The lean old man strode forward with vigorous steps, increasing his pace until, in the blink of an eye, he covered the distance of a dozen zhang, resembling a shooting star slamming directly into Elder Ouyang while simultaneously unleashing a fierce push with both palms.
Dust billowed from the ground, coiling up like a yellow dragon surging toward Elder Ouyang.
Elder Ouyang curled his lip into a cold sneer, standing firm. His two palms drew an arc before pushing out, instantly diverting the rolling dust to meet the lean old man head-on.
A dull, thunderous bang erupted as their four palms collided. The crowd felt their vital energy churn, and the very earth seemed to shudder slightly.
From a distance, the fine horses let out soft whinnies, quickly soothed by their drivers, the commotion instantly quelled**.
Elder Ouyang’s upper body swayed slightly; he took a single step back, his frosty brows knitting together, but the lean old man remained rooted, not yielding an inch. The onlookers realized this exchange had been perfectly matched, resulting in a draw.
The lean old man had brought momentum to enhance his palm strike, forcing Elder Ouyang to meet him where he stood—a momentary disadvantage that a single backward step did not signify defeat.
The lean old man threw his head back and roared with laughter: “Hah! Excellent! Truly excellent! I never expected the small Plum Estate to harbor such a master!”
He turned his head and called out, “Second Senior Brother, we underestimated the Plum Estate!”
The square-faced old man chuckled, nodding in agreement: “They say deep waters hide many turtles. I hadn’t expected the humble Plum Estate to possess such capabilities. Very good, this won't be so dreadfully boring!”
The lean old man clapped his hands together, grinning wickedly as he charged toward Elder Ouyang: “Again!”
“They really have come for us!” Elder Ouyang remained impassive, letting out a cold laugh.
He watched the lean old man approach without haste, calmly bending his knees slightly into a riding stance. His palms faced downwards, slowly rising to chest height, then suddenly flipped over, arms bending sharply as he thrust forward with force.
Bang! Another dull impact shook the ground beneath their feet.
Many of the silver-armored guards felt their blood surge unpleasantly, while the bronze-armored guards felt nauseous, their chests tight with the urge to vomit, forcing their cultivation to suppress the feeling.
The clothes of the guards standing nearby whipped violently, as if caught in a gale.
This time, the fine horses remained still as before, no longer causing a disturbance**.
Mei Ruolan watched the perimeter silently, her expression focused, and Gong Qingyun stared intently as well.
Little Yuan stood beside Li Muzhan, pouting, and huffed: “These masters fighting are so dull, just brute force, no elegance in their moves!”
Li Muzhan smiled faintly. When martial arts reach a certain level, they revert to simplicity, moving past the pursuit of complex forms; of course, disposition also plays a part.
When these two engaged, the heavens seemed to shake; the depth of their inner force was truly astonishing—he admitted he was not their equal.
“Hahahaha… Good! Good!” The lean old man retreated a step, laughing incessantly, his demeanor both wild and somewhat heroic.
Li Muzhan murmured quietly, “Miss, are these people from the Crimson Blood Hall?”
He scanned his surroundings, sensing a growing unease, as if unseen wolves lurked, poised to strike. The hairs on his body prickled, sending a deep chill through him.
“Yes, they likely are,” Mei Ruolan nodded calmly.
Gong Qingyun snorted softly: “They have reinforcements!”
“Mhm, you all be careful,” Mei Ruolan nodded, never taking her eyes off the distance.
Bang! Another muffled peal of thunder sounded as Elder Ouyang and the lean old man traded another palm strike. Both withdrew one step; they remained perfectly matched.
The square-faced old man smiled broadly: “Third Brother, take your time playing; I shall join the fun too!”
Saying that, he vanished in a flash, suddenly appearing behind a silver-armored guard, pressing his palm down, aiming directly for the guard's Tianling (crown). A strange smile played across his face.
Bang! A hand suddenly materialized, blocking the square-faced elder’s palm above the silver-armored guard’s head.
