It was a very beautiful woman’s head with a pair of lifeless almond eyes that hadn’t closed yet. The delicate golden headdress was crooked, but it was clear she was dressed as a bride.
After a deadly silence, the large front yard of the Medicine Monarch Manor almost boiled over, like cold water had been added to a pot of boiling oil!
“Oh my God, this… is the bride!”
“What the hell is going on here?”
“Catastrophe, a catastrophe…”
“What does the North Sea Sword Sect want to do?”
“They are simply heartless!”
The courtyard was in an uproar, but Qiu Yutong was completely frozen while Lu Xiao also frowned gently.
“Ah Ning?” Xu Qiushi stared blankly at the bloody head. His legs weakened involuntarily and his body went down.
He foolishly lay on the ground, his eyes staring comically at the head. Then he heaved two breaths and struggled to crawl forward, his writhing posture ugly to the extreme, yet no one let out a laugh.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at him, and the courtyard was almost terribly quiet.
It was unknown how long it took before Xu Qiushi finally crawled next to the head. He trembled and reached out his hand, gently stroking the bride’s cheek.
The cold touch caused his hand to tremble gently.
It was at this moment that the eccentric and irascible Eldest Master seemed to have determined something and jerked his head towards the sky with a long, almost inhuman howl!
“Ah… Ahhh… Ahh.”
This howl was even more poignant than the other, like a lone wolf on the verge of death. Some of the female cultivators had already turned their faces away quietly, unable to bear to look anymore.
Chen Wuyou’s pale face was expressionless, the soles of his feet moved lightly as he landed from the eaves into the courtyard. “Old Third, Old Fourth, you too come down.”
“Yes, Second Senior Brother.”
The red-clothed swordsman Luo Wuyou on the eaves of the east wing, and the grey-clothed cultivator Tu Wufei on the eaves of the west wing, also fell down lightly.
“Chen Wuyou, Luo Wuyou and Tu Wuyou! The three senior brothers of Gui Wuya are all here… It seems that the North Sea Sword Sect is determined to provoke the Medicine Monarch Manor today.”
“Tsk, I’m afraid it’s going to be a killing spree.”
“How did the Medicine Monarch Manor offend them?”
“Who knows? Gui Wuya, the ghost’s crows, tsk.”
“Keep your voice down, don’t cause any trouble.”
To these murmurs, Chen Wuyou acted as if he hadn’t heard them, a pair of stony eyes looking down at Xu Qiushi: “Xu Qiushi, do you know your crime?”
“Chen Wuyou, f**k you! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!!!” It was unknown where Xu Qiushi got the strength from as he stumbled to his feet and lunged at Chen Wuyou!
“Kill me?” Chen Wuyou sneered, unsheathed his sword and swung it!
“Bang!!!”
Xu Qiushi was struck by this merciless blow and thrown more than two feet away with a “Bang!” A sound was heard in the crowd next to him and immediately he spat out a puddle of fishy, hot blood.
“Ah!”
“Oh my god!” The crowd let out a shriek and scattered like frightened ants, leaving only Xu Qiushi in the clearing.
Some people looked at Xu Qiushi in surprise, some peered at Chen Wuyou with palpitations, some looked around at a loss for words, some were surprised, some were angry, some were curious, and some sighed… Wu Shengnan, the Poison Dragon Sect Sect Master, let out a soft sigh, rolled her eyes and gently stroked the small snake in her hand whereas the eyes of Xue Huairou, the Palace Master of Extreme Happiness glowed as she smiled and stared at Xu Qiushi. “Ai, spitting blood, how pitiful.”
Xu Qiushi lay on the ground, spitting out blood in great mouthfuls, his slender fingers spasmodically picking at the earth.” Chen Wuyou, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you… Ah Ning… Ah Ning … Ah Ning!!!”
The eyes of several young female cultivators had already turned red.
“Senior Sister, they are simply too much.”
“Shhh, keep your voice down, the Northern Sea Sword Sect is not something our small sect can afford to mess with, so don’t cause trouble for Master.”
“But, Master Wu Chen of the South Mountain Temple, as well as Master Bai and Master Sang of North Snow City are all here, how dare they from the North Sea Sword Sect ……”
As the crowd whispered, they couldn’t help but turn their gazes to the main table to look at Master Wuchen, as well as Bai Hanyuan and Sang Lingxi.
