Master Yichen said, "As long as Benefactor Ruan surrenders and hands over the people of Zhanjiabao, I guarantee that none of you here will harm Benefactor Ruan in the slightest."
A woman in red standing beside him said with a charming smile, "Miss Ruan, in this situation, trying to stop a chariot with your bare hands and acting like a fool is not the way of a wise person. With so many of us experts attacking you, even if you admit defeat, no one will laugh at you. Why risk your life?"
Ruan Ziya blinked and smiled sweetly, "That's true..."
The woman in red was none other than Ye Hongyun, the master of Fuliu Valley. She was secretly pleased to see Ruan Ziya's expression showing interest when she heard Master Yichen shout, "Benefactor Ye, be careful!" Suddenly, a cloud of black sand came flying towards her. She quickly leaped back, and Master Yichen raised his cassock to block it. There was a series of hissing sounds, and the black sand had already eroded countless small holes in the cassock.
Those watching were secretly terrified to see Ruan Ziya use such a vicious hidden weapon right away. They knew that if Master Yichen hadn't reacted quickly, Ye Hongyun would already be lying dead on the spot.
Ye Hongyun's heart pounded wildly, and a cold glint spread through her eyes. She forced a smile and said, "It really is... refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."
Ruan Ziya had already turned and fled towards the cliff, with only one thought in her mind: she must not be caught by them.
At this moment, a sudden gust of wind arose on the island. Ruan Ziya ran to the precipice and looked back to see that Master Yichen and others had caught up with him. He glanced down the cliff and saw the waves rolling and crashing against the huge rocks with a deafening sound. He thought to himself: I have no choice but to take a gamble and see if God will let me die today.
Once she made up her mind, she gathered her energy and prepared to leap down. However, as soon as she circulated her energy, she felt a tightness in her chest. It turned out that her recent sprint had triggered a backlash from the true energy that she had just managed to calm down. She felt waves of chills and heat churning inside her body. Ruan Ziya secretly groaned in her heart, wanting to take half a step forward, but she couldn't move.
Master Yichen and the others had also arrived by this time. When they saw her standing stiffly by the cliff, they thought that she wanted to put up a stubborn resistance in this dangerous place in order to perish together with others. For a moment, no one dared to go forward easily.
Ye Hongyun laughed and said, "I have long heard of Miss Ruan's superb skills in using poison. Let's have a contest of poison skills." With that, her long sleeves fluttered, and a wisp of white smoke flew towards Ruan Ziya.
Seeing the white smoke emanating a chilling aura, Ruan Ziya knew it was an extremely potent cold poison. Under normal circumstances, she would not have been afraid and would have fought back with poison against poison, engaging Ye Hongyun in a battle. However, at this moment, she was unable to dodge and could only watch helplessly as the white smoke entered her body.
Ye Hongyun was stunned to see that she did not dodge. Suddenly, she felt a figure dart out from beside her and strike Ruan Ziya's chest with a palm. Then she heard Gu Qingyun's voice behind her urgently calling out, "Sect Leader Fu, please spare her!"
But Fu Chong had no intention of stopping now. He used all his internal strength in one palm strike, hitting Ruan Ziya squarely in the chest. With a cracking sound of ribs breaking, Ruan Ziya plummeted down the cliff like a kite with a broken string, sinking into the sea.
Author's Note: First update. Feeling suffocated.
Ancient Prescriptions
Gu Qingyun and the others rushed over and looked down the cliff. They saw one giant wave after another crashing down, washing away all traces in an instant. There wasn't even a trace of blood on the sea surface, and there was no sign of Ruan Ziya anywhere.
Fu Chong's eyes were bloodshot as he said to Gu Qingyun, "Master Gu, I'm sorry. I was overcome with emotion when I thought of the blood feud between our sects, and I couldn't control myself anymore..."
Bi Jianchun, the leader of the Jade Sword Sect, shook his head and said, "This witch has committed too many sins. This is her own fault, and we cannot blame Leader Fu."
Master Yichen sighed, "But with this demoness dead, it will be difficult to find out the whereabouts of Lord Zhan and the others."
