Chapter 169: Water Phoenix City Mirror! (Part 2)
"My love is not cheap." Qiao Wan tightly held the Bodhi fruit, calmly wiping the water off her face. "It is you who are cheap."
Pei Chunzheng's expression suddenly became extremely ugly, and he trembled in anger.
How infuriating! Just thinking about it makes me angry!
Qiao Wan silently gritted her teeth. She couldn't believe she was stuck in this absurd and melodramatic love affair with this immature guy standing in front of her!
Qiao Wan glanced at the Bodhi seed in her hand without any expression. She raised her fist and punched the young man in the stomach.
Go eat shit!!
Pei Chunzheng was knocked down and lay on the ground, staring in disbelief, with his ponytail scattered, looking very embarrassed. He didn't get up for a while.
Things were already chaotic, and now he made it even worse! Xiao Boyang was getting angry. "Qiao Wan, have you gone mad?!"
Still feeling unsatisfied, Qiao Wan gave a fierce look at the boy lying on the ground and punched him a few more times.
Take this punch!
The Kunshan disciples were shocked as they watched the girl in front of them. Though she showed no expression on her face, there seemed to be an overwhelming sense of resentment emanating from behind her. She attacked cleanly and ruthlessly.
Just as Pei Chunzheng was barely getting up, Qiao Wan immediately pounced on him and knocked him down with a punch.
Pei Chunzheng looked up and looked confused at Qiao Wan in front of him. Her lovely left cheek was slightly swollen, a trace of bloody red appeared at the corner of her lips, and the headband on the back of her head was knocked crooked.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his lips, Pei Chunzheng didn't seem to realize the fist that had landed on his face. With determination, he quickly turned over and pinned Qiao Wan to the ground, snatching the Bodhi bead from her hand.
He breathed heavily and rapidly.
"This... this is it..." he exclaimed.
Bang!
A fierce force struck his jaw!
Qiao Wan quickly retracted her beautifully executed uppercut and hooked her foot around the young man's black boot. Taking advantage of Pei Chunzheng's unstable stance, she kicked his legs out from under him and resumed her attack, pummeling him relentlessly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Pei Chunzheng hesitated for a moment, then continued to fight against Qiao Wan, flipping and tumbling.
There were no fancy powers or spells, just raw, brutal punches that made contact with flesh.
Watching the two locked in combat, Xiao Boyang couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, "Can't you two see the situation?!"
Liang Yiqing was stunned for a moment, then snapped back to reality, "Quickly! Separate them!"
Qiao Wan, without resisting, allowed others to pull her away. She stared at Pei Chunzheng, wiped away the blood from her nose without showing any expression, and said in a low voice, "You idiot, can't beat me, right?"
Xiao Boyang clenched his teeth and angrily slapped the back of the arrogant person's head. "Qiao Wan, you foolish person! Shut up!"
Qiao Wan stumbled after being slapped and silently regained her senses, feeling a bit embarrassed. What did she just do? What did she do under the influence of anger?
She blinked her eyes as she looked at the bruised face of the handsome youth with beautiful features. However, it felt so satisfying!
Pei Chunzheng fell to his knees, looking lost and disoriented on his beautiful face. His dark hair fell in front of his eyes and was still dripping with water.
Liang Yiqing turned his head and calmly arranged, "Martial Sister Mu does have some cultivation, so falling down here won't harm her life. Perhaps she has suffered some minor injuries. Go down and check."
After hearing these words, everyone hurriedly rushed towards the bottom of the waterfall.
When they arrived at the bottom of the waterfall, everyone couldn't help but be stunned.
The waterfall thundered as it flowed into the deep pool below, splashing endless water droplets.
But there was no sign of Mu Xiaoxiao anywhere.
"Where is Miss Mu?"
"What about Taoist Friend Mu?"
Yu Sanniang pointed her finger and said, "Over there, follow the water flow and see if Elder Martial Sister Mu got washed downstream."
As they ran, Xiao Boyang gritted his teeth and said, "Are you both crazy?!!"
"I'm not crazy."
Qiao Wan looked up at the fast-flowing river in front of her.
If nothing unexpected happened, just like in the original story, Mu Xiaoxiao fell off the cliff and got washed into the territory of the Water Phoenix Sect, where the sect's members found her and imprisoned her in a water dungeon.
As they continued on, the vegetation became neater and more organized along the way.
"Wait." Liang Yiqing raised his hand and looked around. "It seems like...we've accidentally entered somewhere."
Suddenly, the woosh of something flying through the air echoed from behind them.
It's an arrow!
Yu Sanniang quickly swung her whip and skillfully enwrapped the arrowhead.
With a loud clang, it fell to the ground.
Liang Yiqing immediately turned around and shouted, "Everyone, be careful!"
Suddenly, several arrows shot from all directions.
