"Uncle-Master, I just received a letter. Abbess Dingni, Daoist Siyou, Abbot Chankong, and Sect Leader Fangyun will all send people to support Dongqi Pavilion," Liuying said.
"Does Second Senior Brother know?" Xue Qing asked.
"Master really did pull Pavilion Master Xiao to drink and celebrate," Liu Ying replied.
Is drinking a celebration for Dongchou? He drinks every time he comes back from the outhouse; is it to celebrate that his digestive system is functioning well?
Kunlun Palace, those opportunistic—no, they should be praised as shrewd and perceptive—while withdrawing batches of disciples sent to support Xilin Pavilion, simultaneously shouted slogans to Xilin Pavilion: "Hold on, brother! Big brother's a bit weak. Watch a few more minutes of porn and you'll be back in full force!" Although Pavilion Master Cheng had a pure heart, he wasn't stupid. Given Kunlun Palace's reputation in the martial world, he had no hope for them; his hopes lay with Mingyu. The Desert People's ruthless, hard-working nature—they wanted Xilin Pavilion to be their inside maneuver and foothold in the Central Plains, so they were willing to go to great lengths to help them—made them seem more reliable than Kunlun Palace, who were also in the Central Plains camp. A tremendous irony.
But what Pavilion Master Cheng didn't know was that the reinforcements from the Desert Wasteland were also having a tough time. Their commander kept them constantly busy, tinkering here and there, seemingly busy and efficient, but in reality, they were doing nothing but rubbish. As for Xue Qing's orders, no matter how absurd or stupid, Qi would execute them without question or objection, almost making Xue Qing think he was a second Liu Ying. However, his aura wasn't as reassuring as Liu Ying's; beneath his lethal exterior lay the heart of a hunter. He remained motionless because he was intently watching his prey, waiting for the opportune moment to tear it apart instantly.
The situation was going so smoothly that Pavilion Master Cheng was like a brown bear trapped in a cage, powerless to break free, preferring to fight to the death. The West Lin Pavilion's sudden, all-out war against the East Qi Pavilion was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, unexpectedly catching the East Qi Pavilion off guard. This was far beyond the capabilities of the West Lin Pavilion. Someone extended a helping hand to the West Lin Pavilion; according to the guards' reports, it had been confirmed that they were from the Underworld.
Although Dong Chou and Xiao Guiying frowned, they were not surprised. Only Xue Qing and Liu Ying knew what this meant. Xue Qing was the person in charge personally appointed by Yan Ming, and her orders had a higher priority than those of An Luo, who was in charge of liaison. She certainly wouldn't order the people from the Underworld to attack Dong Qige. Could it be that An Luo had been promoted? Or... Xue Qing dared not think any further. God help me, I hope it's not. No, it absolutely cannot be. God, have pity on your people!
It's useless to pray to Buddha at the last minute if you don't burn incense regularly. No matter how much money Xue Qing donated to the temple before her final exams, she still failed her major course. So, no matter how many generations of praise she gave to God and her ancestors, God would not bless her.
The enemy troops were like they were on drugs, advancing with unstoppable momentum. The guards of Dongqi Pavilion were forced to retreat towards the mountaintop. Seeing that the situation was not good, Xiao Guiying first instructed the maids to prepare for escape. If the soldiers at the front were defeated, they could either run away or surrender, which was considered a final explanation to them.
"I'll stay here and wait for you too," Xue Qing said. She had lost her martial arts skills, so going with them would just be adding another wronged soul to the chaos.
“No, it’s not safe here either. Who knows if someone will come to ambush us? It’s better if you come with us so we can take care of you,” Dong Chou said, eager to go to the front line with Xiao Guiying to provide support. Xue Qing had no choice but to go with him, holding the Second Young Master’s hidden sword tightly in her hand, so tightly that she didn’t even feel it when she was sweating.
Reaching the mountainside, they were met with shouts of battle. Xiao Guiying and Dong Chou immediately drew their weapons and joined the fight. Jian Die's skills were more than enough to deal with the minor enemies, while Liu Ying guarded Xue Qing's side, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close to her. This was the first time they had personally experienced a chaotic battle. This was not like the cooks in Changsheng Town wielding kitchen knives for show; these were real combat, with each side determined to kill the other. The air was thick with the stench of blood, and even Liu Ying's usually spotless Qingyun sword was stained with blood.
