“Besides, I don’t have any money.
If it weren’t for Miss Xiao’s help, I’d probably still be wandering on the road,” Xi Fuhong said.
Xiao Qiyu shook her head and replied, “I’m just a blind woman.
Meeting Miss Xi is my good fortune.
I heard you mention going to Li Jiang Mountain.
If I’m not mistaken, it’s just a few miles east from here.
But…
it’s a remote place.
What are you planning to do there alone?”
“I need to go to the Shi Residence!”
Xi Fuhong’s eyes widened upon hearing that Li Jiang Mountain was nearby.
Xiao Qiyu traced the rim of her cup with her finger, pondering, “I’ve been to Li Jiang Mountain, but I’ve never heard of a Shi family living there.”
“Huh?
But Sister Cui clearly said her home is on Li Jiang Mountain,” Xi Fuhong said, puzzled.
She distinctly remembered Shi Cuiyan telling her before leaving the valley that she was the daughter of the Shi family, and her father was an old friend of her grandmother.
How could this be…
“No worries, I might have remembered wrong,” Xiao Qiyu corrected herself.
“Is Sister Cui a friend of yours?”
“Not exactly a friend, but I got her captured by bandits, so I must inform her father at the Shi Residence,” Xi Fuhong explained.
“Such an urgent matter, how can I delay?”
Xiao Qiyu stood up and said.
Xi Fuhong didn’t say much more this time.
Knowing that Li Jiang Mountain was nearby made her eager to set off immediately, but she held back because of Xiao Qiyu.
Now, with the urgency of the situation, she was getting anxious.
“But…
I promised Miss Xiao, how can I…”
Xi Fuhong frowned, unsure of what to do.
Xiao Qiyu stepped forward and held her hand, her calmness captivating, her gentleness endearing.
Xi Fuhong looked up at her jade-like face, thinking how rare it was to meet such a considerate and mature woman.
She must be like the celestial beings described in books.
It’s a pity she’s blind; otherwise, Xi Fuhong would love to see the brilliance in Xiao Qiyu’s eyes.
“Miss Xi, shall we return to the inn?”
Xiao Qiyu said with a smile.
Brushing away her worries, Xi Fuhong stood up and nodded in agreement.
On the bustling street, Xi Fuhong held tightly onto Xiao Qiyu, knowing she couldn’t hold on forever.
Yet, Xiao Qiyu’s spring-like smile had already etched itself into her heart, making it unforgettable.
Seeing her made Xi Fuhong want to keep her close.
But she had to face reality eventually…
Outside the inn, a crowd gathered, watching some commotion.
Xi Fuhong hesitated about returning later, but Xiao Qiyu stood still, so Xi Fuhong joined the crowd.
At the entrance were three women in black, dressed uniformly, indicating they were from the same sect.
“Hmph!
When did it become your turn to cause trouble?
Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of the righteous path!”
A man approached, muscular and strong, clearly a martial artist.
“What right do you have to teach us?
We haven’t killed or set fires, so how are we bothering you?”
The youngest girl among them retorted, but the older girl in front stopped her, saying, “Qi Er, don’t cause trouble.
We’re here on our master’s orders to bring the senior sister back to the palace, not to play around.”
“Ke Yun Senior Sister!
Who said I was causing trouble?
It’s that stinky pig who insists on fighting!”
Qi Er pouted, tugging at her senior sister’s clothes.
“Witch!
Who are you calling a pig?!”
The martial artist’s face turned red with anger, drawing his iron knife with a shout.
“Whoever responds is the pig!”
Qi Er wasn’t afraid, instead showing a triumphant smile.
“You!!
Fine…
Today, I’ll let you taste the power of my Broad Iron Eighteen Blades!!”
With that, the martial artist swung his arm, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The crowd quickly backed away, leaving the three women in the open.
Seeing the martial artist was serious, Xi Fuhong pulled Xiao Qiyu to the side of the street in fear.
The youngest girl suddenly dashed to the center of the arena.
“Alright!
Let me see your pathetic skills!”
In an instant, a green light flickered, and the girl’s fingers wrapped in green threads, dotted with silver light.
“Let’s see how long you can last against my Life-Binding Green Hook.”
The martial artist, unable to withstand such provocation, immediately gripped his knife with both hands, channeling his inner strength, and leaped forward.
His knife moves were straightforward, without any fancy tricks, but combined with his powerful inner strength, each strike could cut through iron like mud.
The girl saw the simplicity of his knife technique and smirked, sidestepping the blade.
Her fingers closed, and the green threads wrapped around the iron knife.
She used the martial artist’s shoulder to leap into the air, and with a sudden pull of her arms, the black iron knife wrapped in green threads shattered into ten pieces.
The move was seamless, leaving the onlookers breathless.
The martial artist’s beloved knife was destroyed by the young girl.
“How about that!
Admit defeat?”
The girl landed gracefully, hands on her hips, boasting.
Life-Binding Green Hook, green threads covering silver hooks, unbreakable and flexible like threads.
Anyone caught by it is doomed!
“Sir, please forgive us.
Qi Er is mischievous.
Please don’t take it to heart,” the older girl said, seeing the martial artist’s face turn ashen, knowing he wouldn’t give up easily.
To avoid further conflict, she stepped forward and bowed.
“Full of nonsense!
She ruined my precious knife!
How can I just let it go?”
The martial artist looked at the broken blade on the ground, filled with anger.
How could he let go of the girl who destroyed his prized possession?
“Wan’er,” the girl called out, and the silent woman behind her handed over an embroidered pouch.
“Sir, we’re sorry for the damage to your knife.
Here are twenty silver coins as compensation.”
“…You, you think you can buy me off with money?!”
The martial artist was shocked.
In Jianghu, it’s all about loyalty and relationships.
How could they, from a side sect, try to settle things with money?
Ridiculous!
“Are you refusing?”
The girl’s face darkened, seeing the martial artist unwilling to relent.
Bi Xuan Palace, neither part of the righteous martial world nor the demonic path.
Originally a Taoist sect, it was shunned for not cultivating immortality but instead practicing dark arts.
Their skills aren’t as powerful as other Jianghu sects but are known for overcoming strength with flexibility, famous for their agility and ferocity.
However, martial arts aren’t Bi Xuan Palace’s forte.
Their true strength lies in their soul-binding and spirit-manipulating techniques, from raising ghosts as soldiers to summoning spirits from the underworld.
These forbidden and defiant arts are Bi Xuan Palace’s specialty.
Thus, Bi Xuan Palace only accepts female disciples, mostly homeless orphans.
“…Ke Yun Senior Sister?”
The girl called out, worried about her senior sister’s changing expression.
In Bi Xuan Palace, the greatest taboo is anger, as it can turn one into a demon.
Therefore, higher-ranking disciples must cultivate their temperament to learn the palace master’s most powerful techniques.
The person beside her was Qin Ke Yun, the second senior sister of Bi Xuan Palace.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take his life, but…”
Qin Ke Yun formed a seal with her fingers, muttering a spell, and glared at the man before her.
With a flick of her finger, she commanded, “Go!”
Unexpectedly, the once arrogant man suddenly became obedient.
As soon as Qin Ke Yun spoke, he turned and left, not even picking up the broken knife.
The crowd was stunned, not knowing what spell the girl had cast to make the man so compliant.
But the junior sister, Fang Qi Er, knew.
The Soul Capture technique was Ke Yun Senior Sister’s specialty, a skill only upper-level disciples could learn.
To ordinary people, those caught by Soul Capture would obey the caster’s commands, similar to being under a soul-binding spell.
However, Soul Capture only lasts a few hours, causing no harm.
