As soon as he left the inn, Gu Cheng instinctively tightened his robe. His body, which had just been warmed by the fire pit, suddenly stiffened. He drew a stream of true energy from his Dantian (elixir field), warming his entire body while using his spiritual vision to keep a close eye on the last Hawk Seven Kill member. The streets had quieted down, with only drunken hunters humming off-key songs as they struggled in the mud; laughter and firelight leaked from the gaps in the curtains on both sides, further highlighting the desolate chill of the narrow street at this moment.
Gu Cheng listened to the distant and nearby footsteps, distinguishing those of the person he was looking for. He knew that the Hawk Seven Kill were top-notch at tracking and hiding, and although his spiritual vision had never failed since he had cultivated it, he did not dare to act rashly against such individuals.
Before long, he left the small town and heard the breaths of five people gathering together. Those footsteps were as light as a mountain cat moving at night; if he hadn't been intentionally following, he wouldn't have been able to discern them at all. The sky was unusually dark, with only the wind rolling up boundless chaos to firmly cover his eyes. There were no stars or moon, and after walking for a while, there were no lights either. Facing him were the silent mountains, the ridgeline barely visible in the night. Entering the birch forest, less than half an hour away from the small town, it was already difficult to find traces of people.
For some reason, Gu Cheng's heart had not been at peace, feeling that there was some unpredictable danger in these mountains and forests. Amidst the howling wind, he heard some movement, and Gu Cheng immediately lay down, pressing his ear to the ground to listen carefully. There were only very vague sounds, not quite like wild animals, but too far away to really tell if there was any human activity. Shen Qingyao ahead also stopped, as if they also felt something was off. But after a short while, the Hawks started moving again. Gu Cheng thought, "Perhaps it's just hunters in the mountains," and decided to ignore it. Gu Cheng silently memorized the route he had taken, thinking, "I'm probably at Bai Gala Mountain now."
After walking for a long time, Gu Cheng's mind and legs were somewhat numb, feeling as if he had become a part of this ancient forest, where the worldly disputes and grudges seemed very distant. At this moment, Shen Qingyao suddenly accelerated and started running, completely disregarding the need to hide his tracks. Gu Cheng could even hear his panting. Although Gu Cheng did not dare to run as well, the location of Shen Qingyao in his mind became clearer. A glimmer of white light suddenly appeared in the dense forest ahead, like a small diamond. Before Gu Cheng could figure out what this was, he heard a trembling cry without warning: "Big sister! Is it really... you? Is it... you? Like this, you've become like this!"
This was Shen Qingyao's cry, but it didn't sound like him. Gu Cheng had never imagined that Shen Qingyao would speak so incoherently. More importantly, who was Shen Qingyao talking to? Gu Cheng had been following them all the way here, and aside from these six people, he had not heard the slightest movement from anyone else.
Gu Cheng lay down and crawled forward step by step, gradually approaching where Shen Qingyao was speaking. Even lying on the ground, his view became brighter and brighter, as if the thick clouds in the sky had dispersed, and the bright moonlight filled the valley. This bright light made Gu Cheng feel a bit scared, fearing that taking another step would be discovered.
The crying of a child suddenly interrupted Shen Qingyao's hurried speech, but it provided Gu Cheng with an excellent opportunity. He seized the moment and crawled forward a few steps, and a strange scene he had never seen before suddenly appeared before his eyes.
In the valley, a lake had gathered, and the lakeshore was entirely composed of crystal stones. The water rippled with the wind, the clear waves occasionally lapping against the crystal stones, the edges of the stones flowing with bright light, shining brilliantly. The stones reflected the water patterns, and the water overflowed with the light of the stones, as if this lake of clear water had turned into a massive crystal.
On the lakeside, a figure walked alone—it was the Oroqen woman. The undulating crystal light cast a dim shadow behind her, swaying as if she were walking with great difficulty. Yet, no matter how hard Shen Qingyao and the other five hawks pursued, they could not catch up to her, always maintaining a distance of about ten paces.
The child's crying grew increasingly fierce, and with a sigh, the woman finally stopped. She put down the cradle and took the child out to change him.
Shen Qingyao and the rest of the Hawk Seven stood still, also falling silent.
Gu Cheng's heart began to race. He tried hard to recall but could not remember when the woman had left the tavern. He had been keeping an eye on her, but at some point, the seat seemed empty, and yet nothing seemed amiss. What kind of martial arts could render his spiritual vision entirely useless? He recalled the momentary disturbance earlier in front of the fur merchant's house and Shen Qingyao's cry of "Elder sister!" Gu Cheng couldn't help but lick his dry lips—could this woman truly be...
