The young woman said nothing, gliding ahead to lead the way, the surrounding plum blossoms perfuming the air.
The two walked along the path flanked by plum trees, quickly passing the main hall, crossing the front courtyard, and arriving at the rear garden, where the view suddenly opened up.
A two-story pavilion stood erect amidst a sea of plum trees. From afar, it was brilliantly lit, illuminating the night sky, and the faint, ethereal sound of a qin drifted over, seeming to originate from the furthest reaches of the heavens.
Li Muzhan turned to look at the young woman.
The young woman’s face was taut. “Hmph,” she sniffed, “The Miss is upstairs. Wait here, I will go announce you!” Li Muzhan smiled and nodded.
He shook his head, chuckling inwardly, unconcerned by her rudeness.
The young woman ascended the staircase, and the qin music abruptly ceased. Soon, she returned: “The Miss invites you up!” Li Muzhan nodded and followed her up the stairs.
As he walked, he quietly assessed his surroundings. Four formidable auras locked onto him, poised like drawn arrows, capable of delivering a fatal strike at any moment.
These four presences were positioned in the north, south, east, and west, their power strong, in no way inferior to his own.
…………………………
On his journey to Gujiang City, he had traversed several Eastern Chu towns and encountered many masters, though none of the absolute pinnacle. First-rate masters, however, were numerous.
Eastern Chu martial arts were indeed flourishing and grand, far surpassing Dayuan. With so many first-rate masters, victory based purely on martial strength would be assured for Eastern Chu; Dayuan would stand no chance.
The people of Eastern Chu and Dayuan looked different, though they spoke the same language. In taverns, he had occasionally overheard discussions in Eastern Chu where Nangong Sidao was praised extravagantly.
Dayuan’s martial arts were lacking, yet they produced Nangong Sidao, who shone like a single, solitary star, illuminating the entire realm and making all other martial experts seem dim and unremarkable.
Li Muzhan sighed inwardly, his horizons broadened. He had assumed Dayuan was prosperous and its people settled, but upon reaching Eastern Chu, he realized Dayuan lagged far behind—like the difference between a great metropolis and a small town.
Upon reaching the first floor, the young woman lifted a thick, white curtain, and his eyes brightened. Warmth and a delicate fragrance immediately washed over him. Li Muzhan narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped inside.
It was a spotlessly clean sitting room. The thick, soft carpet was snow-white, and the furniture and decorations were few, all in snowy white, resembling a blanket of fresh snow.
Three walls had been turned into canvases, connected seamlessly from west to north to east, depicting a vast, imposing snowy mountain range stretching endlessly. A single red sun hung high above the peaks.
The artist must have been a master of high caliber; at a glance, one felt completely immersed, as if standing before an immense, serpentine mountain range, eliciting a sense of profound smallness.
That red sun pulsed with vibrant life force, radiating an imposing majesty.
Apart from this, the room contained only four low, white tables and snow-white meditation cushions.
……………………
Beneath the north wall, a woman in white was leaning over, tuning her qin. Her long, slender neck rose from her elegantly coiled hair like a swan’s—graceful and refined. Though he could not see her face, he already sensed she was a beauty.
“Miss…” The young woman placed white covers over Li Muzhan’s boots and knelt down beside him.
The woman in white looked up, and Li Muzhan’s vision flared brilliantly.
What met his eyes were pupils the clear blue of a washed sky, crystalline and profound, like the deep ocean. Li Muzhan swiftly formed a hand seal in secret, suppressing the turbulence in his mind.
These eyes possessed an inexplicable magic, almost drawing everything around them inward; his vital essence and spirit felt on the verge of leaving his body.
Li Muzhan was astonished, wondering if this captivating charm was innate or a result of a strange cultivation method lending itself to enchantment. Yet, for any ordinary person, the effect would be devastatingly potent.
No matter how strong a person’s martial arts, if their vigilance faltered and they lost control, they could not exert even half their strength.
