Chapter 111 111 "This old man will not change his name or surname, Ma Ru..."
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At the same time, the Seven Sons of Lingxiao sent a second urgent message to the imperial court.
However, the Emperor remained ill and bedridden, refusing to see him.
The messenger was Eunuch Wei, a favorite of the current Empress Dowager.
Eunuch Wei looked at Zhang Liangxiang and the others with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the anger on their faces.
"What a coincidence. Please return, Prime Minister Zhang."
"Human lives are at stake. Do you even know how many innocent people have perished at the hands of the Jin dynasty...?"
Lin Mengwan was furious and immediately tried to get up to retort, but Zhang Liangxiang stopped her.
Zhang Xu lifted his long robe and knelt down outside the hall, proclaiming loudly:
“If Your Majesty does not see me for a day, I will kneel here and not rise.”
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Beneath the ruins.
The expected pain did not come; instead, I was lifted up by a gentle force until I reached flat ground.
Until they stood before a strange man with a withered face, long hair trailing on the ground, and a appearance that was neither human nor ghost.
Jiang Ling'er was startled: "Who are you?!"
How could there be someone underneath the secret passage?!
The strange man before her was even more surprised than she was: "How come it's a little girl? Where's Brother Jiang? Bring Brother Jiang out to see me!"
Each shout was more stern than the last, even unconsciously imbued with a trace of internal force, almost shattering eardrums.
Jiang Ling'er was already severely injured in the fierce battle with Kong Wu and Wenshan Zhenjun, and now she felt as if her internal organs were being churned up. The excruciating pain only increased her fear. Who exactly was this person?!
How could his internal energy be even more profound and powerful than that of Kong Wu, one of the seven great assassins of the Demonic Cult and the Right Protector of the Demonic Cult?!
Fortunately, the strange man seemed to realize something, and his voice softened considerably, his inner force dissipating as well.
"Could you be the little girl who brings me food on the fifteenth of every month?"
Before Jiang Ling'er could answer, he began talking to himself again, rather rambling on and on:
"No...no, she doesn't know the Thunderclap Palm. Why do you know the Thunderclap Palm? Who is Brother Jiang Leilong to you?!"
Although this strange man was eccentric, unpredictable, and spoke incoherently, Jiang Ling'er quickly understood the key point.
It turns out that Zhao Xiao had calculated that she would use the Thunderclap Palm.
Only the Thunderclap Palm could ignite the gunpowder hidden in the secret passage.
He had indeed deliberately set a trap to lure her here, even going so far as to exploit Yuan Zao... exploit the last remaining bond between them as fellow disciples...
It's clear that this strange man also knew about the gunpowder hidden in the secret passage.
What even she and Yuan Zao didn't know, probably only the chief镖头 (head镖师, a term for a powerful bodyguard) knew, yet he did. Besides, everyone was used to calling the old镖头 (head镖师) or "Brother Jiang," and very few people would call him by his given name, "Brother Jiang."
Jiang Ling'er endured the excruciating pain, keeping a wary eye on the strange man while tentatively asking:
"I am Jiang Ling'er, the daughter of Old Escort Jiang. May I ask, senior..."
"You're Brother Jiang's daughter? Yes, yes... I've heard from you that you're already married. Why are you here to see me? Where's your father? Why doesn't Jiang Leilong come to find me himself?"
Jiang Ling'er was about to answer, but what came out of her mouth was a mouthful of blood.
The strange man seemed to only then realize that she was seriously injured.
He clicked his tongue, placed a finger lightly on Jiang Ling'er's wrist, and glanced at her with considerable surprise.
"You're lucky, girl."
He then placed a palm on Jiang Ling'er's right shoulder, and his powerful internal energy was transmitted through his palm into Jiang Ling'er's body, helping her to regulate her disordered meridians and the chaotic true energy running rampant within her body.
He combed his hair while cursing angrily:
"Those who practice martial arts must be extremely careful and timid. It is a great taboo for one's internal energy to become disordered and wander wildly! As the daughter of the world's number one镖头 (bodyguard/escort), how can you act so recklessly!"
An expert can see the details. Although this strange person did not know the truth, he could still deduce from her chaotic and wandering true energy that she had been hiding her fear of Kong Wu, and thus she was hesitant and timid. Kong Wu subdued her without a fight.
