Huang Yu and Yanzi came closer watched from the outskirts of the medicinal garden and saw in the front of the torchbearers a woman dressed in white with two swords hanging from her back. The woman was tied using some strong vines. Small white flowers grew on those vines, and they were peculiarly beautiful.
Huang Yu immediately recognized the woman in white as Yuan Wancui, the current leader of Haitang Jian Pai, the one who had gathered various leaders of martial sects to prevent Jinshui and his friends rebuild their Yumen.
"Those vines," Yanzi recognized the vines used to tie Yuan Wancui. "That plant is the result of my father's experiments mixing several types of poisonous plants, the translucent flowers are extremely dangerous."
Twenty other people in dark cloaks came, dragging dozens of women in white and wood-colored coats, the signature uniform of the Haitang Jian Pai disciples. All of the women were also bound by poisonous vines but without any translucent little flowers. Five of them were little girls, crying in fear.
Yuan Wancui opened her eyes slowly, struggling to maintain her prestige as the leader of a sect when she found out that she and her disciples were caught by the Wansui Gu people and possibly would not see another day.
The dozens of Haitang Jian Pai disciples were scattered among the men dressed in dark cloaks. Blades threatened their throats, ready to cut at any time. Jinshui counted fifteen hostages in total, but he didn't see Bao Xinfei, Yunhe, or any of their juniors. There was a possibility that there were still Haitang Jian Pai disciples being held in other places. It won't be easy saving them all.
"No one allowed to suicide!" came the voice of a man in a long black robe beside Yuan Wancui. "Or else you know what we will do to your disciples. You know our Wansui Gu's reputation, I don't think I need to mention it clearly here."
Yuan Wancui did not respond to his words. She closed her eyes again and muttered softly, whether she was praying or swearing at someone. Some of the older disciples copied her gesture, their composure slightly calming the younger disciples.
"Yanzi, is that your father over there?" Huang Yu asked, pointing at the person in a long black robe who shouted just now. That person's face was covered by a mask but his voice was still recognizable.
"He is," replied Yanzi. She knew her father better than anyone.
"Catching a snake must catch its head first," Huang Yu said later. He had his weapon ready in his hand. "Catching your father is our best chance to save everyone."
"Huang Yu Gege, my father probably wouldn't just kill Yuan Wancui," said Yanzi, "he will kill her disciples one by one to intimidate her. I… even though Haitang Jian Pai is no good, they also don't need to die yet."
"We don't plan on saving Yuan Wancui and her disciples," Huang Yu said in a displeased tone, "we only need to put down the rebellion and help Feng Yeye clean up his valley."
"What do you have in your tiny brain?" Jinshui asked Yanzi.
"I don't have any plan," replied Yanzi. "Just wait for some luck."
In the medicine garden, some of Zhou Sangong's other men came, bringing a little old man who was tied up in the same way as Haitang Jian Pai's disciples.
Yanzi was taken aback, recognized the little old man was none other than Duan Meng, Zeng Baifeng's trusted servant. For Zhou Sangong to dare to capture Duan Meng, it was tantamount to causing trouble with Zeng Baifeng. This was clearly a major rebellion.
"Zhuren, we cannot find erxiaojie," another man reported to Zhou Sangong. "It seems that after releasing the third-generation disciples, she didn't return to the valley."
"Yanzi can't just leave, she must still be somewhere around Wansui Gu," Zhou Sangong's voice sounded impatient. "You have to catch her, if she fights back, just kill her."
"Ah?" Yanzi pointed herself in the hiding place. "Even me...."
Four other Zhou Sangong followers also arrived there, handing over two more prisoners. Yanzi was so shocked she covered her mouth with both hands, recognizing the two new prisoners as her older sister Zhou Xiangnu and the young man who had always followed her from Yiling District back to Wansui Gu during the last couple of months, Yang Lei. Huang Yu was no less shocked.
The two of them had not even thought about doing anything when Zhou Sangong stuffed some pill into the three new captives' mouths.
