Master Ji scrutinized Hua Wuduo intently, his ruler striking Hua Wuduo's shoulder repeatedly as a warning. The longer it went on, the more impatient Hua Wuduo became. Stealing a glance to the side, he saw that Xiao Xi, who had come up the mountain earlier, had been tied up like a dumpling and placed in a corner, her mouth gagged. On the nearby corridor steps sat Gongzi Xiu, indifferently wiping his Wind Cry Sword.
At this moment, Gongzi Zheng suddenly questioned Hua Wuduo loudly, "Someone saw you two sneaking around the tea room at noon. Tell me! Did you tamper with Master Deng's tea?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo hurriedly said, "It's not my fault. It was all Yi who forced me. He wanted to go to Xinghua Chunyu, but I said I wouldn't go. He insisted on going and even threatened me that I had to help him. He said that if I didn't help him, he would go and dirty the outhouse every day after I cleaned it. I was afraid that he would really do that, and Master Ji would blame me for not cleaning the outhouse properly, so... I had no choice but to keep watch for him outside. I don't know what he was doing inside. I really had no choice..." Hua Wuduo's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, seemingly quite pitiful.
The crowd erupted in uproar once again.
Sitting on the steps of the corridor, Gongzi Qi shook his head and chuckled, while Gongzi Xiu beside him continued to wipe his sword, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
"Wu Yi!" Young Master Zheng said through gritted teeth, his eyes fierce.
Gongzi Yi, huddled in the corner, was completely at a loss. In this situation, he dared not go out to defend himself, because he had indeed administered the poison at noon, Hua Wuduo had indeed been keeping watch outside, and as for Xinghua Chunyu, he had privately told Yu, Xun, and others that he wanted to sneak over. Now, even if he had a hundred mouths, he couldn't explain himself clearly. If he went out and told the truth, saying he had gone on a date with Qi Xin, he would probably die even faster and more tragically. Hua Wuduo, oh Hua Wuduo, I knew I couldn't trust her…
Just then, a series of chaotic hoofbeats came from the doorway, growing louder as they approached. Master Ji ordered Prince Ziyang to go and see what was happening. A moment later, Prince Ziyang was kicked in unsteadily. Everyone was shocked and stood up to look at the doorway.
Several masked men in black entered through the door, each wielding a different weapon.
Master Ji stepped forward first and shouted sternly, "Who goes there! How dare you trespass into the Nanshu Academy!"
A tall, thin man in black sneered, "Normally, no one would dare to trespass into Nanshu Academy. It's a pity that you've all been poisoned by 'Silent and Invisible' today. What are you still so arrogant about?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was secretly alarmed and quickly looked at each other's eyes. After a moment, their faces turned ashen. Sure enough, everyone had a yellow tinge in their eyes. Only Hua Wuduo did not. Master Ji gave Hua Wuduo a wink, and Hua Wuduo understood. He also feigned a look of fear and hid in the crowd, remaining inconspicuous.
At this moment, Young Master Xiu, who had been sitting in the corner, said coldly with his sword: "Tonight, if any of you here dare to make a move, no matter which sect or faction you belong to in the martial world, or whoever's dog you are, one day I will make sure you die without a burial place."
The tall, thin man in black laughed wildly upon hearing this: "I'm going to mess with you today, let's see what you can do to me!" He was about to step forward when he was stopped by the leader of the men in black.
The man gestured for him to step back with his eyes. The tall, thin man in black snorted coldly and reluctantly stepped back, but his gaze still lingered on Young Master Xiu.
With a wave of his hand, the man in black sent dozens of people rushing into the Nanshu Academy to search it.
Seeing this, Hua Wuduo felt a pang of worry. Gongzi Yi was nearby; was he able to hide properly? What was the origin of these people? Could they have come for him? Hua Wuduo was already uneasy at the thought.
A moment later, the men in black brought the rest of the academy back to the front courtyard. Several of them, who were skilled in martial arts, had been hit by the "Silent and Invisible" spell and had temporarily lost their martial arts skills. They had no choice but to surrender. Among the crowd, however, there was neither the academy's headmaster nor his wife, nor Young Master Yi.
