Luzhou Moon - Chapter 41
The horse neighed anxiously, white frost fluttering up its body. It struggled a few times before collapsing to its knees, foaming at the mouth, and dying. The man in black standing on the carriage shaft lightly leaped to the front of the curtain, bowed, and said, "Madam Shuying, please come out and meet me." With that, he raised his jade-bone fan and lifted the curtain.
Unexpectedly, the carriage that had been carrying Jiang Shuying was now empty. Just then, a sword light, like a startled rainbow, ripped through the sky, aiming straight for his vital point on the back. The man in black, who had been momentarily distracted, had a bloody gash on his shoulder from the blade. But as he swiftly turned, he unfolded his fan, blocking the sword's attack. The sword tip struck the center of the folding fan, yet this seemingly ordinary fan surface managed to withstand the sword's force without breaking a muscle.
The man in black leaned against the carriage, his wrist twirling rapidly as he used his folding fan to deflect the opponent's sword strikes. He then braced his left hand against the carriage canopy and launched a flying kick, sending the opponent staggering back several steps. He then landed sideways on the ground, stroking his fan and saying, "So, Madam wasn't in the carriage long ago. It's been many days; Madam's health seems to have recovered quite well."
The one who drew the sword from behind was Jiang Shuying. It turned out she had known all along that the other party's target was her, so she had quietly left the forest, bypassed the stream, and waited in secret for her opportunity to strike. At that moment, Shao Yang rushed over, about to protect his master, when he suddenly saw the man in black not far away and was greatly surprised, exclaiming, "It's you?!"
"What's wrong?!" Yue Ruzheng, who had her back to them, heard Shao Yang's exclamation and also dodged Su Mucheng's curved blade, turning around to look in that direction. As she turned around, she saw the man in black slowly walking towards Jiang Shuying. His face was pale and thin, with a hint of haggardness, but his gentle aura remained undiminished.
He was the apothecary Fushi that Shao Yang and the other three encountered when they went to the Valley of Bliss to steal the Dragon Heart Grass.
Su Muchen and his men swarmed forward, surrounding Yue Ruzheng and Shao Yang. Fu Shi raised an eyebrow, smiled slightly, and gently waved his folding fan. He stepped forward and said, "You two have been well. I've said before that if fate allows, we will meet again in the future."
Jiang Shuying looked him over, then glanced at Shao Yang sideways, and asked, "How do you know him?"
"He is the one who gave the Dragon Heart Grass to Ruzheng that day!" Shao Yang said urgently in a low voice.
Jiang Shuying's expression changed. She looked up at Fu Shi, who waved his hand, causing the frost that had been clinging to the carriage to rise gently, floating in the air like fine powder. Fu Shi extended his left hand, channeling his inner energy to condense the frost in front of him, causing it to swirl and linger. At that moment, the main gate of Yinxi Xiaozhu suddenly swung open, and the disciples and servants in the courtyard rushed towards the entrance in a daze. The frost in front of Fu Shi trembled slightly, forming a swirling gust of wind. With a slight movement of his left hand, the swirling mist danced along with it. Seeing the people of Yinxi Xiaozhu rushing straight towards the mist as if they had lost their souls, Jiang Shuying couldn't help but shout at Fu Shi sharply, "Who are you?! What do you want?"
Upon hearing this, Su Muchen and the others chuckled. Fu Shi folded his paper fan and bowed slightly to Jiang Shuying, saying, "I apologize, I haven't formally introduced myself to Madam yet." He paused, then smiled, "My name is Mo Li from the Valley of Bliss."
"Mo Li?!" Shao Yang and Yue Ruzheng exclaimed in surprise, and Jiang Shuying's eyes also showed shock. On the day Mo Li broke into Yinxi Xiaozhu, she and Yu Hezhi had both fought with him, and he was clearly not the weak, scholar-like man in front of them.
"Is Madam thinking of the person you trapped with your formation last time?" Mo Li chuckled casually. "Actually, that person was just a decoy I sent. It's been a long time since I've seen Yinxi Xiaozhu; his swordsmanship is extraordinary. I'd like to test my skills, but I feared disturbing Madam's peace by intruding, so I sent my subordinate to test his abilities. Sure enough, he was defeated by the two of you working together. However, your disciple later came to Bliss Valley to steal the Dragon Heart Grass, so I knew someone in Yinxi Xiaozhu must have been poisoned by the Snake Tail Needle."
"You intentionally handed over the Dragon Heart Grass to us?!" Yue Ruzheng said coldly.
Mo Li glanced at her and said, "Of course, you underestimate the defenses of our Bliss Valley. If I hadn't made these arrangements, how could you have come and gone so easily?"
As he was talking to Yue Ruzheng, the group from Yinxi Xiaozhu slowly walked to the front of the fog. Jiang Shuying waved her sleeve and suddenly blocked one of them, but that person seemed to be bewitched and tried to bump into her arm.
