Chapter 292: Lady Dongming

Shang Ming fell backward, his head striking the floor, his eyes rolling back as he fainted on the spot.

The crowd of Dongming Sect disciples were anxious and uneasy, staring blankly at Yu Liancheng, who sat composedly on his chair. They should have drawn their blades to confront him, but they were cowed by his aura, and lacking a leader, they were at a loss for how to respond.

Yet this panic was quickly soothed, for five people had already arrived in quick succession.

These five were the three female guardians, Dan Yudie, Dan Xiu, and Dan Qing, and the two male guard-generals, Shang Bang and Shang Kuitai.

Without a doubt, when facing this uninvited guest, the Dongming Sect had brought out all its experts.

Aside from the Dongming Princess and the Lady Dongming, all other leader-level experts on the ship had appeared in the cabin, each possessing formidable martial arts.

"I wonder what business brings you to our Dongming Ship?" Although Dan Yudie was one of the four guardian fairies, she was a plump butterfly. Her face was like a full moon, radiating an air of harmony; as she spoke with a smile, it was impossible for anyone to harbor the slightest malice toward her.

Before Yu Liancheng could speak, Shang Bang, one of the four guard-generals, said coldly, "Regardless, this person has trespassed on the Dongming Ship and injured our disciples, violating the rules of the Dongming Sect. I suggest we take him down first."

His words carried a hint of arrogance, but what he said was indeed correct, and he had good reason to be confident.

Yu Liancheng was all alone, while he was about to face a ship full of well-trained Dongming disciples and a significant number of Dongming experts.

Yu Liancheng sipped his tea and said indifferently, "Regardless, you all intend to attack me anyway, so why bother with the chatter?"

"Fine, let me see what skills you truly have to be so arrogant!" Shang Kuitai, one of the four guard-generals, was the most decisive; a long sword in his palm left its sheath like a lightning bolt, stabbing toward Yu Liancheng.

As he made his move, the other four immediately deployed their own weapons to surround and attack Yu Liancheng, determined to capture their opponent in the shortest time possible.

Shang Bang used a nine-ringed saber; as he wielded it, a "clanging" sound rang out as the rings struck the back of the blade, adding to its might. The wind of the blade whistled, and the blade light was like a galaxy descending from the horizon.

As for the three female guardians, Dan Yudie, Dan Xiu, and Dan Qing, they used soft steel cables wrapped around their waists, which they whipped out with a "snap," coiling forward like long snakes, bending and straightening at will.

The Dongming Sect sold weapons; although they had made many friends, they had also made many enemies. That they had not only remained standing but had grown increasingly powerful was naturally inseparable from these guardians and guard-generals.

Each of them possessed extraordinary skills, and since the Dongming Sect was world-renowned for forging weapons, the weapons in their hands were tempered a thousand times over and were truly exceptional.

With these five attacking simultaneously from five directions, it was indeed no small matter.

Yu Liancheng sat calmly on his stool, not moving an inch.

The next moment, the blade light, sword light, and whip shadows almost completely enveloped him; in the blink of an eye, Yu Liancheng's figure was shredded, and the stool he sat on and the table beside him were engulfed by the force, shattering and scattering.

Seeing this, the Dongming Sect disciples cheered in unison, their faces filled with joy.

But the expressions of the five experts suddenly changed, for in their perception, this strike had felt weightless, as if it hadn't hit anything solid at all. Their force had all landed on the stool and the table.

With a crisp "pop," Yu Liancheng's figure suddenly shattered like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in the water, only to reassemble on another stool in the blink of an eye, still holding his tea, his expression indifferent.

And the moment his figure shattered, a chilling, yet unimaginably powerful force of True Qi emanated from his body, invading the vital meridians of the five experts, causing them to stagger back as if struck by lightning.

Everyone could not help but look on in astonishment; the three guardians and two guard-generals had joined forces, only to be crushed in a single encounter, and the method was so bizarre that it was the first time they had ever encountered it.

Within the five, hot blood surged, their throats tasted sweet, and they couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, their footing unstable. Fortunately, they were supported by nearby disciples, otherwise, they would have already fallen to the ground.

"This 'Meiying Shenggong' is indeed a highly remarkable divine art; if cultivated to its peak, it might not be unable to rival the 'Seven-No-Absolute-Realm' of Di Shitian."

Yu Liancheng sat on another chair, his mind immersed in the 'Meiying Shenggong'.

This 'Meiying Shenggong' emphasizes 'turning existence into nothingness, turning nothingness into existence, the mutual generation of the virtual and the real, and unpredictable changes.' It contains profound truths of the Martial Dao; in the eyes of others, however, it appears ghostly, evil, and unfathomable.

