With Changling’s swift reflexes, before the mudflow rushed over, her left and right hands grabbed the shoulders of her two disciples and leaped backward, barely stabilizing on a tall tree.
She had intended to jump down the mountain in one smooth motion, but the mudflow didn’t continue spreading downward as imagined. Like a wave crashing and then receding, it stopped with no further movement.
Only then did they jump down, wading through the mud and hurrying forward. Some martial artists who had been closer managed to pull half their bodies out of the mud on their own, coughing continuously. Seeing people approaching, they waved their arms desperately like grasping at straws, pointing behind them. “Our senior martial brothers are still up ahead! Quick, quick, dig them out!”
Changling pulled out several fellow disciples who were deeply stuck in the mud, one by one. The moment her hand touched the muddy ground, she understood clearly—an ordinary mountain collapse or mudslide, even if not endless, would never stop after just one wave. Moreover, this muddy water was mostly sand and earth, making it seem more man-made than a natural disaster.
The martial artists who had narrowly escaped death joined Zhou Qin and Fu Yanyang in digging through the earth to rescue people. However, the further forward they went, the deeper the mud pit became. Not to mention the pitch darkness beneath this desolate mountain—even someone as perceptive as Changling could only identify locations by sound, saving whoever she could.
At this time, Ye Qi arrived with Xu Laifeng. Seeing the chaotic scene, both were dumbstruck. Before they could ask questions, Young Marquis Ye reacted first, immediately turning to Xu Laifeng. “While the water hasn’t completely drained away, quickly!”
With those words, he flew up and landed with his palm covering the ground. In an instant, within three zhang, mud and earth exploded upward, and several martial artists immediately exposed their heads, coughing and gasping heavily.
“Qi originates in the dantian, consciousness guards the Laogong point, ascends to the Chonglou, etherealize to avoid…” Ye Qi spoke rapidly. Others didn’t know what he was chanting, but Xu Laifeng immediately recognized it as the second layer mental method of the Wanhua Compendium.
“…Capture spirit as seed, control heart as soul—” The moment the last word fell, Xu Laifeng’s palms radiated purple qi. Like a thousand-pound weight dropping to the ground, his long-accumulated profound internal power was like a dragon passing through sand, tilting earth outward. In an instant, it exploded more than ten zhang, sending people and earth flying as the mudflow tumbled.
This time, not just the buried people, but even the flowers, grass, snakes, insects, rats, and ants in the soil flew up to the sky.
At this time the rain gradually stopped. Those who were rescued caught their breath. Though all shaken with lingering fear, at least no one had been buried alive to death, which could be considered fortunate amid misfortune.
Wang Xun and Mo Chuan, disregarding their mud-covered state, both stepped forward to thank Xu Laifeng. Xu Laifeng was still marveling at his own earth-shattering, soul-stirring move just now and waved his hand unconcernedly. “No need for courtesy, it was nothing.”
Ye Qi thought to himself: So the Wanhua Compendium mastered by someone with profound internal power has such terrifying force.
But a mudflow rolling down the mountain for no reason—he saw the current situation wasn’t safe. Just as he was about to have Wang Xun and Mo Chuan first take everyone back, he heard Changling say, “There seems to be someone up ahead. I’ll go take a look… Island Master Xu, I trouble you to watch over Young Marquis Ye.”
“Come back!” Ye Qi was about to chase after her, but having acted urgently just now, his internal breath was severely depleted. With this step, he nearly stumbled. Xu Laifeng’s eyes and hands were quick as he caught him, asking strangely, “Young Marquis Ye?”
“Never mind me…” Ye Qi pointed in the direction where Changling’s figure had disappeared. “You quickly go chase her back for me…”
Xu Laifeng said with difficulty, “Between you two, she told me to watch you, and you tell me to watch her. Whom should I listen to?”
Ye Qi gritted his teeth. “Listen to whoever taught you martial arts!”
The black shadow on the mountainside flashed past. Changling used force in her feet to accelerate, quickly passing over the mud pool.
