Whether it was the Blank Fiend or the Twin Fiends of Hejian, they were all elders of the martial worldâs previous generation.
Li Mochou, relying on the Ancient Tomb Sectâs ultimate techniques and her combat prowess, could barely hold off one of them. Now, with all three attacking her from different angles, how could she possibly withstand them?
However, Li Mochou, who had long wandered between life and death, reacted swiftly. She first fired several Ice Soul needles, forcing the Blank Fiend back, and then used her whisk to block the Twin Fiendsâ acupoint-sealing pegs and judgeâs pens.
The Twin Fiends cooperated seamlessly. Both extended two fingers imbued with âOne Finger Zenâ from opposite sides, striking toward her. Suddenly, a black mist rose from Li Mochouâs palm, which she raised to meet Bu Taiâs fingers. The impact sent her flying back a step, narrowly avoiding Hao Miâs strike.
Seeing her fend off three veteran masters in a flash, the crowd burst into loud cheers.
Bu Tai shot a vicious glare at the onlookers, and the tavern fell silent. He lifted his darkening fingers, his face changing slightly. âFive Poison Palm!â
âHow does the taste of my Five Poison Palm feel?â Li Mochou smiled faintly, though her heart was bitter. The earlier exchange had successfully poisoned her opponent, but her own arm had gone numb from the impact. It was unlikely she could use it again anytime soon.
With an arm crippled, she could no longer use her whisk in tandem with the Five Poison Palm and Frozen Soul Needles. This would cut her combat power in half. If these three worked together, sheâd fall within thirty moves.
âSenior Brother, expel the poison quickly!â Hao Mi urged, shielding his brother while blocking Li Mochouâs escape route.
In Hao Miâs view, as long as the three of them remained in good shape, capturing Li Mochou would be easy. There was no need to rush, especially with the Mount Hua Sect lurking nearby, watching like hawks. If that hypocrite Yue Buqun struck Bu Tai during his detoxification, it would be impossible to guard against.
Bu Tai gave a slight nod and closed his eyes to expel the poison. Beads of black blood oozed from his fingertips.
The Blank Fiend, though furious at his earlier loss, was now cautious. While he wanted to reclaim his honor, he had to admit that he had underestimated this woman. With the Twin Fiends remaining still, he was wary of rushing in recklessly.
With each harboring their own thoughts, the situation remained in a tense stalemate.
Mu Wanqing, aware of the delicate balance, hesitated to pursue Song Qingshu any further. She wanted to help Li Mochou but feared her involvement might shatter the fragile equilibrium, sparking a violent conflict.
âHey, come over here,â Mu Wanqing suddenly called to Song Qingshu, noticing the absence of panic in his gaze.
âIâm not coming. If I do, youâll kill me,â Song Qingshu replied, shaking his head firmly.
Mu Wanqing took a deep breath, calming her rising anger. âI promise I wonât kill you.â
âAnd you canât hit me either,â Song Qingshu quickly added.
Mu Wanqing froze for a moment. For some reason, his tone reminded her of someone sheâd met on Mount Hua.
A strange feeling stirred within her, softening her voice. âI wonât hit you.â
âAlright.â Only then did Song Qingshu reluctantly walk over.
âWho do you think will win?â Mu Wanqing asked, though she already had her answer.
âDo you really need to ask?â Song Qingshu scoffed. âOf course, those three old monsters will win. Theyâre just overthinking things and forgot that this so-called Red Fairy is already running on fumes.â
âShut up!â Mu Wanqing snapped, both furious and anxious. His unlucky words could doom Li Mochou!
Li Mochou glared at him as well. She had been carefully regulating her breathing, and her arm was slowly regaining feeling. Now, thanks to his interruption, the enemy wouldnât give her any more time.
Sure enough, the Blank Fiend, noticing her expression change, chuckled wickedly. âMy beauty, I was careless earlier and let you take advantage of me. Why donât we play a little more now?â
With that, he steadied his breath and began advancing toward Li Mochou.