"Who are you?" Zhou Xiangnu yelled in anger, one of her father's followers immediately tapped her mute bloodline so she couldn't say anything more. Zhou Xiangnu tried to struggle away from the thorny tendrils.
"Guniang, it's useless," a man reminded her. "You are from Wansui Gu, and should be familiar with these plants. The thorns are poisonous, the more you get stabbed you also know clearly the consequences."
"We have removed some of the flowers, but they are still in a hidden place," another man added. "The leiying flower is a poison substance at its best, I guess we don't need to explain any further either."
"What do those plants do?" Jinshui asked Yanzi in their hiding place.
"Leiying hua (teardrop flower) plant," Yanzi replied weakly, "the most poisonous plant ever created. The poison of those thorns will make you numb, and it might paralyze you for the rest of your life. But it was nothing compared to the flowers. Those beautiful translucent flowers have the ability to damage your pure energy and internal organs slowly but it would also slow your death."
Huang Yu pulled Yanzi behind a boulder before the young girl lost control. Zhou Sangong was already out of his mind, not even his own daughter was spared. Yanzi who was usually calm about everything and was used to all kinds of poisons to the point of trembling herself. If it weren't for overhearing her father's plan, today she too was in the middle of the medicinal garden, becoming one who had to face death.
"Yanzi, this matter is definitely not simple," Huang Yu said to her. "You heard just now that some of your father's followers call you erxiaojie, others call your sister guniang." Erxiaojie was used to call the second daughter of someone's employer while guniang was used to address a female stranger.
"They... they are outsiders," said Yanzi.
"Yes," said Huang Yu," Zhou Sangong planned a large-scale rebellion because he received some help from outsiders. It would be easy for us to capture him, but I'm not sure the man behind him would let the rebellion fail. The main purpose is Feng Yeye, we cannot let them succeed."
"I understand," Yanzi almost cried. "My father couldn't be so gutsy if there wasn't anyone behind him. This rebellion... he didn't start it. No wonder… no wonder jiejie and I are also considered obstacles."
Zhou Sangong took out a porcelain bottle, forcing Yuan Wancui to swallow a white pill. Yanzi almost held her breath at the sight. Yuan Wancui didn't offer any resistance at all, she could only stare. It seemed that apart from being bound by a poisonous plant, she had also been exposed to muscle-weakening drugs and had her blood paths punched. Zhou Sangong then retreated backward, using Duan Meng as a shield.
The sound of flute music was heard. The person who played it was nowhere to be seen, Yanzi looks around looking for the person, almost causing one of her father's followers to catch her. She quickly lowered her head again and thought quietly.
"I remember, I heard yeye sang this song several times," she whispered to Huang Yu and Jinshui. "After singing, yeye will take a few deep breaths while saying Xiaowan's name."
Xiaowan was probably Yuan Wancui's nickname. However, the song played was some kind of child folk song. It was not clear what this song had to do with Zeng Baifeng's relationship with Yuan Wancui, but it was obvious that the one who played it wanted to use this song to lure Zeng Baifeng out of his place.
Huang Yu's words that Zhou Sangong made a large-scale rebellion because he was supported by outsiders seemed to be true. Even Zhou Sangong didn't know this song. It turned out that there were still other people in this world who knew the song. The person who played the flute definitely had a plan. Although the sound of the flute wasn't based on internal energy or anything like that, its influence was enormous.
The cave door finally opened, and a loud scream sounded from inside. Poisonous air spread from within, and several of Zhou Sangong's black-clad followers scattered to the ground.
Zeng Baifeng stepped out of the door and stood before those black-robed men, only one spear away from Yuan Wancui. Zhou Sangong remained hidden behind Duan Meng's back, obviously didn't want his master to recognize him without any leverage.
"Are you all tired of life, dare to disrupt my meditation?" Zeng Baifeng screamed.
The black-robed man brandished their blades, protecting themselves. They didn't just run off with a bluff after relying on numbers to escort Yuan Wancui to Zeng Baifeng.
"After all these years, you are still the same, you like killing people," Yuan Wancui said in an almost whispered voice.
