Chapter 121

This peal of laughter made everyone startle, instantly losing interest in the spectacle; even Lu Wushuang, who was about to shout abuse at Guo Fu, turned pale and all stared toward the door.

Feng Yi's heart jumped: "How did she come? Meeting the Wu brothers, we must fight to the death!"

As his thought stirred, he saw at the shop entrance a girl with hair tied in childlike buns, wearing a green robe, beautiful as a flower, with a carefree air, walking in slowly.

Everyone thought: "Why are there so many beautiful women today? She looks not much older than that lame girl—could she really be her master?"

Turning his head, he saw Lu Wushuang first startled, then retreat a step, her face full of shock.

Feng Yi felt the same; the newcomer was indeed Li Mochou, who usually dressed as a Daoist, but today wore secular attire.

Still uncertain in his heart, he saw Li Mochou smile sweetly and say: "What? Does my master make you so tongue‑tied? Are you afraid?"

Lu Wushuang bit her silver teeth, suddenly straightened her delicate frame, and shouted: "You and I could have today only because the Fengs secretly used trickery—what else do you have to say?"

She was surprisingly tough, gritting her teeth against the pain, tearing a strip from her garment to bind her leg wound.

Everyone secretly thought: "With their sharpness opposed like this, they hardly seem master and disciple—more like enemies."

Feng Yi sighed inwardly, thinking: "This girl's bold spirit and determination surpass even a boy's; she truly bears a grudge against me."

Li Mochou snorted coldly, thinking: "This lass even hates him—how ungrateful! If it weren't for him, I would have long expelled you from the school; what right do you have to chatter here?"

She did not explain, her clear eyes fixed on Guo Fu's face, her heart stirred: "This girl once had skin like jade and eyebrows like a painting; now she is surpassingly beautiful. I've heard Lady Guo is a beauty among today's heroes—I wonder how she compares to me?" She smiled: "Miss Guo, you think you can discipline my disciple? You're hardly enough—why not summon your mother and let us have a match?"

Guo Fu furrowed her lovely brows, coldly saying: "Who are you? Dare to challenge my mother?"

Li Mochou huffed: "Little Huang Rong, she has no real skill, relying only on her husband Guo Jing to bluster. As Beggar Sect chief, she leans only on her master, the Northern Beggar Hong Qigong. I, Li Mochou, roam the world alone—am I not worthy to cross hands with her?"

She had roamed the jianghu all her life, looking down on none; though Huang Rong's name is famed, being also a woman of similar age, she had long wished to seek her advice.

Yet when she spoke those words, everyone shuddered in shock.

Li Mochou's name shook the martial world; rumors said her martial arts were high and strong, her poisonousness unmatched, rivaling the former West Poison. Hearing her name struck terror. Especially recently, in Shanxi she routed a host of jianghu heroes; even the Quanzhen masters Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Liu Chuxuan, and Sun Bu'er, all sallied forth, only to return defeated—her fame spread under heaven.

Thus, as to whether Huang Rong or Li Mochou is stronger, everyone thought the same: "Yes, in this world only she is worthy to spar with the Beggar Sect chief—no exaggeration!"

In today's martial world, the top female masters famed are Huang Rong and Li Mochou. The reclusive hermit Sun Bu'er gained fame early, but her skill falls far short of the two. Xiao Longnv is still young; the Prince of Hao, defeated at the ancient tomb on Zhongnan Mountain, made her name known, but only briefly.

Huang Rong is the charming daughter of the Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi, a disciple of the Northern Beggar Hong Qigong, wife of the great hero Guo Jing, and has led the Beggar Sect for over twenty years; Li Mochou's three supreme skills—horsetail whisk, silver needles, and Scarlet Silk Divine Palm—have made her renowned under heaven.

If she wore Daoist robes, even without ever having met her, her beauty and distinctive garb would let people guess her identity. Yet in her secular dress, no one thought of that.

Guo Fu and the Wu brothers were the same: as children they had seen Li Mochou in Jiaxing. Especially the Wu brothers, nursing hatred for their mother's killer, constantly thought of that beautiful Daoist nun, yet dared not stare too long at this beautiful woman, fearing loss of propriety, letting others look down on them, and provoking Guo Fu's displeasure.

Hearing those words, the Wu brothers felt a blaze surge in their chests; they could not help studying Li Mochou's appearance—she was very beautiful, yet her brows and eyes hinted at a killing intent, and a horsetail whisk hung at her waist; instantly they overlaid her image with the Daoist nun from years before.

Guo Fu shouted loudly: "Wu brothers, it really is that wicked woman!"

The Wu brothers never expected this demon to appear here and now; seeing their enemy, their eyes flared red, and their right hands gripped their sword hilts.

