Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 22

Chang Sheng shrugged, "There's no benefit to it. However... if they're not dead... they'll definitely settle accounts with the person who poisoned them first. If you didn't poison them, then they naturally won't have time to bother you."

Hei Yue smiled, revealing her gleaming white teeth. "I only know that this Flower Stream only has medicinal effects for three days. As long as you don't get injured within three days, it's fine. After all, I don't like playing with poison. Ah, Sister Jiang Qi might know."

Gongsun Yunhe, standing to the side, looked puzzled. He had clearly seen the two whispering to each other, yet despite his skill, he hadn't heard a single word. After a long while, Ye Changsheng tossed aside the branch, clapped his hands, and stood up, looking apologetic: "I wonder... what are your plans next?"

Gongsun Yunhe frowned, staring intently at the person before him, as if trying to gauge her trustworthiness. He slowly exhaled, "Let's stay here for now and talk again in a few days." Ye Changsheng smiled slightly, "That's fine then... but... do all the people on Luoyang Mountain know they've been poisoned by the Flower Stream?" Gongsun Yunhe frowned and shouted, "How do you know the others have also been poisoned by the Flower Stream?"

Ye Changsheng said slowly, "If this flower stream was not ingested by mistake, then someone deliberately poisoned it. In fact, there is no such poisonous herb on Luoyang Mountain. That means someone intentionally poisoned it... Even if it was intentional poisoning, such a bizarre and deadly poison can only mean three things. First, the person who poisoned it didn't want you to die immediately. They wanted you to at least go up the mountain, fight for a while, and bleed to death. Second, the poisoner couldn't be from Luoyang Tower. After all, if they wanted to poison you, they wouldn't have spared your lives to fight them. Third, there is likely a spy among you."

Gongsun Yunhe stared at Ye Changsheng's face, somewhat impressed. This man seemed muddle-headed but was actually quite clever; he quickly guessed what Gongsun Yunhe knew. He sighed and asked, "What that young lady said—who could the spy be?" Ye Changsheng smiled apologetically, "I cannot know that… It could be the cook, it could be the kitchen staff… it could be anyone among you. But…" "But what?" "But shouldn't Mr. Gongsun first gather everyone together, tell them the truth, and find a way down the mountain? If they're not careful, their lives could truly be in danger."

Hesitant and unable to make a decision, Gongsun Yunhe frowned and remained silent for a moment.

Changsheng blinked, then smiled and looked at Gongsun Yunhe, saying softly, "Right? Uncle Beard?"

Gongsun Yunhe was taken aback, staring at Ye Changsheng in disbelief, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You, you...you are..." Changsheng smiled softly, a smile like a child's, "Shh...Uncle Beard, can you keep this a secret for me?" After a long while, Gongsun Yunhe sighed deeply, his eyes even a little red, patted Ye Changsheng's head, turned his face away and murmured, "Okay...I won't tell, I won't tell, good child..." Changsheng looked up and smiled: "Uncle Beard, go find Uncle Bai and the others—let's go down the mountain together. This...is not a place to stay for long."

Shaking his head helplessly, Gongsun Yunhe gazed at the endless night sky: "The road down the mountain has long been blocked. We have no way out." He sighed deeply, looking at Ye Changsheng, "Since you're alive, why didn't you come back? So many people have grieved for you these past eight years. Your father… sigh…"

Chang Sheng stared intently at the person opposite him and asked seriously, "Uncle Beard, do you know what my father is going to do?" Gongsun Yunhe's body trembled. "You know?" Ye Chang Sheng thought for a moment. "Not entirely... but Uncle Han is dead, and now you've been inexplicably poisoned by the Flower Stream... you really shouldn't take such a risk... Is my father... on the mountain?" Gongsun Yunhe shook his head, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes.

Suddenly, a man in black appeared from the side. After receiving permission, he whispered a few words in Gongsun Yunhe's ear. Gongsun Yunhe was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Take me there quickly." He glanced back at Ye Changsheng before sighing and ultimately remained silent.

Hei Yue watched Gongsun Yunhe's departing figure, then shifted his gaze to Ye Changsheng. After a long while, he let out a soft breath, seemingly hesitant: "You are... Ye Sheng?"

Green leaning against the phoenix's voice

The night passed silently and seemed perfectly peaceful.

That night, however, someone slept very restlessly. The black moon leaned against the tree trunk, tossing and turning, having strange dreams all night long. One dream was that Luoyang Mountain was flooded, "whoosh," and the floodwaters reached the attic. Another dream was that he was swept up to the East Warm Pavilion by the flood, and he saw the little beauty chasing rabbits inside suddenly turn into a man, tug at his beard, pat his chest, and ask him to touch it...

