Chapter 49
Wen Chaoyu changed back into her own clothes in the woods and gave the Yunhua Palace disciple's robes she had taken off to the unconscious Yin Qiu.
The subordinate glanced at Yin Qiu and said with some concern, "Guardian, this child's breath is weak. Did you go too far?"
Wen Chaoyu touched Yin Qiu's neck and smiled, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. She'll be fine."
The two flew up again and continued their journey, leaping through the forest. An hour later, they arrived at a deep mountain forest outside Shangyuan City.
Along the way, they encountered many checkpoints set up by Yunhua Palace. The two sharp-eyed individuals led Yin Qiu through various routes, concealing their presence.
Once they leave the territory of Shangyuan City, even if Yunhua Palace discovers that Yin Qiu is missing, sending people to chase after him will be a waste of time. As long as nothing unexpected happens on the way, this time it will be a natural success, and the task assigned by Nangong Min will be completed.
Wen Chaoyu followed behind, keeping a close watch on everything around him, keeping an eye on the surroundings for his subordinate ahead. The two walked quickly through the forest for a while when suddenly the subordinate stopped and exclaimed, "Oh no, there are people ahead!"
Wen Chaoyu narrowed his eyes and immediately ordered his subordinate to change course. Just as the two set off, a long sword flashing with silver light suddenly attacked, heading straight for the subordinate's face.
Wen Chaoyu immediately swung his broadsword to block, and the two clashed. The next moment, a figure descended from the sky, withdrew his longsword, and blocked the way.
Upon recognizing the newcomer, the subordinate looked alarmed and quickly hid behind Wen Chaoyu, saying in a low voice, "Guardian, this..."
Opposite him, Ji Wanshu was dressed in green, holding a long sword. His eyebrows and eyes were as cold as ice and snow, exuding a deep chill.
Upon seeing her, Wen Chaoyu felt an immediate headache coming on.
What a small world! How did I end up running into this troublesome person again!
Ji Wanshu's gaze was sharp. He spotted the unconscious Yin Qiu at a glance and immediately knew what Wen Chaoyu had done. He said coldly, "It's you again! Give her back!"
Wen Chaoyu smiled habitually, revealing her teeth, and said, "I was just thinking of saying it too, it's you again."
"What exactly do you want with her?!" Ji Wanshu shouted. "You've caused trouble time and time again, and this time you even went to Yunhua Palace to kidnap her. What do you think the palace is? You can't just come and go as you please!"
Wen Chaoyu glanced at her, didn't reply, and turned to the subordinate without turning her head, saying, "You go first."
The subordinate glanced at Ji Wanshu twice, then without hesitation carried Yin Qiu away.
Ji Wanshu snorted coldly and immediately grabbed his sword, bypassing Wen Chaoyu and chasing into the woods. Seeing this, Wen Chaoyu also quickly moved to block Ji Wanshu. The two exchanged a few blows in the blink of an eye, with the clanging of swords and the sparks flying, startling a large amount of snow into falling and landing on their hair.
Ji Wanshu had no intention of getting entangled with Wen Chaoyu and was determined to catch up with his subordinate. However, every time he was about to succeed, Wen Chaoyu would ruin things at the right time. Ji Wanshu was extremely annoyed and gradually lost patience while chasing. He simply turned around and struck Wen Chaoyu's right shoulder hard with a palm, causing Wen Chaoyu to stagger two steps and turn pale.
Seeing that Wen Chaoyu was no match for Ji Wanshu, the subordinate had no choice but to move Yin Qiu in front of him, grabbing Yin Qiu's throat and saying, "If you come any closer, I'll kill her on the spot!"
Ji Wanshu ignored him, her expression cold, completely disregarding his weak threat. She moved like a ghost, appearing behind the subordinate before he could react. His back was pierced by Ji Wanshu's sword, and blood gushed out immediately.
The subordinate groaned, blood gushing from his lips, but he still mustered all his strength to throw Yin Qiuchao and Wen Chaoyu aside. At the same time, he turned around and used his last bit of strength to flip Ji Wanshu over, roaring, "Guardian, run!"
Unexpectedly, they encountered Ji Wanshu's interception at this moment. Wen Chaoyu was injured and could not defeat her. Seeing this situation, she could not care about the life of her subordinate. She had no choice but to catch Yin Qiu firmly and retreat in a panic, leaving the two of them behind.
