Chapter 211
Thunder roared, accompanied by increasingly dense raindrops that echoed through the heavens and earth. A damp, cold wind swept through the forest, bringing with it a lingering, warm smell of blood.
Someone cried out "Sect Leader" in a low voice, and as the storm intensified, more sobs rang out.
Witnessing Xie Yijun being pierced through the chest by Meng Wugui's sword, even though the disciples already knew the truth, they still couldn't help but feel grief and shed tears for her.
Everyone was still as if in a dream, unable to wake up.
The blood-stained sword tip was quickly washed clean by the rain. Meng Wugui coldly watched Xie Yijun, the smile on his face gradually fading into silence. Yin Qiu walked through the newly sprouted spring grass to Xie Yijun's side and squatted down. She looked at that familiar face, at the white hair at Xie Yijun's temples, at the blood on her body, and at her still wide-open eyes.
“That day, my father told me to go first, saying that they would meet up with me after I came down the mountain.”
Meng Wugui's voice rang out above Yin Qiu's head.
Yin Qiu looked up at her, and Meng Wugui said softly, "Back then, I was a complete failure. I was terrible at studying and my kung fu was terrible. I was a useless piece of trash. Ziwei Sect destroyed the Ruyi Sect. I couldn't fight for my family like Sister Dong. I could only be escorted down the mountain by my two other senior sisters."
Their escape was fraught with difficulties. Two of the senior sisters even lost their lives protecting Meng Wugui. Fortunately, Meng Wugui was clever enough to take off her clean outer garment, steal a blood-stained one from a dead body, and smear someone else's blood on her face. She managed to sneak away by pretending to be dead, and only managed to escape into the mountains after Yunhua Palace's reinforcements arrived.
She usually loved skipping school to play in Liaoping County at the foot of the mountain. The paths of Liucang Mountain were extremely familiar to her, but that day, for some reason, Meng Wugui wandered around in the woods and got lost. She wanted to run back to be with her parents, but she was also afraid that she would become a burden to them if she went back. Fearful and aimless, Meng Wugui panicked and searched for a way down the mountain in the rain. Before long, she suddenly saw Shen Mandong not far away.
Meng Wugui was overjoyed and wanted to go forward to meet Shen Mandong. However, just as she stepped out from behind the tree, before she could even call out "Sister Dong," she saw Shen Mandong turn around and suddenly be killed by a sword, falling into a pool of blood.
Meng Wugui was struck dumb, frozen in place. Her mouth hung open in astonishment as she saw the swordsman turn around, holding a baby, revealing a face she had seen countless times before.
She remembered Xie Yijun.
Meng Wugui had been to Yunhua Palace, and Xie Yijun had also come to Ruyi Gate with Shen Mandong. She recognized this person and knew that Xie Yijun was the senior sister of Yunhua Palace and that she and Shen Mandong were disciples of the sect leader from the same lineage.
But she didn't know why Xie Yijun wanted to kill Shen Mandong.
Meng Wugui was heartbroken, but she didn't dare to go up and fight Xie Yijun. She hurriedly hid back in the woods and hid herself. When Xie Yijun threw Shen Mandong into the fire and left, Meng Wugui returned the way she came and followed her. She saw Xie Yijun throw Yin Qiu into the burning delivery room.
“The fire is too big, and my kung fu is not good enough to save you,” Meng Wugui said in a low voice, looking down at Yin Qiu. “I am also worried that if I show myself, Xie Yijun will find out and kill me. So I have no choice but to leave you and go to my parents.”
Yin Qiu took the Buddhist prayer beads off Xie Yijun's wrist and said, "And then?"
“Then I happened to run into her killing my parents as well,” Meng Wugui said. “The scene was chaotic. Everyone was fighting and no one had the energy to care about me. No matter who I asked for help, they wouldn’t listen to me or had time to listen to me.”
It wasn't until nightfall that the torrential rain finally extinguished the raging fire on Liucang Mountain. Meng Wugui didn't descend the mountain; she remained trembling in the shadows. After Yunhua Palace repelled the Ziwei Sect, she wandered out in a daze, wanting to see if any of her relatives had survived. Several Yunhua disciples saw her and asked, "Whose child are you? Are you from the Shen family?"
