Chapter 6: Unlucky Liu Nan

This is the military intelligence I have gathered about the Khitan army, obtained at the cost of the lives of my nine brothers. Before I die, I wish to ask you to help me deliver this confidential military report to the garrison of the Song Dynasty's Imperial Guard. In doing so, I will have made a significant contribution, and my wife, daughter, and elderly mother will be exempt from all taxes for life, and they will also receive a substantial reward, which will give them a chance to live well. This is my reconnaissance token; you should take it as well to prove your identity. " At this point, Liu Nan gasped for breath, struggling to take out an iron plate and a copper tube about an inch long and finger-thick, both ends tightly sealed. He carefully stuffed them into the pocket of Ye Chen, who still could not speak, and fastened the button securely.

Immediately after, she entered the main hall of the Taoist temple. Only Ye Chen, whose face was filled with despair and bitterness, and Liu Nan, whose face was twisted in pain and pale, remained, both of them groaning in agony, exchanging glances as former partners in the salt business.

This person turned out to be Liu Nan, the partner of Ye Chen in the salt shop, the head of the scouts in the Imperial Army of the Song Dynasty, and also Ye Chen's only friend in this era

Ye Chenxin thought, I do want to speak, but the problem is that I can't even say it!

The dock itself began to collapse, causing the adjacent cargo hold to tilt. Both individuals were skilled and noticed it simultaneously, looking up.

Yudao Xiang emitted a sound of surprise and suspicion as she discovered that the Tianxing jade pendant in her hand had a magnetic-like attraction to the leaf dust on the ground. This attraction was extremely weak, making it nearly imperceptible to an ordinary person. Had it not been for her cultivation of a certain mysterious technique that had reached an exceptionally profound level, she too would have overlooked this attraction

When Yudao Xiang emerged from the hall, she held a wooden box in her hand, containing one hundred and eight slender needles that had just been soaked in poison within the hall, glimmering with a dark luster

... ...

Jade Path Fragrance

The woman hidden in the warehouse let out a soft exclamation of misfortune, having no choice but to act prematurely. With a flick of her hand, two silver needles shot out, aimed at Si Luoyi and Guo Wuwei. At the same time, she let out a delicate shout, resembling a graceful and beautiful bird, her garments fluttering as she swiftly reached for Ye Chen.

The two figures moved swiftly, evading the hidden weapons of Yu Daoxiang, and then aimed to seize Ye Chen from the ground

Yudao Xiang initially intended to casually kill Ye Chen to eliminate him as a witness, but at this moment, due to the influence of this pulling force, she thought for a moment and then casually grabbed Ye Chen, her figure flashing as she sped away into the distance

Jade Path Fragrance

The branches swayed and the leaves rustled as a person stumbled down from the other side of the large tree, without saying a word, they immediately took off running

Oh ... ...

She looked at Ye Chen, first giving a sweet smile, extremely charming, causing Ye Chen at that moment to feel a wave of daze. Then, right in front of Ye Chen, she began to set up her "murder tools" or rather, traps.

Si Luoyi and Guo Wuwei had exerted themselves to the utmost, reaching the pinnacle of speed, and in an instant, with unparalleled lightness of skill akin to gliding over water, they crossed several dozen steps of river water, rushing in through the door and window of the dock where Ye Chen was located

Then, two figures emerged from the water, staggering as they soared into the air, one heading south and the other north, crossing the surface of the water and rushing off in opposite directions

However, at that moment, both of them felt a sudden stagnation of the true energy in their dantian, accompanied by dizziness. Their expressions changed drastically, and they immediately realized that the dock had been tampered with in advance by Yu Daoxiang, and they had already been poisoned

Liu Nan, not knowing what he was thinking, endured the pain and exerted great effort to crawl in front of Ye Chen, saying: "Ye Ge'er! Do not speak, listen to me. If I cannot make it, even if this demoness does not kill me in the end, it will be difficult for me to walk out of this forest alive, while you still have a chance to leave here alive"

Yudao Xiang threw Ye Chen behind the fallen statue, then surrounded the statue, striking it repeatedly. After a moment of contemplation, he directly broke Liu Nan's already severely injured legs and casually tossed them beside Ye Chen. He also took Ye Chen's backpack and the long cloth bag containing the sniper rifle.

At this moment, he still found it difficult to speak and felt weak all over, so although he had regained consciousness, compared to just a moment ago, he had merely opened his eyes

... ...

