Two-Headed Red Snake 6
The power of the Free and Easy Pill lived up to its name. After twelve hours, Xie Mowen was instantly covered in cold sweat. Even though Xiao Congzhi was prepared, he was still quite frightened.
Yun Shaocheng stepped forward, knelt down in front of Xie Mowen, and took his pulse. The more he took the pulse, the more his brows furrowed, and his face turned pale.
Xiao Congzhi held Xie Mowen in his arms and could feel the obvious trembling in his arms. Xie Mowen gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, trying his best to suppress and endure, unable to utter a single word.
Xiao Congzhi asked, "Is there really no way?"
Yun Shaocheng shook his head with a stern face and said only, "It will last for twenty-four hours. Young Master Xiao, thank you for your trouble."
Xiao Congzhi closed his eyes tightly, waved for Yun Shaocheng to leave, then carried Xie Mowen to the bed, gently kissing his eyebrows and hair, and coaxing him in a low voice: "Don't hold back, it's okay to cry out."
But Xie Mowen buried his head in Xiao Congzhi's neck, breathing heavily, not even bothering to bite him.
Xiao Congzhi felt truly sorry for Xie Mowen. He raised his hand and hugged Xie Mowen tightly, stroking his soft, long hair that had been spread out, and occasionally turning his head to kiss it.
The candlelight inside the room was dim, gradually shortening as time ticked by, drop by drop.
Twenty-four hours is hard to endure, but what's even harder is that the martial world is never short of troublemakers.
From the time Xiao Congzhi heard the commotion to the time Yun Shaocheng entered the room, only half a cup of tea's time had passed, which shows how urgent the situation was.
"What's wrong?"
Yun Shaocheng first glanced at Xie Mowen. After he entered the room, Xie Mowen made a move to get up, but Xiao Congzhi forcefully pressed him back down. Yun Shaocheng naturally understood who was in charge at the moment, and simply said, "Abbot Tan Jue has arrived."
Xiao Congzhi and Yun Shaocheng walked quickly towards the stone gate.
"Earlier, Shaolin sent someone on horseback to Youheng Mountain to bring back their disciples. Now that they have nothing to worry about, Abbot Tan Jue came to challenge the leader."
Xiao Congzhi asked coldly, "You didn't expect this?"
Xiao Congzhi's words were too blaming, so harsh as to be inhumane. Yun Shaocheng glanced at Xiao Congzhi's expression and explained, "The sect leader should have been here originally."
The Demonic Sect's checks and balances on the Mid-Autumn Festival night were held by its disciples at the foot of Youheng Mountain. Once the disciples were rescued, the checks and balances would fall apart. The righteous martial arts world was merely a name for justice, and it was never short of people who would go back on their word.
However, Xie Mowen could have resolved all the worries.
Yun Shaocheng lowered his head, not daring to look at Xiao Congzhi's expression. All along, this young hero Xiao had presented himself as a humble gentleman, gentle and refined, but now he was as cold as ice, serious and terrifying. The key was his eyes, which were filled with deep anger, extremely dangerous and frightening.
As expected of someone who is a member of the Xiangde Sect, he is no ordinary person. Yun Shaocheng remembered that the sect leader once mentioned that this person's status was extremely noble. He dared not think too deeply about it, but looking at the past and present, how many people can generate power and make thousands of people fear them when they are angry?
The stone gate was already open, and Abbot Tan Jue stood outside, holding his staff upright in his right hand. He hadn't even entered yet, as the ten elders were blocking the entrance.
Xiao Congzhi did not stop. With Yun Shaocheng leading the way, he passed the ten elders and stood a few steps in front of Abbot Tan Jue.
Abbot Tan Jue snorted: "And who are you? What? Xie Mowen doesn't dare to come forward?"
Xiao Congzhi raised his eyes and stared coldly at Abbot Tan Jue, saying in a deep voice, "Going back on one's word is the behavior of Shaolin?"
"It is our duty to slay demons and uphold justice."