Meng Wugui was startled, fearing these people were Xie Yijun's subordinates. Without a word, she turned and ran. Seeing her suspicious behavior, the Yunhua disciples naturally chased after her to get an explanation. Meng Wugui had no choice but to grab a sword from a charred corpse at her feet. In this life-or-death situation, she displayed a skill she didn't usually possess, intimidating the Yunhua disciples and preventing them from catching up with her. When she hid again, she realized that the sword in her hand was Shen Mandong's Zhubing.
“That should be my father’s body,” Yin Qiu said, her expression darkening. “I heard from Nangong Min that he walked into the fire by himself.”
Meng Wugui chuckled: "He did walk into the fire on his own, but he was afraid of death and didn't actually lose his life there."
Yin Qiu was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "...What do you mean?"
Meng Wugui stared into Yin Qiu's eyes, as if he were seeing someone else through her. Meng Wugui said, "What I mean is, your father isn't dead at all; he's still alive."
Upon hearing what she said, Yin Qiu's breath caught in her throat, and she asked incredulously, "What did you say? My father... my father isn't dead?"
Meng Wugui's face turned cold, and he said with a chilling smile, "It would be better if he were dead. If he hadn't died, he would have ruined my plans. If it weren't for him, your Yunhua Palace would have been taken down by me today."
A flash of white light appeared in Yin Qiu's mind, and she felt a chill run through her body in an instant.
In today's battle, who else helped Yunhua Palace?
That's...
Ignoring Yin Qiu's reaction, Meng Wugui stabbed Xie Yijun's corpse a few more times to vent his anger before turning and heading towards Nangong Min's direction.
"Wait!" Yin Qiu quickly caught up with her and grabbed Meng Wugui's sleeve. "Who is it? You know who my father is, right?"
Meng Wugui flicked his sleeve and pushed Yin Qiu away: "You clearly already have the answer, why do you need to ask me?"
"I want to hear it from you yourself!" Yin Qiu said urgently and persistently. "My own guesses don't count. Please tell me... who is my father?"
Meng Wugui said impatiently, "Me, tell him myself? You should let him tell you himself. Once this mess is over, he'll naturally come to you. I have other things to do now, get out of the way!"
When Yin Qiu first heard about this, she was deeply shocked and could not bear to stop there. But Meng Wugui was determined not to say anything and her attitude was indifferent, so Yin Qiu had no choice but to follow her out of the forest.
The disciples were still wiping away tears, unable to fully accept Xie Yijun's various crimes. Only Ji Wanshu appeared calm and composed, showing no emotion whatsoever.
"With the sect leader gone, we'll have to rely on Senior Sister Ji from now on..."
"Yes, Senior Sister, our Yunhua is facing such a huge change today. From now on, we will have to rely on you to hold the palace up!"
"My martial uncle's fire poison hasn't been cured yet, so... will Sect Leader Nangong really agree to this?"
...
In reality, Ji Wanshu's composure was also feigned. Although she and Xie Yijun clashed frequently after entering the palace, and Xie Yijun was exceptionally strict with her, never showing any gentleness, it was generally for her own good. Now that Xie Yijun had been killed by Meng Wugui, Ji Wanshu also needed time to accept everything about Xie Yijun. However, she was already the young sect leader, and under such circumstances, she couldn't show any sign of dejection. If she also started crying or became disoriented, the remaining disciples would be even more confused and at a loss, not knowing what to do.
A warm feeling came from beside her, and a hand gently clasped between her fingers. Ji Wanshu subconsciously held the hand back, and Wen Chaoyu whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, you will be a good sect leader too."
Ji Wanshu looked slightly bewildered and sighed deeply: "Me? I'm not sure."
“That’s alright,” Wen Chaoyu said. “There’s Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu, as well as Lu Huaiwei and so many Yunhua disciples. They will all help you.”
Ji Wanshu paused for a moment: "And what about you?"
“I’m not very useful,” Wen Chaoyu smiled. “I can only serve you tea and water; I can’t help you with anything else.”
“That’s not bad,” Ji Wanshu said. “It’s good that you’re not leaving.”
"Where else can I go?" Wen Chaoyu said.
Ji Wanshu remained silent, glancing at Nangong Min diagonally opposite him.