She naturally knew that tonight’s sudden “natural disaster” was nine times out of ten a trap set for Eastern Xia, but to release mud, water, and sand all at once at the appropriate time, there must be someone executing it on the mountain.
From a prudent perspective, she shouldn’t have rashly pursued like this, but thinking about it, without the Xiaoyao Sect’s tacit approval, who could set up this kind of trap on Nine Linked Mountains with their own power alone—as long as she caught this culprit tonight, perhaps it could serve as evidence to make the Xiaoyao Sect’s leader reveal his true face, thereby rescuing her eldest brother.
With this thought, she leaped through the air and landed steadily on solid ground at the mountainside.
The dense dark clouds gradually dispersed, revealing a bit of skylight. Not far away, the sound of fists and feet suddenly came. She followed the sound, and just as she stepped into the forest, she saw a gray-robed person strike Mo Daoyun to the ground with one palm.
“Scholar Mo!” Changling leaped through the air and deflected the palm aimed at the top of Mo Daoyun’s head. Her palm surged with extremely abundant true qi, and the gray-clothed person’s wrist actually went numb. He immediately spun around and retreated backward.
Changling’s gaze swept over sharply. She saw the person had a lean build, wore a cloak covering their head, with a gray cloth across their face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes with a small scar at the corner of the right eye.
She calmly looked at the person before her, her back to Mo Daoyun on the ground. “Scholar Mo, are you badly hurt?”
“I’m… fine…” Mo Daoyun vomited a mouthful of fresh blood. “It’s just that Master Jiaye, he…”
Master?
Only with this mention did Changling notice an old monk lying in a pool of blood a few steps away. Looking closely, it was Master Jiaye.
She had no time to consider how Jiaye and Mo Daoyun had come to be here, but seeing that gray-robed person raise their right hand slightly, veins bulging, she asked coldly, “Did this old monk fall at your hands?”
The gray-robed person’s voice was hoarse. “Yes.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
The next moment, both exerted force simultaneously. An arc flew through the air, shooting straight toward Jiaye. With a “ding,” Changling’s short blade deflected the hidden weapon as if it had eyes. In just this blink of an eye, she and the gray-robed person exchanged another palm strike. This palm was vast as a sea of clouds, showing no mercy. The gray-robed person’s sneak attack on Jiaye failed and was instead shocked backward, falling five steps away.
“How is this possible…”
The person seemed shaken by the woman’s formidable martial prowess. Changling took advantage of her opponent’s panic to crouch down and check Jiaye’s injuries. Seeing the kasaya’s front drenched in blood, she already felt something was wrong. Touching his barely perceptible neck pulse, her heart jumped even more.
The gray-robed person straightened up as if facing a great enemy, urgently condensing palm force. Both sleeves billowed with internal power. Stepping forcefully on the ground, they charged forward with the momentum of raging tides!
Changling stood in front of Jiaye, cleanly and efficiently blocking these heavy killing moves one by one. The gray-robed person felt this young girl’s profound martial arts were already at master level. In their shock, they gathered their lifetime’s power and struck overhead—Changling’s eyes flashed, suddenly receiving this palm. Instantly, an extremely powerful airflow made even the pebbles on the ground hum and resonate.
Even Mo Daoyun, who couldn’t prop himself up, was forced to vomit fresh blood from this impact and passed out.
“The Bone-Breaking Hand… I’ve heard it can break an opponent’s bones inch by inch in the instant of palm contact,” Changling felt the gray-robed person’s internal power wrapping around her arm like a tangible substance, yet her expression didn’t move a fraction. “Sect Leader Xue, as the esteemed leader of the Xiaoyao Sect, where did you learn the Demon Cult’s techniques?”
The gray-robed person’s eye corner twitched. He didn’t know where the flaw had been spotted, only feeling this woman remained calm and composed, as if she didn’t take the Bone-Breaking Hand seriously at all. Before he could continue exerting force, suddenly he felt his entire arm twisting in unbearable pain. His eyes widened as he watched helplessly as Changling reversed his internal power back at him. He wanted to withdraw his hand but it was already too late!
Two “crack crack” sounds of bone joints breaking could be heard. The corner of Changling’s mouth curved. “Ah, crisp enough and loud enough.”