Sang Lingxi could no longer contain his anger. He stood up haughtily, looked down again at Bai Hanyuan who was sipping tea, stamped his foot and called out: “Second Senior Brother!”
Qiu Yutong also couldn’t help but look at Bai Hanyuan.
Although this second senior brother had a cold demeanor and a frigid countenance, his sword skills are exceptional, and he despised tormenting the weak. When Qiu Yutong was young, he went to the market with his brothers and witnessed firsthand how this second senior brother had beaten a group of hooligans who were bullying the old vegetable sellers, until they knelt down and begged for mercy, bruised and swollen.
Even in such a minor matter, Second Senior Brother couldn’t help but intervene, let alone the North Sea Sword Sect.
Bai Han Yuan unhurriedly took a sip of tea, before gently raising his eyelids, glancing expressionlessly at the bride’s head, and slowly turning his gaze to Chen Wuyou’s face
Then he stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, and stared coldly at Chen Wuyou.
Chen Wuyou was frightened by the look in his eyes, but he forced a smile: “What, Peak Master Bai wants to stand up for this Xu Qiushi? Do you know what he has done?”
“You are Gui Wuyou’s second junior brother, Chen Wuyou?” Bai Han Yuan said indifferently, “I heard, you are nicknamed… Wind and Snow Ghost God?”
Chen Wuyou said stiffly, “Not bad! I don’t know what instructions Peak Master Bai has for me?”
“Then do you know what this sword of mine is called?”
The crowd couldn’t help but draw a cold breath in unison. As everyone in the world knew, the original sword of the Ao Xue Peak Master of North Snow City, was called, “Beheading Wind and Snow”.
Wind and Snow Demon God, Beheading Wind and Snow.
There was silence in all directions and as hundreds of gazes looked at the two people in the middle of the courtyard; there was a thought in everyone’s mind – this was going to be a good show!
Chen Wuyou’s pale face flashed with anger and he was barely able to twist the corners of his mouth. “If Peak Master Bai wants to teach me, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future… Only today, however, it is not a good time.”
“When I, Bai Hanyuan, teaches someone a lesson, do I need to pick a day?” Bai Han Yuan coldly said.
Chen Wuyou took a deep breath and tried to hold back his anger before saying in a deep voice: “Peak Master Bai, do you know why I cut off this woman’s head?”
“I naturally don’t know the thoughts that go through the mind of a beast.”
“You…” Chen Wuyou held back then winked at the red-clothed sword cultivator Luo Wuyou next to him, “Lao San, exorcise with the demon powder. “
Luo Wuyou nodded knowingly, pulled out a small bottle from the Qiankun bag at his waist, took a big step forward, sprinkled some white powder from the bottle finely on top of that bride’s head.
“Woosh.”
As the powder was sprinkled, a puff of green smoke rose from the skull.
“Friends, look carefully! Take a look, this new bride of the Medicine Monarch Manor, what exactly is she?” Chen Wuyou asked aloud.
The crowd watched as the head’s neck, cheeks, and ears progressively revealed a large expanse of dense black fine scales flashing with an ominous bloody dark light.
“She… she’s a demon! She’s a demon!!!”
In the extreme silence, someone shouted out in a trembling voice! Instantly, the faces of everyone present changed, and the courtyard was like a pot that had just exploded.
“Demon? The bride is a demon?”
“She’s a demon? Xu Qiushi married a demon?”
“My god, a demon?
This bride, she was a demon!
Chen Wuyou coldly said, “Xu Qiushi, you colluded with a demon to seize my North Sea Sword Sect’s treasures, what exactly do you intend to do? Is there any conspiracy? Do you want to be the enemy of the whole cultivation world?”
“What did you do to Ah Ning? I’ll f*** your ancestors!” Xu Qiushi’s eyes were covered with hideous blood, suddenly roaring, his whole person leapt up and bit Chen Wuyou’s wrist fiercely!
Chen Wuyou let out a hiss of pain and immediately backhanded him with a loud slap!
“Slap!!!” With a crisp sound, Xu Qiushi was slapped to the side and barely able to get up.
“Xu Qiushi, you colluded with the demon, plotting to seize my sect’s treasures, the evidence is overwhelming, what else do you want to say to try to weasel out?”