Hua Wuduo breathed a sigh of relief.
One of the men in black whispered something to the leader of the group. The leader's eyes darkened, and he looked around at the group from Nanshu Academy before asking in a deep voice, "Where is Wu Yi?"
As expected, they came looking for Yi. Hua Wuduo felt a chill in his heart.
No one there answered him.
These young masters were all quite arrogant, and even though they were now prisoners, they were still unwilling to easily bow down and show weakness to the enemy.
The leader of the men in black had a dark look in his eyes. He suddenly pointed at Gongzi Zheng and asked, "Do you know where Wu Yi is now?"
Hua Wuduo's heart skipped a beat. Gongzi Zheng was the person who hated Gongzi Yi the most among everyone right now. Could it be that he wouldn't? ... But then she heard Gongzi Zheng reply contemptuously, "I don't know."
The tall, thin man in black laughed upon hearing this, his voice extremely grating. He grabbed Gongzi Zheng by the collar and sneered, "It seems you won't tell unless you suffer a bit."
At this moment, Master Ji said coldly, "You had better not harm my students. Nanshu Academy is not to be trifled with. Unless you have the guts to kill us all to silence us, otherwise...!"
The man in black snorted coldly upon hearing this, seemingly not taking Master Ji's words seriously at all, and gestured to the tall, thin man in black beside him: "Let him speak!"
The tall, thin man in black chuckled twice, channeling his inner energy into his palm. He was about to unleash his internal force on the young master, causing his 'silent and invisible' poison to take effect.
At this moment, seeing that the young master remained calm and composed, Hua Wuduo suddenly felt admiration. If it were her, she would probably have confessed honestly by now. After all, if someone were to inject internal energy into the poison of 'Silent Invisibility,' the person would either go insane or die.
Just as the palm was about to strike Gongzi Zheng, Gongzi Zheng remained silent, his lips tightly closed and his eyes unblinking. At that moment, a sword suddenly thrust out from the side, forcing the man in black to withdraw his palm. The man in black was immediately angered and swung his palm to knock the sword away. He sneered at Gongzi Xiu, "You think you can show off your fancy moves? You'll have to do it now!" He then swiftly struck Gongzi Xiu with his palm.
The palm strike came with great speed. Without his internal energy, Gongzi Xiu was no different from an ordinary person and had no way to dodge it. If this palm strike hit him, he would either die or go insane. Just then, Hua Wuduo suddenly shouted, "Stop! I know where Wu Yi is!"
The tall, thin man in black's palm stopped in mid-air.
The leader of the men in black looked at Hua Wuduo and said, "Speak."
Everyone else looked at Hua Wuduo, their eyes filled with disdain. Gongzi Zheng sneered, "You're usually the best friend of Yi, but I never expected you to betray him at such a crucial moment. Shameless."
Master Ji then said sternly, "No more, step back and don't speak carelessly."
Hua Wuduo lowered his head after hearing this, but did not retreat. He replied in a low voice, "I am afraid of death."
At this moment, Master Xu, who had once taken her as his disciple, said from the crowd: "A true man should know what to do and what not to do. He must not be a coward who clings to life and lives a life of dishonor. You have disappointed me greatly."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo lowered her head even further, her whole body trembling slightly. After a moment, as if she had gone through an extremely intense internal struggle, she suddenly raised her head firmly and said loudly, "If you want to blame someone, blame me. I'm not just doing this for myself; I also want to save everyone." Turning around, she said firmly to the leader of the men in black, "Today, Gongzi Yi and I went down the mountain to Xinghua Chunyu without permission. For this, you and everyone are here waiting for Gongzi Yi and me, intending to catch us and punish us on the spot. Gongzi Yi is still there; he's booked Du Qianqian for the whole night and won't return until tomorrow morning." Hua Wuduo finished speaking in one breath, very fluently, her gaze firm, as if she had nothing to lose.