Suddenly, he was shaken so badly that he sat up and yelled, "Whoa..." He opened his eyes and saw Ye Changsheng. She looked exhausted, yawned, and complained, "Stop yelling, I can't sleep." Then she rubbed her eyes, turned over, and went back to sleep.

Black Moon, now wide awake, sat up, her mind still foggy—this beautiful young woman in the East Warm Pavilion was claiming to be the legendary healer Ye Changsheng one moment, and the next she was Ye Sheng, dead for eight years. If she were truly a healer, how could she not know the meaning of the Flower Stream? If she were Ye Sheng, how could the Pavilion Master not know, and still keep her in the East Warm Pavilion? Besides, Ye Sheng was clearly a man, and should be much older than this young girl. Yet, her conversation with the old man, and his reaction, clearly indicated that she was Ye Sheng, dead for eight years and resurrected…

She sighed softly, then heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, she saw the purple-robed man who had hurriedly left with Gongsun Yunhe earlier. The man paused five steps away, and seeing that Hei Yue was awake, he stepped forward, nodded slightly, and said softly, "Miss is awake. May I wake Physician Ye? My master has important matters to discuss with you. Please come with me." Upon hearing this, Hei Yue nudged Ye Changsheng, pulled her sleepy eyes, and followed the purple-robed man.

Before long, she was led by Hei Yue through several groves and across several mountain streams to a cave. The cave was nestled against the mountain and beside a stream, with several large mulberry trees at its entrance, making it very secluded. The two exchanged a glance and followed Yang Ji inside.

In the rugged and towering Luoyang Mountain, Hei Yue should be much more familiar with the place than she is. Along the way, Ye Changsheng pulled Hei Yue along, asking her all sorts of questions. What kind of stream is this? What kind of flower is that? What kind of cave is this?... Hei Yue was completely at ease with his questions. She hadn't been to Luoyang Mountain for many years, and now it seemed that she really wasn't very familiar with this place.

After walking a few steps into the cave, they found themselves in complete darkness, their hands easily touching the walls. Rounding a bend, they saw a firelight, and their vision gradually widened. There were about ten people in the cave. Besides Gongsun Yunhe, Ling Baiyu, Zhong Qiniang, and others standing to one side, there was one person lying on the ground, seemingly injured. Gongsun Yunhe nodded upon seeing the newcomer, then glanced at the injured person and sighed. Ling Baiyu, upon seeing the newcomer, showed a flicker of surprise on his usually icy face, his gaze sweeping over Ye Changsheng several times.

Hei Yue tilted her head and stepped forward to examine the person on the ground. He had an aquiline nose, thin lips, and a pale face; faint traces of blood were visible on his dark clothes. "Please take a look, Doctor Ye," came Gongsun Yunhe's voice softly from beside her.

Ye Changsheng stepped forward and squatted down beside Bai Yinghong, carefully examining his wound—although it had been bandaged in layers, it still couldn't stop the blood from seeping out continuously.

I had heard before that Bai Zhu had been injured, and now seeing his condition, he must have been poisoned by Hua Xi. If there is no antidote, Bai Ying Hong will surely be on the verge of death within a day.

Ling Baiyu had always been deeply impressed by this divine physician. Apart from her resemblance to Ye Sheng, they had also spent the entire night drinking together at Linjiang Tower. Aside from being mild-mannered and timid, she didn't seem to have any other distinguishing qualities. Looking behind her, it seemed that the cunning young master in brocade robes hadn't come along this time. Bai Yinghong was in imminent danger, and thinking of Bai Qiuling, he couldn't help but feel extremely anxious. Seeing this, he raised his voice and asked, "Does the divine physician have any solutions?"

Ye Changsheng patted himself, stood up, and was about to speak when he was interrupted by a soft cough. Bai Yinghong stirred, slowly opened his eyes, and moved his lips, seemingly short of breath and unable to speak for a moment. Everyone was both surprised and delighted, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly that the number one doctor in the martial arts world truly lived up to his reputation. Without acupuncture or medicine, he had only needed to examine Bai Yinghong, who had been unconscious for a long time, to slowly wake up.

"You may leave first, but please stay, Physician Ye," Gongsun Yunhe said in a deep voice.

The crowd was momentarily confused, but seeing that Gongsun Yunhe had already spoken, they all withdrew one after another.