Xiao Congzhi smiled contemptuously, delivering a verdict as if making a judgment: "I will not part with petty people."
"You brat!" Abbot Tan Jue raised his staff and slammed it down, his anger soaring to the heavens. "My Shaolin Temple has a blood feud with the Demonic Sect. I cannot stop the Demonic Sect from returning to the Central Plains. Today, I must settle this with Xie Mowen."
"You dare call yourself that!" As soon as Xiao Congzhi finished speaking, he threw out a dagger. The movement was so fast that no one could see the starting point. The dagger was already rushing towards Abbot Tan Jue's mouth with lightning speed.
Abbot Tan Jue was startled and dodged, flicking his staff to knock the dagger to the ground. Before he could utter a curse, Xiao Congzhi calmly said, "Come, let me settle the old grudge between Shaolin and the Demonic Sect with you."
Who do you think you are?
Xiao Congzhi raised his eyelids: "I can act on behalf of the sect leader."
After speaking, the ten elders, along with Yun Shaocheng, knelt on one knee. Xi Haojun handed over a large knife from the side and respectfully presented it to Xiao Congzhi.
Some words, once spoken, have power. Xiao Congzhi dared to say them, so his presence here was like that of a cult leader.
Xiao Congzhi took the longsword, which was also a masterpiece from the Duanshuimen's heyday, and was roughly of the same origin as the longsword that Xie Mowen often folded in his boot.
Before Abbot Tan Jue could figure out the intricacies of the Demonic Sect, Xiao Congzhi had already drawn his longsword, blade pointing forward, and said calmly, "Make your move."
Thus, Abbot Tan Jue, too lazy to bother figuring out the internal relationships within the Demonic Sect, could no longer remain silent after being provoked like this. He swung his staff in a circle in the air, and Abbot Tan Jue's figure shot towards Xiao Congzhi like an arrow.
Xiao Congzhi drew his longsword horizontally, directly meeting Abbot Tan Jue's full-force attack head-on. The two powerful internal forces collided violently, causing sand and stones to fly everywhere.
Xiao Congzhi slid backward a hundred feet, stopped, touched the ground with his long sword, used the momentum to flip upward, and collided with Abbot Tan Jue, who was pursuing him victoriously, once again.
The staff and the long sword clashed, exploding in mid-air, causing air to vibrate and stretch for over a hundred miles.
The two were evenly matched in internal martial arts, and each had their own strengths and weaknesses in external martial arts. It was difficult to determine a winner for a while. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged a hundred moves. Sand and stones flew wildly in front of the government office, as if a hurricane had passed through.
The members of the Demonic Sect were all shocked. Although they had long known that the Shaolin Abbot was highly skilled in martial arts, they realized today that he had reached the pinnacle of skill. Yet, that young hero Xiao was able to exchange blows with him without being at a disadvantage. They wondered where their leader had found such a monster as himself.
Xiao Congzhi slashed downwards with his longsword, forcing Abbot Tan Jue back with his momentum. Then, he moved nimbly and flipped lightly to Abbot Tan Jue's right side. He slashed horizontally with his sword again. As Abbot Tan Jue raised his staff to parry, Xiao Congzhi lowered his body again, flipped his left hand, and unfolded a folding fan like a blade, heading straight for Abbot Tan Jue's face.
Abbot Tan Jue spun around, using the ground as leverage to avoid the folding fan, and then moved to Xiao Congzhi's left side. His staff, like a club, descended from above with immense force.
Xiao Congzhi, having no choice but to dodge, channeled his inner strength to catch the staff with his bare hands. The next moment, the folding fan spun back. Abbot Tan Jue dodged to the side, but Xiao Congzhi's longsword was already poised to strike. Abbot Tan Jue had no way to avoid it and could only barely dodge the vital point.
In an instant, blood splattered everywhere.
