Chapter 104: with translation of chapter title

Upon hearing the girl's words, everyone was startled.

Even the idle patrons at the neighboring tables and the shop's staff and owner were the same; although the Quanzhen Sect had strict discipline that deterred them from causing trouble, the shop's workers did not fear these Daoists and would go to Chongyang Palace to lodge complaints if needed.

But a lone girl daring to show such contempt for the Quanzhen Sect was unheard of.

Shen Zhifan listened, astonished, and recalling the girl's earlier words and deeds, guessed she had strong backing, and immediately turned his gaze to Feng Yi.

Seeing him silent, his features clear and handsome, he raised his cup and sipped the wine slowly, as if he harbored a great worry.

Shen Zhifan felt the man inexplicably familiar, his heart jolted: wasn't this the person who laughed and chatted with Qiu Shibo behind the Quanzhen Sect? Later he heard that Zhao Shixiong and Zhen Shixiong had suffered a great loss at his hands.

Feng Yi possessed a human-skin mask given by Cheng Ying, which he sometimes wore and sometimes removed; his high skill gave him an unpredictable aura, so the Mongols' attempts to capture him came to nothing.

Feng Yi happened not to be wearing his mask today, but Shen Zhifan felt uneasy, for he naturally attributed the girl's arrogance to Feng Yi backing her.

He thought that if he acted, he would only bring shame upon himself, and he hesitated greatly.

The atmosphere in the inn grew subtle; the girl felt puzzled, glanced at Feng Yi, wondering if he might be a hidden master, but then thinking that with her own martial prowess she had never met an equal in her travels, and seeing he looked no more than two years older, she doubted he could be stronger; she then said to Shen Zhifan, "Old Daoist, are we fighting or not? I also need to eat!"

The two young Daoists flared with anger; Shen Zhifan, seeing the girl's arrogance, grew more doubtful, and immediately bowed to Feng Yi, saying, "Sir, please. This girl for no reason injured our sect's fourth-generation disciples Ji Qingxu and Pi Qingxuan, which is utterly unreasonable; sir, together with my master Qiu..."

Before he finished, the girl beside him snorted and said, "Old Daoist, who are you talking to?"

She secretly resented, thinking that with her martial arts, the Daoist ignoring her while speaking to that man implied she was incapable; the Quanzhen Sect ranks by the four characters "tranquil and serene," Shen Zhifan being a third-generation disciple and a capable hand in the martial world, naturally did not take the girl seriously, but offending Feng Yi was truly not an option.

Seeing Feng Yi only drinking, not even glancing their way, he slowly said, "Little Daoist, in my haste I may have been rude; I hope you will prioritize the greater good and not make things difficult for us."

Feng Yi slowly finished his cup of wine and sighed, "Daoist, I'm just here to eat; I haven't said or done anything, yet you keep asking what I've done?"

You tell me, should we be on good terms with this girl or not?

He suspected the girl was probably Lu Wushuang, and secretly marveled at the heavens' wondrous workings—truly extraordinary—that he could encounter Lu Wushuang, yet he did not wish to have any involvement with her.

Girls like Lu Wushuang, talentless yet self-satisfied, he had seen too many in his past life and felt a strong aversion.

Because pride and pride differ, the impression they give is vastly different.

Like the pride of Xiao Longnv and Li Mochou, one kind is innate, another stems from having ability so great that few men in the world can match it.

Lu Wushuang's martial arts, inferior even to Hong Lingbo, Guo Fu, and the Wu brothers, yet she is so arrogant; if not for skilled martial artists disdaining to quarrel with a young, disabled girl, she would have been done away with long ago.

However, upon hearing these words, the white-clothed girl nearly burst with anger, gave a clear whistle, leapt up, drew her blade, and lunged at Shen Zhifan's throat with a flash of steel.

Shen Zhifan, also startled and angry, drew his sword with a clang, thrusting at several vital points of the girl—a proper Quanzhen sword technique.

Unfortunately, though his swordplay was fierce, it paled beside that of Zhen Zhibing, Zhao Zijing, and the like; he seemed a third- or fourth-rate talent among the "Zhi" generation.

Yet the girl did not dare be careless; she circled her blade to block the three thrusts, then flicked it back to slash, Shen Zhifan swung his sword, employing a "release" technique to deflect her silver fox blade aside, but the girl's move was a feint; her blade flashed, aiming for his wrist, intending to sever it.