With a cold face, Ji Wanshu killed the subordinate with a single sword strike without saying a word. Then, she quickly turned the sword around and threw the hilt at Wen Chaoyu's back with all her might. The blow hit Wen Chaoyu's wound, causing her to fall to the ground in a disheveled state, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
·
Wen Chaoyu had been severely injured twice by Man Jiangxue just two months ago and had not been able to recover properly. This time, Ji Wanshu was ruthless and showed no mercy to her. Wen Chaoyu suffered a blow that added new wounds to her old ones. She rolled on the ground and found herself on a sloping hillside. As she raised her hand to wipe the blood from her lips, Yin Qiu crashed down the slope.
Seeing Ji Wanshu rushing over, Wen Chaoyu endured the pain and lunged at Yin Qiu. She grabbed the hem of Yin Qiu's skirt with one hand, but Ji Wanshu quickly kicked her away and pulled Yin Qiu into his arms.
Wen Chaoyu gritted her teeth, spat out a mouthful of blood, and relentlessly pursued Ji Wanshu. She was helpless against Ji Wanshu, but she could deal with Yin Qiu. The two fought on the ground for a while, and then Wen Chaoyu seized the opportunity to forcefully circulate her true energy and send a palm strike at Yin Qiu in mid-air, instantly sending Yin Qiu flying several feet away, where he fell to the ground with a thud.
After being tossed around like that, Yin Qiu had shown signs of waking up, but Wen Chaoyu threw her so hard that she was completely disoriented. When she landed, Yin Qiu struggled to open her eyes, only to feel a dizzying sensation and faint again.
Ji Wanshu couldn't help but roar: "You used to say that you learned kung fu to uphold justice and not to bully the weak, but now this is exactly how you're doing it!"
Wen Chaoyu also got angry and cursed, "You bastard! Did I teach you kung fu so you could beat me up?"
Ji Wanshu rubbed Wen Chaoyu's injured spot with his fist and said impatiently, "Get off me!"
Wen Chaoyu winced in pain, blood flowing continuously from her lips and teeth, dripping onto Ji Wanshu's clothes and staining the fabric red. Wen Chaoyu gritted her teeth and said, "I'll beat you to death, you disrespectful bastard!"
Ji Wanshu, not to be outdone, was even more ferocious than Wen Chaoyu: "Give me your life!"
The two lost their weapons and began to fight bare-handed on the ground. Neither held back, and they used all their strength to defeat the other. Ji Wanshu had already assumed that Wen Chaoyu was too badly injured to be her match, but to her surprise, Wen Chaoyu fought her to a standstill, and the two were evenly matched.
After an unknown amount of time, the two finally ran out of strength and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, before stopping.
Fallen leaves filled the air, a cold wind suddenly rose, and Ji Wanshu was covered in dirty snow and mud. After resting for a while, she heard Wen Chaoyu coughing loudly beside her. A surge of anger rose in her heart again, and she couldn't help but kick Wen Chaoyu in the waist, saying angrily, "You heartless bastard!"
Wen Chaoyu took the kick squarely and almost vomited blood again. She quickly kicked Ji Wanshu back and cursed, "Are you crazy?!"
"I'm crazy!" Ji Wanshu's eyes reddened for some reason. She lunged at Wen Chaoyu and grabbed her collar. "If you have any shame, since you have the ability to leave Yunhua Palace, then never have the nerve to come back!"
Wen Chaoyu lay on her back on the ground, too exhausted to fight Ji Wanshu any longer. She stubbornly said, "I have legs, I can go wherever I want! It's none of your business!"
Ji Wanshu bit her lower lip and immediately clenched her fists as if to punch Wen Chaoyu.
"Go ahead and hit me!" Wen Chaoyu stared intently at Ji Wanshu's hand, not struggling at all. "Kill me and that will end it all!"
Ji Wanshu raised her hand, her fist clenched so tightly it cracked.
Wen Chaoyu said, "Why wouldn't I fight back? I'll give you a chance today. You can hit me however you want and I won't fight back. Once you've had your fill, get out of my way and don't bother me again!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu was taken aback.
Wen Chaoyu said again, "I've really had enough. Even if my parents were alive, they wouldn't be as nosy as you. I should never have taken you as my disciple in the first place!"
If there were any words that would hurt Ji Wanshu the most, it would be these heartless words: "You shouldn't have taken me as your disciple."
Ji Wanshu's face paled, her throat tightened, and she slowly lowered her arm.
Wen Chaoyu simply closed her eyes and shouted, "Stop dawdling! Hurry up!"
Ji Wanshu looked down at her, her arrogance suddenly vanishing, as if she had been hit on the head with a club in an instant, unable to speak or move.
Wen Chaoyu waited for a while, but Ji Wanshu's fist didn't come. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Ji Wanshu was still holding her down, his eyes were red, stubborn and obstinate, but he had lost his temper. His deep eyes even held a rare emotion, as if he was heartbroken, or as if he was extremely disappointed, complicated and hard to describe.
