Der Mond scheint hell über den leeren Bergen, und Blumen füllen den Himmel

Kapitel 40

“Fuzhen Temple is his Achilles’ heel.”

“Yes, he’s lurking in the temple, but the fatal flaw is that he can’t see the changes inside the Fuzhen Temple.” Li Lingyan sighed softly. “That was… that was your arrangement, Heavenly Book.”

"Ling Yan, didn't you plan to sweep through Wudang Mountain?" Tang Tianshu's voice wasn't loud, but what he said was terrifying. "We can't take Wudang Mountain without killing 'White Hair.' He's lurking there, and he's having a huge impact on our 'Array Training' plan." He said slowly, "He'd better be dead, otherwise he'll definitely be my greatest enemy in the future."

“Don’t forget they also have Yu Xiu.” Li Lingyan chuckled in a low voice. “The ‘White-Haired One’ has a broad perspective, while Yu Xiu focuses on the details. One is a man of great talent and strategy, while the other is astute and perceptive. To win this battle, we must first separate these two.”

"Speaking of which, shouldn't the Fallen Moon Envoy have reached the summit by now?" Tang Tianshu said vaguely. "Of course... if neither the Fallen Moon Envoy nor the Embracing Moon Envoy can drive him down from there, my evaluation of him will be even higher."

Li Lingyan smiled and changed the subject: "I'm just afraid..."

Just as he was speaking, a figure darted over and landed in front of Li Lingyan, his face full of anger. "Lingyan, you actually used me as bait to lure Bi Qiuhan away! Aren't you afraid that once I fall into their hands, I'll become a burden to you? What if they kill me?"

Tang Tianshu sighed. Li Lingyan was interrupted, and he also sighed, saying softly, "I trust my elder brother's martial arts skills, but if he makes a mistake, I will immediately abandon tonight's plan."

“Li Shiyu, you don’t need to say anything more. In Lingyan’s heart, you are more important than Wudang Mountain. Tonight, he simply believes in your abilities.” Tang Tianshu spoke gently to Li Lingyan, carefully observing Li Lingyan’s expression, but he was blunt when speaking to Li Shiyu. “The day Lingyan can let go of you, the day he will be the master I truly respect.”

"You worthless wretch who grovels before Ling Yan, you'd better know your place before you speak!" Normally, Li Shiyu would have drawn his sword, but tonight he merely retorted with a livid face.

"You rushed over so recklessly, the people at the top must have already seen it." Tang Tianshu's voice was muffled but surprisingly cold. "If Ling Yan hadn't treasured you, you would have died seventeen times over by me."

Li Shiyu's expression changed. Tang Tianshu was always frank; he rarely lied or deceived, as it was unnecessary for him. If he said so, it must be the truth. He glanced at Li Lingyan, only to see him standing to the side, smiling. Li Shiyu gave a heavy "humph," "One day I will kill you, you arrogant, crippled dog!" Just as he said this, even though he had just escaped from Bi Qiuhan's sword and was still unaware of what was happening, Li Shiyu felt a gaze fixed on the three of them.

The gaze wasn't particularly cold or noticeable at first. But the longer it lingered, the clearer the chilling aura became, as if the surrounding air itself had become uneasy. Li Shiyu suddenly turned around and saw a figure slowly rising from the distant summit of the Fuzhen Temple in Wudang Mountain.

Dressed in green with white hair, his robes fluttering, the man stood with his hands behind his back, looking right at us, like a statue cast in bronze and iron under the distant night sky.

"Who...is that?"

Li Lingyan's gaze slowly met Rong Yin's.

"'White hair'—"

This was the man who would end the ethereal, fairy-like demeanor of Gu She. Li Shiyu stared at the shadow standing in the night, a strong sense of hostility burning within him.

Suddenly, the roof tiles beneath the man's feet shattered, and a flash of light from a knife and a sword swiftly and silently slashed towards the man's legs from beneath the tiles.

