Miao Mingzhu flew down from the rooftop, landing gracefully in front of the assembled martial artists. Her voice was calm but carried an air of chilling superiority.
"The Yueguang Sect has been in the Central Plains for more than twenty years," she announced. "But because our practice is different from yours, the six sectors and five clans have refused to acknowledge our existence."
She then looked out at the crowd, a sly smirk on her face. "Our leader has a message for all of you. He said, 'Thank you, everyone, for killing Mu Jiao Long.' Our leader will soon come to the Central Plains to claim what is his."
"Whatever he practices, he knows it's evil and will bring harm to the people," Yong Gui replied, his voice firm. "That is the reason we will never acknowledge your sect in the Central Plains."
Miao Mingzhu simply smiled, a chilling expression on her face. "Soon," she said, "everyone will acknowledge us."
Yong Taihua looked at her with a cold, hateful stare. "Did you kill my da ye?"
"I don't like to kill," Miao Mingzhu replied, her tone eerily casual. "But if someone stands in my way, I will not hesitate to bring them back to be my test subject."
"Ah Lok," Zhou Goutin said, his voice quiet. "Perhaps she has the antidote."
Kuo Lok stood up and walked toward Miao Mingzhu, his face a mask of desperation. "Miao guniang, if you have the antidote, please, help Batu."
Miao Mingzhu smiled, a cruel, mocking expression on her face. "If you kiss me, I will help him."
Kuo Lok froze, his body rigid with shock and anger.
Miao Mingzhu's smile widened as she looked at him. "I admire the Mu family's policies very much. If you want something, you must trade with something. The choice is yours."
A pained scream tore from Bazar Batu's lips as he lay, helpless, in his brother's arms. Seeing his agony, Kuo Lok did not hesitate. He leaned forward and kissed Miao Mingzhu.
Miao Mingzhu smiled in satisfaction and walked over to examine the wound.
"How is she?" Kuo Lok asked, his voice shaking with worry.
Miao Mingzhu looked up, her expression one of utter confusion. "She?" she scoffed, a chilling sound. She then stood and looked at Kuo Lok with a condescending smirk. "He will die soon."
"Can you save her?" Kuo Lok pleaded again, the words tumbling from his mouth.
A cruel smile stretched across Miao Mingzhu's face as she looked from Kuo Lok to Bazar Batu. "I can," she said, her voice laced with mockery. "But I refuse."
"Why not?" Kuo Lok asked, his voice shaking with desperation.
"No reason," Miao Mingzhu replied, a cold, nonchalant smirk on her face.
"Demon girl!" a clan leader roared from the crowd. "Today, we will kill you!"
Miao Mingzhu's smile turned triumphant as she looked back at Kuo Lok. "They want to kill me, but I am the only one who can save her. What will you do?"
"I won't let anyone kill you," Kuo Lok stated, his voice a solid, unwavering promise.
The people outside the guest house were locked in a tense standoff, their furious stares fixed on Miao Mingzhu. The disciples rushed to stand beside Yong Gui, their hands on their sword hilts, ready for a fight.
Suddenly, a panicked disciple broke through the crowd. "Yong shifu," he gasped, his voice tight with alarm, "there's a group of people outside the gate!"
Miao Mingzhu looked at Kuo Lok, a cold, mocking smile on her face. "Kuo Lok of the Jinfeng Sect, my da shixiong is here. I no longer need your protection." She then effortlessly flew up and over the wall, disappearing from sight.
Everyone rushed to the Sword Village gate and was met by a large group of people. The leader of the group sat calmly in an open sedan chair. He was a menacing figure wearing a chilling iron mask and holding a simple bamboo flute.
The masked man's voice was low and calm. "Mingzhu, who among them is the strongest?" he asked.
Standing on the wall above, Miao Mingzhu replied, "Kuo Lok, the son of Kuo Jing Song of the Jinfeng Sect. Also, the Seven Star Formation of Sword Village."
The man in the iron mask gave the crowd a chilling smile.
"And you are?" Yong Gui asked, his voice firm.
"We are strangers to each other," the masked man replied, his tone dismissive.
"Then why are you here today?" Yong Gui demanded.
"I heard you have information about the treasure map," the masked man said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Who among you is Mu Dishi?"
"My shizun is not here," Yong Taihua scoffed, his voice filled with contempt.
"Is Mu Dishi your shizun?" the man in the iron mask asked.
"Yes," Yong Taihua replied.
The masked man's voice became strangely melodic, laced with a mocking flirtation. "I heard that Mu Dishi is very handsome. I just want to confirm..."
Yong Taihua felt a familiar rage boil inside him. He knew his master's skills and looks attracted many, but he could not stand hearing anyone speak of him in a sexual way. The masked man's words were the last straw. All his pent-up fury from the day's events focused into a single point. "Bastard!" he roared, drawing his sword and rushing toward the man in the iron mask.
"Taihua!" Yong Gui shouted, a desperate warning.
The man in the iron mask flew forward, effortlessly intercepting Yong Taihua's charging sword with only his bamboo flute. The two began to fight. Yong Taihua waved his sword toward the man's feet, but with a lightness agility foot skill, the masked man flew over him, landing silently behind him. In a flash, he struck Yong Taihua's back, blocking a pressure acupoint. In less than eight steps, Yong Taihua was utterly defeated.