Shen Zhifan's sword tip followed downward with a series of "dings"; the two exchanged three lightning-fast moves, and the girl's fourth strike was about to cleave his crown.

However, Shen Zhifan shouted, "Ancient Tomb Sect!" leapt back, stared at the girl with astonishment, swallowed hard, and asked, "Miss, how are you related to Li Mochou?"

The faces of the two other Daoists also changed at once; the Scarlet Fairy Li Mochou is not someone to be provoked.

A murderous aura rose in the girl's brow as she shouted harshly, "Li Mochou is vile and shameless, mad and wicked, reversing right and wrong; all under heaven may punish her—what relation could I have with her?"

Shen Zhifan saw that her martial arts were clearly of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

The Ancient Tomb Sect has only two inheritors, Li Mochou and Xiao Longnv, and Xiao Longnv has only Yang Guo as a disciple; yet this girl spoke contemptuously of Li Mochou, clearly not her disciple.

For a disciple would never dare such a thing! He felt astonished, set aside his reservations, and sneered, "This is truly unprecedented; Li Mochou may be mad and wicked, reversing right and wrong, but why would you practice her martial arts? Even more laughable, you have studied her arts yet not mastered them—what is the point?"

As his words fell, the girl's face flushed red and she did not know how to answer.

Feng Yi, however, could not help but laugh heartily.

He had not wanted to meddle in such trivialities, but seeing the girl's ruthless, overbearing manner—she acted as if she were the supreme one—already aroused his disgust; plus Shen Zhifan's frank words were too pleasing, and seeing the girl embarrassed, he could not help laughing.

The girl, however, was furious to the point of heartache, wishing she could chop the boy's head off with a single blow, and was about to draw her blade again.

Shen Zhifan clasped his sword and said, "Miss, today you are alone, and out of respect for the Ancient Tomb Sect, let us leave it for now. Tomorrow at noon we will muster our men; you may also bring your elders, and we will meet at the Jackal Wolf Valley forty li to the southwest to duel and settle our grievances."

"Good!" the girl replied with a cold smile.

The three Daoists turned and hurried away.

Seeing this, the girl felt triumphant; she turned her gaze to Feng Yi at her side and snapped, "You stinking man, what were you laughing at just now?"

Feng Yi held his wine cup and laughed lightly, "Naturally, your question is laughable."

The girl flew into a rage, hobbling toward Feng Yi with a chuckle, saying, "Ugly brat, today I'll let you broaden your horizons and see what 'trouble from the mouth' means!"

Yet Feng Yi tilted his head back, downed the wine in his hand, and didn't even glance at her.

With a swish, the girl directly chopped her blade at Feng Yi's forehead.

The girl's strike was vicious, and catching him off guard while drinking, she thought even if Feng Yi's skill were high he could not escape this blade; though she did not intend to take his life, she wanted to nick his skull to make him suffer, so he would dare not speak recklessly again.

But who would have known that when the blade was mere inches from his head, Feng Yi gave a light smile, hooked his thumb and index finger, slightly spread the other three, extended his palm like an orchid, and lightly brushed her pulse point, a posture of exquisite beauty.

The girl's pulse went numb, she could not hold her dagger; with a clang it flew from Feng Yi's shoulder, pierced the inn's wall, and the hilt continued to hum.

With one move Feng Yi knocked the girl's weapon away; everyone stared agape. Instantly her heart turned cold as death, she thought secretly, "I never imagined my martial arts would be inferior to this brat's, resulting in embarrassment."

This move of Feng Yi was precisely the Peach Blossom Island's "Orchid Palm Acupoint Hand."

This art emphasizes "swift, accurate, wondrous, and pure."

Swift, accurate, and wondrous are easy with Feng Yi's inner strength, but achieving "pure" requires careful attention; when executed it must bear an elegant, composed bearing to be considered complete, otherwise a heavy, ruthless strike would not suit the name "Orchid Palm."

However, using this against masters he might not attain such grace, but disposing of third- or fourth-rate small fry is effortlessly suave.

The girl's almond eyes widened, she suddenly gave a coquettish shout, waved her palm and lunged again, crying fiercely, "I'll fight you to the end!"

