Chapter Nine, Taiping Jade Pendant

The words have yet to fade, yet the outcome has already been determined

As the long knife was about to strike the precious jade, at that moment, An Yuqing's delicate feet had just touched the ground, and she had not yet gathered her energy to exert force. Liu Yu was already five zhang away, performing the act of destroying the jade, and he shouted: "No!"

Another mournful groan came from one of the swordsmen who had been repelled by Feng Shan. He felt his blood surging, stars dancing before his eyes, and heard the tragic cries of his companions as they faced death. Realizing that he was far from being a match for Feng Shan, he had already developed a desire to retreat. Just as he was about to take advantage of the situation to withdraw, he suddenly found himself involuntarily colliding with another person. In that moment of panic, a sharp pain struck his head, darkness enveloped his vision, and he barely managed to swallow his last breath before collapsing lifelessly.

With a delicate shout, An Yuqing, who had been waiting quietly for a long time, swiftly leaped out of the window like a graceful and beautiful bird, her garments fluttering as she rushed ahead of Lu Xun, soaring into the sky.

Feng Shan not only excelled but also completely disregarded his status, unexpectedly rolling sideways like a large sphere across the pedestrian walkway on the eastern side of the street. Although he narrowly avoided a catastrophic disaster that loomed overhead, he found himself ensnared in an even greater crisis. At this moment, he still had no opportunity to put away the unified Peaceful Jade.

When '' !

The daggers clashed, and they were both sent flying apart, landing on the ground

Lu Xunna hesitated for a moment, then exclaimed, "Thank you, brother," which abruptly halted his momentum, causing him to reverse direction and swiftly pursue the Taiping Baoyu that was ascending into the sky along the street.

Lu Xun, with a sly smile, said: "Why take such unnecessary actions? I might as well hand over the ancient jade in my hand to you for safekeeping, and then, relying on my skills, retrieve the jade pendant from your corpse. Wouldn't that be more interesting and thrilling?"

The martial arts skills of the two individuals are not far apart; otherwise, Lu Xun would not have to take such risks. Currently, Feng Shan has divided most of his mental energy and power to receive the other half, Jia Yu, while also using one hand to deal with the enemy. The balance of power is evident.

Indeed, Lu Xun let out a long laugh and said, "Brother Dao, you have fallen into the trap!" At the very moment when the force of the punch met his body, he executed a spin, dissipating most of the opponent's strength, and instead of losing speed, he increased it, forcefully aiming to collide into Feng Shan's embrace.

At the moment when the three swords and one knife were about to strike, the Daoist robe of Feng Shan suddenly collapsed, becoming tightly fitted to his body, which accentuated his plump figure. Then, the robe expanded again with a loud whoosh, and relying solely on the recoil generated by the contraction and expansion of the robe, it sent the three attackers, along with their swords, flying away, demonstrating that this plump Daoist's mastery of Qi Gong had reached an astonishing peak.

Qifu Guoren, Lu Xun, and An Yuqing are engaged in a fierce battle, attacking each other relentlessly, making it difficult to distinguish between friend and foe, yet no one is able to spare the effort to pursue the two.

As the two jade pieces collided, they shattered into fine powder. Little did they know that Feng Shan employed a subtle technique, not only dissipating Lu Xun's force but also connecting the two jade pieces together, producing a crisp sound of "de". The four-footed serrated joints interlocked tightly, transforming into a perfect jade ring. The finesse of the effort and the precision of the angles were truly breathtaking. Unfortunately, the onlookers Yan Fei, Liu Yu, and An Yuqing all understood that Feng Shan's misfortune began at that very moment

Lu Xun shouted, "Seeking death!" as he pressed down with both palms, striking at Feng Shan's left and right toes. One was a full-force attack, while the other was a reluctant counter, the outcome immediately evident. Feng Shan opened his mouth and sprayed a mist of blood into the air, propelled by the force of the palm strike, rolling away at an accelerated pace. Just as Lu Xun was about to pursue him to end his life, Feng Shan made the most unwilling yet correct choice; he forcefully threw the intact Taiping jade away, sending it soaring into the high sky above the long street.

