A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 460 Breakthrough
"Miss Duanmu."

Just as Duanmu Rong returned to the medical manor, Gai Nie's voice rang in her ears. Duanmu Rong paused and turned to look at the source of the voice, only to see Gai Nie standing in the courtyard with his sword in hand.

“Miss Duanmu, I am truly sorry. It was my fault that I led the people of Liusha here.”

Gai Nie apologized, but Duanmu Rong said, "Sword Saint alone is probably not enough to warrant such a grand display from Quicksand and Ying Zheng. Mr. Gai Nie is overestimating himself. Instead of apologizing here, you should have people prepare to leave. Mirror Lake Medical Manor can't stop them."

Duanmu Rong spoke coldly and walked towards the bamboo house. Seeing this, Gai Nie remained silent, turned around and returned to the residence that Gao Yue had prepared for him and Tianming. Looking at the sleeping Tianming, Gai Nie helped him cover himself with the quilt. Just then, he suddenly heard a rustling sound from outside. Gai Nie hurriedly woke Tianming up. The latter rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "Uncle, what's wrong?"

"follow me."

As Gai Nie pulled Tianming, who was dressed, out of the room, they saw Shao Yu and the others also come out. Under the moonlight and the lights in the courtyard, they saw colorful poisonous snakes swimming towards the bamboo building.

"Chi Lian's methods are truly remarkable. The snakes outside are kept out by the medicinal powder, yet she can utilize the venomous snakes around the medical manor. Miss Duanmu, what should we do?"

Fan Zeng stared at the dense swarm of snakes with a grim expression. He felt a chill run down his spine and goosebumps rose all over his body. It would be difficult to eliminate so many snakes with just their numbers. If they were to be bitten by one of these venomous snakes, their lives would be in danger.

“These are just ordinary venomous snakes. There is snake repellent outside the bamboo house, so they won’t be able to get in for a while. Mr. Fan, take this opportunity to leave here with your men. Head three miles east, where there is a simple stronghold of the Mo family. Once you get there, hand this over to them, and they will know what to do.”

Duanmu Rong led Fan Zeng and the others to the bottom floor of the central bamboo building. She activated a mechanism, revealing a dark secret passage on the ground. She removed a silver hairpin from her hair, gave Fan Zeng a few instructions, and told them to leave quickly with their people.

"Okay, I'll get there as soon as possible, Miss Duanmu, please be careful."

Fan Zeng knew this was not the time to decline or be modest. He clasped his hands in a salute to Duanmu Rong and led Shao Yu, Xiang Liang, and the rest of the people into the secret passage. Duanmu Rong looked at Gai Nie, who was not moving at all, frowned, and said coldly, "Why don't you leave quickly? Are you going to get in my way?"

“Miss Duanmu, I believe I have some martial arts skills and can still be of some help. If you are left here alone, it will be difficult to stop the people of the Quicksand and the Empire.”

Seeing Duanmu Rong's increasingly pale face, Gai Nie continued, "Even if Miss Duanmu doesn't care about her own life, does she not care about Yue'er's safety either?"

Duanmu Rong was taken aback by what she heard. Looking at Gao Yue, who was clutching her clothes, her expression softened. She looked up at Gai Nie and snorted coldly, "Since you have such courage, then stay. But I'll make it clear beforehand that if you get injured, I won't come to your rescue."

Upon hearing this, Gai Nie simply nodded and said nothing more, then gripped Tianming's hand tightly.

In the dead of night, the Mirror Lake Medical Manor was surrounded by a swarm of snakes, and a foul stench continued to spread. After a stalemate of half an hour, the defenses of the Mirror Lake Medical Manor were gradually breached. First, a large blue python, about ten feet long, crashed into the gate. Although it was pierced seven inches by flying needles, more venomous snakes sprang out of its body and mixed with the previous swarm, beginning to launch a systematic attack on the bamboo building.

“These snakes are much more intelligent than the previous ones. The powder outside can no longer harm them. You stay here and watch over the two of them. I'll be right back.”

Duanmu Rong knew Gai Nie's martial arts skills well, so she entrusted Gao Yue to his care. After giving Gao Yue a few instructions, she slipped out of the bamboo building and went to her room. She carried out a pottery jar that was about half a person's height, opened the lid, and saw that it was filled with black powder. Duanmu Rong reached out and grabbed a handful, then sprinkled it down. The powder landed among the snakes, and in no time, the snakes became violently agitated and began to bite desperately.

Seeing that the powder was working, Duanmu Rong's expression relaxed slightly. She followed suit and sprinkled the powder all around the bamboo house. Before long, the snakes' attack suddenly slowed down.

"Miss Duanmu, what is this?"

Gai Nie looked at the remaining half-jar of powder in Duanmu Rong's hand and was surprised. He couldn't help but ask, "Chi Lian's snake-controlling technique is unparalleled in the world. I have never seen anyone who can suppress her."