“I will kill you, you bastard, you killed Ah Ning, and you slandered her as a demon… Ah Ning, my Ah Ning…”
Chen Wuyou coldly snorted, took two steps forward and stepped on Xu Qiushi’s back, “Great Doctor Xu, keep your mouth clean!”
Chen Wuyou slowly raised his head and looked at Bai Hanyuan: “Peak Master Bai, do you understand? Do you still want to make a move against me?”
Bai Hanyuan stared straight at the woman’s head covered with black fine scales, without saying a word.
“Peak Master Bai, you must not forget, how the venerable master fell!” Chen Wuyou said sternly.
Bai Han Yuan whispered, “You shut up.”
Sang Lingxi glanced at Bai Han Yuan with some concern. “Second Senior Brother ……”
Qiu Yutong stared at the demon’s head in a daze, his mind in chaos. This beautiful bride was of the devil race? Qiu Yutong has not fought with the devil race before but had heard Third Brother say that their master Ming Hui was caught in the devil race’s vile trap and besieged for five days and five nights before finally getting exhausted.
At that time, Qiu Yutong was still very young so he remembered almost nothing, and Third Brother was also just a 13 or 14-year-old, but Senior Brother and Second Brother remembered yet weren’t willing to mention this matter.
Bai Hanyuan stared at the devil’s head, his fist clenching almost uncontrollably, with veins rippling at the back of his hand.
He closed his eyes as hard as he could, and said in a numb voice: “Third Brother, let’s go.”
Sang Lingxi hesitantly glanced at Xu Qiushi: “But…”
“Go!” Bai Hanyuan said sternly.
Immediately the crowd heard soft rustling sounds. Two bright sword lights shone from Beheading Wind and Snow’ and ‘Green Mist Covers Water’ and they rose up in the air. As the crowd looked at the two lights moving far away like meteors, they couldn’t help but shake their heads and sigh. It was unknown whether they were sighing at the cruelty of the demons, or sighing that there was no good show to see.
Master Wuchen also got up slowly, the thin eyebrows and eyes on the fat face without a trace of expression. He folded his hands and said in a low voice, “So it is the remnants of the devil race… Amitabha Buddha. Qing Ci, Qing Hui, let’s go.”
Qing Ci and Qing Hui said in unison, “Yes, Master…”
The crowd involuntarily made way for them, and Master Wuchen, with his two disciples, walked out of the Medicine Monarch Manor courtyard door without looking back.
“Why did Master Wuchen leave too?”
“Don’t you know that Master Wuchen’s elder brother was seduced by a demon and lost his heart? Eventually, his core was plucked out, making him become a cripple which is worse than death!”
“Oh oh, I’ve heard of it, but I forgot about it. ……”
“This Great Doctor Xu had watched the woman’s head reveal its original demon form and still remains obsessed, maybe he knew about it a long time ago…”
“Yes, it’s true that you really don’t know who a person is…”
The Yuqin Palace Master Lin Yurong had an angry look on his face, “Qingfeng, let’s go too…”
Lin Qingfeng’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Brother!”
Lin Yurong said softly: “Qingfeng, our Yuqin Palace can’t even protect ourselves, so we should mind our own business. Let’s go…”
“But, Dongqing he…”
“Are you going to leave? If you don’t go, I’ll pretend I don’t have this brother!”
…
In just a few moments, the people of North Snow City, South Mountain Temple and Yuqin Palace had all left. The courtyard was still bustling with people, but without the tense atmosphere of the swords out earlier.
Xu Qiushi was lying on the ground, gently stroking the demon head, murmuring: “A Ning…” while Chen Wuyou, Luo Wuyou and Tu Wufei surrounded him in an angle formation.
The dust had settled.
The only thing that remained was the curious, pitying, gloating, gossiping and teasing eyes of the onlookers…
“Those mighty men have left, should we leave too?”
“What’s your hurry, let’s see what’s going on! We’re not demons, the North Sea Sword Sect won’t do anything to us!”
“Yes, let’s take a look at…”
Chen Wuyou grabbed Xu Qiushi’s hair and lifted him off the ground, “Eldest Master, it’s useless to play dumb with me. You conspired with the demon to seize my North Sea Sword Sect’s treasure… Where did you hide that item?”
“What nonsense! You murderer…”
Chen Wuyou sneered, and backhanded him, “Where’s the item?!”
“Even if the bride is a demon, this is still too much!” Qiu Yutong couldn’t help but curse in a low voice, and with a fierce press on the table, was about to stand up.