Qifu Guoren

Liu Yu laughed heartily and replied: "The objects of treachery and evil are to be destroyed by all; Brother Yan, how do you do!"

Yan Fei lightly touched the ground with his toes, and both Lu Xun and An Yuqing, filled with unexpected joy, no longer paid attention to his interests. One after the other, they soared from the ground and rushed towards Qi Fu Guoren to kill him

Feng Shan looked up at the sky and nodded, saying: "It seems that this is not a good omen. It is truly unfortunate tonight, as we have just encountered Hu Bingnan's forces. Should we choose another location and set a date to fight again?"

Liu Yu observed that the four assailants were all highly skilled, and as soon as they entered the arena, they unleashed deadly attacks. He thought to himself that if he were in Feng Shan's position, he would also be at a loss to cope with the situation

Feng Shan was severely injured, and with a loud "bang," he crashed through the shop door and rolled into the third store next to Liu Yu.

Lu Xun calmly said: "Etiquette values reciprocity, Brother Fengdao is an understanding person, he should know how to act, right?"

An Yuqing, with her lightly furrowed brows, said: "Do not leave! Otherwise, I will find a way to make them join forces against you, and at that time, you will have to bear the consequences."

The voice of Fengshan came from outside, saying: "Since you still have the leisure, I, Fengshan, will certainly accompany you to the end. I wonder if you have brought the treasure as promised?"

Lu Xun secretly exclaimed that heaven was helping him, exerting force with his feet as he dashed away at an angle, almost certain he could seize the precious jade before An Yuqing. However, unexpectedly, a brilliant flash of sword light appeared from the left, as Yan Fei leaped through the window, disregarding the precious jade and solely focusing on intercepting him with all his might

Liu Yu felt a surge of anger and was about to leave. In fact, he truly harbored the desire to distance himself from danger. This was not only due to the formidable skills of the two individuals, which made them difficult to handle, but also because the flat-haired beast in the sky made him feel wary. Furthermore, this woman had ill intentions. The best course of action was, of course, to first sneak away to another room and then assess the situation, taking advantage of the darkness to leave this place of trouble before dawn.

Under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, a sudden flash of red appeared above Liu Yu. A long sleeve, extending about ten feet, shot out from the waist, swiftly wrapping around the precious jade, causing Liu Yu's long sword to slice through empty air.

The virtuous Daoist laughed heartily, his entire robe swelling up, and with a leisurely tone remarked: "People say to first show courtesy before resorting to force, yet you all are doing the opposite, interesting indeed." As he finished his last sentence, he suddenly leaped into the air

Ah!

Having spoken, he ignored whether Feng Shan opposed him. With a wave of his hand holding the jade, Baoyu transformed into a white light, swiftly shooting towards Feng Shan's face. One could hear the sound of the wind breaking, indicating that Baoyu was filled with true energy, exhibiting tremendous strength.

Liu Yu lunged forward, the strap retracting behind him. In a fit of anger, he sprang up and spun around, drawing his knife in the process. The blade swept across the cloth strap, which snapped in response to the cut. He immediately leaped up, delivering a powerful kick that struck the precious jade. He had anticipated that the jade would shatter upon impact, but to his surprise, the ancient jade was harder than ordinary jade, sustaining no damage at all. Instead, it was sent soaring into the sky, changing direction towards Yan Fei.

An Yuqing, however, disdainfully remarked: "Useless fellow!"

Pong

The person who was kicked twice by Fengshan now falls heavily to the ground, which illustrates the rapid speed of the series of exchanges.