Zeng Baifeng recognized her voice, and his facial expression drastically changed. His gaze shifted, stopping at the familiar face in front of him that still resembled the face of someone who was stored in the most important place in his heart. He took a step back.
"You...."
The sound of the flute music in the distance suddenly stopped. Zhou Sangong's men took a few steps back. Their next task was to make sure Zeng Baifeng knew that Yuan Wancui had been exposed to leiying hua poison and to see whether the old master would help or allow death before him. According to Zhou Sangong's prediction, or rather according to the estimation of the person behind him, with his nature, Zeng Baifeng would definitely step in to help. Then that's when the most appropriate time to carry out the next plan.
"I came here to ask for help, but your followers used poison to catch me, and then also caught my disciples, really not chivalrous," Yuan Wancui spoke again to Zeng Baifeng, her tone was sharper than her previous words.
"You yourself have sworn never to acknowledge me again, why are you still coming here asking for help?" Zeng Baifeng kept his hands behind his back, his expression showing that he didn't want to say much. "I've got work to do, you better leave!"
He turned around and was about to return to his seclusion, not realizing what was happening in his beloved valley.
"Twelve years ago I already knew that the death of Sword God Liangtian Jian Shen Zhang Zheliang had nothing to do with you," Yuan Wancui said again. "Zeng Baifeng, for the past twelve years people all over the world have regarded you as a murderer, don't you want to explain yourself at all, clear your own name?"
"What for?" asked Zeng Baifeng. "People want to say I'm a bad person, go ahead, if you want to say I'm perverted, it's up to them, why bother? People say I'm a warrior I live well in Wansui Gu, people say I'm a villain, isn't it the same that I also live well in Wansui Gu, so what difference does it make?"
"Father," Yuan Wancui didn't want to argue any longer, she spoke one word slowly.
That one word she spoke really shocked Jinshui and Huang Yu, even Yanzi. Yuan Wancui apparently came to Wansui Gu asking Zeng Baifeng to intervene against the Yumen descendants as a daughter asking for help from her own father.
"The rumor in the martial world said that Yuan Wancui once had a relationship with the great master Wansui Gu," Huang Yu said. "Yuan Wancui is not Feng Yeye's former lover, but is his daughter."
"Yanzi, do you know this?" Jinshui asked Yanzi.
"Yeye never said it clearly, but I guessed it a long time ago," said Yanzi. "No wonder Yuan Wancui sent a letter directly to Wansui Gu asking for help against you and the other descendants, apparently because she hoped that her father would support her."
Zeng Baifeng looked around, and found that there were dozens of Haitang Jian Pai disciples who were also arrested there and seemed to be waiting for death sentences. One last word that Yuan Wancui said was for him to step in to save them.
At that moment Jinshui and Huang saw another figure in black sneaked and whispered something to Zhou Sangong's followers at the back. Three men then quietly left without reporting to Zhou Sangong. Jinshui and Huang Yu felt that the figure of the one person who had just arrived and also the three men who later left were familiar as if they had only seen them a few days ago.
A second later the flute player was coming, floating down from the top of the cliff, her movements were smooth and gentle, a distinctive fragrance spread around her. It was clearly a woman figure, wearing a light purple dress, her face covered with a veil. The sharp look in her eyes seemed unfamiliar, Yanzi didn't recognize her as a Wansui Gu person. The figure landed not far from Yuan Wancui, and immediately moved her hand, pushing the leader of Haitang Jian Pai towards Zeng Baifeng.
"I give you a chance to meet him before you die, it doesn't matter whether you are old lovers or father and daughter, you should make good use of it so you won't regret it," the woman's voice was somehow familiar to Jinshui and Huang Yu. "Zeng Baifeng, Yuan Zhangmen has already been poisoned by a severe amount of leiying hua poison, she can only last another half hour at most. Whatever you want to say to her, you better tell her fast."
Zeng Baifeng did not know this purple-dressed woman, nor did he feel that he had any enemies with a young lady. But the purple-dressed woman knew that Zeng Baifeng had long vowed not to make enemies, nor will he attack someone who was not his enemy unless he was attacked first. The circumstances were favorable for her.