Lu Xiao looked at Chen Wuyou and Xu Qiushi, frowned slightly, and then gently pressed the back of Qiu Yutong’s hand, “Shizun, wait. What are they talking about?”
“What?” Qiu Yutong’s movements paused slightly and he raised his eyes to gaze at them, only to see Chen Wuyou put his lips close to Xu Qiushi’s ear, seemingly whispering something.
No one cared about this whispered sentence, but it was as if Qiu Yutong had been struck by thunder!
That mouth shape, Chen Wuyou was saying. “Where is that tortoiseshell?”
The tortoiseshell, why was it that turtle shell again?
Xu Qiushi was carried by Chen Wuyou in his hand, seemingly dazed by two heavy slaps as he stared blankly at the bride’s head on the ground, his white eyes without any light, neither cursing nor begging for mercy.
Chen Wuyou got impatient and said in a stern voice, “Master Xu, I’m asking you a question! My senior brother received definite information that the traitor of the North Sea Sword Sect, Ling Wuyuan, came here to heal his wounds seven years ago! Where is the item he stole?”
Qiu Yutong involuntarily lifted his hand and touched the tiny turtle shell in his arms, his mind a mess.
Previously, when they were at Daning Palace, Tu Wufei of the North Sea Sword Sect and Monk Qing Ci of the Nanshan Temple had come to look for this turtle shell at the same time. At that time, Qing Ci had said that this turtle shell, was the relic of the former abbot of the Nanshan Temple… from Qing Ci’s appearance, it didn’t look like she was lying.
And now, Chen Wuyou said that the traitor from the North Sea Sword Sect had stolen the tortoiseshell, it didn’t look like a lie either…..
Who exactly was lying?
Suddenly, Qiu Yutong understood in his heart. Yes, the piece of tortoiseshell in his hand was not complete, it was only a part of the whole shell… Perhaps the piece of tortoiseshell in his hand was indeed the relic of the former abbot of Nanshan Temple, which had somehow strayed into the Great Ning Palace, while the piece of tortoiseshell that Chen Wuyou asked Xu Qiushi for was stolen by the traitor from the North Sea Sword Sect!
How many pieces of this turtle shell were there?
Qiu Yutong’s mind was in turmoil as he raised his eyes to look into the courtyard again.
When he did, he met Xu Qiushi’s eyes…
Xu Qiushi stared at him blankly, then his lifeless eyes suddenly shone slightly, his lips quirking a little as if he recognized him.
“Eldest Master…” Qiu Yutong’s heart could not bear it, his feet moved slightly, and he was about to step out. He had just been cured of the cold poison, his body was weak, and his cultivation was also very low, so this step would not necessarily save Xu Qiushi, and he might even get himself killed, but he really could not leave it alone.
Lu Xiao tugged at him and said urgently, “Shizun!”
Qiu Yutong scolded: “Xiao-er, let go!”
Xu Qiushi looked at Qiu Yutong pleadingly, shaking his head extremely slowly, as if to stop him from forcing his way out, and then wriggled his lips and mouthed some words.
He didn’t make any sound, but Qiu Yutong already understood.
“Save, my, little, brother…”
In a flash of lightning, Qiu Yutong realised what Xu Qiushi was trying to do and his heart suddenly pounded. He tried to stop it, but Xu Qiushi had already spun around violently and pounced on Chen Wuyou’s sword! His teeth sinking into Chen Wuyou’s neck!
With a soft thud, the snowy sword pierced through the divine doctor’s chest, making blood gush out!
The crowd gasped!
“Ouch!” Chen Wuyou shouted miserably and tried desperately to push Xu Qiushi away, but Xu Qiushi’s teeth were so tightly clenched that he couldn’t push him away for a moment!
It was only when Luo Wuyou stepped forward and grabbed Xu Qiushi by the hair and yanked him off that he was free!
Chen Wuyou clutched his wounded neck, blood gushing out from his fingers, his expression fierce in the light of the blood, “Slaughter the Medicine Monarch Manor!”
Xu Qiushi didn’t pay any attention to him, his body lying limply on the ground. Using almost all his strength, he tried to move towards the head: “Ah Ning, Ah Ning… I’m coming to accompany you…”
He crawled in this way, leaving a long bloody trail on the ground.
The courtyard was dead silent.