Just as Yu Liancheng was thinking, a sword light flew out diagonally, shaking in mid-air; the sword light split, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into hundreds of cold stars enveloping his entire body, the offensive swift and fierce, like a violent storm.

Yu Liancheng did not even lift his eyelids, merely pressing his finger down lightly, understated and calm.

Only a "ding" sound was heard, and the sword light instantly collapsed.

The sword-wielder let out a delicate cry and staggered back.

"How is this possible?"

The person who had attacked was a stunningly beautiful young girl in flowing white clothes; her face was like jade and her lips like cinnabar, both charming and youthful. Her hair was like a waterfall, black and shiny, setting off her fair skin to make her look like she was made of ice and jade, moving in the extreme.

There were many female disciples in the Dongming Sect, many of them young and beautiful, but compared to this girl, they all paled in comparison.

With such beauty and such martial arts, who else could it be but the Dongming Princess, Dan Wanjing?

Others only knew that Lady Dongming had remarkable methods and martial arts, and that the Dongming Sect had flourished under her, but they did not know that in recent years, Lady Dongming had delegated power, and the affairs of the Dongming Sect had been largely controlled by the Dongming Princess Dan Wanjing, who had never made a mistake, showing highly remarkable methods.

Dan Wanjing frowned slightly; she had always been competitive and would never believe she would lose to any man. Now that she had been repelled by a single finger from Yu Liancheng, how could she be reconciled?

She saw her clothes fluttering, her expression solemn, as she gathered her pure True Qi and poured it all into her long sword.

Swish!

The long sword stabbed out again; the sword was like a swimming dragon, the sword light dazzling, soaring into the sky, and in an instant, it set up a net of heaven and earth, covering Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng's True Qi surged, and his black sleeves fluttered out, colliding with the long sword.

With a "bang," the long sword in Dan Wanjing's palm instantly cracked inch by inch.

This sword of hers was the painstaking work of a master swordsmith of their sect, a rare divine weapon even in the whole world; unfortunately, under Yu Liancheng's palm, it was as fragile as a child's toy.

Dan Wanjing's entire body was knocked backward, her beautiful face pale. Her beautiful eyes turned sharp, revealing a hint of cold murderous intent, and she shouted, "Disciples of the Dongming Sect, hear my order: Kill!"

Hearing this, the crowd of disciples moved, drawing blades and swords.

Although they feared Yu Liancheng, they executed Dan Wanjing's order without hesitation, which showed the prestige of this Dongming Princess.

"Wanjing, you are too unreasonable. A guest has come from afar, how can you draw blades and swords? Step back." A delicate and charming voice suddenly came, and the tense atmosphere dissipated before anyone knew it.

"Understood, Mother." Dan Wanjing bit her cherry lips with her teeth and glared at Yu Liancheng with her beautiful eyes.

That delicate voice said again, "Young Master has come from afar; I have prepared some light wine to welcome you."

"Very well, since the Lady has so graciously invited me, how could I refuse?" Yu Liancheng naturally understood that the female voice that had spoken was the mistress of the Dongming Sect, Lady Dongming.

He had always been unable to refuse fine wine and beautiful women, and besides, if he wanted the Dongming Sect to work for him, he would inevitably have to persuade this Lady Dongming.

"Young Master, please follow Ru Yin." A young and pretty maid appeared in the hall and bowed gracefully.

Yu Liancheng rose to his full height and said, "Very well, lead the way."

"Yes." The maid named Ru Yin turned gracefully, leading the way, and soon brought him to the cabin door on the rear left; walking further ahead would lead to the stairs to the upper and lower decks.

The pretty maid pushed open the cabin door and said softly, "Young Master, please."

Yu Liancheng stepped into the room; the room was quite spacious, but it was divided into two by a hanging curtain in the middle.

On the side where he entered, oil lamps were lit in the four corners, and a long chair and a small table were placed; on the table were fine wine and delicacies, still steaming, presumably prepared just a short while ago. Several paintings hung on the walls, and the layout appeared quite thoughtful.

The pretty maid said, "Young Master, please sit."

After Yu Liancheng sat down, the pretty maid quietly retreated and closed the room door behind her.

Lady Dongming's voice came from the other side of the curtain, saying, "May I ask for the young master's honorable name?"

Yu Liancheng poured himself a cup of wine and said, "Yu Liancheng—as flawless as fine jade, as valuable as a city."

"Please forgive Meixian for her lack of discernment; I do not know on which immortal mountain the gentleman cultivates." Lady Dongming's voice was gentle and soft, flowing like a trickling stream.

Yu Liancheng smiled and said, "Lady, you jest; I am merely an obscure, worldly person."

"Oh? I wonder what business brings the gentleman to the Dongming Ship?"