Wen Chaoyu followed her gaze and looked up. A white figure flashed beside her, and Man Jiangxue was already unsteady on her feet. Wen Chaoyu immediately reached out to support her. Yin Qiu also hurriedly flew down and said anxiously, "Nangong... Aunt! Martial Aunt, she..."
Nangong Min smiled but remained silent.
Meng Wugui had avenged herself, but showed little genuine joy. She glanced at Man Jiangxue and said, "What are you still standing there for? If you want to back out and not save people, then fight me right now. Don't waste time."
Nangong Min asked, "Does your previous promise to let me meditate and recover my strength still stand?"
Meng Wugui coldly replied, "A promise is a promise. Are you going to save me or not? Enough with the nonsense."
"Save me? How can I get my holy sword back if I don't save me?" Nangong Min chuckled, stopped in front of Man Jiangxue, raised her hand and grabbed Man Jiangxue's wrist, but in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, she withdrew her hand.
Yin Qiu hurriedly pulled open Man Jiangxue's sleeve to take a look. She saw that the golden light had disappeared from her wound, but the blood was still flowing. She asked suspiciously, "...Is it healed?"
“Alright,” Nangong Min said, “It would take too long to heal her injuries by circulating my internal energy. I’ve transferred the fire poison in her body to myself, which will be faster.”
Yin Qiu asked in surprise, "Then you yourself..."
"You're worried about me?" Nangong Min raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It's been so many years since anyone has worried about me. It feels pretty good, doesn't it?"
Yin Qiu said with a complicated expression, "Don't joke around. If you want to have a showdown with your aunt, do you think you can digest this fire poison in a short time?"
“It won’t be able to digest it. It will take at least two hours, but it doesn’t matter.” Nangong Min took off his coat and threw it over Yin Qiu’s head. “It’s raining. Let it cover your martial aunt. She’s still weak. If she gets caught in the rain and develops a high fever, then it won’t be my responsibility.”
Seeing that she was about to choose a place to fight with Meng Wugui after saying this, Meng Jing quickly said, "Then can I give the medicine I brought to my martial uncle?"
“Without the fire poison, you can use any medicine,” Nangong Min gestured to Meng Wugui, “Come on.”
Meng Wugui looked at her strangely and asked, "What will be the effects of absorbing the fire poison?"
Nangong Min twirled the sword in his hand and said in a relaxed tone, "Although it can't hurt me, it can still disrupt my true energy."
She intended to suppress and dispel the fire poison with her internal energy, but it wasn't as effortless as it appeared. If she were to fight Meng Wugui at this moment, she would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
“I said I would not take advantage of someone’s misfortune,” Meng Wugui said solemnly after a brief silence. “I can give you time to recover. I don’t need you to give way to me. Even if you hadn’t come today, I would have regrouped and attacked your Ziwei Sect. I don’t care if you give way to me.”
"Who said I was going easy on you?" Nangong Min looked her up and down. "Do you really think you can beat me?"
Dream Without Return: A Slight Sneer.
“If you want revenge, you have to use any means necessary. Haven’t you learned this lesson from Ye Zhilan and Xie Yijun yet?” Nangong Min said. “If everyone took revenge like you, head-on, the world would be peaceful.”
“Those who stop at nothing are all dead,” Meng Wugui said. “Even if I lose to you today, I will accept it wholeheartedly.”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two, not far apart, calmly exchanged a few words, and at that moment, a sense of mutual appreciation arose between them.
"Putting aside your martial arts skills, your character has impressed me," Nangong Min said. "If the situation weren't like this, we could sit down, have a drink, and become friends."
Meng Wugui sneered twice: "Maybe in the next life."
It was unclear who drew their sword first, but by the time the onlookers reacted, the two figures, one in red and one in purple, had already clashed in an instant.
The sword flashed, the trees trembled, and the peaceful atmosphere suddenly turned grim. The wind howled, and the rain lashed down, splashing water droplets that went unnoticed.
With a resounding clang, two sharp swords clashed, their thin, white blades reflecting two pairs of icy, fierce eyes. The blades crossed, sparks flying from the friction before being extinguished in the rain. Meng Wugui twisted his wrist, displaying astonishing strength, and forcefully pressed Nangong Min's sword downwards, bending it into an arc that seemed about to snap. Nangong Min didn't choose to meet the attack head-on; instead, he deftly slid down, deflecting Meng Wugui's powerful strike, and then, with a backhand flick, thrust towards Meng Wugui's left shoulder.
