Chapter 145 Choosing Clothes: Good things and bad things are happening, good people and bad people are all involved...
Zhou Yaren suddenly flipped her fan, scooping up a pile of charred embers and hurling them at Xu Zhangfang. As Xu Zhangfang raised his sleeve to shield himself, Zhou Yaren abruptly spun around and leaped over the raging flames.
Xu Zhangfang leaped ten feet into the air, spotted the direction Zhou Yaren had fled in, and chased after her with a few leaps.
Countless wind blades slashed fiercely from the front, and Xu Zhangfang dodged them repeatedly. From the perspective of the last group of followers, however, it was quite peculiar.
Xu Qian watched the old man's erratic, staggering gait, his limbs and torso twisting and turning in front of him, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws, no less than the most skilled seductive leaders in brothels.
That's utterly disgraceful.
Fortunately, they have always been skilled with swords and spears, and none of them are civilized people.
The men in black stared at Xu Zhangfang, who was "skilled in dancing," from afar. Because he was dancing so enthusiastically and joyfully, it was almost unbearable to watch. Xu Qian was worried that Xu Zhangfang's old arms and legs would cramp up halfway through.
After all, the blind master was quite skilled. If the old man didn't have such flexible arms and legs, given how relentlessly he pursued the blind master, he would surely have been torn to pieces.
Although Xu Qian and his group were hiding far behind, they would occasionally be hit by the residual force of the wind blades, so they had no choice but to jump around and twitch their limbs in a Yangko dance.
Xu Zhangfang was determined to kill Tingfengzhi first, and then destroy Baoshisan. Even if he chased them to the ends of the earth, he would not give up.
Xu Qian remembered that Xu Zhangfang had once told him a well-worn principle: "Those who achieve great things must have the right timing, the right place, and the right people... Never mind, you wouldn't understand if I said too much. In short, besides relying on a stroke of luck, you also need to have the perseverance to stick to it."
At least in Xu Qian's view, Xu Zhangfang was very persevering in some aspects.
Xu Qian was ten years old at the time, but his mind was also that of a ten-year-old. He lacked any understanding whatsoever, and therefore worshipped this pretentious "enlightened master" with both body and soul. Young and ignorant, Xu Qian believed his lies and began to diligently practice for ten years, only to remain a lackey, unable to see the truth. He wanted to seek enlightenment, but the old man gave him some pointers: "Persistence is a lifelong endeavor. You've only just begun. Once you've forged yourself, it's up to luck. If you do, you'll achieve great success and rise to the top. If not, you'll be destined for mediocrity, a lifetime of unfulfilled potential, or you'll have to accept that you're a useless person. I know this is difficult, after all, most useless people lack self-awareness."
Xu Qian: "..." So in the end, he has to admit that he is a good-for-nothing.
Having been around him for so long, Xu Qian had heard so much of this inhuman language and had a better understanding of his ancestor's character. His admiration for him had greatly diminished, even plummeted to rock bottom. The only reason he hadn't rebelled yet was because he wasn't strong enough to win.
Xu Qian thrived under this distorted mindset that blurred right and wrong, and developed a chaotic set of values about good and evil that were quite self-consistent. Doing good was easy for him, doing evil was effortless, and aiding and abetting evil was a piece of cake for him; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to wreak havoc on Ruicheng.
In short, I do both good and bad things, playing both good and bad roles. Actually, it's not difficult at all; human nature inherently contains both good and evil, it's just a matter of letting it manifest itself.
If the former is neither fish nor fowl, the result will most likely be something that is neither fish nor fowl, so Xu Qian became this neither fish nor fowl mule.
Mules are born with defects, which is all the fault of donkeys and horses. Therefore, even if Xu Qian does evil, he does not think he has any original sin.
Moreover, the evil spirits they fabricated and killed in Ruicheng were those that had escaped from the body of the Taiyang demon. The blind monk was meddling in other people's business and associating with the evil spirits, so it was only reasonable for him to be eliminated.
However, the blind master refused to surrender and even sliced off one of his companion's ears with the wind blades he unleashed!
With a scream, Xu Zhangfang swung his Autumn Strike Blade, which hovered and whirled around Zhou Yaren's face.
The moment the latter was tripped, the fan suddenly snapped shut and struck the back of the blade, sending the Autumn Decision Blade flying with a loud "bang".
Xu Zhangfang somersaulted through the air, gripping the trembling hilt of his sword, and slashed straight at Zhou Yaren's back: "Listen to the wind, know..."
As Zhou Yaren twisted her waist to avoid him, she elbowed him in the ribs, causing Xu Zhangfang to groan and stumble backward, unable to continue his words for a moment.
The sound of a cold blade slicing through the air rang out, its sharp edge aimed directly at him.
Xu Zhangfang said, "Let me guess where you'll hide the Death Umbrella?"
Zhou Yaren remained expressionless, making sure not to reveal even the slightest flaw that would alert the other party.
