Chapter 162: Supreme Detachment, Dragon Girl Captured
Warming hands by the solitary smoke, unfurling scrolls in the lingering snow.
Little Dragon Girl’s voice was childish and tender, yet clear and resonant, like tinkling silver bells.
“With a myriad of thoughts swirling, it is better to be still; with a hundred emotions entwined, it is better to forget. Returning to the origin, returning to the root, and fulfilling one’s destiny, then the spirit is complete and the qi is abundant. It is like fallen leaves returning to the root, quietly awaiting spring’s bloom; like waves subsiding into the sea, returning to clarity…”
“With a hundred emotions entwined, it is better to forget…”
“Why does Master read such books to me and my sister?” As the Young Dragon Girl rested her chin on her right hand, the snow light reflected off it, as if she were holding a white jade disc standing upright.
She had too many confusions. Why did practicing martial arts require forgetting emotions? If she truly followed her Master’s teachings, wouldn’t her sister have to forget Zhou Yan? Clearly, her sister often thought of him.
When her sister returned, she said Big Brother praised her for being smart. His words were so pleasant to hear, why should she forget?
Little Dragon Girl couldn’t figure it out. She closed the book, placed it on the rocks beside her, picked up a wooden sword, and walked to an open space. She formed a sword seal with her left hand, flicked her right hand holding the wooden sword, and swung out a neat arc.
“Cold Moon Peeks at Man,” “Wandering the World,” “Mulan Returns to Shoot”…
Every time the little Dragon Girl performed a move from the Jade Maiden Swordplay, she would announce the name of the sword style. Her wooden sword would either thrust, chop, or slash. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Although she was young, the swordplay she executed already possessed an elegant demeanor.
“Good swordplay.”
Suddenly, a male voice startled the forest birds into flight, and fine snow fluttered down from the branches.
Little Dragon Girl retracted her sword and looked. Two men approached together. The one on the left appeared slightly older, dressed in white, with a light fur coat and loose sash, his eyes slanted upwards, and his features handsome and refined. The one on the right wore a blue brocade robe, seemingly a little older than her sister, with a face like jade, very handsome.
A thought suddenly struck her: Zhou Yan had arrived.
In reality, it was Ouyang Ke and Helian Chuncheng.
Yang Kang had committed regicide, Wanyan Honglie had ascended the throne, and the situation was settled. The Jin Dynasty was about to move its capital. Ouyang Ke thought that once in Nanjing, there would inevitably be much busyness, and he truly couldn’t forget Li Mochou. Looking at her from afar, she was as bright as the sun rising in the morning glow; observing her up close, she was as radiant as a lotus emerging from a vast wave. How could the beautiful concubines by his side compare?
Moreover, Ouyang Ke was skilled at discerning a woman’s figure.
A woman’s charm lies in her waist, not just her face. The waist connects the upper and lower parts; a little more or less makes it vulgar. Li Mochou’s was precisely neither too much nor too little.
He was a man of strong desires, and when he had free time, his longing was even more intense, wishing he could sprout wings and fly to Zhongnan Mountain.
With the Jin imperial family moving its capital, Ouyang Ke would not travel with Yang Kang. He intended to travel from place to place, plundering beautiful women. However, after seeing Li Mochou, he felt that all other women in the world were merely common and vulgar. He then bid farewell to Ouyang Feng and Yang Kang, and took Helian Chuncheng and Ni Mo Xing to Zhongnan Mountain.
Helian Chuncheng, of course, was dedicated. He selected over ten martial arts experts from the Escort Agency and brought Yin Kexi along.
Ouyang Ke did not underestimate Li Mochou’s sect. Ni Mo Xing’s injuries were recovering quickly and would be healed by the time they arrived. Coupled with Helian Chuncheng, Yin Kexi, and over ten escorts, they were not afraid of the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen. A sect hidden in Zhongnan Mountain could not possibly be stronger than the Quanzhen Sect.
Helian Chuncheng was intimately familiar with the route to Zhongnan Mountain. Along the way, all the large and small escort agencies in the towns they passed, which followed the lead of the Changfeng Escort Agency, treated them with great hospitality.
Ouyang Ke thoroughly enjoyed himself. Upon reaching Zhongnan Mountain, Helian Chuncheng dispatched his men. Based on Ouyang Ke’s description of Li Mochou, they spent a large sum of money to search everywhere, and indeed found information about Li Mochou, who went out to purchase some provisions every ten days to half a month.
The escorts who frequently traveled for the escort agency were all experts at finding people. The more than ten people, based on the information they obtained, gradually narrowed down the search area to Zhongnan Mountain.
If Little Dragon Girl had not been practicing her sword, Ouyang Ke and his party might have overlooked the Ancient Tomb.
But everything happened by chance.
Ouyang Ke saw Little Dragon Girl from afar and was astonished, thinking she was a celestial child. Even at such a young age, she already displayed the beauty of a timeless maiden. He felt that the woman he couldn’t forget must have a great connection with this young girl.
