Meng Qiuxia shook her head and smiled again, then closed her eyes once more. Her long hair drifted about her as her figure remained motionless, as if she had become one with the cliff face, solid as a mountain.

After about a quarter of an hour, the sound of rustling robes startled her awake. She opened her eyes to see two old men in grey robes drifting towards her, arriving as swiftly as a gust of wind.

Meng Qiuxia’s slender eyes narrowed slightly. She inwardly sighed, recognizing the supreme martial arts of these two; they truly deserved their reputation as masters from the Lin family.

Even within the Haotian Palace, they would be considered rare talents.

They dared to trespass upon Wuyou Cliff, clearly showing no regard for the Haotian Palace. Firstly, the Lin family held great influence, and they were confident the Haotian Palace would not dare offend them; secondly, their high skill bred great courage, giving them the confidence to venture here.

The two arrived in an instant, stopping before Meng Qiuxia. Their eyes swept over her coldly before fixing upon her.

The two men were one tall and one short. The tall elder had a full beard as white as snow, his face slightly purplish, exuding an imposing aura that needed no anger to enforce itself; standing there, he seemed as unmoving as a deep abyss or a massive peak.

The short elder was the complete opposite: sharp-featured with the thin face and cheeks of a monkey, sporting a thin wisp of yellow beard beneath his jaw. His small, mung-bean eyes shot out sparks of keen light that seemed almost tangible. Despite his short stature and lean build, he commanded respect.

Meng Qiuxia regarded the pair calmly, her expression unwavering.

“Heh heh, little girl, have you seen a young man, about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a green robe? About this tall, nothing remarkable about his looks.” The short elder gestured to a height above his head with his hand.

Meng Qiuxia shook her head. “This is a restricted area of my Haotian name. What business do you two seniors have barging in here?” “This is the Haotian Palace’s restricted area?” The short elder paused, then chuckled. “We really didn’t know! Why isn't there anyone guarding it?”

Meng Qiuxia replied, “The cold wind here pierces the bone; only those who have committed grave sins are sent here. There is no need for guards.”

“Heh heh, your Haotian Palace is quite interesting!” The short elder stroked his yellow beard, smiling wryly. “Little girl, seeing how beautiful you are, you can’t be a bad person. What transgression led you to suffer punishment here?”

Meng Qiuxia offered a faint smile and shook her head, naturally unwilling to speak.

The matter itself was not glorious; telling it would tarnish the Haotian Palace’s reputation. Moreover, outsiders were forbidden here, making the two intruders tantamount to enemies of the Palace.

Had she not known she was no match for them, she would have simply ordered them out instead of speaking so courteously.

The short elder suddenly wrinkled his nose, took a deep sniff, and chuckled, “Good lad, I smell his scent! He stayed here!”

Meng Qiuxia frowned, looking at him, but remained silent.

The short elder closed his eyes and slowly walked forward, sniffing intently as he proceeded, finally stopping exactly where Li Muchen had sat earlier.

He took another deep sniff, slowly lowered his head, and inhaled sharply several times. Opening his eyes, his small pupils widened into perfect circles, beams of light shooting out. “Little girl, he definitely stayed here, and for quite some time! Did he know we were coming and flee again?”

“What are you saying, Senior? This junior does not understand.” Meng Qiuxia shook her head.

………………………………………………

The short elder let out a few cold chuckles, his small eyes darting around. He turned to exchange a glance with the tall elder, sharing a silent communication.

The short elder stepped forward, closing the distance to Meng Qiuxia, and extended a hand like a chicken’s claw to touch her cheek. “Heh heh, such a beautiful face, little girl. It must feel wonderful to the touch!” Meng Qiuxia frowned and took a step back. “Senior, please have some self-respect!”

“Heh heh, you must be that brat’s sweetheart. Now that he’s gone, you’re left behind. Tsk tsk, he must really trust you!” The short elder reached out, smiling lecherously at Meng Qiuxia.

Rape is the greatest taboo among martial artists; even murder is less severe. All true masters despise the crime of seduction; killing might earn one the title of hero, leaving one’s reputation untarnished, but once labeled a “seducer,” one instantly becomes a coward, utterly despised.

Meng Qiuxia frowned, glancing sideways at him, and retreated another step, reaching the very edge of the cliff. The bitter wind howled, sending her elegant hair flying and her robes whipping around her.

“Little girl, don’t be afraid, this old man will treat you well!” he cackled, leaning closer.

Meng Qiuxia said coldly, “If Senior takes one more step, this humble girl will leap off. I never expected the dignified Lin family to harbor such filth!”

“Little girl, if you want to die, then die. Once you are dead, we won’t have to chase that boy anymore—he will deliver himself to us!” The short elder withdrew his hand, smiling blandly.

Meng Qiuxia sneered, turned around, and made as if to jump. Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind blew, arresting her movement and instead pushing her back a step.

Meng Qiuxia felt a blur of grey shadow flash before her eyes; it was the tall elder, who had positioned himself in front of her. With a sweep of his sleeve, an invisible force surged forth, pushing her body back another step as if moved by the tide.

The two men stood one in front and one behind, completely blocking Meng Qiuxia’s escape. Her path to death was sealed.

The short elder chuckled triumphantly. “Now, where can you run? Let the boy flee if he can, but he can’t abandon his temple. A beauty like you, how could he bear to leave you?”

Meng Qiuxia bit her red lip tightly, glaring coldly at him without a word.

The short elder laughed proudly. “Heh heh, you’re so delicate and tender; it would be a waste to let you die before this old man has had his fill! Aren’t you going to enjoy yourself?” The tall elder stood by the cliff edge with his arms crossed, silent, a faint, knowing smile on his face.

