Chapter 434

Wudang Mountain.

An elegant bamboo house.

Murong Wuzhu sat on the bed, leaning over the windowsill, one hand supporting half of her exquisite cheek as she listened to the rustling of the bamboo sea, while the other hand flipped through the world-renowned "First Snow of the East Chamber."

The young girl's expression was focused, her moth-like brows slightly furrowed, her eyes unblinking. She seemed completely immersed in the world of the novel, failing to notice Yu Liancheng's arrival.

This bamboo house was the temporary residence of the two siblings on Wudang Mountain.

After arriving at Wudang Mountain, Murong Wuzhu rarely left the bamboo house, vaguely recovering a bit of her homebody nature; aside from practicing the Heavenly Demon Great Art, she spent her time flipping through a few novels.

Especially that "First Snow," which, even though she had read it several times and knew it almost by heart, she could still be incredibly invested in every single time.

After learning that Nangong Pushe was a woman, Murong Wuzhu had once strongly recommended this book to her.

Unfortunately, it was dismissed by the unromantic Nangong Pushe as boring and pretentious, full of nothing but flowery sentiment, where one could guess the ending just by reading the beginning.

It nearly caused Murong Wuzhu to activate her Heavenly Demon Force Field and fight Nangong Pushe regardless of the consequences.

Unfortunately, she was completely unable to win.

"Sister, look at what time it is; why aren't you up yet?" Yu Liancheng stepped into Murong Wuzhu's room and reached out to take her book.

Murong Wuzhu snatched it away, then hugged her quilt, her beautiful eyes, slightly misty, looking at Yu Liancheng: "Let me read a little longer. I haven't fallen behind in my training. Besides, you said yourself that if training time is too long, one might go astray and fall into the Demon path; one must balance work and rest."

"This has nothing to do with training." Yu Liancheng tapped her head: "Something has come up today; we have to leave Wudang Mountain."

Yet he had to admit that the woman before him, whom he had watched grow up, possessed a unique charm compared to the green and gentle girl who first stepped into the Edo.

Even though she was not dressed or made up now, those half-open, half-closed beautiful eyes, her lazy posture, and the occasional yawn, far surpassed all the stunning beauties in the world.

"What could possibly be the matter? Can't it wait?" The stunning girl pouted, staring intently at "First Snow," seemingly on the verge of shedding tears again.

This reminded Yu Liancheng of when they were young; whenever he told her tragic stories he had heard in his past life, she would always be teary-eyed, and when it reached the saddest part, she would rub her tears and snot all over him.

Yu Liancheng shrugged and said: "The Murong Family and Huishan are about to be wiped out by the Imperial Court. If you don't want to go, that's fine, but I can't guarantee I can save both sides; I'm only one person."

"What?! What happened?"

Murong Wuzhu's pretty face revealed a look of surprise, and she sat up abruptly, revealing a glimpse of her charms.

Yu Liancheng gave a rough summary of the news he had received.

"Why didn't you say so earlier? You still had the leisure to wander around Wudang Mountain."

Murong Wuzhu hurriedly got up to get dressed, her snow-white skin appearing and disappearing from view. Although she and her brother had fallen out with the Murong Family, it was still a place they had lived for over a decade, and there were many relatives and friends she was close to.

As for Huishan, although they had only lived there for a short time, she had her best friend Xuanyuan Qingfeng there.

Yu Liancheng shrugged.

After tidying up, Murong Wuzhu soon appeared before Yu Liancheng, her pretty face filled with anxiety: "Let's go quickly. Have the Wang Mansion prepare two thousand-mile horses; we should still make it in time."

Yu Liancheng smiled: "Actually, there is a faster way."

"What?"

Murong Wuzhu blinked, but she stepped back two paces; based on her understanding of her brother, this smile of his was likely ill-intentioned.

"It's like this!"

Yu Liancheng wrapped his arm around Murong Wuzhu's slender waist and stomped his foot on the ground; the hard stone slabs instantly cracked open, as if struck by hundreds of cannonballs.