Xue Qing was on edge. In the chaotic crowd, she spotted Qi's figure—it really was someone from the Underworld. Why? Someone tried to slash Xue Qing with a knife, but Liu Ying blocked it with her sword. Then someone attacked Xue Qing from behind. Liu Ying, helpless, could only use her palm strike to send the attacker flying. Xue Qing thought to herself, "If only I knew martial arts, at least I wouldn't be such a burden now." Several more people attacked Liu Ying. She pointed her sword at the person on the far left, the blade slowly tracing a semi-circle, sword energy surging, then quickly withdrew the sword, sending those people flying a considerable distance.
"Xue Qing, your junior apprentice is quite capable." The sound waves in the air carried an eerie, desert-like quality, familiar yet terrifying. Impossible, why would he come?
Yan Ming ripped the heart out of the man blocking his way with his bare hands and tossed it aside. The man slowly collapsed, revealing his arrogant, mocking smile. Meeting Yan Ming's gaze, Xue Qing trembled like a lamb to the slaughter, a sense of despair washing over her. Seeing Yan Ming approach Xue Qing, Liu Ying drew her sword and thrust it at him. Yan Ming dodged, but Liu Ying pursued relentlessly.
"Firefly! Stop!" Xue Qing cried out anxiously. That guy wasn't human at all; he was the male lead!
"It's fine to play along with you," Yan Ming's mocking smile remained, as he glanced at a lowly soldier from the underworld and said, "Go and capture that woman over there who doesn't know martial arts; I have some questions for her."
The man obeyed and walked step by step towards Xue Qing. Liu Ying wanted to go back to save Xue Qing, but Yan Ming would not allow it. Xue Qing had nowhere to escape, standing there as if awaiting death. No, she couldn't admit defeat. Liu Ying hadn't given up yet, so how could she? Even if she was going to die anyway, she would die in resistance, so as not to betray Liu Ying's feelings. Her body was shrouded in the shadow of the hunter. Xue Qing pointed the tip of her hidden sword at the person in front of her and stabbed him into his vitals with lightning speed and all her might. The man was shocked, never expecting that the woman who had always been like a lamb would have such a move. But even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Seeing that the man was still breathing, Xue Qing, her mind blank, pulled out the hidden sword and stabbed him wildly until he fell like a hedgehog. Only then did she calm down.
Yan Ming and Liu Ying were still entangled. Yan Ming had no intention of fighting Liu Ying, but Liu Ying pressed on relentlessly, hindering Yan Ming's progress and preventing him from carrying out his other plans. Yan Ming parried and retreated simultaneously. Even he found Liu Ying's sword energy troublesome. Suddenly, an idea came to him. Yan Ming smiled inwardly, raised an arm, and his profound inner strength pulled Xue Qing towards him like a suction cup. Xue Qing felt the surrounding air instantly thin. As if pulled by an invisible hand, she was abruptly dragged to Yan Ming's side. With one hand around Xue Qing's neck, Yan Ming smiled and said to Liu Ying, "Put down your sword and stand still, or I'll give you her head."
Liu Ying stared at Yan Ming, threw the Qingyun Sword in front of her, and Yan Ming picked it up and suddenly stabbed it into Liu Ying's body.
"You bastard!" Xue Qing shouted angrily.
Yan Ming tightened his grip on Xue Qing's neck, and a few drops of blood trickled down his fingertips. Pain and fear were no match for the rage in Xue Qing's heart—rage against Yan Ming, and against herself. In dramas, assassins often bite their tongues to commit suicide after being captured. Rather than become a weakness to be used against, she might as well just... Xue Qing tried to bite her tongue, but Yan Ming grabbed her chin in time, squeezing so hard it felt like her bones were about to shatter, rendering her face immobile.
"Your life is mine, how can you waste it like this? I still have questions for you," Yan Ming whispered in Xue Qing's ear, then stabbed Liu Ying again, and again...
