Chapter 220

Feng Yi's eyes lit up in an instant as he turned his gaze; he saw Tianshan Tonglao by a tree, frantically sucking fresh blood from a captured bamboo chicken. A Zi, seeing him come out, exclaimed in shock: "Big Brother, she had me catch a few bamboo chickens for her, but who would have thought—she, she..."

Before her words had even finished, Tianshan Tonglao flung the chicken to the ground, snorted, and snapped: "Look at you, you little slut—you seemed like promising material, but you're just a cowardly weakling; Wuya Zi is truly blind!"

By then the sun was high; her teeth were smeared with fresh blood, her mouth smeared red, and when she spoke she bared a ferocious grin—truly frightening.

A Zi's cheeks flushed with blood as she spat fiercely, snapping: "What arrogance do you dare show before a lady? I caught those chickens for you out of respect for my Big Brother and Grandmaster Wuya Zi; anger me, and I'll make you unable to take a single step!"

Feng Yi found it amusing, thinking to himself: "Tianshan Tonglao is used to being domineering, always beating and scolding Xu Zhu—how could A Zi possibly put up with that?"

Upon being scolded, Tianshan Tonglao's face darkened instantly, but she merely pursed her lips and glared, saying nothing.

Although she had not known A Zi long, she could see that this girl was a little troublemaker; besides Feng Yi, nobody frightened her.

Since a wise man does not suffer petty losses, there was no need to quarrel with her; he leapt onto a rock, sat cross‑legged, pointed his right index finger to heaven and his left to earth, gave a soft "hei", and exhaled two faint streams of white breath from his nostrils.

Feng Yi glanced at A Zi and smiled: "You're still afraid of this?"

A Zi gave him a sideways look and said, "She drinks fresh blood—aren't you afraid?" The reason she was afraid was that she saw Tianshan Tonglao looking like a young girl but sounding like an old hag, and yet she sucked fresh blood—truly more wicked than the Star‑Sucker Sect.

Feng Yi then asked: "So you don't recognize this skill?"

A Zi stared, seeing white vapor rising from Tianshan Tonglao's head like a boiling pot, the mist swirling and gradually engulfing her, and blurted: "Is this the Eternal Youth Spring Skill?"

Feng Yi smiled: "Exactly, it's the Heaven‑long Earth‑long Eternal Youth Spring Skill. If she didn't drink fresh blood, her true qi would boil over and she'd die."

A Zi had also stolen the Eternal Youth Spring Skill from Ding Chunqiu, but Ding Chunqiu's own grasp of it was incomplete—he merely sucked poison with his palms when practicing, let alone her.

Thus this genuine Heaven‑long Earth‑long Eternal Youth Spring Skill was something she was seeing for the first time; recalling Tianshan Tonglao's vampire‑like appearance just moments ago, her heart pounded, and she instantly understood why Feng Yi had stopped her from cultivating the Eternal Youth Spring Skill.

This truly is an evil skill—thank goodness I never practiced it.

After about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Tianshan Tonglao's bones cracked with a sharp crackle, the white vapor grew denser, obscuring her face and body, leaving only a long, round column of qi.

Feng Yi stepped forward a few paces, quietly circulating his inner power, using his mind to sense the shifts in Tianshan Tonglao's internal qi; he perceived that although she appeared calm outwardly, her blood surged like the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and he thought: "This Heaven‑long Earth‑long Eternal Youth Spring Skill indeed has its subtleties—I ought to discuss it with her."

Feng Yi told A Zi: "You stand guard for her; I'll go tidy up the chickens."

His hearing was astonishing; he heard a faint trickle of water several dozen meters away, so he picked up the bamboo chickens on the ground, leapt to a nearby stream, rolled up his sleeves, washed and cleaned the chickens, then returned.

A Zi had already lit a bonfire,

Feng Yi took some seasoning from his cloth sack, sprinkled it on the chicken, and soon a rich aroma filled the air, making A Zi's mouth water. She said: "How did you make this? How can it be so fragrant?"

Feng Yi laughed: "This is what the Beggar Sect's patriarch taught me."

Feng Yi had once spent nearly a year with that big eater Hong Qigong, absorbing his ways through constant exposure, so he knew what seasonings to use for roasting chicken—a necessity for wandering the jianghu.

When the chicken was done, the popping‑bean sounds on Tianshan Tonglao's body grew fainter and sparser, the qi‑ball shrank, and a figure emerged; she kept drawing white mist into her nostrils, and only when the mist was exhausted did she open her eyes and rise slowly.

A Zi immediately rubbed her eyes, noticing that Tianshan Tonglao's expression seemed somewhat different, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.