Xiao Congzhi did not press his advantage. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and took a few steps back. When Abbot Tan Jue spun around and threw his staff, he flipped upwards and, with his superb lightness skill, stood on the wind and instantly appeared behind Abbot Tan Jue. A cold light flashed and his long sword moved from left to right.
Abbot Tan Jue barely dodged the attack, sheathed his staff to defend, and was about to make a move when the folding fan spun past again. Abbot Tan Jue leaned back hastily, tapped his staff on the ground, and used the force to retreat several feet in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Congzhi curled his lips coldly, his inner strength condensed in his palm, and without hesitation, he delivered a palm strike at the end of Abbot Tan Jue's retreat.
"puff---"
Abbot Tan Jue turned his head in astonishment as a palm strike shot from behind straight towards his heart meridian; he could no longer control the surging blood energy within him…
After Abbot Tan Jue fell, Yun Shaocheng immediately ordered his men to restrain the other Shaolin disciples. He then rushed towards Xiao Congzhi, ignoring the murderous intent that had risen on the man's face from the battle, and took his pulse: "All are external injuries, but they are not minor."
Xiao Congzhi closed his eyes and took a few breaths. When he opened his eyes again, his expression softened considerably. He comforted Xiao Congzhi, saying, "It's alright. You can take care of things for me."
Yun Shaocheng knew that Xiao Congzhi was going to take care of his sect leader, so he pursed his lips and decided not to waste his time trying to persuade him.
When Xiao Congzhi pushed open Xie Mowen's door, he suddenly felt a little guilty. There were many ways to resolve this matter with the Shaolin abbot. The best strategy was to win without bloodshed, but he chose the worst option, which resulted in him being seriously injured.
Xie Mowen would definitely be able to spot this wound; he could even smell the blood himself.
The room was quiet, just as it had been when I left; the candles had gone out.
Xiao Congzhi groped his way to the candle in the dark, relit the lamp, and then saw a bulge on the bed. Xie Mowen was curled up on the pillow, staring straight at him.
"Xie Mowen," Xiao Congzhi called softly.
Xie Mowen couldn't make a sound. He could get used to the pain, but he couldn't get used to this kind of pain that was continuous and profound to his soul. Just enduring it had exhausted him.
But Xie Mowen's eyes could complain, criticize, and stare fiercely at Xiao Congzhi.
Xiao Congzhi hurriedly went over and hugged Xie Mowen, patting his back and coaxing him, "It's my fault."
After saying that, he added, seemingly unafraid of death, "Master."
Xie Mowen closed his eyes in anger, determined to settle scores later.
The so-called "settling accounts after the harvest" means that if it's dragged on, the accounts will become unclear.
After the backlash from the Carefree Pill subsided, Xie Mowen was so exhausted that he could barely open his eyes. His whole body was limp and he could only nestle in Xiao Congzhi's arms, letting others do whatever they wanted to him. There was no way he could possibly cause trouble for Xiao Congzhi's injury.
After regaining some consciousness, Xie Mowen was still weak. According to Yun Shaocheng, resisting the pain brought by the Xiaoyao Pill was extremely taxing and it would take several days to recover.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiao Congzhi coaxed him gently and acted submissively. But Xie Mowen was awake after all, and although he was weak, he was still able to lift up Xiao Congzhi's sleeves while Xiao Congzhi was holding him.
Xiao Congzhi froze, speechless.
"Your shoulder blade is shattered, and three ribs are broken. You..." Xie Mowen was so angry that he couldn't speak.
"Shao Cheng has taken care of it; there's nothing seriously wrong."
"Then you should get some rest too!"
"You are more important."
Xie Mowen carefully hugged Xiao Congzhi, nuzzled his head against Xiao Congzhi's nose, and said helplessly, "Of all the best measures, nothing beats your safety."
Xiao Congzhi hugged Xie Mowen back and smiled faintly.
When Dong Jing's injuries had healed enough for him to go out and walk around again, a message came from the Kunlun Sect that the date for Dong Jing's burial had been set.
We missed the seventh day after her death; that date was chosen by Miss Xuan.