The man in black looked somber after hearing this, seemingly still doubtful.
At this moment, Gongzi Qi said contemptuously, "Hua Wuduo, you betrayed Yi today. Even if you saved our lives, from now on, you will no longer be our friend."
Upon hearing this, everyone spat and cursed Hua Wuduo: "You despicable and shameless scoundrel, you actually betrayed your friend, you're not even as good as a pig or a dog..."
A hint of hurt flashed in Hua Wuduo's eyes, and he gradually lowered his head again.
The man in black swept his deep gaze across the crowd. After a moment, he pointed at Hua Wuduo and said in a deep voice, "You will come with us to Xinghua Chunyu. If you dare to lie to us, I will make you wish you were dead." After speaking, he glanced at the two people behind him and said, "You two stay here and watch over them. If there is any unusual behavior, kill them without mercy."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo's heart tightened slightly. Suddenly remembering something, he abruptly opened his arms and ran towards Gongzi Xiu, who was not far away. Right before everyone's eyes, he suddenly embraced Gongzi Xiu tightly. Before anyone could react, Hua Wuduo shouted, "Xiu, I know I'm definitely not coming back this time. Since I'm going to die anyway, I'm going to risk it all. Forget about the academy's bullshit rules against men loving each other. This time, I have to tell you, I love you, I love you!"
Gongzi Xiu guessed that no one had ever confessed their love to him so boldly in his life. Uncharacteristically, he froze on the spot. Just then, he heard Hua Wuduo whisper two words in his ear: "Xiao Xi." He was dazed for a moment, then suddenly understood. Xiao Xi was tied up in the corner, closest to him. Xiao Xi hadn't been poisoned by the 'Silent and Invisible' poison. This was what Hua Wuduo wanted to tell him. Gongzi Xiu suddenly understood, and under everyone's gaze, he suddenly hugged Hua Wuduo back, shouting, "I like you too!"
Everyone else present was immediately stunned by the explosion.
At this moment, the still very weak Master Deng said in a trembling voice, "What kind of behavior is this, what kind of behavior is this..." Master Deng's voice grew softer and softer, and the shock combined with his already weak body caused him to faint on the spot.
Hua Wuduo was completely taken aback and froze.
Even the leader of the men in black showed a hint of contempt in his eyes and said, "Take him away!"
Hua Wuduo was pulled away in a daze, still reeling from the words "I like you too." After all, this was the first time in her life a man had confessed his feelings to her, even though the situation was rather strange... It was hard to believe even for a moment...
They assumed Hua Wuduo was also poisoned by the 'Silent and Invisible' poison, so they didn't tie her up. After placing her on a horse, they galloped down the mountain. When they reached about halfway down, Hua Wuduo secretly reached for her waist, took out a gold ring, and put it on all ten fingers. It seemed that she was determined to gamble her life tonight.
Hua Wuduo's weapon is called the Ten-Finger Golden Rings. He usually wears only two rings on his little finger, while the rest are hidden at his waist. The rings conceal silver needles, which can be hung on gold bracelets on the wrists. The bracelets contain gold threads, and the silver needles thread the threads, making them suitable for both close and long-range attacks.
As the group rode down the mountain at breakneck speed, the horses jolted and bounced. Hua Wuduo seized the opportunity, his fingers twitching slightly as a silver needle pierced the saddle. The black-clad rider behind him squeezed the saddle with his legs, causing the horse to neigh in pain and abruptly stop. Its front hooves reared up, throwing the black-clad rider behind Hua Wuduo off the horse. Hua Wuduo used the opportunity to retrieve the silver needle, tighten the reins, spurred the horse, and galloped away. The other black-clad riders panicked for a moment before immediately giving chase.
She sped along, following every road she saw, no longer caring about which way to go. She estimated there were twenty-five pursuers behind her, and as a lone individual, she had no real chance of victory. Her best course of action was to flee.
