As she was about to depart, a flicker of movement, a momentary flash of firelight—and then, as quickly as it appeared and vanished, four figures stood within the Buddhist hall.
Ji Wuming glanced outside where the guards were already surging forward, intent on crowding into the hall to surround the newcomers.
“Enough, everyone fall back!” Ji Wuming waved his hand dismissively.
These four moved with extraordinary speed; they must be martial artists. The guards excelled at open confrontation and broad assaults, lacking the nimble grace of true martial practitioners.
He rested his hand on his saber hilt, narrowing his eyes as he assessed the four.
All four were clad in fine brocade, their faces ruddy as if from prosperity. Two elders led, one stout and one slender, followed by two middle-aged men, all possessing a calm, composed demeanor that bespoke no ordinary men.
He asked in a deep voice, “To what do we owe the honor of your visit?”
The four turned their heads toward him, and Ji Wuming felt eight streams of sword-light pierce directly at him, causing his eyes to narrow instinctively.
The portly elder clasped his fists, chuckling amiably, “Esteemed Military Lord, we of the Nanjiang Family must attend to some private family matters. We hope the Military Lords will grant us passage.”
“The Nanjiang Family? The Nanjiang known for salt from the north?” Ji Wuming frowned. “Precisely.” The plump elder nodded with a slow smile.
Ji Wuming looked toward General Hua. General Hua frowned. Ji Wuming waved a hand, “The General is the commander of the Divine Light Battalion, on his way to the capital to report to the Emperor. You must not cause a disturbance. Retire for now!”
The Nanjiang Family was a world-renowned lineage, built on the salt trade, possessing wealth rivaling kingdoms, and famous within the martial world, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Helian Clan, the Penglai Wangs, and the Murong Family.
Such noble houses were like towering trees: their roots embedded deep in the imperial court, their branches and leaves spread throughout the common folk, forming an insurmountable behemoth against which a single isolated person could not stand.
General Hua understood, and Ji Wuming understood too; provoking the Nanjiang Family over an unrelated matter was unwise. Furthermore, this was a family affair, into which outsiders should not easily intrude.
However, the General’s authority must not be trampled. Regardless, they were civilians and the General was the official. If they were allowed to do as they pleased, what honor would remain for the General?
Ji Wuming’s gaze was sharp as a blade as he fixed it upon the stout elder.
The stout elder started, and his smile instantly deepened, “So it is General Hua of the Divine Light Battalion! My apologies, my apologies. This humble elder’s surname is Wu. I greet General Hua!”
General Hua smiled and returned the gesture with a clasp of his fists, “Elder Wu, no need for such ceremony.”
The stout elder continued, “Elder Wu admires General Hua greatly for the victory at Divine Light City, which brought great prestige to our Dayen! Truly admirable!”
General Hua returned a few polite words, his expression gentle.
After a few more pleasantries, the elder displayed a troubled look. “In truth, we would not dare presume to act rashly before the General, but this person is too vital. The Family Head has issued a direct order, and we dare not disobey!”
General Hua glanced at the woman disguised in men’s clothing and sighed, “We will not interfere in your family’s affairs. Please proceed.”
The woman’s lips, like ripe cherries, were full and curved, now tightly pressed together, her bright eyes holding a slight, almost mocking sneer.
General Hua looked somewhat ashamed and turned to Li Muzhen.
Li Muzhen, however, had already closed his eyes, sitting motionless as if in deep meditation, clearly unwilling to involve himself in the matter.
“We thank the General for his consideration!” the elder surnamed Wu clasped his fists and smiled.
He then turned toward the woman, chuckling amiably, “Third Miss, you’ve made it difficult for us to find you.”
The woman let out a cold laugh, “Elder Wu, are you truly acting on Father’s command?”
The elder surnamed Wu sighed, “Third Miss, the trouble you’ve caused this time is immense. The Family Head is furious, and he gave the strict order: we must bring you back!”
“And if I refuse to go?” the woman snorted defiantly.
The elder shook his head with a sigh, “The Family Head’s command is absolute… life or death is not considered.”
“Ha ha ha…,” the woman suddenly erupted in laughter. The sound was crisp and pleasant, yet imbued with chilling coldness. Her face was icy. “A fine ‘life or death is not considered’! Everyone says a tiger will not eat its cubs, but my father is quite different!”
The elder sighed again, showing an expression of regret, “Alas… the Second Young Master was injured too severely. It is feared that one of his legs cannot be saved…”
The woman merely sneered.
The elder sighed once more, “Third Miss, it is best you return with this old man. We can speak to the Family Head, plead your case—it will be fine.”
“I would rather die than return!” the woman retorted with a cold laugh.
The elder looked at her and sighed, “Then it must be this way!”
He vanished in a flash, reappearing behind the woman, his palm shooting out to grasp her. It was swift as lightning. Ji Wuming gasped in alarm and instinctively took a step back, resting his hand on his saber, his heart filled with dread.
With such movement, if he had intended harm to the General, he wouldn't have reacted in time!
The woman twisted her waist and spun, narrowly evading the claw. Her movements were light and graceful, like a dance.
The elder clung to her like maggots to bone, pressing his attack relentlessly. One claw followed another, the techniques bizarre and swift, radiating an unsettling, chilling sensation that made everyone uncomfortable.
Though his hand was plump, Ji Wuming and the others felt it was skeletal, like the hand of a corpse; an uncomfortable feeling settled over them, and their body hair stood on end.
The lamplight flickered, unstable and uneven.
In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged more than twenty moves, confined to a tiny space. Relying on subtle skill, the display was incredibly brilliant.