"Mo Li! What exactly do you want to do?" Shao Yang angrily raised his sword and pointed it straight ahead.
Mo Li withdrew his left palm, and the swirling mist subsided slightly. He took out a bamboo whistle from his robes, put it to his lips, and blew, producing a piercing whistle. Upon hearing this sound, those with unfocused gazes stopped in their tracks and stood frozen in place.
"This is the Bewitching Charm of our Bliss Valley," Su Muchen said with a cold smile, surveying the crowd. "Jiang Shuying, you always think too highly of yourself, believing these unorthodox methods are all low-class. Now I'll show you what's what!"
"Don't be rude." Mo Li waved his hand and said, "Enough with the idle talk. Ever since I met Madam Shuying, I've been amazed to discover that such a beautiful and aloof woman exists in this world. However…" He smiled to himself, looking at Jiang Shuying, "Madam doesn't seem to value me much, but that's alright. I've come today not to coerce Madam, but simply to see another treasure of the world at Yinxi Xiaozhu."
"What?" Yue Ruzheng was startled and couldn't help but look up at Jiang Shuying. Jiang Shuying glanced at her calmly, then turned to Mo Li and asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Madam, please stop pretending to be deaf and dumb with me. I have long heard that Yinxi Xiaozhu possesses a Youth-Preserving Pearl passed down from Shenxiao Palace. I have lived in the mountains of southern Jiangxi for a long time and have never seen this rare treasure. Please allow me to see it. In this way, even if you are unwilling to marry me, I will have no regrets." Mo Li sighed softly, but a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
Jiang Shuying looked at his seemingly contradictory expression, but her mind was clearer than ever. People in the martial arts world had always thought that Mo Li had repeatedly spied on her near Yinxi Xiaozhu because he was lusting after her beauty. Now it seemed that he was just using this as a cover to take the opportunity to find out more about her.
--Mo Li's true target is not Jiang Shuying, but the Beauty-Preserving Pearl.
Including the last time when he used Yue Ruzheng's conflict with the subordinates of the Bliss Valley to coerce Jiang Shuying to go to southern Jiangxi, it was probably also to take advantage of the situation so that Yinxi Xiaozhu would be less guarded and thus be able to take advantage of the situation. And this time, he personally took action, which probably means he is very confident... Thinking of this, Jiang Shuying felt a chill run down her spine, but her face remained calm.
Shao Yang sneered, "Mo Li, don't be delusional! That divine pearl isn't something you can easily take out for someone to play with."
"Shao Yang, take a good look around. The disciples of Yinxi Xiaozhu are all under a spell, they've lost their minds." Su Muchen said, then pointed his curved sword at the white frost-like mist floating in mid-air, and said, "Do you even know what this is?"
Shao Yang stared intently, only then realizing that the mist wasn't frost at all, but rather composed of countless extremely tiny white flying insects. He suddenly recalled a poisonous creature his master had mentioned before, and frowned, saying, "Could it be the Snow Mosquito of Bliss Valley?"
"Not entirely ignorant," Mo Li said calmly. "With a mere wave of my hand, the snow mosquitoes will swarm your junior brothers and sisters. I wonder, which is more important, the Youth-Preserving Pearl or these lives?"
Shao Yang stood there speechless, while Yue Ruzheng felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She secretly glanced at her master, while Jiang Shuying pursed her lips and stared coldly at Mo Li, saying, "Mo Li, you are supposed to be a leader of a region, yet you dare to use the lives of these younger generations to blackmail me?"
Mo Li chuckled and said, "I'm not some kind of gentleman, so what morals do I have? Oh, right, Madam Jiang, there's something else I almost forgot to tell you. Those two of your esteemed disciples were seeking Dragon Heart Grass from me that day, but unfortunately, I was careless and mistakenly gave them another kind, Dragon Claw Grass. These two differ by only one character, yet their effects are completely different. Dragon Claw Grass is a crucial ingredient in the Bewitching Incantation, meaning you yourself have already been bewitched. However, I, Mo Li, never make enemies with women, so I reduced the dosage, and you're still unharmed. But with a little manipulation, you'll lose your mind just like those people. So tell me, will you hand over the Divine Pearl yourself, or wait for me to activate the bamboo whistle and turn you into a walking corpse?"
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The lamps are dim, the moon is cold.
Yue Ruzheng and Shao Yang were both pale-faced, but Jiang Shuying felt calmer. She had been secretly wondering why Mo Li was so confident this time, but it turned out that he had already set a trap last time, waiting for this day to come. However, Mo Li had no idea that the Youth-Preserving Pearl he wanted had not belonged to Yinxi Xiaozhu for more than twenty years.
Thinking of this, Jiang Shuying felt that fate was playing tricks on her, but she couldn't let Mo Li see through her scheme, so she turned cold and said, "Valley Master Mo Li has really gone to great lengths to obtain the Divine Pearl."