The woman unwrapped the fur the child was wrapped in, revealing a pure black garment underneath. This black clothing, made of some unknown material, reflected the crystal light, radiating an extremely soft silk-like glow, like a string of pearls.
Upon seeing the black garment, Shen Qingyao exclaimed, "Elder sister, this is your Wubing Silk Robe; you... you actually gave this treasured robe..."
Upon hearing the words "Wubing Silk Robe," any lingering doubts Gu Cheng had dissipated. The woman before him, with her plain appearance and coarse figure, was indeed the rumored leader of the Jingwei Alliance, capable of dancing through the heavens and subduing the wilderness with her sword!
Hei Jingwei gently wrapped the child back up. The child giggled, his chubby little hands playfully tugging at her hair. She allowed the child to play, seemingly oblivious to the hawks standing by.
Shen Qingyao asked, word by word, "Elder sister, is this truly Li Chu's son?"
Hei Jingwei rocked the child on her knee and casually replied, "He is my son!"
Her voice was somewhat hoarse, and her speech did not seem very smooth, but the rhythm of her intonation was very pleasant to the ear. These simple words, spoken by her, resonated deeply and lingered on. As soon as Hei Jingwei spoke, Gu Cheng's ears became much clearer, with the sounds of the wind and beasts fading away. Gu Cheng knew this was because his spiritual vision had detected a formidable adversary before him, automatically focusing most of its power on this person, thus reducing its observation of the surroundings.
Shen Qingyao's body swayed abruptly. He took a step forward with his right foot but then retracted it. After a while, he said, "Elder sister, do you know I've been looking for you these past two years. I never believed you would truly be with Li Chu. I always thought you might have been injured, or perhaps you're no longer alive..."
The child giggled, a clear and crisp laughter that cut Shen Qingyao's words to pieces. His speech was calm, but Gu Cheng couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for him. Behind those few simple sentences lay countless days of wandering and sleepless nights filled with worry.
"Over these years, they all advised me to let go, saying since you abandoned loyalty for personal feelings, we should just pretend you never existed, and there's no need to keep searching for you. Every time I heard this, I would argue fiercely with them. When the arguments got heated, we would even come to blows... Only He Gong didn't stop me, allowing me to wander with them outside. Later, the brothers who had fought with me until we were bruised and swollen came to me with wine. We all got utterly drunk, and they said they also hoped I could find you, hoping that we had misunderstood you before, hoping I could bring you back..."
"I can't go back!" Hei Jingwei pressed the child's sleep acupoint, placed the child back into the cradle, and hoisted it onto her back. With a smile that wasn't quite a smile, she said, "I even cut the Wubing Silk Robe to make clothes for my treasure. Do you think I can return? Who I'm with is none of your business."
"Alliance... Leader, how could you..." One of the hawks could no longer contain himself and spoke up. He seemed to be unaccustomed to speaking, his voice dry and awkward, even a bit stammering.
Hei Jingwei turned around decisively and glanced at them, saying, "You should go back. If you continue to follow, I won't be polite!"
"Is that so?" Shen Qingyao's voice suddenly turned coldly sarcastic, saying, "If you didn't want us to follow, you could have left us far behind long ago. You still have some questions for us, don't you?"
Hei Jingwei raised her head, smoothed back her loose forehead hair, and sighed, "Yes, I do have questions for you. Although I left, Li Chu left with me as well. The Jingwei Alliance was clearly in a favorable position. How did it come to this state in just two years?"
Shen Qingyao said, "You just heard it too, Shen Qingying he... Forget it, I really shouldn't have come to find you. If I had stayed with everyone, I would have surely discovered his treacherous intentions... But now, it's useless to talk about it anymore!"
Hei Jingwei lowered her head and murmured, "Can you blame me for this? What was the situation when I took over, and what was it like when I left? I left alone, without taking a single coin of gold or silver. You all caused this mess yourselves. What does it have to do with me?"
"I just want you to answer me one thing, after hearing what was just said, can you sleep soundly at night? Think about those who perished and were eaten by fish, can you be guilt-free? He Gong took care of you since you were fourteen, and he was harmed, won't you even shed a tear for him? I haven't touched Shen Qingying, waiting for you to do it. Will you kill him?" The slower Shen Qingyao spoke, the more each word seemed like a nail hammering into Gu Cheng's ears. A distant howl from the mountain ridge added a sense of solemnity to these words.
Hei Jingwei suddenly straightened her body, and her stature seemed to grow taller. She stared at Shen Qingyao and said, "All of this is no longer my concern. I just want to ask you, how did you find me here?"