Fearing he might startle Little Dragon Girl, Ouyang Ke told Yin Kexi, Ni Mo Xing, and the others to wait where they were, and he went forward with Helian Chuncheng.
The Young Master of White Camel Mountain was approachable when he wanted to be. He walked up to the little girl, crouched down, and smiled, “What a handsome swordplay?”
“Who are you?” Little Dragon Girl’s eyes were bright and pure.
“I am…” Ouyang Ke pondered. If Li Mochou had a connection with the girl before him, she would likely not be a superior. So he said, “A friend of your sister.”
“Ha, you are…” Little Dragon Girl was about to say Ouyang Ke was Zhou Yan, when suddenly her gaze lingered on Ouyang Ke for a moment. The words that came out of her mouth became, “Are you Big Brother Li Xiaolong?”
In her haste, Little Dragon Girl couldn’t come up with a more plausible name to test him, so she directly took Li Mochou’s surname and combined the characters “Xiao” and “Long” from her own name.
“Precisely!” Ouyang Ke thought to himself that this person named Li Xiaolong must be that woman’s lover, and he would kill him later.
Thinking this, he smiled and asked, “Where is your sister?”
“I’ll go find her.”
“Thank you.”
The Young Dragon Girl turned and walked towards the Ancient Tomb.
She was indeed sharp-witted. Seeing that Ouyang Ke was not carrying the Ox Horn Giant Bow, she became suspicious. However, being only four or five years old, she was flustered. As she neared the entrance of the Ancient Tomb, she couldn’t help but start running.
Helian Chuncheng, being a person of great intelligence and alertness, with a whoosh, his green figure moved like lightning, kicking up swirling grass like a tornado, “Little sister, stop.”
“Master, there are bad people.”
Two voices overlapped. Ouyang Ke gave a wry smile. He had been deceived by a four or five-year-old child. How had she seen through him?
Thinking this, Ouyang Ke used his family’s inherited Lightness Skill, “Instant Thousand Li.” His figure turned into a shuttle-like, electric-fast light white shadow, passing through the flying grass and falling towards Little Dragon Girl.
Further behind him, Yin Kexi and Ni Mo Xing also charged out.
Ouyang Ke and Helian Chuncheng, one in front and one behind.
The Young Master of Changfeng Escort Agency descended like a hawk, with a whoosh, behind Little Dragon Girl.
Little Dragon Girl actually responded with a move from the Jade Maiden Swordplay, “Mulan Returns to Pierce.” But the next moment, her tiger’s mouth trembled, and the wooden sword in her hand flew out, captured by Helian Chuncheng.
“Presumptuous!” A sharp voice suddenly rang out. The sound of a sword’s clang echoed. Helian Chuncheng retreated rapidly, and Ouyang Ke engaged in a fight with a figure who had rushed out of the Ancient Tomb.
The figure’s longsword unfurled, and a flash of cold light, like flowing colors, instantly enveloped Ouyang Ke.
“Brother Ni Mo, help.” Helian Chuncheng saw that the figure rushing over was a woman, about fifty years old, with a stern expression and narrow eyes, appearing to be an expert. He called for Ni Mo Xing to attack together.
Ni Mo Xing dared not be careless, drew his Snake Whip, and lunged forward.
As they fought, three figures rolled about. The iron snake whip danced and coiled in Ni Mo Xing’s hands, changing endlessly and appearing incredibly agile.
Ouyang Ke’s folding fan sometimes spun like a knife, and then it would tap, flick, point, and smear, striking at the opponent’s major acupoints. However, the opponent’s movements were elusive, like a startling swan’s phantom. Seen in front, then suddenly behind; when the sword move was initiated, the person was still to the left, but when defending, their body had already turned right. It was as if the sword was the sword, and the person was the person, completely unrelated. After only dozens of moves, Ouyang Ke and Ni Mo Xing were repeatedly in perilous situations.
Little Dragon Girl, afraid of distracting her Master, remained silent, her clear eyes fixed on the battle. However, with her cultivation, she couldn’t discern who was winning or losing.
After more than ten moves, Ouyang Ke felt reassured. The opponent’s cultivation was actually not much inferior to his own. Fighting together with Ni Mo Xing, they were initially thrown into disarray, mainly because the opponent’s agility was swift, like a ghost, and their swordplay was unprecedented, causing them to be temporarily suppressed.
Ni Mo Xing’s cultivation was slightly inferior to Ouyang Ke’s, but superior to Helian Chuncheng’s. His eyesight was naturally keen, and he also saw the situation. He laughed during the fight, “You startled me, but it’s nothing much.”
“Brother Ni Mo, let’s finish this quickly.”
“Alright!”