Both individuals are masters, experienced in the ways of the martial world. Upon exchanging a glance, they reached a tacit understanding and simultaneously launched a full-scale attack on Yu Daoxiang. Otherwise, if they only thought of fleeing, not only would they be unable to obtain the Tianxing Jade Pendant, but they would also likely be pursued and caught one by one by Yu Daoxiang, suffering a tragic fate.

The dock, along with the entire small boat, instantly fell apart, splashing water everywhere, as the three individuals and Ye Chen simultaneously plunged into the water

The beautiful woman on the beam had initially focused all her attention on the approaching Si Luoyi and Guo Wuwei. However, at this moment, she was captivated by the starlight emanating from Ye Chen's chest, her expression changing slightly, revealing an unexpected look. She thought to herself that the star jade pendant was indeed on this young man.

Ye Chen was unable to move, unable to speak, and the only action he could perform was to blink. He looked at Liu Nan, who had fainted and still bore a face of pain, and recalled the demoness referred to as Yu Daoxiang by the two Taoists, feeling a deep sense of despair. He thought to himself: "You, my friend, are the first person I have met in this world, and you are currently the closest person to me. If I, Ye Chen, can escape this time, I will certainly fulfill the tasks you entrusted to me. Furthermore, I will ensure the proper care of your wife, daughter, and elderly mother. As long as I live, I guarantee that they will be able to lead a good life."

In reality, Liu Nan was pursued by the Khitan soldiers, escaping with great difficulty after narrowly avoiding death. Due to his severe injuries, he hid in the woods to recuperate. He had just noticed Yu Daoxiang entering the forest and, having seen the latter's exceptional agility in advance, realized he had encountered a master. However, because he was gravely injured, he found it difficult to travel at that moment. Therefore, he quickly concealed himself in this large tree

Si Luoyi, with his profound skills protecting his body, remained vigilant of Guo Wuwei beside him while swiftly reaching out towards Ye Chen. Meanwhile, Guo Wuwei, without uttering a word, turned sharply upon seeing Ye Chen for the first time and struck a palm towards Si Luoyi's shoulder.

I am certainly doomed this time, but at home, I have a gravely ill elderly mother, a virtuous wife, and a young daughter. Without me, even if they are not starved in this world, they will surely be bullied by others. " At this point, Liu Nan was already in tears.

In the midst of the thunderous noise, the three of them overlooked one issue: the sturdiness of this dock was fundamentally insufficient to withstand the full force of all three of them.

Yudao Xiang held onto Ye Chen and rushed for more than 10 miles in one breath. Upon entering a forest, they slowed down and walked deeper into the woods, recovering their true energy and stamina while contemplating how to obtain the other two jade pendants.

It is unclear whether Yu Daoxiang acted intentionally or unintentionally, allowing Ye Chen to witness the entire process, which left Ye Chen feeling profoundly disheartened by the woman's ruthlessness and her attitude of regarding life as insignificant

She knew that after Si Luoyi and Guo Wuwei had removed the fragrance poison from their bodies, they would surely turn back to seek her again. Both of these individuals were not weaker than her, and in a direct confrontation without the poison, she could at most fight to a draw with one of them

In front of this Taoist temple, there is an open area of about two to three acres, where a massive statue of the Great Emperor Xuanwu is located. Unlike the usual upright position found in temples, this statue is lying horizontally.

"Brother Ye! I know you are a good person. For the sake of our brotherhood, I entrust my wife, daughter, and elderly mother to you..." Before he could finish his words, Liu Nan finally succumbed to excessive blood loss, his head tilted and he fainted.

Yudao Xiang glanced at Liu Nan, pondered for a moment, and decided not to kill him, but rather to take him away. She noticed that the latter was severely injured, and if he were to travel on his own, it would hinder their journey. Therefore, she grabbed him with her other hand and continued to move forward.

Silo Yi and Guo Wuwei clearly had not anticipated that there was a third person in this dock, and that she was the daughter of the legendary ruthless figure.

Due to the vast range of starlight surrounding Ye Chen, enveloping him entirely, the two were momentarily unaware of the source of the radiance. Thus, they simultaneously made the decision to seize Ye Chen's body.