Ji Wuming felt his horizons broadened and could not help but stare intently at the woman.
Her complexion was sallow, and her figure slight—hardly beautiful by conventional standards. Yet, in Ji Wuming’s eyes at that moment, she was a celestial being gliding over the waves, dancing enchantingly, seizing his very soul. General Hua’s expression grew grave as he mused inwardly: truly worthy of the Nanjiang Family; their martial arts were exceptional. The elder’s skill was high, which was not surprising, but what was remarkable was this Third Miss; so young, yet so formidable.
Based on her footwork alone, he knew he would not fare well in a direct confrontation with her.
“All of you, attack together!” Seeing he could not subdue the woman, the elder shouted.
The other three figures moved, surrounding her to form a square, trapping her in the center. The woman remained unfazed. “Elders, and must have offered you considerable benefits…”
The elder shook his head while moving to attack, “Third Miss worries unnecessarily. The Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master have both been confined by the Family Head. We haven’t seen them.” The young lady continued to sneer, her figure darting as she tried to break through the four-man encirclement. The four attacked simultaneously, palm shadows and fist impressions filling the air, enveloping her and making escape impossible.
Her footwork was exquisite, but her internal strength was lacking, preventing her from overpowering them. She could only evade the solid and strike the void. When facing one opponent, she could rely on her agility; but with four working together, they compensated for their lack of speed.
She was like a caged bird; no matter how she struggled, it was useless—she could not break the encirclement.
Ji Wuming turned to look at General Hua, his expression questioning.
He felt indignant, restless, itching to intervene. Four men bullying a slight woman—it was truly shameless, utterly unbearable to witness!
General Hua shook his head, his expression calm as he watched the five fight.
Ji Wuming’s grip on his saber tightened, then loosened, then tightened again. He was burning with anxiety, watching the young lady grow increasingly strained, on the verge of taking a direct hit at any moment. He desperately wanted to strike now.
“Bang!” A muffled thud echoed, like striking rotten leather.
The young lady staggered two steps forward, nearly collapsing, a trickle of fresh blood immediately appearing at the corner of her mouth. She had been struck squarely on the back.
The four stopped attacking and watched her expressionlessly.
The young lady raised a hand, delicately wiping the blood from her lips, and scoffed, “A fine ‘Soul-Severing Palm’…”
A slender elder spoke calmly, “Third Miss, it is time to return…”
He possessed ordinary features, very thin lips, and cold, piercing eyes that gave him a somewhat harsh look. Standing with his hands behind his back, he exuded an air of aloof, austere nobility.
The young lady asked, “Elder Gu, you too wish to kill me?” The slender elder replied flatly, “If I wished to kill you, this single strike would have sufficed…”
“If I return, death is certain…”
The slender elder shook his head, “No, the Family Head is strict, but he would not kill you!” The young lady shook her head, “Do you understand Father, or do I?” He wouldn’t kill me, but he would cripple my martial arts. What difference would that make from death?”
The slender elder reasoned, “It is better than losing your life.”
The young lady coldly laughed, “If I have no martial arts for self-defense, what use is keeping my life? My two dear concubine-aunts already view me as a thorn in their side, how could they let me go?” The slender elder fell silent, then sighed after a long pause, “The Family Head issued a death warrant; we can only obey…”
“Bang!” “Not good! An assassin!” a deafening shout suddenly rang out.
Ji Wuming’s hand tightened on his saber, and he retreated a step, placing himself in front of General Hua, stating firmly, “All squads, form up! Guard the entrance!” Footsteps sounded from outside, followed by the clash of metal, and amid cries of pain, the four figures charged in like a gust of wind; two facing forward, two facing back toward the rear.
The two facing the rear swung their long sabers like flashes of snow, sealing the doorway and blocking the guards.
The two men leading the charge had rugged appearances—thick brows and large eyes, sharp glints shooting from them. As they stepped into the room, their imposing aura immediately permeated the space, making everyone inside feel the pressure, as if confronting fierce tigers.
The man on the right was about forty years old, his face slightly purplish, perhaps from too much sun exposure. He swept his gaze over everyone present, finally settling on Li Muzhen.
“It is him…” he turned to ask.
The burly man on the left, with a flat face and a pug nose, looked honest and simple. After glancing at Li Muzhen three times, he nodded forcefully, “It’s this bald donkey! Brother Huang, avenge General Ximen!”
“Good!” The purple-faced man’s eyes flared, and a cold light shot out like lightning. He stepped forward, closing the distance to Li Muzhen.
“You Eastern Chu rogue, you have guts!” Ji Wuming moved sideways, slashing out with his saber, the blade light resembling a cascading silk ribbon.
The purple-faced man scoffed, curling his left middle finger to touch his thumb, flicking a finger toward the long saber. With a sharp snap, the saber flew out of Ji Wuming’s grasp. Ji Wuming’s body trembled as if struck by an electric current.
The purple-faced man took another step. Ji Wuming felt a flash before his eyes, and the man was gone. He quickly turned his head—the purple-faced man was already behind Li Muzhen, his palm descending toward the crown of his head.
Li Muzhen sat cross-legged, still as a Buddha statue. This palm was aimed directly at his Tianling point.
“Stop!” General Hua threw a punch.
This punch was incredibly fast, like lightning, emitting a whizzing sound as if the air itself were being split. His Great Dragon Well technique was at its peak, all his spirit, energy, and focus condensed into that single strike.
“…Hmph!” the burly man grunted, annoyed at being obstructed once more. He brought both palms together like blades and brought them down toward General Hua’s wrist.
“Alas…” came a long, slow sigh. Li Muzhen opened his eyes and swept his sleeve casually.