Bai Yinghong took a long breath, his voice weak: "Yunhe...cough cough, Yunhe, come here..."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yunhe quickly moved closer, grasped Bai Yinghong's hand, and said slowly, "Yes, I'm here."

Bai Yinghong gripped his hand tightly. His vision was blurred from blood loss, and it was nighttime. He groped around and handed a small box to Gongsun Yunhe, whispering, "Cough cough... This siege of Luoyang Tower was a huge conspiracy... We were all poisoned. He... he wanted us all to die on the mountain!" Do you remember the Zhou family of Kuizhou, wiped out overnight twenty-six years ago? Everyone said it was Liang Ning's doing, because people found Liang Ning's jade lotus-patterned flute in the ruins of the Zhou family estate… In an instant, Liang Ning became the murderer everyone in the martial arts world wanted to kill, thus falling into the demonic path. Twenty-six years later, Abbot Liaowu received a secret letter. The sender claimed to be a maid who escaped from the Zhou mansion twenty-six years ago. One day, she accidentally met Ye Junshan, the leader of the martial arts alliance, and suddenly remembered that the person who wiped out the entire Zhou family that day was none other than him… cough cough… We've been deceived for a full twenty-six years! Everyone says the seven great martial arts families are intricately intertwined; if one falls, all fall. We served him faithfully, killing them all… Those blocking the way. I never imagined the truth would be like this… And then there's the case of Guandong Village… cough cough… Abbot Liaowu had secretly gathered several major sects and families, but unexpectedly, Ye Junshan suddenly wanted to attack Luoyang Tower… To avoid arousing suspicion, we… we still went up the mountain. Who knew… who knew… From the beginning… from the beginning, we were murdered, cough, cough cough… Now the way down the mountain is blocked by the Ye family's shadow… We can only fight to the death, I… I can't go on…” He covered Gongsun Yunhe's hand, gripping that thing tightly, “This, this is what I found in the Ye residence, cough cough, evidence, I've always kept it with me, you must, you must deliver it to Abbot Liaowu… Remember!”

Gongsun Yunhe remained silent, gradually tightening his grip on Bai Yinghong's hand. He turned to look at Ye Changsheng behind him, nodded, but saw her step aside, her profile obscured by the darkness of the cave. She did not look up, and her expression was unreadable.

In the alluring red gauze-draped warm pavilion, Li Huangyin drank wine cup after cup. The small, crystal-clear luminous cups gleamed in his hands. His collar was open, and his collarbone was faintly visible in the dim candlelight.

"Your subordinate has confirmed that Ye Junshan's three thousand men have suffered more than half casualties, with the remaining small groups scattered throughout the mountains. The road down the mountain has been blocked by unknown forces. Judging from the corpses brought back... they seem to have been poisoned by... Flower Stream." Jiang Qi knelt on one knee and said in a low voice.

"Ye Junshan is indeed ruthless, leaving no way out." Li Huangyin smiled leisurely, her smile incomparably alluring and beautiful. "I'm afraid I can't let him have his way. His life, and the lives of those righteous sects in the martial arts world... I want them all!"

"Should we order Seventy-Two Blades to pursue and kill them immediately? Also..." Jiang Qi looked up cautiously at Li Huangyin, "Black Moon, Black Moon seems to be with Ye Changsheng."

"What do you want to say?" Li Huangyin asked softly, her eyes half-closed.

"I only wish to ask how the Lord intends to deal with Ye Changsheng?" Jiang Qi lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "I believe this man is a formidable enemy... it would be best to eliminate him!"

“She…” Li Huangyin’s gaze shifted, “Of course she has to live.”

"Lord!" Jiang Qi raised her voice slightly, paused, and looked directly at Li Huangyin, momentarily forgetting how to address her. "Eight years ago you could kill her, why are you letting her go now... Isn't she Ye Sheng? Don't you hate her very much?"

“What do you understand? I hate her, I do hate her… but she is me, isn’t she? She’s living my life, Li Huangyin’s life. Looking at her, I can know what I would be like if I hadn’t come this far, what I should have… This is a game, a game played with the lives of three thousand people…” Li Huangyin smiled, “What I’m pursuing is nothing more than a game with worthy opponents—to defeat Ye Sheng and Ye Junshan when I have a choice.”

Jiang Qi gradually calmed down. She could clearly see the brilliance in Li Huangyin's eyes. He needed this competition, to give it his all, to burn everything.