Only heard Wu Xiuwen cry: "Li Mochou, you demon, today I will avenge my mother!"

"Take your life!"

Wu Dunru also shouted loudly.

Then came a clear "zheng" as both drew their long swords.

Wu Xiuwen, across the table, executed "Roving Boat, Picking Lotus," his blade swirling and dancing toward Li Mochou's throat.

Wu Dunru likewise leapt up, his sword chopping straight; both moves are desperate techniques from the Yue Woman Sword Style.

Seeing the two youths, Li Mochou noted their swordplay was impeccable, worthy of a renowned school's disciples, yet they came on red‑faced, eyes blazing, fierce as if fighting to the death; she gave a heh‑heh cold laugh: "Topsy‑turvy, clueless!"

As she spoke, she kicked up, sending the table flying to block Wu Xiuwen's sword, then with a swish drew her horsetail whisk and thrust it straight at Wu Dunru's abdomen.

Her whisk's bound strands were like a rod; this thrust was light, nimble, and swift—striking first despite coming later; Wu Dunru's sword had already chopped, but he could not recover in time, while Guo Fu's long sword had already deflected Li Mochou's whisk.

At that moment Wu Dunru's sword chopped swiftly toward Li Mochou's forehead; she employed "Reverse Strike the Golden Bell," her body suddenly leaping out of the shop.

Everyone saw her attack and defend in an instant, swift as lightning, and secretly marveled: "This demon lives up to her great name—indeed not easy to deal with!"

In the inn, the melee had turned against them; the Wu brothers also rushed out, their swords whistling, left stabbing Li Mochou's Yangbai point, right striking her Rudu point, their swordplay continuous.

Li Mochou's heart tightened: "Guo Jing's disciples are indeed extraordinary; he truly is no empty‑reputed nobody!"

Guo Fu was about to go help, but turned to glance at Lu Wushuang and sneered: "You've chosen a fine master!"

Lu Wushuang glared in retort: "You're nothing but trouble; someday I'll ask Guo the Great Hero and the Beggar Sect chief who taught the Guo children to be so rude to their elders."

Having been lame since childhood, she bore a deep grudge; this quarrel with Guo Fu gave her multiple occasions to mock her limp, filling her with fury. Though her skill fell short, she leaned on her cousin Cheng Ying, a disciple of the Peach Blossom Island master, who is Guo Rong's peer.

Thus Guo Fu is her junior; wounding her is simply a breach of etiquette, mocking her.

Guo Fu spat: "What elder are you?"

Lu Wushuang chuckled: "You'll find out later!"

Just as Guo Fu was about to seek clarification, Wu Dunru shouted: "Junior sister, let's first kill this scourge of the martial world!"

The Yue Woman Sword Style studied by the Wu brothers is itself extremely formidable; if wielded by Guo Jing, it would thunder with might, unstoppable!

But the Wu brothers' training is incomplete, and Guo Jing is inarticulate, unable to expound the subtle profundities of the sword style in detail.

Thus, against ordinary jianghu fighters the brothers would surely prevail, yet under Li Mochou's great master's horsetail whisk they reveal countless flaws—who knows if they can.

But Li Mochou came this time with business to attend, wary of the Guo couple as hosts, so she held back her killing moves.

After exchanging a dozen or so moves, the Wu brothers' hearts were sore, anger and anxiety mingling, their attacks grew chaotic; Li Mochou remained composed and easeful, saying: "You bear the surname Wu; the Great Master Yideng is your grand‑master—could you be the son of Wu Santong?"

Wu Dunru replied: "Exactly!"

Wu Xiuwen said: "When you die, remember who killed you!"

Li Mochou snorted: "Ignorant of gratitude!"

The whisk turned, its inner coils rolling outward; when the Wu brothers' swords struck it, they felt a violent shock in their chests, their swords nearly flying from their grips.

Seeing this, Guo Fu cried: "Wu brothers, don't fear—I'll help you!" She leapt out, brandishing her sword to stab Li Mochou's abdomen, relieving the brothers' predicament.

Li Mochou raised her whisk to block, thinking: "This little girl is so arrogant, relying on such paltry skill to dare be rude to me; were it not for fear of your parents, I could have slain ten of you at once."

Guo Fu and the Wu brothers' martial arts were personally transmitted by Guo Jing; the three lived together day and night on Peach Blossom Island, practicing the same sword style.

Their sword moves meshed flawlessly—advance and retreat, rise and fall—though not a formal formation, when the three blades were drawn together their momentum was still considerable.

Li Mochou thought: "What sort of person am I, Li Mochou, if I were to lose even a single move or half‑move to these three juniors, and still dare to speak of matching Huang Rong?"

The horsetail whisk unfurled with a flick, its moves extremely elusive, seeming to strike left then right, alternating between real and feint, each move appearing to attack three people at once.