The sword intent flowed like a dragon, its momentum overwhelming and captivating. Meng Wugui immediately dodged to the side, stepping aside to avoid the attack before leaping over Nangong Min's back and thrusting a sword at her heart. Nangong Min parried with a backhand, turning to parry. The two appeared to be fighting steadily, exchanging blows without much tension, but in reality, each move contained profound internal energy, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. The higher the level of mastery in a battle, the less they rely on flashy techniques; rather, they test the depth of their internal strength.
Fallen leaves and petals swirled in the air, brushing against Nangong Min's cheek and leaving tiny bloodstains. Meng Wugui, from the Nine Immortals Hall, possessed a martial arts style that blended the strengths of various schools, not just specializing in swordsmanship; she could use anything as a weapon. The Ziwei Sect's internal energy cultivation method was ruthless and unpredictable, its depths unfathomable. Nangong Min's internal energy was not stable enough; she had to simultaneously control the fire poison and parry Meng Wugui's attacks, which naturally put her under considerable strain. Even so, she remained composed, each move executed with ease and precision. The two fought fiercely, exchanging over a hundred blows in a short time without either gaining the upper hand.
Everyone held their breath, stunned into silence by this rare duel. Yin Qiu helped Man Jiangxue sit down, while Ji Wanshu, his blood boiling with excitement, couldn't help but exclaim, "Each has their own strengths, it's truly spectacular!"
Wen Chaoyu looked at that place from afar and shook her head, saying, "Nangong Min has not yet used his full strength, while Meng Wugui is eager to achieve quick results. She is still too young and not as experienced as Nangong Min."
Ji Wanshu disagreed with her, saying, "If it were me, I would also go all out like her. Nangong Min is unable to go all out due to the fire poison, so Meng Wugui should have gone all out. This is a life-or-death struggle, not a friendly match. If the process is prolonged, and Nangong Min wears off the fire poison during the duel, it will only be more disadvantageous for Meng Wugui."
Wen Chaoyu pondered for a moment: "That makes sense, but if Meng Wugui is not able to defeat Nangong Min as soon as possible, then in the later stages, she will not have much strength left and will begin to show signs of weakness."
The two analyzed the battle situation, while Bai Ling and Duan Ning watched with dazzled eyes, unable to keep up. Duan Ning exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, that's amazing! Are the Nine Immortals Hall and the Purple Star Sect accepting new disciples? I'm going to fall for them!"
Bai Ling rolled her eyes upon hearing this and said speechlessly, "Nine Immortals Hall is fine, but don't even think about the Ziwei Sect. What kind of place is that? Although what Leader Nangong did today has changed my opinion of her, it still doesn't change the fact that the Ziwei Sect is a demonic sect. If you want to follow her, Master Duan will definitely break your legs."
"What demonic sect? If it weren't for that holy sword, the Ziwei Sect wouldn't be called a demonic sect!" Duan Ning shouted. "I heard my father say that in the past, the Ziwei Sect had its moments of popularity. But with the holy sword, other sects were wary of them and wanted to seize the sword for themselves, so they gave them the infamous name of a demonic sect and wanted to deal with the Nangong family. Bah! That's why I looked down on all the martial arts sects before. They're all bad news!"
"Then the Ziwei Sect is right to indiscriminately kill innocent people, right? Weren't the refugees in the major cities killed by Nangong Min last year?" Bai Ling retorted, not to be outdone. "There's no excuse for doing evil. Besides the Ziwei Sect, who else has done such heinous things? You can't distinguish right from wrong. You even cursed our Yunhua Palace. When the refugees were in trouble, why did you stop them from entering the city?"
Mentioning the past, Duan Ning blushed and whispered, "I... I must have been out of my mind back then! Besides, wasn't I doing it for the good of the people in the city? What if those refugees brought in diseases and caused an epidemic after entering the city? Would you be responsible?"
Bai Ling said, "We Yunhua disciples are in charge of refugees. Once we take them into the city, we will know how to settle them properly and will not let them come into contact with the people in the city. You are just making trouble!"