Sweat beaded at Li Mochouâs temples. She had already decidedâif today were her last, she would take at least one of them down with her.
âStop!â Mu Wanqing rushed forward, raising her sword to stand beside Li Mochou.
âOh ho, before I could even enjoy the big beauty, a little beauty has come over, all jealous,â the Blank Fiend sneered lewdly, clearly dismissing Mu Wanqing.
Li Mochou frowned. âStep aside. Youâre no match for him.â
âI, Mu Wanqing, distinguish clearly between gratitude and grudges. You saved me; how could I abandon you?â Mu Wanqing shook her head, determined to stay.
âYour martial arts are too weak. If you stay, Iâll only have to protect you,â Li Mochou said, her voice tinged with rare warmth. She had long grown accustomed to the cold-heartedness of peopleâeven her own disciples had betrayed her in times of crisis. Yet, this stranger was willing to face death alongside her.
A rare feeling of warmth rose within Li Mochouâs heart. No matter what, she decided, she would ensure Mu Wanqingâs safety today.
âMiss Mu, listen to me. These men are despicable. If you stay, youâll only endanger yourself. Iâll cover your escape. When you meet Song Qingshu again, tell him that my debt to him is repaid.â
Song Qingshu was stunned upon hearing this. He had only saved her on a whim, snatching her from Master Xuanzhengâs grasp. Yet, she had remembered the favor all along, willing to sacrifice her life to repay him.
With the Ancient Tomb Sectâs Qinggong, Li Mochou had a good chance of escaping if she truly wanted to. But she stayed, unwilling to let Mu Wanqing fall into the enemyâs hands and suffer humiliation.
To think that a ruthless woman like Li Mochou could be so loyal and sentimentalâit left Song Qingshu deeply moved.
Mu Wanqing felt even more touched. But as the Blank Fiend continued closing in, she suddenly shouted in desperation, âStop! Do you know who I am?â
The fiend paused, entertained by the panic in her eyes. âOh? And just who might you be?â
Though reluctant to invoke her fatherâs name, Mu Wanqing knew she had no choice. She bit her lip and stood tall. âI am the Princess of Dali! My father is Duan Zhengchun, Prince of the South. My uncle is Emperor Duan Zhengming. If you harm us, the Duan clan will not forgive you!â
âThe Duan clan of Dali?â The Blank Fiend blinked, then burst into laughter. âDuan Yanqing, the head of the Four Evils, couldnât make me flinchâwhy should I fear a pillow-stuffing prince like Duan Zhengchun?â
Hao Mi sneered. âWeâve long wanted to visit Dali. Letâs see if your clanâs âOne Yang Fingerâ is stronger than our âOne Finger Zenâ.â
Dali was far to the south, while their Qinghai Sect dominated the western regions. The Duan clan was hardly a concern.
Seeing that invoking the Duan name was futile, and with the fiends advancing again, Mu Wanqing grew anxious. Desperately, she blurted out, âI am also the woman of the Golden Serpent King!â
Sponsor Chapters at the Patreon Shop: Along with BuymeaCoffee where you can use your local currency.
The Shop section on Patreon can be used as a way to make a one-time-payment. I will be creating products in the Shop section with the title of the novelkisss. It will only have an image as the product, but it will count as the payment for the Sponsored Chapters.
For example: You will buy the product with the title âFlower Stealing Masterâ to sponsor a chapter for the novel. As far as I know, you can buy the same product multiple times, so you should be able to sponsor as many chapters you want. I hope it was easy to understand.
Introducing CN WN Bundle ($15) for those who prefer to read only CN novelkisss. This bundle gives you access to all the advance chapters of the Chinese Webnovels on Goblinslate immediately, and will stay ahead of the regular release for the month! Get it on Patreon!
That means, you get:
FSM â Four Advance Chapters! ($10)
DCFD â Two Advance Chapters! ($5)
AM â Two Advance Chapters! ($5)
IDT â Two Advance Chapters! ($5)