In the blink of an eye, although the three fought side by side, they seemed each to fight for themselves, and signs of defeat already showed.

Onlookers also had a sense of justice, martial arts masters who could not stand to watch, but since the Wu brothers and Guo Fu were disciples of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, their sect differed; if they stepped forward to help, once word spread they would inevitably gain a reputation for looking down on others' martial arts, which could be big or small. Moreover, Li Mochou fighting one against three, even if she won, would not sound good.

Someone concealed a weapon in their palm, thinking: 'If the three cannot prevail, I will aid them with a hidden weapon, absolutely not allowing them to suffer injury.'

Feng Yi also watched coldly; after experiencing the affair of Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang, he resolved to stay out of the grudges of the martial world.

Because he could suppress matters, but not people.

Last time he got involved in the affair of Cheng Ying, Lu Wushuang, and Li Mochou, nothing good came of it.

Even if Li Mochou was dissatisfied, that would be fine; Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang also hated themselves, and he later understood.

He was ultimately not a party to the grudge, fundamentally unable to feel the pain of losing kin, and thus unable to resolve any hatred.

After all, given the previous outcome, Feng Yi ultimately felt somewhat upset.

One must know that Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang were no match for Li Mochou; if they could win, he would certainly not intervene. He understood better than anyone the principle that killers are themselves killed.

But the two could not win at all; he was essentially saving them, yet who felt grateful to him? To speak of chivalry and righteousness is nonsense!

In the Liancheng world, he directly revealed the Liancheng treasure, stirring human greed and causing the deaths of many innocents—more heinous than Li Mochou. Thus he could kill, but he did not want to gild his own reputation.

Therefore, Li Mochou and the Wu brothers share a deep, blood-soaked enmity; both sides fight desperately, but he neither advises nor wishes to intervene, deciding to respect each person's fate and remain a bystander regardless of who kills whom.

This is also why he conceals his conduct: there are too many sordid affairs in the martial world, and so-called grudges and emotions are merely a matter of one family being stronger than another.

Feng Yi lifted his wine gourd and drank deeply; the gathered heroes also watched the intense fight, when suddenly they heard several clear cries from the sky.

Two giant eagles swooped down at Li Mochou's head, their four wings stirring wind, kicking up dust and sand across the ground, an awe-inspiring sight.

The pair of eagles darted left and right, flipping up and down, continually striking at Li Mochou with wings and beaks.

As it turned out, the pair of eagles remembered well; having suffered from Li Mochou's Ice Soul Silver Needles years ago, they bore a grudge, and upon spotting her from afar in the sky, they immediately flew over to attack.

Li Mochou suddenly raised her hand; the eagles still feared her silver needles, so they immediately flapped upward to retreat, only to find she was merely bluffing.

In fact, if relying solely on the Wu brothers' and Guo Fu's true abilities, Li Mochou needed only to unleash her Ice Soul Silver Needles; wounding one would leave the other two utterly unable to defend themselves.

But she had many reservations; with so many heroes present, if she fired the needles, the poisonous darts would fly wildly in all directions, and if they hit someone else, it would easily provoke public outrage, causing the enemy to swarm in, hard to deal with, and would also break her promise to Feng Yi not to harm innocents! Li Mochou scared off the two eagles and said: 'It is rumored in the martial world that Guo the Great Hero and his wife are extraordinarily benevolent and righteous; judging by their disciples and daughter, it is merely empty talk, and what's the point of holding a martial arts assembly to resist the Mongols?'

Wu Xiuwen, hearing her disrespect toward his master and master's wife, shouted angrily: 'You thrice-cursed wretch, you wolf-hearted, dog-gutted wicked woman, we seek vengeance—what does it have to do with our master and his wife?'

Li Mochou laughed long and said: 'With your paltry skills, you also want to take revenge on me? You rely not on the Guo couple? Though I, Li Mochou, am broad-minded and give you this chance, but before all these heroes, I must ask: when and where did I kill your mother?'

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—she launched six consecutive strikes, each aimed straight at vital points, forcing Guo Fu and the Wu brothers to flusteredly leap and dodge.

Wu Dunru shouted: 'You killed my mother—do you dare deny it?'

Then Li Mochou coldly snorted: 'I, Li Mochou, have killed countless; how could I not admit it? But I, Li Mochou, am no scoundrel; that day I clearly spared your mother—what right do you two brats have to spout nonsense here?'

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately began to whisper among themselves.

Li Mochou may indeed have a notorious reputation, but she is no scoundrel!

Everyone turned to the Wu brothers, and someone called out: 'Two Wu lords, when and where did Li Mochou kill your mother?'

Indeed!

The Wu brothers, hearing this, shuddered, and their sword moves slowed.