Although the two individuals made the same decision, their reactions were quite different

Yudao Xiang, accompanied by two men, traversed through the forest and ascended a hillside, advancing silently in the darkness. She had already devised a plan to lure Si Luoyi and Guo Wuwei, and to seize the two jade pendants, Yin Yue and Yang Ri, from their hands. What remained was to find a suitable location to carry out her scheme

One hundred and eight poisonous needles all entered Liu Nan's body in a special manner, while the celestial star jade pendant that originally belonged to Ye Chen was once again hung around Ye Chen's neck

As the two individuals' palms touched, a powerful surge of true energy radiated from the point of contact. Each of them retreated two or three steps, colliding against the wall of the dock, causing the already fragile structure of the dock to shake as if it were about to collapse.

The two individuals possessed similar levels of skill and almost simultaneously rushed into the dock, where they both saw Ye Chen lying on the deck.

However, it was unfortunate that Yu Daoxiang happened to pass by at that moment. As an excellent scout in the Song army, Liu Nan had his own methods for holding his breath and concealing himself. Under normal circumstances, even Yu Daoxiang, without intent, would not have noticed Liu Nan. However, the problem arose when Liu Nan suddenly saw the leaf dust under Yu Daoxiang's armpit, which startled him, causing his heartbeat and breathing to change instantaneously, thus revealing his presence and being discovered by Yu Daoxiang

Ye Chen swam to the shore while holding her, placing her on the ground. She began to search through Ye Chen's belongings. Soon, she found the pendant that was hanging around his neck, and her face lit up with joy as she collected it.

Behind the hill, there is a temple whose era of construction is unknown, and it appears to have been abandoned for quite some time

Before long, Yu Daoxiang suddenly stopped, turned to look at the top of a nearby large tree, and calmly said: "Will you jump down yourself, or do you prefer to fall down as a corpse"

... ...

Immediately after, Yu Daoxiang emerged from the water, holding Ye Chen. She glanced in both the southern and northern directions, a hint of regret flashing across her delicate face

Alas! If I had known that the Celestial Star Jade Pendant was in this child's possession, I could have devised a plan to eliminate these two demonic beings and gather the three jade pendants: the Sun, the Moon, and the Celestial Star. Yu Daoxiang took out a handkerchief, wiping the water off her face while murmuring to herself.

Si Luoyi sensed the power in Guo Wuwei's palm, let out a furious roar, and a trace of unwillingness flashed across his face. He was forced to halt his movement and similarly struck out with a palm, meeting Si Luoyi's hand.

Then, he felt a warm and soft sensation on his back, accompanied by a refreshing and pleasant fragrance that entered his nostrils. It was only then that he realized he was facing outward, being held under someone's armpit, and was moving rapidly.

In reality, Yu Daoxiang knew that after Si Luoyi and Guo Wuwei expelled the fragrance poison from their bodies, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that they would seek each other out and then join forces to simultaneously activate the jade pendants in their hands with their true energy to locate the Tianxing jade pendant in her possession

The moment Ye Chen awoke, he felt himself moving rapidly, and amidst the whistling wind, he sensed that his speed was even faster than that of a swift horse

... ...

Yudao Xiang quickly surveyed the interior and exterior of the Taoist temple, revealing a look of satisfaction, and began to arrange things according to his earlier thoughts

The wooden door and wooden windows of the once ordinary small boat dock were instantly reduced to ashes upon the collision of the two individuals

Therefore, she must quickly leave this place, then find a way to make some arrangements in advance, design a scheme to lure the two individuals here, and attempt to seize the Yin Moon and Yang Sun jade pendants from their hands.

Boom

The expressions of the two individuals changed dramatically, and they simultaneously shouted in surprise. However, the content of their shouts was different; it was evident that the former was likely a nickname, while the latter was indeed a name.

Although the Taoist temple is now overgrown with weeds and scattered with remnants of walls and broken tiles, it still remains relatively intact overall

Ye Chen had previously been poisoned by incense. At this moment, although he had regained consciousness, he still felt utterly weak, to the extent that he could hardly move a single finger. In contrast, Liu Nan, despite being further injured and left with only half a life, was still able to move slightly.

I have not told you that I am a scout in the Imperial Guard of the Song Dynasty. A few days ago, when I mentioned that I would be leaving for a few days to attend to personal matters, I was actually going to gather intelligence on the Khitan military situation

Yudao Xiang smiled lightly, her feet swaying slightly. In a flash, she caught up with that person, and with a casual slap, the person became motionless. Ye Chen, witnessing this scene, was astonished and thought to himself, could this be the legendary acupoint sealing technique? Immediately after, Ye Chen clearly saw the person who had been immobilized by Yudao Xiang, and he couldn't help but be taken aback.