Shen Qingyao laughed towards the sky with a "ha ha" that was filled with bitterness and indignation. He drew his sword and said, "So you just want to know this! So the rise and fall of the Jingwei Alliance is of no concern to you! You personally drafted the alliance rules, those who betray the alliance and side with the enemy shall be killed! Do you remember?"
Shen Qingyao's grayish-yellow robe fluttered as a cold moon-like sword beam suddenly pierced the air. The other five hawks also moved simultaneously, like extensions of Shen Qingyao. Some flew horizontally, and some stayed in place, seemingly in a chaotic manner.
As Shen Qingyao thrust his sword, Hei Jingwei slightly tilted her body and had already floated three feet away. This movement was not characterized by speed, but by its nimble precision. Before her afterimage disappeared, it was already pierced by the sword light. But just as she dodged the sword, one on the left and one on the right formed a pincer movement to block her retreat. Hei Jingwei leaped into the air, her long robe flaring up to her ankles, and the pointed toes of her boots touched the sword, causing the two swords to miss their mark and nearly cross each other.
At this moment, Shen Qingyao's long sword rushed up from below, tightly targeting the cradle. Hei Jingwei tried to land several times, but the hawks seemed to share a common mind, blocking her way with a well-coordinated attack. Each of their swords was ruthless, all aiming at the infant in the cradle.
Hei Jingwei's body suddenly stopped, her wrist suddenly extending three inches to reach for the tip of one of the hawks' sword. With a deft touch of her index and middle fingers, and a light flick of her little finger, her fingers, though coarse and yellowish, carried an elegant rhythm akin to playing fine music. This hawk seemed to be the one whose fingers Gu Cheng had severed that morning, and he had to switch to using his left hand, which was somewhat clumsy. Upon seeing this move, he dared not block it directly and immediately retreated. Another hawk covered from the side, but Hei Jingwei suddenly kicked up with her toes, and the hawk that had rushed up had no room to dodge and was kicked at the vital point, causing his sword to fly from his hand. Hei Jingwei leaped to catch the sword, and Shen Qingyao seized the opportunity to move in, his sword point striking the cradle with a "click!", shattering the protective backboard.
Hei Jingwei had just grasped the sword when three hawks spotted their chance and swarmed her, their swords aimed at her face, chest, and Dantian (elixir field). Unable to hold back, Hei Jingwei let out a cold hum, and with a flick of her sword, she created a circle of cold light. In this exchange, the swords of those three hawks were broken. And although Shen Qingyao had pierced the protective board, his sword bent and could not proceed further. He was momentarily stunned, and the sword circle came back. Unable to block in time, he could only leap backward with all his might.
Although Shen Qingyao narrowly avoided the ripple-like circle of light, a red mark still appeared on his face. Hei Jingwei, having gained the upper hand with her sword, did not pursue but sternly demanded, "You go after the child right away, you've improved!"
Shen Qingyao let the blood trickle down like beads, his sword diagonally lifting with a slight tremble at the tip. The remaining five hawks each took their positions, and the one who had lost his sword somehow now wielded another. The six long swords gathered a solemn momentum, like a bottomless deep pool that could swallow anything that fell into it. Even Gu Cheng, an outsider to this conflict, felt it was impregnable.
"I forgot you dressed him in the Wubing Silk Robe!" Shen Qingyao said with a grim tone, "The first rule the alliance leader taught me was to strike at their weakness, attack what they must save! Moreover..." He pointed his sword at the incessantly crying infant and said, "The mother of this child betrayed the alliance and left, and the father has the blood of countless brothers and sisters of our alliance on his hands, why should he not be killed?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the sword formation began to move, the six swords rotating, creating a crisscross pattern of mysterious light, yet the bright lake light could not penetrate this murderous aura. Hei Jingwei's robe fluttered like a withered leaf in the wind, appearing and disappearing. She let out a "click!" of a laugh, yet her laughter was extremely charming, saying, "I wondered why you dared to come knocking on my door, so you've mastered the Seven Birds Absolute Truth Formation!"
Although the wind was strong and the sky cold at this moment, Gu Cheng couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He realized that the Hawk Seven Kill had not exerted their full strength against him that morning; otherwise, with the might of this formation, his life might truly have been left by the desolate riverbank.
Hei Jingwei pointed her sword at the ground, waiting with her eyes cast down. When the sword light threatened her skin, she sometimes made a slight retreat, sometimes struck out with a feint attack, her sword moving as if it weighed a thousand jun (a traditional Chinese unit of weight). Suddenly, her waist bent like a willow, and the sword light splashed from her hand, transforming into dozens of images. Each of the hawks seemed to be confronted by seven or eight long swords, and they couldn't help but retreat even though they knew it was an illusion. With this retreat, even Gu Cheng spotted a gap in their defense. Her sword work opened and closed grandly, directly targeting Shen Qingyao. The two swords beside him wanted to step forward to restrain her, but it was already too late. Shen Qingyao seemed unable to withstand this sharp edge and dodged to the side. As Hei Jingwei's sword struck out, it was like a gentle breeze passing, dispersing the vast white fog, and she was about to break free.