She shifted her body slightly, about to reach out and remove his face covering. Right at this moment, a mountain-splitting, sea-shaking presence flashed from behind her, striking heavily toward her back!
With a “puchi” sound, fresh blood spurted from her mouth. Changling turned her head and saw the person who struck was the “master” who had been lying on the ground just a moment before.
That “Jiaye” succeeded and subconsciously laughed lightly—but it was a young person’s voice.
A brief confusion passed through her eyes. By the time her mind realized what was happening, her body’s perception of the outside world had already begun to gradually fade. Vaguely, as if hearing someone shout “Miss Changting,” these two people flashed and disappeared without a trace. When she knelt on the ground and vomited another mouthful of blood, she glimpsed the dark blood stains and her heart sank slightly—this sneak attack palm not only struck directly at her heart meridian but also contained deadly poison!
Xu Laifeng hadn’t expected that just this moment of hesitation would make him one step too late. Before he could ask anything, he saw her fall straight to the ground.
After the natural disaster at Nine Linked Mountains came man-made disaster, alarming the entire Xiaoyao Valley overnight.
Disciples of the Martial Alliance blocked those who came with concern and those watching the excitement outside. Inside the room, the two sect leaders from Shaolin and Wudang sat on either side of Mo Daoyun, channeling power to heal his injuries. After a good while, the two grandmasters put down their hands, drenched in sweat, and instructed disciples to help Alliance Leader Mo lie back on the bed. Master Huiguang said to the elders of the Martial Alliance waiting there, “Alliance Leader Mo has multiple meridians and bones broken throughout his body. He must have been struck by the Bone-Breaking Hand…”
Hearing “Bone-Breaking Hand,” everyone was shocked. Master Yangxu said, “Isn’t the Bone-Breaking Hand the technique of Ji Zining, the former Demon Cult instructor?”
Huiguang said gravely, “Correct.”
“But wasn’t the Demon Cult destroyed over ten years ago?” Someone asked strangely, “Could they have revived from the ashes…”
“It’s not impossible, though it’s all premature speculation now. Alas, for now we can only use internal power to protect Alliance Leader Mo’s heart meridian. Internal injuries can be gradually treated, but these bone fractures, joint by joint…” Master Huiguang asked Xiao Yin of Lingbao Pavilion, “Elder Xiao, does Lingbao Pavilion have any good treatment methods?”
Elder Xiao said, “Lingbao Pavilion does have spiritual medicine for bone regeneration, but unfortunately I didn’t bring any with me this time. I’ve already sent my disciple back to the pavilion to fetch it. For now, we can only use the traditional wooden board fixation method first. Later I’ll prepare external herbal applications… The broken bones can heal in a year or so, but if he wants to practice martial arts again, I’m afraid…”
Everyone sighed endlessly. Sect Leader Xue was among them, sighing along. His hands naturally hung at his sides—no one noticed anything amiss.
The Wudang Sect Leader thought of something. “What about that young lady from Eastern Xia’s Qingcheng Academy? Was she also struck by this Bone-Breaking Hand?”
Inside the room, Zhou Qin silently wiped away tears while Fu Yanyang gently patted her shoulder, looking worriedly toward the bed.
Ye Qi tightly gripped Changling’s hand, his face even paler than the unconscious person’s.
“She was struck by the Fire Poison Palm. Although I’ve helped her expel most of the poison, after all it struck directly at her heart meridian. If not for her profound internal power foundation, anyone else would have already perished.” Jiagu sighed and shook his head repeatedly, asking the dazed Xu Laifeng in the room, “This gentleman…”
“This junior is Xu Laifeng.”
Jiagu asked, “Young Master Xu, could you clearly see who struck and injured my grand-disciple?”
Xu Laifeng shook his head. “One was a masked person in gray robes, the other seemed to be wearing a kasaya… When I arrived, I saw the person in the kasaya attacking from behind, so I immediately rushed forward. Being concerned about Miss Changting’s injuries, I didn’t pursue them.”
“Kasaya?” Ye Qi asked hoarsely, “What kind of kasaya?”