Ye Hongyun said, "Master Zhan must be imprisoned on this Boundless Island. We can search the entire island and we'll find clues. If that doesn't work, we can interrogate the captured members of the Demonic Cult one by one. Eventually, someone will let slip some information."
Zhou Yi said, "That's the only way, Master. I'll take some men to search all over the island right away." He nodded slightly to the crowd and then hurriedly left.
Gu Qingyun looked up and saw dark clouds rolling in the sky. She said, "I'm afraid there will be a downpour soon. Let's find a place to take shelter for a while."
The nameless swordsman walked to the edge of the cliff, bowed to the sea, and said, "This demoness would rather die than surrender; she does have some backbone. She deserves my bow."
Li Feiqing silently looked at the sea, recalling their first encounter. Ruan Ziya, disguised as Lou Yan, defeated the enemy with a smile. His dashing and elegant demeanor seemed to be right before her eyes, but now he was buried at the bottom of the sea, his body gone. She couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Everyone gathered in the main hall of the Demonic Cult's headquarters. Each group sent people to search the island thoroughly, but they found no trace of the missing people from Zhanjiabao. They only captured more than ten Demonic Cult members who were unable to evacuate, sealed their pressure points, bound their hands, and brought them into the hall.
Fu Chong ordered the Kongtong disciples accompanying him to step forward and question the captured members of the Demonic Cult, but they all remained silent. Fu Chong sneered, "First, sever their tendons. If they still don't talk, blind them, sever their limbs, and throw them into the sea to feed the fish."
Li Feiqing's face showed a hint of reluctance. She glanced at Gu Qingyun and was about to speak when she heard Ye Hongyun laugh from the side: "If we do this, wouldn't our righteous sects be no different from the villains of the demonic sect in terms of ruthlessness?"
Gu Qingyun looked at him with agreement and said, "Valley Master Ye is right."
Fu Chong blushed and said in a deep voice, "I misspoke, but besides that, does Valley Master Ye have any wonderful method to find out the whereabouts of Fort Master Zhan and the others as soon as possible?"
Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "If you all feel comfortable letting Hongyun give it a try, perhaps there really is a way."
Lü Zhan asked, "What method?"
Ye Hongyun smiled without speaking, and after a long while said, "This method must be kept secret. You may ask Master Yichen and Master Gu to watch over things here. The rest of you, please leave for the time being."
Hua Liran asked, "Why are only Master Yichen and my master allowed to stay?"
Ye Hongyun glanced at Gu Qingyun with a smile and said, "Because I only trust Master Yichen and Master Gu." She looked at Hua Liran and then smiled, "I almost forgot, this matter cannot be accomplished without Young Master Hua. If Young Master Hua doesn't mind, please stay and help Hongyun with a small favor."
Master Yichen said, "In that case, please let Valley Master Ye give it a try. What do you think, Manor Lord Gu?"
Gu Qingyun smiled slightly and nodded.
Seeing that both of them agreed, everyone left the hall and stood guard outside. As Ye Hongyun followed to the entrance and closed the door tightly, they couldn't help but wonder what method she could use to get the members of the Demonic Sect to talk.
Zhang Datou muttered, "Could it be that Valley Master Ye is planning to use a honey trap?"
Li Feiqing chuckled and said, "What?"
Zhang Datou licked his lips and said in a low voice, "Don't you think Valley Master Ye is both beautiful and seductive, with a very charming look in her eyes?"
Li Feiqing looked at him, speechless.
The Unnamed Swordsman chuckled softly from the side, "Valley Master Ye's eyes are so alluring, you noticed that again? If she wanted to use her beauty to seduce someone, why would she have Master Yichen and the Manor Lord standing guard by her side?"
Zhang Datou approached the two mysteriously and lowered his voice, saying, "Master Yichen is a hermit. Staying with us is just a pretense. In my opinion, Valley Master Ye is definitely looking for an opportunity to get close to the Manor Lord. Didn't you see the way she looked at the Manor Lord... cough cough..."