"Not at all, not at all. Everyone knows that the Divine Pearl of Fixing Face is a treasure for Taoist cultivation of inner elixir. It is already enough that Yinxi Xiaozhu has been able to possess this object for more than twenty years. Madam Jiang, as long as you hand over the Divine Pearl, I can immediately dispel all the poisonous fog around Yinxi Xiaozhu and will never disturb you again. But if not, I will have no choice but to make this tranquil landscape an appendage of the Valley of Bliss." As Mo Li spoke, his left hand moved its five fingers, and the snow mosquitoes suddenly flew rapidly, less than a foot away from the disciples of Yinxi Xiaozhu.
Jiang Shuying bit her lip slightly, her brows furrowed. Yue Ruzheng, worried about everyone's safety and fearing Mo Li might harm her master, couldn't help but speak up, "Mo Li, that Youth-Preserving Pearl..."
"Ruzheng!" Jiang Shuying shouted sharply, seeing that she was about to reveal the truth. She turned to Mo Li resolutely and said, "The Beauty-Preserving Pearl is a relic of my late father, and I will absolutely not give it to you! Since you have already planted the Bewitching Charm in my body, you might as well pour all the poisonous mist onto me and not involve my disciple!"
Mo Li's face darkened, and Su Mucheng whispered in his ear, "Valley Master, this woman is very stubborn. She probably doesn't believe she's been bewitched. Perhaps we should teach her a lesson."
Seeing that Mo Li did not object, he took out a bamboo whistle from his sleeve, sneered, and blew it. Those who had already been poisoned turned ashen-faced, trembling violently, some even collapsing to the ground. Jiang Shuying spread her arms, her long sword thrusting straight at Su Muchen. Su Muchen, still whistling, swayed backward. Jiang Shuying's sword strikes were continuous. Seeing that Su Muchen was preoccupied, Mo Li raised his folding fan and engaged Jiang Shuying in battle.
Mo Li's movements were unpredictable, seemingly powerless yet often striking unexpectedly. His folding fan moved like lightning and a blade, striking Jiang Shuying's vital points. Jiang Shuying's swordplay was continuous, and suddenly she leaped into the air, passing Mo Li's sword and aiming for Su Muchen's heart. However, while in mid-air, she felt a jolt in her mind, and her vision was suddenly filled with a dazzling array of colors, as if she had entered another world.
Yue Ruzheng was right behind her when she saw Jiang Shuying suddenly stumble, her feet slipping, nearly falling. She barely managed to steady herself with her sword. Yue Ruzheng rushed forward to support her master, noticing cold sweat on Jiang Shuying's brow and pale lips. Su Muchen then stopped blowing his bamboo whistle, saying smugly, "How about that? No matter how skilled your swordsmanship, it's no match for our Blissful Bewitching Charm."
"Master!" Shao Yang stepped forward, sword in hand. Seeing Jiang Shuying's eyes closed and her expression one of great pain, he hardened his heart and said to Mo Li, "To tell you the truth, the Youth-Preserving Pearl is no longer at Yinxi Cottage! If you want it, go find Lian Haichao on Seven Star Island yourself!"
Unexpectedly, Mo Li sneered, pointing at Shao Yang with his folding fan and saying, "Don't think you can fool me with such lies. I only want the Face-Stabilizing Pearl; everything else is irrelevant to me!"
Enraged, Shao Yang laughed coldly, flicked his wrist, and raised his sword to charge forward. "Senior Brother!" Yue Ruzheng cried out, forcefully pulling him back, saying, "Don't act rashly!"
"What else can we do now?!" Shao Yang flicked his sleeves, pointing at his master and the still trembling disciples, and said sternly, "Since it's already come to this, we might as well fight to the death. Mo Li, I'll make sure you get nothing!"
"Give me time, give me time! I'll go get the Youth-Preserving Pearl!" Yue Ruzheng supported Jiang Shuying with one hand and grabbed Shao Yang's sleeve with the other, slowly kneeling down on the ground, and cried out sadly.
Mo Li raised an eyebrow, and Su Mucheng stepped forward and whispered, "Valley Master, be careful, it might be a trap."
Mo Li nodded slightly, glanced at Yue Ruzheng, and said, "Little girl, where exactly is the Youth-Preserving Pearl? Are you really willing to hand it over?"
"No need to say more..." Yue Ruzheng struggled to lift her head, staring intently at him, and said, "I can give you the Youth-Preserving Pearl, but you must first cure my master and the others at Yinxi Xiaozhu of the poison! Otherwise, we can only watch helplessly as the pearl belongs to someone else!"
Mo Li raised his eyebrows, a slight smile appearing on his lips, and said, "This is not difficult." After saying that, he turned to Su Mucheng and said something, and Su Mucheng then relayed the message to his subordinates, and several people immediately headed into the forest.