Li Muzhan’s Samadhi practice was exquisite, further honed by his later cultivation of the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art, his resolve forged to an extreme depth. Thus, though his heart wavered for a moment, he quickly stabilized.
“Grand Master Su, I am Ming Kong,” Li Muzhan said, joining his palms in greeting and offering a slight smile.
Su Yunyun’s expression remained cool. Her slender left hand lifted gently from the qin strings: “Master, please be seated.” Li Muzhan inclined his head and sat before a low table nearby. The snow-white cushion was soft yet resilient; he wondered about the material that gave it such strange properties.
The young woman withdrew, leaving the two alone. Li Muzhan observed Su Yunyun closely.
A melon-seed face, skin like congealed lard. Individually, none of her features were particularly outstanding, but combined on her face, paired with eyes like the ocean, the effect was breathtakingly beautiful.
This beauty was transcendent, as if a goddess looked down upon the masses, indifferent and untouched by worldly desires. Moreover, with every glance, she seemed unfamiliar, displaying a fresh aspect of beauty that never repeated the one seen before.
Su Yunyun was also observing Li Muzhan. Their gazes met and entangled.
The sound of footsteps announced the young woman’s return with tea, after which she retreated.
Su Yunyun pushed aside her qin, picked up a teacup, took a slow sip, and set it down deliberately. “Master’s visit at this hour must be for a reason. It is not to discuss qin mastery, I presume?” Her voice was slightly husky, imbued with magnetism.
Li Muzhan did not drink the tea. He smiled slightly: “I have come to request an antidote.”
“An antidote?” Su Yunyun’s faint eyebrows lifted slightly. “What antidote?”
“The antidote for Xuexiang San,” Li Muzhan stated, watching her with a half-smile.
Su Yunyun frowned: “Xuexiang San? What is that?”
Li Muzhan sighed: “Indeed. Grand Master Su would not be unaware of Jade Cold Palace’s Xuexiang San, would she? In all of Eastern Chu, it is likely known by everyone…”
“I do not know it…” Su Yunyun seemed impatient, her tone mild. “If Master has no other business, please leave!” Li Muzhan smiled: “Grand Master Su does not recognize Yu Han? I find that hard to believe…”
Su Yunyun picked up her teacup again, took another small sip, and shook her head with a sigh. “Master, please do not be unreasonable. I am but a frail woman, spending my days tuning strings and plucking the qin. I have nothing to do with the affairs of Jade Cold Palace.”
…………………………
Li Muzhan watched her with a faint smile: “Grand Master Su wishes for me to drink the tea, perhaps?”
He lifted the cup, gently swirling the contents, and chuckled: “This tea must contain something quite special, yes?”
Su Yunyun’s delicate face darkened, and she coldly stated: “So, Master is merely looking for amusement! … Guards!”
“Yes, Miss!” Two muffled grunts sounded, and two figures flashed into the room, but Li Muzhan was already standing behind Su Yunyun, his palm resting against her back.
The two who entered were lean men, about forty years old, their figures long and lithe like hunting leopards, brimming with explosive power, glaring coldly at Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly: “Grand Master Su, please forgive the imposition. Hand over the antidote now.”
He took a deep breath, thinking how close that was. That last move required gathering all his internal power; it truly felt like instantaneous movement, and he was still unsettled by the surge of his vital energy. If not for that force, he could not have seized the initiative.
The room was warm as spring. She wore only a thin white robe, close-fitting, and Li Muzhan’s palm, separated from her skin by only a layer of cloth, could feel the smoothness and resilience of her back.
Li Muzhan was slightly surprised internally. He had nearly been deceived; she was a master herself!
A person who does not practice martial arts has a physique vastly different from one who does. How can the muscles of one constantly trained compare to those that are not? Practitioners have firm, resilient musculature; some martial arts are so subtle and internalized that no external sign betrays their practice, but upon touching their body, an experienced person can often feel it.