At this tense moment, a beam of white light shot out from a shop across the street, striking Baoyu with lightning speed. It arrived before any response could be made, certain to hit Baoyu accurately and shatter him into powder. This turn of events was utterly unexpected, coming suddenly, and no one could have anticipated such a transformation

Fengshan coughed lightly and said: "Of course, Fengshan has a suggestion. We can place the Taiping jade pendant on the ground behind us, and then engage in a contest. The winner can take the treasure and leave. What do you think, Dao brother?" As he spoke, he took out another round-arched jade, identical in design to the one held by Lu Xun. The two rows of jagged notches would fit perfectly with Lu Xun's jade, forming a jade ring about the size of a palm, with a small circular hole about an inch in diameter in the center.

The one who acted was naturally Yan Fei. He was completely at a loss regarding the "Taiping Dongji Jing," much like Liu Yu, and he did not have the same deep understanding of Lu Xun as Liu Yu did. However, observing the actions and demeanor of Feng Shan and Lu Xun, which were filled with an aura of malevolence, he thought that if such individuals were to obtain the precious scripture, it would surely not bode well. He had always acted based on his instincts, so he threw the dagger, intending to shatter the jade ring and bring everything to a decisive end.

The scream came from the masked man above who was swinging a knife down at Feng Shan's head. Feng Shan executed a delicate maneuver, snatching the knife from his hand while simultaneously delivering a kick with both feet, striking the chest and abdomen of the enemy he had just pulled down. Then, with a somersault, he landed safely on the ground, his corpulent body displaying astonishing agility

Feng Shan's eyes immediately shot out a greedy and longing expression, gazing intently at the jade pendant in Lu Xun's hand, as if wanting to see the intricate and delicate patterns on the jade clearly. However, this was impossible, as the reflective nature of the ancient jade made the patterns appear both visible and hidden, and the distance was indeed a bit too far.

Without needing his invitation, Liu Yu would not let him off easily, hurriedly moving away from the battle group, he chased after Yan Fei, who was darting towards the western houses.

Feng Shan chuckled lightly and replied in a calm and unhurried manner, "Their target for the ambush is me, not you, my fellow Daoist. Is there anyone in the world who would intentionally provoke others to deal with themselves? Alas! As one grows older, one should ideally have more patience, yet I find myself quite the opposite. Did you bring the items?"

Yan Fei saw a person suddenly emerge from the side. Although he could not recall the person's name or know his true identity, he recognized him as a southerner who had dealings with Gao Yan. Seeing him draw a long knife from the air and slash at the falling jade, he exclaimed with great joy: "Well done!"

Liu Yu turned to stare at An Yujing, who shrugged slightly and, with a tone of nonchalance, said: "The 'Dongji Jing' contains methods for refining elixirs. If we refine two, can't each of us have one?"

On the other side, Yan Fei immediately cursed under his breath, realizing that Qi Fu Guo Ren not only had returned to power but had also come to Ru Yin.

Liu Yu recognized Yan Fei immediately upon seeing him. He had entered the Border Wilderness Gathering multiple times and certainly knew who Yan Fei was. Every time Zhao Gaoyan brought him to the First Floor, Yan Fei would be sitting on the platform chair, drinking alone. They had exchanged nods and greetings through Gao Yan's introduction, but had not engaged in conversation, as Yan Fei maintained an attitude that kept others at a distance. At this moment, seeing Yan Fei unexpectedly brought great joy to Liu Yu's heart. Not only could he clarify the situation at the Border Wilderness Gathering through him, but he might also be able to contact Gao Yan through Yan Fei, which would be highly beneficial for completing his task without any drawbacks. They had exchanged nods and greetings, yet had not conversed, due to Yan Fei's aloof demeanor. Now, unexpectedly encountering Yan Fei filled Liu Yu with delight, as he could not only gain insight into the Border Wilderness Gathering but also potentially reach Gao Yan through him, which would be advantageous for fulfilling his mission.

