Chapter 194 Fierce Power, Dust Settles
The sight of thousands surrounding the lake is truly magnificent.
Cao Shuang surveyed the scene: his clan soldiers were strong and well-equipped, and his household guards were all in top form. They wore iron armor, carried fine steel swords, and wielded powerful bows. A surge of pride welled up within him.
"So what if you're powerful? Every clan in my prefecture has its own clan soldiers. They're carefully trained and are all the best soldiers! At my command, they'll draw their bows and shoot arrows, a rain of arrows coming from all directions. What can you do then?"
"Even if I can't hurt you, I'll make you taste the consequences one by one. How can you possibly withstand this alone? It's true that you, Lady Broken Sword, are formidable, but all you need to do is get ashore. We, the guards, will form a battle formation, and I, Cao Shuang, will personally enter the fray. Combined with our unique weapons and equipment, and the deadly weapons that are near the water, we'll show you what's what!"
Madam Wen laughed and said, "What a hero from the prefectural city! He deliberately said that we were scattered in all directions, but it turns out he was plotting against my daughter so that he could trap her in the lake."
The old woman from the Cao family was severely injured, with her liver and spleen shattered. However, she had a deep foundation in martial arts, and after being given a precious healing medicine, she was able to speak. She cursed, "You wretched woman, you are brave but reckless, you deserve this fate."
"If you die in the lake, that's fine. But if you fall into my hands, I'll make sure your bones are shattered and your internal organs are crushed—you'll die a horrible death!"
Ou Yezi, standing to the side, felt a chill run down his spine: "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have wanted this golden scale. This...this old woman from the Cao family, she really...she really has a lot of nerve. Even though the lady is in a dangerous situation, she dares to speak to her like that. Better safe than sorry."
Madam Wen asked, "Little Fairy, what do you think?"
Seeing the arrows pointing from all sides, Li Xian realized that no matter how tight the defenses were, some arrows would inevitably slip through. He also noticed the lake's emerald green water, several feet deep, and said, "Madam, we can dive into the water to avoid the arrows, then dive back to shore and fight our way out."
“You,” Madam Wen said, pointing to the shore, “you are too inexperienced. You may avoid one thing, but you can’t avoid the other.”
"Diving into the lake would certainly allow one to avoid the barrage of arrows. However, it would put one at a disadvantage. These powerful clans would surely set up the 'Dragon Gate Formation' and the 'Phoenix Gate Formation' on the shore. What is the purpose of those two tall buildings on the shore? The powerful clans of this prefecture have long been prepared. Those buildings occupy a high position on the shore and are equipped with many ingenious traps."
"They could also place near-water weapons, covered with sharp iron spikes, several miles from the shore. Then, the elders of each tribe would be equipped with tough nets, with poison hidden in them, which could paralyze the body. They would then guard the shore."
“They swam ashore, and the clan elders threw down their nets. The clan soldiers formed a battle formation to surround and kill them. Putting aside these two events, the fact that they were armed with weapons near the water and covered with spikes caught them off guard.”
"If they remain submerged in the water, they can still spread the poison. It takes effect upon contact with the skin. Moreover, martial artists are ultimately less agile in water than on land. They cannot fly very high when leaping from the water."
"At that time, there will be no way to go to heaven or to go to earth."
Li Xian asked, "Then, in your opinion, Madam, what should we do?"
Madam Wen scolded, "You rascal, you're asking me questions now."
Li Xian smiled and said, "I can't answer that. Please teach me, Madam."
Madam Wen smiled and tapped her finger lightly, "There's still so much for you to learn. Sigh, given the situation... I can't not teach you now."
Seeing the two whispering intimately, showing no sign of danger or panic, Cao Shuang roared, "You two adulterers, even facing death, you dare to be so arrogant! You don't take us seriously at all! Fire your arrows!"
"Shoot!"
"Shoot!"
He shouted three times, but no arrow flew. Ou Yezi shook his head and sighed, "Indeed, indeed. Lady Zhejian is a woman of deep thought. Her willingness to show herself must mean she has a perfect plan."