Only hearing Feng Yi clap his hands and laugh: "Purifying the marrow and renewing the old—excellent, excellent! I've long heard of the Venerable One's Eternal Youth Spring Skill; seeing it today, the reputation is truly deserved."

Tianshan Tonglao glanced at him and said lightly: "You're not being honest; this little trick of carving flies is nothing to a first‑rate master like you."

Though she pretended not to care, she secretly felt a faint joy.

Tianshan Tonglao's martial arts were profound, her status lofty and her following vast; she had grown tired of praise. Yet hearing these words from Feng Yi, even knowing they were flattery, they gave her a different flavor, and she only wished he would compliment her a few more times.

This shows that people differ in ability, and thus their words carry different weight.

Feng Yi said: "Let's eat first." He handed a piece of chicken to A Zi and another to Tianshan Tonglao.

A Zi took a bite and found the meat tender, smooth, soft and glutinous, fresh with a hint of sweet fragrance—a wondrous taste she had never experienced before. Glancing at Feng Yi, a flicker of surprise crossed her mind: "If the Beggar Sect's ancestor had this talent, why would he still beg? Why couldn't he support himself?"

Tianshan Tonglao, even more famished, devoured the chicken in a gust, leaving nothing; as she ate she clicked her tongue in praise: "Good, good, good! Indeed, talent shows everywhere—this chicken meat is fresh with a hint of sweetness; I, Granny, have never tasted such delicious chicken."

Even the chicken bones were picked clean, and she kept smacking her lips, as if the flavor were endless.

Feng Yi burst out laughing: "If you don't mind, Tianshan Tonglao, let's head back to the Spirit Vulture Palace right now—I'll roast chicken for you every day."

Tianshan Tonglao wiped the grease from her lips, shook her head, and said: "I cannot return to the Spirit Vulture Palace."

Feng Yi asked: "How come?"

Tianshan Tonglao sighed: "What you just said is correct—if I don't drink fresh blood to practice my skill, I'll meet an untimely death."

Feng Yi shook his head: "You're a fortunate person; heaven looks after you. Even without me, you wouldn't die."

Tianshan Tonglao's face darkened slightly, her beautiful eyes frosty, and she said coldly: "I know you are arrogant and think yourself above all, but even Tianshan Tonglao does not like to be contradicted."

"However, I have never in my life thanked anyone; you saved my life, Granny, and I will surely repay you in the future."

Feng Yi thought: "Just waiting for you to say that." Then he smiled and said: "Let me be frank—Master Wuya Zi was at death's door back then; he merely gave a brief outline of the Heavenly Mountain Six Yang Palm and Heavenly Mountain Plucking Plum Hand, saying the martial‑arts murals of the Carefree Sect are in the Spirit Vulture Palace, and if you wish to comprehend them, you should have me come find you. Venerable One, if you agree, I will be deeply grateful."

Tianshan Tonglao nodded: "Since you are the head of the Carefree Sect, that's simple enough—just not something we can rush into now."

Feng Yi furrowed his brows slightly: "How so?"

Tianshan Tonglao sighed: "Don't you know the drawbacks of my skill?"

Feng Yi said: "Back then, Master Wuya Zi spoke to me about you in a private transmission, telling me everything in full. He said that you three siblings share the same martial lineage, yet your inner arts differ; your Heaven‑long Earth‑long Eternal Youth Spring Skill requires a return to youth every thirty years."

A Zi thought to herself: "Ah, that explains it." Recalling that before Wuya Zi transmitted his skill there had indeed been a spell of silence, she realized he had been sending a private message to Feng Yi, and she exclaimed: "Being able to return to youth—what a marvelous thing!"

Feng Yi said: "It's only during this period that your internal power will be completely lost. Master Wuya Zi calculated carefully—these days are when you will lose your skill. Since you and Li QiuShui are on bad terms, fearing she might make things difficult for you, he sent me to protect you fully; as long as you survive three months, you need not fear Li QiuShui."

【52】

OK.

Of course, for the lovesick Tianshan Tonglao, this is also a kind of psychological comfort, a win‑win situation—why not?

Indeed, upon hearing that Wuya Zi even remembered the day she would lose her skill, it was clear she had him in her heart; her heart pounded like a drum, her face flushed crimson, her emotions surged to the extreme, she wistfully recalled the sweetness of her early days with Wuya Zi, momentarily lost in reverie, forgetting where she was.

After a moment of silence, Tianshan Tonglao came to and asked slowly: "Do you know what happened between me and Li QiuShui?"