But at this moment, the sword formation changed drastically. The five who had just seemed to retreat suddenly switched positions, and the direction of their swords was exactly the opposite of before, as if heaven and earth were spinning in reverse. Each sword seemed to strike from an entirely unpredictable direction. Hei Jingwei's sword tip was about to touch Shen Qingyao's chest when she had to retract it, followed by a series of urgent clangs. Hei Jingwei laughed again, her laughter becoming increasingly soft and gentle, but Gu Cheng could vaguely detect that her vital energy was somewhat insufficient.
"No, Shen Qingying has defected. With seven people missing one, it has finally allowed me to understand the true meaning of this formation. This formation is called the 'Incomplete Array'! You designed this formation yourself; let's see you be the first to try it!" Shen Qingyao pressed on without letting up.
"What a good 'Incomplete', turning incompleteness into a way to confuse the enemy. Qingyao, I always said you have extremely high talent and will surely surpass me one day, but I didn't expect you to improve so quickly..." Hei Jingwei chattered on while hastily retreating. Gu Cheng saw her retreating towards his side and couldn't help but hesitate, thinking, "Should I intervene?"
As he was thinking this, he saw her foot seem to trip over something, her movement disrupted, and two long swords had already attacked under her armpit. She had no choice but to roll on the ground, her long sword spinning rapidly to block and parry. But at this moment, Shen Qingyao spotted where she couldn't attend to, and a sword seemed about to pierce her leg.
Suddenly, Hei Jingwei drew her sword across the soil, propping up her body and flying horizontally three zhang (a traditional Chinese unit of length) away. The other three caught up and surrounded her. Hei Jingwei's sword suddenly flew out rapidly; this sword passed less than three inches in front of Gu Cheng's eyes, like a light and thin paper slice, not seeming to bear any force. That indecipherable feeling came again; Gu Cheng's eyes clearly saw this sword, but his spiritual vision didn't respond at all. The person facing the sword was dazed, not dodging or blocking, watching the long sword pass through his chest as if he didn't feel any pain, standing stiff for a while before slowly collapsing. Hei Jingwei leaped up, grabbed the falling sword from his hand, and stabbed it into another person's throat. At this moment, Shen Qingyao suddenly shouted, his sword brightening for a moment, and the remaining three enclosed and attacked, four swords forming a seamless circular arc that encircled Hei Jingwei.
Gu Cheng knew he could no longer hesitate and shouted, "Wait!" as he leaped out.
He was originally hidden under a large tree, and as he leaped out, he struck with his sword, cutting down the tree in front of him. The tree trunk fell abruptly, and Shen Qingyao, who was right in front of the tree, couldn't help but be startled and gave way, causing a gap to appear in the formation. Gu Cheng grabbed Hei Jingwei's hand and pulled her behind him.
Shen Qingyao roared in anger and attacked together with the other three swords, their swords gathering energy as if pouring down, pressing down on them. Gu Cheng fought back and felt as if he was standing under a waterfall, dealing with an omnipresent and overwhelming force. For a moment, his arm throbbed with sharp pain, as if it had been cut by several gashes. More importantly, as soon as his spiritual vision entered this formation, it was as if a calm lake surface had been stirred by a strong wind, no longer clear and bright, making every perceived gap seem illusory, always hesitating to strike. And with such hesitation, the situation changed in an instant, and he could no longer find an opportunity to act.
Gu Cheng couldn't help but feel distressed, thinking, "If this continues, it will always be a situation of being beaten!"
Suddenly, a voice drilled into his ear, "Move to the 'Li' position, fourteen steps away!"
Gu Cheng did not hesitate any longer, and acted upon hearing the voice. He moved just in time to slip through the gap between two long swords and blocked the path of two others. He saw Hei Jingwei kick off from the tree trunk and fly backward into the forest. Shen Qingyao followed like a shadow, the two figures leaping forward and backward almost without any interval. In just three to five breaths, they had stepped onto the crystal lake. The two pursued and fled across the lake surface as if it were a palace of jade, like smoke rising from a cold pond moved by the wind. Where they stepped, the lake surface only showed a slight ripple, almost inaudible to the sound of water splashing. Gu Cheng parried two swords with a "clang clang!" and noticed that the four hawks, while fighting him, kept glancing towards the lake, seemingly distracted. Gu Cheng realized that their lightness kung fu was still inferior and they couldn't fight on the water surface. The Incomplete Array was about to be broken.
