Volume Three: A Hundred Things Changed with the Spring Breeze
Sharing Hardships
I finally couldn’t hold back. Seeing her injured, how could I continue to hide my martial arts skills?
The sword’s laughter change the winds and clouds, the blood-red setting sun dyes the maple river. Crimson spreads across the cracked dry river, like the flowers of hell, as the assassins’ bodies fall one by one, yet they continue their stubborn resistance. This group of death warriors targets Qin Junlan and Liu Qianxun, vowing not to rest until their goal is achieved.
The saying goes, two fists cannot fight four hands; whose clothes remain unstained by blood? All who come are experts, moving from handling with ease to gradually slowing down. Li Yue and Jiang Wei are at their sides, one protecting Qin Junlan, the other close to Liu Qianxun, while Qin Junlan’s hand never releases Liu Qianxun. She seems to forget that Liu Qianxun is also skilled in martial arts, focusing solely on ensuring her safety.
Ye Ming, dragging the unconscious Bai Ruoxi, also finds it difficult, afraid of being injured by hidden swords if she carries her on her back, and afraid of disturbing her if held in her arms, unable to fully wield her fast sword.
“They are all tired, seize the opportunity and attack!” The leader’s eyes are sharp, using a human wave tactic to wear down the few, then gradually defeat them.
In a flash, confrontation is imminent. Qin Junlan lightly taps her toes, picks up a sword from the ground, and points it directly at the leader, “If you want to take my life, you must see if you have the skill!” After speaking, her wrist rotates, and the sword, like a swimming dragon, spins in her hand, creating countless sword shadows, making it hard to discern real from fake.
Before the black-clad men could see clearly where her sword was, she had already sealed their throats with a single stroke. The silk-thin wound at their throats soaked their necks, and the two fell instantly.
The empress’s skill is actually so high? The leader of the black-clad men was shocked! Seeing that few of his subordinates remained, he blew a whistle, and in the blink of an eye, over ten more black-clad men appeared.
“Never-ending, is it!” Li Yue shouted angrily, swinging her sword directly at the attackers’ crowns. She took out a signal from her bosom and launched it into the sky, notifying the shadow guards to come to the rescue.
“Today, whoever comes will be killed! Come one hundred, kill one hundred!” Qin Junlan’s eyes were like those of a bloodthirsty lion or tiger, the mottled blood drops splattering on her cheeks did nothing to diminish her stunning beauty. Qin Junlan rarely used a sword, and her set of flying shadow sword techniques was Yi Qingyu’s original creation, never used before today. Her exceptional martial arts skills shocked everyone.
Under the leader’s guidance, the black-clad men changed their formation again. Five people formed an encircling position, like a human wall, with a dense rain of swords, without flaw or gap, as if sword light could spring from all around at any moment. Only by neither attacking nor defending was it already difficult, especially since everyone had someone they wanted to protect, inevitably leading to distraction.
Liu Qianxun clenched her fists tightly, watching as Qin Junlan faced the enemy herself, bravely resisting, yet always keeping her in a safe area, even at the cost of putting herself in danger.
Why does she want to be so good to her? Liu Qianxun did not know whether to be happy or worried, faced with such a contradictory reality. She approached Qin Junlan with painstaking effort, slowly gaining her trust after much hardship, but inside she suddenly became afraid, fearing the day Qin Junlan might learn the truth. Before this, with every risk, she always cared for her, a dangerous signal that Liu Qianxun could not ignore; she could not fall into Qin Junlan’s gentle trap.
As the schemer, how could she let herself fall into the trap? She desperately controlled her impulse to act, trying harder to suppress the urge to protect Qin Junlan.
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“Xun’er!” Suddenly, she heard Qin Junlan call out, and she stepped forward, unable to draw her sword in time. She raised her arm, forcibly blocking the sword flying towards Liu Qianxun.
Fresh blood soaked her white clothing, and beneath the sleeve cut by the sword, the wound was clearly visible, with blood continuously flowing!
“Yan’er!” Liu Qianxun’s heart suddenly ached, as she saw that pale arm vaguely visible, only to see the white clothes turning into a red garment. This sword seemed to pierce into Liu Qianxun’s heart, the flowing bright red spreading to her hand, burning her with pain.
