The situation changed swiftly like a hare springing up or a hawk swooping down. Except for the Azure Blood Dragon King and the Crimson Eyebrow Blade King, everyone else remained in a state of confusion. How had a simple ancestral ceremony suddenly turned into an ambush, taking Master Wen hostage?
Even Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei were caught off guard. So this was the “brilliant plan” devised by Daoist Qingyuan…
Yet to seize Wen Hengshui right between the two great guardians, his strength was simply astounding!
As for whether it was a brilliant plan or not, if they could escape smoothly, then it was brilliant indeed!
The Azure Blood Dragon King’s face was livid with rage. As a martial artist nearly reaching the Outer Scene realm, he had already been humiliated by being defeated openly by a younger generation practitioner. Worse still, he had failed to protect the young master. Someone with stronger pride might have wanted to dash their head against a wall in front of Master Ximyue.
Once this news got out, his reputation would surely be ruined!
Although his reputation wasn’t particularly stellar to begin with, at least he had been feared. Now, however, he would likely become a laughingstock.
He did not immediately respond but instinctively turned his gaze toward Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei, apparently considering seizing them when they were off guard. If he could take them hostage, he would have leverage to negotiate.
But Meng Qi was not about to overlook this. He gave a soft chuckle, speaking leisurely: “Do the Dragon King and Blade King think this humble Daoist fears taking lives?”
“After all, Lady Huangfu and Miss Huangfu have no familial or emotional ties to me. I’m merely repaying Master Huangfu’s kindness. If things go awry, I will certainly prioritize my own safety. At worst, I’ll kill Master Wen first to avenge them, and settle the score later.”
As he spoke, he signaled Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei to move closer to him. At the same time, his sword tip pressed into Wen Hengshui’s neck, drawing a little blood. His tone remained calm and indifferent, as if the lives of Wen Hengshui, Huangfu Fei, and the others meant nothing to him.
This enraged the Azure Blood Dragon King and the Crimson Eyebrow Blade King, their eyes nearly bursting with fury. However, with Wen Hengshui as a hostage, they dared not act rashly. They could only watch helplessly as Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei moved behind Meng Qi.
Both were seasoned martial artists and understood that Meng Qi might merely be bluffing, perhaps unwilling to truly sacrifice Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei. But they couldn’t afford to gamble. The hostage was the young master; any slight mistake could cost them dearly, leaving them no room for risk.
“Daoist Qingyuan, you must consider the consequences of making an irreconcilable enemy of our ‘Moon Village,'” the Azure Blood Dragon King threatened through clenched teeth.
At the same time, he subtly signaled his men to stall for time while others sought an opportunity to notify Master Ximyue, hoping he would intercept them midway and personally eliminate the detestable Daoist.
As a seasoned martial artist with years of fame, he remained composed and did not panic, knowing how to respond.
Meng Qi chuckled: “If I feared death, I wouldn’t have come to Jushen Manor in the first place. Dragon King, how can you threaten me with death? Prepare a carriage immediately—I have no wish to meet Master Ximyue!”
His words exposed the Dragon King’s intentions.
At this moment, Huangfu Fei directly bypassed the Azure Blood Dragon King and the Crimson Eyebrow Blade King, ordering the servants who had accompanied them to ready a carriage and park it outside the manor.
The servants hesitated, glancing toward the Azure Blood Dragon King.
Meng Qi pressed harder with his left hand, driving the sword tip further in. Wen Hengshui sucked in a sharp breath in pain but could not speak, his throat making gurgling sounds as he trembled in fear.
Blood dripped from the sword tip, tracing a vertical path before splashing onto the half-frozen, half-snowy ground of the corridor, blooming like a vivid plum blossom.
The Azure Blood Dragon King was furious and deeply resentful but dared not risk the young master’s life. He finally nodded at the servants.
“How long will it take?” Meng Qi asked Huangfu Fei.
“If we hurry, fifteen minutes should be enough,” Huangfu Fei replied, recalling past experiences.
Meng Qi then addressed the servants: “If the carriage is not at the manor gate in fifteen minutes, prepare to collect the bodies.”