Yuan Wancui was already weak, unable to resist when Zeng Baifeng checked her pulse. Zeng Baifeng was of course familiar with the effect of leiying hua poison. The poison in Yuan Wancui's blood was a combination of both the thorns and flowers, and it was given in an extremely high dose. Yuan Wancui's inner energy was already damaged, and her internal organs were all bleeding.
"There may still be a chance to remove poison using your inner energy," the purple-dressed woman also said. "Zeng Baifeng, your only chance is using your highest level of fayi chuan."
Yanzi heard the words of the purple-dressed woman, she was very annoyed. If Zeng Baifeng were to use his seventh level of fayi chuan, it would be tantamount to taking half his life. By now, Wansui Gu had been possessed by the rebels, and even Duan Meng had been caught. Zeng Baifeng would have a hard time dealing with it, and might even accept death.
"Yeye, you can't save her!" the little lady shouted loudly, running out from where she was hiding, "Yeye, they have already taken control of Wansui Gu, my father…."
"Grab her!" Zhou Sangong saw Yanzi coming and immediately recognized her as a quarry that must be caught. As soon as he gave the order, the black-robed men around him immediately attacked, surrounding the girl tightly with weapons in their hands. Yanzi was panicked, resisting recklessly.
Zeng Baifeng saw Yanzi's appearance, knowing clearly that his beloved little grand disciple was in danger, but at the same time, he had to save his own daughter. He quickly took off the few secret needles that remained under his clothes, knocking over a third of the black-robed man who surrounded Yanzi.
Jinshui and Huang Yu simultaneously jumped, hovering lightly over the heads of the black-robed man, some chess pieces spread out and protected Yanzi. Yuan Wancui recognized Yumen descendants who she hated so much. She spat out some blood, drooped, and fell unconscious. Zeng Baifeng had no other choice but quickly brought his daughter into the cave, closing the door from the inside.
Yanzi fled to Jinshui's side. Zhou Sangong of course knew who was coming and what their abilities were, but already at this point, he knew that he couldn't retreat anymore, at this time fleeing would also be extremely disadvantageous to him.
"Father, don't think you're wearing a mask, I can't recognize you!" Yanzi immediately shouted at him. "You are Zuodu Zhou Sangong from Wansui Gu. I Yanzi can still recognize you even if you turned to ashes."
"It's no good for you to recognize me either," her father replied, "too late. It's better to give up alright, maybe the fate of you and your jiejie can still be better, after this business is over, I can spare both of you."
"Father?" Only now did Zhou Xiangnu realize the identity of the person who had arrested her and Yang Lei. Her eyes were wide open, her facial expression clearly showed that she was shocked by this fact. Yang Lei and Duan Meng were no less shocked. No wonder these rebels knew every inch of Wansui Gu's territory. They were insiders.
Zhou Sangong lowered his mask, knowing that there was no point in hiding his face any longer. He grabbed one of his followers' blades. This daughter Yanzi had always been a thorn in his flesh, and it was time to uproot it. Losing one or both daughters at once was fine as long as he could achieve the goal of becoming the sole ruler of Wansui Gu.
"Hua Jinshui, do you want to meddle in our Wansui Gu's affair too?" he asked Jinshui. "Yuan Wancui came here to seek support against the Yumen descendants. I have already captured her."
"We can handle our business with Haitang Jian Pai, there's no need to trouble Zhou Zuozhe," Jinshui said, "You captured a group of women and used them to usurp the position of the sole ruler of Wansui Gu, I Hua Jinshui didn't like to see this kind of action. If you don't let Yuan Wancui's disciples go quickly, then today I also come to seize the position of the ruler of Wansui Gu."
"Just the two of you?" Zhou Sangong asked mockingly.
Several bats suddenly appeared out of nowhere, charging toward Zhou Sangong, startling him and causing the left guard to temporarily try to get rid of them. Before he gave orders to his men to deal with the attacks of night animals, two shadowy figures had already appeared to be floating through the darkness, standing behind the line of his people on the left.
