Du Youqian did not act rashly.
He was waiting for an opportunity to break the stalemate.
He had to save them, of course.
With his golden finger, it was usually best to lie low when trouble arose.
Even if he encountered a powerful enemy, he could just lie low for a lifetime or two and then go dance on their grave.
But he couldn't just stand by while his wife and child were being bullied.
What would that make him? A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
Still, a rescue had to be done properly. He couldn't afford to get caught in the process.
At this moment, Du Youqian was in Concealment on Immortal Bamboo Mountain.
Although he was a stone's throw from Cyan Bamboo Castle, it was impossible for its people to discover him.
If he didn't wish it, even a Postnatal Top Master who came within ten feet of him would see and hear nothing, completely oblivious to his presence.
As for masters of an even higher level, they would never lower themselves to act like common Scouts, running around to perform reconnaissance.
So Du Youqian remained on Immortal Bamboo Mountain.
Meditating. Cultivating. Waiting.
And so, the days passed one by one.
With Du Youqian's eyesight, he could clearly see Liao Leizhong tied to the Dock Wall of the Dock Fortress, suffering under the scorching sun one day and ravaged by violent storms the next.
The daily whippings were a regular occurrence. His broken right arm hadn't been treated properly; the bleeding was only crudely staunched, and it was now festering.
Even if he were rescued now, Liao Leizhong's vitality would be greatly damaged.
Du Youqian was not heartless.
On the contrary, he saw Liao Leizhong as his own son.
After all, he was the child Du Youqian had raised for eighteen years.
It was just that Du Youqian's state of mind was gradually transcending the mortal realm.
He could control his Emotions—worry, fear, pity—and wait for the perfect opportunity to arrive.
As for Liao Leizhong, losing an arm was already an irreversible event.
But in the future, it wouldn't be impossible for Du Youqian to help him recover his vitality, or even take a step further and break through to the Innate realm.
There was no problem that couldn't be solved with a batch of Elixirs. If there was, then it would just take two.
In truth, when Liao Leizhong had set out into the Jianghu this time, he had strictly followed Du Youqian's warnings and had not acted rashly.
According to the intelligence Du Youqian had gathered, Liao Leizhong had spent the last two years quietly accumulating power, building an intelligence network, and forming a core team.
However, back then, Cui Wei had not managed to kill all of Liao Yilan's enemies.
And in the wake of those bloody battles, the story that Liao Yilan once possessed a Token related to immortal fate had spread.
A number of factions, led by Cyan Bamboo Castle, had actually been keeping an eye out for Liao Yilan's successor all along.
Therefore, despite Liao Leizhong's low profile, he was quickly exposed and hunted down, forcing him and Long Ruzhen to split up and flee.
At a critical moment, to cover for Long Ruzhen whose position had been compromised, he deliberately jumped into the enemy's encirclement and was ultimately captured.
Du Youqian was determined to rescue this son of his.
He was simply waiting for the right moment.
And that moment arrived soon enough.
~~~~~~~~~
On the main road to Cyan Bamboo Castle, a plain carriage drawn by four fine steeds galloped along.
Inside the jostling carriage, Long Ruzhen sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, silently regulating her breathing as she prepared for the great battle ahead.
Though now over forty, Long Ruzhen's figure was still as lithe as a young girl's.
When she was with Du Youqian, her gaze was still as gentle and enchanting as a maiden's.
It was enough to make Du Youqian overlook the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
But at this moment, her muscles were taut, her face etched with bitter resentment. She radiated an ominous aura, as if she had suddenly aged twenty years, finally caught by the passage of time.
Inside the carriage with her were three other men and one woman.
They were all part of the core team she and Liao Leizhong had gathered over the past two years.
The four of them wore different expressions. One was nervous, one was calm, one was filled with dauntless resolve, and another seemed as carefree as if he were attending a banquet at a friend's house.
Their Martial Arts skills varied; not all of them were experts skilled in combat.
But they all had one thing in common: they were willing to die for the mother and son duo, Long Ruzhen and Liao Leizhong.
The man with the carefree expression suddenly had a glint in his eye. He laughed heartily. "I'll go on ahead! You all keep moving, don't delay!"
As he spoke, he leaped out of the carriage, drew his sword, and charged a few Jianghu People.
The carriage didn't stop, continuing its race toward Cyan Bamboo Castle.
The expressions of those still inside the carriage did not change.
