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If a martial artist were to have their eyes gouged out, their throat poisoned and rendered mute, their ten fingers severed, and thus lose any ability to wield weapons, most likely they would lose the will to live. If, on top of that, they were imprisoned by their own enemy, they would be wishing for death in the very next moment. This is truly an immense torment.

But... what if the one suffering is an ordinary person?

Lu Xiaofeng bent down carefully, grasping the woman's wrist. Feeling her pulse, he was startled.

"She is not a martial artist," Lu Xiaofeng concluded with certainty. Not only was she untrained in martial arts, there was no sign she had ever practiced.

He could not even convince himself that this was the work of Young Lord Fang—sealing away a villain stripped of martial skills to atone for past crimes.

And Lu Xiaofeng was not mistaken. When the imprisoned woman sensed someone approaching, her first reaction was fear and retreat. Yet upon realizing Lu Xiaofeng bore no hostility, she showed no trace of aggression.

Such behavior was not that of a villain.

How could Lu Xiaofeng not feel astonished and enraged?

Fang Yingkan had turned an ordinary person into this wretched state!

He could not understand why Fang Yingkan—who had a renowned, chivalrous father and an impeccable reputation in Bianjing City—would commit such acts within his own exotic beast garden.

Even the martial world knew well—

Lu Xiaofeng, nicknamed "Four Eyebrows," was notorious for meddling in others’ affairs.

"If I’m not mistaken, this is the person that Miss Shi wants us to bring back," Sikong Zhaixing said as he appeared beside Lu Xiaofeng the moment he made a move.

While Lu Xiaofeng’s mind raced, Sikong Zhaixing quickly assessed the woman’s condition. Although he prided himself on worldly knowledge from dealings across many walks of life, even he was shaken.

He now understood why Shi Qingruo said that if he came here, he would not mistake the target.

Because...

"This exotic beast garden..." Lu Xiaofeng ground his teeth, "What kind of exotic beasts are these?"

"Let's act!" Sikong Zhaixing commanded decisively.

Whether because he accepted Shi Qingruo’s commission or simply because he still considered himself human, he had to rescue the woman from this hellish prison and not let her live in such a ghostly state in the back courtyard of the unrestrained monastery.

Now was not the time for him or Lu Xiaofeng to probe deeper. Once the woman was safe, there would be time to uncover the truth.

Without more words, Lu Xiaofeng understood perfectly.

In a place like the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion, removing a treasure would be difficult enough, let alone a living person. But so what?

Sikong Zhaixing disliked leaving empty-handed after a visit; today was no exception.

Voices still faintly echoed from the front courtyard—undeniably their best opportunity.

Sikong Zhaixing swiftly grasped the lock of the iron cage.

A master thief is truly a master thief.

Even with Lu Xiaofeng’s sharp eyes, he could only catch a few swift movements before the iron lock clicked open and dropped into Sikong Zhaixing’s hand.

Before Lu Xiaofeng could remark on their perfect choice by Shi Qingruo, he had already slipped into the cage the moment it opened.

He did not know if the poor woman could still hear voices, but softly said, “We’re here to rescue you,” then struck the packed earth beneath, using the momentum to lift her.

Sikong Zhaixing moved simultaneously, but not to free the woman; instead, he went for the other locks.

For this “master thief,” the iron cages in Fang Yingkan’s backyard were no different than unlocked ones.

Bang—

“Who dares trespass!” The voice came from afar, growing louder.

Sikong Zhaixing didn’t look back but knew exactly where it came from.

Their commotion, though small, was loud enough to alert the experts guarding the exotic beast garden.

The Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion was riddled with traps and surely never left so few on watch.

So Sikong Zhaixing had to—

The approaching guard saw two figures under the moonlight, and the person Lu Xiaofeng was carrying. His face darkened as he barked, “Put the person down!”

Young Lord Fang had placed this woman here to show the consequences of informing; no one was to take her away.

These two must not leave alive!

But before he finished shouting, an equally furious voice lunged at him.

Behind it came a sharp claw slicing through the air!

Without hesitation, the guard swung his blade, but suddenly realized these beasts were Fang Yingkan’s favorites. He hastily restrained his strength.

Yet his initial attack was enough for the freed tiger to regard him as an enemy.

The massive beast made no distinction and leapt toward him.

At the same moment, more beasts reacted likewise.

Sikong Zhaixing had already opened a dozen cages, then quickly regrouped with Lu Xiaofeng.

The beasts that had escaped only created momentary obstacles, but that was all the cover the two needed.

Without these distractions, this was their chance to break free.

Their light-footed skills were already very fast when they arrived; now to save a life, they reached a new level, moving like ghosts speeding out of the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion.

But just then, a sharp bamboo whistle sounded behind them.

“Whoo—”

Piercing through the night, the whistle shattered the silence.