“I am fine!” Qin Junlan, however, was indifferent, gripping the sword backhand to counterattack, but that person easily dodged it. This sword formation was like a copper wall and iron wall, capable of attacking when advancing and defending when retreating, making it difficult to injure them, weakening combat power, and gradually exhausting one’s stamina and true energy.
Liu Qianxun’s pupils gradually constricted; though it was clearly a June day, it gave people a feeling of cold wind and piercing chill. She slowly raised her palm, true energy gathering in her hand, towards the black-clothed person who stabbed Qin Junlan. That person originally stood stably within the sword formation, yet suddenly felt a strong suction force pulling him out, like a tree being uprooted, his body uncontrollably flying towards Liu Qianxun. Her palm, like a whirlwind, using her inner strength, captured him like a hunter into her palm, her fingertips turning into sharp weapons, pinching his throat.
His hands had no place to exert force, only feeling Liu Qianxun choking his life gate, his entire body unable to move. His sword dropped, his limbs slightly trembling, his toes already off the ground, his whole body suspended by Liu Qianxun, with his breathing gradually weakening, only feeling those ghostly deep pupils staring at him.
“Who sent you?!” Her ghostly cold voice emitted heavy angry words, like murmurs after forcibly suppressing anger, enough to awe people’s hearts.
“Mm~” The black-clothed person could not make any sound, and Liu Qianxun suddenly curled the corner of her lips lightly, rotating her wrist, and the sound of neck bones breaking was heard. The black-clothed person stared wide-eyed, dying with eyes open, staring at the sky.
Liu Qianxun gave the black-clothed person no chance to breathe, sinking her energy to the dantian and circulating it upwards. Her body moved gracefully like an immortal, transforming internal force into attack, her palms like wind and sword. With Liu Qianxun’s light and graceful figure changing rapidly, that palm strike sent out, three people within the sword formation fell. Those three had not yet reacted in time, the swords in their hands unknowingly pulled away, and when they returned to their senses, the swords were already inserted into their own chests, ending their lives.
“Withdraw formation!” The leader, seeing the situation was not right, hurriedly gave the next instruction, not expecting such an expert hidden among these people. But how could Liu Qianxun give him a chance? Everyone understands the principle of capturing the thief by capturing the king first, and by opening his mouth, he pushed himself into an abyss.
Liu Qianxun moved lightly among the black-clothed people, each palm strike hitting vital points directly, killing several people in moments. The leader, seeing the situation was dire, hastily waved his sword to block, barely defending a few moves. When he wanted to turn defense into attack, Liu Qianxun lightly pinched the sword blade with two fingers, effortlessly breaking the sword. She gracefully turned and swiftly moved to his back, and he only felt a gentle fragrant breeze, then a chill on his neck.
He slightly bent his knees, and his pupils gradually lost their luster. At first glance, there seemed to be no wound, yet he was already dead. When he fell, fresh blood surged, his neck artery cut, pouring like water, and the corpse twitched endlessly.
Seeing their leader killed, the remaining dozen black-clothed people immediately descended into chaos, like a headless dragon without directions, and could only retreat. Liu Qianxun alone broke the enemy’s formation, leaving everyone shocked. Li Yue was dazed and in a trance, noticing Qin Junlan’s eyes also slightly changed, fearing that no one beside the master could match Liu Qianxun’s skills.
As the assassins had just left, the shadow guards arrived, and Li Yue angrily scolded, “Are you here to save the master, or to see the assassins off? Why aren’t you checking?”
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“Yes!” Two shadow guards immediately began to investigate, while the remaining few started to examine the corpses.
“Yan’er, how are you?” Liu Qianxun’s aura slightly retracted, her eyes showing worry, as she tore a strip of cloth from her clothes to bind the wound. Fresh blood spread to the back of her hand, the intense pain making Qin Junlan sweat on her forehead, her lips gradually turning pale. This arm wound was not as severe as the sword wound from their first encounter, yet it was very uncomfortable.