Li Shiyu's eyes lit up. Those were the Fallen Moon Blade and the Embracing Moon Sword! They were the two of the "Four Split Moons" that were by Li Lingyan's side.

His excitement had barely begun when he suddenly saw Duoyue and Huaiyue's swords and blades miss their mark. Immediately afterward, two sharp "smacks" echoed behind them as their bodies, just peeking out from under the roof tiles, were each stepped on, causing them to tumble involuntarily through the large hole in the roof. However, Duoyue and Huaiyue were, after all, top-tier talents trained by Li Chenglou from childhood. After their swords and blades missed, they instinctively exchanged blows, halting their descent and flying sideways, diagonally exiting the railings on either side of the top floor of the Fuzhen Temple, landing on the roof.

But clearly, the ambush had failed.

However, it is comforting to know that the ambush failed not entirely because of Rong Yin—Rong Yin simply stepped aside and stood by. The person who stepped on each of them was dressed in white and was none other than Nan Ge.

They're back.

Yu Xiu whispered something to Rong Yin, and Nan Ge stepped on the air and stomped down the two who had suddenly attacked. Wan Yu Yue Dan, however, was calling on everyone to put out the fire and rescue people.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Duoyue and Huaiyue immediately fled. Rong Yin did not pursue them, but continued to scan the Wudang Taoist temple in the darkness with his sharp eyes.

Li Lingyan sighed and suddenly flicked his sleeve with a "whoosh".

As this faint sound rang out, a slight commotion suddenly arose in the darkness. Rong Yin's hearing was exceptional; after scanning the area, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "It is indeed an encirclement and annihilation plan. Li Lingyan has mobilized all his forces tonight, intending to sweep through Wudang Mountain!" He spoke softly, not intending to affect the confidence of the crowd watching the fierce battle below, "This first formation is a poisonous insect formation."

“His feigned weakness and bluff were all to set up an array outside the temple and draw our attention.” Nan Ge also looked at the dark Wudang Mountain. “Wudang Mountain has no lights at night. The person setting up the array only needs to walk on the ‘Spring Breeze Ten Miles Alone’ so that no one can find him.”

Yu Xiu shook his head solemnly. "No." He only said these two words without explaining.

“Li Lingyan wouldn’t take that risk,” Rong Yin said, enunciating each word clearly. “These poisonous insects… if what Yu Xiu saw just now was correct, they are light-attracting insects, drawn here by our firelight. He only needs to drop a few baskets of poisonous insects down the mountain and then wait at the Taoist temple. If these poisonous insects are also tamed and can obey commands, then it will be even more terrifying… This is the first trap. As for the second trap, if I were Li Lingyan, I would set it up while you are dealing with the poisonous insects. This is Li Lingyan’s cleverness; he doesn’t act beforehand, yet he can still trap Wudang with layers of traps.”

"The enemy is exhausted while we are at ease; we will only attack and not defend," Yu Xiu said calmly. "Li Lingyan is well-versed in military strategy."

Nan Ge took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Fortunately, we captured the key point of the formation."

Yu Xiu nodded and remained silent. What kind of person was Rong Yin? Even if he didn't know beforehand that Li Lingyan intended to sweep through Wudang, he was well aware that the summit of Fuzhen Temple was a strategically vital location. Only from here could one have a comprehensive view of the entire situation and respond to any emergencies. If Li Lingyan wanted to set up his formation outside the main array, it would be crystal clear from here. Losing this advantageous strategic point would undoubtedly cause him considerable trouble.

"It's starting!" Rong Yin suddenly shouted. "Everyone, watch out for the poisonous insects flying around! Please get into the fire circle immediately!"

