If martial arts could be exchanged for human lives, then supreme sword techniques and fist methods still had value.
Above Beautiful Lady Residence, Gui Mudan’s surprise exceeded his anger. He had just ordered Xue Xianzi taken away under Yu Qifeng’s watch, and Liu Yan must be nearby. Lady Hongchan and a group of Demon Soul Death Warriors with ten earth dogs were tracking along Xue Xianzi’s route – they would surely capture Liu Yan. But how could this white cloth with Liu Yan’s writing suddenly be in Tang Lici’s hands? Could Xue Xianzi and Yu Qifeng have actually fallen into Tang Lici’s hands? And how would Tang Lici know that he actually hadn’t captured Liu Yan?
This ten-li radius was filled with his own forces – how did Tang Lici suddenly appear? Yet Tang Lici was indeed before his eyes, and what he held was indeed that piece of white cloth he had personally seen not long ago. Gui Mudan waved his sleeve. Bai Suche received the order and withdrew. After a moment, she climbed back up to Beautiful Lady Residence and whispered a few words in Gui Mudan’s ear.
Tang Lici stood before Cheng Yunpao and took a white small pouch from his sleeve. This pouch was made of material neither silk nor leather, entirely white and soft, quite peculiar. Cheng Yunpao took the white pouch, opened it, and inside were dozens of pearl-like pills. With a slight sniff, waves of elegant clear fragrance wafted out – he didn’t know what they were. “What is this?” Tang Lici opened his white oil-paper umbrella to block the rain. “This is Poria Powder. Though it’s medicine for treating injuries, it can also satisfy hunger.” Cheng Yunpao was delighted and immediately distributed these dozens of pills to dozens of disciples with weaker constitutions and lower martial arts. He inquired where Tang Lici came from and how he knew the crowd was trapped at Beautiful Lady Residence. Tang Lici’s gaze moved about, full of smiles but saying nothing, only mentioning that Miss Tao was unwell and therefore couldn’t come today. Cheng Yunpao and Dong Hubi looked at each other – Xifang Tao’s martial arts weren’t weak, how could she suddenly be unwell? Tang Lici didn’t explain, lowering his voice: “When the rain lessens slightly, everyone charge northwest. The arrow formation in the northwest has blind spots. Those with fast movement techniques charge straight forward, those confident in avoiding hidden arrows protect the flanks. When charging forward, go two abreast, then form lines successively, continuously breaking through the northwest corner. Pass the word down – we don’t stop or separate, can’t give them chance to cut us off from the middle. Whoever doesn’t follow orders, I’ll kill first.” Cheng Yunpao was shocked. As the rain gradually stopped, under Beautiful Lady Residence’s hazy lamplight, brilliance flowed in Tang Lici’s eyes – impossible to tell if joy or anger. His lips were slightly pursed, not smiling, yet there was an indescribable demonic aura. He quietly passed orders, speaking to Master Wenxiu, Great Master Dacheng, Tian Xunzi and others one by one. The sect leaders looked at each other, seeing Tang Lici standing with umbrella raised – though standing very close, he seemed to stand unspeakably far away, as if he could transcend the world and stand alone. The sect leaders pondered for a long while, all ordering their disciples to prepare to form lines and charge the northwest corner, strictly forbidding unauthorized action.
Looking down from the second floor, they could see Tang Lici’s white oil-paper umbrella swaying slightly. What he said to Cheng Yunpao couldn’t be heard or seen. Gui Mudan had just heard Bai Suche’s words, shocked and angry in his heart, when suddenly the crowd trapped in the encirclement let out a great shout in unison, their voices like dragon roars and tiger howls. Then two people moved like lightning, rushing straight toward the northwest corner, followed by everyone like shadows, like a white rainbow instantly piercing through the black arrow formation!
“Release arrows!” Fu Cui called out urgently. Almost simultaneously, the arrow formation’s bowstrings sounded, and thousands upon thousands of black hidden arrows shot toward the breaking crowd. Tang Lici’s white umbrella swayed, his true power surging forth, blocking most hidden arrows. Cheng Yunpao’s long sword danced, Master Wenxiu’s whisk waved, all the great masters exerted their full strength together, catching all the incoming arrows. But not a single hidden arrow shot from the northwest corner. Everyone charged through shoulder to shoulder, only discovering after passing through the arrow formation that the archers in the northwest corner stood rigid and motionless, long dead. These people had obviously been killed by Tang Lici without any awareness. With each place they passed, everyone’s hearts grew more terrified.
Black shadows flashed. The people above Beautiful Lady Residence saw the situation suddenly change. Gui Mudan picked up the table where Fu Cui had been eating heartily and threw it downstairs. Only then did everyone realize what was happening, releasing hidden weapons toward Tang Lici and the others. Tang Lici and others were trapped in the arrow formation – if Gui Mudan and his people jumped down, they would inevitably suffer harm from the arrow formation too. Tang Lici waved his white umbrella, parrying everything, then suddenly set aside the white umbrella and smiled slightly at those upstairs.
Fu Cui cried out in alarm. Gui Mudan was furious. This smile was clearly a provocation, making Gui Mudan tremble with rage. With a great shout and a loud “bang,” Beautiful Lady Residence’s second floor railing suddenly collapsed – Gui Mudan had struck it with his palm, almost demolishing an entire floor.
While blocking arrows for everyone, Cheng Yunpao was about to ask how he could know the crowd was trapped here and when he came to rescue them, and also wanted to ask how he obtained Liu Yan’s letter. Suddenly fire blazed up – Beautiful Lady Residence’s rear was ablaze with raging flames, creating a strange sight with the drifting light rain. Thick smoke rushed skyward, the sound of soaring flames faintly audible. He looked at Tang Lici in shock. “What did you do?”
Tang Lici swayed that white umbrella – that extremely thin oil-paper umbrella in his hands struck, blocked, and parried with light elegance, much more powerful for blocking arrows than the long sword in Cheng Yunpao’s hands. Hearing the question, he smiled slightly. “I set a fire.” Cheng Yunpao was even more confused. Tang Lici had clearly been here all along – how was that great fire in the valley bottom set, especially such a fire in heavy rain?
Gui Mudan struck down half of Beautiful Lady Residence’s railing with one palm, barely suppressing his furious mood, calling out quietly, “Go!” Today it was impossible to achieve their goal – better to withdraw. Capturing Xue Xianzi alive wasn’t a wasted effort, but Tang Lici was so cunning and detestable that in the future this person must be killed! He led everyone in withdrawing from the second floor. Fu Cui’s whistle pierced the dark rainy night. The archers in the forest stopped one after another, quietly retreating into the woods.
Suddenly, Romantic Shop withdrew completely clean. The bedraggled group finally breathed sighs of relief. Several hundred people surrounded Tang Lici, chattering and asking how exactly he came, how he knew Gui Mudan hadn’t captured Liu Yan, how he silently killed the northwest corner archers, and how he set the fire. Tang Lici’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces one by one until it reached A’Shui’s face. A’Shui and Yu Tuan’er stood far away, at the very back of the crowd. He looked at A’Shui and smiled slightly. A’Shui originally wanted to return his smile but ultimately couldn’t smile. Yu Tuan’er looked at Tang Lici curiously, constantly asking A’Shui in low voices who he was.