Judging from today's situation, it seems that she is doomed.
work together
In her panic, Hua Wuduo ran into a forest. With trees blocking her path, she had to slow her horse down. Her pursuers were closing in, and she was about to be overtaken. Hua Wuduo made a snap decision and suddenly pulled on the reins in an open area. The galloping horse neighed and groaned in dissatisfaction. She gripped the horse's belly tightly and waited for it to calm down before turning the horse around to face the group of men in black who were following closely behind.
A moment later, several riders caught up from behind and surrounded her, making a fierce battle inevitable.
In the darkness, the torches in the hands of the man in black flickered, casting long, slanted shadows on the surrounding trees. The horse's snorting was rough and wild. Hua Wuduo had never faced such a scene alone before, and he couldn't help but feel secretly nervous.
One of the men in black pointed at her and yelled, "You brat, where do you think you're going to run now!"
The leader said coldly, "Why are you trying to escape? Are you lying to us?"
Hua Wuduo sneered, "Do you think I'm that stupid? Even if I went to Xinghua Chunyu and captured Wu Yi, would I still be alive to come back? Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well take a few people down with me before I die!"
The men in black burst into laughter upon hearing this, and one of them mocked her, saying, "You're unarmed. Even if you weren't hit by 'Silent and Invisible,' do you think you, a mere child, can take a few down with you?"
Haha... Everyone laughed at her ignorance and arrogance once again.
Hua Wuduo's eyes narrowed, and he put his hands into his sleeves. He said calmly, "I knew I was right. You really did break your promise and had no intention of letting me go."
Upon hearing this, the leader of the men in black said contemptuously, "A shameless scoundrel who betrays his friends deserves to die." After saying this, he winked at the two men in black beside him, who immediately understood and spurred their horses forward to capture Hua Wuduo.
As the two approached, Hua Wuduo subtly extended his fingers from his sleeve.
Just then, the sound of approaching hooves came from the woods. The men in black were slightly startled and looked into the woods. Hua Wuduo also looked into the depths of the woods, but because the night was too dark and the ancient trees were too tall, it was impossible to see clearly into the depths of the woods. They could only listen carefully and gradually hear that the sound of hooves seemed to be everywhere. They could not tell how many people were coming or where they were.
Although the leader of the men in black remained calm, the others in black were already showing signs of panic.
Before long, dust billowed up from the surrounding woods, and they seemed to be surrounded by a large group of people.
The leader of the men in black suddenly turned around, his eyes cold as he pointed at Hua Wuduo and said, "Capture him alive!"
There were many attackers, and they knew they were outnumbered, so they planned to take her hostage.
Hua Wuduo immediately understood. Upon hearing this, he gave a cold smile, and suddenly extended his ten fingers from his sleeves, crossed them in front of his chest, and then suddenly opened them, sending ten silver needles shooting in all directions at the same time.
The silver needles shot out unexpectedly and without a sound. Coupled with the dim and chaotic lighting around them, Hua Wuduo had almost the entire advantage. Some of the ten silver needles hit their targets and entered the opponent's acupoints. Some people cried out in pain, some fell off their horses, but others reacted very quickly and used their weapons to deflect her silver needles.
Although Hua Wuduo had the advantage in weaponry, there were simply too many people surrounding her, none of whom were ordinary. After Hua Wuduo landed a hit, she could hardly gain any further advantage. The men in black became even more eager to attack her, and for a time, Hua Wuduo was forced into a state of chaos and danger.
Just then, before the chaotic sound of horses' hooves had subsided, dozens of arrows shot out from the depths of the forest, regardless of the fact that Hua Wuduo was engaged in a fierce battle with the men in black.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Hua Wuduo happened to catch a glimpse of a black and white feathered arrow among the incoming arrows. Black and white feathered arrows are made of extremely luxurious materials, costing one tael of silver each, and very few people can afford them. This arrow is precisely the one that Young Master Xiu uses.
Upon seeing the arrow, Hua Wuduo immediately understood who had come from the woods, and his confidence soared. He fought and dodged with ease.