At that moment, a faint whistling sound came from the depths of the forest, followed by a sudden buzzing of bee wings in the air. In an instant, the sky was filled with tiny black insects the size of wasps, but upon closer inspection, they were actually small moths with ghostly faces on their wings, swarming towards the two sides engaged in fierce combat. A cacophony of curses erupted. Li Lingyan, unable to distinguish friend from foe, abandoned all 172 of his men, pushing them into the venomous insects' range. Fortunately, Wan Yuyuedan had just called for the fire to be extinguished and the fire to be put out, creating an opening in the fire circle. Everyone eagerly rushed into the fire circle. The black moths that touched the fire were immediately burned, but their onslaught was relentless, like a rainstorm, truly astonishing. Still shaken, everyone looked at each other, realizing that without the fire circle, they would have been covered in these terrifying moths, and cold sweat poured down their backs.

A few moths also swarmed onto the top of Fuzhen Temple, but their numbers were far fewer than those outside the fire circle.

Nan Ge gripped a broken tile, closed her eyes, and listened intently to the sound, swatting down the few moths that flew up. Yu Xiu stared intently at the dark forest. "Arrow formation!" he suddenly exclaimed out of the blue.

Rong Yin heard the sound of people moving in the woods and his expression changed slightly. "This is a trap to lure you in! Oh no!"

After a moment's hesitation, Yu Xiu resolutely said, "Everyone, please enter the temple!"

"Entering the temple is also a dead end!" Rong Yin said in a deep voice. "The only thing we can do is get deeper and deeper into their trap. To stop Li Lingyan from setting up his formation outside the temple, we must launch a counterattack and deliver a fatal blow. Otherwise, even if we take refuge inside the temple, if he sets fire to the outside, none of us will be spared... Will you go or should I go?" he asked Yu Xiu.

Li Lingyan's plan to use poisonous insects wasn't intended to kill the heroes; his real purpose was to lure them into a circle of fire. His second volley of arrows was aimed at the inside of the fire circle, unleashing a barrage of arrows. Those inside, however, were unable to see out due to the flames, so wouldn't they suffer heavy casualties? Even retreating into the Fuzhen Temple would be the same; it would only gather everyone together, making it easier for Li Lingyan to set up his own trap.

"Go for it!" Nan Ge suddenly exclaimed, "As long as we drag Li Lingyan into the formation, we won't be afraid of his poisonous insects and long arrows!"

“I’m afraid this is also a ploy by him to lure the enemy out one by one,” Yu Xiu said, his brows furrowed. “But his formation is almost complete. How about this, Brother Nan, instead of capturing Li Lingyan, you capture Li Shiyu!”

"Alright—" Nan Ge flashed away from the temple. He wanted to grab Li Shiyu, but instead he darted into the darkness of the back mountain in the opposite direction.

Yu Xiu smiled slightly. Nan Ge was experienced in the martial world. Although she lacked strategic planning skills, she possessed quick wit and adaptability, making her a rare talent. At this moment, Rong Yin heard that the arrow formation was almost complete and could not wait any longer. He took a deep breath and said coldly, "Li Lingyan's arrow formation is outside. Everyone, lie down on the ground and use the corpses on the ground to block the arrows! Wherever his archers fire their long arrows, I will kill one of them."

Upon hearing this, Li Lingyan, deep in the forest, murmured in admiration, "What a talented person! I like him very much."

Tang Tianshu's expression changed slightly. "His threats will shake our morale..."

“‘Four-Cracked Moon’,” Li Lingyan said slowly. The four sword-wielding attendants who had once served Li Chenglou—Beiyue, Duoyue, Huaiyue, and Xiyue—stepped forward. All four were around thirty-five years old. When Li Chenglou took them in, they were just teenagers; now they were approaching middle age. Although older, they were still handsome men and beautiful women, each with their own distinct charm. Beiyue and Duoyue were Li Chenglou's sword-wielding attendants; Beiyue was aloof and serene, Duoyue elegant and refined. Huaiyue and Xiyue were his attendants; Huaiyue was glamorous, Xiyue pure and innocent. The four of them standing together were truly outstanding and extremely eye-catching.

"Your martial arts skills are no match for theirs... but you can demolish houses... right?" Li Lingyan said softly.