She was defeated before she even made a move.
Jiang Ling'er's last bit of defense disappeared, leaving only shame: "Senior is right, may I ask who you are...?"
"I will not change my name or surname, my horse is like a dragon."
Jiang Ling'er was startled, suddenly remembering what Pei Xuan had said—
The entire martial arts world, while not vast, is not insignificant either, and none can escape the grasp of these few. In the north lies the venerable Master Wuyazi, Wanxiang Chun, whose whisk shakes the heavens—my senior brother, you've already met him. In the south, there's Ma Rujiao, whose fists can settle the world; in the west, there's Gongye Chi, the King of Ten Thousand Gu; in the east, there's the Sword Saint Yuwen Wugou, whose sword can pacify the nine provinces; and further down are the Seven Great Assassins of the Demonic Sect…
Ma Rujiao suddenly spoke up, interrupting Jiang Ling'er's thoughts: "Tell me, who hurt you like this?"
"Kongwu".
Ma Rujiao asked with disdain, "What the hell is this?"
Jiang Ling'er: "...One of the seven great assassins of the Demonic Sect."
Ma Rujiao sneered: "The Thunderclap Palm is unparalleled in the martial arts world. Let alone a Right Protector, even the seven members of the Demonic Sect, this rabble, wouldn't be afraid of your father!"
Jiang Ling'er was so ashamed she wanted to bury her head in the ground: "Senior is right... This junior is ashamed, I am no match for Father..."
Looking at the clever head and obedient appearance of the woman before him, Ma Rujiao suddenly became incoherent again, muttering to himself:
"By my reckoning... my eyebrows should be this big by now."
Jiang Ling'er suddenly frowned, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her face turned completely pale: "Senior..."
Ma Rujiao suddenly awoke with a start, his hand on Jiang Ling'er's right shoulder jerking away as if it were burning hot, stunned:
"Within your body..."
Two opposing forces within the body fiercely fought and retaliated, like a pair of scissors rampaging, tearing, and strangling through the internal organs!
Jiang Ling'er bit her lower lip tightly, let out a low groan, and then fainted from the pain.
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Above the ruins.
Countless people died or were injured.
There was blood and tears, and the sound of sobbing filled the air.
Pei Xuan, Yuan Zao, Gan Zishi, Ma Qingmei, Chunyu Hun, and others fought bloodily, their backs pressed together, watching as more and more densely packed Jin soldiers surged forward.
Despair overwhelmed them.
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Beneath the ruins.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Ling'er slowly opened her eyes.
She thanked Ma Rujiao for relieving her meridians and then struggled to get up and leave.
She knew that Pei Xuan and the others were still putting up a stubborn resistance, and upon learning that this strange man knew the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), she stopped worrying about it. She couldn't waste any more time here, but she felt weak all over, especially her right hand, which she couldn't even lift.
Throughout her struggle, Ma Rujiao watched her quietly from the side, and suddenly said:
Do you know why your right palm can no longer exert any force?
Jiang Ling'er paused for a moment before saying, "I was accidentally bitten by a dog yesterday, and also because of my encounter with Kong Wu..."
Ma Rujiao scratched his head and impatiently interrupted her: "You've learned the Longevity Mantra?"
Jiang Ling'er paused slightly, then nodded.
Ma Rujiao snorted coldly: "Not only that, there's also the Ghostly Path Tome. It's these two streams of true energy that are hindering you..."
Jiang Ling'er was suddenly taken aback.
Seeing Jiang Ling'er's stunned expression, Ma Rujiao, who had a short temper, immediately said with exasperation:
"You've mastered two of the world's greatest martial arts techniques—what a huge advantage! And yet you still look like a fool! You're just as dense as your father!" He abruptly changed his tone halfway through his sentence, becoming somewhat mischievous. "The Ghostly Path Book of Souls is different from the Longevity Manual. That requires a living person to transfer their cultivation technique based on their birth date and lifespan, a skill that benefits others at the expense of oneself. I see that the Ghostly Path True Qi within you has been there for a long time... It seems Brother Jiang has truly found a perfect son-in-law."
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