Chapter 49
Bai Jingmen: "You... you didn't run away?"
Qiao Wan: "Why would I run?"
As they were blasted out of the shop by the two giant golden gourds, one person spat out blood and stared in disbelief at the approaching golden gourds, "This... this is..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the girl suddenly swung the iron chains, sending the two giant golden gourds flying again!
Bang!
With this hit, the person was smashed into a state of constant bleeding, almost having his internal organs crushed.
Seeing the two iron hammers spinning loudly with immense power, the other people on the scene got up, crawling and rolling around, not daring to face their sharp edges head-on.
"A bunch of useless people," Qiao Ba sneered. He sent his flying sword flying again!
Clang!
The flying sword collided with the golden gourd!
The golden light immediately cracked into tiny seams.
Damn, counterfeit product!
Qiao Wan stared wide-eyed.
But at this moment, even if they hurried back and destroyed the store, it would be too late.
Qiao Wan glanced at Qiao Ba and made a quick assessment.
Although he had a foundation-level cultivation, it seemed more like he had taken some sort of foundation pill and quickly ascended.
That flying sword was quite powerful.
If they were to fight head-on, her two iron hammers would probably not be able to match it.
She thought of the scene she saw at the alley in the evening.
Qiao Wan looked at Qiao Ba and his precious sword and suddenly understood. Her expression darkened.
Evil energy spread on the sword; this sword was made by sacrificing souls.
Qiao Ba, recalling Qiao Wan, smiled and said, "Do you also want to play hero, like that Xie Xingzhi? Do you want to uphold justice?"
"Well, let me tell you," Qiao Ba chuckled as he retrieved his flying sword, "I've done it all, the things that look up to the sky, the ones that freeze like popsicles, even the ones where people strip."
The man tapped his sword with his finger and smiled, saying, "After all, the deeper the grudge before death, the more it nourishes my precious baby here."
In order to kill the enemy, they would thrust their sword into the enemy's bottom and send them flying into the sky. And freezing ice pops meant freezing someone to death. As for the phrase "taking off clothes," it meant removing someone's skin while they were still alive.
Qiao Wan lifted her club and said without looking back, "Old Bai, you Confucian cultivators claim to have righteousness. Help me eliminate the evil energy on this sword."
"I..." Qiao Wan pointed her finger and said coldly, "Kill him."
Bai Jingmen was shocked by the scene before him and took some time to regain his senses. He looked at Qiao Wan, then at Qiao Ba, and understood that if they didn't fight now, they would be doomed. He tightened his ruler and nodded, "Okay."
And so, the battle resumed!
The members of the Bodhisattva Society who were still able to move quickly formed a defensive position to support Qiao Ba.
The righteous energy of Confucianism could eliminate the evil energy on the sword.
Bai Jingmen took a step forward and recited loudly and powerfully.
Qiao Wan took a step forward as well, wielding her club and once again confronted Qiao Ba!
On the long street, the air was filled with ghosts.
But where Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen stood, a radiant light emerged, gradually breaking through the evil atmosphere!
It is said that Confucian cultivators can turn ancient writings into weapons.
With a flick of the pen, it became a spear or a sword.
Qiao Wan also recited along.
With each line she recited, she swung her club and sent someone flying.
With each line she recited, a head exploded.
Seeing the man's skull shattered by an iron hammer, Bai Jingmen's mouth twitched.
In the blink of an eye, the remaining people all lay on the ground,
But beneath the fierce ghost mask, the girl's eyes were calm, reflecting only Qiao Ba's face.
Qiao Wan recited the poem and stepped forward with her club, covered in blood and flesh.
Under the moonlight, it was like a demon from hell.
Qiao Ba started to panic.
As he had only built his foundation by seizing opportunities from others, when he panicked, he lost his courage and leaked his energy.
Bai Jingmen glanced over and raised his voice again, speaking with even more determination.
For a moment, the righteous energy surged, overpowering the evil energy before them.
Qiao Ba, who had always been seen as a demon in the eyes of others, experienced for the first time how it felt to be seen as a demon by one's own comrades.
That split second was enough.
The righteous energy swept away the evil atmosphere!
Qiao Wan swung her club and said, "Coincidentally, I need a living soul to sacrifice to my hammer. How about you?"
Qiao Ba shouted angrily, "How dare you?!"
Bang!!
Before he finished speaking, the girl smashed Qiao Ba's skull with one blow of her hammer.
The man was left with only half of his head, his eyes wide open.
Blood and flesh scattered in the moonlight, creating a chaotic scene of red and white.
With a muffled sound, he fell to the ground.