Feng Yi's right hand curled into a claw, already gripping the girl's wrist; this move was swift as lightning, her body instantly went limp and numb, and she cried, "Stinking man, let go of me!" Feng Yi replied calmly, "What is your name, and what is your relation to Li Mochou?"

Onlookers clicked their tongues in amazement, expecting the girl to be formidable, yet she proved utterly feeble before this man.

The girl, burning with hatred and fury, shouted, "Why should I tell you!"

Feng Yi's eyes flashed cold, he shouted sternly, "You possess Ancient Tomb Sect martial arts; if you do not come clean today, I will see that you cannot escape justice!"

He exerted force through his five fingers; the girl winced with pain, her brows knitting, yet she kept a haughty expression and sneered, "What noble justice! A man who bullies the weak with his strength, that is what you call justice—I am truly impressed!"

Feng Yi laughed heartily and said, "You lass, thinking yourself invincible, when you can beat someone you slash with your blade; when you cannot, you resort to provoking words."

"At such a young age, with a demeanor that makes people and spirits loathe you, you know the essence of avoiding the strong and striking the weak, yet you are arrogantly self-important, landing yourself in this predicament—what do you have to complain about?"

The girl, proud of her martial prowess and clever, yet he told her she had a heart ailment; she pouted her lips and wailed, crying out.

Feng Yi startled, suddenly hearing a woman's voice at the door say: "Please, let her go!"

Feng Yi's expression changed severely, as if punched in the chest, and he hastily let go.

Everyone turned their heads and saw a green-clad woman glide in like a ghost from the doorway.

Because it had just started snowing, snow covered her head and shoulders, but her face was bluish‑gray, extremely ugly, like a soul revived from a century‑old tomb; nobody dared to look again.

The white‑clad woman's heart also pounded; she lifted her sleeve to wipe her tears, stopped crying, and dared not glance again at the green‑clad woman.

Feng Yi, hearing the voice, knew it was Cheng Ying who had left him; feeling a bit guilty, he deliberately put on a displeased look and said gruffly: "Oh, it's Miss Cheng."

Several months without seeing her, Cheng Ying now had disheveled hair, her green clothes and shoes splattered with mud, looking utterly downcast. Feng Yi couldn't help sighing inwardly, thinking she must have endured great hardship for this little cousin these days, leaving no time to tidy herself.

Cheng Ying looked at the girl and said: "Miss Lu, your master is about to arrive; hurry and hide!"

The white‑clad woman's heart jolted; she exclaimed: "How do you know my surname is Lu?"

This girl is Cheng Ying's cousin Lu Wushuang.

That day Li Mochou killed her parents and servants, abducting her to her residence at Chixia Zhuang; she originally intended to kill her, but seeing the silk kerchief around her neck reminded her of her uncle Lu Zhanyuan's past affection, so she hesitated and could not bring herself to strike.

Lu Wushuang was clever and obedient; realizing she had fallen into the hands of this female demon, her life hanging by a thread, and that the demon came and went like the wind—escape was impossible—she from the start fawned and flattered, seeking favor everywhere, until even the murderous Scarlet Fairy's intent to harm her gradually faded.

Li Mochou sometimes recalled past grudges and would humiliate her; Lu Wushuang deliberately made herself look disheveled, limping, and submitted meekly.

Li Mochou's nature was not utterly evil; seeing her pitiful appearance, she scolded her a bit to vent her anger, then stopped. Since Li Mochou had not killed her then and had developed some feeling from their meetings, thereafter she had no major reason to kill her, so she ceased thinking of doing so.

Lu Wushuang endured and submitted; it was thanks to her being a mere child that she managed to survive under the great demon's hand. She hid her parents' grudge deep in her heart, revealing nothing.

When Li Mochou asked about her parents, she always pretended not to remember. When Li Mochou and Hong Lingbo practiced martial arts, she stood by handing over swords and towels, pouring tea and offering fruit, most attentive.

Her martial foundations were modest; watching the two practice, she memorized secretly, then when Li and Hong went out she would sneak practice, and in daily life she tried even harder to please Hong Lingbo.

Later, Hong Lingbo, taking advantage of her master's good mood, interceded for Lu Wushuang, who then became her disciple. Over the years Lu Wushuang's martial arts improved daily, but Li Mochou always harbored suspicion toward her, refusing to teach even second‑rate techniques, let alone the highest.