Feng Shan remained in his original position, clapping his hands as if to rid them of the smell of blood, or perhaps as if dismissing some trivial matters. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the tall, gray-robed Daoist who was less than two zhang away, and he chuckled, saying: "I thought you had stood me up, I cannot express how disappointed I was."

An Yuqing's sweet voice quickly and lightly entered his ears, saying: "This person is Lu Xun, the brother-in-law of the celestial master Sun Si. His ancestors were from the prominent family of Fanyang. When they fight to the point of mutual destruction, our opportunity will arise!"

Liu Yu did not stop An Yuqing. From his perspective, the Taiping Sect led by Sun En and Lu Xun was a significant threat to the Southern Jin. If the Taiping Sect were to find the so-called "Taiping Dongji Jing" based on the images on the precious jade, no one could predict what consequences would arise. Therefore, it was more prudent for it to fall into An Yuqing's hands. Moreover, Lu Xun would certainly not let An Yuqing go, so he could leave with ease.

An Yuqing watched as Taiping Baoyu was about to be struck, her delicate face displaying an expression of anger. With a flick of her fragrant sleeve, a dagger hidden within was launched towards the dagger flying towards Yan. Due to the force exerted in mid-air, she could no longer maintain her upward trajectory and began to descend.

Another cry of despair rang out, and the remaining person was caught up by the withered Taoist. In just two encounters, his skull was crushed, bringing the matter to an end

Lu Xun shook his head and said: "Your patience must be much better than mine. Since this matter needs to be resolved, it is certainly advisable to act swiftly rather than delay. Let us determine the outcome tonight regarding the 'Taiping Dongjijing' to decide whether it should belong to your Taiyi Sect or our Taiping Dao"

At this moment, Liu Yu realized that there were people hidden inside the opposite room. Although he did not know who they were, he could roughly guess the intentions of the assailant, as he was secretly applauding in his heart

Lu Xun executed a large somersault, and in the blink of an eye, caught up with Feng Shan. Feng Shan's feet unexpectedly pushed up from below, dividing Lu Xun's lower abdomen and groin.

This move greatly surprised the three onlookers, and Feng Shan was even more taken aback. Although he was well aware that Lu Xun had ill intentions, he could not allow Baoyu to be shattered into pieces. Moreover, he harbored a glimmer of hope, for as long as he could seize Baoyu, he could make a swift escape, achieving his grand objective.

An Yuqing also gazed intently at the ancient jade held high by Lu Xun. Liu Yu faintly sensed that someone like Lu Xun, who usually concealed his emotions and had a deep demeanor, suddenly became so straightforward, which was quite out of character. However, he could not guess his next move at that moment.

Feng Shan was also a cunning individual. Upon seeing Lu Xun rushing towards him with the jade, he realized that if he extended his other empty hand to catch it, he would end up holding fragile treasures in both hands, akin to being bound by both hands. It was likely that a single encounter would lead to his downfall. However, the situation and time did not allow him to first secure the jade in his embrace. In a moment of urgency, he devised a clever plan. He infused the jade in his hand with a subtle force and collided it against the other half of the jade that was flying towards him. With his other hand clenched into a fist, he launched a punch at Lu Xun, who was swiftly approaching. As long as he could delay his opponent for a moment, he would have the time to secure the complete Tai Ping jade. At that point, he could choose to either fight or flee, as he wished.

Liu Yu hated her deeply, yet for the moment, he found himself unable to do anything about it, so he had no choice but to obediently remain in place

The sound of "Pong Pong" rang out in a series, urgent and rapid. In a fit of anger, Lu Xun exerted all his strength, using both sleeves and claws, but after a fierce battle and sustaining injuries, he was forced down by Yan Fei, watching Liu Yu rush towards the landing point of the precious jade.

Ah!

