if the Flower Cage Sect was powerful, it was impossible for them to kidnap Qiu Yue.
Qiuyue was captured, so she had to leave the manor on her own. She encountered Hualongmen on the way, which led to her misfortune.
Li Xian thought to himself, "This Qiu Yue is usually so arrogant, but today he's terrified of me and suspects I was sent by the Madam. If that's the case... there's something fishy going on."
He immediately said coldly, "That's right, I was sent by the Madam to take you back!"
"Ah!?" Qiu Yue's eyes rolled back, her legs went weak, and she fainted from fright.
Li Xian sent his inner energy to awaken her. As soon as Qiu Yue woke up, she hugged Li Xian's leg and pleaded, "Uncle Li, Uncle Li, please... don't... don't take me back. You... you know how Madam is."
"I...I'll tell you a secret...a secret, Madam's secret, a huge secret, please...please let me go!"
(End of this chapter)
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