The nameless swordsman glanced at Li Feiqing and laughed, "Don't talk nonsense in front of Miss Li. What is Valley Master Ye keeping Young Master Hua with him for?"
Zhang Datou was speechless and couldn't make sense of it, so he quickly changed the subject with a joke.
Li Feiqing listened to the two laughing and talking beside her, but couldn't help recalling the way Ye Hongyun looked at Gu Qingyun, and suddenly felt a strange sensation in her heart.
Ye Hongyun closed the hall door, keeping everyone outside. She quickly circled the captured demonic cult members in the hall, putting them to sleep by pressing their pressure points. She then took out a pill from her bosom, dissolved it in water, and smiled at Hua Liran, saying, "I would trouble Young Master Hua to dip his golden needle in this medicine and use it to prick the Shen Ting and Bai Hui acupoints on these people."
Hua Liran looked at the medicine in the cup, then at her, unsure of her intentions. Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "If we want to distribute the medicine without harming these people's lives, only Young Master Hua's divine needle technique can do it."
Seeing Gu Qingyun nod at him, Hua Liran took the golden needles and, as Ye Hongyun had instructed, placed them on the head of a member of the Demonic Sect. The person slowly awoke shortly after the acupuncture points were needled, but his eyes were vacant and his gaze was blank, as if he had lost his soul.
Ye Hongyun bent down to meet the gaze of the demonic cult member and slowly asked, "What's your name?"
The man answered in a flat tone, "Lu Ren."
Ye Hongyun then asked, "Positions within the sect?"
The man continued, "A member of the Cangye Hall."
Ye Hongyun paused, then asked, word by word, "Where are the captured people from Zhanjiabao being held?"
The man paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know."
Ye Hongyun gently patted him on the head, and the man immediately fell into a deep sleep again.
Hua Liran watched from the side, his expression solemn and thoughtful. Ye Hongyun stood up, smiled at him, and pointed to the next member of the Demonic Cult. Hua Liran raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to continue administering acupuncture.
After questioning them one by one, the ninth person to be questioned was a minor leader within the Nine Venerable Hall. After listening to Ye Hongyun's question, he slowly replied, "Inside the Purple Bamboo Forest, under the tombstone."
Ye Hongyun was overjoyed. She stood up and smiled at Gu Qingyun and the other two, saying, "I have fulfilled my mission. Let's go to the Purple Bamboo Forest to rescue Lord Zhan and the others."
Master Yichen put his palms together and smiled, "If Lord Zhan and the others are able to escape danger this time, Valley Master Ye will have done a great service."
Gu Qingyun smiled and said, "Valley Master Ye's method of interrogating people is so mysterious and unpredictable, it is truly an eye-opener."
Hua Liran, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute. May I ask, Valley Master Ye, is this pill used for acupuncture the legendary 'Puppet Soul'?"
Ye Hongyun's eyes flickered, and she smiled slightly: "Young Master Hua truly lives up to the title of 'Poison Doctor,' nothing can be hidden from you."
Hua Liran frowned slightly and pressed on, "Legend has it that 'Puppet Soul' can capture a person's soul and induce sleep. The method of refining it is extremely complicated, and this formula is said to have been lost for a long time. Where did Valley Master Ye obtain this pill?"
Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "My valley has a few ancient recipes. When I have nothing to do, I will try to make a few according to them. I hope you will forgive me, Young Master Hua."
Hua Liran's expression changed slightly, and she said in a deep voice, "Among Valley Master Ye's prescriptions, does the 'Azure Phosphorus' prescription come into play?"
When Gu Qingyun and Master Yichen heard him mention the words "Bi Lin," they both turned their attention to Ye Hongyun.
Ye Hongyun smiled slightly and did not answer immediately. Instead, she turned to the two men and said, "Master Gu, Master Yichen, the reason I questioned the members of the Demonic Sect with the 'Puppet Soul' and deliberately avoided the attention of others was because of this."
She hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "That's right, 'Azure Phosphorus' is one of those formulas. Before I could refine this poison, I heard the news that the people of Kongtong had died from Azure Phosphorus poison. I was very surprised, but I was afraid that if this matter were to be revealed, it would arouse suspicion. Therefore, I have never revealed the truth. Please forgive me."
Gu Qingyun pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Then, has Valley Master Ye's prescription been stolen or seen by someone else?"
Ye Hongyun shook his head and said, "Fuliu Valley is isolated from the world, and very few outsiders enter. The place where I keep the formula is even more secretive. If anyone has touched it, I will definitely notice."
Hua Liran pondered, "Could it be that the 'Azure Phosphorus' poison formula is not only found in Fuliu Valley?" He and Gu Qingyun exchanged a glance, both feeling that this matter was very strange.
Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "My master left instructions that disciples in the valley must not flaunt their presence outside. There is an ancient formula left in my Fuliu Valley. I ask the three of you to keep it a secret."
Gu Qingyun and the others all said, "That's for sure."
So the four of them opened the hall door and told everyone where Lord Zhan and the others were being held, but they didn't mention how Ye Hongyun had interrogated them. This made Zhang Datou even more anxious, and he kept giving Li Feiqing meaningful glances. Li Feiqing coughed and leaned close to Gu Qingyun and asked softly, "Um, what method did Valley Master Ye use to get the people from the Demonic Sect to tell the truth?"
Gu Qingyun glanced at her, feeling slightly apologetic, and said, "I can't say."
Li Feiqing's mind immediately began to wander, and she even began to believe Zhang Datou's earlier joke to some extent. She couldn't help but blush and tentatively say, "The master of Ye Valley is beautiful, and his temperament is quite interesting as well."
Gu Qingyun was still thinking about the relationship between Fuliu Valley and Bilin, and didn't pay attention to her expression for the moment. She casually said, "Yes, if you want to befriend her, after leaving Wuyai Island, let's go to Fuliu Valley to visit Valley Master Ye."
Li Feiqing was stunned and couldn't help but turn around to look at Ye Hongyun. She saw that Ye Hongyun's gaze was also on them. When Li Feiqing turned around, Ye Hongyun smiled at her, her expression charming and beautiful, full of allure.
Author's Note: Oops, is Little Li jealous? LOL
There will be another update tonight.
Enemy and friend
A torrential downpour had begun on the island. The group found rain gear and braved the rain to enter the bamboo forest, arriving before the huge black stone tablet.
Fu Chong looked puzzled and said, "This is the tomb of Young Master Mozhu? Why is there not a single word on the tombstone? Could it be that he anticipated that we would come to the island one day and was afraid that someone would dig up his grave?"
The nameless swordsman said calmly, "Or perhaps this person is arrogant and feels that no words are worthy of being engraved on his tombstone."
Zhou Yi circled the tombstone and exclaimed joyfully, "This is it!" He placed his hand on a small protruding stone below the tombstone and pressed down hard. A dull grating sound was heard, and the ground in front of the tombstone slowly cracked open, revealing a passage leading straight to the ground.
As expected, Zhan Jiabao and the others were all imprisoned in the underground stone cell. They were all helped up one by one. Zhan Hengye and his son Zhan Ziyang were both in the cell, but Zhan Zichen was nowhere to be seen.
Fu Chong and Zhan Hengye were good friends. Seeing Zhan Hengye's haggard face and loss of spirit, looking as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant, Fu Chong felt sad and said in a low voice, "Brother, you came to the rescue too late, causing Brother Zhan to suffer." Zhan Hengye sighed and remained silent.
Before anyone could ask any further questions, they quickly moved Zhan Jiabao and the others to houses on the island to rest and recover from their injuries.
After a period of busy work, seeing that Zhan Hengye was gradually recovering, Bi Jianchun, the leader of the Jade Sword Sect, asked first, "Fortress Master Zhan, the demonic cultists went to great lengths to abduct you and imprison you here. What is their purpose?"
Zhan Hengye's expression changed, and he said in a hoarse voice, "That witch wanted to force me to hand over a poison formula. Although my Zhan family is skilled in making poisons, I have never heard of any ancient poison formula!"