Seeing her like this, Wen Chaoyu calmed down instantly. Recalling what she had just said, she felt a little uncomfortable.
She spoke without thinking, saying some hurtful things in a fit of anger.
·
Meeting Ji Wanshu's lowered gaze, Wen Chaoyu fell silent for a moment.
The two gazed deeply into each other's eyes, neither speaking a word.
After a long while, Ji Wanshu finally released Wen Chaoyu, stood up, and said nothing. Her expression had returned to normal, and she walked straight toward the unconscious Yin Qiu without looking to the side.
Despite their bickering and commotion, the important business still needed to be done. Wen Chaoyu quickly got up as well, suppressing her discomfort, and tried to stop Ji Wanshu. But before the two could start fighting over Yin Qiu again, suddenly, a series of rapid and subtle sounds came from all around, as if some sharp and piercing object was rushing through the long forest.
Sensing the commotion, the two froze in place for a moment. The next instant, several arrows gleaming with cold light suddenly shot towards them, like streaks of daylight fireworks, carrying a chilling killing intent, heading straight for them.
Ji Wanshu drew her longsword and glanced at Yin Qiu in the distance. She noticed that the arrows were not aimed at her, but were clearly directed at her and Wen Chaoyu. She felt a little relieved and then raised her sword to block the rain of arrows.
Ji Wanshu was young and vigorous, and she didn't seem tired after fighting with Wen Chaoyu. Her wrist was not grazed by the stray arrows at all. On the contrary, Wen Chaoyu's face was pale and bloody, and her right arm was covered in blood. She could barely lift her big knife.
Although Ji Wanshu appeared calm, she was incredibly angry at what Wen Chaoyu had said. However, seeing that Wen Chaoyu was unsteady and bleeding, she couldn't bear it and flew down to protect her behind her.
The arrows came relentlessly, seemingly without end. Ji Wanshu had to keep an eye on Yin Qiu and Wen Chaoyu at the same time, which inevitably restricted her movements. Moreover, she gradually realized that although the arrows were initially aimed at the two of them, they were all heading towards Wen Chaoyu in the end. It was clear that the attackers had noticed her injury and wanted to kill Wen Chaoyu first.
If they were reinforcements from the palace, they would never have shot arrows at her. This only proves that the uninvited guests were from the Ziwei Sect. But why would they try to kill Wen Chaoyu?
An arrow grazed his neck, slicing through the skin and causing tiny streaks of blood and pain. Ji Wanshu cursed under his breath, already feeling his strength waning. Wen Chaoyu, swaying unsteadily, saw this and shoved Ji Wanshu, saying, "Who needs you to protect me? Get out of the way!"
Amidst her busy schedule, Ji Wanshu turned around and said sternly, "This is the Ziwei Sect that you so loyally uphold? How laughable!"
After she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed, her hand movements slowed down for a moment, and she staggered a few steps.
Wen Chaoyu herself was in no better shape. She had already guessed who the newcomers were, but she was outnumbered and had no choice but to pull Ji Wanshu behind a tree.
"Why are you being so stubborn? This arrow is poisoned!"
Ji Wan coldly replied, "I don't need you to remind me!"
Wen Chaoyu had never been able to control her before; she was just a nominal master. In reality, Ji Wanshu would never listen to anything she said, let alone now. Ji Wanshu was too busy hating her to say anything more.
"Stay put and don't move. If the poison gets into your lungs, even a miracle worker can't save you." Wen Chaoyu was skilled at making poisons. He could tell what it was just by smelling it. He hurriedly took a pill and fed it to Ji Wanshu.
"I won't take your medicine!" Ji Wanshu said unappreciatively, turning her face away.
"Believe it or not, I'll slap you!" Wen Chaoyu forcefully pried open Ji Wanshu's lips. "Swallow it!"
Ji Wanshu was forced to take it in, but immediately spat it out.
Wen Chaoyu was so angry that her head was spinning. She cursed, "If you want to die, go die somewhere else! Don't die in front of me!"
Ji Wanshu just sneered. When she tried to get up again, she was shocked to find that her limbs were numb, her vision was blurred, and her hand holding the sword was trembling.
Wen Chaoyu really wanted to beat this good-for-nothing to death on the spot, so she had to laboriously bend down and grope around, but she couldn't find the pill for a long time. Just as she was feeling annoyed, the rain of arrows outside gradually stopped, and a group of people suddenly rushed out of the forest and surrounded the two of them in the blink of an eye.