Liu Ying's blue clothes were stained with blood, yet he still looked at Xue Qing tenderly, a gentle smile comforting her. The hand holding Xue Qing's was not only bloody, but also wet with tears. Xue Qing couldn't control her emotions; she was angry, heartbroken, and desperate. No matter how hard she tried to hold back, tears streamed down her face. Her fear of Yan Ming had turned into hatred. She hated him so much!
"Yan Ming!" A weak yet angry voice rang out as Nangong Luoluo rushed over, supported by her maid.
"Luo Luo!" Yan Ming released Xue Qing and exclaimed in surprise, "You're not feeling well, why are you still wandering around?"
Upon gaining her freedom, Xue Qing's first reaction was to rush to Liu Ying's side and hug him, only then realizing that he had been stubbornly holding on all along.
"Miss Nangong!" Xiao Guiying, who had rushed back, was surprised to see Nangong Luoluo. He then saw Liuying covered in blood in Xue Qing's arms. He gritted his teeth and went to Xue Qing and Liuying.
“It’s dangerous here. I’ll escort you out, and after that… leave it to fate,” Xiao Guiying said.
Xue Qing carried Liu Ying back to Dongqi Pavilion. Fortunately, she met Fang'er, who found a clean room for the two of them and helped call the old doctor.
The old doctor frowned as he examined Liu Ying's injuries. He instructed Xue Qing to prepare a basin of hot water and clean and bandage Liu Ying's wounds.
The wound had just been bandaged when a commotion broke out outside the door. The door was kicked open, and Dongchou rushed in, throwing himself at Liuying's bedside: "Doctor, how is my apprentice?"
This was also the question Xue Qing wanted to know, but she didn't dare to speak for fear of disturbing the doctor's bandaging.
"This is all I can do. Please seek help from someone more skilled," the old doctor said.
"What? What did you say?" Xue Qing thought she must have misheard and grabbed the old doctor, refusing to let go.
“Miss Xue, I have done my best. Young Master Liuying has eleven wounds, one of which is in a vital spot. It is thanks to his profound internal strength that he can protect his heart and hold on for a little longer. Rather than tormenting him for another two days, it would be better to let him rest in peace sooner.”
"Shut up! I'm not listening to you!" Xue Qing turned to Xiao Guiying and shouted, "Go and find all the doctors from Qilin Mountain! I don't believe no one can save him!"
Author's note: Power outage, what a tragedy! Days without electricity are so dark, so dark, so dark...
Below is a short skit featuring the game prizes: Bai Xichen
"Tearful Princess, she wanted to go back to the Underworld to rest, but she sent Young Master to find some Snow Mountain Ice Silkworm again." Zhi Qiu complained as she followed Bai Xichen.
"The book says that applying the silk spun by the Snow Mountain Ice Silkworm to the face can rejuvenate the skin. I helped her find the Ice Silkworm, and she gave me other things I wanted. It's a fair deal," Bai Xichen said dismissively.
"Young master, are you sure the Snow Mountain Ice Silkworm is here?" Zhi Qiu asked. The two were walking on the street of the small town, surrounded by vendors hawking their wares. It didn't seem like a place with any rare treasures.
“I have consulted many ancient books. The Snow Mountain Ice Silkworm prefers cold and will hibernate or even die in high-temperature places. So far, only a few have been found near the Kunlun Mountains,” Bai Xichen said.
“But… this doesn’t look like Kunlun Mountain,” Zhi Qiu muttered. She had heard that Kunlun Mountain was extremely high, and that the summit was higher than the clouds. This mountain in front of her didn’t look very high at all.
"Shut up. How could I be wrong if I followed the map? Focus on finding it," Bai Xichen scolded.
Zhi Qiu pouted and stopped talking.
A peddler selling medicine with a large basket on the ground stopped Bai Xichen: "Young man, not feeling well? I have a ten-ounce old ginseng here, I guarantee the girls around you will be laughing all night." As he spoke, he lewdly picked up the ginseng and showed it to Bai Xichen.
"It is white and tender, with rough horizontal lines and sparse roots, indicating that it is of very poor quality," Bai Xichen commented.
The vendor was dumbfounded, then laughed and said, "Haha, I've met an expert. I'm sorry, I was being presumptuous."