A cluster of torches quickly lit, trained troops gathering and closing in.

Lu Xiaofeng cursed inwardly.

No doubt, the guards didn’t care about reprimands for negligence and immediately sounded the alarm.

After all, it was better to catch the thieves together than let them escape!

...

Hearing the commotion, Fang Yingkan turned sharply, face darkening.

He had just reached the front courtyard and saw the chaotic scene reported by servants.

A young man with decent internal skills but messy martial arts carried a blind woman with deadly claw skills on his back.

He listened to a young lady in white command, who bewildered his men.

These three had stirred up quite the uproar.

If not for his status, Fang Yingkan thought about killing the girl with a single sword to stop the chaos, then subdue the other two without opposition.

But now was not the time.

He needed to act as the master of this place and have others deal with it.

...

Just as he was about to speak to Fu Zongshu, the adopted son of the Prime Minister Fu, asking why his master sided with the enemy, the whistle from the backyard sounded.

He immediately ordered, “Stop! Block the people at the back!”

At the first sign of change, Fang Yingkan made his decision.

According to the servants, the boy had stolen the blood of a giant snake raised by his men and some herbs—small losses in the end.

But the backyard was different.

It housed many secrets that must not be exposed. If anything were taken, he’d have to work hard to suppress the news.

He knew what was more important.

Upon his order, men responded and chased toward the backyard.

Fang Yingkan himself turned back as he spoke.

Ouyang Ke, young master of White Camel Mountain, having just arrived and recently joined Fang Yingkan, reluctantly folded his fan and followed.

Only the obstinate old immortal Liang Zi’weng and his friends remained tangled with the three intruders.

One had to admit, he was truly stubborn.

The alarm and the movements of the young lord’s men failed to faze this hotheaded fellow in the slightest.

He focused on the three ahead, greed gleaming in his eyes. “You brat, return my snake’s blood!”

Guo Jing cursed inwardly.

How could he have imagined that his journey south—solely to fulfill his mother’s request to find his father’s killer and his long-lost sworn brother—would lead to being targeted again over an old matter, even poisoning the Taoist who helped him?

He never expected that before he snuck into the Marquis’ Mansion to steal the antidote, the little beggar he once hosted would show up again—changing from Huang Xiandi into the girl, Rong’er.

The subsequent blood-sucking and direct confrontation were beyond his anticipation.

“I told you, it wasn’t intentional. You bought the herbs in the capital, so I couldn’t save the person.”

Guo Jing tried to suppress the chaotic surging of his meridians.

But since the snake blood he swallowed was a powerful tonic, it was hard to digest in haste, causing his face to flush red with heat.

“If you want the blood, wait until I save the person to return it!”

Huang Rong watched anxiously.

After bidding farewell to the Mistress of the Misty Heaven Alliance, she had found the kind but foolish boy to help him storm the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion.

But the place was treacherous, far beyond what her wit and martial arts could handle.

Even discovering that one person there was her senior sister, once expelled by her father and now crippled by a cultivation mishap, who she tricked into helping, left them in dire straits.

Worse, the senior sister’s martial arts were high but impaired, forcing Guo Jing to become her crutch.

Carrying a person and fending off multiple attackers was already a heavy burden.

To make matters worse, the overpowering snake blood still caused havoc; if not for his internal skill from Quanzhen Sect to calm the mind, he might have lost reason and died.

Though still holding out, it was unsustainable.

Huang Rong shouted, “Your young lord told you to catch thieves in the backyard! What are you still doing here?”

Liang Zi’weng rolled his eyes. “We’ll deal with you little thieves first, then go apologize to the young lord. Besides, Ouyang Gongzi has stopped bothering you ghost girl and is helping elsewhere. No matter what verbal tricks you try, they won’t work now.”

He shouted and lunged toward the clawed palm, but his real target was Guo Jing.

Strike the horse before the rider still applied.

He didn’t know why Fu Xiang’s son couldn’t control his master or why she aided the enemy, but he knew the relationship between that she-devil and the brat was like that of man and horse.

Huang Rong suddenly had an idea, calling out, “Brother Jing, don’t stop! Run to the backyard!”

Lingering to fight these gatekeepers of the mansion would do more harm than good.

With Liang Zi’weng pressing, escape chances were slim.

Better to try a bold maneuver.

Though unaware what had happened in the mansion’s backyard, Huang Rong knew that if Young Lord Fang, who had just entered and commanded respect, changed his expression so drastically, it was no ordinary matter.

The more chaotic the scene, the greater her chance to lead Guo Jing to safety.

As for the person Guo Jing carried, once a disciple of her father from Peach Blossom Island, who long ago stole vital skills and defected, infamously becoming the Black Wind Twins with her husband, though now tricked into aiding, she could turn against them any time.

