Chapter 140

Feng Yi and Li Mochou followed several girls in green clothes; before leaving the town, they suddenly heard the sound of a sash tearing through the wind.

In a blink, they saw a person drop from a window beside the street; that person somersaulted in midair and landed lightly on the ground.

Feng Yi and Li Mochou were both startled!

It turned out to be Yang Guo.

Feng Yi felt both surprised and amused, thinking: "This really is fate ordained—Xiao Longnv was found by Gongsun Zhi, and he appears; it seems Heaven wants to use these two to make that beast Gongsun Zhi suffer retribution!"

Just then an elderly voice laughed from upstairs: "Yang Guo, that move wasn't bad; you truly are a disciple of Lin Chaoying—but how do you know our Quanzhen martial arts?" As he spoke, a gray shadow darted down from the upper floor, his movement extremely swift, like a shooting star falling to earth.

He was an old man with snow‑white beard and hair, wearing a cross‑collared robe, his face full of red glow, his brows showing three parts joy and seven parts innocence, natural and pleasant‑looking; he called out to Yang Guo: "Where's that Old Poison? Hurry and summon him—I want to fight him!"

Yang Guo said: "Zhou Botong, my adoptive father is injured; why keep hounding him—does that make you look glorious?"

Li Mochou exclaimed in surprise, thinking: "So it's him—no wonder he knows my grandmaster‑grandmother's name."

She naturally knew Zhou Botong was a senior expert of the Quanzhen Sect, whose martial arts were said to have been personally transmitted by Wang Zhongyang; looking across today's martial world, his skill is not inferior to the East Heretic, West Venom, South Emperor, or North Beggar.

Zhou Botong rolled his eyes and said: "You little brat, too crafty—you said he'd fight me once his injury healed; I, the Old Urchin, listened to you, but where is he now?"

Yang Guo smiled, not yet speaking, when a clear female voice came from upstairs: "Old Master Zhou, your martial arts may be strong, but what's the point of bullying a wounded madman and a child? With the world's top expert right here, why don't you go test yourself against him?"

Hearing those words, Feng Yi and Li Mochou's hearts stirred; the speaker was Lu Wushuang. Looking up, they saw a white‑clad lady standing gracefully by the window—Yang Guo had fallen from there.

"\"The world's best? \" Zhou Botong burst out laughing, clearly pleased: \"Yang Guo, your little wife is clueless—Old Poison on Mount Hua's summit defeated Huang Laoxie and the Old Beggar, leaving them dazed; if he isn't the world's best, who is? \""

Zhou Botong has always been innocent and playful, loving to interact with children, speaking as if no one else were present; Yang Guo felt half embarrassed, half angry, and was about to scold him.

Lu Wushuang's face flushed crimson as she shouted: "Who… who is his little wife? We're just very close friends……"

"\"Just very close friends? \" Zhou Botong smirked: \"You girl, saying one thing while meaning another—truly annoying, not the slightest bit refreshing! \"

Saying this, suddenly several middle‑aged men in green garments with tall caps appeared, looking hurried as they walked past the roadside.

Feng Yi noticed their attire matched that of the green‑clad girls earlier—clearly out of the ordinary, obviously disciples of Jueqing Gu—but he now had no mind to follow them.

After all, Yang Guo was right here; why should he meddle and ruin someone else's fate?

Feng Yi was naturally proud; with his current abilities, he naturally disdained interfering with others' karma.

Then Zhou Botong laughed heartily: "How interesting, I'm not playing with you anymore." He shot backward, leapt onto the roof, and vanished in an instant—truly arriving like a ghost and departing like a wild goose.

Li Mochou felt a chill in her heart; influenced by her master, she looked down on the Quanzhen Sect, and seeing its disciples, aside from the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang formation, there was nothing praiseworthy. Only now did she realize they had not mastered their martial arts.

Yang Guo glanced in the direction Zhou Botong had gone, his gaze suddenly fixing; he clasped his hands and smiled: "Brother Feng, how have you been?"

