Chapter 556: No One Dares

“Shut up!”

Because of her background, Mu Wanqing was extremely sensitive, and Li Mochou was known for her strict self-discipline. Even when she was madly in love with Lu Zhanyuan in her youth, she never allowed him to take advantage of her. Hearing Qinghai Yixiao’s indecent words, both women snapped.

Without exchanging a word, they simultaneously raised their hands. One shot a poison sleeve arrow, and the other released a silver Frozen Soul Silver Needle, both flying toward his face in an instant.

In a flash of white, the Blank Fiend moved from the doorway to Qinghai Yixiao’s side, swirling his long sleeve to sweep the venomous projectiles to the ground.

“Hmph, trying to kill a disciple of mine in front of me? You two are too naive.”

Li Mochou’s heart sank. Judging by his display of martial skill, it seemed today might truly be dangerous for her.

Qinghai Yixiao, having narrowly escaped death, finally gathered his wits and breathed a sigh of relief. “Master, though this woman is wicked, she’s extraordinarily beautiful. Master, you’re in for a lucky day.”

His words were laden with vulgar intent. The patrons of the inn were shocked by his boldness, but the Blank Fiend not only took no offense but burst into laughter. “You truly understand me well, my disciple. Very well, once I’ve had my fun, she’s yours.”

“Thank you, Master!” Qinghai Yixiao beamed, his eyes drifting toward Mu Wanqing. Despite his earlier fright, the thought of obtaining two stunning beauties as compensation delighted him. He thought smugly, ‘Though my master is powerful, he’s old and won’t be able to keep up for long. With my two uncles, Bu Tai and Hao Mi, uninterested in women, both beauties will ultimately be mine alone.’

However, Li Mochou had no intention of engaging him directly. Changing tactics mid-attack, she unleashed fierce and unpredictable strikes on the Blank Fiend instead.

Li Mochou had roamed the martial world for years, feared not just for her martial arts and poison needles, but also for her wealth of combat experience. Against weaker foes, she could secure victory easily. Against equals, she almost always emerged as the last one standing. And when outmatched, she relied on her cunning to escape alive.

She had once snatched Lu Wushuang from under the nose of Huang Yaoshi, one of the Five Greats of the martial world. A mere Blank Fiend, no matter how skilled, was unlikely to pose the same threat as Huang Yaoshi.

Feigning anger and recklessness, Li Mochou launched a fake assault on Qinghai Yixiao, leaving the Blank Fiend unable to detect her true intent.

In a battle between experts, a moment’s misstep was all it took. The Blank Fiend lost his advantage, and Li Mochou’s relentless attacks–combined with the sudden appearance of more Frozen Soul Silver Needles–left him overwhelmed. Frustrated, he dodged while yelling in anger.

On the other side, Yue Buqun observed the battle intently, his heart heavy. Li Mochou’s reputation was well-deserved; if it were just the two of them in the fight, the Blank Fiend would have surely met his end.

Yue Buqun was torn.

On one hand, the Blank Fiend was a longtime friend of Zuo Lengchan, which meant his presence in the Central Plains likely had something to do with Zuo. If Li Mochou could eliminate him, it would weaken Zuo’s influence.

On the other hand, Yue Buqun knew that offending Li Mochou was dangerous. If she managed to escape, Huashan Sect would face endless trouble with her lurking in the shadows, waiting for revenge.

‘Let them fight until they’re both exhausted. Then I’ll clean up the mess,’ Yue Buqun decided.

After all, whether it was the Blank Fiend or the Two Demons of Hejians, their skills were on par with his. He could only protect himself for now. But seeing Li Mochou’s ferocity gave him other ideas.

“Senior brother, the Blank Fiend is in real trouble. Should we help him?” Hao Mi frowned, clearly concerned about how the battle was unfolding.

Bu Tai snorted. “Let him suffer a bit. Maybe he’ll stop acting so arrogant. The Central Plains is full of hidden talents–there are many people we can’t afford to offend.”

Hao Mi nodded in agreement, gently rubbing his recently healed fingers. The memory of the young man they encountered in Kaifeng still sent chills down his spine. ‘If not for the Black Jade Intermittent Ointment we obtained from Western Shaolin, my One-Finger Zen would’ve been crippled forever.’

Meanwhile, Mu Wanqing, having taken the antidote, felt the poison gradually dissipate. Regaining her strength, she struggled to stand, but Song Qingshu stopped her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to help her,” Mu Wanqing replied, gripping her sword tightly as she searched for an opening to deliver a fatal strike.

“Don’t be reckless. The poison hasn’t cleared from your system yet. Rushing in now would only get you killed.” Song Qingshu pressed her back into the chair.

Annoyed by his repeated interference, Mu Wanqing muttered, “I still have a slim chance if I go now. If I wait and Daoist Li loses, my fate will be worse than death. Don’t you understand?”

Song Qingshu shook his head with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, no one will dare touch you.”

Mu Wanqing was puzzled by his certainty. “Why not?” she asked instinctively.

Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “Because you are the Golden Serpent King’s woman. In Shandong, no one dares cross the Golden Serpent King.”

“Bah!” Mu Wanqing’s face flushed as she stammered, “Who… who’s his woman?”

A long silence followed before Mu Wanqing realized something. Her eyes grew cold as she looked at Song Qingshu. “Weren’t you supposed to be gravely injured?”

Song Qingshu froze. Earlier, he had pretended to be seriously wounded, taking advantage of the situation to get close to her. But when he saw her poisoned, he’d leapt up without thinking.

“Well… uh… I suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to save you, and it gave me strength. But now… ah, I feel faint… so faint…”

“I’ll kill you!” Mu Wanqing, realizing she had been deceived, was overcome with shame and fury. She drew her sword and swung it at Song Qingshu.

“Stop! If you keep hitting me, I really will die!” Song Qingshu cried as he dodged around the inn, drawing laughter from the other patrons.

Yue Lingshan couldn’t help but pinch Lin Pingzhi. “You men are the worst! You’ll risk anything just to take advantage of a girl.”

Lin Pingzhi sulked. ‘It’s not even my fault–why are you pinching me?’

Bu Tai glanced at Song Qingshu suspiciously. Every time he stumbled or lowered his head, he miraculously avoided Mu Wanqing’s sword. ‘Is this guy secretly a martial arts master?’

“Junior brother, we’d better take care of Li Mochou now, before things get more complicated,” Bu Tai said grimly, motioning for Hao Mi to flank Li Mochou from both sides.

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