Wenyin Yue stood atop the towering trees, gazing down at the valley floor, listening intently, yet sensing no disturbance. She pondered, when would she choose to strike?

Was it when the target finally slept, or just before dawn, in the deepest moment of slumber?

As she considered this, a flash of movement caught her eye, and Li Muzhan appeared, a round bundle held in his left hand, a sword strapped across his shoulder.

"Junior Brother?"

Wenyin Yue started, swiftly drifting toward him, her gaze fixed on his left shoulder. "You fought?"

Li Muzhan nodded, his expression as cold as ever. With a flick of his left hand, the bundle rolled in the dry leaves, instantly catching pine needles.

Wenyin Yue caught a faint, metallic scent and frowned. "Junior Brother, you’re injured!"

She hadn't looked at the bundle, assuming the (bloody smell) emanated from Li Muzhan’s wound. She stared fixedly at his shoulder, her delicate brows knitting together.

Li Muzhan said, "Their swordsmanship was indeed excellent. To die by their hands, Junior Brother Lu and the others were not wronged! ... They’ll likely be pursuing us now. Let’s leave!"

"Your injury—" Wenyin Yue frowned.

"It’s nothing, not fatal," Li Muzhan stated casually.

Wenyin Yue insisted, "Let’s treat it first. Otherwise, fighting again will be very troublesome!"

Li Muzhan shook his head. "No time!"

He stamped his foot, and the bundle covered in pine needles lifted into the air. He grasped the bundle with his left hand, swept Wen Yue into his right arm around her slender waist, and flashed to the mountain summit. With another flicker, he leaped off.

No sooner had he jumped than three figures streaked like flowing light, appearing on the summit. Seeing the pair fall, they let out angry snorts and immediately leaped after them.

These three were highly skilled and bold; they didn't believe Li Muzhan was intent on suicide. Since he dared to jump, either the cliff wasn't too high, or he had some other reliance.

The fierce wind whipped at their faces, their robes billowing. Li Muzhan and Wenyin Yue descended like immortals. The white gauze veil across her face fluttered; she simply took it off, revealing her hibiscus-like features.

Li Muzhan’s state of mind was frigid and silent. Though momentarily struck by her beauty, he remained as unmoving as a mountain. His gaze swept over her face once, then darted upward. He frowned.

The three pursuers were descending in a tight 'pin' formation, arms linked, heads close together. Their speed was astonishing, even surpassing Li Muzhan’s. In a flash, they were about to catch up.

Wenyin Yue also looked up. Seeing the trio charging down, she gave a soft cry. "I'll handle them!"

She extended a finger—she was highly adept at the Canghai Divine Finger. The mysteries of the Miaolian Sutra granted her potent fingertip force, second only to Li Muzhan's Canghai Divine Sword.

The three ignored her. Her fingertip force struck the foremost figure with a crisp pop, like a pebble hitting stone. Li Muzhan shook his head. "Senior Sister, hold me tight. I’ll do it!"

Wenyin Yue sighed inwardly when her strike had no effect. She nodded, looped her arms around Li Muzhan’s waist, and looked up.

Li Muzhan pressed his right thumb down. "Chii—!"

The sound was like ripping silk cloth. A mere ripple disturbed the air, moving like a snake gliding on water.

The three figures immediately began to spin outward, like interlocking gears. When the fingertip force impacted the stout old man, there was a dull thud, like striking hardened leather. The trio’s rotation paused momentarily, their descent slowing slightly.

Li Muzhan pressed out another finger strike. Another dull thud. The trio’s downward speed slowed again, but their rotation accelerated.

Meanwhile, Li Muzhan and Wenyin Yue’s descent quickened, instantly widening the gap. Li Muzhan frowned, withdrawing his finger, not following up with a second strike, secretly astonished by the strangeness of their internal methods and the depth of their internal power.