Arrows rained down, and without eyes, one couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Hua Wuduo, caught off guard, cried out, "Shoot carefully! Don't hit me!"
Immediately, a very familiar voice replied impatiently from the darkness: "Be smarter!"
The voice was none other than Gongzi Yi.
Hua Wuduo didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that moment, and she felt that Gongzi Yi was taking revenge for his personal grudge.
××××××××××××××××
A chaotic battle raged in the darkness. More and more men in black were struck by arrows and fell from their horses. The torches in their hands fell to the ground and went out, and the surroundings grew increasingly dark.
Apart from those who were killed by a hail of arrows, the remaining few men in black put up a stubborn resistance, but in the darkness, they could no longer escape the silver needles in Hua Wuduo's hands.
Seeing that he could not capture Hua Wuduo alive, the leader of the men in black lost his will to fight and only wanted to break through with the rest of his men. But Hua Wuduo kept pressing them, and the fight dragged on into the woods. Suddenly, Xiao Xi rushed out of the woods and joined forces with Hua Wuduo. With the help of arrows shot from the darkness, the men in black were all wiped out in a short time.
The last man in black was struck in the chest by an arrow and fell from his horse, but was not immediately dead. Hua Wuduo dismounted and went forward to check on him. He saw that it was the tall, thin man in black who had tried to harm Gongzi Xiu and Gongzi Zheng. He pressed a silver needle into the man's eyes and demanded, "Speak, who sent you?"
The man in black laughed eerily, then suddenly shouted, his chest heaved, and his legs kicked, and he breathed his last. Even after he died, his eyes bulged out and stared intently at Hua Wuduo. Hua Wuduo was terrified and couldn't help but turn away. Xiao Xi stepped forward and ripped off the man's mask. Seeing that the man in black had swallowed poison and committed suicide, she said, "He's dead."
At this moment, the chaotic sound of horses' hooves in the forest gradually subsided, and the crowd slowly gathered together. Sure enough, they were all students from Nanshu Academy, Hua Wuduo's classmates.
Young Master Xiu was the first to approach. He walked up to the man in black, stepped on his chest, pulled out the black and white feathered arrow from his chest, and then went to pick up other arrows.
Hua Wuduo was taken aback upon seeing this, thinking to himself: So Young Master Xiu also knows this arrow is too expensive, and even knows how to recycle it. Just as he thought this, he saw Young Master Xiu snap the black and white feathered arrow in half with a snap, as if it were a piece of firewood. Hua Wuduo's heart tightened, staring at the trembling fletching behind the arrow, thinking to himself: That fletching is the most valuable part, should I snatch it…?
At this moment, the crowd that had gradually gathered began to praise Hua Wuduo. They praised her for her wit and bravery, for her selflessness, and for how they had truly misunderstood her. Hua Wuduo felt a little embarrassed; she had suddenly gone from being a coward to a hero, and she was truly unaccustomed to it.
After being patted on the shoulder and praised as "good job" and "good brother" by several people, Hua Wuduo looked pitifully at the next person about to pat her shoulder, Gongzi Ziyang, and said, "Could you please pat my left shoulder instead?" Hua Wuduo offered her left shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she thought to herself: My right shoulder is probably already swollen from being patted. These guys have no internal energy left, how come they still hit so hard?
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Ziyang laughed loudly, "Wuduo, if it weren't for your bravery and fearlessness in the face of life and death just now, I would really think you were a woman. Haha." Gongzi Ziyang laughed heartily and slapped Hua Wuduo's left shoulder twice as it came to him. Hua Wuduo shook himself and chuckled awkwardly, "The word 'woman' really doesn't describe me well."
Gongzi Ziyang put an arm around Hua Wuduo’s shoulder affectionately and said, “I know you’re not a woman. I like your personality. From now on, I’m your older brother and you’re my younger brother. If you need anything, just tell your older brother, and I’ll definitely help you.”
Hua Wuduo immediately nodded vigorously, thinking to himself: I've gained a big brother for free, why not take it?