The burial site was chosen from the auspicious location recommended by Elder Qingfeng, which is located in the suburbs of Anling, in the direction of Youheng Mountain.
Elder Qingfeng will definitely attend. He personally asked Xie Mowen, and Xie Mowen will go with Xiao Congzhi to take a look.
Yun Shaocheng will also be present because of his relationship with Ji Zhou. As for the other members of the Demonic Sect, those who are close to Dong Jing will make the trip, while the rest are neither interested nor suitable.
The key figures in the investigation of the "Midnight Bell" case, such as Ji Buyu, Yang Yanshu, Jiang Xu, and even the county magistrate Xing Haotian, all indicated that they would come to the funeral.
Not everyone from Kunlun was present, but Ji Zhou was busy with everything and very attentive.
Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen arrived discreetly, but as figures in the spotlight, they inevitably attract attention. Even though Ji Zhou was extremely busy, he was still the first to come forward and greet them.
As always, he was very polite, but after bowing, Ji Zhou didn't know what to say. He lowered his eyes and nervously shuffled his toes on the ground.
Xie Mowen didn't seem to care at all and casually asked, "What are your plans after this?"
Ji Zhou immediately broke out in a sweat and said urgently, "I have no plans to."
Xiao Congzhi patted Xie Mowen's arm to tell them not to frighten the child, and then softened his tone, saying, "The Demonic Sect wouldn't interfere in Kunlun's affairs. Even if you come begging, we can't help you."
Ji Zhou glanced up at Xiao Congzhi quickly, then hurriedly looked down again. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his heart calmed. He had only realized Xie Mowen's identity late, on the very day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and hadn't had time to think it through. He appeared calm on the surface, but his mind was in turmoil. Only in the past few days, amidst his busy schedule, had he managed to squeeze in some time to think things through, and realize that his initial gaining the favor of Young Hero Yun, rising above the crowd of Kunlun disciples, and gradually being able to speak a few words to his master, the sect leader, was likely a ploy by the Demonic Sect to exploit him.
Although he knew that the Demonic Sect was not as heinous and universally condemned as legend had it, he was unwilling to be truly manipulated and thus deviated from Kunlun's stance.
But on Mid-Autumn Festival night, when he got up to give a gift, he left it in Cheng Suanli's house.
Although it wasn't Xie Mowen who spoke these words, who didn't know that Xiao Congzhi was capable of becoming the leader of the Demonic Sect? These words from Young Hero Xiao have overturned all the previous unspoken schemes and plots.
Ji Zhou raised his head, bowed solemnly again, and then hurriedly left to continue his work.
Dong Jing was only fourteen years old when he died unjustly, but the funeral was held with great solemnity. Ji Zhou felt sorry for his junior brother who had left home at a young age, and Elder Qing Feng was saddened. They put a lot of thought into it.
Eighty-eight monks chanted sutras and prayed for blessings, and yellow paper burned everywhere. Everyone present offered three sticks of incense, wishing Dongjing a safe journey through the cycle of reincarnation and a peaceful and joyful next life.
The ceremony lasted from the first light of dawn until the sun had shifted slightly westward from its zenith.
Before leaving, Xie Mowen said a few words to Elder Qingfeng. When he turned around, he found Xiao Congzhi still standing there. He walked back to his original spot in confusion and followed Xiao Congzhi's gaze.
They were familiar faces, though.
Silk flowers.
Xiaohua will definitely come; back in the Demonic Sect, she and Dongjing were the closest.
Amidst the bustling ceremony, Xiaohua's presence was inconspicuous; most people didn't recognize her, and those who did were all members of the Demonic Sect. Elder Qingfeng glanced at her several times but ultimately didn't step forward to say a word.
They each have their own stance.
But Xiao Congzhi knew that Xiao Hua had been looking towards the Demonic Sect, mainly at him.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, he ordered Shen Yan and the others to leave, and Xiao Hua naturally returned to Emei without delay. After being imprisoned for several days, the world outside had changed; the Demonic Sect had returned to the Central Plains, and Dong Jing was dead.