Qiu Yutong looked at the long miserable bloodstain and couldn’t help but close his eyes. His whole body was a little dizzy, his feet swaying slightly. The blood in his chest boiled angrily and mournfully, but he could only grit his teeth fiercely, his mouth full of the thick taste of blood… he had to wake up, he still had important things to do, he had to save…
Qiu Yutong slowly opened his eyes, his eyes gradually clearing over. He backed up quietly and while trying to push aside the crowd around him, squeezed towards the direction of the main table.
Just now, Xu Dongqing was in that direction…
Xu Qiushi was dead, and if Chen Wuyou wanted to extract a confession, Xu Dongqing would be next. He could only take advantage of the confusion caused by Xu Qiushi’s death to take Xu Dongqing away…
Suddenly, a slender hand fiercely clutched his wrist, “Shizun!”
Qiu Yutong whispered: “Xiao’er, let go of me!”
Lu Xiao’s dark phoenix eyes stared at him, his expression anxious and helpless as if he had already guessed what he wanted to do, “Master, it’s too dangerous.”
“You go first, don’t mind me!” Qiu Yutong was anxious and shook off his hand, but Lu Xiao’s hand was like an iron band, gripping his wrist in a grip so firm that he couldn’t shake it off!
Held back, Qiu Yutong could only lower his voice and say urgently: “I promised the Grand Master that I would do something for him… and he entrusted me with Xu Dongqing’s life, I must not forget my duty… I have to save Xu Dongqing.”
Lu Xiao stared at him and suddenly said softly, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
Without further ado, he pulled Qiu Yutong and tried to push through the crowd, desperately pushing his way towards the main table.
A few moments later, they finally found Xu Dongqing. The young man was sitting at the table, half of his body covered by a thick tablecloth, curled up in a ball, almost dumb with fear, and perhaps because of this, the people around him didn’t notice him…
He looked at Qiu Yutong blankly: “What happened to Big Brother? Big Brother, Big Brother…..”
Qiu Yutong grabbed his hand, but for fear of arousing the suspicions of the people around, he could only whisper: “Don’t talk, come with me!”
“Big Brother…” Xu Dongqing sat down on the ground, unable to get up at all. Qiu Yutong was extremely anxious, but there was nothing he could do, “You…”
“Master, I’ll do it.” Lu Xiao frowned, pushing Qiu Yutong away gently. He pulled off his outer robe and wrapped it around Xu Dongqing’s head, then also picked up a glass of wine and poured it directly on him, then carried him on his back and used a thick voice to shout, “Make way for me, my brother is drunk! Give way, give way, give way…”
Qiu Yutong let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed.
Fortunately, the courtyard was crowded with people, all exclaiming over the fact that Xu Qiushi had killed himself by running into a sword, so no one paid any attention to them. In a few moments, the three of them hustled out of the crowd.
Just after they walked out of the side door, they heard a commotion in the courtyard, and Chen Wuyou said sternly, “Where is he?”
“He was over here just now!” It was the voice of Luo Wuyou.
“They’re starting to look for him!” Qiu Yutong whispered, “We have to get out quickly and leave this place!”
Lu Xiao gritted his teeth and said, “It’s too late. They know how to use swords, we can’t outrun them.”
Qiu Yutong pursed his lips and said resolutely, “I’ll stay here, maybe I can hold them back for a moment. Xiao-er, take him and hurry out!”
Lu Xiao was silent for a moment, and then roared, unable to control himself: “… Why are you always like this! Do you think about me at all?”
Qiu Yutong froze.
Looking at Qiu Yutong’s stunned look, Lu Xiao’s voice tried to hold back but couldn’t, his voice trembling so much that he could barely speak: “You think, you think … if, if … what about me? What about me?”
Qiu Yutong said softly: “Xiao-er?”
Lu Xiao closed his eyes, took another deep breath, before barely calming down, then turned his head and asked, “Second Master, in the Medicine Monarch Manor, is there any hiding place?”
Xu Dongqing was lying on his back, still dazed.
“Pop!” Lu Xiao didn’t hesitate to give him a heavy slap while asking sternly, “Second Master, is there a place to hide in this Medicine Monarch Manor? What time do you think it is? You’ve got to wake the f**k up!!!”
Xu Dongqing seemed to be awakened by the loud slap and shivered, “There are tunnels at the back, the back of the pharmacy.”