That person bled from all seven orifices, should have been thrown away by the feet, and would have died instantly as usual

In the shadows, Liu Yu was observing the gray-robed Taoist who had previously ambushed Hu Bin with a keen gaze. The Taoist was tall and thin, resembling a bamboo pole used for drying clothes, seemingly weightless. His face was gaunt and sallow, with a yellow headband tied in a bun. His eyes were narrow and elongated, and combined with the sharp, piercing light of his gaze, they resembled two blades, instilling a sense of dread in those who looked upon him

Liu Yu's gaze swept over the four skilled individuals lying dead in the street, and he frowned as he asked, "Who are they?"

At this moment, the Taiping Jade had risen to its peak and was falling from a height of over ten zhang, while An Yuqing was only about five zhang away from it. Lu Xun, on the other hand, was still seven or eight wen away, watching helplessly as An Yuqing seemed poised to seize the opportunity, his eyes nearly blazing with fury.

On the other side, Yan Fei felt a chill run down his spine. Feng Shan was indeed highly skilled and ruthless in his methods, but he was not outdone by the withered, gray-robed Daoist who emerged from the neighboring shop. With a speed as swift as a ghost, he arrived first behind one of the attackers retreating northward down the street and brutally killed the man, his claw-like grip being particularly fearsome.

Lu Xun replied, "Those in the Daoist sect value their promises greatly, look!" He took out a piece of ancient white jade, about the size of half a palm, shaped like a semi-circle, which shimmered under the moonlight with a cold, icy white hue tinged with a hint of pink. The jade itself was already of the highest quality, but what was most peculiar were the serrated, uneven marks on its lower part. To carve the ancient jade into such a form would undoubtedly require a great deal of effort.

The attackers were all dressed in night attire, their faces concealed by cloth. With a single strike and three swords, they targeted Fengshan's back, chest, head, and feet, revealing a hint of a formation, clearly indicating their well-coordinated collaboration. They completely sealed off the target's avenues for retreat and advance, making it nearly impossible for Fengshan to escape the net formed by their blades, even if he attempted to leap upwards. Indeed, as Fengshan ascended, the four adjusted their techniques accordingly, shifting their attacks to target the four vital points: the top of Fengshan's head, lower abdomen, back, and chest.

Lu Xun's eerie laughter echoed outside, drawing the attention of the two. He said: "Brother Fengshan, please do not take offense at my late arrival. According to our agreement for tonight, aside from our master, only you and I are aware of it. Yet, someone has leaked the news, inciting some traitors to harbor covetous thoughts. Therefore, I took some time to conduct a preliminary cleanup. This matter is indeed strange and perplexing."

Yan Feiyue leaped into the air, unexpectedly to Liu Yu's surprise, did not destroy the precious jade with a ruthless hand, but instead held it upright with one hand, shouting, "Brother! Let's have a chat!"

Feng Shan was taken aback, his entire robe swelling up once again as before, not knowing that Lu Xun had already leaped up and was now above his head

Liu Yu pondered that with Feng Shan's skills, he truly could not fathom the extent of his master Jiang Lingxu's martial prowess

Longing for this, why hesitate? I shall also leap through the window, thinking that as long as I can outpace An Yuqing, I can destroy Baoyu first and fulfill Yan Fei's wish

An Yuqing and Lu Xun had anticipated such a change, while Qifu Guoren descended from above. He had been observing the situation for some time and knew that these three individuals were not easy opponents. One of them rolled away to avoid Liu Yu, discarded the cloth belt, and with both sleeves sweeping out, launched an attack against the fiercely approaching An Yuqing and Lu Xun.

Lu Xun raised his narrow, elongated face and looked up at the sky, saying: "This beast not only moves at night, but also keeps circling above our heads. Do you not find it eerie?"

An Yuqing impatiently said: "They are merely remnants of the Yellow Turban bandits, why bother with them?"

Feng Shan laughed heartily and said, "Hello, Brother Lu Dao!" Suddenly, he bent his body and threw a punch towards an enemy who was more than ten feet away at the eastern end of the long street. The man was struck squarely by the force of the punch, blood gushed out wildly, and he fell backward, never to rise again under his own strength.