Before Feng Yi could speak, A Zi muttered under her breath: "It's just about stealing a man, isn't it? What's there to say?"

Tianshan Tonglao said coldly: "You little slut, how bold of you to dare speak to me like that!"

A Zi merely smiled.

Tianshan Tonglao gazed ahead and said slowly: "You're not outsiders either; there are some connections you can hear about."

"I, Wuya Zi, and Li QiuShui, though we received the same transmission from our master, have learned quite different things; Wuya Zi achieved the most, his strength is greatest, and he inherited our master's position as head of the Carefree Sect."

"I do indeed practice the Heaven‑long Earth‑long Eternal Youth Spring Skill; my master originally passed it only to me, but I later transmitted it to Wuya Zi—yet after an mishap occurred, he too failed to master it completely."

【64】

OK.

We need to keep quotes? The source includes Chinese quotes 「」. Should we keep them? The instruction: translate faithfully, preserve meaning. Usually we replace with English quotes. We'll use English double quotes.

Thus: A Zi was very curious and said: "What mishap?"

But we need to keep as single line: 【61】 A Zi was very curious and said: "What mishap?"

【73】

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao's lips trembled, and she remained silent.

【80】

OK.

We'll translate: Feng Yi realized that Tong Lao must have suffered cultivation deviation, unable to grow up, which caused Wu Ya Zi to transfer his affection elsewhere.

【85】

OK.

Thus: After a while, Tong Lao slowly said: "This martial art is immensely powerful; once mastered it grants immortality, but every thirty years one must revert to youth, during which all inner power is lost, and each practice session restores one year of power."

【91】

Translation: I have practiced this art since I was six; after several years its power became evident, but my body could no longer grow, forever remaining the size of an eight- or nine-year-old.

OK.

We need to keep quotes. We'll translate: "If I had started practicing at seventeen or eighteen, then when I reverted to youth I would return to that age—how wonderful!" A Zi heard this and couldn't help but say: "You've gone astray in your practice, becoming a dwarf—" She almost blurted out the word "dwarf", but Feng Yi stopped her.

【100】

Translation: Tong Lao gently shook her head: "I was born with a triple energizer disorder; if I had trained in superior internal arts early on, there would be hope of cure. Therefore my master taught me the Eternal Spring Everlasting Youth skill, because this internal art's mental method trains the Hand Yang Meridian of the Triple Energizer."

OK.

【104】

Translation: At twenty-six, I could have been cured and grown again, but at the crucial moment I was framed, causing cultivation deviation; this dwarf's body has stayed with me ever since, making me lose everything.

OK.

Translation: "What a pity, what a pity." A Zi shook her head repeatedly.

【110】

Translation: Tong Lao said sternly: "Do you know who framed me?"

OK.

Translation: A Zi's thoughts turned, and she blurted: "Could it be your junior sister Li Qiu Shui?"

【116】

Translation: "You little girl are indeed clever!" Tong Lao gave a wry smile: "I reverted to youth at thirty-six, which took thirty days; at sixty-six it took sixty days. Now at ninety-six, reverting to youth requires ninety days."

OK.

Translation: During these ninety days, one must drink fresh blood at noon each day to practice; after one day of training, inner power returns to that of a seven-year-old, the second day to eight, the third day to nine, each day restoring one year's worth.

【123】

OK.

Thus: Tong Lao looked at her expression and smiled: "Don't think this is good; Li Qiu Shui naturally knows when I disperse my power and lose my aura, and will surely come to make trouble for me. I, the old lady, cannot show weakness, so I ordered my servants to devise various defenses while I retreat to the Ethereal Peak to hide, and I myself continue training."

We'll translate accordingly.

【131】

Translation: Unexpectedly, before Li Qiu Shui arrived, Wu Lao Da and his men stormed up the peak. My subordinates were fully focused on guarding against Li Qiu Shui; otherwise, with merely the modest skills of Chief An and Wu Lao Da, how could they dare to swagger up here?

OK.

Translation: At that time I was on the third day of training when Wu Lao Da seized me; I possessed only the inner power of a nine-year-old, unable to resist. If I did not pretend to be mute, I might have given away my accent to that gang of demons and monsters.

【137】

Translation: Thereafter, during those days, I could not obtain fresh blood, remaining a nine-year-old child.

meta? Actually it's a marker line.