“I am fine, Xun’er, don’t worry. Are you okay?” Qin Junlan’s eyelids felt heavy, and she began to weaken, while Jiang Wei, injured in the fight, had already fainted.
Liu Qianxun noticed her abnormality and hurriedly checked her arm wound again, seeing the skin and flesh split open with the blood flowing nonstop. She dipped a finger in the blood, rubbed it, and found the color slightly blue. Bringing the blood to her nose and sniffing it, she sensed something was wrong. She immediately tore Qin Junlan’s sleeve off, revealing skin like congealed fat covered in fresh blood. Liu Qianxun bent down and held her wound with her mouth.
“Xun’er, you…” Qin Junlan felt a sharp pain from the wound, making it hard to breathe, and she couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan. Her arm, due to Liu Qianxun’s lips’ movement, felt a tingling pleasure.
Pain mixed with pleasure was nothing more than this. Liu Qianxun quickly realized the wound was poisoned, fearing that each assassin’s sword was smeared with poison to weaken combat power when wounded, thus achieving victory faster. She sucked out the poisoned blood mouthful by mouthful. Li Yue made a gesture, and the shadow guards imitated him, treating Jiang Wei’s wound.
“Xun’er, don’t do this…” Qin Junlan was reluctant for her to do so, but her limbs were weak and unable to stop her. Liu Qianxun’s detoxifying method, like a kiss but not a kiss, made Qin Junlan feel both heartache and joy. This was a true expression of shared hardship, something an ordinary person could not fake. At this moment, Qin Junlan felt she truly cared so much, but using this method, how could she bear it?
Liu Qianxun sucked out all the poisoned blood, her vermilion lips turning gradually blue. She sealed her own acupoint, preventing the poison from spreading within her body. She supported Qin Junlan and sat behind her, “Yan’er, focus and gather your energy, I will expel the poison for you.”
“You yourself…”
“I am fine.” Liu Qianxun passed her hand like a Buddha, gathering internal force in her palm, slowly channeling it into Qin Junlan’s body, pushing the poison to the arm wound, transforming it into poisoned blood flowing out.
Li Yue was urgently anxious, a feeling of defeat never before experienced overwhelmed her heart, as the master was injured again, all because of Liu Qianxun, yet at the critical moment, it was Liu Qianxun who saved her. She was only anxious, as Liu Qianxun’s martial arts were deep and immeasurable, hidden for so long, what was her true intention?
But at this moment, Li Yue had no time to doubt Liu Qianxun’s identity. Qin Junlan’s wound was not severe, but how serious was the poison?
“In the future, do not block swords for me, understand? Your safety is more important than anyone else’s.” Liu Qianxun’s soft words came by her ear, her breath like an orchid, yet refreshing to the heart. Qin Junlan slightly moved the corner of her lips, “Such a minor wound is not worth mentioning, as long as you are fine. How is Jiang Wei?”
Even at this time, she was still concerned about her subordinates.
Liu Qianxun withdrew her palm and gathered her energy, the color of the wound’s blood had already returned to normal, and Qin Junlan’s complexion gradually recovered.
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“Must it be a matter of life and death to count as important?” Liu Qianxun stood up, her tone unhappy. She remembered the first orchestrated encounter, where a subordinate injured Qin Junlan. At that time, she was so indifferent, but now she felt her own softness and reluctance.
“Don’t be angry, am I not fine now?” Qin Junlan slowly got up, and Li Yue hurriedly stepped forward to support her.
She walked to Liu Qianxun’s side and found that her lip color had returned to normal. Previous tests had been easily avoided, and if Liu Qianxun truly intended to hide her martial arts, it would indeed be difficult to verify. Only today, on the brink of life and death, she finally couldn’t help but take action.
Perhaps after more time, she will be able to see this person more clearly.
Liu Qianxun looked into the distant depths, falling into deep thought, knowing that the people of the Shura Sect were watching everything. Ling Yu, do you truly believe in my skills so much, that today, even when besieged in such a situation, you did not take action, or is it that the assassins are somehow connected to you?
She increasingly could not understand Ling Yu’s thoughts and felt that she was gradually drifting further away from her. In the unfamiliar world, she never thought that one day things between them would reach such a point.