Seeing this, Guo Fu called out: 'Wu brothers, what's wrong?'

Then Li Mochou laughed: 'Are you two feeling guilty? Then listen to me!'

In the past, I, Li Mochou, went to settle accounts with Lu Zhan Yuan of the Lu Family Manor in Jiangnan; a high monk from the Tianlong Temple of Dali came out to intervene, my martial arts were inferior, and he ordered me not to cause trouble for the Lu family for ten years; I kept my word, and after the ten years elapsed, I went to the Lu manor to settle accounts!

At that time, Wu Santong and his wife, along with the hero Ke the Flying Bat, came forward to block me; out of respect for the monk Yideng and Guo the Great Hero, I yielded everywhere and held back. It was Wu Santong who, in my presence, mentioned that wretched He Yanyu! I had sworn a heavy oath: whoever utters that wench's name before me shall either die or I shall perish.

I once destroyed sixty-three cargo shops and boats along the Yuan River, merely because their signs bore the character 'Yuan'; you all have surely heard of this.

That was because Wu Santong himself was at fault, forcing me to risk offending the 'Southern Emperor' school and unleash my Ice Soul Silver Needles to wound him.

But toward Hero Ke, Madam Wu, and this Miss Guo, I have committed no harm whatsoever; otherwise, they would not be here today.

You youngsters, spouting nonsense, clamoring to avenge your mother—I never harmed your mother; what grudge are you claiming?

These words were true; Li Mochou spoke them calmly and clearly, and everyone heard them well. Knowing Li Mochou's word is bond, they found it strange, all thinking: 'Indeed, what is going on?'

Li Mochou has killed countless; if it were her former self, she would not care about having several lives on her hands, nor bother to explain. But now she intends to participate in the martial arts assembly, so she must clarify things, absolutely unwilling to bear an undeserved reputation!

Wu Dunru shouted: 'My father was poisoned by your needles; my mother sucked out the poison for him, and my father now lives or dies unknown...' He ended, voice hoarse from exhaustion: 'Is this not enough?'

Upon hearing this, everyone exclaimed in unison, inwardly admiring Madam Wu for sacrificing herself to save her husband—truly a heroic woman.

Li Mochou also suddenly understood, coldly saying: 'Hmph! I merely spared them out of respect for Madam Wu's heroism and Hero Ke being a righteous man.'

And Wu Santong, though appearing of noble birth, actually harbors a dirty, base heart, daring to develop feelings for his adopted daughter; such a person is worse than beasts. Madam Wu gave up her life for such a thing in vain—truly foolish!

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in an uproar; the Wu brothers felt a sudden blackness before their eyes, their long swords knocked to the ground by Li Mochou; Guo Fu started to retreat, but seeing Li Mochou strike like lightning, she had already seized Guo Fu's wrist. Guo Fu felt a great force transmitted from the palm, her sword flew from her hand, and her body involuntarily lunged forward.

This sudden change occurred in an instant, leaving everyone staring, dumbstruck.

Although the crowd had no time to react, even with Feng Yi's ability, he could not help.

Because Li Mochou's earlier remark was too shocking—the disciple of the Southern Emperor, Monk Yideng, actually harbored feelings for his adopted daughter.

What is this?

Thus everyone was shaken by these words, their hearts and spirits unsettled.

Even those martial artists who intended to look after Guo Fu and the Wu brothers were likewise affected.

Moreover, in that very instant, Li Mochou knocked away the Wu brothers' weapons and seized Guo Fu in her hand.

Seeing this, the Wu brothers abruptly lunged forward.

Then Li Mochou shouted: 'Who dares to move? I will release my palm power—let's see whether this girl lives or dies!'

Everyone saw Li Mochou with one hand gripping Guo Fu's pulse gate and the other pressed against her back; a single exhalation of palm power would instantly take her life—who would dare step forward? Feng Yi glanced at Li Mochou; though her expression was uncertain, he also knew she would not dare kill Guo Fu, otherwise in the original plot Guo Fu would have died several times already.

Li Mochou laughed: 'Miss Guo, you want to discipline my disciple for me, but your ability is insufficient; if you apologize to her today, I will release you.'

Upon hearing that Li Mochou actually wanted her to apologize to Lu Wushuang, Guo Fu flared with anger, clenched her silver teeth, and cried defiantly: 'Go ahead and kill me if you wish; I will never apologize!'

Li Mochou gave a faint smile: 'Your mother is not worth mentioning, but your father I dare not provoke; killing you would perhaps be too bold, but I could chop off your right foot—see if I dare?'

As soon as these words were spoken, Guo Fu's face turned deathly pale, and the rims of her eyes reddened.

Suddenly hearing someone coldly say, "Let her go!"

(End of chapter)