Xiaohua spent several days in a daze. Even though Liao Fei explained the details to her clearly, she still wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been deceived by Xiao Congzhi that day, if she had been smarter...
There are no "what ifs" in this world, and she is not the key to everything.
But Xiaohua couldn't understand this reasoning.
When Xiaohua saw the members of the Demonic Cult at Dongjing's funeral, she felt a sense of disorientation, which reached its peak when she saw Xiao Congzhi. For several hours, she couldn't help but glance at Xiao Congzhi.
At that moment, the person she had been glancing at stood in front of her.
"Xiaohua, it's been a while."
Xiaohua raised her head, her eyes fixed on Xiao Congzhi, and pursed her lips without saying a word.
Xiao Congzhi was a bit of a kryptonite. He thought Xiaohua would blame him and, as Dongjing had suggested, throw a tantrum, but he saw Xiaohua's confusion instead.
Unable to distinguish between good and evil, unable to discern right from wrong.
"I acted hastily and made a poor decision that day. I should have gone to apologize in person, but I've been too busy these past few days."
He was impeccably polite, gentle, and refined—he didn't seem like a member of the Demonic Sect at all. Xiaohua wasn't sure whether she should ask or not, but before she could figure it out, she spoke up: "What is your relationship with... Xie Mowen?"
There were still a few people scattered around who hadn't left. Xiaohua's voice wasn't loud, but they all silently stopped what they were doing.
The true identity of Xiao Congzhi has been the talk of the martial arts world these past few days. Some say he's a member of the Demonic Sect, yet he sat down early next to the Snow Mountain Sect leader on Mid-Autumn Festival; others say he's not, yet he became the leader of the Demonic Sect, thus incurring the enmity of Shaolin. Various speculations abound, but few dare to speculate on the truth, and even fewer dare to ask him directly.
"Didn't Lady Liao mention it?" Xiao Congzhi replied.
Xiaohua shook her head or nodded, standing there blankly.
Xiao Congzhi sighed, reached out and placed his hand on Xiaohua's shoulder, his tone incredibly gentle as he spoke: "That night, due to some misunderstandings, I had to go to the dungeon. You stumbled in by chance, so I thought I'd use this opportunity to get you and Dongjing away from the Demonic Sect, so I could also escape. Regardless of what happened afterward, I'm sorry for what happened to you both. But Dongjing's misfortune was unavoidable, and the Demonic Sect's relocation was inevitable. You don't need to worry about it; this was something neither of us could change."
Xiaohua still stared at Xiao Congzhi with her big, dark eyes. There were some things she struggled to understand, but the same words spoken by different people had different effects. In the vast white fog, she gradually seemed to be able to glimpse a ray of light.
Xiao Congzhi did not force Xiaohua to suddenly understand, but simply said softly, "I am his sworn brother, regardless of our positions."
After Xiao Hua left, Xie Mowen quietly appeared beside Xiao Congzhi. Watching Xiao Hua's departing figure, he said calmly, "She's in Emei; she won't be in any serious trouble."
"There are some things that need to be said."
"Xiaohua's view of things is too simplistic; it's good for her to learn a lesson."
"Emei is probably even more chaotic than the Demonic Sect, but Miss Liao should be able to take good care of it."
Xie Mowen chuckled lightly: "How is my Demonic Sect in chaos? From the ten elders and the left and right protectors to the kitchen helpers, everyone is united and treats you with utmost respect. How could you possibly have a complaint?"
Xiao Congzhi chuckled: "I wouldn't dare."
The two chatted as they walked out. Once they were outside the ceremony area, they saw Ji Buyu followed by Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu coming to greet them.
Ji Buyu shook the floating duster and sighed, "You've finally left the court."
Xie Mowen said helplessly, "I haven't seen you send any visiting cards either."
