A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 537 Ghostly Night
Li Ruozhou descended into the dense forest of the mountain peak. Looking up, he saw Lü Qingzhu standing under a tree not far away, carrying a dim, yellowish lamp.

Li Ruozhou was surprised and looked around. The dense forest was quiet and there was no unusual activity. "Miss Qingzhu, why did you bring me to this desolate mountain wilderness?"

Lu Qingzhu stood holding a lantern, looked at Li Ruozhou, smiled slightly, and said, "Isn't it easier to get things done in the desolate mountains and wilderness?"

Li Ruozhou's breath hitched, and his gaze became somewhat fixed.

In this desolate wilderness, in the pitch-black forest, is the person standing with a lantern a ghost or a fairy?

Li Ruozhou didn't know if she was a ghost or a fairy; all he knew was that Lü Qingzhu was breathtakingly beautiful.

In this desolate wilderness, she stood alone with a lantern, the surrounding misty night adding to the mystery and allure of the beautiful woman before her...

Li Ruozhou had seduced countless women, but he had never experienced such a mesmerizing and alluring atmosphere. Even worse, Lü Qingzhu was now walking towards him, carrying a lantern, her clothes fluttering in the twilight, the lamplight illuminating her stunningly beautiful face. Was a fairy and a devil truly the same person?

Lu Qingzhu had already walked up to Li Ruozhou. Li Ruozhou stared blankly at Lu Qingzhu. For the first time, he was completely dumbfounded in front of a woman.

The Lü Qingzhu before my eyes is breathtakingly beautiful!
Lu Qingzhu suddenly raised her left hand and touched Li Ruozhou's face.

When her fingertips touched his cheek, Li Ruozhou couldn't help but tremble. Lü Qingzhu's fingertips were icy and smooth, just like icicles hanging from the eaves in winter.

“Miss Qingzhu…” Li Ruozhou looked at Lü Qingzhu in front of him and couldn’t help but swallow.

He was about to say something when he suddenly stopped, because his soul seemed to be trembling slightly as Lü Qingzhu's icy yet smooth fingertips traced his cheek and then moved to the back of his neck, where they caressed him.

A tingling, numbing, and cold sensation came over him. He saw that Lü Qingzhu in front of him had her lips pursed, her eyes serious, as if looking into the void, while her hand was stroking the back of Li Ruozhou's neck...

Because Lü Qingzhu held that position for a slightly longer time, after the initial tremor in his soul subsided, a hint of doubt flashed in Li Ruozhou's eyes.

Just then, he suddenly heard the sound of a spring snapping.

"Crack!"

The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet night, it sounded very harsh to Li Ruozhou, like a muffled thunderclap.

Lü Qingzhu had already leaped into the air and flown backward, lantern in hand, her clothes fluttering. The dim light illuminated her face, which was cold and beautiful but expressionless.

Li Ruozhou's heart skipped a beat. She saw that Lü Qingzhu's left hand was holding an old-fashioned object that gleamed with a bronze color.

He knew that thing all too well, because it was the longevity lock he had carried with him since childhood, and it had never left his side for more than twenty years.

"How can this be!?"

A chill ran through Li Ruozhou's body. How could Lü Qingzhu have unlocked the mechanism of that longevity lock in such a short time?!
But there was no time for him to think about it anymore!

That longevity lock was extremely important to him!

"Miss Qingzhu! This item is extremely important to me, please return it!"

With a soft shout, Li Ruozhou leaped into the air, his movements as swift as a ghost, and reached for the longevity lock in Lü Qingzhu's hand!

But at that moment, a flash of silver light appeared before his eyes, and a hand gleaming with silver light flicked at his wrist, then slid across his chest.

Li Ruozhou's aura became chaotic, and he was sent flying backward. After landing, he took two steps back to regain his balance.

He looked up in astonishment and saw a tall man standing beside Lü Qingzhu. The man's hands seemed to be wearing some kind of strange gloves that gleamed with a cold, white light. He was dressed in a blue skirt and had his hair styled like a maid's. However, under the lamplight, his face was extremely ugly. Even among men, he would be considered a fierce and evil-looking person!

Li Ruozhou was astonished that the person had arrived so suddenly and repelled him with a single move! Clearly, he was a master!

"Who are you?" Li Ruozhou looked at the person standing next to Lü Qingzhu and shouted coldly with a fierce expression.

The man stared at Li Ruozhou with only a pair of cold eyes, seemingly having no intention of answering him at all.

Lu Qingzhu replied, "She is my personal maid, Amo, who has been with me since I was a child! Young Master Li suddenly attacked me just now, so naturally she wouldn't stand by and watch me be bullied!"

Li Ruozhou's expression softened. He recognized the name Amo; he had seen it in the documents before. It seemed that Amo had practiced a kind of external martial art called the Eight Vajra Technique since childhood and was indeed Lü Qingzhu's personal maid.

At this moment, Lü Qingzhu was playing with the longevity lock in her hand by the light of the lantern.

Li Ruozhou coldly said, "Miss Qingzhu, this item is an heirloom of my ancestors. Please return it!"

Lü Qingzhu said, "It's an heirloom, I think it's nothing special!"

Li Ruozhou frowned, then suddenly flashed forward, about to make another move, but as soon as he moved, A Mo suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his way.

Looking at Lü Qingzhu and Amo in front of him, Li Ruozhou's mind was in turmoil: How exactly did Lü Qingzhu unlock the mechanism of his longevity lock? Was it just a coincidence?
Li Ruozhou suddenly released his divine sense, enveloping the surrounding area. He found nothing unusual in the dense forest, then looked at Lü Qingzhu and asked with hidden anger, "Miss, you brought me here late at night and took the longevity lock passed down through my Tianyan Sect's Li family. May I ask, what is your intention?"