He was lonely, without family or friends. On the perpetually snow-covered summit of Luoyang Peak, his gaze had long since turned as cold as the pristine white snow. When did it begin…? When he learned that a renowned physician in the martial world named Ye Changsheng had seen through her identity—when he sensed Ye Junshan's impending actions—when he learned that Ye Changsheng was Ye Sheng…? Gradually, a light returned to his eyes, a radiant brilliance like crystal.

There were some things she seemed to understand, and others that she could never touch.

"This subordinate takes his leave." Jiang Qi bowed and respectfully rose to leave. He paused at the doorway, then turned back to give her a deep look.

Could his confidant be that person?

The situation on Luoyang Mountain was clear: Li Huangyin of Luoyang Tower was at odds with the Central Plains martial arts world, Ye Junshan's Ye family was lurking at the foot of the mountain, and the remaining sect members were scattered throughout the mountain. Luoyang Tower's forces, from their Ten Blades and the Luan Yue Twins to the Seventy-Two Blades, were all masters capable of taking on a hundred men each. Ye Junshan's shadowy figures were elusive and their movements unpredictable. In contrast, the remaining hundred or so men on Luoyang Mountain were too scattered, and most were likely suffering from the deadly poison of Huaxi. The disparity in strength was evident.

Unsure of who possessed the secret letter, Ye Junshan plotted to use Li Huangyin to kill Bai Yinghong and his group of martial artists. Li Huangyin aimed to eliminate the main force of the righteous sects of the Central Plains martial arts world, and simultaneously eradicate Ye Junshan. Ye Changsheng, perhaps, only wanted them to live…

If one day they were to turn against each other with swords drawn... Li Huangyin was not a soft-hearted person, and Ye Junshan was even less so. Even if one was his own son and the other was Ye Changsheng, whom he had personally taught for seventeen years, he would never even flinch.

The night wind was silent, with only the babbling of the Shuangjian Stream.

A handsome young man, with a clear and bright face like the moon and exquisite features, stood by the stream with his hands behind his back, head tilted back and eyes closed, his sleeves fluttering. When he opened his eyes, they were deep and dark, as dark as the surrounding night.

Soft footsteps sounded behind him. A woman in red sighed and sat down beside him, saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you to bring me here."

"It's nothing..." Helan Ronghua said calmly, "It's just that you haven't found him."

The woman in red was Ling Yueling, who had followed Helan Ronghua up the mountain. Her shoulder was now bandaged, and she stroked her wound, sighing, "I've never been injured before. Even if I encountered bad people outside, I wouldn't have to lift a finger. Ling Heng, he... sigh..."

“You used to boss him around, but now you’re worried about his safety and have come up the mountain yourself… Do people only become unwilling to let go after they’ve lost him?” The voice grew softer and softer, and the last sentence was almost inaudible.

Ling Yueling patted herself up and stood up, laughing brightly, "I haven't lost him, have I? I'm going to find him and tell him that I love him, that the reason I didn't want to marry Han Dang was because of him, and that I ran away from home so that he could catch up with me. He's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with!"

Helan Ronghua smiled faintly and nodded.

“Then, Young Master Helan… what about you?” Ling Yueling glanced at him and asked softly, “You and that Miss Ye from earlier must not have met only once, right… You must have known each other for a long time… You must… like her, right?”

Helan Ronghua seemed to have thought of something happy, a slight smile appearing on her lips as she said gently, "Yes... we've known each other for a long time..."

Aren't you going to go find her?

"Since she wants to leave, how can I stop her..." Helan Ronghua said calmly.

"Have you ever thought about going to catch her?" Ling Yueling looked at his dark eyebrows and said seriously, "If it were me, so what if he wants to leave? If he leaves, I will leave too. I will follow him to the ends of the earth, to the highest heavens and the deepest hells, until the moment he turns around and sees me."

The woman before him, dressed in flamboyant crimson, smiled radiantly. Helan Ronghua sighed softly, turned, and slowly walked away.

Creampie in daylight

Bai Yinghong had long since fallen into a deep coma. When the first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the layers of leaves and into the cave, he surprisingly snapped his fingers and slowly opened his eyes. Outside the cave, a radiant glow illuminated the scene; the mountain forest and valley were shrouded in morning mist, and the surrounding fields were verdant and bathed in sunlight—it was a new day. At this moment, Bai Yinghong was on his deathbed. With great effort, he raised his head to glance at Gongsun Yunhe, who had watched over him all night, and slowly exhaled. Not long after, he fell into a deep sleep again, plunging into eternal darkness.

