The Qingfeng Gang and Broken Blade Sect discovered Liu Yan’s trail at Flowing Water River. This thief was traveling toward Qihun Mountain with a dozen or so youths, apparently having gotten separated from Tang Lici and preparing to return to Piaoli Mei Garden to reclaim power.
Seeing Liu Yan’s scarred face and limping appearance with a walking stick, the Qingfeng Gang and Broken Blade Sect consulted and sent over thirty disciples to surround and kill Liu Yan. If this succeeded, it would surely be an achievement that would be remembered for ages!
Liu Yan and Yu Tuan’er had escaped from Jiang Family Garden and bid farewell at the foot of Bull Head Mountain to the three hundred disciples who had risked their lives to save them under Shui Duopo’s sacrifice. Most of these people were Tang Lici’s subordinates. Having learned the Nine Heart Pills detoxification method, they followed the secret travel arrangements previously made by Wan Qiao Zhai, splitting up to travel separately. A few young disciples secretly sent from righteous sects like Biluo Palace volunteered to escort Liu Yan to Qihun Mountain. They originally hated this “former demon of Fengliu Store” to the bone, and volunteering to learn the detoxification method was also enduring humiliation, but having received life-saving grace from Shui Duopo in the secret passage of Jiang Family Garden, and knowing that before the Nine Heart Pills poison was resolved, Liu Yan was of great importance, they were willing to do their best.
These two groups met at Flowing Water River and immediately began fighting.
“You bunch of troublesome fools! We’re going to the Central Plains Sword Association to deliver the antidote! If you kill Liu Yan here, the Nine Heart Pills poison can’t be cured, and you’ll be criminals of the martial world!” A young disciple blocked a blade from a Broken Blade Sect member. He was only sixteen and couldn’t help but feel aggrieved, so he started cursing.
“I think you’re all subordinates of Fengliu Store, pretending to be good Samaritans delivering antidotes? Nine Heart Pills are extremely malicious with no antidote at all. My junior brother died from the poison, and now I want this Liu to pay with his life!” The chief disciple of Broken Blade Sect sneered coldly. “If you’re not his subordinates, why are you protecting him?”
The young disciple was almost moved to tears of anger. “You’re being unreasonable!”
The Broken Blade Sect’s chief disciple held his long blade horizontally. “Evil demons and heretics should be eliminated by everyone.” His martial arts were much superior to these teenagers. One blade strike came with imposing authority. The young disciple’s long sword was broken by one chop, and when another person beside him tried to help, he was cut with a bloody gash by the Broken Blade Sect chief disciple’s left-hand blade.
The Broken Blade Sect chief disciple actually wielded twin blades.
Yu Tuan’er was fighting with others and heard the sound, turning back. “Brother Bai!”
The young man who was almost moved to tears was surnamed Bai, named Yuan, and was Gu Xitan’s junior brother.
Seeing that Gu Xitan’s junior brother was about to die at the hands of Broken Blade Sect, a walking stick struck out, blocking the long blade.
Bai Yuan was stunned—it was actually Liu Yan who had acted to save him. He naturally knew Liu Yan’s martial arts were ruined and both legs were broken, still limping to this day. That this demon would risk his life to save him was incredible, though this demon usually didn’t seem much like a demon.
The Broken Blade Sect chief disciple saw Liu Yan act and originally had slight hesitation, but when his long blade clashed with the walking stick, he already knew the opponent’s internal power was depleted. His heart immediately burned with excitement and overwhelming joy.
If not now, when? Once he returned to Piaoli Mei Garden and healed his injuries, who in the world could kill him? He immediately put forth his full power, using the move “Beacon Fire Illuminates Sweet Spring” to chop toward Liu Yan’s head.
Liu Yan lightly touched with his walking stick, pushing “Beacon Fire Illuminates Sweet Spring” aside by three inches, but the Broken Blade Sect chief disciple didn’t have just one blade—his other blade chopped toward Liu Yan’s dantian.
Yu Tuan’er screamed and turned around. The Qingfeng Gang disciple behind her seized the opening, wounding her back with a sword, causing blood to gush out.
Liu Yan struck the Broken Blade Sect’s long blade with one palm. His heart had been like still water, but suddenly seeing Yu Tuan’er turn and get injured, his heart was startled, his hand’s force went awry, and that blade truly cut him as well.
The Broken Blade Sect chief disciple laughed loudly and brought one blade down toward Liu Yan’s head.
With a clear “clang,” a figure flashed in the distance, and a sword suddenly appeared, blocking that blade. The newcomer grabbed Liu Yan and threw him backward, frowning. “The Central Plains Sword Association is here. Who dares act recklessly?”
The Broken Blade Sect chief disciple angrily said, “Meng Qinglei! You falsely claim to be righteous martial arts, yet you collude with evil demons and heretics? How can you face the innocent wronged souls who died under Nine Heart Pills?”
Meng Qinglei’s face darkened. “Liu Yan deserves death a thousand times over, but now we must first bring him back to the Central Plains Sword Association. After the Nine Heart Pills poison is resolved, we will certainly cut him into pieces, and we’ll invite all of you to witness it then. The Central Plains Sword Association has fought Fengliu Store to the death here, with so many heroic warriors sacrificing themselves for the cause. I, Meng, also have this resolve—how can you pollute my Sword Association’s heart with the words ‘collude with’? Can you face the martial world comrades who died in Piaoli Mei Garden?”