It was Elder Zhang, dressed in coarse cloth, beaming with a smile: “You old rogue, showing such little regard for propriety, attacking a junior without even a word of warning!”
“Oh, how interesting!” The square-faced old man chuckled, vanishing again, reappearing before another silver-armored guard, pressing his palm down once more.
Bang! Elder Zhang met the blow again with his own palm strike.
He chuckled and shook his head: “Is this all your Crimson Blood Hall has to offer? This old man is truly disappointed, deeply disappointed, alas—!”
The square-faced old man pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing. He ceased his sneak attacks on the silver-armored guards and lunged directly at Elder Zhang. The two exchanged a flurry of palms, locked in combat.
Unlike Elder Ouyang, these two favored agility and speed. Their movements were ethereal, appearing suddenly in front, then instantly behind, retreating and advancing with divine swiftness, their palm techniques exquisitely refined.
Little Yuan watched without blinking, her face alight with admiration.
Li Muzhan frowned, slowly sweeping his gaze around the area. He suddenly bent down, picked up a few small stones, and crushed them lightly in his hand until they broke into fine pieces.
Little Yuan turned her head when she saw him, laughing: “Zhanran, what are you doing?!”
Li Muzhan whispered: “Don’t just watch; be wary of anyone trying to sneak an attack!”
Little Yuan dismissed it with a wave of her hand: “Zhanran, you are too cautious. With so many people guarding us, sneaking an attack is impossible!”
Li Muzhan frowned slightly, causing Little Yuan to quickly relent: “Alright, alright, I’ll be careful!”
As she spoke, the square-faced old man suddenly let out a long, piercing cry, like a crane soaring to the ninth heaven.
A long howl echoed from the distance, followed by figures moving through the trees. A group of people emerged, all clad in crimson robes, vibrant as fresh blood.
This group numbered nearly forty or fifty, their numbers now overwhelming the Plum Estate guards.
As they approached, they immediately split into two columns, forming two sharp V-shaped wedges aimed directly at the central circle.
Li Muzhan’s face darkened, sighing inwardly. What he feared had come to pass; this was their true objective. The two top experts were entangled, leaving the silver and bronze guards to face the assault.
The two wedge formations moved with incredible speed. In an instant, they clashed with the Plum Estate guards. Swords flashed and clanged, punctuated by continuous screams of pain.
Li Muzhan frowned. The vanguards of both groups were old men—masters. In the time it took to blink, six bronze-armored guards had fallen. Had four silver-armored guards not desperately intercepted them, the losses would have been far higher.
Seeing this, the remaining six silver-armored guards advanced. The two old masters engaged five guards each, while the rest fought the bronze guards. Though the exchange was back and forth, the circular defense had been breached.
Mei Ruolan and her three companions stood in the center, somewhat exposed, Mei Ruolan motionless, calmly watching Elder Ouyang and Elder Zhang in the distance.
Gong Qingyun’s jade-like face was taut; she stood poised by her sword. Dressed identically and similarly adorned to Mei Ruolan, they stood together like two blossoming plum blossoms.
Little Yuan stood next to Li Muzhan, anxiously scanning the surroundings. She whispered: “Zhanran, they can’t hold them off! Hurry up and help!”
Li Muzhan shook his head, watching the Plum Estate guards fall, yet he remained perfectly still.
Those two old men were masters on par with the gold-armored guards; engaging five opponents each was more than enough. Their sword lights were sharp and swift, like silver lightning. The ten silver-armored guards fought desperately, their coordination flawless, one high and one low, weaving two nets of swords that tightly ensnared the two elders.
“Zhanran, quick!” Little Yuan stamped her foot and tugged frantically at Li Muzhan’s sleeve. Seeing the Plum Estate guards collapsing one after another, she was consumed with worry.
Li Muzhan shook his head, raising his right hand, and flicked out small stones one by one.
Ching! Ching! Ching!
Following a series of whistling sounds, men tumbled, horses reared. His divine strength was astonishing; the pebbles moved with incredible speed, streaking like meteors, each infused with profound inner energy.
