Chapter 22: Escaping to Survival

Qin Shuang looked at his few junior brothers who were gasping for breath, and seeing his master about to deal a lethal blow, he still stood out.

"I beg Master, for the sake of our many years of master-disciple affection, to spare their lives."

Xiongba turned to look at the Xiongba before him; he had not expected that even Qin Shuang would defy him, and he angrily rebuked:

"Even you would defy me? Go to your deaths together!"

Xiongba struck a palm toward Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang had no time to dodge, and just as he was about to take this fatal blow, Kong Ci rushed forward to block the palm.

The outcome that Duan Fengyun had painstakingly tried to avoid had happened after all.

This time, Kong Ci did not block a palm from Bu Jingyun for Nie Feng, but chose to block Xiongba's fatal blow for Qin Shuang.

Kong Ci knew she had failed Qin Shuang, and she chose to use her own life to repay Qin Shuang's kindness.

"No!"

Bu Jingyun looked at Kong Ci, who had been struck to the ground by Xiongba, and ignoring his own injuries, he caught her.

Fresh blood gushed from Kong Ci's mouth; her internal organs had already been shattered by Xiongba's force. She looked at Bu Jingyun, who was holding her, and smiled:

"Yun, I cannot accompany you any longer; you must take good care of yourself."

Having said this, her hands went limp, and she left this world forever.

Bu Jingyun held the now-deceased Kong Ci in his arms and wept in agony; in the end, the Uncrying Death God had shed tears.

Duan Fengyun looked at the deceased Kong Ci, filled with self-reproach. He had known the ending, yet he still could not reverse it; if he had told everyone the truth sooner, everything before his eyes would not have happened.

Qin Shuang and Nie Feng looked at their former companion who had now become a memory, their eyes red as they stared at Kong Ci's corpse.

Xiongba looked at the few people in pain and could not help but feel delighted; he laughed loudly:

"You need not be sad; you will see each other on the road to the Yellow Springs soon enough."

Youruo looked at her father, who appeared like an executioner, and then looked at the four injured senior brothers, and a plan suddenly formed in her heart.

She shouted: "You group of traitors who betray your master and ancestors, today I shall clear the sect for my father."

Youruo stood with her back to Xiongba and swung her sword toward Qin Shuang, her eyes constantly signaling to him. Qin Shuang instantly understood the meaning in Youruo's eyes.

In a flash of lightning, he knocked away the hand holding the sword with a punch, quickly pulled Youruo into his arms, and used his other hand to hold her sword against her neck.

This was Youruo's plan; at present, only she could save Duan Fengyun and the others. Seeing that Qin Shuang was the least injured, she had deliberately chosen to target him so that he could take her hostage.

Duan Fengyun and Nie Feng saw that Qin Shuang had taken Youruo hostage and immediately gathered by his side; this was their only bargaining chip for now.

Seeing Youruo held hostage, Xiongba angrily shouted at Qin Shuang: "Qin Shuang, release Youruo, or I will make sure the four of you wish for death but cannot die."

Qin Shuang looked at Youruo, then looked toward Xiongba:

"Master, today is the last time I will call you Master. The four of us do not want to harm Youruo's life; we only wish to leave the World Association safely. If Master insists on taking our lives, then the four of us can only perish together with Youruo. Once we have safely left the World Association, I will naturally release Youruo to return. I, Qin Shuang, keep my word."

Youruo also cooperated with Qin Shuang, pleading to Xiongba: "Father, save me, I don't want to die."

Xiongba had no choice but to agree to let them leave.

Duan Fengyun pulled up Bu Jingyun, who was still grieving in pain. Bu Jingyun stood up, held Kong Ci's corpse, and looked coldly at Xiongba.

Under Youruo's protection, the group left the World Association safely.

At this moment, the fleeing team, now a distance away from the World Association, finally stopped.

"Young Miss, we are safe now, you should go back quickly. We are about to face endless pursuit; if you follow us, you will inevitably be implicated."

Qin Shuang said to Youruo.

"That's right, Youruo, you should go back. We are safe now; if you don't go back, your father will come looking for us."

Duan Fengyun also added from the side.

Youruo looked at the four of them and Kong Ci's corpse. A few days ago, the six-person group was laughing and chatting in the World Association; now, some were dead, some were scattered, and the World Association was left with only her again.

She stepped forward and hugged Duan Fengyun, the meaning of which was self-evident. She leaned on Duan Fengyun's shoulder and asked: "Will we meet again? Will you come to see me?"

Duan Fengyun patted Youruo's back, suppressing his pain, and smiled: "Rest assured, I won't die so easily. We will definitely meet again; when that time comes, I will personally come to the World Association in a grand sedan chair to carry you through the gates of my Duan family."

Youruo shyly scolded: "Who agreed to marry you? I'm leaving, don't you forget what you said."

Encouraged by Duan Fengyun's firm gaze, Youruo rode her horse back to the World Association.

After Youruo left, the four brothers looked at each other, not knowing where to begin.

In the end, it was Duan Fengyun who broke the awkward situation. He looked at Bu Jingyun, and also at Kong Ci, saying:

"Brother Yun, where do you intend to bury Kong Ci?"

Bu Jingyun was currently heartbroken and did not want to communicate much with the three; he picked up Kong Ci and replied:

"I have my own plans, you don't need to worry about it."

Duan Fengyun guessed his plan and stopped interfering. In the ice cave, there was still the Sword Twenty-Two technique he had left for Bu Jingyun.

He searched his chest, took out a copy of the final form of the Cloud-Seeping Palm Cultivation Method, placed it in Bu Jingyun's hand, and told him:

"This is the final form of the Cloud-Seeping Palm I stole from Xiongba; take it and practice it well."

Bu Jingyun looked at his junior brother, nodded in acknowledgment, and then left with Kong Ci's corpse.

After so many years of brotherhood, there was no need for too many words.

Seeing Bu Jingyun leave, he also gave the records of the subsequent killing moves of the Frost Fist and Wind God Leg to Qin Shuang and Nie Feng.

He asked the two what their plans were. Qin Shuang decided to wander the world from now on, while Nie Feng said he bore a deep blood feud and would practice diligently, waiting until he had achieved success to seek revenge on Xiongba.

Duan Fengyun thought for a moment and decided to tell Nie Feng about the matters in Lingyun Cave in advance.

"Brother Feng, when I was searching for my Duan family's heirloom Fire Scale Sword in Lingyun Cave, I seemed to see records concerning your Nie Family ancestors. You can go to Lingyun Cave to explore first and see if you can gain something."

The three said their goodbyes right there and went off to start their own journeys. Each would strive, only to meet again at the peak one day.

After Xiongba returned with Youruo, he hurriedly asked if she was injured. After receiving Youruo's reply, a relieved Xiongba told Youruo to return to Huxin Xiaozhu to rest.

He turned and ordered Wen Chou Chou to issue a Jianghu Kill Order: Anyone who sees the four of Duan Fengyun is to be killed without exception. Whoever brings the head of any one of them will be heavily rewarded. Those who conceal information will be killed without mercy.

From this point on, the Jianghu began a long-lost bloodbath centered around the four of Duan Fengyun.

Where will the Destiny of the four of Duan Fengyun lead, and will Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun continue to level up with "hacks" as they did in the original work?