Xiao Boyang's face turned serious as he used a skill called "Golden Dragon Blast" to knock down a few arrows. He felt a sense of danger in this unusual place.
However, these arrows didn't seem aimed at taking lives but more like a demonstration.
After the rain of arrows, a few people wearing Phoenix masks and blue phoenix patterns embroidered on their sleeves walked through the trees.
Qiao Wan looked up at these people, the "Phoenix Masks," who were all silent and cold.
Are these the members of the Water Phoenix Sect?
In the blink of an eye, Qiao Wan and the others were surrounded.
Xiao Boyang's heart sank at the sight of this situation.
These newcomers were not friendly.
A few Phoenix masks exchanged a glance, and finally a leader walked out from inside.
The Phoenix mask that this person was wearing was obviously more exquisite and intricate compared to the others. They were covered in a dark cloak from head to toe, obscuring their face, revealing only half of a fair and strong jawline.
"Who would dare to intrude upon the Water Phoenix Sect?"
The voice was deep and hoarse.
If she remembered correctly, Qiao Wan thought, judging by their beauty, this must surely be the high priest of the Water Phoenix Sect.
Liang Yiqing politely bowed and greeted, "Greetings, taoist friend. There has been a misunderstanding. We are all disciples of Kunshan here to visit. We heard there was a waterfall in this area with exceptional scenery. Unexpectedly, along the way, one of our elder martial sisters accidentally fell down the waterfall. So, we followed the direction of the water flow and ended up here."
"This is the Water Phoenix Sect?" Liang Yiqing pondered for a moment and continued explaining in a kind tone, "We didn't mean to enter your esteemed sect. We have not seen our younger martial sister, have you?"
But the man in front completely ignored Liang Yiqing's explanation. Even behind the mask, his expression was disdainful. He brushed his sleeves and turned around, saying in a deep voice, "Take them all away."
The Kunshan disciples were furious at the condescending attitude they received despite their polite explanation. They glared angrily.
"Water Phoenix Sect is really arrogant," Yu Sanniang whispered in frustration, her voice transmitted secretly.
"I'm sure Elder Martial Sister Mu has been captured by this sect. There's no way out now. How can a person like Elder Martial Sister Mu just disappear?"
"What should we do now?" The Kunshan disciples whispered to each other.
"Liang Brother?" Liang Yiqing pondered for a moment. "Let's leave and find a way out."
The leader of the Water Phoenix Sect seemed to notice the whispers behind them and spoke in a calm voice. "Don't even think about running away. And even if you try to escape, you have to be able to succeed."
Be able to succeed? Something doesn't seem right about that statement.
Xiao Boyang suddenly turned pale, then green.
Uh-oh!
Can't move!
"He can't use the energy in his muscles anymore!"
"The whole waterfall is our Water Phoenix Sect's magical water," came a deep voice from under another phoenix mask. "The arrow just now was coated with a colorless and tasteless poison. Once the poison is inhaled after touching the magical water, your energy will stop working in no time. I advise this taoist friend not to waste their efforts."
Xiao Boyang's face turned pale.
We haven't seen Mu Xiaoxiao's figure all the way here. Most likely, she also fell for this trick.
Qiao Wan, who had taken the script, calmly patted the young man's shoulder.
In the book "Immortal Ascending Road", it says that this poison is called Water Phoenix. Once affected by this poison, your energy will be restricted for about the time it takes to burn a joss stick. After that time, your energy will recover on its own. It's mainly used to secretly trap and catch people.
One of the Kunshan disciples asked, with a bewildered look, "Can this poison be cured?"
Another senior martial sister who specializes in medicine replied, "It will take some time."
Yu Sanniang asked, "Brother Liang, what should we do now?"
Liang Yiqing: "Since that's the case, let's inform Kunshan first. Then, we can pretend to be weak and follow these followers of the Water Phoenix Sect. Maybe we can find Miss Mu and some clues about this mission."
After the discussion, everyone exchanged glances and obediently followed the group in front of them, eventually being led into the Water Phoenix Sect.
The main headquarters of the Water Phoenix Sect was located just a couple of miles away. It was all made of stone, carefully stacked to create the appearance of a soaring phoenix. The lines were smooth and the presence was grand. However, over time, moss and ivy had started to cover the stones.
As they walked along a narrow stone path, they came across several reservoirs and further ahead, there was an entrance to a cave, which extended all the way down to an underground dungeon.
The man, who looked like a high priest, turned a stone and said, "Take them inside."
The group of followers behind him approached and began to guide Qiao Wan and Xiao Boyang into the depths, entering in batches.
With a loud clang, the prison door in front of them closed shut.
Qiao Wan looked back and saw a badly injured boy.
Unfortunately.
She was locked in the same prison cell as Pei Chunzheng.
And in this prison cell, there was also the person that everyone had been looking for.
Mu Xiaoxiao.