"Zhou Sangong, we are here too."
There were Liao Xian and his cousin Yin Xiuchen came. They were quite sure the cave Yanzi pointed out was safe for the weak ones to rest. While Jinshui and Huang Yu didn't return quickly, they decided to catch up, hoping to convince Zhou Sangong into thinking all the Yumen descendants had arrived at Wansui Gu to thwart his rebellion.
"There are no enough bats around here," Yin Xiuchen added, "do we need to summon some more from the mountain range around?"
"No," Yue Songdai's voice replied her. "With our abilities, we don't need help from those disgusting animals."
"Hua Gege, I am not interested in saving the followers of Haitang Jian Pai," Liuxin's voice also sounded, "but the people of Wansui Gu have oppressed weak women, I must today also violate the taboo on killing."
Liuxin and Yue Songdai were already behind Zhou Sangong's line of men on the right. Liuxin deliberately emphasized the words weak woman, a way to ridicule the Haitang Jian Pai disciple who was hostile to the Yumen descendants without counting their own merits.
The sound of Zhu Baique's bayinxiao weapon was also heard, sent from far away, notifying Jinshui that the Huling descendant was still in the cave with Qin Liangjie to protect Xu Qiao, Lin Xiaoyan and also Shangguan Ruyin and her baby.
At that moment Yanzi had already jumped close to her sister Zhou Xiangnu, swiftly removing the thorny tendrils and releasing her and later her lover Yang Lei.
"Jiejie, you can help me now!" she said. She was about to approach Duan Meng, but was immediately held back by her father's followers, and was immediately surrounded so tightly that she couldn't do much.
Zhou Xiangnu was unprepared, Zhou Sangong who was in a bit of a panic had already charged at his own daughter, the blade in his hand suddenly snatched at Zhou Xiangnu's face, leaving a long scar across her right cheek. She was a lady who liked beauty, of course, she really didn't expect that kind of wound. For that moment she didn't care if the man was her father, she instantly fought back with all her might.
"Kill them all!" Zhou Sangong suddenly shouted an order, simultaneously dodging the secret needles scattered by Zhou Xiangnu.
Yuan Wancui's disciple's screams were heard all over the place. Orders from Zhou Sangong made his followers kill the hostages. One of them was also about to slit Yang Lei's throat and another almost choked Duan Meng. Huang Yu and Yanzi were almost too late to get in the way. Chess pieces scattered in the air, knocking down dozens of people at once, Yanzi quickly let go of Duan Meng, injuring her own hand with a poisonous thorn.
That place turned chaotic. Zhou Sangong's followers apparently didn't recognize the Yumen descendants, they charged at anyone other than the ones wearing black and face covered with the intention to kill. Jinshui was engaged in an intense fight, while Liao Xian and Yin Xiuchen also then faced attacks from dozens of men.
In that chaotic situation, no one noticed that the purple-dressed woman had slipped away, her shadow suddenly appeared from behind a boulder and rushed towards Yue Songdai, startling Liuxin who had just knocked over two men. Yue Songdai was lowly skilled, he could only fight her for two moves, and the purple-dressed woman had already pushed him towards a black-cloaked man who then carried him off towards a cliff.
Liuxin saw him being taken away, and she immediately exerted her energy, hit three men at once, and gave chase. But at that moment her nose smelt an unusual fragrance, and the purple-dressed had suddenly blocked her way.
"Sister, today I want to settle things with you first," the purple-dressed woman spoke in a vibrant tone.
Liu Xin immediately recognized the purple-dressed woman as her former maid, Xiaoyi, who had also recently appeared at the Jianyin Bang headquarters in Wuzhang and introduced herself as Xiangjing Wang's illegitimate daughter. Her half-sister, Qingyi.
"You…."
Qingyi took a leap, following the black-robed man who had taken Yue Songdai away. Liuxin felt her head getting heavy, making her unable to think straight, and for a moment she only knew that she had to catch up quickly. She immediately followed her toward the cliff.