The iron-masked man walked closer to Yong Taihua. "Since you are a student of Mu Dishi," he said, his voice cold and mocking, "I will not kill you. I do not wish to make him angry." He then returned to his chair and took a single liang, a small silver piece. With a contemptuous flick of his wrist, he threw the coin, and it landed with a sharp clink on Yong Taihua's chest.
A defiant martial artist in the crowd shouted, "There are only ten of you, but we are many! We will not be afraid!"
"You should be," the masked man replied calmly.
Just as Yong Da reached for his sword, his hand suddenly began to shake uncontrollably, and the blade fell to the ground. "What's wrong with me?" he asked in a panicked voice.
Miao Mingzhu's laughter echoed through the stunned silence. "You are all poisoned. The poison is called 'Lighter than a Feather'," she announced, a cruel smile spreading across her face. "You have lost all of your strength. Soon, you won't even be able to lift something lighter than a feather."
Everyone around them fell to the ground, helpless.
"How did you manage to poison us?" a clan leader asked, his voice strained and weak.
Miao Mingzhu's smile did not waver. "As I said before," she replied calmly, "Yueguang Sect has eyes and ears everywhere."
At that moment, Li Jie and Li Jia moved, transferring their inner energy to Li Kong Bai in a desperate attempt to save him.
Miao Mingzhu smiled coldly. "Don't waste your inner energy," she said. "The poison will heal itself within five hours." Then, she looked at her ten disciples. "Search them," she commanded.
"How dare you!" Li Jie and Li Jia cried out in unison. The two sisters immediately launched a furious attack on the ten disciples.
Amidst the chaos, Bazar Batu spoke to Kuo Lok in a quiet, urgent voice. "Lok gege, carry me on your back. We have to flee from here."
"Batu," Kuo Lok replied, his voice filled with worry. "I'll take you to a safe place."
"I said we," Bazar Batu corrected him, his voice soft but firm. "Not me."
"It would be immoral to leave all these people behind," Kuo Lok said, his voice firm. "The first rule of a martial artist is to protect the weak."
"They are going to kill us," Bazar Batu replied, his voice strained. "They already regard me as the culprit who killed that old monk."
Bazar Batu knew that Kuo Lok would not abandon the poisoned people. He also knew that if he didn't act now, the situation would be more terrible. With a flash of desperation, he reached into his robe and pulled out the old sheepskin. He knew it was what these people were truly after.
"Lok gege, help me up," Bazar Batu said. Kuo Lok helped him stand, and Bazar Batu looked at Miao Mingzhu, his voice firm despite his pain.
"Miao guniang," he said, holding up the parchment, "since you admire the Mu family's policies so much, let's come to an agreement."
Every eye in the courtyard was fixed on the old sheepskin in Bazar Batu's hand. Seeing this, Li Jia and Li Jie walked back to stand in front of the Four Gentlemen and Li Kong Bai, ready for what would come next.
"So, you also have a map," Miao Mingzhu said with a mocking smile. "I didn't know someone as naive as you would have such great ambitions." She walked closer, her eyes fixed on the parchment. "What's your deal?"
"Your sect wants the Central Plains to acknowledge its existence so badly," Bazar Batu replied, holding the sheepskin up. "And you also want this map in my hands. Let's fight for it."
Miao Mingzhu smiled. "I have no problem fighting any of you."
"On one condition," Bazar Batu said.
"What condition?" Miao Mingzhu asked, a curious smirk on her face.
"We use the Central Plains rules."
"Whatever you like," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"We each choose three people to fight from each team," Bazar Batu continued. "The first team to win two out of three fights is the winner. The loser must surrender the map they have to the other team. If your team wins, the Central Plains will acknowledge your sect, and my map is yours. If you lose, you leave, and your map is mine."
"Deal," the man in the iron mask said, his voice flat.
"Let's show the maps then," Bazar Batu said.
Miao Mingzhu reached into her inner robe and took out an old sheepskin map. Bazar Batu's eyes were fixed on it, unblinking. He stared at it for a few seconds, his expression unreadable, before Miao Mingzhu quickly snatched it away.
"That's enough looking," she said, her voice sharp. "I will be the first to fight. Who will challenge me?"
"Of course," Bazar Batu replied, his gaze still on where the map had been. "Lok gege will fight you."
"Let's add one more condition then," Miao Mingzhu said with a sly smile. "Those who have already participated in a fight can no longer be chosen to participate."
"Agreed," Bazar Batu replied instantly.
Kuo Lok carefully carried Bazar Batu back and helped him sit next to Li Jia. When Kuo Lok was about to stand, Bazar Batu reached out and grabbed his hand. Kuo Lok knelt down, his gaze full of worry. "Don't worry," he said.
"I'm not worried you can't beat her," Bazar Batu said, his voice raw. "I'm worried that you'll be fascinated by her deceptions. Because you're stupid, and you're easily manipulated by others." He coughed, a pained sound. "Lok gege, if you lose to her, I will never forgive you. I will never see you again. The moment you lose, I will commit suicide."
"Batu..." Kuo Lok began.
"I'm serious this time," Bazar Batu insisted, his grip tightening. "If you lose, not only will I die, but everyone here will die with me."
Kuo Lok smiled at him, a genuine, warm expression. "Don't worry," he promised. "I will definitely win, because I want to see you again."