The two of them soared upward, flying toward Jianzhou at an incredible speed.

In mid-air.

Murong Wuzhu's face turned pale with fright, and she let out continuous cries.

"Too fast, too fast, Tonghuang, slow down, I can't take it, ahhh!!"

Huishan.

Guniu Dagang.

The news that the Imperial Court was going to deal with Huishan had not been concealed in the slightest and had already spread throughout Jianzhou; the various Guest Ministers and Xuanyuan disciples on Huishan naturally understood this, and for a time, there were undercurrents, and people were restless.

It must be said that although Huishan had been renamed "Heaven Beyond Heaven" by Yu Liancheng, the Murong Family had deep roots and had operated Huishan for over a hundred years; it would take a great deal of effort to completely transform a family into a sect.

"Brother Jingcheng, according to reports from spies, over a hundred bailiffs are heading toward Huishan." The former second-rank Guest Minister Hong Biao walked with hurried steps, his face anxious as he rushed to Xuanyuan Jingcheng.

Although Hong Biao's strength was inferior to the chief Guest Minister Huang Fangfu, he was heroic and possessed an ancient style, had excellent interpersonal relationships, and was well-versed in military strategy, which was why he was highly valued by Xuanyuan Jingcheng.

"Over a hundred bailiffs?" Xuanyuan Jingcheng held a teapot, his brow furrowing: "I fear they come with ill intent; those who come with good intent do not come."

"Father, it's just a mere hundred bailiffs; what is there for Huishan to worry about? My daughter alone could handle dozens of them." Xuanyuan Qingfeng was also sitting in the main hall; she was dressed in black, like a blooming Black Lotus, which only served to make her skin appear as crystalline as jade and as white as snow.

"It is not that simple." Xuanyuan Jingcheng shook his head and looked at his daughter: "The bailiffs are people of the Imperial Court, and we are in a critical period; if we are not careful, we will be caught by them, and the consequences will be endless."

In his heart, he couldn't help but sigh; the martial arts passed down by Murong Tonghuang were indeed profound, not only giving his daughter the strength of a Third-Rank in a short time but also changing her entire temperament.

The former Xuanyuan Qingfeng was beautiful, but she always carried a trace of cold, baleful energy. Now, she was like the clear light of a new moon or flowers covered in snow, without a single flaw.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng said: "It won't be that easy for the Imperial Court to take Huishan. Besides, I have received a message that the 'Heavenly Venerable' has left Beiliang and will surely arrive at Huishan in a few days."

"The Heavenly Venerable is returning to Huishan?" Xuanyuan Qingfeng's beautiful eyes flashed, and a flush appeared on her cheeks, adding to her beauty. The reason she had changed from men's clothing to black robes was because she looked peerlessly elegant in black that day.

"Yes." Xuanyuan Jingcheng nodded. He then looked toward the direction of Daxueping.

Even if Murong Tonghuang couldn't make it back in time, Huishan still had a Heavenly Phenomenon Realm expert sitting in charge. Moreover, that Heavenly Phenomenon expert's strength was very strange and unfathomable, definitely no less than an ordinary Great Heavenly Phenomenon expert.

Besides that, although he did not have much time left to live, he could briefly ascend to the Heavenly Phenomenon or even the Land Immortal Realm, so there was no need to worry too much.

Hong Biao, however, had his brows tightly furrowed, already secretly calculating whether he should quietly leave the mountain and not get involved in this muddy water.

Even if Murong Tonghuang could rush back, so what? If the Imperial Court was determined to deal with a person or a force, even a Wulin Holy Land as strong as the Zijin Villa in the past would only be reduced to ashes.

The reason Wang Laoguai's Wudi City was not constrained by the Imperial Court was not only because his martial arts were the best in the world, but also because Wudi City was entrenched in the East Sea, far from the Emperor.