Shen Qingyao alone was clearly no match for Hei Jingwei. In no time, some blood droplets flew from his body. Gu Cheng thought, "I can't let them continue like this!" He forced away the four hawks surrounding him, leaped onto the lake shore and inserted himself between the two. While blocking the cold light pressing from both sides, Gu Cheng tightly gripped the magpie hairpin in his bosom and said, "Please listen to me!" Hei Jingwei sheathed her sword and retreated to behind him on the lake shore. Shen Qingyao, however, with red eyes, seemed not to hear and charged up. Where his sword rose, the water rippled as if sensing it, splashing up a sheet. Gu Cheng did not dare to be negligent, raised his sword in hand, fully focused, ready to block this sword.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his back. Before he could understand what had happened, he fell straight down. A piercing coldness spread along the extraordinary meridians and eight vessels throughout his body so fast that he didn't even have time to think of resisting with his energy.
He heard a gentle sigh, "All things in the world are incomplete, encircle nine and leave one, this is the way it should be. However, the strange cannot surpass the orthodox. Qingyao, you should have practiced the Seven Birds Absolute Truth Array with another person before coming to find me..."
There seemed to be Shen Qingyao's angry shout, the urgent sound of weapons. A large splash of water hit Gu Cheng, but he didn't feel cold. Screams reached his ears, but Gu Cheng gradually couldn't hear clearly anymore. His vision darkened in waves, as if trapped in an ice cave for several hours, about to fall into a deep sleep. The last bit of spiritual light guided him to take out the hairpin. The words Xi Hongque said before leaving appeared in his mind: "Brother Gu, be careful of her Juemai Finger, keep these two Chiqing Pills!"
When Gu Cheng took out the hairpin, his shoulder was already numb, only his elbow below could still move. He tried to twist open the mechanism with his left hand, but his left hand couldn't exert force, barely managing to put the hairpin into his mouth and twist the screw. Two vermillion pills fell from the magpie's eyes onto his tongue. He bit through the outer shell with force, and the two pills melted upon contact with saliva, a warm watery line flowing straight into his stomach. Gu Cheng spat out the hairpin, which fell to the ground. He couldn't move a single bit more.
The pills turned into a thread of warmth, protecting the vital energy in Gu Cheng's three burners from being lost. He concentrated and circulated his energy, without distraction, gathering some inner breath from the Dantian to seep into the meridians, driving away the heavy coldness bit by bit. He didn't know how much time passed before he gradually regained consciousness and heard Hei Jingwei's cold voice: "How did you find me here, tell me!"
Gu Cheng barely managed to lift his eyelids and actually opened a slit. He saw Shen Qingyao lying on his back on the lake shore, Hei Jingwei kneeling in front of him, her index and middle fingers pressing his throat. Water ripples splashed up from behind Shen Qingyao and cast on Hei Jingwei's face, her expressionless.
Shen Qingyao smiled weakly, "Alright, I'll tell you, I followed the people from the Li family!"
Hei Jingwei shuddered all over, "You're lying!"
"What a foolish woman! But you may not know what kind of heart your beloved has, right? Wait and see, Li Chu's help is already here, your good dream is over! Hahaha..."
The laughter echoed like a hawk's cry, reverberating among the mountains, the wind rising and trees shaking around as if in harmony, even more poignant.
"Even if people from the Li family followed, it doesn't matter, he and I will leave together! Qingyao, I'm sorry!"
"Foolish!", Shen Qingyao spat out.
Hei Jingwei raised her hand and wiped away the saliva from her face, saying, "Women must be a bit foolish to get through life."
Shen Qingyao roared, "Bitch!" but only half of the roar came out. Hei Jingwei exerted force with her finger, and with a "crack," Shen Qingyao's larynx shattered under her touch. The unfinished half of his roar turned into an unwilling whimper that dissipated into the wind.
"Qingyao, since the day I left, all notions of duty and honor, all concepts of decency, have been discarded. It's like killing, one strike is a kill, ten strikes are also a kill..." Hei Jingwei's voice was as cool as water. She looked at Shen Qingyao struggling between her fingers, as if having a calm conversation with him.
At first, Shen Qingyao's legs were still digging at the ground, but later they gradually became weak, until finally his legs stretched out, and his whole body relaxed. Hei Jingwei slowly withdrew her hand, and Shen Qingyao's corpse fell to the ground, his eyes wide open, as if silently questioning the heavens. Hei Jingwei leaned down and closed Shen Qingyao's eyelids, saying, "Qingyao, if you must blame someone, blame yourself for finding me, blame yourself for not being able to kill me, but do not blame me, do not blame me. I had no choice, it's the truth..."
