Xuezhi slashed through the vines blocking her path with her sword.
She walked very fast; if she didn't quicken her pace, her companions wouldn't be able to keep up. In truth, her body hadn't fully recovered. Running so fast would definitely do more harm than good. However, Lin Xuanfeng didn't understand postpartum women, and the four guardians, after learning about Xian'er's situation, dared not say much.
"Xuezhi, I have already sent people to inform the Emei Sect, Wudang Sect, and Huashan Sect. They should arrive later. After you meet with Young Master Shangguan, you must remind him that if he encounters Shiyan, he must stall for time."
Xuezhi gradually felt uneasy.
She felt that... she might not meet him at the place Shangguan Tou mentioned.
"Zhu Sha, is this road you mentioned really a shortcut? Why can't I find my way at all?" Xue Zhi was sweating profusely and kicked away a piece of wood by the roadside.
The upper reaches of the Guangming Tibetan River.
River Pavilion.
Shangguan Tou scrambled into the center of the pavilion, kicking a chair away in an attack on Shi Yan. Shi Yan retaliated with a kick, sending the chair flying off the pavilion railing. He leaped forward, picked up a table, and slammed it into Shangguan Tou's waist, sending him and the table flying out of the pavilion.
Shi Yan was bleeding profusely from his forehead and chest. He pressed his hands against the wounds and coughed twice.
"I didn't expect you to be able to injure this old monk. It seems I'll have to use my best skills."
He assumed a horse stance, clasped his hands together, gathered his strength, and with a final burst of force, his black robes and the clothes underneath ripped apart. His strange, beardless face was revealed, along with his bloodied upper body, a shape completely incongruous with that face.
Shangguan Tou clutched his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. The knife hadn't hit any vital organs, but under normal circumstances, he was no longer fit to fight.
Suddenly, Shi Yan's swordsmanship became delicate. The blade flashed through the air, intermittently changing, creating dazzling sword shadows. Shangguan Tou had never seen such bizarre yet beautiful swordsmanship, nor such a graceful figure like a goddess dancing.
Even so, combined with Shi Yan's bizarre appearance, it appears extremely disgusting.
Before he could even see Shangguan Tou's steps clearly, he had already been stabbed three times in the arm, thigh, and abdomen. The pain from these three cuts almost killed him. The cuts were thin, but blood gushed out.
Shangguan Tou fell to the ground, groaning and struggling in agony.
Shi Yan grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed his head directly against the rocks on the shore.
The waves crashed against the shore. Just as the spray dampened the rocks, another wave surged up, mixing his blood into the river.
Everything before his eyes was spinning, and Shangguan Tou felt dizzy and couldn't see anything clearly anymore. All he knew was that Shi Yan lifted his arms, twisted them in the opposite direction, and shattered his bones. Finally, Shi Yan swung his broadsword, once again unleashing a chaotic flurry of swordplay.
Blood streamed down his head, blurring his vision.
This time, hundreds of sword shadows attacked him.
162
When Xuezhi and the others arrived at the upper reaches of the Guangmingzang River, the place was deserted.
The scorching sun had already baked the pebbles on the riverbank until they were scorching hot. Xuezhi walked along the stone path, gazing at the pavilion in the middle of the river countless times, but Shangguan Tou still hadn't appeared. Lin Xuanfeng initially inquired about the situation, but after waiting for more than an hour, even with the people from Mount Hua arriving, there was still no news.
Xuezhi could no longer resist and quietly approached the river pavilion alone, promising to return immediately if anything happened.
The more anxious I became, the more eerily silent the road grew, with only the traces of birds flying through the clouds remaining. The world was as still as an endless tomb.
Finally, we got close to the River Pavilion.
The river flowed by with a thunderous roar. Amidst the clamor of the water, she could faintly hear the cries of a baby.
There was no one in the pavilion. There used to be a stone tablet near the pavilion, inscribed with a portion of Buddhist scriptures. But now, the inscription was shattered on the ground. Broken pieces of wood and damaged weapons littered the ground.
A person is lying next to a large rock by the river.
The baby's cries came from there.
Xuezhi squinted and finally saw the man's clothes clearly—a white robe stained with blood, and a few tattered peacock feathers among his disheveled long hair.
She felt a chill run through her body and gritted her teeth as she approached.
She wasn't mistaken; the person lying there was Shangguan Tou.
The child he was holding tightly in his arms was none other than Shangguan Shi. Shangguan Shi was alright; apart from bloodstains on his body, he was unharmed.
Xuezhi wasn't worried about him.
It was the person holding him.
Shangguan Tou lay face down, blood flowing from all four limbs. Crimson blood trickled down his body, into the crevices of the pebbles, and into the rushing river.
"Brother Tou." Xuezhi immediately knelt down beside Shangguan Tou and gently pushed him.
Fortunately, he still had a body temperature.
Xuezhi breathed a sigh of relief, supported his shoulders, and turned him over.
That is, in that instant.
The air seemed to freeze, and everything in the world seemed to come to a standstill. The birdsong in the sky almost tore the clouds apart.