Just at this moment, a clamor of noise came from outside, and a disciple rushed in: "It's bad, the Imperial Court's bailiffs have arrived, and the head bailiff is holding a warrant, saying we are harboring fugitives!"

"It seems they really do come with ill intent. Let's go, let's go see what the Imperial Court is planning." Xuanyuan Jingcheng pondered for a moment, set down his wine cup, and led the way out, with Xuanyuan Qingfeng and Hong Biao following closely behind.

In front of the Huishan ceremonial gate, with the arrival of the uninvited guests, it became noisy and clamorous, with arguments breaking out from time to time.

"Audacious! Under the whole heaven, is there any land that is not the King's? We are here on orders to search Huishan; if you dare to resist, are you trying to rebel?"

Chapter 48: Undercurrents

A voice like a thunderclap exploded, instantly suppressing the noise of everyone present: "Whoever dares to obstruct again shall be treated as an accomplice, dealt with according to the law, and beheaded in public; there will be no leniency."

The speaker was a towering man nine feet tall, his face revealing a ferocious expression, a steel saber hanging at his waist, his aura released and faintly reaching the realm of a Second-Rank Small Grandmaster.

Following this man's stern shout, the scene instantly fell silent, and the crowd of Huishan disciples could not help but retreat, still carrying a trace of fear.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng shook his head lightly.

The current "Heaven Beyond Heaven" was the inheritance of the Xuanyuan Family's foundation.

The Xuanyuan Family was mainly composed of direct descendants and Guest Ministers; if the Guest Ministers were not desperate men forced into Huishan, they had come for the secret manuals. To say they had any loyalty was simply deceiving ghosts.

As for the direct line of the Xuanyuan Family, following the deaths of Xuanyuan Dapan and several other high-level figures, those who remained were either leaving or staying, and they were a scattered mess. Furthermore, most of the direct descendants were playboys and good for nothing.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng coughed twice, and once he had attracted everyone's attention, he cupped his hands in a salute and said, "I am the person in charge of Huishan, Xuanyuan Jingcheng. Greetings."

"Xuanyuan Jingcheng? You are that famous cuckold who couldn't even protect his own wife." The head of the patrolmen took one look at Xuanyuan Jingcheng, then burst into a burst of wanton, arrogant laughter: "Indeed, scholars are the most useless; if I were you, I might as well find a piece of tofu and bash my head against it."

"You are courting death..." Xuanyuan Qingfeng's pretty face sank, and she stepped forward, her whole body emitting a strange force field that tugged at the surrounding air.

The head of the patrolmen could not help but retreat two steps; for some reason, this stunning woman, whose aura was clearly inferior to his, gave him a sense of danger.

"Qingfeng." Xuanyuan Jingcheng reached out to stop his daughter and looked at the patrol head again: "This patrol officer, state your purpose; there is no need to beat around the bush."

"Fine." The patrol head sneered and took out a wanted list: "These are all fugitives I have been ordered to arrest; trouble yourself to hand them over."

Xuanyuan Jingcheng scanned it, and the wanted list contained a long string of names, the vast majority of whom were people from Huishan, including both Guest Ministers and Xuanyuan direct descendants.

The list of crimes enumerated there made his brows knit tightly together.

If it were the original Huishan, it would indeed have been a place hiding filth and dirt.

But after several rounds of purging, although the people who remained were not completely clean, they were at most guilty of minor evils, still within his range of tolerance.

And these charges were simply turning the originally innocent into the guilty, and minor crimes into major ones.

"Since you are the person in charge of Huishan, harboring fugitives, you should also come with us."

The patrol head wore a ferocious grin, sweeping his gaze over everyone on Huishan, feeling incomparably satisfied in his heart.

In the past, the Xuanyuan Family was a behemoth; even if direct disciples committed crimes, they could only turn a blind eye. And if they encountered the managers of the Xuanyuan Family, they had to put on a smiling face.

But now, they were fiercely trampling on the face of the entire Huishan, which made the patrol leader feel extremely satisfied.