Duan Ning glared at him: "I did cause trouble, but I've already made amends! I even saved Meng Jing and Yin Qiu! I also saved your martial uncle in the tunnel earlier, so be a little more polite to me!"
Unexpectedly, the two of them could still argue at a time like this. Yin Qiu sighed and said, "Can you two stop bickering?" Then she looked at Meng Jing and asked, "How is Martial Uncle's injury?"
Meng Jing applied medicine to Man Jiangxue, bandaged her up, and then gave her a few pills, saying, "The bleeding has stopped, and I've cut off the necrotic flesh. Don't let it get wet from now on. You'll need to change the dressing every day, and you also need to be careful not to get a fever."
Yin Qiu glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, feeling heartbroken. Not wanting to be too intimate with Man Jiangxue in front of Meng Jing, she could only hold Man Jiangxue's hand and ask, "Uncle, you must be in a lot of pain?"
Before Man Jiangxue could even utter "It doesn't hurt," a terrifying shockwave erupted from where Meng Wugui and Nangong Min were, instantly rushing towards them. Man Jiangxue immediately grabbed Yin Qiu around the waist and flew into the air to avoid it. As the two landed, Wen Chaoyu, Ji Wanshu, and Bai Ling were also standing beside them. Only Duan Ning and Meng Jing were a step too slow and were almost injured by the shockwave.
The disciples and Ziwei Sect members quickly moved aside, and no one was injured. Duan Ning's hand had just been set, and he didn't react in time. He grabbed Meng Jing by the back of his collar before remembering that he had dislocated his shoulder. But he couldn't just throw Meng Jing back, so he could only grimace and drag Meng Jing to the side, yelling in pain.
"Calm down, stop shouting," Meng Jing was so frightened by her that she almost couldn't catch her breath. "You can't leave your hand like this. I'll get a bandage and put it in a sling."
Duan Ning, his face pale, collapsed to the ground and said, "Oh... then be gentle."
After dodging the shockwave and regaining their footing, everyone looked ahead again. Meng Wugui and Nangong Min had already entered the forest. The rain was heavy, and a cold wind swept across the ground. The forest was completely destroyed, with broken trees and withered grass everywhere, leaving a mess.
Both of them had just dropped their swords and exchanged a blow, each taking a heavy hit from the other, flying backward and breaking many branches. As Wen Chaoyu had said, Meng Wugui was eager to win against her enemy, and every move she made was vicious. As time went on, she gradually showed signs of fatigue. Nangong Min, on the other hand, had to use more strength to fight her. After such a fight, both of them had exhausted their internal energy and physical strength. When they fell to the ground and got up, they did not look very good.
Their clothes were stained with mud and blood, and both of them were soaked to the bone, looking disheveled. Meng Wugui hadn't expected that Nangong Min could fight her to a draw while still suffering from the fire poison. She couldn't help but feel a little bitter. Nangong Min was right; she was a rising star. Even though she had worked hard and diligently in her cultivation over the years, she still hadn't learned martial arts for as many years as Nangong Min. It was truly remarkable that she could fight this sect leader who struck fear into the hearts of the world.
But that's not enough, far from enough. What she needs to do is not just be able to match her, but to surpass her and kill her.
Raising her hand to summon her sword, Meng Wugui once again leaped forward to meet her. Nangong Min, in turn, retrieved her sword and engaged Meng Wugui in combat once more. Their eyes met, each revealing an unwavering resolve. Their inner energy surged, their swordplay intricate, making it impossible to discern how many moves they had exchanged. Dark clouds loomed overhead, their skirts billowed, and the two moved with ghostly speed, each strike radiating a palpable killing intent. Sword tips cleaved through the rain, sending countless icy droplets flying, and the two swords clashed violently, emitting a piercing shriek.
The next moment, the sword shattered with a crash, flying away and slicing off two locks of black hair before falling into the mud pit. Nangong Min thrust forward with his palm, his five fingers bent, striking Meng Wugui hard in the chest. Meng Wugui's lips instantly turned bloodless, but he did not retreat. With a burst of strength, he raised his hand and grabbed Nangong Min's wrist, sending out a burst of internal energy. With a "crack," Nangong Min's shoulder blade dislocated. The two then faced each other again, each spitting out a mouthful of blood, wrestling as they fell to the ground.