The poison was potent, and Ji Wanshu's turbulent inner energy made it difficult to calm down, which accelerated the onset of the poison. She sat with her back against the tree trunk, her back covered in cold sweat, and she could barely see Wen Chaoyu's face.
"What a touching scene of affection between master and disciple!" A laugh rang out from behind the crowd.
Wen Chaoyu's expression turned cold. He looked up and saw Protector Qin Zheng walking over gracefully, clapping her hands and saying, "Protector Wen, it's not a good thing to be merciful to the enemy. You protect your disciple, but I find her utterly repulsive. Why bother?"
Wen Chaoyu straightened up, gripping the hilt of his sword, and sneered, "You dare to shoot an arrow at me?"
Qin Zheng said leisurely, "If I hadn't shot arrows at you, how could your disciple have fallen so easily?"
Wen Chaoyu glanced at her and said, "Did the sect leader send you?"
Qin Zheng smiled slightly and took two steps forward: "That's right. The sect leader knew you would make a move today, so he ordered me to come and meet you." As she spoke, she glanced at Yin Qiu from afar, "Now that we have that child, and the chief disciple of Yunhua Palace is no longer a threat, let's just kill her to avoid letting the tiger return to the mountain and causing future trouble. What does Protector Wen think?"
Ji Wanshu's breathing was disordered, and her whole body felt as if it were being pricked by needles, her face contorted in pain.
Seeing that Wen Chaoyu did not answer, Qin Zheng continued, "What are you still hesitating about? I heard from the sect leader that you have stated more than once that you have no feelings for this disciple. Now is a good opportunity. If we kill her, Yunhua Palace will lose a successor, which will be beneficial to us. If the sect leader were here, he would definitely make the same decision. Protector Wen, you must consider the big picture."
Wen Chaoyu said coldly, "Since you know that we are master and disciple, it is not your place to tell me what to do. I know how to deal with my own disciple. You have no right to speak."
Her attitude was rude and her words were sarcastic, but Qin Zheng was not annoyed. She still smiled and said, "What you say makes sense. Protector Wen has made great contributions again this time. I am naturally not qualified to interfere with how you deal with this person. But I am worried that if the sect leader finds out, it will be detrimental to Protector Wen."
Wen Chaoyu understood the meaning behind her words perfectly, and said calmly, "It's fine if you don't want the meritorious person, you can take the child with you."
"How can that be?" Qin Zheng raised her eyebrows. "Protector Wen has been traveling for several days and is covered in injuries. How can I take credit for your work? Protector Wen should take the child back."
“Don’t try to play games with me,” Wen Chaoyu said. “Just take the person away. When you return to the church, I know what to say. But don’t gossip about my affairs. If you dare to gossip behind my back, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Although I’m seriously injured and can’t kill you, I can easily poison your food.”
Qin Zheng laughed loudly and said, "What's this talk of killing? We are both protectors, with a deep bond. How could we kill each other?" After saying that, she ordered a subordinate to bring Yin Qiu over and said amicably, "Protector Wen's kindness is too much for me to refuse. I have no choice but to accept it. Thank you."
Wen Chaoyu extended her hand expressionlessly: "The antidote."
With Yin Qiu in her grasp, Qin Zheng would be a top contributor with unparalleled glory upon her return. Having gained an advantage, she would naturally obediently hand over the antidote.
Wen Chaoyu took the medicine bottle and said, "Get lost."
Qin Zheng bowed to her, still smiling sweetly, and then carried Yin Qiu away gracefully.
Wen Chaoyu's face was terribly gloomy. She stuffed the antidote into Ji Wanshu's mouth and forced her to swallow it. Just as she was about to leave with Ji Wanshu, she suddenly heard a sound coming from the depths of the forest behind them. It seemed that the previous barrage of arrows was too big and had attracted the disciples of Yunhua Palace to come and investigate.
Wen Chaoyu reacted quickly, immediately abandoning Ji Wanshu and trying to escape, but Ji Wanshu suddenly reached out and grabbed her clothes tightly, refusing to let her go.
"Let go!" Wen Chaoyu hissed.
Ji Wanshu closed her eyes, putting all her strength into her hands, unwilling to let go even for a moment.
Hearing the noise getting closer, Wen Chaoyu had no choice but to steel herself, knock Ji Wanshu over, and quickly hide in the woods.
Soon, a young woman dressed in white arrived first and rushed over to Ji Wanshu.
As soon as she appeared, many more Yunhua disciples arrived. Wen Chaoyu watched from the shadows for a while, and when she saw that Ji Wanshu was surrounded by them, she sighed and quietly left.
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