After that, the entire valley fell silent. From beyond several mountain ranges, a hunter's whistle blew mournfully. Hei Jingwei raised her head, the crystal lake's ripples reflecting in her eyes, and Gu Cheng quickly closed his eyes.
After a long while, just as Gu Cheng thought Hei Jingwei had left, he heard her approaching footsteps. At this moment, Gu Cheng's whole body was colder than steel, his breathing cut off, but he didn't worry about being detected.
Suddenly, he felt a tightness at his collar, as if Hei Jingwei was lifting him off the ground and dragging him. Before long, he suddenly felt his body sink, and in great alarm, he involuntarily opened his eyes. Before his eyes was a bright and clear light, a gentle force supporting his body, as if walking in the clouds. What was happening? For a moment, Gu Cheng thought he had died and ascended to heaven, but as the luminescence gradually faded, he felt a push on his back and finally stopped moving. Gu Cheng's fingers touched something hard and suddenly realized, "So she threw me into that crystal lake!" It must have been very deep, and once someone sinks, unless deliberately searched for, they would not be seen.
Indeed, Gu Cheng saw one body after another thrown down, splashing water and then silently sinking beside him.
Gu Cheng let out a sigh of relief, thinking, "Now it's good, she's finally left." His mind relaxed, and suddenly he understood. He had a previous encounter with Hei Jingwei, and although her appearance had changed greatly and he didn't recognize her, she must have noticed him at the fur merchant's door, and then saw Shen Qingyao at the tavern. Fearing them at the same time, Hei Jingwei probably decided to eliminate them to prevent their traces from being revealed. That's why she deliberately used her martial arts when fighting over the cradle, which Gu Cheng had sensed and suspected. However, this was because he had already received news that Hei Jingwei was living in this area. Shen Qingyao also knew this, and being more familiar with Hei Jingwei's martial arts, he recognized her at first sight. Hei Jingwei was afraid that Gu Cheng would escape while she was fighting with Shen Qingyao, so she pretended to be at a disadvantage, luring Gu Cheng to act.
Gu Cheng couldn't help but curse in his heart, "This woman is too damn ruthless!" The power of her Juemai Finger was formidable. Although Gu Cheng had the aid of a spiritual medicine, at best it could only protect his vital energy from being cut off; the cold poison would not be eliminated in a short time. Fortunately, he had practiced the art of fetal breathing since childhood, and meditating in water was a common practice, so he focused on using his true energy to clear his meridians.
After a while, Gu Cheng's mind suddenly vibrated, as if he saw a pair of leather boots approaching the lakeside. He couldn't help but be delighted, knowing his spiritual vision had regained its function. He barely moved to a position where his ear was pressed against the lake wall.
He heard a voice say, "Is this Luoma Lake?"
Someone replied, "Indeed, although it's not famous, the scenery here is exceptional. Look at these large crystal stones lining the lakeshore. Today's weather is not good, but on a clear day, with the reflection of the moon on the water, the brilliance filling the sky, it truly feels like a fairyland." The voice sounded somewhat familiar, and Gu Cheng remembered it was the second shopkeeper he had seen before.
"Oh?" The person who asked seemed uninterested in the scenery and inquired again, "Where are the people?"
"They said they would arrive at the beginning of the hour of Hai, still a bit short of time," was the response.
The old man paced back and forth, his steps rising and falling rhythmically, continuously and effortlessly. The skill in his legs would be hard to match in the martial world.
Someone nearby interjected, "What's so good about this desolate and harsh place? I really can't imagine him staying here for two years, huh!"
"There's nothing hard to figure out. With a beauty in his arms, naturally, he's too content to think of returning!" A young man sneered.
"Li Xu, shut your mouth!" The one previously referred to as the old man, seemingly annoyed, scolded. The young man fell silent. Everyone around also stopped talking.
Gu Cheng thought to himself, "So it's Li Xinyan, the head of the Jinling Li family."
After a brief silence, Gu Cheng sensed more people approaching. However, these two had a light and insubstantial gait, clearly lacking in martial arts.
Indeed, the second shopkeeper said, "Look, here they come."
The two approached, and one of them said, "Your servant has seen the master, this is the old Zhang who does the odd jobs... Why are you still standing there with your neck stiff? Are you playing dead? Hurry and kneel before the master to pay your respects!" It sounded quite familiar, indeed it was the steward from the fur trading house.