This had been agreed upon from the start. The duty of these four was to do everything in their power to block anyone who tried to stop them.
They had to ensure Long Ruzhen could reach Cyan Bamboo Castle without expending much energy, to fight for that slim chance of survival.
Of course, Long Ruzhen knew full well that this journey was a death sentence, that there was no slim chance of survival at all.
But as a mother, she absolutely could not let her son die before she did.
Soon, the other two men in the carriage also leaped out one after another to engage the enemies who had come to intercept them.
Cyan Bamboo Castle was now just ahead.
The remaining woman gripped her sword's hilt. Soon, it would be her turn to Sacrifice herself to block the enemy.
Just then, she noticed Long Ruzhen suddenly smile.
"Mistress?" she asked, startled.
Long Ruzhen glanced at her. "It's nothing."
As she spoke, Long Ruzhen's hand stealthily touched her waist.
Beneath her clothes, something new had appeared at some point.
It felt soft yet resilient, probably some kind of animal leather.
'What did Brother Ying just call this via voice transmission?'
'A "Talisman"?'
Long Ruzhen's heart burned with excitement.
'Since Brother Ying is here, our family of three has a chance to live today.'
'Even if Brother Ying can't fight off so many opponents alone... it doesn't matter.'
'At worst, our family of three will die together. At least we won't be lonely on the road to the Yellow Springs.'
"Xiaomin, you don't need to go block the enemy alone. Stick with me. We will definitely be able to rescue Lei'Er."
Ji Min had been just as pessimistic, but the gentle yet firm strength in Long Ruzhen's voice made her inexplicably sigh in relief.
"Yes!" She nodded emphatically.
"If... you don't mind that Lei'Er is missing an arm, let's arrange the wedding after this is all over."
"Ah?" A blush spread across Ji Min's lovely face.
"You're not willing?" Long Ruzhen asked with a smile.
Ji Min was so shy she didn't dare to look up at Long Ruzhen. She mumbled two words, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "I'm willing."
BOOM!
A sharp glint flashed in Long Ruzhen's eyes. She grabbed Ji Min's arm, leaped upward, and smashed through the carriage's roof.
Splinters of wood flew everywhere.
The carriage had been shattered to pieces by a single punch.
PSHHH!
The necks of the four horses had been severed by a single slash, and blood sprayed wildly like four fountains.
Two interceptors had arrived.
One was burly and thick-limbed, with arms so big you could race horses on them.
The other was rather thin and weak-looking, yet he wielded an enormous Horse-Cutting Saber that seemed longer and heavier than he was.
Two names flashed through Long Ruzhen's mind.
Both were top-tier masters, second only to Innate Grandmasters.
Their appearances perfectly matched the descriptions of these two.
It was said that the two of them, working together, had once escaped from an Innate Grandmaster.
Although Long Ruzhen's Martial Arts had greatly improved under Du Youqian's guidance during their eighteen years of seclusion...
...as a woman, she was at a disadvantage in terms of raw strength.
Her chances of winning a fight to the death against these two were not high.
"The Jade-faced Rakshasa? A real beauty indeed. If you don't want to lose your head, you'd best surrender obediently," said the man with the Horse-Cutting Saber.
Long Ruzhen touched the "Talisman" at her waist, and her confidence suddenly surged.
'Since Brother Ying said that activating this "Talisman" with True Qi would make me impervious to blades and spears for thirty breaths, then it must be true.'
'Although I don't understand why Brother Ying won't show himself, I've lived with my husband day and night for eighteen years. I would never doubt him.'
'Brother Ying must be off doing something more important.'
It didn't matter. Just the thought of Brother Ying watching over her from the shadows made Long Ruzhen feel invincible, as if she could brave even a dragon's den or a tiger's lair.
"Cyan Bamboo Castle... will be wiped from the face of the earth after today. The two of you can serve as its funeral sacrifice!" Long Ruzhen shouted, drawing her Sword.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Du Youqian had already infiltrated Cyan Bamboo Castle from another direction.
He had been waiting for Long Ruzhen to arrive.
While Long Ruzhen launched a frontal assault to rescue Liao Leizhong, he would take the opportunity to deal with the hidden expert backing Cyan Bamboo Castle.
'They knew she had me, an Innate expert, supporting her, yet they still dared to scheme against her.'
'This meant that the one behind Cyan Bamboo Castle wasn't an Innate Grandmaster Honored Guest Elder, as the rumors claimed.'
'But... a true Cultivator.'