The Azure Blood Dragon King’s breathing grew heavier. He longed to attack immediately but barely restrained himself. The Crimson Eyebrow Blade King’s eyebrows and mustache bristled, as if he had already torn Meng Qi apart in his mind dozens of times.
Helplessly, the two watched Meng Qi drag Wen Hengshui along while shielding Lady Huangfu and her daughter, cautiously moving toward the manor gate. Along the way, they seized the opportunity to disperse their men and send signals to notify Master Ximyue. They also noticed that disciples like Qi Shaochong, who were more loyal to Jushen Manor, had mysteriously vanished, as had Madame Red Thread and the Desert Camel.
Not long after exiting the manor, the carriage slowly approached, drawn by four horses bred for running on snow.
Meng Qi had Lady Huangfu and her mother inspect the horses and carriage first before boarding. He then dismissed the driver, sheathed his sword, and, holding Wen Hengshui, sat at the front of the carriage. With his left arm around Wen’s neck, he urged the horses forward.
“Dragon King, Blade King, no need to see us off. Once I reach a safe place, I’ll naturally release Master Wen’s pressure points without harming him. If you follow, you’ll only distract me, and when I’m in a bad mood, I tend to kill people,” Meng Qi declared loudly, issuing a blatant threat.
Thanks to all those police and gangster movies, he now had “sufficient” experience in hostage situations!
Of course, the most crucial factor was that the hostage in his hands forced them to hesitate and hold back. Otherwise, they might have ignored the hostage and attacked directly, leaving enemies in the future with no reason to take Moon Village disciples hostage.
The Azure Blood Dragon King halted, his voice filled with hatred: “Daoist Qingyuan, we shall meet again somewhere!”
“Haha, meeting again, who needs past acquaintance?” Meng Qi replied instinctively, merely out of habit.
The carriage gradually accelerated, galloping over the snowy expanse. In no time, it was swallowed by the endless white.
…
A sled would probably be faster right now… Meng Qi mused as he watched the snow blur past on both sides.
Of course, if he had directly carried Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei using his lightness kung fu, they could have moved faster than a sled. However, maintaining such speed for long would drain his energy. Riding in a carriage allowed him to focus on healing and preparing for what lay ahead. After weighing his options, this was the best choice.
Placing the “Heaven’s Scar” beside him, Meng Qi took out healing pills from the Six Gates and swallowed them. He did not relax his grip on Wen Hengshui nor let his guard down, keeping his senses alert for any sudden ambush by hidden disciples.
The winter was bitterly cold, the snow-covered wilderness desolate, with few beasts in sight. Yet there were still a few people braving the cold for survival. Hearing the sound of hooves on snow, they turned to see a carriage speeding by, driven by a Daoist in a torn robe. His face was refined, his demeanor otherworldly.
It was indeed an unusual sight for such a figure to be driving the carriage… They felt a strange unease, as if sensing something ominous about the carriage.
The carriage sped on, racing along the edge of the forest.
Throughout the journey, Huangfu Fei knew Meng Qi had to heal, drive, and guard the hostage. She remained silent, not wanting to distract him, patiently waiting and trusting he would bring her and her mother to safety.
Wen Hengshui’s acupoints were sealed, his eyes filled with cold hatred as he glared at Meng Qi, as if wishing to devour him alive.
Meng Qi remained composed, focusing on healing his wounds, calculating the time it would take for Master Ximyue to arrive based on the distance to the Moon Village.
After some time, having traveled an unknown distance, Meng Qi’s injuries, though not severe, had mostly healed. His senses sharpened to the micro level, scanning the surroundings. He detected no disciples from the Moon Village.
Of course, he could easily sense ordinary disciples. But if someone like the Azure Blood Dragon King, who was nearly at the Outer Scene level, concealed his presence using the Moon Village’s secret techniques, Meng Qi feared he wouldn’t be able to detect him.
His mind raced. Gripping the Heaven’s Scar with his right hand, he suddenly laughed aloud and hurled Wen Hengshui upward and backward:
“Master Wen, no need to see us off anymore!”