"There's no need..." The second shopkeeper had barely spoken half a sentence when a cold, hoarse laugh was heard. An elder said, "Pay respects? I, the Nine Song Sword Guest, have never bowed to the Li family!"
"Nine Song Sword Guest?"
The Nine Song Sword Guest was once a prominent figure in the martial world thirty years ago. It is said that his Nine Song Sword Technique was unmatched on both sides of the great river. Later, it seemed he was defeated by the Li family, broke his sword and swore to withdraw from the martial world. Since then, there has been no news of him whatsoever. It's unexpected to hear this name again in this northeastern region.
Li Xinyan ordered the steward to step back and continued, "Is Li Chu really here?"
"Did you see the things I sent? Although the small arrow is vastly different from what he used to use, the shape it carves out is exactly the same."
"Yes, we have been doing our utmost to find him these past few years, yet there's been no news at all. How could you have discovered him?"
"The Li family's network of spies still has things Li Chu doesn't know? If he is determined to avoid you, naturally you won't be able to find him. If you don't believe it, then why else would you travel thousands of miles to come here?"
"I don't believe it!" Li Xu's voice was clear and loud, saying, "If my eldest brother doesn't want to be found, no one could possibly find him. How could he be so careless as to let his usual hidden weapon fall into your hands?"
"Nine Song Swordsman" let out a dry laugh, saying, "Do you think hunting in these mountains is easy? Young Master Li used to play the flute and compose poetry with ease, and he's been involved in killing and power struggles for years. But to find a fox in the mist of the Xiao Xing'an Mountains... Young Master, do you think your eldest brother is some kind of deity, able to learn the skills passed down through generations of the Oroqen people in just one or two years?"
"Do they really live such a miserable life?" someone nearby asked, "Didn't that woman bring any money with her?"
"I don't know that, all I know is that they two live the same as ordinary hunters, panning for gold, hunting, and gathering from the mountains to get by. If the harvest is not good, they would also go hungry."
Li Xinyan inquired further, "You've been spying on them secretly, but both of them are extremely cautious. Haven't they been suspicious?"
"Nine Song Swordsman" replied, "You've hit the nail on the head. In winter, only three to five people guard the town. I've been here for more than thirty years, they certainly won't think I'm here for them. Even if they encounter me in the mountains, they wouldn't suspect anything. I've hidden my martial arts for over thirty years, so long that even I almost forgot I could still practice martial arts, naturally they can't tell. But I've heard of their affairs, and with intention or without, I've gained the upper hand. Moreover, although old, my eyesight hasn't faded, and with a bit of luck, I managed to get that small arrow!" Nine Song Swordsman's words were spoken in a low yet leisurely tone, reminding Gu Cheng of a cat with its paw on a mouse, filled with the calmness and complacency of one who holds all the cards.
In contrast, Li Xinyan could no longer hide a hint of anxiety and finally asked, "Where is Li Chu? Tell me quickly!"
"What about the thing I want?" Nine Song Swordsman countered, also becoming agitated.
Li Xinyan sneered coldly, "Unfortunately, the older you get, the less wise you become. You've already led us to the place, won't we find it ourselves? The thing? Considering how old you are, I'll spare your wretched life! Shen Qingying, continue to give this man a bowl of dry food, but looking at him like this, it seems a waste of a few mouthfuls of grain!"
"Yes, I remember!" the second shopkeeper's voice replied. Gu Cheng couldn't help but be slightly startled, thinking, "So he is Shen Qingying." Thinking further, since that fur trading business had already been bought by Shen Qingying, it's natural that Nine Song Swordsman would use him to pass messages and items to the Li family, and it's not strange that he followed.
"Ha ha..." Nine Song Swordsman laughed, saying, "People say the older you get, the more cunning you become. Given my situation, how could there be room for the slightest negligence? You go find it yourself! Go look for it! There are more than ten mountains around this town, and those hunters are all over the place, leading a wandering life. I've lived here for over thirty years and it took more than a year to figure out their habits. You, with such a crowd, are going to search in these mountains? If you're willing to take a gamble, then go search by yourself. However, if you alarm them, and they run away, don't think you'll have such good luck again!"
His laughter was harsh and grating, and the people of the Li family became angry, shouting, "One sword to kill this old thief, see if you can still laugh!" Someone drew their sword and charged forward.
"Nine Song Swordsman" didn't dodge or resist at all, saying in a hoarse voice, "I'm already this old, what's this life worth? But... Head of the Li family, for the sake of this old man's life, if it gets out, it would be quite a story for people to talk about!"
Li Wu Lao is among the highest in martial arts among Li Xinyan's uncles and is known as "Thunder, Lightning, Cloud, Fire, Wind, Li's not old pine". Gu Cheng couldn't help but be taken aback, even the five elders have come out, it seems the Li family has come out in full force.