Suddenly, the soldiers and clan soldiers on the lake shore turned bluish-purple and foamed at the mouth. One after another, they collapsed, unconscious. Before losing consciousness, a few of them released their bowstrings and fired a flurry of arrows.
However, it lacks any accuracy.
Li Xian was secretly alarmed: "Poison? When did it occur, and on such a scale? How did it even grow?"
Lady Wen looked at Cao Shuang and smiled, "I originally intended to leave after taking the golden scales. But since you all insisted on keeping me here, I will stay a little longer."
Cao Shuang's face was filled with horror. He felt utterly powerless; the situation had already reversed.
It turned out that Madam Wen had anticipated this all along. She ordered someone to carry a strange fragrance and blend into the crowd. The poisonous scent spread along the lake shore, contaminating all who came.
Cao Shuang stammered, "Madam Wen... you... you are more skillful. In the end, we are all... all rebelled for money. This golden carp is yours now, please... please leave."
Seeing that he was far from his wife, Marquis Yuwen immediately fled by boat. He moved with great speed, splashing water everywhere.
Lady Wen said, "Good hero, please stop." She flipped her hand and shot out a jade bead. With a "plop," it disappeared into Marquis Yuwen's arm.
The jade bead contained powerful internal energy. It exploded within the flesh and blood with a "crack," and Yuwen Hou's right arm was broken.
He cried out in pain. Lady Wen flicked her finger again, and a jade bead flew into her mouth and embedded itself under her tongue. Marquis Yuwen was horrified, knowing that the jade bead would shatter, his head would explode, and he would never survive.
He dared not run away immediately and sat down cross-legged. He used all his internal energy to suppress the internal energy of the jade bead.
Thus, he was unable to move, as if he had a bomb in his mouth. He groaned in agony, having experienced the madam's methods firsthand. His heart ached, wondering how long he would live and what miserable end awaited him.
The elders of the Chu family also tried to flee, but their fate was similar. The elders of the prefectural city were at their wits' end, and reinforcements were unlikely to arrive anytime soon. Moreover, the lady's cunning had already convinced them of her dominance.
They were all dressed in mourning clothes, their faces ashen, and they seemed to want to cry but had no tears.
Ou Yezi said, "Madam, this matter has nothing to do with me. May I...may I leave first? I will come to apologize to you another day...another day after I have forged the treasure?"
Madam Wen said, "Since we're already here, why not stay and have a look around?"
Ou Yezi let out a long breath, his heart floating. Li Xian was in charge of rowing the boat, while Madam Wen stood at the bow, her long dress flowing, a breathtaking sight.
The elders of Cao Shuang's clan huddled together, utterly terrified, their legs aching. Among them, the most severely affected was the old woman of the Cao family.
As the light boat approached, Madam Wen looked at the old woman and said, "I'm very sorry that I didn't hurt you much just now."
“It’s…it’s alright?” said the old woman from the Cao family.
“I have a box of Qingmiao Lingzhi. Please swallow it and circulate it with your internal Qi. It will immediately nourish your liver and protect your spleen, and your liver and spleen will be completely healed,” Madam Wen said softly.
The old woman from the Cao family handed the dark blue box to Li Xian, who then passed it on. She was stunned and bewildered. She took the Qingmiao Lingzhi (a type of medicinal mushroom) and circulated it internally; indeed, her liver and spleen gradually improved.
The elders of the Cao family all thought, "Could it be... could it be that Madam Wen truly doesn't want to have a conflict with the Cao family? She previously intended to show off her power, and now she wants to resolve the grudge. If that's the case... we should take advantage of this and quickly settle this feud. This Madam Broken Sword is truly terrifying!"
Relax and take it easy.
Madam Wen said, "But then again, you just said, what would you do if I were captured alive?"
The old woman from the Cao family said, "This... was all just a joke, please, madam, don't... ah!"
Madam Wen struck with her palm from a distance, and the old woman from the Cao family screamed in agony as she collapsed onto the boat. Her bones were shattered, and she could barely move.
Madam Wen said, "Although your bones are shattered, if a great medicine is found in the future, you may still have a chance to recover. I still need to... disrupt your purity and turbidity, and disturb your yin and yang."