The girl was slumped against the corner of the wall, unconscious, with a pale face and a strand of black hair sticking to her pale lips.
Pei Chunzheng was taken aback, "Xiaoxiao?"
But before Pei Chunzheng could take another step forward, Qiao Wan suddenly felt something cold dripping on the back of her hand.
She looked up.
Water.
Recalling the reservoirs she had seen earlier, Qiao Wan was horrified!
This was a water dungeon!
Without their powers, they were just ordinary people with slightly better physical condition than others.
The water on the ceiling started to surge, more and more, and in an instant, like a waterfall, it poured down with a loud crash!
Qiao Wan's eyes widened, and in the last second before losing consciousness, she saw the rising and falling water splashes and the figure of Pei Chunzheng embracing Mu Xiaoxiao tightly.
...
"Xiaoxiao," Pei Chunzheng said, holding the girl in his arms. He glanced at Qiao Wan.
But the water curtain blocked their view, and in an instant, it had already flooded over their heads.
Even though he held Mu Xiaoxiao, why did Pei Chunzheng feel regret?
Pei Chunzheng lowered his gaze, veins bulging on his forehead, his face filled with pain.
Why did he regret it?
The water kept rising, and Pei Chunzheng's vision became blurry. He clenched his lips tightly, looking as if... there was blood, as if it was a sea of blood.
Dimly, he seemed to see a pile of unblinking dismembered bodies, a handsome boy with an expressionless face sitting in the pool of blood. His hair tied back with bloodstains, his almond-shaped eyes half-closed, filled with a hint of redness. He was chewing on the remains of his family members.
...
When Qiao Wan woke up again, the water beside her had already receded, leaving only a shallow layer on the ground.
Qiao Wan held her stomach and struggled to catch her breath. She felt very uncomfortable and had to vomit several mouthfuls of water.
She looked around, searching for someone.
In the corner, she saw the figures of Pei Chunzheng and Mu Xiaoxiao. Pei Chunzheng had his head lowered, seemingly lifeless, and he held onto Mu Xiaoxiao tightly without letting go.
Qiao Wan bent down, vomited a few more times, took a deep breath, and walked over to check on the two of them.
They were both still alive.
It seemed that the water earlier was just meant to scare them, not to take their lives.
Qiao Wan looked at Pei Chunzheng and without hesitation, she pulled Mu Xiaoxiao away and delivered a punch to Pei Chunzheng's stomach.
That punch knocked Pei Chunzheng down to the ground and also woke him up completely.
The young man furrowed his eyebrows, his handsome features twisted in pain. He groaned and opened his eyes.
With confused eyes, he blinked and finally found focus. His dark eyes shifted and landed on Qiao Wan's face, widening slightly.
"Qiao... Wan?"
The boy blinked as tears rolled down his eyelashes. His voice was chilly, but his features were glistening.
Pei Chunzheng's face, normally radiant with a hint of aggression, was now marked with scars. His soft black hair draped over his face, giving him a gentler appearance.
Finally, one woke up.
Qiao Wan turned to look at Mu Xiaoxiao.
Mu Xiaoxiao, still unconscious on the ground, looked even more pitiful than before. Falling from the waterfall without any physical training, she had suffered serious injuries. Her body was covered in bruises, making it clear that a direct punch like the one used on Pei Chunzheng wouldn't work.
And her magical powers were unavailable at the moment.
Could it be... there was only one way left...
The most common method seen in movies and dramas...
The legendary... artificial respiration!
Watching Mu Xiaoxiao struggle for two seconds, Qiao Wan was faced with a difficult decision. Should she do it or not?
This plot line was not mentioned at all in "Immortal Ascending Road"!
As the young girl stood there without any response, Pei Chunzheng held his lower abdomen, visibly in pain, and furrowed his brow. "Qiao Wan, what are you going to do?"
Since she had already tried pulling her before, Qiao Wan decided to go ahead and do it.
After mentally preparing herself, Qiao Wan helped Mu Xiaoxiao get up from the ground. She quickly and smoothly removed any foreign objects, lifted her chin, pinched her nose, and hesitated for a moment. Then, she glanced at the girl's pale lips, mustered up her courage, and pressed her own lips onto the delicate petals of the girl's mouth, all while being observed by Pei Chunzheng.
Pei Chunzheng's face turned pale, then quickly changed again. He held his lower abdomen, his beautiful eyes widening, seemingly stunned by this action. He watched in a state of disarray as the two girls' dresses overlapped.
Qiao Wan completely ignored him and continued to diligently perform artificial respiration.
After a while, Mu Xiaoxiao finally showed some signs of response.
The young girl weakly snuggled in the arms of Qiao Wan, her face pale and she tightly clutched Qiao Wan's collar, her eyes widened in confusion and brimming with tears.
"Um... Qiao... Martial Sister Qiao?"