Although Feng Yi and Li Mochou dressed like peasants, they could not hide from acquaintances, especially someone as perceptive as Yang Guo.

Before Feng Yi could speak, Li Mochou smiled: "Wushuang, after just a few days apart you've already found your ideal partner—truly something to celebrate." She spoke congratulations, but her face showed a hint of contempt.

Li Mochou had already sensed that this disciple had taken a liking to Yang Guo.

Yet Yang Guo, who supposedly would die for Xiao Longnv and love only his aunt all his life—she had witnessed it herself—had barely any time before he was everywhere flirting, so she truly despised his pretended deep affection, which was merely lip service.

The more she looked at Yang Guo, the more she felt that Feng Yi's carefree nature made him the true gentleman.

He neither hides his feelings nor forces himself on women; such bearing—who knows how many times stronger it is than Yang Guo's.

Therefore, if Lu Wushuang liked Feng Yi, she would surely disagree, yet she would also think he has good taste; for now, she merely despises him.

Lu Wushuang's inner secret was exposed by Li Mochou's words; she instantly flushed with shame and anger, her face red as blood, and shouted fiercely: "Surname Li, I'll say it again—between us hatred runs deep; stop meddling like a dog biting a rat!"

"\"What Zhou Botong said is not wrong! \"" Li Mochou laughed: "\"You don't even dare to admit your liking—unlike the disciples I, Li Mochou, have taught! \"

Lu Wushuang was momentarily choked with anger; she liked Yang Guo but truly lacked the courage to say so.

Yang Guo laughed: "Li Mochou, you killed Wushuang's parents and often bullied her—what right do you have to pose as her teacher here?"

Having decided to marry Xiao Longnv as his wife, he no longer calls Li Mochou his martial uncle.

Lu Wushuang also attended the Heroes' Gathering; after seeing Yang Guo and Ouyang Feng leave, she found it pointless and left as well.

Ouyang Feng and Yang Guo spent one side nursing injuries, the other side teaching Yang Guo martial arts; unfortunately his mind alternated between lucid and muddled, his words topsy‑turvy. His external techniques were nothing special, but his internal arts allowed no mistake—if Yang Guo's foundation weren't already extremely high, noticing the error, following the method step by step would inevitably lead to deviation into madness.

Therefore Yang Guo merely listened, did not practice, and set off with his adoptive father toward Mount Zhongnan, thinking Xiao Longnv had never emerged and would surely return to the Ancient Tomb as before; halfway he encountered Lu Wushuang.

The two had met briefly in childhood, knew each other's names, and both came from the Ancient Tomb; their backgrounds were even more alike—both orphaned.

Moreover, Yang Guo is handsome, his martial arts high, unmatched among his generation; that fearless courage for love, being together with him, his irreverent demeanor, his ready flow of sweet words, made Lu Wushuang feel he was extraordinary, transcendent. Knowing he loved his master Xiao Longnv, being with him was also very pleasant, like a spring breeze.

In just a few days, Lu Wushuang's heart became wholly attached to him; toward him she had nothing left unsaid.

And Yang Guo, having grown up without parents, felt this sister‑like figure who shared his experience was very affectionate; plus, when Lu Wushuang was angry, her eyes flashed with fury and her brows bore autumn frost—reminiscent of Xiao Longnv when angry—this made it even harder for Yang Guo to refuse her.

After Xiao Longnv left, he though often missed her, but his nature was such that upon seeing a beautiful woman he could not help teasing her; as for whether a woman might develop feelings for him and what would come of it, he had never considered.

Even in the original storyline, where he later suffers a severed arm and learns Xiao Longnv has lost her virtue, amidst all those upheavals, when he pondered this question he would actively propose it, settling things as sworn siblings, completely disregarding whether the woman was willing.

Furthermore, Ouyang Feng's madness meant he would occasionally drift into confusion along the way, not disturbing the two; this only added to his enjoyment, and even his deep longing for Xiao Longnv faded considerably.

That day, while eating at a market town, they happened to meet Zhou Botong.