Ji Buyu curled his lip and tugged at Xiao Congzhi's arm, complaining, "What kind of respectable sect are we to send a visiting card to the Demonic Sect!"
Xiao Congzhi gently pulled Ji Buyu's hand away and said, "Tell Xie Mowen this."
Ji Buyu dared not, he tucked his sleeves and retreated to the side, Yang Yanshu only dared to cup his hands, his face clearly saying "I want to gossip," but he didn't dare to utter a single word.
Jiang Xu, ever the straightforward one, said without any hesitation, "It's all over the martial arts world now that the young hero Xiao Congzhi killed the abbot of Shaolin Temple for the sake of the Demonic Sect leader. What are you planning to do about this?"
Xie Mowen stretched his neck and asked casually, "So, are we going to settle this?"
Ji Buyu said, "Although it was Abbot Tan Jue who provoked them, and they should have been dead or alive on the dueling platform, he is still the head of a sect. In this martial world, there are only a few who can understand reason. Right now, they are still guessing what the relationship is between Young Hero Xiao and the Demonic Sect, and who Shaolin should settle this score with. Once they figure it out, not to mention Shaolin, Wudang is also eyeing the matter and wanting to avenge Abbot Tan Jue."
Xiao Congzhi had only been officially a member of the martial arts world for a short time, and finding it amusing, he asked, "Does this mean that if I'm considered a member of the Demonic Sect, then this grudge is to be settled with the Demonic Sect?"
Yang Yanshu frowned as he explained, "If you are not a member of the Demonic Sect, this calamity is a personal vendetta. Whether it is Shaolin or Wudang, they can seek revenge against you alone. But if you belong to the Demonic Sect, Shaolin will have the right to ask the Martial Alliance to uphold justice."
Xiao Congzhi exclaimed in surprise: "Is this another discussion about attacking the Demonic Sect?"
Ji Buyu scoffed at the many unwritten rules of the martial arts world, and chuckled twice: "In short, you'd better give us an explanation. Young Hero Xiao and Sect Leader Xie are practically inseparable now; if you're going to call him a member of the Demonic Sect, you need to come up with a pretext..."
"Xiao Congzhi has nothing to do with the Demonic Sect." Xie Mowen waved his hand. "Let them settle their personal scores."
Ji Buyu and the others were dumbfounded, and Ji Buyu even had half a sentence stuck in his throat, unable to say it.
"Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately." Several bachelors suddenly grasped the truth of this saying, believing they had seen through the fragility of love.
Three pairs of eyes turned to Xiao Congzhi.
Jiang Xu said blankly, "Personal grudge? How can Brother Xiao bear the personal grudge that an entire sect came to seek?"
Ji Buyu, with a blank expression, added: "Two sects, and Wudang."
Yang Yanshu explained, "The reason Shaolin and Wudang are holding back now is only because they are wary of the Demonic Sect. If they find out that Brother Xiao has nothing to do with the Demonic Sect, that would be absolutely unacceptable!"
Xiao Congzhi raised his hand to rub his forehead, and said wearily, "It's alright. My relationship with Brother Xie is purely personal, and it's definitely not related to the Demonic Sect."
Ji Buyu gasped, utterly astonished that such a foolishly devoted person existed in the world.
Seeing that the die was cast, Yang Yanshu could only mutter in an attempt to salvage the situation: "Fortunately, Brother Xiao stayed at the Ting Mansion, which can be considered as the Demonic Sect taking care of him."
“We’ll set off for Jiangnan tomorrow,” Xie Mowen said, adding, “You don’t need to worry, no one has been able to seek revenge against him yet.”
The whole world belongs to the king, and all the soldiers under his command are his subjects.
Let alone a Shaolin abbot, even if someone slaughtered the entire Shaolin Temple, at most they would be branded as a tyrant. Who could possibly harm Xiao Congzhi?
The trio, who knew nothing of what had happened, were stunned and stood there, watching Xiao and Xie leave hand in hand.
Two-headed Red Snake (complete)
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