"Right, little beauty, this official recognizes you; your name is Xuanyuan Qingfeng."

The patrol head's gaze rested on Xuanyuan Qingfeng, his eyes revealing a trace of greed and brutality.

He flicked his sleeve, and a brush appeared in his palm out of nowhere; he then added Xuanyuan Qingfeng's name to the list of charges, pondered for a moment, and wrote the words "assaulting an Imperial Court official."

"Alright, take this woman along later; this official wants to interrogate her personally. If you are sensible, the charges will naturally be crossed out at will, but if you are not sensible, hehe, this official will have to teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents."

The patrol head's smile appeared lewd; although he worried about offending the Xuanyuan of Huishan—a centipede dies but never stiffens, and he might face retaliation later—the person above had promised him that once this matter was completed, he would be transferred to the Imperial capital, Taian City. Wealth and glory would be endless.

"What are you, to be worthy of teaching me on behalf of my father and mother."

A trace of killing intent flashed in Xuanyuan Qingfeng's beautiful eyes; her embroidered shoes tapped lightly, and she killed toward the patrol head like an arrow released from a bow.

Living in the great dyeing vat of the Murong Family, this woman was never a naive fool. It was just that the Murong Family was a martial arts family that valued martial arts above all else, and her talent was limited, so she had never shown anything astonishing.

Since obtaining the "Heavenly Demon Great Art," Xuanyuan Qingfeng had practiced day and night without a single day of slack, and with the entire Huishan providing resources, as well as the guidance of the Confucian Sage Xuanyuan Jingcheng, her speed of progress was not at all inferior to Murong Wuzhu.

Even though the person in front of her was a near-Second-Rank expert, she was not afraid in the slightest, but rather full of eagerness to try.

"Hmph, bitch, you're courting death!!"

A cold, sharp light erupted from the patrol head's eyes; his long saber flew out of its sheath, and he raised his Double Blades high toward the sky, cutting through the air, and slashed down fiercely.

The patrolmen who followed shook their heads and sighed.

The boss is really something; he doesn't even know how to cherish the fair and pity the jade.

Such a beautiful woman, even the top courtesan of a brothel couldn't compare. To be split in two like this is truly a great pity.

They did not know that the patrol head felt a strong threat from Xuanyuan Qingfeng; if he did not strike with all his might, his end would be extremely miserable.

However, as Xuanyuan Qingfeng activated the Heavenly Demon Force Field, the patrol head felt the space in front of him collapsing inch by inch, his body leaning forward involuntarily; even though he stabilized his figure, the power of this strike was greatly reduced.

At the same time, a jade hand slapped toward the patrol head; it was a light, fluttering strike, yet it was sharp, treacherous, and hid countless secret killing moves.

Bang!!

The patrol head was sent flying without any suspense, and a strand of yin and soft, lingering force invaded his body, causing his Qi and Blood to churn, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Just as the patrol head was about to crash to the ground, a palm caught him, letting him land lightly on the ground, and it conveniently dispelled that strand of yin and soft True Qi.

"Many thanks to the official for saving me." The patrol head knelt down regardless of his injuries; standing in front of him was an old man wearing a Python Robe, with no eyebrows and no beard.

"No matter, but I want to borrow something from you."

The old man's exceptionally clean-trimmed right hand rested on the patrol head's skull, rubbing it lightly, as if a master were stroking a loyal hunting dog.

"Please speak, official." The patrol head wore a flattering expression, but a premonition of disaster suddenly arose in his heart.

"Borrow your head for a use."

The old man in the Python Robe exerted a slight force, and a head with a frozen flattering expression was lifted in his hand, still dripping blood, and then he shouted lightly: "The rebel thieves of Huishan's 'Heaven Beyond Heaven' have killed an Imperial Court official, acting as rebels; kill without mercy."

Then he lowered his head and muttered to himself: "Just slap a random charge on these martial artists and kill them all at once; why go to so much trouble."