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A Qiu was puzzled as to why her master was so angry. She thought that Li Chongyu held the "King of Soldiers" Shuofang Army and was also a regional warlord. He was not so low as to be "not even worthy to carry her shoes." She was thinking about how to answer him.
Knowing that things would not end well, Li Chongyu immediately said, "Sister, please step aside. Since your master wants to teach me a lesson, you can't stop him."
A Qiu was instructed by Gu Yi to ensure his safety along the way, but at this moment she was facing another master of hers. He could not allow her to disobey and offend her elder in order to protect herself.
Seeing that he dared to take responsibility, Wan Qiqing's expression finally softened a little, and he shouted, "You've got guts, kid. Come on."
Li Chongyu felt that the air outside the Martial Saint Shrine seemed to freeze instantly with Wan Qiqing's roar.
Wan Qiqing's wide sleeves fluttered as she lightly pressed down on him with a palm strike from afar.
This palm strike seemed effortless, but Li Chongyu knew that was just an illusion. If it were pressed into his chest, his internal organs would surely shatter instantly.
He had heard that top martial arts masters in the Central Plains, those whose cultivation had reached the pinnacle, could create the illusion of a change in spatial texture for their opponents during battle. He had only taken it with a grain of salt at the time, but now that he had witnessed the real effect, he was deeply shocked.
Wan Qiqing's seemingly casual palm strike gave him a sense of being at his wit's end, with no way to avoid it.
But he was resolute and, unable to avoid it, decisively drew his sword and charged forward to meet the enemy head-on.
Because that's how the battlefield is; even if you know you're outmatched, you can't escape, because running away is also a death sentence. Mentally, Li Chongyu, a veteran of countless battles, was less afraid of death than most martial arts masters.
He concentrated his mind, gathered all his strength, and with a fearless spirit, slashed out with his sword in mid-air. Even Wan Qiqing dared not catch his blade with his bare hands.
Wan Qiqing shouted, "Good!" He swiftly dodged the blade like a ghost, his left hand transforming from a palm into a claw, and descended upon the man's head.
A Qiu saw it clearly: Li Chongyu's advantage lay in his unwavering will, honed through countless battles. His indomitable spirit when wielding his sword was something few martial arts masters could withstand. She knew that if she stood still and let Li Chongyu strike, she probably wouldn't be able to withstand even one blow. But ultimately, he wasn't a martial arts master who had honed his footwork and agility from childhood; under his master's tutelage, he would never have had a second chance to strike.
Seeing that Li Chongyu was about to die under Wan Qiqing's palm before he could change his move, Wan Qiqing could no longer care about disobeying him. He lit up "Louyue" and shot over, barely managing to block Wan Qiqing's attack before Wan Qiqing's five fingers could strike.
Wanqiqing's five fingers, imbued with true qi, plucked across her sword like a lute, each strike heavier than the last.
A Qiu felt the sword tremble violently, becoming heavier than a thousand pounds. A powerful, domineering, and extremely cold internal force passed through the sword and crashed into her chest. She felt as if her internal organs were being torn apart, and for a moment she was in so much pain that she could hardly breathe. However, she still tried her best to lift the sword and thrust it upwards to protect Li Chongyu.
Wan Qiqing shouted, "Let go now!"
But A Qiu only knew that if she let go at this moment, Li Chongyu would surely die. In fact, her advantage lay in her quick and unpredictable movements. It was not her forte to fight someone head-on with internal energy, especially since her opponent was her master Wan Qiqing, whose skills were far superior to hers.
However, she was trying to save people rather than hurt them, so she was on the defensive and was forced to endure Wan Qiqing's "Five-Stringed Hands".
Wan Qiqing looked at her hand, which Fan Liancheng had bandaged with the corner of his clothes, and saw that blood was seeping from the tiger's mouth again. He realized that she had been injured more than once tonight.
He knew Ah Qiu's skills; if someone could hurt her, they wouldn't be an ordinary person, and the injury she suffered wouldn't be minor.
Wan Qiqing's voice suddenly turned cold: "I never care whether my disciple will disobey me or even betray me, but I cannot tolerate fools."
He took a step forward, and A Qiu instantly felt the blade of Louyue become three times heavier. Sweat poured down her forehead, her face turned deathly pale, and even the arm holding the sword trembled slightly.
She said with difficulty, "Disciple...Disciple is not foolish, but it is out of a sense of righteousness that I have no choice but to do this."
Wan Qiqing's eyes flashed with a cold light as he interrupted her, saying, "Your so-called loyalty is nothing but foolishness!"
Before A Qiu could answer, he continued, "I could even accept that one day you would defeat me and take over the entire Lanling Hall; I would only be pleased. Might makes right, that's the only truth in the world. But look at you now, what are you doing with your life?"
He sneered, "The dignified Master of the Divine Weapon Hall, the Chief Assassin, and the successor of the Junior Master, is risking his life for a stranger he's only met once! Tell me, why shouldn't he be the one risking his life to protect you? Don't you know that the successors of the Lanling Hall should only drive others to their own goals, not sacrifice their lives for the goals of others!"
A Qiu bent down and fell, desperately trying to block with his sword. He almost bit his lip until it bled, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
She did not agree with her master's statement, but struggled to find the right words to refute it.
Wan Qiqing said coldly, "I am very disappointed in you! And this disappointment goes far beyond you running away with Gu Yi, far beyond you going against me for the sake of others. Do you understand?"
He looked up at the sky expressionlessly and said in a calm tone that revealed no emotion, "If your heart is not guarded, no matter how high your martial arts skills or how powerful your position, you will only become a target for others to use and a laughing stock of the world."