Zhou Botong received Guo Jing's letter, intending to come participate in the Heroes' Assembly, but he is by nature playful and delayed the date on the way; seeing Ouyang Feng, he was overjoyed.

Zhou Botong is by nature obsessed with martial arts and loves to fight, but with his skill, where under heaven could one find an opponent, who could spar with him?

Over the past decade or so, he had practically grown sick from idleness; upon encountering this old rival Ouyang Feng, they immediately came to blows, but Ouyang Feng's injuries had not yet healed, so naturally he was no match.

Yang Guo then said, his foster father has injuries; they will fight here tomorrow, and Zhou Botong would not take advantage of someone in a weakened state, so he agreed.

Yang Guo originally intended to let Ouyang Feng heal his wounds and avoid rash bravery, but after waking from a nap, Ouyang Feng had already disappeared; he then came here together with Lu Wushuang, yet Ouyang Feng still did not show up.

Zhou Botong rolled up his sleeves, ready to deal with Lao Duwu, but he never expected that Ouyang Feng wouldn't show up at all—only Yang Guo and Lu Wushuang were there, which infuriated him, so he exchanged a move with Yang Guo.

Yang Guo's current skill is no match for him; a single move sent him flying out the window.

Although Feng Yi did not know the details, he knew the original plot, and combined with what was happening before him, he realized that the butterfly effect had affected the details of the original plot, but overall it remained unchanged.

In short, Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv's illicit love must ultimately be tested in the Jueqing Gu, which appears as beautiful as heaven on the outside but is truly hellish within.

Feng Yi thought of this, and seeing Lu Wushuang gazing longingly at Yang Guo, he couldn't help but feel deeply moved by the notion of fate.

Although I had known Lu Wushuang first, I never expected this girl to fall into Yang Guo's hands; even though I know I have Li Mochou, Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang would naturally become mere passersby.

Yet thinking of Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang in the original story, who, despite knowing Yang Guo's feelings for Xiao Longnv, remained so steadfast, making themselves into old maids like Li Mochou is now, he still felt a twinge of jealousy.

But when he realized he had this thought, he couldn't help but find it funny. What couldn't he compare himself to, yet he ended up competing with Yang Guo for women's favor!

However, besides this, Yang Guo and he cannot be compared.

Feng Yi's thoughts raced like a galloping horse, but Li Mochou couldn't help saying, "Yang Guo, I discipline my disciples; don't be presumptuous in front of me!"

"Li Mochou?" Yang Guo chuckled hehe and said, "Wushuang girl, weren't your earlier words clear enough?"

"What qualifications do you have to be a role model for others?"

Li Mochou's almond eyes held murderous intent, she coldly laughed: "I'm not someone else; if you act presumptuously before me, I won't let you off!"

She flicked her waist, her body swayed, the whisk swished out in a chain of attacks, thousands of silver threads, light as drifting smoke, fluttering lightly to strike Yang Guo's thirty-six major acupoints all over his body.

Feng Yi saw this technique and secretly applauded.

Knowing Yang Guo's martial arts were high, no longer an ordinary hand, Li Mochou immediately employed her most proud "Three No Three Not Hand" upon engaging.

Although this is a single move, it actually comprises myriad threads; within one move it contains dozens of moves, simultaneously pointing at Yang Guo's various major acupoints all over his body. This move count is her own creation, even Xiao Longnv has never seen it.

Yang Guo suddenly saw it and immediately jumped in fright.

This is actually an unstoppable move; dodge left and your right acupoints get struck, dodge forward and your rear acupoints are injured; only a martial artist far superior to her can forcefully attack head-on, compelling her to retreat and defend with her whisk.

Yang Guo naturally lacked such ability; in desperation he suddenly did a somersault, head down feet up, practicing the technique taught by Ouyang Feng, reversing his meridians, sealing all his body's acupoints, feeling only a slight numbness on countless points at once, and then was fine.

His body swiftly turned, he inverted and kicked out with a flying leg.