On the contrary, Hong Lingbo pitied her and often gave her secret pointers; thus her skill was not high if called high, nor low if called low.

That day Li Mochou and her disciple Hong Lingbo went one after another to the Tomb of the Living Dead to steal the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra; seeing they had not returned for a long time, Lu Wushuang resolved to flee Chixia Zhuang and return to Jiangnan to investigate her parents' fate.

Although as a child she had seen her parents badly beaten by Li Mochou, she thought the odds were grim, never having witnessed their deaths, yet she held a sliver of hope, wanting to learn the truth. As she prepared to leave, thinking "if not now, never," she also stole a copy of Li Mochou's Five Poisons Secret Transmission, a manuscript recording various poisons and their antidotes.

Lu Wushuang suffered calamity in childhood, endured humiliation to survive; her mindset was already far from ordinary. After long association with Li Mochou, she absorbed cruelty, becoming ruthless despite her young age, full of vicious thoughts. Once, while picking Lingxiao flowers in Jiaxing with her cousin Cheng Ying and the Wu brothers, she broke her leg; Wu's wife set the bone, but just then Hong Lingbo arrived on her master's orders to attack, causing the setting to be imperfect; after healing, her left leg was short by about an inch, giving her a limp when she walked.

Her complexion was not very fair, but her features were fine; as she grew older she became even more lovely, yet her lame foot made her resentful. She hated most when others noticed her limp; just now a Daoist of the Quanzhen sect glanced at her several times, offending her taboo, and she would lop off an ear at the slightest disagreement.

Although she and Cheng Ying were cousins, they had been young when they parted; now both looked and sounded different, and Cheng Ying wore a human‑skin mask, so Lu Wushuang naturally did not recognize her. Feeling puzzled, footsteps sounded at the door and two more people entered.

Several people glanced askance and saw a man and woman in Mongol attire: the man twenty‑three or twenty‑four, broad‑shouldered, tall, with long brows and fine eyes, handsome and upright; the woman seventeen or eighteen, tall and slender, lovely‑featured; both wore swords, found a seat and sat down. The inn staff, seeing they were Mongols, immediately attended them warmly.

Cheng Ying tugged Lu Wushuang and whispered: "Hurry, let's go."

Lu Wushuang, not understanding, was pulled by her and suspicion rose; she asked: "Who are you?"

But Cheng Ying stared at her silently, her eyes complex.

Lu Wushuang herself did not know why she felt a special affinity at first sight; she stopped questioning and hurriedly followed her out.

"Wait!"

Feng Yi knew Lu Wushuang carried Li Mochou's Five Poisons Secret Transmission; before he could ignore it, but if it were exposed and the Mongols got hold of it, that would be troublesome.

Cheng Ying, expressionless, said lightly: "What, you want to help Li Mochou?"

Feng Yi sighed: "Miss Cheng, you've misunderstood…"

"What do I misunderstand?" Cheng Ying snorted coldly: "Li Mochou will be here any moment. You know who she is, and you know who I am. Great Hero Feng, if you want to keep us both, you'd better act now—I…" At this point her heart overflowed with grievance; she wished she could burst into tears.

She only thought Feng Yi would act against Lu Wushuang, a little girl, because Hong Lingbo favored Li Mochou.

Feng Yi's face flushed then paled as he looked at Lu Wushuang and said coldly: "Little girl, do you know Li Mochou's 'Five Poisons Secret Transmission'?"

Although Lu Wushuang did not know their backgrounds, seeing their manner she sensed they knew each other; she curled her lip, her teeth grinding with hatred. Thinking she had endured humiliation and risked her life for the Five Poisons Secret Transmission, this person somehow knew of it, she shouted at Feng Yi: "What Five Poisons Secret Transmission? I've never heard of it!"

Cheng Ying grew even more despondent, convinced Feng Yi was allied with Li Mochou, and said: "Let's go."

Lu Wushuang nodded, and the two turned to leave.

Feng Yi swayed and seized Lu Wushuang's shoulder in one grab.

Lu Wushuang felt excruciating pain to the bone and immediately groaned.

Feng Yi said: "Hand over the Five Poisons Secret Transmission, and you'll save your life!"

Only a fierce shout rang out: "Bullying a woman—what kind of skill is that?" As the words sounded, Feng Yi heard two concealed weapons flying straight at his back's vital point.

(End of chapter)