This line appears to be some weird marker: "=9+書_吧". Probably a placeholder? We need to translate it faithfully. It's not Chinese; it's some symbols. According to rules, we must translate everything; if it's not translatable, we keep as is? It says "Translate faithfully — never skip, summarise, or merge paragraphs." So we must output exactly the same? But we need to translate into English. However it's not Chinese; it's some kind of tag. Probably we should keep it as is, because it's not translatable. The instruction: "Render onomatopoeia / sound effects... as English sound words... never delete them." This is not sound effect. It's some weird marker. I'd output it unchanged: "=9+書_吧". But maybe it's a typo; we should treat as text and translate? There's no meaning. We'll output same.

【143】

Translation: Alas, reverting to youth is like a snake shedding its skin: each shed brings growth, but if caught mid-shed, there is great danger. Fortunately, in the early years of training, my power was shallow; going a few days without fresh blood I could barely survive, but if delayed another day or two, I would still lack fresh blood, unable to train, and my true qi would burst inside me, inevitably leading to death.

OK.

Translation: A Zi recalled her own ordeal of being pursued by the Xingxiu Sect, thought of how Tong Lao endured endless torment for survival, weeping before everyone, and imagined herself doing the same; she immediately said: "Old lady, you are truly remarkable; I shouldn't have been harsh with you."

【149】

Translation: Tong Lao laughed heartily: "Actually you and I share the same temperament—we never suffer a loss. Still, this is good; a woman should be strong, otherwise she'll be bullied to death by despicable men."

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi's guess was correct; the three senior brothers and sisters of the Xiao Yao Sect all possess deep inner power and strong martial arts, but aside from Tong Lao, the other two are not devoted in love.

【155】

Translation: Wu Ya Zi first fell in love with Tong Lao, but while she practiced, Li Qiu Shui deliberately interfered, stunting her growth and marring her appearance, causing Wu Ya Zi to transfer his affection to Qiu Shui, yet he outright denied any feelings for Tong Lao.

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao herself suspected as much, knowing that her lack of affinity with Wu Ya Zi stemmed solely from her short stature; she bore no grudge against Wu Ya Zi, reserving her hatred solely for Li Qiu Shui.

【161】

Translation: Feng Yi smiled, changed the subject, and said: "The circulation of qi and blood in the human body follows a natural order; your reversing of youth goes against that order, like the sun and moon moving backward—naturally perilous and unpredictable."

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao nodded: "That's the reasoning. When my martial prowess is present, Li Qiu Shui dares not attack; but during these ninety days, she will surely use every means to deal with me."

【167】

Translation: If I returned to the Spirit Vulture Palace, the old lady could not constantly follow you; she would surely give Li Qiu Shui an opportunity.

OK.

Translation: Therefore, Feng Yi, if you truly wish to save me, bring me to a remote place where few people go, and guard my practice.

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao finished speaking, yet saw Feng Yi remain silent.

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao displeased said: "Young man, what are you idling about?"

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi shook his head: "Tong Lao, as long as I have a breath left, I will surely protect you completely; but if you do not return to the Spirit Vulture Palace, Wu Lao Da and his men are already desperate and will attack the palace—what then?"

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao snorted: "How could this rabble possibly reach the Ethereal Peak?"

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi felt angry hearing this, and said: "Let's set aside whether they can reach the Ethereal Peak; they will surely fight, and who knows how many will die. Not to mention the people of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands, even the maidens of your Spirit Vulture Palace would suffer countless casualties—wouldn't you feel sorrow?"

OK.

Translation: Moreover, in the Spirit Vulture Palace, how could you not follow me?

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao frowned deeply and said: "Young man, you appear clever, yet at a critical moment you fail to grasp the bigger picture."

OK.

Translation: "What kind of person am I, old lady?"

OK.

Translation: "If I returned to the Spirit Vulture Palace and followed you around all day, letting my servants see, what would that become?"

OK.

Translation: "Furthermore, once the people of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands learn that I, the Heavenly Mountain Tong Lao, am pretending to be mute and being bullied in front of them, would I still have the face to live as a person?"

OK.

Translation: "I will wait until my power is restored, then kill them all to avenge this great humiliation!"

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi gave a wry smile: "You are indeed doing this for face; I should have thought of that earlier."

OK.

OK.

We'll translate: Feng Yi is not one who cares much about face, so when he considers the same issue with those who value face and profit, he sometimes does not stand on the same footing.

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao glanced at him, gave a faint smile: "I know you don't care much for face; otherwise that kid Zhuo Bu Fan wouldn't have survived. Moreover, you possess great compassion, able to consider my subordinates—this is excellent, and Wu Ya Zi did not misjudge you."

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi smiled and said nothing.

OK.

OK.

Thus: He wanted to look at the quadruplets, fearing that if he went late he would be killed.

OK.

Translation: After all, in the original plot nothing happened, but that doesn't mean nothing will happen now.