Qiao Wan shook the blood off her iron hammer.
Witnessing this brutal scene, Bai Jingmen silently closed his mouth and swallowed his saliva.
The long street fell quiet once again.
Qiao Wan counted with her weapon.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
Someone was missing.
Qiao Wan secretly exclaimed, "This is not good."
It was definitely just running away during the chaos.
We definitely can't stay here any longer.
Thinking about this, Qiao Wan quickly bent down to pick up the leftover half of the mask on the ground.
But just then, another sword light fell abruptly!
Qiao Wan put away the gold melon, looked at it in surprise and said, "Huh?"
The sword light dispersed.
Standing there was a man dressed in white, as pure as snow, with long eyebrows furrowed, his gaze fixed on her half-exposed face.
He emitted an imposing aura without anger.
With just one glance, Qiao Wan understood.
That was the Xie Xingzhi she had seen today.
It is said that Xie Xingzhi was upright, chivalrous, and detested evil. Especially his Three Bright Sword technique, which was extraordinary.
Under the man's gaze, Qiao Wan's body stiffened slightly, her hair stood on end, and she thought to herself, "Uh-oh."
She never expected Xie Xingzhi to suddenly appear.
This scene, no matter how you looked at it, resembled a brutal murder scene comparable to a horror movie.
The man didn't speak, Qiao Wan didn't speak, silently putting on the half of the eerie mask.
While Qiao Wan was secretly wary of Xie Xingzhi, he was also observing her.
A glance.
Bodies lying twisted and mangled on the ground, each one smashed beyond recognition with an iron hammer.
And the perpetrator was still holding two large golden melons, covered in blood and flesh.
Although wearing a terrifying mask, one could still sense a righteous aura.
Something that disciples of prestigious martial arts sects should possess.
Especially while standing there, still filled with righteousness.
Qiao Wan said, "Thank you, Senior Xie."
After a while, the man finally responded.
With a faint "Hmm."
He flicked his sleeve and rolled up the eight bodies lying miserably on the ground.
Using some technique, the ground became empty, not even a drop of blood left. Suddenly, his feet paused, and he soared away in a flash of sword light.
He left...
He left?
Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen stared at each other in astonishment.
Bai Jingmen stuttered, "That was Xie Xingzhi?"
Bai Jingmen was shocked and stammered, "Wh-what... What did Xie Xingzhi come here for?"
Qiao Wan shook her head.
"Let's go."
She still remembered that Lu Pihan seemed to admire Xie Xingzhi.
Someone admired by Elder Martial Brother would definitely not be from the Bodhisattva Society. Perhaps Xie Xingzhi came to see what was happening here.
Liang Yiqing was still waiting for the medicine.
Thinking of this, Bai Jingmen didn't dare to delay and hurriedly followed Qiao Wan to the inn.
They had gone out to buy medicine at the hour of the rat and only returned at the hour of the tiger. Especially when they returned, Qiao Wan's mask was halfway broken, and there was a strong smell of blood and flesh on her.
The people in the room were dumbfounded.
Yu Sanniang looked at Qiao Wan blankly and said, "This...this..."
Qiao Wan pointed to her forehead.
Yu Sanniang immediately understood and her face turned paler. She covered her mouth and went outside to vomit.
Qiao Wan threw the medicine and said, "Give it to him to take."
After taking the medicine, Liang Yiqing's face slowly relaxed, but he looked a bit gloomy. Yu Sanniang, who had vomited, also had an unpleasant complexion.
Bai Jingmen seemed surprised and asked, "What happened?"
Yao Guang, who was usually talkative and lively, seemed low in spirits. He sat on a chair and spoke softly, "Kai has been captured."
The three of them encountered members of the Bodhisattva Society when they went out. But Jiang Kai, who went out with Yu Sanniang and Yao Guang, did not return.
Yu Sanniang said, "Kai was caught by the people from the Bodhisattva Society. There were too many of them, and Yao Guang and I couldn't do anything, so we had to come back first."
Both of them were injured and in bad shape.
Liang Yiqing looked at Qiao Wan and asked Yu Sanniang to find a clean old cloth to help Qiao Wan change into.
Liang Yiqing asked, "What happened with you and Taoist Friend Lu?"
They all looked at each other and glanced at the things on Qiao Wan, but didn't dare to ask. They had to ask Bai Jingmen instead.
Bai Jingmen looked weary and worn out.
As they recalled the scene just now, it felt like they were in a dream. Looking at Qiao Wan's complex expression and eyes, they realized that she was the most fierce among them.
Qiao Wan changed her clothes and cleaned up. She sat back on the stool with a straight and dignified posture, sitting upright with manners.