The two fought for a long time without exchanging a single word, focusing intently on each other's movements, their battle evenly matched. Duan Ning watched as Nangong Min silently reattached her bones without even flinching, and couldn't help but sigh, "...Doesn't she feel any pain? She's truly a heroine among women; I'm ashamed to admit my inferiority."
Nangong Min stood up without changing his expression, not pressing his advantage. Meng Wugui, clutching his chest, also straightened up, already quite badly injured. Nangong Min moved his arms and asked, "Want to continue?"
Meng Wugui chuckled silently, his breath ragged: "Of course we have to fight."
“You can’t beat me,” Nangong Min said. “I don’t mean to belittle you, it’s just a fact.”
After this fight, Meng Wugui had a good grasp of Nangong Min's skills. She had to admit that even with the fire poison restraining her, she couldn't defeat Nangong Min quickly. If he were at his peak, he would be even more difficult to deal with.
The leader of the Ziwei Sect truly lives up to his reputation.
"Whether we can win or not depends on the final outcome," Meng Wugui clenched his palm, his gaze burning fiercely, "In short, today it's either you die or I perish!"
The broken wood floated and coalesced around her, emitting a fierce, cold light. Nangong Min realized that she was going to use all her strength to fight him to the death, so he stopped being distracted and secretly circulated his inner energy, intending to receive her attack.
The wind and rain intensified, the branches and leaves trembled violently, and the powerful true energy made everyone present's hair stand on end, and they all held their breath. In a fair duel, no one could break the rules of the martial world. Although the members of the Ziwei Sect wanted to step forward to help Nangong Min, they all stood calmly in place, not interfering. Yin Qiu looked at Meng Wugui, and she was also sweating for her. Today was the first time she and Meng Wugui had officially met, but they had to face this situation. Yin Qiu did not want her to lose, nor did she want Nangong Min to lose. Her feelings for Nangong Min were complicated. These two people were family to Yin Qiu in different ways, and she did not want to see either of them die this time.
The atmosphere instantly became incredibly tense. Even Duan Ning fell silent, and everyone was terrified. The two figures on the battlefield, carrying a dazzling white light, pierced through the flying sand and stones, colliding head-on—
An unprecedentedly powerful roar suddenly exploded, violently shaking the heavens and earth. Broken logs, like sharp arrows, swept in from all directions. Nangong Min, instead of retreating, advanced, enduring the attack head-on. The shockwave overturned the onlookers and destroyed the few remaining trees in the forest. Her red dress was torn, and blood flowed down as if spilled water. Nangong Min released her true energy, which had been suppressing the fire poison, allowing the raging flames to scorch her as she used all her strength to shatter all the broken logs and branches that attacked her.
"boom!"
Dust scattered everywhere, then vanished into nothingness in the rain. The true energy she had sent out was pushed back. Meng Wugui couldn't dodge in time and was devoured by the fierce killing intent. Just as she was about to turn around and avoid it, Nangong Min had already approached her in an instant. An unparalleled palm force descended heavily on her face like dark clouds obscuring the moon.
Even faster than the force of the palm strike was the blood spilling from Nangong Min's lips.
Drop by drop, still warm, it felt like something hard was hitting Meng Wugui's face.
Everything was beyond saving, and the outcome was about to be decided at this moment. Meng Wugui's pupils shrank, and all the blood in her body flowed uncontrollably to her heart. She subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to use the same trick to break Nangong Min's arm, but the other party's aura made her limbs stiff and she could hardly move.
Just as the palm was about to strike her chest, a green figure suddenly flashed before Meng Wugui's eyes. The figure was extremely swift and agile, and at this critical moment, it dangerously broke between her and Nangong Min!
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back; once the palm strike is launched, there's no reason to retract it. If it's interrupted, it will inevitably backfire. Nangong Min's gaze darkened. Unable to see who had suddenly intervened, he could only deliver a vicious palm strike, smashing the person's heart with the force to shatter everything.
A muffled groan escaped her lips, only to be choked by a gush of blood gushing from her throat. The young woman, struck by this blow, couldn't even utter a scream before falling to the ground like a kite with a broken string, splashing up a large patch of mud.