He deduced that the Canghai Divine Finger could not penetrate their protective internal force. He refrained from using the Canghai Divine Sword, choosing instead to stop, appearing to give up.

The fierce wind howled. Below, the darkness gaped like the mouth of a monstrous beast.

At that moment, a bright moon hung overhead, casting the surroundings in a pale, ethereal light.

Wenyin Yue looked up. The three elders’ speed increased further; they plummeted like stones, closing the distance again, poised to catch up momentarily.

She knitted her brows, realizing the three shared a peculiar internal discipline, likely linking their energies to generate a protective True Qi impervious to her fingertip attacks. She flipped her right wrist, and a flying knife materialized, flicked upward gently.

The knife streaked like lightning, piercing the night, arriving before the three. It aimed for the stout old man’s belly. Just two inches from his robes, it stopped dead, advancing no further, then dropped away limply.

The flying blade fell straight down. As it passed Wenyin Yue, she beckoned, and it returned to her hand. She frowned, examining the three pursuers.

Li Muzhan said, "Senior Sister, give me the knife!"

Wenyin Yue, whose left hand was still locked around his waist, raised the blade reflexively and passed it to Li Muzhan’s right hand. "These three fellows won't be easy to deal with!"

The cliff was immensely tall. Even after this duration, they could not see the bottom, only the roaring gale, which had grown slightly stronger.

Li Muzhan gave a faint smile. Wenyin Yue was momentarily lost in thought; this was the first time she had seen him smile since he activated the Great Ming King Scripture, though his smile was somewhat odd and stiff.

He flashed his hand—Chii!

A streak of electric light ignited, illuminating the surrounding sheer rock walls, pale and ghostly green.

It was like lightning descending, but rising from below. The knife light struck the lean old man, piercing his abdomen, and flew straight upward until it vanished into the night sky, never to be seen again.

He looked down at his stomach, his face filled with disbelief. He looked back at Li Muzhan, then released his grip on the others, plummeting rapidly, falling past Li Muzhan and Wenyin Yue like a stone.

"Old One! One! One—!"

The burly elder’s enraged roar echoed throughout the entire valley.

"Where is the knife?" Li Muzhan asked.

Wenyin Yue flipped her pristine wrist, and another flying knife appeared, passing it to Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan threw his hand out; the electric light flared again, striking the roaring elder. The elder laughed in fury: "Damn brat, if I don't tear you into ten thousand pieces, I swear I won't be human!"

He thrust his sword out—Ding!—a crisp sound as the blade precisely met the flying knife. He then executed a somersault in mid-air to deflect the knife’s force.

He suddenly gave a muffled groan, and a spray of blood erupted from his chest.

As Li Muzhan threw the flying weapon, he simultaneously unleashed the Canghai Divine Sword—silent and invisible. The burly elder, already struggling to counter the blade, had no means to evade the sword.

"Fifth Brother!"

The stout old man cried out in alarm, pushing off with his feet and shooting out to grab the burly elder.

"Chii!"

The electric light flashed. The stout old man conjured a screen of light with his sword, enveloping himself.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang..."

A series of sharp sounds rang out. The stout old man inwardly cursed; intangible force hammered against his blade relentlessly. The flesh between his thumb and forefinger was already splitting.

Li Muzhan was currently operating under the power of the Great Ming King Scripture, granting him immense physical strength. While his fingertip force was enhanced, it was less potent than his sheer physical might. At this moment, in terms of sheer power, the Yellow Dragon Sword technique surpassed the Canghai Divine Sword.

Wenyin Yue subtly moved her left hand, seamlessly placing another flying knife into Li Muzhan's left hand. His right hand held the bundle; she helped him bear the load.

All this happened without the elder noticing. Occupied with parrying the Canghai Divine Sword from Li Muzhan’s right hand, he had no attention left over.

Li Muzhan suddenly moved his right hand, fingers sweeping out. Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, growing ever stronger. The elder’s arms went numb, and he secretly lamented his plight, a thought of escape beginning to surface.