That afternoon, amidst verdant pines and rolling hills, shrouded in mountain mist, dozens of martial arts practitioners gathered atop Mangtuo Peak. Gongsun Yunhe stood with his hands behind his back before the newly erected grave, his heart filled with utter desolation.

The seven great families are now severely weakened. The brothers of yesteryear are either dead, separated, or scattered. Now, those remaining are turning against each other. They once thought they could protect their family business and uphold the code of the martial world... but in just a few months, everything has collapsed... He slightly raised his head and looked at the resolute words on the simple tombstone, and murmured, "Ying Hong, you entrusted the burden to me, but I don't know if I can bear it. The children have grown up, and we are getting old... I will definitely bring you back to Kuizhou. Rest in peace."

Gongsun Yunhe turned and left, glancing at Ye Changsheng who stood silently, and sighed, "Divine Doctor, please come with me."

Ling Baiyu stood to one side with his sword in his arms. When Gongsun Yunhe passed by, he patted Ling Baiyu on the shoulder, leaned down and said something. Ling Baiyu nodded, stepped aside, and then leaped into the forest in a few bounds.

Ye Changsheng followed Gongsun Yunhe for about ten zhang when the man in front suddenly stopped, slowly turned around, and said with a slightly solemn expression, “Given the current situation… I don’t know how many of us have been poisoned. A day has passed, and whether it’s Li Huangyin or Ye Junshan, they may take action in the remaining two days. Therefore…” He patted Changsheng’s shoulder, “I hope you can protect Bai Yu, Xi’er, and Qiniang and get them away.”

After saying that, he took out a small box from behind his back, paused, and continued, "Then he handed this box to Abbot Wufang. If I can get you out of the mountain alive, I will be at peace."

Changsheng took the box, his fingertips touching the intricate patterns on it. He seemed somewhat moved, and slowly raised his head with a slight smile. "I will do my best."

After a long while, the two exchanged a smile. On this Luoyang Mountain, they were caught in a pincer movement, unable to go up, only able to go down. Going down the mountain might be their only way out, but if they turned back up, they would be attacked from both sides. In the next two days, both sides would surely mobilize their forces to relentlessly pursue and kill them. Sitting and waiting for death was a poor strategy. It would be better to seize an opportunity and find a way to break through.

Back in the cave, most of the people were sitting cross-legged, regulating their breathing. Only Hei Yue drifted around, sometimes touching the nine ordination scars on the head of Master Kongxiang in the Shaolin Temple Sutra Pavilion, sometimes lifting Shi Bogeng's Vajra Rake, and almost taking off the hat of Abbess Jinghui of Emei.

For a moment, Ye Changsheng couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He hurriedly caught up, grabbed him, and pulled him out of the cave after much persuasion.

"Ahem..." Ye Changsheng smoothed his sleeves and smiled kindly. "Hei Yue, it's time for you to go back. If Master Li finds out that you've been with us all this time, you'll definitely be punished when you get back."

Black Moon shuddered, and the sounds of venomous snakes and leeches in the Yellow Springs immediately filled the air. His expression changed, and after a moment of contemplation, his eyes darted around. Suddenly, he shouted with a thunderous roar, "Fine! Then I'll follow the little beauty—and not go back!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Changsheng immediately frowned, feeling that his earnest advice had been completely ineffective. However, since Hei Yue was determined to risk his life with them, he felt that he could not let his little brother's efforts go to waste. He patted Hei Yue's shoulder and asked, "Ah..." Changsheng nodded and asked, "Do you know where else, besides the summit, leads to the bottom of Luoyang Cliff?"

"What are you doing at the bottom of the cliff?" Black Moon was stunned for a moment, her eyes widened, and then she suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Do you want to jump off the cliff?"

Hei Yue, of course, had never seen Ye Sheng eight years ago, nor had she witnessed the scene of Ye Sheng being pierced through the chest by Li Huangyin's sword and falling off the cliff. She had only overheard the old folks on the cliff talking about the bloody battles and old grudges on Luoyang Cliff back then. She wondered if Ye Changsheng thought that one fall was fine, so he wanted to jump again to escape from the bottom of the cliff?

Just as he was about to say a few words of comfort, Ye Changsheng shook his head repeatedly and explained earnestly, "You must never do anything to commit suicide. It's so good to be alive, so good to be alive..."