Those struck were sent flying as if hit by massive logs, thrown three or four zhang away. Those lightly hit suffered broken tendons and bones; the severely injured were near death.
Not a single pebble missed its target. After more than twenty stones flew out, more than twenty assailants fell. The situation on the field immediately reversed, completely turning the tables. Little Yuan clapped her hands in delight, letting out a clear, sweet laugh: “Zhanran, incredible! Truly incredible!”
Gong Qingyun smiled, loosening her grip on her sword. Mei Ruolan turned to glance at him, a look of surprise on her face; she hadn't expected him to possess such skill with hidden weapons.
Li Muzhan suddenly spun, sending a stone flying toward the rear.
Ching! A sharp whistle cut the air as the stone shot toward the back of a guard.
Little Yuan gasped: “Zhanran…”
This guard, clad in dark green tight-fitting clothes, was locked in a desperate struggle with a middle-aged man in crimson. He was purely defensive, managing only to parry, unable to return effective attacks. He was slowly falling back, retreating toward Mei Ruolan’s position, seemingly unintentionally, moving without realizing it, his back to Li Muzhan’s group, his face obscured.
Gong Qingyun also frowned, turning to glance at Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan’s expression remained placid as he calmly watched the guard.
The guard’s body flickered, narrowly dodging the stone at the last possible moment. He turned back hurriedly and pleaded: “Help me!”
He was a middle-aged man of perfectly ordinary appearance, the kind who would vanish in a crowd, now looking anxious and pleading.
“Miss…” Little Yuan started immediately. With her guileless innocence and kindness, she couldn't bear to see such a sight.
Gong Qingyun took a step forward, her hand moving to her sword, but she suddenly froze as a large hand settled on her shoulder.
She shuddered slightly as Li Muzhan’s hand was gently pushed away. Her exquisite melon-seed face showed a hint of delicate anger and reproach as she glared at him.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly and looked toward Mei Ruolan.
Mei Ruolan shook her head and sighed: “He is not one of ours!”
Li Muzhan smiled, raised his hand again, and a stone whistled through the air. Bo, a dull sound, as if the pebble had dropped into a deep well.
The stone was impossibly fast, reaching the back of the middle-aged man instantly.
The man’s sword light flashed like practiced weaving, slashing out violently. Ding, a crisp sound as the stone shattered into dust. He lunged forward, followed immediately by the middle-aged man in the crimson attire.
“Hmph!” Little Yuan cried out in annoyance, floating forward to intercept, her sword casting a stream of light that sprinkled like myriad stars, enveloping the two middle-aged men.
Mei Ruolan said calmly: “Qingyun, it is time for you to act!”
“Yes!” Gong Qingyun responded, drawing her sword. A cascade of clear light rained down, covering the crimson-robed middle-aged man, leaving the other to Little Yuan.
Li Muzhan stood with his sleeves draped, right beside Mei Ruolan, showing no intention of joining the fight.
Mei Ruolan glanced at him with a slight smile, saying nothing.
As the combat unfolded, she felt a strange sensation growing increasingly clear: he smiled kindly and gently, yet remained distant and unreachable, as if looking down from the clouds.
At times, he was solemn and majestic, commanding respect; at other times, he was playfully impudent, making her teeth itch with vexation; and sometimes, he was as warm and gentle as the wind, inviting closeness.
The more she approached this ‘Zhanran,’ the more unfathomable he became.
She had always prided herself on her sharp intellect and accurate judgment of character, able to peer into people’s hearts with a glance, but when facing Li Muzhan, she found him utterly inscrutable. Though he was her guard, she could not treat him as a subordinate.
Woo—! A sudden howl erupted, drowning out every other sound in the fray, like the roar of a tiger shaking a hundred beasts.
The shriek was utterly harrowing, making scalps tingle and hair stand on end, leaving one deeply uncomfortable.
Li Muzhan’s expression shifted violently. He shoved Mei Ruolan hard.
Puh! With a muffled sound, a streak of dark light flashed past and vanished into the ground two steps away.
Woo—! Another agonizing wail pierced the air.
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