He increased the pressure on his hands, and A Qiu could barely stand. Blood flowed from the tiger's mouth of both hands, dripping down the blood groove at the tip of the sword and splashing onto the ground.
Looking at the small bloodstains on the ground from his most valued disciple, Wan Qiqing said without any emotion, "I can cultivate enemies and opponents for myself, but I have no interest in cultivating trash."
A-Qiu was startled, then heard him say in an extremely calm tone:
"If they don't let go soon, I'll have to clean house."
A Qiu remembered that her eldest brother, Gongyi Xiu, had once reminded her that besides his carefree and elegant demeanor, and his enlightened wisdom, their master, Wan Qiqing, had another side. He told her to remember never to offend their master.
But A-Qiu didn't know what her master's Achilles' heel was. She always believed that with her master's all-encompassing tolerance and profound knowledge, there was almost nothing in the world that he couldn't tolerate.
As he said, he might even tolerate A-Qiu's rebellion and his usurpation of power. What a magnanimous heart!
If you want to raise a dragon, you can't confine it in a pond or shackle it. That's why he let Gongyi Xiu go to court, let Mo Yimingyue roam the Yangtze River, and allowed A Qiu to join Gu Yi's school.
But Lanling Hall does not keep useless people.
Even now, A Qiu doesn't consider himself a waste.
She successfully entered the palace, becoming the head of the dance troupe and a female official in the music bureau, and then the renowned successor of the Junior Tutor.
She single-handedly covered Li Chongyu's journey out of the city and made her way here.
These are all remarkable things.
Even if she were to die here today for her sworn brother Li Chongyu, it would still be a remarkable thing.
When Li Chongyu's father, Li Mingyuan, was buried here, he did not see any of his friends or allies until his death. Therefore, he died with his eyes open in discontent.
But Li Chongyu would not do that.
Even if he were to die here with her today, he would know that he had not made the wrong choice in keeping his promise to Gu Yi after traveling thousands of miles.
Human nature is turbulent, with all sorts of scheming and selfishness, but as long as there is still a trace of sincerity in the world, one's life will not have been in vain.
Li Chongyu's calm voice rang out behind Wan Qiqing, saying:
"So, what you mean, Master, is that A-Qiu didn't become a selfish and ruthless person who sees everyone, including you, as a tool, and that's her biggest crime?"
Before Wan Qiqing could react, he heard a whooshing sound behind his head.
It was Li Chongyu who, taking advantage of his stalemate with A Qiu, finally sneaked out to launch a sneak attack, gaining a second chance to unleash his "Hundred Battles in the Mad Sands, Facing Death Without Fear" with the Rifting Sky Blade.
It was a fierce strike that cleaved the heavens and earth, eclipsing the sun and moon, carrying the scent of the scorching desert sun and the deadly aura of a brutal sandstorm.
Wan Qiqing immediately let go and flew to the side, but he was already caught by the wind of the blade, and his clothes were torn inch by inch.
Li Chongyu stood with his sword across his face in front of A Qiu and sneered, "I finally understand why Venerable Wanqi is hailed as a talented scholar, a romantic figure, and a grandmaster in the contemporary martial arts world, but he has never been called a hero. And even though Lanling Hall has the advantage of divine weapons and has been passed down for thousands of years, it is just a group of assassins hiding their identities."
The implication is that Wan Qiqing is a despicable person, and that Lanlingtang is something that cannot be brought to light or presented in a respectable manner.
This remark, however, also included A-Qiu in the insult. A-Qiu leaned on his sword, panting heavily, and still protested, "Brother!"
Having already suffered internal injuries from this attack, Wan Qiqing's eyes flashed even brighter upon hearing Li Chongyu's words.
As the National Preceptor of the Northern Qiang, he single-handedly developed and expanded the Lanling Hall to its current state. During the late Huan and early Yan periods, he repeatedly entered and exited the courts of the Southern Dynasties, appearing and disappearing as ever, truly a divine dragon. A peerless genius. Having roamed the world for many years, everyone he encountered treated him with utmost respect; when would he ever have the audacity to be judged by a junior?
Li Chongyu was indeed the only person he had ever met who, knowing he was no match for him, still dared to be so arrogant in front of him.
Wan Qiqing coldly snorted, "Wait until you reach the underworld, then you can teach me a lesson!"
Li Chongyu remained fearless, still protecting A Qiu, his face showing a look of resignation to death.
A cold, hoarse, weary yet strangely beautiful female voice echoed within the Martial Saint Shrine, softly saying:
"Your Excellency, it would be wise to stop while you're ahead. If I, Su Rouhua, were to join forces with these two juniors, it would be you who would be heading to the underworld tonight."
Upon hearing this sound, even Wan Qiqing couldn't help but change color and take a step back.
Inside the ancestral hall, Su Rouhua's tall and graceful figure, illuminated by the lamplight, stood before the door, and the group had no idea when she had arrived.
When A-Qiu first heard the title "National Preceptor," it was as if a bolt from the blue had struck him.
Her face was pale, and she looked at Wan Qiqing, seemingly talking to herself, "Master, she calls you the Imperial Advisor, so which country's Imperial Advisor are you?"
In reality, the distinction between North and South martial arts practitioners is not so clear-cut. Once one joins a sect, one considers that sect as one's home for life, and regardless of whether a Han or non-Han regime is in power, it is extremely rare for anyone to be so foolish as to destroy another sect. Since there are no irreconcilable grudges between the two sides, there will be no irreconcilable conflicts.
However, the situation at Lanling Hall is special. From the day A Qiu entered the sect, Wan Qiqing made it clear to her that what the sect was after was the power of the emperor.
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