"You!" The person holding the sword hesitated, unable to strike down for a moment, yet unable to withdraw.
"Enough! Bring it here!" Li Xinyan finally spoke, "Give it to him!"
For a while, everything outside fell silent, and everyone held their breath as if to suffocate. Suddenly, Nine Song Swordsman burst into a wild laughter, laughing and saying, "Thirty years, thirty years, I've finally got this thing in hand, thirty years, I've been here for thirty years..."
Suddenly, a fire flared up, the bright red flames reflecting on the crystal stones and casting a face onto the lakeshore. The face was haggard and worn, with fluffy white hair trembling in the firelight. A scroll of paper burned like a firebird flying up. The deep-set eyes within the old man's many wrinkles were illuminated by the firelight, and countless thoughts seemed to ignite in an instant. His former ambitions and aspirations were lost to the eastward flow; in the blink of an eye, his body would turn to ash, yet there was still a spark of remnant unwilling to extinguish.
The old man's hands on the stone surface danced wildly, his face stretched and distorted by the sparks, grotesquely contorted, like the demons and goblins in shadow plays. The paper scroll burned out quickly, the firelight died down, and the face gradually faded away, eventually becoming invisible.
"You no longer need to keep your vow of eternal life, congratulations, congratulations, when you return, I'll be waiting for you to seek revenge!" Li Xinyan's tone was ambiguous, whether he was serious or mocking.
"No, I'm just homesick, wanting to bury my bones among my ancestors. What grace or enmity, as one ages, memory fades, almost forgetting the events of youth..." Nine Song Swordsman's strength seemed to be depleted; these few words were spoken weakly.
"What are you dawdling for? Take us there now!" someone else clamored.
"It's still early, your young master may not have returned yet. If we get too close, we might be discovered by Hei Jingwei... It's been years, no need to rush at this moment, right?"
The voices gradually faded away, and they likely moved further away, as Gu Cheng could no longer detect their movements with his spiritual vision. At this time, Gu Cheng's breath gradually gathered, and his limbs could move slightly. He barely clung to the edges of the crystal stones, struggling to get up, his robe soaked by water, becoming increasingly heavy. He finally climbed onto the shore, but slipped and fell back down. His palms were cut with four or five gashes, but he felt no pain. Gu Cheng picked up a sword from the bottom of the lake and cut his robe off. He thought this sword must belong to Shen Qingyao, and said, "Thanks!" Then he tried again and barely made it onto the shore. It was close to midnight, the cold of the late night piercing to the bone. A thin layer of ice had formed on the lakeshore, no wonder he had slipped earlier.
After this exertion, the energy Gu Cheng had gathered was showing signs of dissipation. He desperately wanted to lie down and sleep, but he knew it was not good. He thought, "No, I have to find a place to build a fire and warm up; otherwise, if the external wind and cold combine with the internal yin energy, it would be fatal or at least leave me disabled." So he staggered and swayed into the woods. The small lake was just a few steps from the woods, but it was extremely difficult to walk now, as if his legs were leaden. He finally leaned against a tree and felt in his bosom, only to groan in bitterness. His flint and tinder were thoroughly soaked, how could he use them? He was extremely frustrated, and wryly smiled, thinking, "Am I really done for?" As soon as he sat down, his body became limp as if it weighed a thousand pounds, even if he was about to die, he couldn't struggle to move.
The old man's face from earlier flashed before Gu Cheng's eyes. "No way out, after enduring for so many years, he's still fighting; you want to die? No, no, get up, move!" Gu Cheng propped himself up against the tree and slowly started to take small steps. "I can't die, Xiao Xi is waiting for you! I have to go back to town, there's wine, there's fire..." He knew he absolutely couldn't make it back, but with this bit of hope in his heart, he still forced himself to take over a hundred steps.
Suddenly, a howl came from the quiet woods, as if a wild beast was close by. Gu Cheng couldn't help but jump in fright, and with a ditch right in front of him, he "thud" rolled down, hitting his head hard against a stone. His vision went black, seeing a lynx peek its head over the edge of the ditch, its two bright black eyes staring at him with ill intent. Gu Cheng vaguely thought, "I can't die, even if it's by a beast's bite!" So he gathered the last bit of his true energy in his right palm and struck up randomly. After this palm strike, he exhausted all his strength, and before he could see the effect of his strike, his mind turned into a blank.
But just before he completely passed out, it seemed that a warmth wrapped around his hand, and a voice that seemed familiar as a silk thread drilled into his ear: "Gu Cheng?"