Li Mochou clearly saw that she had struck many of Yang Guo's acupoints, yet he could still counterattack; she was greatly surprised and followed with a move "Nowhere Unreachable". This move strikes his various peripheral acupoints all over his body.

Yang Guo supported himself with his head on the ground, extended his left hand, and jabbed his finger toward her right knee's "Weizhong" acupoint.

Li Mochou was even more startled, hastily dodged, and with a shake of her hand unleashed the third hand of the "Three No Three Not Hand"—"Unrestrained Means"—immediately.

This move no longer strikes acupoints but specifically attacks the eyes, throat, abdomen, and groin and other soft parts of the body; hence it is called "Unrestrained Means", vicious and poisonous, arguably already having a rascal's demeanor.

Feng Yi flicked his sleeve, the silver threads filling the sky three feet from Yang Guo suddenly rolled upward, trembling continuously.

Yang Guo did a somersault, flipped backward, stood firm and said, "Li Mochou, is your martial art also so ordinary? Is this just tickling me?" Li Mochou's face turned ashen, she murmured, "What is going on?"

Feng Yi laughed, "Mochou, your entire skill relies on point striking to win, but Ouyang Feng's 'Meridian Reversal' method can shift all one's body's acupoints, so that's why it's useless!"

Yang Guo was immediately startled, thinking, "This person is truly a divine being!"

Li Mochou's pretty face turned pale; she already understood that even if Feng Yi did not intervene, her move could not harm Yang Guo.

For when she practiced this poisonous move, she never imagined that someone in the world would fight head‑down feet‑up; in her haste she launched a move, naturally attacking the enemy where she usually trained most proficiently.

However, facing Yang Guo's recent posture, an attack aimed at the eyes would strike the back of the foot, at the throat the shin, at the abdomen the thigh, and at the lower body the chest.

Originally targeting his soft spots, yet hitting his solid parts instead—how could it be effective?

Actually she didn't know; if not for Feng Yi intervening to stop her, Yang Guo merely needed to open his mouth, bite her whisk's silk, flip upright, and he could seize her weapon.

Years ago at the second Mount Hua Sword Discussion, Ouyang Feng reversed his meridians and bit Huang Yaoshi's finger with one mouth, nearly costing him his life.

When reversing the meridians, the lips move air, opening and closing naturally generates a biting impulse; a person's total bodily strength is nowhere near as strong as bite force—ordinary people can crack walnuts with their teeth, while even a strongman's grip cannot break a walnut's shell.

As Li Mochou pondered, she heard Lu Wushuang laugh: "Li Mochou, could it be that you have the world's top expert backing you, thus acting tyrannically and recklessly?"

Yang Guo was naturally suspicious, secretly on guard, and laughed, "Feng Brother, what are you doing here?"

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Feng Yi also ignored him, smiling at Lu Wushuang and said, "Miss Lu, I wouldn't say I have any gratitude toward you, nor any grudge, right?"

"Carrying spears and clubs is fine enough, but for your sweetheart you use me as a shield—aren't you afraid I'll get angry? In other words, what can you gain?"

Lu Wushuang's face darkened: "How am I using you as a shield? You are literally the world's top expert, I'm not just talking nonsense!"

Feng Yi and Guo Jing won the battle at Guan despite deceit, ultimately victorious, and Guo Jing himself admitted defeat.

Only a few days later, the news spread far and wide; he is now truly the world's number one. Lu Wushuang's words are not false either.

But she had just said that to Zhou Botong, indeed wanting to let that incessant old man go find Feng Yi so she could be alone with Yang Guo.

Feng Yi shook his head: "The way of martial arts is as vast as smoke and sea; I only know a smidgen, how dare I claim to be first?"

Lu Wushuang said: "Why be modest? Great Hero Guo's illustrious fame—he defeated him heart‑and‑mouth convinced, so you are the world's number one."

Feng Yi smiled faintly and said, "What about your older sister?"

Lu Wushuang's face changed, she spat angrily: "What business is it of yours?" Saying this, her eyes filled with tears, she pointed at Feng Yi and said, "You're with her; from now on don't mention my older sister in front of me!" She stamped her foot and fled.