Bai Jingmen sighed and briefly explained the situation, "Taoist Friend Lu and I also encountered the people from the Bodhisattva Society on the way."
"Miss Lu completely killed them all."
Liang Yiqing: ...
Yu Sanniang hesitantly asked, "All of them are dead?"
Bai Jingmen replied, "Just as you imagined."
In the corner, Qiao Wan, who had been sitting gracefully and receiving complex looks from everyone, suddenly spoke up.
"There's more."
"I just saw one of them running away," Qiao Wan said with a gloomy expression. "I wore a mask, so I can easily change it, but Bai didn't wear one. I'm worried that the people from the Bodhisattva Society will come looking for him sooner or later."
After hearing this, Liang Yiqing and the others changed their expressions.
"They saw Bai?"
Qiao Wan confirmed, "They saw him."
Yu Sanniang suggested, "Then let Bai stay at home during this time?"
Qiao Wan coldly smiled, "They have been dominating here for so long, they definitely have other skills. Sooner or later, they will find out."
Liang Yiqing remained silent for a long time.
The people in the room were also silent.
A daunting fact suddenly confronted them.
They might have gotten themselves in big trouble.
The Kunshan Spring Recruitment was approaching, and no one wanted to invite trouble at this time.
But with Jiang Kai captured and Bai Jingmen and Yu Sanniang's faces seen by people, even if they didn't go looking for trouble, the Bodhisattva Society would surely come knocking on their doors.
"Kai might be in the Bodhisattva Society's treasure vault," Yao Guang suddenly spoke up.
Everyone looked at him.
Yao Guang: "I heard that the Bodhisattva Society has a treasure vault beneath the Eight Treasures Pavilion, with both a public vault and a private vault, guarded by two checkpoints. It's said that everything stolen is kept in there, both people and objects."
Liang Yiqing sighed wearily as he leaned on the bed. "Today, we got ourselves into this trouble just to save me. I can't ignore this matter."
"The Bodhisattva Society won't care who is involved," Liang Yiqing whispered. "They certainly won't let us off."
"So, what's your plan, Old Liang?"
"Tomorrow, let Yao Guang and a few brothers go out and gather information, see if there are any movements from the Bodhisattva Society."
"Don't worry too much," Liang Yiqing said. "The Bodhisattva Society is just a small group in Youxian Town, they won't become a big threat. If they really want to target Jiang Kai..."
Liang Yiqing's eyes narrowed. "Then we will strike first."
Liang Yiqing's words made sense.
The Bodhisattva Society is just a small group in Youxian Town, they only strike at night and only target those in the Qi refining stage, seemingly weak cultivators with no strong backing.
So, everyone gathered together to discuss.
Qiao Wan and Bai Jingmen would stay behind for now, and Yao Guang would go out to gather information about the Bodhisattva Society.
Qiao Wan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
She hadn't read much of the book "Essentials of Body Refinement" yet, so she could use these days to study.
And so, they peacefully passed two days without any incidents. But on the evening of the third day, Yao Guang returned.
At this point, Liang Yiqing was able to get off the bed and sat at the table to pour them tea.
"What did you find out?"
"I heard that the Bodhisattva Society is organizing an auction on the fifteenth day of this month to sell the treasures they looted in the past few days."
"The treasure vault will be opened, and the leader of the Bodhisattva Society will be present."
Liang Yiqing paused in pouring tea, exchanged glances with Qiao Wan and a few others.
Since they were planning an auction, it meant that the Bodhisattva Society would have to open the treasure vault.
If they could find a way to obtain the key to the private vault, then maybe they could rescue Jiang Kai.
"Are there any requirements to attend this auction?"
Yao Guang: "I heard you need an invitation to go. But I also heard that they will invite a dancer from 'Yi Luo Chun' to perform at the auction."
Yao Guang dipped his finger into the tea, made a circle on the table. "The leader of the Bodhisattva Society, Tan Tianjiao, is said to be a lecherous person. After Yi Luo Chun's performance, he will definitely want to..."
Yao Guang couldn't quite say the words, but the meaning was clear. They needed someone to pretend to be the dancer and find a way to drug Tan Tianjiao and bring him out. They would be waiting outside and force him to reveal the location of the treasure vault.
But here's the problem.
Who could disguise themselves as a dancer and infiltrate the auction?
Among those present, they were all men. They could transform their appearances, but dancing was a challenge for them.
So naturally, everyone's eyes fell on Qiao Wan and Yu Sanniang.
"Taoist Friend Lu, Sanniang, which one of you can dance?"