Li Muzhan’s senses were acute; even through the clothing, he sensed the unusual quality of her jade-like body.
Su Yunyun’s face flushed crimson, and she gave a cold laugh: “Nonsense! Are you completely mad, coming to me specifically seeking some antidote!”
Her delicate face flushed, a rouge blooming across her fair complexion, radiating intoxicating allure.
Li Muzhan smiled: “Grand Master Su is an upright person and does nothing in secret. You are from Jade Cold Palace. There are no impenetrable walls in this world—did you truly think you could hide it from everyone?”
Su Yunyun was silent for a moment, then stated mildly: “How do you know?”
Li Muzhan smiled: “That is not for you to inquire about… I have been poisoned by Xuexiang San. Without the antidote, I will die. Having such a peerless beauty as company on the road to the Yellow Springs would at least be a pleasant affair!”
Su Yunyun sneered and shook her head, saying gravely: “Move!”
With a muffled bang, the two middle-aged men sprang forward like arrows. Simultaneously, the wall behind him exploded outward, and two figures flew out amidst the splintering wood shards.
Li Muzhan smiled, suddenly unleashing internal force from his right palm, instantly sealing all the vital points around Su Yunyun’s body. He then flashed away, reappearing a Zhang distant.
With a ‘shing,’ his left hand shot out, five streaks of finger force tearing through the air, crisscrossing to envelop the exploding cloud of wood debris, then turning to point forward, the finger force covering the two pursuing figures.
A series of muffled thuds echoed: Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The wood debris exploded again, rolling and turning to fine powder that sifted down, revealing two people.
These were two middle-aged women, both rather beautiful, now glaring fiercely at Li Muzhan with faces grim with displeasure.
……………………………
Li Muzhan ignored the four, smiling at Su Yunyun: “Grand Master Su, my internal energy is now tainted with Xuexiang San and has entered your body. I have now poisoned you too. I truly apologize.”
Su Yunyun smiled faintly: “Are you truly a man of the cloth?”
Li Muzhan chuckled: “Even monks fear death. Becoming a monk is an attempt to seek the path to liberation. I have not yet attained the Dao; I can only struggle desperately to survive. Grand Master Su should offer all of us a way to live!”
It had been a close call. As Su Yunyun’s mind stirred, intending to channel her internal energy, he had already sealed her acupoints. She must have been extremely frustrated, yet she spoke so lightly, revealing nothing—this ability to control her emotions was extraordinary.
Su Yunyun’s cultivation method was also strange; her spiritual core felt shrouded in a dense, hazy fog. In the past, even with his Heart Pearl, his power of discerning others' minds could not penetrate her thoughts. Now, with six Heart Pearls, his power of discerning others' minds was immense, yet he could only perceive her emotional fluctuations. Where there was no fluctuation, it remained a dense mist, indistinct.
“Release the Miss!” one of the middle-aged women said coldly.
She had a melon-seed face and bright, large eyes, glaring fiercely: “We will give you a swift end, otherwise, you won't even be able to die!”
Li Muzhan began to laugh, shaking his head, and urged his internal force.
Su Yunyun gave a muffled groan, and a blush immediately spread across her alabaster face. She clenched her teeth, her expression blank, as if turned into a jade statue.
With the slightest manipulation of Li Muzhan’s internal energy, Su Yunyun felt her entire body become itchy and numb, desperate to scratch, but with her acupoints restrained, this sensation was unbearable. Although bullying a woman was hardly heroic, this concerned life and death, and Su Yunyun was no weakling. A little rough handling was permissible.
PS: I had commitments today. I planned to update in the morning, but couldn't release a chapter then. I truly apologize to everyone for the monthly tickets; I feel uneasy about it. So I pushed the update to the afternoon. I cannot guarantee the evening update because I have guests for dinner. If I cannot update, I will make it up tomorrow. Monthly tickets—they are truly a sweet pressure. Let the pressure come even more fiercely!