Xuezhi covered her face and screamed in alarm.
Her cries attracted Lin Xuanfeng, Feng Cheng, and disciples from other sects. However, everyone who arrived at her side reacted in the same way.
Shangguan Tou was limp and powerless, his face slashed and bloodied. It wasn't that his features were indistinguishable—if no one told him, no one would recognize him as a person. A living, breathing person.
The shock and fear were clearly greater than seeing his body.
Xuezhi covered her nose and mouth, trembling as she scrambled backward, crying out, "No, who...who is this person..."
Although Lin Xuanfeng's complexion was also not good, he was obviously much calmer than her. He squatted down next to Shangguan Tou, examined his wounds, and then pinched his only intact chin, moving it from side to side to check: "His tendons in his hands and feet are severed, he is blind, and his voice is hoarse. As for his ears... I don't know if he can still hear us."
Shangguan Shi seemed to understand them and cried even harder.
Xuezhi tentatively approached and whispered, "Brother Tou, can you still hear me?"
Shangguan Tou moved his neck, making a strange sound in his throat, but could no longer speak.
"Who exactly injured him? How could they be so cruel?" Feng Cheng walked over and couldn't help but frown. "Like this... he's completely useless now."
Xuezhi originally wanted to mention Shiyan, but when she thought that it might bring more danger to Shangguan Tou, she swallowed her words.
“He’s a cripple, at least he’s not dead.” She showed unexpected strength. “Don’t say anything now. Take him back to Moonrise Valley quickly and find the best doctor to treat him. There will always be a way.” Finally, she gently held Shangguan Tou’s hand: “You will definitely recover. You have to hold on, you know?”
Shangguan Tou made another babbling sound, which could be interpreted as agreement.
Xuezhi struggled to pull him onto her back and insisted on carrying him back, refusing any help from anyone nearby. Lin Xuanfeng helped hold Shangguan Shi, but couldn't find a single word to comfort her.
It was dusk when I left.
The afterglow of the setting sun was like a dying red dragon, swimming in the boundless sky, gradually being swallowed and submerged by darkness.
Upon returning to Moonrise Valley, Xuezhi immediately summoned Yin Ci. While Yin Ci was treating Shangguan Tou, she released Man Feiyue and ordered the disciples of Chonghuo Palace and Moonrise Valley to strengthen their defenses and notify her at the slightest sign of trouble.
Lin Yuhuang is unaware of this matter yet. It won't be able to be kept secret any longer.
Because things were far worse than Xuezhi had imagined.
Shangguan Tou had lost too much blood in the previous fierce battle and was originally on the verge of death. Fortunately, she found Yin Ci, who treated her in time, allowing her to survive. However, she not only lost her sight, hearing, and speech, but also suffered ruptured tendons in her hands and feet, leaving her crippled, but she also lost all her internal energy and even her martial arts skills.
Yin Ci said that perhaps his ears and eyes could be saved. However, he would be disfigured after recovery, and the other injuries would not heal. Most importantly, he would lose his fertility.
Xuezhi listened to him numbly.
Shangguan Tou betrayed her, doing so many things that hurt her. But her will had never been so firm as it was now—he was still alive, and from now on, she would protect him.
The wheels of time turn and roll through life.
Six years have passed in the blink of an eye.
163
Spring six years later.
Spring returns to the earth, and thousands of willow branches droop. New swallows nibble their tails, and peach and plum blossoms fill the air with fragrance.
What should have been the most pleasant time of year was instead filled with an unusually tense atmosphere in the martial arts world. With the annual Weapon Ranking Tournament about to begin again, very few of those genuinely discussing the matter were doing so openly and honestly.
Chang'an —
"Big brother, are you going to the Weapon Ranking Tournament?"
"I'm not going."
"Didn't you used to love participating in martial arts tournaments? Why haven't you... these past two years..."
"What else could it be? Chonghuo Palace. If they go there, who else would want to go?"
"Brother, keep your voice down, walls have ears... I'm saying, no matter how strong they are, you just fight, what's it to you?"
"Little brother, I'm from the Jade Dart Sect. The Jade Dart Sect's current situation is: we're at everyone's mercy. Both the Chonghuo Palace and the Huajian Manor are vying to slaughter us. Going there is the same as being slaughtered, so we're not going."
"But Chonghuo Palace has really been... sigh..."
Luoyang
"I wonder what the rankings will be like at this year's weapons ranking competition?"
"I know. The best weapon is the Hunyue Sword of Chonghuo Palace. The best martial arts technique is the Canghai Xuelian Sword of Chonghuo Palace."
"Didn't Chonghuo Shaolin always fight fiercely? How come Chonghuo Palace's power has grown so rapidly recently? And Chong Xuezhi hasn't even shown her face in the martial arts world yet?"
"Mu Yuan's involvement is enough. Do you only feel happy when that female demon gets involved?"
"The world is in turmoil, and people are filled with anxiety."
Suzhou —
"Wolf Fang, the strength of Chonghuo Palace in the past two years has been truly frightening. What exactly is going on?"