"A dream come true."

Duanmu Rong only said these four words and then fell silent. Gai Nie did not ask any more questions. Tianming and Gao Yue, who were standing to the side, seemed unaware of the dangerous situation and were chatting happily. Duanmu Rong listened to their laughter and was touched. After all, youth is still the most joyful time. When you become an adult, all that remains is responsibility and commitment.

The power of this "Dream of Intoxication" was indeed extraordinary. After a night, as the sun rose, the snake swarm retreated like a tide, leaving behind a thick layer of snake carcasses. The once clean and tidy medical manor was left in a mess after being ravaged by the snakes. In particular, the dead snake carcasses, with their venom and blood seeping into the ground, emitted a nauseating stench that even the medicine pouches could not conceal. What worried Duanmu Rong even more was that the thick fog that had enveloped the medical manor began to dissipate.

"At this rate, the thick fog will break by tonight at the latest. Without the fog to cover us, and with the snakes attacking, the medical manor will definitely not be able to hold out. We can only hope that the Mo family can come to our aid as soon as possible."

Although Duanmu Rong was anxious, she did not show it on her face. However, this could not be hidden from Gai Nie. He walked to Duanmu Rong's side, looked at the dilapidated medical manor, and said in a deep voice: "We can hold out for one more day at most. When the Mo family no longer comes to our aid, I will protect you and help you leave this place."

The reason why Duanmu Rong didn't leave immediately was because Jinghu Medical Manor was the culmination of her master's life's work. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she couldn't give up. When Gai Nie said this, Duanmu Rong replied expressionlessly, "Even if I have to leave, I want to leave something behind for Ying Zheng's henchmen."

Seeing Gai Nie's furrowed brows, Duanmu Rong said coldly, "What, does this Sword Saint still harbor illusions about Ying Zheng?"

Hearing Duanmu Rong's sarcastic remarks, Gai Nie said calmly, "If we leave cleanly and decisively, this place may be preserved. But if we insist on destroying everything, this medical manor will only become a wasteland. The goal of Liusha and the Empire is very clear: it has always been the Mo family."

"you!"

Duanmu Rong snorted coldly and turned away.

Outside the Mirror Lake Medical Manor, Chi Lian stroked the small red snake in her hand. After a while, she came to Wei Zhuang and replied, "Lord Wei Zhuang, the plan has been completed. If there are no unexpected events, we will be able to capture Gai Nie alive."

"An accident? Ha, is it the Mo family? This is not something we should be concerned about. Gongshu Chou will deal with the Mo family's mechanical beasts."

Chi Lian said yes, and stood quietly beside him, looking at the calm lake.

Elsewhere, Gongshu Chou watched the thick fog gradually dissipate, his eyes gleaming. This Mirror Lake Medical Manor was just an appetizer. With this bait, he wasn't afraid that the Mo family wouldn't come.

"Old man Ban, let's see if your non-aggressive mechanical techniques are more powerful, or my domineering mechanical techniques are superior." Time flew by, the moon was high in the sky, and the stars filled the sky. Wei Zhuang reached out and threw a feather, which drifted away with the wind and landed in Mirror Lake.

"The time has come."

With a soft voice, Chi Lian replied "Yes," and a small snake on her arm swam into the lake and disappeared in the blink of an eye. At the same time, Gongshu Chou sensed the strong wind blowing and came to Wei Zhuang's side. After paying his respects, Gongshu Chou said, "Chief Wei Zhuang, the boat is ready. You may board now."

As she spoke, she gestured and led Wei Zhuang and the others from the Flowing Sands to the shore. There, they saw a large, one-foot-long cloud-shaped boat with a prow, covered in copper, sitting in the lake. After they boarded the boat, Chi Lian discovered that it had no sails or oars, yet it moved swiftly. She couldn't help but marvel at it. The Gongshu family's mechanical skills were truly unparalleled. No wonder Ying Zheng valued him so highly.

"Master Gongshu, I am very curious about mechanical arts. Could you please explain a little about them to me?"

Chi Lian glanced at Wei Zhuang standing at the bow of the ship, then turned to look at Gongshu Chou.

"Why not?"

Gongshu Chou loved learning from good people, and now that the famous Chi Lian was taking the initiative to learn, Gongshu Chou chuckled a few times and then gave Chi Lian a detailed introduction to some not-so-secret knowledge about mechanisms. After listening, the latter was immediately amazed, especially after watching Gongshu Chou demonstrate the various forms of his mechanical hands.

"This mechanical umbrella is one of my masterpieces. It is made entirely of bronze and steel, and even divine weapons cannot leave a mark on it. In addition, there are countless needles in the eighteen ribs. If you are hit by one, you will be seriously injured even if you are not dead."

Gongshu Chou smugly touched the mechanical umbrella, looked at Chi Lian with burning eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then took out a square red cube from his cloth bag and handed it to Chi Lian.