Hei Yue paused, blinked her dark eyes, swallowed the words she was about to say, and patted her head: "Ah... I remember there's the Qu Sang Undercurrent below Luoyang Tower; you could easily be swept away if you weren't careful." As she said this, Hei Yue glanced at Ye Changsheng, who was smiling like a spring breeze across from her, and wondered how he had managed to survive the turbulent Qu Sang Undercurrent. After thinking for a while, she added, "Besides jumping in... jumping in... ah! The water of Shuangjian seems to flow in that direction."

Ye Changsheng quickly gave him an approving smile, nodded, and said, "Good boy." He turned around, dusted off his sleeves, and slowly walked away.

Evening arrived in the blink of an eye.

A gentle evening breeze rustled the leaves in the forest. Ling Baiyu frowned. The sky was gradually darkening. This forest was damp and deserted, hardly the place where anyone had ever been. Gongsun Xi and his group should not be in this vicinity.

Crows and owls cried out overhead as they returned to their nests, and mist gradually rose in the mountains, obscuring visibility to no more than ten steps ahead.

Suddenly, a fierce wind arose ahead, whipping up dust and fallen leaves. Ling Baiyu drew his sword and dodged to the side, fully alert. A shadowy figure loomed ahead. He narrowed his eyes—a woman in crimson robes, like blood, stood amidst the swirling leaves, her garments fluttering. She held a massive, bronze, curved sword as tall as a man, raising an eyebrow with a cold smile, her beauty like a ghost from prison. It was none other than the Seventy-Two Blades of Ripping Silk he had encountered earlier.

The wind gradually subsided—a dull thud followed. A few feet away, the woman swung her broadsword, laughing wildly, "It's you again. This time—I suppose no one will bother us again."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the woman in red appeared, sword in hand, flashing towards him. Her figure moved swiftly through the falling leaves, making her difficult to discern. Ling Baiyu leaned against a tree trunk, observing his surroundings. Suddenly, the shadow of the tree shifted, and the woman in red, sword and all, lunged forward, wielding her sword with one hand and slashing straight at Ling Baiyu's chest. Her attack was fierce and menacing.

Ling Baiyu narrowly dodged to the side, fully aware of the power of the bronze ring-handled saber wielded by the woman in red. Knowing he couldn't confront her head-on, he retreated several steps. Seeing this, Liebo smiled contemptuously, spun around, and gave chase, his blade flashing with ruthless speed. Ling Baiyu suddenly dodged another attack, twisting his waist to thrust his sword back at Liebo's chest, but the latter unexpectedly deflected it with a swift swing of her saber. Without fancy moves or strategy—the woman had deftly countered his "Soaring Eagle's Wave" move with her greatsword alone.

With a sharp crack, her longsword gleamed, and in the midst of the danger, the fierce wind from the blade whipped her clothes and hair as she hastily retreated. Ling Baiyu inwardly cried out in alarm, noticing a crack in the blade. She looked down in horror to see a spruce tree, as thick as three men, that had just stood behind her had been shattered by her blade, its shadow swaying and splinters flying. In an instant, Liebo laughed loudly, drew her sword, and leaped forward, chasing after Ling Baiyu with a speed that was almost imperceptible.

Ling Baiyu instinctively wanted to retreat, but suddenly realized that if he kept retreating, he would have no foothold and no way to defend himself. If he kept dodging, his stamina would be depleted, and he would eventually be even less able to deal with the woman.

The thought arose, and with a steely resolve, he decided to take the gamble. His retreating step faltered slightly, but he brought his sword together and lunged straight forward. This sword strike, "Wild Goose Returns to Zhurong," was delivered with all his might.

With a sharp "whoosh," Liebo plunged her sword into the ground, spun around, and rose to her feet, sending a flurry of fallen leaves flying. Ling Baiyu missed her target, her back instantly exposed. However, her forward momentum remained, and she couldn't turn back in time. Just then, Liebo swiftly struck out with a palm strike. Ling Baiyu suddenly trembled violently, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and felt numb all over, her chest throbbing with pain. Gritting her teeth, she took advantage of Liebo's inability to withdraw her sword and thrust it towards her right shoulder, only to have it deflected by Liebo's bare hands. Taking advantage of the opening, Ling Baiyu quickly retreated, bracing herself with one hand on the ground, barely escaping death.

As the fallen leaves settled, Liebo drew her sword, glanced at Ling Baiyu who was panting on the ground not far away, shook her head as if regretting it, and said in a seductive voice, "I thought you would be a worthy opponent, but it seems you only lasted a little longer than the previous one. The result is the same." She slowly raised her sword, her phoenix eyes sharpened, and she instantly moved forward, swinging her bronze greatsword to strike.