Perhaps in the backyard brawl, they could lose her and avoid further trouble.

Seeing Guo Jing ready to follow her orders toward the backyard but restrained by “senior sister,” forced to endure Liang Zi’weng’s palm strike, coughing blood, Huang Rong grew anxious and angry.

“Mei Chaofeng, didn’t you ask me where father is? He’s in the backyard of the mansion. You ignored me and let those villains bully me. Now you watch him besieged by experts, and still want to return to the sect? Dream on!”

“Little junior sister, is this true?” Mei Chaofeng was doubtful.

Blind from earlier years, she relied on voice and position, unable to verify Huang Rong’s words, but heard her firm answer.

“That’s right. Why would I joke about my father’s safety? If you don’t let Brother Jing come with me, my father might be killed by those villains.”

Mei Chaofeng growled, “My master’s skill is supreme. How could she be injured by these people?”

Though she said this, she still slashed through Liang Zi’weng’s palm with her claws and ordered, “Boy, leave now!”

Guo Jing ceased fighting and hurried after Huang Rong.

If not for the dire situation, he would have asked why Huang Rong spoke of family estrangement and why her father appeared here after all.

He noticed no one greeted Rong’er before...

Huang Rong glanced at Guo Jing’s face, knowing he was thinking again, sighed helplessly, but seeing several people fighting ahead and Liang Zi’weng chasing from behind, hurriedly refocused.

“Just ahead, break through with those two.”

No matter who they were.

In that moment, Huang Rong clearly saw the scene unfold.

Young Lord Fang who had just arrived at the front courtyard drew his sword.

The blood-red blade surged with terrifying power, aiming straight at the assassin holding the woman.

Though barely in his twenties, Fang was inexplicably more profound in skill than Ouyang Ke, Fu Kang (the Prime Minister’s adopted son), and even some old masters.

As the crimson sword aura appeared, his delicate, almost feminine face took on a demonic fierceness.

Had the sword struck her, even with soft armor, she’d have no chance.

Yet the assassin seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, ready for the strike, holding out two fingers that clamped the sword between them.

Flesh and blood fingers formed a copper wall, blocking Fang Yingkan’s Blood River Divine Sword.

As reinforcements approached, Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes behind his mask flickered coldly.

With a snap of his fingers, he used the momentum to retreat swiftly, regrouping with Sikong Zhaixing.

Unexpectedly, Ouyang Ke, following Fang Yingkan, waited for this moment.

With a light step, his folding fan sliced toward Lu Xiaofeng’s back.

Even with Lu Xiaofeng’s swift skills, escaping such a pincer attack was difficult.

But Ouyang Ke’s fan was fast, and the clawed palm was even faster.

Though Mei Chaofeng could not identify if her master was among the chaos, she had heard Ouyang Ke’s fan attack earlier and recognized its sound.

Knowing he was an enemy, she sought to break the stalemate.

Her ferocious claw nearly tore Ouyang Ke’s weapon from his hand.

Had he not retreated swiftly, she might have torn chunks from him.

Yet that retreat coincided with a sudden smoke screen rising between him, Fang Yingkan, and the thieves, blocking their sight.

Sikong Zhaixing’s move!

Lu Xiaofeng, seeing the smoke, did not even have time to signal approval before using his inner power to leap.

Perfect coordination.

They were not far from the mansion’s edge.

This smoke, released now, was enough for their escape.

As for the three who had helped earlier, Lu Xiaofeng did not know their identities, but since they were all being hunted, he treated them as half-friends in this emergency.

“Go!” he called, vaulting over the wall.

Huang Rong, Guo Jing, and Mei Chaofeng followed.

The Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion had not anticipated intruders or that they would escape despite many guards.

They had no chance to set an ambush ahead.

Clearly, if they fled into Bianjing’s alleys, catching them would be difficult.

But just as they jumped over the wall, they stumbled into another fog.

This was not the smoke from Sikong Zhaixing.

Lu Xiaofeng’s composed expression cracked; Huang Rong’s face also changed. She clenched a pill in her palm, ready to take it if the fog was poisonous.

Before either could react, a familiar voice came from within the fog.

“The madam sent me to assist. Formations are set outside the mansion. Please follow me.”

For Sikong Zhaixing, who had entered and exited the Misty Heaven Alliance countless times, the voice was even more familiar.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Lu Xiaofeng, quickly following the footsteps, weaving through turns, vaulting walls, until finally emerging from the fog and seeing a familiar figure.

Only then did Sikong Zhaixing breathe a sigh of relief.

The gray-robed figure, light and graceful, was none other than Zhu Xiaoyao, Second Saint of the Misty Heaven Alliance.

Despite Sikong Zhaixing’s courteous thanks, her unmasked face showed sternness.