As the aftershocks struck, Meng Wugui, though not hit by Nangong Min, was still affected. A sweet taste rose in her throat, and she forcefully suppressed the surging blood and qi. A hint of doubt flashed across Nangong Min's face, as he himself was not much better off. The two landed at the same time, panting, and after a moment, they both looked at the figure in the mud pit.
She was a young girl, wearing a bright green round-necked dress, lying there looking just like a green lotus leaf.
Upon recognizing the person, Meng Wugui felt as if he had been struck on the head with a blunt object; his mind was buzzing, and his face turned deathly pale.
The sudden and dramatic change left everyone present stunned and frozen in place.
Who is that?
"It's a girl!"
"Damn it! My sect leader has been murdered! Who is this girl? Her lightness skill is so good!"
...
The Ziwei Sect members, unaware of the situation, were naturally restless and whispered among themselves. In contrast, Yunhua Palace remained silent, with no one uttering a word.
After a long while, Yin Qiu finally said in a trembling voice, "It's...it's Afu..."
"What?!" Duan Ning's eyesight wasn't good enough, and she couldn't see what the person looked like for a long time. When she heard this, she quickly ran over and took a closer look. Sure enough, the girl was Afu!
"Are you...you're out of your mind?!" Duan Ning exclaimed in astonishment, "...What are you doing?!"
Several people flew over one after another from behind. Nangong Min's eyes flickered as he was helped to his feet by the cultists who had rushed over. Meng Wugui, breathing heavily, stood to the side without moving.
As everyone looked around, they saw two more figures emerge from the depths of the forest and leap towards them in a great hurry.
"Afu!" Fu Xiang's lightness skill was not as good as Afu's, and she and Lu Huaiwei chased after her for a long time but could not catch up with her. Unexpectedly, in such a short time, she actually got into trouble!
"What happened?" Lu Huaiwei was shocked. She first saw Xie Yijun's corpse and exclaimed in surprise, "Sect Leader... Sect Leader is dead?"
No one could answer her question.
“Afu…” Fu Xiang’s voice trembled as she knelt down beside Afu, at a loss for what to do. She dared not touch her rashly and could only look at her with teary eyes.
"I'm fine," Afu said, opening her eyes and sitting up as if nothing had happened. She looked around blankly and asked, "I'm fine, Master...where is Master?"
She vomited blood and turned to look at Meng Wugui.
"Quickly, take a look at her!" Duan Ning was almost crying with anxiety. "I finally made a friend, I can't let her die like this!"
Meng Jing was stunned for a moment, and was about to go over to take Afu's pulse when he heard Nangong Min say in a hoarse voice, "No need to look. Apart from her lightness skill and archery, which are decent, her martial arts are not as good as one of my disciples. She couldn't have withstood my palm strike."
"No, no..." Fu Xiang hurriedly pulled Meng Jing to her side and said in a mournful voice, "Take a look at her, I know you are a good doctor, please save her!"
Meng Jing felt a lump in his throat and reached out his hand, but Afu covered her mouth and stood up. She took a few steps and fell again. She looked at Meng Wugui with pleading eyes, wanting to call out "Master," but she was in too much pain, so much pain that she could barely speak. She burst into tears, lying on the ground, barely breathing, and said, "Master, I'm sorry... I... I just wanted everyone to be alright. I didn't want to see anyone die, and I didn't want to fight. You killed Xie Yijun, you've avenged yourself. Let's go. Let's not fight Yunhua Palace anymore, let's not fight Ziwei Sect anymore. Let's live well, like I did when I was little, okay...?"
Meng Wugui stared at her blankly.
"...I really didn't want to kill anyone. You wanted me and my senior sister to attack Yunhua Palace, but what did those Yunhua disciples do wrong?" Afu wiped the blood from her mouth again and again, but she couldn't get it all out. She slowly crawled to Meng Wugui's feet and tugged at her skirt. "I know I'm useless. In the end, I even caused the deaths of so many people from the Nine Immortals Hall, but I didn't want it to be like this. I just wanted everyone to live a peaceful life. I wanted peace in the world, no more war, and no more innocent people to die tragically. I... my strength is too weak. I can't help you, and I can't help anyone else. I'm sorry, I..."