Xu Zhangfang guessed, "You have no relatives or friends here, and you are only familiar with those few young devils from the Taihang Mountains. They are loyal and righteous to you and are worthy of your trust."
A blade of wind nearly pierced Xu Zhangfang's chest.
Xu Zhangfang paused for a moment before saying, "Am I right?"
Zhou Yaren didn't utter a single word, gritting her teeth as she fought Xu Zhangfang with her knife.
He didn't want to listen to Xu Zhangfang's endless nonsense, but he couldn't shut him up.
“I remember you were traveling with five little devils, but there are only four here in Shanzhou. Hmm, where’s the other one? Did he run away with the Death Umbrella at your behest?” Xu Zhangfang scrutinized every expression on his face, but Ting Fengzhi remained remarkably composed, almost unmoved, and didn’t give himself away. “Once we cross this mountain range, we’ll reach the Taihang Mountains, right?”
It turns out that all his plans were so obvious.
Xu Zhangfang said, "Do you think I'm helpless just because you hid the death umbrella in the Taihang Mountains?"
Zhou Yaren tried her best to kill, but missed.
“Naive,” Xu Zhangfang said with ease. “It’s just another fabricated case of injustice.”
Yes, Xu Zhangfang didn't need to go to great lengths to fight against Taihang; a simple case specifically targeting Bai Yuan would be enough to capture her.
Therefore, if he cannot kill Xu Zhangfang today, Bai Yuan will never have peace.
Zhou Yaren suddenly rode the wind and sped towards the narrow mountain path. Along the way, he faintly heard several familiar voices, which belonged to the Taihang Road youths outside Shanzhou City.
Zhou Yaren continued without stopping, leading Xu Zhangfang in another direction...
Several teenagers rescued Lu Bing from Shanzhou, and bound the Gu Master, heading straight for Pinglu.
There were ferries prepared in advance on the riverbank by Tingfengzhi. They hurried along, wanting only to get away from this place of trouble as soon as possible.
Despite the throbbing pain in his chest, Lian Zhao asked Qin San, who was standing beside him, "Did the Gu Master use that Gu technique on Constable Lu?"
"I...I don't know..." Qin San's heart and lungs trembled. "But a few days ago, she locked Officer Lu in the cellar with that giant python. Officer Lu kept screaming and almost died. I don't know, but she must have done something extremely terrible to Officer Lu."
In other words, what the Gu Master told Tingfengzhi before was true?
They knew nothing about Gu magic. If Lu Bingzhen was indeed afflicted by Gu magic, only a Gu master would have a way to break the spell.
“No wonder,” said the snake catcher who had been carrying Lu Bing on his back, “his body was covered in snake breath.”
At the same time, Chen Ying, who was trailing behind, spoke up: "Ask her, what does she know?"
Qin San felt a chill run down his spine as soon as he heard Chen Ying's voice; fear seeped into his very bones.
Chen Ying's hair was disheveled, her upper body and hands were tightly bound, the other end of the rope was held by Li Liuyun, and behind her was Yu Heqi carrying Wen Yi on his back.
Seeing Lian Zhao turn around, Chen Ying even smiled at her: "Do you think I would lie to you?"
Lian Zhao frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable at her laughter, and a vague, indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
Qin San glanced back at Chen Ying, whose hands were bound. Just one glance terrified her, as if a venomous snake was following her, ready to bite at any moment, making Qin San feel uneasy and fearful at all times.
Qin San felt no relief at being rescued. She even had a strange feeling that it wasn't them who had captured the woman, but rather that they had all fallen into her hands.
Qin San was terrified, but she understood why they hadn't killed the woman. She whispered a warning to Lian Zhao: "Chen Ying is ruthless, treacherous, and vicious. You must be careful of her."
"Hmm." Lian Zhao nodded. They all knew that the Gu Master was insidious and vicious, so they dared not be careless.
Rushing to the shore, Lian Zhao waded through the water to hold onto the ferry, supporting the boat to prevent it from swaying from side to side.
"Get on the ship," Li Liuyun said coldly to Chen Ying.
Chen Ying didn't dawdle and was the first to board the boat. Then, several teenagers helped the snake catcher and Lu Bing board the boat together.
After settling Wen Yi, who was the most seriously injured, Yu Heqi went to pole the boat and, with a few quick movements, untied the rope that was tied to the stone block.
Chen Ying was closer to Wen Yi. She stared at the boy's pale face and suddenly asked with concern, "Does it hurt?"
Wen Yi's eyelids felt heavy, and he pressed one hand against the wound on his side, ignoring her.
"You're really good at enduring pain," Chen Ying smiled at him. "If it hurts, just say so. Why force yourself to bear it?"
Wen Yi's face darkened: "Shut up!"
Chen Ying wasn't annoyed: "You won't let me say it, but you're about to die."
This remark made everyone turn around. Yu Heqi, in a fit of anger, plunged a fishing rod into the water and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Chen Ying blinked innocently, "I'm not making this up. If you don't believe me, come and see for yourselves."