“Now is not the time to stop. Please follow me through the secret passage back to the alliance.”

This residence near the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion would soon be swarming with pursuers.

Continuing to flee through the streets risked capture; only underground routes were safe.

Fortunately, the Misty Heaven Alliance had long prepared such paths, aiding Lu Xiaofeng and the others’ escape.

When Fang Yingkan and his men finally burst out of the fog in frustration, they saw no trace of the fugitives.

Soon, these people would be safe inside the Misty Heaven Alliance headquarters.

Unless Fang Yingkan intended to shatter his reputation in Bianjing, he could not, at least for now, rashly invade the Misty Heaven Alliance to hunt “criminals” out of mere suspicion.

...

Thus, he never saw Sikong Zhaixing and Lu Xiaofeng leap from the tunnel and flip the middle finger toward the direction of the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion.

...

“Enough, don’t provoke them anymore,” Lu Xiaofeng sighed, then turned to Zhu Xiaoyao.

“May I ask if there is a doctor in the Misty Heaven Alliance to examine this young lady?”

The dark tunnel and hurried flight had made it hard for Lu Xiaofeng to notice, but the woman he carried had several episodes of labored breathing.

Now, with candlelight shining clearly, he saw her face pale and sallow, as if a deadly poison lurked within, now flaring up.

This was bad!

She had no fingers and could not speak; now curled in pain, she looked utterly pitiful.

Even Lu Xiaofeng’s knowledge was insufficient to identify the poison instantly.

He was not an expert in toxins.

Thinking so, he dared not delay and loudly repeated, “Send a doctor skilled in poisons at once!”

“Wait, why is it a girl?” Mei Chaofeng blurted.

During the tunnel flight, Huang Rong had told her the person Lu Xiaofeng carried was her severely injured master.

Earlier, she fought Ouyang Ke to help, earning great merit.

When her master awoke, she would clear her name.

Though Mei Chaofeng was suspicious, being blind, she could not confirm and simply followed, worrying.

If her master was so injured she was unconscious, needing someone to carry her, what was the situation?

She should see for herself.

Yet now, suddenly it was a girl again.

Before Huang Rong could fabricate an excuse, Mei Chaofeng’s back chilled, and her entire meridians trembled with instinctive fear.

Someone was coming.

No—an extremely formidable expert was arriving.

In the midst of this near-paralyzing threat, she heard footsteps approaching.

One was heavy, unlike a martial artist’s, while the other was the source of her dread.

A gentle female voice spoke to them all:

“Don’t look for a doctor. Saving lives is like fighting fire. Let Qi Guan use his skill to purge the poison first.”

Lu Xiaofeng quickly set the rescued woman down.

Shi Qingruo and Guan Qi arrived, as if waiting for them.

Lu Xiaofeng thought: no matter how many times he saw the Misty Heaven Alliance’s saint, the awe she inspired never lessened, not even when unconscious.

Now, his peerless internal skill was a life-saving remedy.

At Shi Qingruo’s request, Guan Qi obediently helped lift the woman.

A palm force filled with internal energy pressed against her back.

In mere moments, the poisoned woman’s complexion shifted from blue to pale.

Suddenly, she coughed up a mouthful of bluish-purple poison.

She gasped violently, her face flushed red.

But this did not cause renewed concern.

Instead, Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes brightened.

He could not have misheard: her cough contained scattered syllables, quite unlike her prior silence.

He suspected that while Guan Qi’s skill forced the poison out, it also expelled the toxin that had silenced her.

Sure enough, when the coughing ceased, a hoarse voice, as if long unused, struggled out:

“…Who… are you?”

She was not completely unaware of the outside world.

While escaping the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion, she heard a voice she deeply hated.

Now, she had heard her own voice again after so long.

Was she dreaming?

Shi Qingruo met her hollow eyes, calming her emotions before replying:

“You can think of us as enemies of the Divine Talents Marquis’ Mansion. So I want to know, who are you?”

The woman did not respond immediately.

Moonlight failed to brighten her blind eyes, only revealing her hopeless expression.

When she spoke, it was less communication than forcing her voice back:

“…I am… Fang Yingkan’s servant.”

“Then why—” Guo Jing began, but Huang Rong covered his mouth.

These two young men lacked experience in the martial world and had never before witnessed such tragedy.

They instinctively wanted to ask but quickly realized not to rush.

The woman’s expression was miserable.

“Fang Yingkan lusted for beauty, often forcing his servants to submit.

To avoid scandal, knowing we could not escape, he killed our families and husbands.

Two of us barely escaped to report, only to be sent back to the mansion.”

Her cheeks trembled as if reliving the nightmare afternoon.

She saw her companions slaughtered, and herself—

“He said that by turning me into this, living worse than dead, it was to warn the entire mansion—”

“No one shall ever inform again.”