OK.

Translation: Because his butterfly's wing flap could trigger a hurricane.

OK.

Translation: But since Tong Lao said that, he couldn't force her to return; after all, this woman is a strong-willed figure with deep scheming, so he could only settle here.

OK.

Translation: Fortunately, people once lived here, with convenient water, and wild hares, bamboo pheasants, goats, and eagles are all game, so living is no problem.

OK.

Translation: The next day, Tong Lao continued practicing by sucking blood from living creatures, and her appearance changed daily; after only six or seven days, she had transformed from an eight- or nine-year-old girl into a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old maiden,

OK.

Translation: only her stature remained the same, still short.

OK.

Translation: Yet this left Feng Yi staring dumbfounded, for Tong Lao had become lovely and radiant, her eyes glistening, her beauty extraordinary—she was now a stunning young woman.

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi's inner astonishment grew, thinking: "No wonder Wu Ya Zi initially fell for her; such a petite beauty is surely as rare as the plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum—among the world's few beauties."

OK.

Translation: Thinking again, he sighed: "If Tong Lao's voice could also sound like that of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl, that would be perfect!"

OK.

Translation: In the afternoon, after Tong Lao finished her practice, she suddenly felt a scorching gaze; her power had restored to that of a seventeen-year-old, and she immediately sensed something amiss, her starry eyes glaring in that direction—was it not Feng Yi, then who?

OK.

Translation: Seeing her expression clearly reproachful, Feng Yi gave a dry laugh and turned his head.

OK.

Translation: There's no helping it; Feng Yi's habit of liking to look at beautiful women is truly unchangeable.

OK.

Translation: Tong Lao couldn't openly say it to Feng Yi, but she felt a secret delight, for at ninety-six years old she could still make Feng Yi swayed by her beauty—this was worthy of pride. She said: "One who lacks foresight will surely have immediate worries. Those demons and monsters are not to be feared; long-term concerns are out of the question, but imminent worry looms. We have lingered here too long; that wretch Li Qiu Shui will surely come seeking us. Feng Yi, carry me to the peak's summit."

OK.

Translation: Feng Yi looked far and saw the distant mountains towering into the clouds, their summits white with snow; even a lightness expert would need several days to ascend, and he felt a reluctance, furrowing his brow slightly: "What if Li Qiu Shui comes?"

story (incomplete? Actually ends mid-sentence but we translate what's given)

Translation: Tong Lao gave a hehe laugh, her jade countenance blooming, cheeks flushed, her gaze charming, and said: "I'm not underestimating you; my enmity with Li Qiu Shui runs deep as the sea, irreconcilable, and your Xiao Yao Sect leader's title won't intimidate her.

She has deep ties with the Western Xia state, with many eyes and ears; if an order were given, the experts of the Western Xia's First Rank Hall would all be sent out to search, and you have me and this little girl with you.

Once you start fighting, you must also obey Wu Ya Zi's last words and not kill Li Qiu Shui; that slut's Wave-Treading Steps are exquisitely superb—even if you don't lose, if she catches an opening she'll kill me. Even if you kill her afterwards, what good would it do?

Feng Yi thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

Seeing that the peak was inaccessible to ordinary people, he hoisted Tong Lao onto his back and was about to pull A Zi.

A Zi flicked her hand, pursed her lips, and said: "Although I've never seen Li Qiu Shui, since she and Wu Ya Zi's grandfather could have a daughter, she must be stunningly beautiful, perhaps even gentler and more refined than you."

According to what you said, if she harmed you, why are you so afraid of her? Could it be that you also did something wrong to her?

Tong Lao's eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light, and she shouted angrily: "What did you say?"

A Zi shouted loudly: "I say you definitely did something wrong to her; otherwise, after she hurt you, what face do you have to refuse to let up?" She and Tong Lao locked eyes, not backing down.

Even though A Zi knew Tong Lao was an old woman in her nineties, seeing her become so beautiful, Feng Yi, having hoisted her onto his back, felt a pang of jealousy and immediately flared up.

Feng Yi, however, knew she was willful and hadn't expected anything to happen with Tian Shan Tong Lao; how could he think she'd be jealous of an old woman? He said: "You'll find out about their affairs later."

A Zi snorted: "Why can't I know now? You just like carrying other women, don't you?"

Feng Yi stared, stunned; Tong Lao also realized the meaning—she was jealous of herself—and was about to burst out laughing.

But a gentle voice said: "You little girl are quite clever, yet how can you not understand that men are all lustful and forgetful, prone to chasing novelty?"

(End of Chapter)