Feng Yi was instantly stunned.

"Wushuang girl, wait for me!"

Yang Guo turned and left.

But Feng Yi's voice came from behind: "Yang Guo, everyone loves beauty, but there's one thing I must tell you: Xiao Longnv truly is going to become someone else's wife……"

Yang Guo's whole body shuddered, then he gave a cold laugh: "Can't you come up with something new?" He suddenly leapt, traced a graceful arc in midair, flew through the window, and pursued Lu Wushuang away.

Xiao Longnv once staged a play of marrying Feng Yi; Yang Guo knew his aunt loved him, so he simply didn't believe this at all.

"Really not recognizing good intentions!" Feng Yi swept his sleeve, took Li Mochou's hand, strode swiftly like the wind, and left the town.

After walking several li, Li Mochou endured a long time, finally at leisure she asked, "Why are you certain my junior sister will marry someone?"

She always felt that Feng Yi's claim that her junior sister would marry wasn't based on that "beauty like a fairy" guess; no matter how she racked her brains, she couldn't tell that Feng Yi relied on foreknowledge advantage.

Feng Yi gazed at the boundless continuous mountain range, sighed deeply, sat on a rock, and for a moment didn't know what to do.

Li Mochou saw his brows tightly knit, he was deeply worried, and said, "What are you worrying about?"

Feng Yi shook his head: "I seem to be about to be scolded."

Li Mochou's delicate brows furrowed slightly: "Being scolded? Is there anything worse than being scolded while being with me, this murderous demon?"

Feng Yi glanced at her and said, "You've only killed a few people—calling you a murderous demon?"

Feng Yi proclaimed the treasure's secret in the Linked Cities World; those poisoned or crushed to death numbered countless thousands; he ultimately was indeed the "Seven‑Day Martial Arts Legend", likewise seen by many as a great demon.

Li Mochou's little bit of slaughter—how could it compare to his?

Therefore, once the factor of Hong Lingbo is excluded, his union with this mass‑killing Scarlet Silk Fairy is truly a mismatched pot and cold stove.

And what does he have to fear from gossip and slander?

Li Mochou also didn't understand his meaning, moreover thought he was attending to her mood, thinking to herself: "To have such a husband is enough for a lifetime." She raised her hand to brush her temple hair, her jade cheeks flushed, and she cooed, "What are you thinking about?"

Feng Yi remained silent, as if lost in thought. After a while, he sighed: "Mochou, speaking from the heart, do you think Yang Guo is worthy of your junior martial sister?"

Li Mochou's eyes flashed with anger, she stared at Feng Yi and said: "You still say you haven't harbored any thoughts toward my junior martial sister?"

Feng Yi was stunned, unable to find words.

He felt his thoughts in disarray; for a moment he was utterly at a loss, not knowing what to do……

He knew well that in the original plot, Xiao Longnv and Yang Guo meet the Golden Wheel State Preceptor Huang Rong and others; after Xiao Longnv receives Huang Rong's guidance, she parts without farewell, ends up going berserk from deviation, is saved by Gongsun Zhi, and Xiao Longnv promises to marry him.

Later Yang Guo thought Guo Jing and Huang Rong had killed his father, sought revenge, was recommended by the Golden Wheel State Preceptor to Kublai Khan, met Zhou Botong, and only then did everyone follow into the Passionless Valley; there was no marriage, but instead Xiao Longnv and Yang Guo's feelings were elevated once more.

But this time the Golden Wheel State Preceptor was frightened by my defeat, no longer as in the original plot considering himself invincible, he comes to the Heroes' Convention to show off; these events will not happen. If Yang Guo does not go to the Passionless Valley and Xiao Longnv marries someone, would that not become inevitable?

Although Xiao Longnv has nothing to do with me and loves Yang Guo wholeheartedly, Gongsun Zhi is of a wolfish nature, harming wives and daughters without blinking. To let such a scoundrel marry Xiao Longnv would still be most unpleasant!