With Wen Yi's safety at stake, Li Liuyun approached as if to check his injuries, but Wen Yi shrank back toward the ship's side, a gesture of avoidance.
"I'm fine."
Chen Ying, always eager to stir up trouble, said: "If you're really alright, why are you hiding it from him?"
Li Liuyun did not allow Wen Yi to resist. He ripped open Wen Yi's shirt and saw countless root-like blood lines growing from Wen Yi's back, around his shoulders and collarbone, all the way to his chest.
Li Liuyun's hand suddenly stopped, and everyone's expression changed instantly.
"Wen Yi!"
Only Chen Ying, always eager for drama, said, "Am I right? He's stained with Qingmang's blood."
Li Liuyun grabbed Chen Ying tightly, his grip so strong he felt like he wanted to crush her shoulders: "Save him."
Lian Zhao roared, "Save him right now, or I'll kill you!"
“Oh, threatening me?” Chen Ying said, her spineless body still gripping Li Liuyun’s shoulder. “Fine, kill me then. You’d better kill me now.”
Lian Zhao was furious: "You—"
"You think I'm afraid of death?" They were probably the ones more afraid of death than she was, so Chen Ying wasn't afraid at all. She seized the opportunity to spill her mischievous schemes, "Saving him isn't out of the question. How about this, we trade one life for another... you guys..."
Chen Ying glanced at Qin San as she spoke, which made Qin San shudder. She was extremely smug and turned her gaze to Lu Bing, saying, "Throw him into the river."
Lian Zhao drew his sword abruptly, and suddenly the ship shook violently, as if it had hit a reef. Lian Zhao lost his balance and fell onto Li Liuyun.
At the same time, the bamboo pole that Yu Heqi was using to support himself in the water burst open inch by inch, and the broken bamboo strips were extremely sharp, directly cutting his palm.
“There’s something in the water.” As Li Liuyun spoke, the ferry suddenly spun in the water, as if it had encountered a whirlpool. Everyone spun around and was thrown about in the small boat, frantically grabbing the gunwale.
Qin San screamed.
With a splash, someone fell into the water.
Li Liuyun's wrist sank, and the rope binding the Gu Master suddenly tightened and straightened.
The Gu master jumped into the water, even adding, "How stupid!"
Li Liuyun immediately grabbed the rope to grab the person, but the rope was suddenly cut, and Li Liuyun fell down, his knee hitting the edge of the boat hard.
"It's a Wangxiang!" Li Liuyun exclaimed urgently, "There's a Wangxiang in the water!"
Amidst the dizzying spin, Li Liuyun couldn't see clearly at all. He could only vaguely discern that within the swirling eddies, there was an extraordinary liquid churning endlessly, like a turbulent current, rapidly propelling the boat across the river.
The youths drew their swords and plunged them into the whirlpool, stirring it up, but to no avail. The formless and shapeless Wangxiang, once submerged in the Yellow River, became no different from the surging waters.
The sword's edge can cut through gold and jade, but it cannot harm this formless and boneless water.
The sword blade cut into the river, but could not cut through it; the river water immediately surrounded and sealed the sword.
Everyone felt dizzy; the boat couldn't withstand the powerful current, and the planks suddenly broke apart.
Fortunately, the boat had just left the shore, and the boys did not hesitate to pull Lu Bing, Wen Yi, Qin San, and the snake catcher onto the riverbank.
The river surged and splashed, the water seeming like an invisible hand, suddenly wrapping around Li Liuyun's ankle, like a water ghost demanding his life, dragging him into the water.
Li Liuyun paused for a moment, then forcefully threw Qin San ashore and kicked him hard, splashing water everywhere!
Suddenly, a spray of water ten feet high erupted from the water's surface, and seven or eight cloaks of corpses leaped up, brandishing their knives and attacking the disheveled youths.
Owls emerge from the mountains, and wolves are born in the waters; they are aquatic creatures that can travel with rivers and streams to the north and south of the country.
Every time a Gu Master chooses a place to live, he will select a courtyard with a deep well and a water system that can lead to rivers and streams, so that the Gu elephants can not only live in peace and hide, but also move freely with the rivers and streams.
These silly roe deer of the Taihang Mountains are so arrogant and ignorant that they actually think they can catch her.
It's ridiculous!
Chen Ying silently emerged from the water, her dark eyes peeking out from the turbulent surface as she stared menacingly at the group of teenagers being besieged by Wang Xiang.
Qingmang is dead, so she'll make those brats who came to collect the fetuses pay with their lives. And that blind monk, she'll make sure Zhou Yaren dies a horrible death sooner or later.
Anyone who dares to bully her will pay a heavy price.
Chen Ying, hidden in the deep water, scanned the boys like she was eyeing prey: "Acong, your clothes are torn, let me make you a new one. How about these guys? Go pick one."
After saying that, Chen Ying felt it was unnecessary: "Sigh, I won't choose anymore. I'll make them all into clothes for you to wear in rotation."
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Author's Note: Ah Cong: So many new clothes! I'm so happy. Ah Ying is so virtuous. (I'm going to die!)
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