She scooped up a wisp of lake water, condensing it into steam in her palm. The steam lingered, refusing to dissipate. With a single palm strike, she channeled the steam into the old woman's body. The steam lingered, subtly embodying the interplay of Yin and Yang, sometimes clear, sometimes turbid, implying a distinction between purity and turbidity.
Ou Yezi was skilled in forging weapons. Martial arts combat techniques and their intricacies were not his forte. However, he vaguely discerned something amiss and was secretly alarmed: "Lady Zhejian's martial arts have become far more profound!"
The old woman was in unbearable pain, experiencing alternating sensations of heat and cold, pain and itching. Madam Wen said, "You all want to kill me, but I am unwilling to kill today. Thinking about it... the three of you share the same surname and clan, so you may all meet the same end."
"Madam Wen, no...no..." Cao Shuang cried out in terror. He fought back with all his might, but was like a fish on a chopping board.
His bones were shattered, his yin and yang were reversed, and his purity and impurity were indistinguishable. Even the powerful Cao family of the prefecture city couldn't cure him. And Cao Shuang and other second-realm martial artists, however, possessed long lifespans. His remaining years would be filled with torment.
Li Xian rowed away, heading towards the Lin family. Madam Wen said to Lin Bei, "Although you joined me in dealing with me, you didn't disgust me too much. Today, I'll break one of your arms and one of your legs."
Lin Bei's chin had been cut off, rendering him speechless. He glanced at the Cao family members, thinking that being crippled was better than having his bones broken and becoming completely useless; this outcome was already quite good. He nodded slowly.
"Little Fairy, come here," Madam Wen said.
Li Xian had no choice but to comply. Lin Bei dared not resist and allowed Li Xian to break his legs.
“He is the same way.” Madam Wen pointed to another elder of the Lin family.
The elder shook his head and sighed, saying, "I am completely convinced by your methods, Madam. I will do it myself." He then transformed his right hand into a palm strike and severed his left hand.
"Who asked you to come? Losing an arm doesn't count. Little Fairy, you come." Madam Wen said softly.
"This..." The elder was unaware of the lady's temperament. He had unjustly lost an extra hand.
The Chu and Yuwen families both suffered retaliation. Some were crippled, while others endured lifelong torment. The four major clans suffered heavy casualties.
The pond was stained red with blood.
Ou Yezi said, "Madam... these powerful families' schemes have nothing to do with me. I... I'm just here to get a share of the pie."
“Of course. I admire Master Ou Yezi, the forger.” Madam Wen said, “I have heard that Master Ou Yezi possesses the ‘Rebirth Appearance,’ with his index finger tempered like gold, known as the ‘Five Bone Finger Appearance.’ He can sense changes in the heat. I would like to borrow it to take a look.”
Ou Yezi's expression changed. He felt a sharp pain in his finger; his index finger had fallen into the water. Madam Wen handed a strand of white silk to Li Xian, saying, "Little Xian, wrap this finger up."
Ou Yezi dared not speak his anger and remained silent. Li Xian picked up the index finger and found it quite strange: this finger had five joints, thicker at the front and thinner at the back, with tough, golden bone that could be vaguely seen through the skin and flesh.
Madam Wen said, "Let's go." Li Xian rowed the boat toward the shore, and seeing all sorts of tragic scenes along the way, he suddenly said, "Madam, there is something I haven't finished."
"What is it?" Madam Wen asked.
Li Xian said, "The Jiang-Sinking Sword, in principle, should belong to me."
"It's nothing," Madam Wen said with a smile. "Since it's yours, you can take it yourself. Why are you asking me?"
Li Xian rowed the boat over and said to Zhou Shijie, "Brother Zhou, please give way to my sword!"
"Yes...yes." Zhou Shijie handed it over with both hands. Li Xian took the Chenjiang Sword and immediately felt its unparalleled sharpness, his spirits soaring.
He wielded the sword through the water with effortless grace. After playing for a while, he rowed back to shore.
It disappeared before everyone's eyes.
(End of this chapter)
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