Li Muzhan’s left hand moved abruptly, and another streak of electric light flashed.

"Ah, Dao, Dao..."

With a muffled groan, the elder’s sword screen instantly collapsed. The flying knife pierced straight through his body and shot high into the sky, disappearing.

The elder dropped like a dead weight, passing Li Muzhan and Wenyin Yue in an instant. A moment later, a dull thud echoed from below—the sound of something heavy hitting the earth.

Li Muzhan’s left hand was even stronger than his right—a secret known to very few. He glanced at Wenyin Yue, unsure if she knew the fact or if this had happened by sheer coincidence.

"What is this?" Wenyin Yue asked, looking at the bundle in her hand.

Li Muzhan took it back with his left hand. "A head."

"Hm?" Wenyin Yue was startled.

Li Muzhan said, "Take this head up the mountain to pay respects to Senior Brother Lu and the others!"

Wenyin Yue nodded, glancing at the round bundle, then at Li Muzhan. Junior Brother was truly ruthless; to decapitate and carry the head without a change of expression—she couldn't match that resolve.

Li Muzhan instructed, "Senior Sister, use the Heartless Sleeve. We should be nearing the ground!"

"Alright!"

Wenyin Yue nodded. Li Muzhan tossed her upward, instantly neutralizing their downward momentum. More than that, an unseen force seemed to cradle her, like a floating cloud.

Li Muzhan accelerated his descent, waving his wide monastic robe a few times. His speed immediately slackened, resembling a Roc spreading its wings, slowing ever more gradually.

Finally, the two landed in a dense forest. Towering trees soared upward, thicker and more lush than those on the mountaintop.

The two examined the three corpses, which had landed in separate spots, now reduced to bloody pulp.

Looking at the remains, Wenyin Yue felt lingering fear. These three elders were individually terrifying martial artists. Attacked by all three simultaneously, she would undoubtedly have died; it was only thanks to Junior Brother's Great Ming King Scripture.

Having no desire to linger, they slipped out of the woods and followed the Yellow Cloud Mountain range southward, intending to return to Canghai Mountain to present the heads as offerings to their deceased seniors.

On the journey, Wenyin Yue drew his sword and applied the medicinal salve.

The medicine from Canghai Mountain was exceptionally potent. Upon application, the bleeding stopped immediately. As long as Li Muzhan avoided combat for two days, the wounds would close, and with another half-month of rest, he would fully recover.

It was already deep in the night. They utilized their lightness skill to speed along, reaching a small town. They scaled the wall and found an inn, securing a small courtyard suite.

Most patrons were already asleep. The sleepy attendant led them to the courtyard and then left with a yawn, failing to notice Li Muzhan’s bundle.

The moment they stepped into the courtyard, Li Muzhan’s body went weak, and he stumbled.

Wenyin Yue quickly asked, "Junior Brother, has the Great Ming King Scripture's effect worn off?"

Li Muzhan managed a wry smile and nodded. His complexion rapidly turned ashen, devoid of all luster. Wenyin Yue hurried to support him, taking him into the main room.

Li Muzhan smiled bitterly to himself. Although he had used the Great Ming King Scripture before, this was the first time he had sustained it for so long. Furthermore, these five elders were all formidable experts, draining him of immense power.

He was in excruciating agony now; all the strength seemed to have been sucked from his body. He felt weak and depleted, as if on the verge of death, one shallow breath away from expiration.

"Senior Sister, it seems I won't make it back to Canghai Mountain," Li Muzhan murmured, lying back on the couch with Wenyin Yue supporting him, shaking his head bitterly.

"No rush. Recover first," Wenyin Yue said.

She took a pillow and propped his head up. His faint, earthy fragrance reached Li Muzhan’s nostrils.

His heart fluttered weakly. "This time, it will take at least a month to recover... Senior Sister, you should take the heads back first."