"This is a little gadget that I made in my spare time. If Lord Chilian doesn't mind, please take it and play with it."

Chi Lian first glanced at Wei Zhuang, and seeing that he didn't react, she casually took the block. Holding it in her hand, she noticed a circular protrusion in the center of the block. Chi Lian pressed it, and the block made a few clicking sounds. Startled, Chi Lian landed on the boat. The instant she landed, the block underwent a magical transformation, turning into a three-foot-long mechanical snake with protruding fangs and gleaming eyes. At first glance, it was terrifying.

"This is a small mechanical snake. Although it is not as powerful as the large mechanical snake, it can be quite useful in some narrow places."

Gongshu Chou squatted down, touched the mechanical snake, and explained it to Chi Lian.

"The fog has lifted."

Bai Feng landed on the bow of the boat and spoke to Wei Zhuang. The latter nodded in response. He watched as the turbid fog was blown away by the strong wind and looked at Gongshu Chou. Upon seeing this, Gongshu Chou immediately took out a bronze compass, fiddled with it for a few moments, asked Bai Feng a few questions, and then set it up according to a specific orientation. After the pointer spun several times, it finally stopped at a certain spot.

"The medical clinic is located five miles ahead."

After being shown the correct direction, the boat sped off even faster.

Just as Wei Zhuang and the others were heading towards Jinghu Medical Manor, Duanmu Rong was already in trouble. Looking at the poisonous gas permeating the manor, which even snake repellent medicine could not suppress, she knew that she had fallen for Chi Lian's trick. The snake corpses gathered together and mixed together to produce a kind of poisonous gas that made people feel weak. Now, she was only able to barely suppress the poison with the pills in her inventory.

"Miss Duanmu!"

Seeing that Duanmu Rong was about to faint, Gai Nie quickly supported her and gave an order to Tianming and Gao Yue. The two of them immediately went to the depths of the bamboo building and obediently stayed in the medicinal pool that Duanmu Rong had prepared in advance.

With one palm pressed against Duanmu Rong's back, a surge of powerful energy flowed into her body, slowly dissolving the invading poison. After a while, Duanmu Rong opened her eyes, looked at Gai Nie's magnified face, and was startled. She pushed him away forcefully.

"The poison gas has permeated the entire village; we can no longer stay here."

Gai Nie stood up and said to Duanmu Rong in a deep voice. The latter was silent for a moment, then nodded and walked into the bamboo building. The two brought Tianming and Gao Yue out and covered their mouths and noses with silk cloth soaked in medicine. The four of them carefully went down to the bottom floor. Just as Duanmu Rong opened the secret passage, a large patterned python suddenly sprang out from the outside, its blood-red mouth biting at the four of them. A foul smell hit them, and Tianming and Gao Yue trembled in fear. Duanmu Rong's face also changed drastically.

With a hiss, the giant python was instantly torn apart, but not a drop of blood spilled out. Gai Nie sheathed his sword, stood looking outside, and said to Duanmu Rong without turning around, "Take them down, I'll cover the rear."

Duanmu Rong was taken aback upon hearing this, then nodded, reached out and stopped Tianming, who was trying to break free, and led him and Gao Yue into the secret passage. Just after the three disappeared, the rustling sound outside grew louder and louder. Gai Nie's sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his figure moved instantly as he rushed out. He saw several large pythons raising their bodies in the courtyard, their slender snake eyes staring at Gai Nie.

With the Yuanhong sword in hand, its blade gleaming, Gai Nie slashed outwards, unleashing a wave of sword energy that swept across the courtyard. The giant pythons, unable to dodge, were instantly torn to pieces, their scattered flesh staining the courtyard crimson, and a stench so foul it made one want to vomit.

"As expected of the renowned Sword Saint, I admire you greatly."

A seductive laugh came from outside. Gai Nie looked closely and saw Chi Lian holding a chain sword. Just then, a cold aura suddenly descended from the sky. Gai Nie dodged, and a feather shot straight to his feet, no more than an inch away.

As Bai Feng's attack subsided, Yin Fu's deadly flying hook attacked again. The chilling light made Gai Nie's face turn pale. The latter looked at the flying hook and swiftly slapped his sword. With a clang, the hook was blasted away by a burst of true energy, and Yin Fu behind him was also shaken, causing his blood to surge and fall from the treetop.

"Junior brother, now that you're here, show yourself."

Gai Nie glanced at Chi Lian and the other two, and spoke calmly to the outside. Just as he finished speaking, a majestic figure in black robes walked slowly in from outside.

"Senior brother, long time no see."

Wei Zhuang gripped the Shark Tooth tightly, looked at the familiar figure opposite him, and let out a cold snort. His fighting spirit continued to rise, and in an instant, a murderous aura enveloped the entire scene. A powerful force swept across the entire area, forcing Bai Feng and the other two to retreat continuously.

(End of this chapter)