The Broken Blade Sect chief disciple, glared at by him, lost three parts of his momentum. “The Central Plains Sword Association’s great reputation still couldn’t slaughter Fengliu Store… Who knows whether you’re putting on an act here or truly working for the dead?”
Meng Qinglei smiled coldly. “Putting on an act?” He raised his sword pointing at the sky. “Heaven above, within three days, if my Sword Association doesn’t level Fengliu Store, may I, Meng, be struck by five thunderbolts and die horribly!”
The disciples of Qingfeng Gang and Broken Blade Sect were stunned. Meng Qinglei actually made such wild claims?
Liu Yan had his acupoints sealed and was thrown to Tie Jing, and hearing these words, was also dumbfounded.
Yu Tuan’er was supported by Gu Xitan, and hearing that Fengliu Store would be leveled within three days, was also bewildered.
But she saw both Tie Jing and Gu Xitan nod.
Tang Lici wanted the Central Plains Sword Association to remain neutral and not cross the line.
But Wanyu Yuedan and Miss Hong had observed for three days already.
There must be earth-shaking changes within Fengliu Store. Having observed for three days, there was no need to observe further.
They decided to act.
The martial world was stirred into tremendous upheaval. According to rumors, the demon Liu Yan of Fengliu Store had been captured by the Central Plains Sword Association, and the Sword Association had also obtained the “Nine Heart Pills” antidote from him.
The Sword Association announced through “Fallen Thirteen Towers” that if any martial world friends suffered from “Nine Heart Pills” poison, they could come to the Central Plains Sword Association’s base at Qihun Mountain to receive the antidote for detoxification.
Once this news broke, those who had taken “Nine Heart Pills” to enhance their power couldn’t help but rush to Qihun Mountain, while those who feared Nine Heart Pills poison and dared not take it also secretly hurried to Qihun Mountain. Everyone knew that “Nine Heart Pills” poison could enhance internal power—if this poison could be easily resolved, then if they didn’t take it, wouldn’t they fall far behind others?
As for going to Qihun Mountain, they would mostly have to get involved in the battle between Fengliu Store and the Central Plains Sword Association—since the Sword Association had produced the antidote, it must be what everyone hoped for and what all hearts desired. Fengliu Store, such evil thieves, should be eliminated by everyone. They must unite with the Sword Association and kill all the evildoers of Fengliu Store to demonstrate the righteous spirit of our martial world.
Two groups who arrived early at the Central Plains Sword Association immediately took the antidote, and after acupoint needle treatment, indeed reduced most of the suffering from poison attacks, causing great joy and excitement. With their mortal concern resolved and many people poisoned, who could tell whether these people had taken the medicine out of greed or had been forced to compromise after being harmed? At this time, being poisoned by Nine Heart Pills was no longer some deep secret, but rather evidence of our irreconcilable enmity with Fengliu Store. Suddenly, the Central Plains Sword Association had tremendous momentum, united in will, wanting to level Fengliu Store and capture Tang Lici alive!
Liu Yan and Yu Tuan’er were housed by Wanyu Yuedan beside her own tent, with other young disciples also staying in nearby tents—these children were of great importance. Tang Lici had arranged for three hundred disciples to learn the detoxification method from Liu Yan, with the focus being to cast a wide net. Most of these three hundred disciples probably included spies from various sects and schools, but that didn’t matter—one more person learning it might save several more lives and gain several more allies against Fengliu Store.
They split into several groups, either scattered throughout the martial world or rushing to Qihun Mountain to participate in battle. Because they were ordinary youths without martial arts, they were hard to identify and easy to hide, and because there were many of them, they weren’t afraid of losses. When Wan Qiao Zhai selected these young people, they had already signed agreements with them—this journey was extremely dangerous, entirely voluntary, and if there were deaths or injuries, they would be heavily compensated.
Whether Tang Lici actually cared about these youths’ lives or deaths, no one knew.
Shui Duopo and Mo Ziru had died in battle for this.
That day, Jiang Family Garden was engulfed in raging flames. The fire once died down but then reignited, ultimately burning through the mountain passage. The fierce fire actually gushed out from underground river caves following the water flow, floating on the water and extending dozens of zhang. That night, the black water carrying flames wound into the forest. Stars, moon, and fierce fire shone together. Seventeen monks from Shaolin Temple heard the commotion and came, standing on various mountain peaks gazing at the wildfire on the water. After an unknown amount of time, the flames illuminating the flowing water finally slowly extinguished.
Fire floating on water naturally meant someone had used oil.
And obviously, that wasn’t ordinary oil.
Shaolin Temple had also sent people to the ruins of Jiang Family Garden. They saw corpses scattered everywhere and a huge pit that had collapsed in the courtyard. The pit had both upward and downward sword marks, was burned black inside, and was filled with long arrows. It didn’t look like martial world people had fought here, but rather like two armies had faced each other, using heavy weapons like fire oil and continuous crossbows.
But looking at those sword marks, it seemed that when fire oil continuous crossbows fired simultaneously, someone had swung a sword upward from below, deflecting most arrows while shattering the rock overhead and rushing out from underground. What divine being had such nearly miraculous powerful sword techniques? Such an expert—was he friend or foe? If an enemy, given Shaolin’s current troubled times, perhaps no one could stop him. The seventeen Shaolin monks put their palms together and chanted Buddha’s name at these sword marks, their expressions all somber.