Meng Qiuxia’s face was cold, her long eyes fixed on the short elder. The corners of her mouth curled into a look of utter disdain, scorn, and complete fearlessness.

“Heh heh, this little girl is interesting!” the short elder said with a grin, reaching out once more to touch Meng Qiuxia’s face. “I like it!” Suddenly, Meng Qiuxia struck out with her palm, incredibly fast, reaching the short elder’s chest in an instant.

This palm strike was fueled by all the internal energy she had gathered. Her cultivation had advanced significantly in recent days, and the power of this strike was immense.

………………………………………… “Heh heh, this little girl is interesting!” The short elder suddenly shrank back, sliding straight back a full foot, narrowly dodging the blow. He twisted his body and appeared at Meng Qiuxia’s left, reaching out to slap her cheek.

Meng Qiuxia’s face instantly flushed crimson, and incandescent rage boiled up. She drew her sword and lunged, a ball of silver light enveloping the short elder, wishing with all her heart to run him through with a single thrust.

But this thin, small elder possessed superb lightness skill and exquisite movement techniques. No matter how she swung her sword, he moved like a phantom, and the sword light always passed through an illusion.

In the time it took to draw breath, over a hundred exchanges had passed. Meng Qiuxia’s internal energy was profound, and she felt no fatigue; rather, her swordplay grew faster and smoother, executed with unrestrained exhilaration.

Her recent harsh training had greatly increased her inner power, leading to rapid progress, yet she had found no chance to apply it through her swordsmanship. Now, facing such an opponent, she could unleash her full capability. She felt her blood surge, her spirit vibrant, her strength growing with every move, as if she possessed inexhaustible power.

“Heh heh, good sword skills, little girl! Watch mine!” The short elder laughed, then suddenly flicked his palm outward. Meng Qiuxia felt a searing pain at her wrist, as if sliced by a blade, forcing her hand to loosen. Her long sword flew away.

It sailed directly off the cliff edge and plummeted downward, falling into silence. Meng Qiuxia froze, her face instantly paling to the color of ash.

Without her sword and with her escape route blocked, she was left entirely at the mercy of these men, unable to resist further!

Despair welled up in her heart. She had seen a bright future opening before her, only to have a vicious complication arise, casting her future into bleak shadow. She felt that death was her only recourse.

She felt a pang of regret: how heartbroken would Xia Wufeng be if he heard of her death? And her junior brother Li—he probably never imagined the pursuers would be so utterly shameless…

“What a master from the Lin family!” As she stood lost in thought, a loud, clear laugh suddenly sounded near her ear, snapping her back to reality. She turned her head to look.

There stood a man in a green robe by the cliff’s edge, holding a long sword—her long sword. This man was precisely Li Muchen, who had just fled.

She urgently called out, “Junior Brother Li!” Li Muchen gently shook his sword, causing it to emit a soft hum, like the buzzing of thousands of bees taking flight. He smiled faintly. “Senior Sister Meng, may I borrow your precious sword!” “Why are you back!” Meng Qiuxia frowned, shaking her head, clearly distressed by his return.

Li Muchen laughed. “I didn't expect these two scoundrels to resort to such despicable tactics to force me out. How could I hide and implicate my Senior Sister?”

“Alas… you shouldn’t have come back!” Meng Qiuxia shook her head.

Li Muchen smiled, then turned to face the two elders. “To think that esteemed experts of the Lin family would use such underhanded methods to force me out—it truly chills the bones!” “Brat, you are Li Zhu of Xinghu, aren't you?” the short elder growled, his mung-bean eyes narrowed.

Li Muchen nodded. “I am Li Zhu of Xinghu!”

……………………………………”……

Before he finished speaking, his sword was already thrust out. This strike was as swift as a flash of lightning, instantly impaling the short elder; it was incomparably fast.

The short elder had not anticipated this. He tried to dodge but couldn't move fast enough. He could only manage to twist his body slightly while kicking off the ground to retreat violently, yet he still did not escape completely.

His chest was sliced open by the sword, creating a small wound from which blood gushed forth, looking terrifyingly severe.

Li Muchen, however, secretly sighed. This short old man was truly formidable; he had managed to evade the full force of the strike. Though the wound looked awful, it was merely superficial; the sword had not struck true.

However, his sword carried a strange internal energy. Upon impact, that energy drilled directly into the man’s body. Though the cut was shallow, the internal force was bizarre enough to worsen his injury significantly, perhaps even prove fatal.

The short elder grunted, staggered back two steps, clutched his chest to staunch the bleeding, and quickly pressed a few spots on his chest to seal the wound with acupoint pressure.

His expression changed drastically. He felt an invasive internal energy drilling into his body, snaking upward along his heart meridian, like a real serpent. His own internal power proved useless against it, and he could only watch helplessly as it ascended.

Forgetting everything else, he immediately sat cross-legged, his eyelids lowered slightly, beginning to meditate, desperate to halt this internal energy serpent. If it reached his heart meridian, death was certain.

Li Muchen exchanged a glance with Meng Qiuxia. His sword light flashed again, wrapping around the tall elder. The sword light was incredibly swift, forcing the elder to focus entirely on defending himself.

Li Muchen harbored immense hatred for the thin old man, having struck with lethal intent. That initial surprise attack was a move from the Yellow Dragon Flying Sword technique—vicious and deadly, intended to kill. Seeing the short elder attempting to heal, he naturally would not allow him the recovery time. Li Muchen engaged the tall elder, leaving the short one open for Meng Qiuxia to strike.