“Hahaha! The sea is vast enough for fish to leap, and the sky is high enough for birds to fly!”
“You’ll never catch me, you old geezers!”
“Go to hell, Songshan Sect! Go to hell, Zuo Leng Chan! Cough cough cough!”
Lian Cheng laughed uncontrollably, accidentally pulling at his back wound, the pain a delightful sensation.
Luckily, Lingbo Weibu (Elusive Steps) consumed very little internal energy, so even though he had just endured a grueling battle, he could still run incredibly fast.
The two first-rate Black-clothed men were quite agile, but their internal energy had also been depleted. They couldn’t catch Lian Cheng easily.
As long as he could maintain this pace, he would be safe once he reached the outskirts of the county.
However, Lian Cheng was definitely going to remember this grudge. He would definitely seek revenge on the Songshan Sect and Zuo Leng Chan in the future.
Let’s rewind a bit.
Within the Hua Yin County, the Hengshan Sect disciples split into several groups, using copper coins to buy information from the Beggar Clan disciples. They quickly gathered intel on many suspicious individuals, then struck decisively.
Most of these riffraff had weak martial arts, not even a single first-rate martial artist among them. They were no match for the Hengshan Sect disciples.
Some chose to surrender on the spot. The merciful Hengshan Sect disciples didn't kill them immediately. Instead, they used acupoint strikes to immobilize them and tied them up, capturing them first. They would decide their fate later when Ding Yi Shi Tai arrived.
Others chose to resist, and they met their demise accordingly.
Luckily, the Huashan Sect had previously alerted the county magistrate. Thus, there were constables present to maintain order, preventing any panic.
Linghu Chong, accompanied by a little nun named Yi Qing, was hunting down the Demon Cult spies.
Yi Qing was the second disciple of the Hengshan Sect, a clever and talented young woman. In the original story, Linghu Chong passed the leadership of the Hengshan Sect onto Yi Qing.
Right now, Yi Qing was still young, her strength only at the third-rate level.
Shortly after teaming up with Linghu Chong, she became his little fangirl.
Linghu Chong was simply so jovial, straightforward, and possessed exceptional martial arts skill. Earlier, they encountered a second-rate spy who tried to resist. With a single Lingbo Weibu slide, Linghu Chong delivered a Fengqiao Yebo (Night at Fengqiao Bridge) strike, sending the spy to his doom.
The entire process was smooth and elegant, a feast for the eyes.
Yi Qing looked at Linghu Chong with starry eyes.
Sadly, Yi Lin, one of the original female leads, was still a little girl even younger than Yue Ling Shan. She hadn't joined the mission. Otherwise, upon witnessing Linghu Chong's prowess, she might have fallen in love, torn between staying in the monastery and returning to the secular world.
Ding Yi Shi Tai also witnessed Linghu Chong’s abilities, nodding in approval.
To maintain an overview of the situation, she flew onto the roof of the tallest inn in the county. From there, she could see almost half the county, allowing her to provide timely assistance to her disciples if they encountered danger.
Linghu Chong’s performance earned her praise.
Remembering Lian Cheng’s boasts from yesterday, she started to believe him, though she still doubted that he was a first-rate martial artist. After all, he was so young.
“Right, where are those two kids, Lian Cheng and Yi He? They went out of town, but they haven't returned. Did something happen?”
Ding Yi Shi Tai couldn’t shake off this growing unease.
She gazed westward and saw a small figure running towards the county. It was clearly her eldest disciple, Yi He. Her steps were shaky, indicating she was running desperately. Even from a distance, Ding Yi Shi Tai could sense Yi He's panic.
No good! Something must have happened!
Ding Yi Shi Tai immediately used her light footwork to fly out of the county and toward Yi He.
Upon seeing Yi He's situation, she let out a sigh of relief, because Yi He was only exhausted, apparently uninjured.
“Yi He, what happened? Where's that Lian Cheng kid?” Ding Yi Shi Tai asked with urgency.
“Master! You have to save Lian Cheng! We were ambushed by the Songshan Sect. Two first-rate and six second-rate fighters. Lian Cheng stayed behind to cover me. He’s injured, Master, you have to save him!”
Yi He didn’t even have time to catch her breath, rapidly spitting out these words.
What?!
Ambushed by the Songshan Sect?!
Ding Yi Shi Tai instantly believed her. She never doubted her own disciples.
The situation was dire. Saving him was the priority. So, she once again used her light footwork and rushed westward, leaving behind a single sentence:
“Yi He, return to the city immediately. Gather all the disciples and temporarily cease operations. Your safety is paramount. I'll bring Lian Cheng back, don’t worry.”
Her words were barely finished when she was already a mere black dot in the distance.
This demonstrated the remarkable strength of Ding Yi Shi Tai.
Yi He immediately felt reassured, her body feeling completely drained. Nevertheless, she dragged her exhausted body back into the county, just as she ran into Linghu Chong and Yi Qing.
She recounted the situation once again, rapidly.
Unexpectedly, Linghu Chong exploded: “Damn the Songshan Sect! If anything happens to my second brother, I, Linghu Chong, will ensure their extinction!”
With those words, he dashed out of the county, his Lingbo Weibu propelling him forward.
Even though Ding Yi Shi Tai had already gone to save him, he was still uneasy. He’d rather go and help than sit in the county and worry. Even if he was not strong enough, he could still carry Lian Cheng and use Lingbo Weibu to escape.
Seeing this, Yi Qing could only take charge of gathering the other disciples and announcing the suspension of their operations.
Meanwhile, Ding Yi Shi Tai's heart raced faster, increasing her speed.
It didn’t take long before she saw a young man running towards her from a distance, his movements identical to Linghu Chong’s, not lagging behind at all.
He was being chased by two Black-clothed men. At a glance, they were clearly first-rate masters.
However, were they really from the Songshan Sect?
Ding Yi Shi Tai had doubts, but it didn’t stop her from saving the boy. She flew towards Lian Cheng.
Lian Cheng also saw Ding Yi Shi Tai. His heart filled with joy. He immediately slammed on the brakes, then abruptly turned around. With the Lian Cheng Sword Technique in his left hand and the Jade Maiden Eighteen Swords in his right, he actually managed to hold off the two pursuers.
The two Black-clothed men hesitated, not daring to continue the fight, for the old nun had arrived.
“Damn it! Mission failed! Retreat!”
As they said this, they began to fight and retreat, attempting to break free from Lian Cheng. But Lian Cheng had gone all out. He unleashed his Zi Xia internal energy, and his dual-sword technique became even more formidable. It was enough to keep the two from escaping.
Ding Yi Shi Tai watched in admiration.
So the kid wasn't bragging yesterday after all. He really did have the strength of a first-rate martial artist.
Even though his internal energy was not sufficient, his exquisite sword techniques, combined with his unique dual-sword style, were enough to stand against first-rate masters.
It was thanks to this strength that he was able to send Yi He out of the encirclement while under attack from so many skilled fighters. And he had still managed to save himself. What a talented disciple Yue Buqun had!
Moreover, that purple aura was unmistakably the Zi Xia Divine Skill!
Yue Buqun was truly willing to share this skill!
Ding Yi Shi Tai's thoughts raced. Her long sword was already in the fray. As the two Black-clothed men were distracted, she slashed the face covering off one of them with a single strike.
“How could it be you?!”
Ding Yi Shi Tai was shocked, followed by outrage.