But if he had just followed those green-clad people, it would not be hard to find the Passionless Valley; now they have vanished, and he has no way to look for them. So his asking Li Mochou's opinion means: if Yang Guo is not worthy of Xiao Longnv, then he will simply not care.

Seeing Li Mochou say nothing and not wanting to think further, she rose and said: "Let's go!" Perhaps it truly is as he thought. A perfect Xiao Longnv is not for ordinary mortals to match; at the very least, Yang Guo is not worthy.

For if Xiao Longnv remains pure and untouched by others, while Yang Guo, upon seeing a woman, wants to kiss her, upon seeing a woman wants to flirt—what qualifies him to deserve her?

This is unfair!

So he decided to just not care.

If Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv are fated and also deeply in love, even if she becomes Gongsun Zhi's wife and loses her virtue to him, if you go and snatch her back, it could become an astonishing, scandalous love that transcends the mundane!

Li Mochou glanced at Feng Yi, seeing his heavy expression, and sighed: "If you truly like my junior martial sister, you need not ask me."

Feng Yi, hearing this, was quite startled and said: "What are you saying?"

Li Mochou gave a bleak smile and said: "Don't look at me and my junior martial sister as merely denizens of the ancient tomb; in fact, our master taught us how to be a wife. The principles of preserving one's purity, accepting conjugal affection, bearing children, and educating them—we have also read these in books.

But my nature is very fiery, and I am full of curiosity about the outside world; to set an oath that only one man would die for me, and that he must not know beforehand, in order to leave the ancient tomb—I am unwilling to do that.

Therefore my master did not pass the robe and bowl to me; after reaching adulthood I went out into the world alone. I have often wondered: if Lu Zhanyuan had not been so heartless toward me, saying we were merely morally bound companions, but instead begged me, wishing for two women to serve one husband, what would I have become? Even now I have no answer.

Her words were spoken eloquently and movingly, deep with feeling; Feng Yi, seeing her so changed, was originally deeply touched, but thinking of that person being Lu Zhanyuan, he felt rather unpleasant, and laughed: "Wife, you are getting ahead of yourself in front of me—come, let me kiss you."

Li Mochou was quite shy and said coquettishly: "Be serious, I'm talking about important matters!"

Though she said that with her mouth, in her heart she thought: "He hears me mention Zhanyuan and does not get angry, his mind is so broad; as long as he does not forget our moonlit vow of that day, what more could I possibly desire in this life?"

Thinking of this, Li Mochou softly said: "Lingbo, I do not know where she is now; if she never appears, that would be fine. But if she does appear, how would you be, and what should I do?"

Feng Yi, upon hearing Hong Lingbo, felt his heart sink involuntarily and said: "Why do you bring this up?"

Li Mochou said solemnly: "Feng Yi, whether you want to or not, whether you are willing to think about it or not, I have considered it; I know your nature well, and I could never truly let you kill her!"

But if I unreasonably make a fuss and force you to separate from her, even if you verbally agree, you will surely resent me and certainly be unhappy. Rather than that, why should I become a resentful woman and end up like my ancestral grandmother?

No sooner had the words fallen than a light laugh came from the tree, the voice hoarse.

"Who?"

Li Mochou tensed up for no reason, the color draining from her face.

Feng Yi swung his arm, his palm striking out like the wind, shouting: "Come down!" In the sound of tearing silk, his force had already spread to all the branches of the great tree.

That person laughed: "All right." Before his words finished, the rustling sound grew loud.

The two looked up, and a clump of fallen leaves and branches fell straight down, lunging at them.

Li Mochou felt her heart chill, and she retreated by floating backward.

Feng Yi pushed out both palms; the sky-full of leaves and branches, as if held aloft by an invisible force, went "Bang!"

These branches and leaves were shattered into powder by their palm power, scattering with the wind.

Feng Yi stepped back three times with a thud-thud-thud, and the person on the tree could not keep his footing, flipping down in a somersault.

Li Mochou gritted her teeth and said in a hoarse voice: "You old shameless one!"

(End of chapter)