On the other side of the hanging curtain was Lady Dongming, with her slender figure, graceful posture, and water-green palace attire.

A light veil covered her fair face, vaguely revealing the contours of her features. That veil made her feel as though her face possessed an even greater mysterious charm.

Lady Dongming's pair of beautiful eyes were looking through the bamboo curtain at Yu Liancheng.

Because the side with the bamboo curtain was much darker than the other, it was difficult for Yu Liancheng to see the mystery within the curtain unless it was lifted. But if Lady Dongming looked toward the other side, everything was clear and visible down to the finest detail.

From the moment Yu Liancheng entered the room, Lady Dongming had been observing this uninvited guest.

This exceptionally eye-catching uninvited guest.

His appearance was handsome and dashing; this face alone was enough to make many women secretly lose their hearts and be captivated by him.

What kind of person was Lady Dongming? She had seen countless handsome men and beautiful women. Most of them were merely empty shells, straw bags with nothing but a good appearance.

Yet the person before her was not only handsome, but his entire being also exuded a strange charm that transcended the mundane, making it difficult for one to look away.

With Lady Dongming's vision and experience, she naturally knew that when martial arts reached a profound level, it would manifest through one's appearance, with the intent and body becoming one. Just like the Goryeo "Yi Sword Master" Fu Cailin; it was said his appearance was extremely ugly, but in the eyes of ordinary people, he possessed an indescribable aesthetic beauty.

Clearly, this person's martial arts had evidently reached a very profound level.

In reality, before inviting Yu Liancheng into this room, Lady Dongming had heard from those four Martial Warriors about Yu Liancheng walking across the sea, but it was too inconceivable and unbelievable. However, after seeing the protectors and generals easily defeated by the other party, she could not help but take the matter seriously.

With the other party's unfathomable martial arts, even if the entire Dongming Sect's experts were exhausted, it would be absolutely impossible to deal with him.

Since that was the case, why not see what the other party intended? Perhaps she could even find a great backer for the Dongming Sect.

Yu Liancheng drank a cup of wine: "As for why I have come, we might as well discuss it in detail later. Compared to this, I think there is another matter the Lady should know?"

"Oh? What matter?" Lady Dongming said.

"I do not like others playing tricks or hiding their heads and showing their tails in front of me, nor do I like others wantonly spying on me. Lady, you have committed my two great taboos in succession."

As Yu Liancheng's words fell, without any visible movement from him, the bamboo curtain suddenly snapped from the top. Lady Dongming on the other side of the curtain was revealed before him; although separated by a veil, one could still see the surprise in those beautiful eyes.

"Hmm, this veil is also a bit of a hindrance." Just as Yu Liancheng's words fell, a wild wind whipped up from the flat ground. Lady Dongming gave a soft cry, and before she could react, the veil was blown away by the wind, revealing her high, straight nose and her cherry mouth, which was slightly parted in surprise.

"Does the gentleman not feel this action is too rude?" Lady Dongming's pretty face sank slightly. Nowadays, the world is in chaos; the Dongming Sect supplies weapons to major forces and clans, becoming their honored guests—everyone is too busy flattering them, so when have they ever been treated with such contempt and rudeness?

"If it were not for the Lady looking from behind a curtain and covering her face with a light veil, unwilling to show her true face, how would I have done this?" Yu Liancheng looked Lady Dongming up and down without any avoidance, then lowered his head to eat and drink.

Lady Dongming suppressed her anger and continued to use a gentle and charming voice: "The gentleman has yet to explain what exactly you intend by coming onto the Dongming Ship?"

Yu Liancheng said leisurely: "Yang Guang is cruel and incompetent, the Sui Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and rebellions are rising everywhere. The people are displaced and trapped in deep water and scorching fire. I intend to seize control of the world and pacify the chaotic times. And your Dongming Sect will be the first target I subdue."

Facing the person in power of the Dongming Sect, Yu Liancheng did not bring out some so-called "Supreme Emperor" to fool people, but instead revealed what was in his heart, one by one.

Lady Dongming could not help but be stunned; she had not expected this person to be so frank. After a long silence, her cherry lips parted slightly: "I wonder which force the gentleman represents?"

"No, I represent myself."

"Then, how many troops and horses does the gentleman have now? How many cities and lands do you occupy? How many great generals are under your command?" Once the conversation turned to serious business, Lady Dongming's pretty face became increasingly solemn.

She asked directly; in such matters, it was naturally better to know as much about the other party as possible.

"If you don't count your Dongming Sect, I only have one person I can command right now." Yu Liancheng shrugged and smiled: "And that person is myself."

Lady Dongming's pretty face could not help but be covered in a layer of frost: "Is the young master joking with Meixian?"