Ni Mo Xing’s iron snake circled, entwining the woman’s longsword. The woman’s longsword slightly straightened, its tip trembling a few times. With a move called “Splitting Flowers and Brushing Willows,” she feigned left but struck right, pointing at Ni Mo Xing’s throat. Just as she exerted force to push forward, Ouyang Ke’s left hand suddenly swept away the woman’s sword, and his right hand struck out with a punch.
The woman’s sword move changed abruptly, slashing towards Ouyang Ke’s arm. However, Ouyang Ke’s arm seemed to bend softly wherever it pleased. It suddenly changed direction, bypassed the longsword, and his fist struck the woman’s chest.
Ouyang Ke’s blow was charged with power. The woman was sent tumbling backward.
Before she could get up, Helian Chuncheng, who had handed Little Dragon Girl over to the escorts, rushed over. The tip of his spear dipped downwards. As the woman rolled, the spear tip pursued her body, stabbing several times, and then swept horizontally. The spear shaft solidly struck the woman.
Her gray figure suddenly rolled away and disappeared into the Ancient Tomb.
Ouyang Ke caught up, and suddenly cold light flashed within his sight. Having suffered from the Jade Peak Needle before, he leaped up. More than ten fine needles whizzed past his soles and landed on the ground behind him.
“Vicious hidden weapons, be careful.”
Ouyang Ke landed and threw out a silver shuttle. With a clang, it struck the stone wall, indicating it was made of metal.
Ouyang Ke said, “They originally lived in a stone cave, so it’s difficult to capture them.”
Helian Chuncheng smiled, “With the little girl in hand, we don’t need to worry about them hiding.”
“That’s right!” Ouyang Ke smiled. “This old woman’s swordplay is skillful, but her Internal Force is much inferior, so she is not a threat.”
Saying this, he walked to Little Dragon Girl’s side, “Where did your senior sister go? Is there anyone else in the stone cave?”
“Bad people!”
“Heh, you look good even when you’re fierce,” Ouyang Ke praised Little Dragon Girl’s appearance.
“Shall we interrogate her?” Yin Kexi suggested.
“Forget it. What a pretty little thing. With her in hand, we don’t have to worry about the other party not showing up,” Ouyang Ke said.
“Then we’ll wait by the stump for the rabbit,” Helian Chuncheng proposed.
“Excellent.”
More than ten escorts from the Changfeng Escort Agency surrounded them, each taking their position, tightly sealing off the perimeter of the Ancient Tomb. Inside the tomb passage, Lin Chaoying’s maid, with blood at the corner of her mouth, took pills from a porcelain bottle and then sat leaning against the wall, regulating her breath to stabilize her injuries.
She practiced the Ancient Tomb Cultivation Technique and did not show her emotions, nor did she worry about Little Dragon Girl’s safety. She could hear Ouyang Ke and the others talking clearly outside the Ancient Tomb. She guessed that these people were after Li Mochou and would wait for the disciples returning from their down-mountain procurement to rescue Little Dragon Girl.
To further refine the rescue plan, Lin Chaoying’s maid couldn’t think of anything. She had never left Zhongnan Mountain before. Her experience of the Jianghu and her worldly wisdom were even less than Li Mochou’s when she first emerged.
…
In the black night, birds spread their wings and flew across the night sky. Under the half-round moon, the ridges of Zhongnan Mountain stretched out. The creeks and rivers scattered in the valleys looked like silver silk strewn across the earth under the starlight.
Amidst the crackling sound of burning branches, the air was filled with the aroma of roasting.
“Eat meat.”
Ouyang Ke tore off a rabbit leg and offered it to Little Dragon Girl.
Little Dragon Girl turned her head away.
“Heh, spirited,” Ouyang Ke smiled and began to eat himself. The Young Dragon Girl looked at the deep mountain forest, wondering if her sister had returned yet.
Her sister was smart. Seeing that she had been captured, she wouldn’t act rashly. Perhaps she was lurking in the shadows.
“I want water and fire.”
“Bad luck. Take her.” Ouyang Ke said.
An escort led Little Dragon Girl towards the nearby woods.
Deep within the forest, Zhou Yan’s gaze was sharp and calm as he watched Ouyang Ke and the others outside the Ancient Tomb.
Riding alone for a thousand li, his magnificent “Night-Shining Jade Lion” had bought him considerable time.
Although Zhou Yan didn’t know the exact location of the Ancient Tomb, he knew it was in the back of Zhongnan Mountain. Combined with the location of the main hall of the Quanzhen Sect, it wasn’t difficult to find, which saved more time.
Even so, he only arrived after nightfall, approaching by following the campfire.
As a result, he saw Little Dragon Girl being captured.
He didn’t recognize Little Dragon Girl, but it was easy to distinguish.
He didn’t see Li Mochou or Lin Chaoying’s maid.
However, since Ouyang Ke and the others were lurking outside the Ancient Tomb, he assumed they were all still alive.
Zhou Yan, having calmed down, hid in the forest, waiting for an opportunity to rescue Little Dragon Girl.