Before his words faded, a figure suddenly burst from the snow beside the road, nearly blending into the snowy landscape. It lunged toward the carriage—it was the Azure Blood Dragon King!
A chilling wind surrounded him, the snow-strewn ground turning a sickly green. The horses trembled violently, nearly freezing in place.
A palm strike erupted, howling like ghosts and gods, as if he wished to crush Meng Qi with one blow!
But suddenly, his vision blurred—the figure seated at the front of the carriage vanished!
No, not vanished—just as he had leaped out, Meng Qi had already anticipated it, soaring into the air toward the still airborne young master, slashing downward like a hawk diving at a bird!
Meng Qi’s spirit and intent were fully focused inward, his eyes only on his sword and Wen Hengshui. His blade moved like lightning, chasing after Wen Hengshui, whose acupoints were still sealed. He appeared indifferent to the lives of Lady Huangfu and Huangfu Fei, cold and terrifying.
Young Master!
Wen Hengshui’s life was his top priority. How could the Azure Blood Dragon King watch helplessly as Meng Qi slashed him down? With a slap of his left hand, he twisted his body midair, launching himself toward Meng Qi’s back, abandoning Lady Huangfu, Huangfu Fei, and the four horses.
Both were airborne, unable to change direction. He believed he could force Meng Qi to abandon his attack and use the “Thousand Catties Descent” to dodge.
Suddenly, his pupils constricted violently. To his shock, the Daoist Qingyuan, in midair with no support, suddenly changed direction like a great roc spreading its wings, circling behind the young master and facing him directly. His Daoist robe flapped in the wind, his posture exuding an indescribable elegance, soaring through the air.
How was this possible?
He had not yet reached the Outer Scene, so how could he change direction midair?
This unexpected maneuver completely caught the Azure Blood Dragon King off guard. He could not adjust in time and could only watch helplessly as Meng Qi thrust his sword with his left hand.
With a sudden burst, the ground seemed to emit red flames, melting a little snow, though the flames were not obvious, their power kept inward!
The swordlight was exquisite, like a startled swan or a meandering dragon, like a celestial being descending from the heavens, delivering an indescribably dazzling strike aimed directly at the Azure Blood Dragon King’s forehead.
A quiet flame rose silently from his feet, rapidly burning through the ghostly yin winds. At his forehead, a flicker of the Eightfold Heavenly Dragon Flame burned brightly, purging all evil.
Meng Qi’s true target was not Wen Hengshui, but to severely wound or even kill the Azure Blood Dragon King, so that he wouldn’t be pursued and could hide before Master Ximyue arrived!
“Ahh!” The Azure Blood Dragon King screamed in agony. His entire body erupted in phosphorescent flames, like a torch of emerald fire. The surrounding yin winds thickened, nearly turning black. His palms struck out with terrifying softness.
With a dull sound, the flames extinguished, the yin winds ceased. Meng Qi used the momentum to soar upward, flying back toward the carriage, landing exactly where he had been seated.
The horses galloped forward as Meng Qi burst into hearty laughter, his voice echoing far into the distance:
“Thank you, Dragon King, for seeing us off!”
The Azure Blood Dragon King, holding Wen Hengshui, descended just in time to see the carriage speeding away.
As he landed, his legs nearly buckled, blood gushing from his chest, his face pale, his breath shallow.
Earlier, he had barely dodged the sword point, letting it pierce only his right chest, avoiding death. The external wounds looked severe but were not life-threatening. For a martial artist of his caliber, he could still fight for another three hundred rounds.
However, due to the suddenness of the attack and the lack of leverage in midair, he had failed to fully resist the flames. His meridians were burned, his spirit scorched. His internal injuries were grave. If he continued to chase by exhausting his essence and blood, and if Meng Qi decided to fight to the death, he might not escape with his life.
At least the young master was saved… Holding Wen Hengshui, the Azure Blood Dragon King watched the carriage disappear into the distant snowy horizon, his gaze icy, his expression dark. In his ears, Meng Qi’s laughter still echoed:
“Thank you, Dragon King, for seeing us off!”
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