“It was too dark to see clearly, but definitely not a Shaolin Temple monk…” Xu Laifeng sighed heavily. “It’s all my fault. If I’d arrived a step earlier, Miss Changting wouldn’t have… Can she, can she still be saved?”
Jiagu said, “She won’t die for now, but when she’ll wake up is hard to say.”
At this time, Seventh Uncle’s voice came from outside the door. “Young Master, it seems people from the Martial Alliance are coming this way…”
Ye Qi didn’t turn his head, only saying, “Fu Er, right now besides Elder Xiao of Lingbao Pavilion, it’s inconvenient for your master to receive other visitors. You know what to say, right?”
Fu Yanyang nodded and said to Zhou Qin, “Take good care of Master.”
With that, he turned and left. Xu Laifeng saw the door open and felt awkward staying or leaving. Ye Qi slowly turned his eyes to look at him. “Alliance Leader Mo also suffered heavy injuries. As a witness to tonight’s events, the Martial Alliance will surely come to inquire. You only need to tell the truth. If they ask about Changting’s injuries… just say her heart meridian was directly struck by the Fire Poison Palm, and you know nothing else…”
Xu Laifeng understood. “Understood, don’t worry. I know what should and shouldn’t be said.”
After everyone left, Ye Qi took an extremely deep breath before finally spitting out the mouthful of blood he’d been holding back for so long. Both Jiagu and Zhou Qin panicked, but seeing him raise his hand and gasp twice, he said, “I’m fine, fine… Xiao Qin, help Changting change into clean clothes… Master, let’s wait outside…”
Jiagu saw his heart and spirit were both injured, clearly walking on the edge of collapse, yet still barely holding on. It was truly heartbreaking. He helped Ye Qi walk outside. When he touched his pulse, his whole body shook. “You…”
“I’m fine.” He repeated this phrase.
Just as he was about to push the door open, he suddenly heard Zhou Qin softly gasp “Ah.” Ye Qi’s heart jumped suddenly as he quickly turned around. “What’s wrong?”
“What are these small red dots on Master’s chest?”
Ye Qi, disregarding any propriety between men and women, immediately rushed to the bedside. Just as Zhou Qin said, at the center of Changling’s chest were several tiny yet bright red blood dots. The blood beads were bright red and faintly shimmered with silver light.
Jiagu couldn’t get too close and only glanced that way, exclaiming in shock, “My grand-disciple was also struck by poison needles?”
“No, they’re not poison needles. They’re Nanhua Needles.” Ye Qi’s eyes brightened. “She administered the Nanhua Needles to herself.”
Zhou Qin said incredulously, “She applied them herself? Sister Ting has been unconscious all along. How could she have had the opportunity to apply needles to herself? And at this Shanzhong vital point…”
“She must have used the needles either before or at the moment she was struck.” A small section of each needle remained outside, ready to be pulled out with one tug. Ye Qi tried reaching out to pull them. Jiagu clapped his hands. “That’s it! By sealing the heart meridian vital point, even when struck, the palm force could be dissolved in an instant! No wonder when I was expelling poison for her, I found she wasn’t deeply poisoned. She had already neutralized the poison early on!”
Even so, Ye Qi’s eyes remained fixedly watching her. The needles were removed one by one, but still she didn’t wake. He vaguely worried he had guessed wrong. “I’m afraid she underestimated the Fire Poison Palm’s power, or in her urgency applied the Nanhua Needles to the wrong points…”
Just at this moment, Seventh Uncle’s voice came from outside the door again. “Young Master, Elder Xiao of Lingbao Pavilion requests an audience.”
Perfect timing.
Ye Qi was about to stand up when the back of his hand was suddenly lightly grasped.
His heart trembled. Turning his head, he saw the beauty on the bed slowly open her long lashes and smile faintly at him.
Author’s Note:
——A tiny little theater ^^
Author: Sister Ling paid for VIP.
Nanhua Needles: Understood.
(When Sister Ling was sixteen, she already blasted Ji Zining’s head off with the Bone-Breaking Hand. This knockoff version isn’t even worth her attention, okay?)