"Stop talking!" Fu Xiang burst into tears, hugging Afu tightly. "Stop talking..."
Blood flowed continuously, quickly staining Fu Xiang's clothes red. Afu grabbed her clothes, glaring at her, and said, "I'm fine, I'm perfectly alright. My lightness skill is excellent; Senior Sister has never been able to catch me..."
“I know, I know…” Fu Xiang said, “Your lightness skill is the best in the world, no one can catch up with you.”
Afu was still wiping the blood off her face when she heard this and smiled: "Really? Master, Master used to praise me like that too."
Yin Qiu couldn't bear to look and turned away. Wen Chaoyu thought of the night she fought alongside Afu in Weicheng and couldn't help but sigh.
“Stop fighting,” Afu said. “Peace brings in so much money, and can save so many orphans. Fighting kills people, and so many people will end up like me, without parents. I have a master and a senior sister, but they might not have the same good fortune as me…”
As she spoke, she suddenly gasped for breath, saying haltingly, "I...I really want to see my parents again..."
Fu Xiang said, "I'll take you there, I'll take you there right now..." She stood up, holding Afu, and trudged through the mud, "I'll take you to see your parents."
"Really?" Afu asked, her eyes half-open, as she tugged at Meng Wugui's sleeve as they passed each other. "Master...we'll be together, the three of us, we promised to stay together forever..."
Meng Wugui was stiff all over, her eyes glazed over, and she silently shed tears without turning her head to look at Afu.
Afu cried bitterly, her breath coming in short gasps, "Master, please don't hold a grudge against me, please... don't hold a grudge against me."
Meng Wugui felt lost and forgotten, and hesitated to look her in the eye.
“Afu…” Fu Xiang hugged her tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, “No one will hold a grudge against you.”
"Before Master Fu died, he said I wouldn't have a good end either," Afu stared stubbornly at Meng Wugui, her vision gradually blurring. "He was right. Since his death... I... I haven't had a single day without nightmares. Now... now it's my turn to die. Senior Sister... I'll go apologize to Master Fu. Please... please don't hold a grudge against me, okay..."
The weight in his hand vanished in an instant, and the hand that had been gripping him fell limp. Meng Wugui, his eyes red, turned to look at Afu.
Afu was still looking at her, but her eyes had lost their former luster and turned gray in an instant.
Meng Wugui's heart stopped beating. He touched the side of her neck with trembling hands. It was still warm, but there was no sign of a pulse.
"Afu—!" Fu Xiang cried out, collapsing to the ground while clutching Afu. "Look at me... don't die!"
The familiar voice never rang out again; all that answered her was the endless cold wind and rain.
Sighs echoed in her ears as Fu Xiang gripped Afu's arm and shook her repeatedly.
But the person is already dead.
Meng Wugui staggered back a few steps, all the pain on her body vanishing in that instant, but her heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by someone, the pain making it hard for her to breathe.
“You have lost,” Nangong Min said calmly, looking at the scene before him. “But if you still want revenge, I will be waiting for you whenever you dare to come.”
Meng Wugui looked up at her, the curve of his lips revealing a cold indifference.
She didn't say anything, but bent down and took Afu from Fu Xiang's hands, then turned her back and walked unsteadily into the distance.
"Auntie!" Yin Qiu called out, "Where are you going?"
Meng Wugui paused, then said without turning his head, "It is Young Master Fan."
Yin Qiu was stunned for a moment. When she suddenly heard her say Gongzi Fan's name, she was confused for a moment before catching up with her and saying, "I... I didn't ask about that. I was..." Suddenly, she was overcome with grief and choked up, "After all these years, we finally have a proper meeting. Are you leaving already?"
Meng Wugui turned her head slightly, looking at Yin Qiu's face, which was too similar to Shen Mandong's, and said in a low voice, "It's time to go. Although we are related by blood, we are not on the same path. You have a sect, a home to return to, and your father is still alive. I no longer need to worry about you being hurt by Xie Yijun. Apart from this scourge, half of my lifelong wish has been fulfilled." After she finished speaking, she looked at Nangong Min across the distance, "Today I have lost, and I have nothing to say. But life is long, and I will seek revenge on you again in the future. One day, I will defeat you with my own strength."
"The journey through life is long, we shall meet again."
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