Lu Qingzhu gripped the longevity lock in her hand and said, "What do you intend to do? Good question! I don't care about this broken lock at all. I brought you here for the purpose of our marriage!"

Seeing Lü Qingzhu's solemn expression, Li Ruozhou's eyes flickered. Lü Qingzhu had said the same thing on the platform halfway up Cuiwei Peak.

Lü Qingzhu said, "Qingzhu doesn't care about those worldly formalities at all! If you want to marry me, Lü Qingzhu, you have to be able to beat Amo. This is a rule that Amo and I set when we were young!"

"If Young Master Li can defeat Amo, Qingzhu will serve you! If you cannot, Young Master Li, our marriage is off!"

"Green bamboo dislikes cowards!"

"As for this broken lock, I don't even want it!" Lu Qingzhu said, throwing the longevity lock in her hand onto the ground in front of her.

Li Ruozhou's eyes flickered, and he was about to slip away to retrieve the lock.

Amo moved again, appearing like a ghost in front of him, and said coldly, "Beat me! Then take the lock!"

Li Ruozhou's eyes widened in surprise. A Mo's voice was like a broken gong, very grating. In this desolate wilderness, hearing such a voice suddenly made one's hair stand on end.

He glanced at the longevity lock on the ground not far away, and at Amo standing in front of him, and finally drew his knife.

Both the ancestral longevity lock and his marriage to Lü Qingzhu were extremely important matters.

More importantly, the Eight Vajra Technique that Amo practices is a type of external martial arts. While all external martial arts techniques are incredibly powerful, they also have many flaws!
Li Ruozhou came from a prestigious family, and he had already been systematically taught how to deal with crossbeam kung fu. Therefore, he felt that if he really had to fight this guy named A Mo, he might not necessarily lose!

Li Ruozhou leaped into the air, his blade flashing as he slashed horizontally towards A Mo's face! In mid-air, Li Ruozhou's eyes narrowed, and a blade of light suddenly appeared on the edge of his blade, as if it had solidified!

Although Li Ruozhou was lewd and absurd, he had good talent and was willing to work hard in cultivation, which was why Li Yunjing always doted on him.

At just over twenty years old, his understanding of artistic conception is already quite profound! Otherwise, how could he possess such a solid, tangible blade of light?

But at that moment, Amo suddenly raised his hand, his right hand, clad in a phosphorescent glove, flashing with a cold, white light, and with his bare hand in a palm, he struck at the incoming blade!
Li Ruozhou sneered inwardly. No matter how refined their martial arts, could they possibly withstand the full force of his intent-based blade strike? Truly absurd!

Lu Qingzhu's eyes also tensed up. She knew that Duan Rong's martial arts level was now vastly different from before, but Li Ruozhou's seemingly solid blade light still made her heart ache.

She pursed her lips tightly, her eyes intently watching the changes in the arena, ready to make a move at any moment!

Just then, seeing the blade about to collide with Amo's palm, Li Ruozhou's expression suddenly changed! "This..."

Suddenly, a glimmer of artistic conception flashed in Amo's palm!

The invasion was like a raging fire, quickly spreading like wildfire!
In the blink of an eye, Amo's entire body was shimmering with an aura of profound meaning!

That artistic conception suddenly shot up, like a dense array of wild, upright spikes!

In that instant, Li Ruozhou's eyes widened like copper bells, utterly shocked!

How could there be such a solid, piercing light in this world, like wildly upright thorns?

Why do a person's hands radiate a sense of artistic conception?
No! Not the hands! The whole person?
In the end what happened?
At this moment, Amo struck Li Ruozhou's blade with his palm, and the blade, flashing with light, instantly slipped from his hand and flew away. Blood gushed from Li Ruozhou's tiger's mouth!
Amo moved again, like a ghost, and punched Li Ruozhou in the abdomen.

Like a sandbag, Li Ruozhou flew diagonally upwards into the dark night sky!

Amo flashed again and suddenly appeared in mid-air. He punched Li Ruozhou in the back, knocking him into the mud.

Li Ruozhou sank into the ground, leaving a large human-shaped character on the ground!

Amo leaped down and picked up Li Ruozhou!

At this moment, Li Ruozhou's energy dissipated. He spat out the dirt in his mouth and muttered, "Wasn't he practicing external martial arts? How come he has an aura of artistic conception? What's going on?!"

Amo held up his fist, which gleamed with a cold, white light, in front of Li Ruozhou's eyes, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you still going to marry my young lady?"

Li Ruozhou's eyes were filled with fear. The humanoid monster in front of him could actually radiate an aura of profound meaning. It only took two punches to completely shatter his aura!
He came from a prestigious family and was quite knowledgeable, but he had never heard of such a physical martial art.

Is it possible for someone practicing external martial arts techniques to comprehend such profound and unbelievable realms of understanding?!
Li Ruozhou had lost all will to fight; he knew he was no match for the man before him!
If the opponent really wants to fight, within five punches, he can sever all his meridians and destroy his dantian!
"I won't marry him," Li Ruozhou exclaimed. He remembered that Lü Qingzhu had said that if he didn't win against Amo, their marriage would be called off. So, naturally, he said he wouldn't marry him.

As Li Ruozhou spoke, with his face still bruised and swollen, he forced a fawning smile at A Mo, who was carrying him!
"Don't marry!?"

Amo shouted and punched Li Ruozhou again, sending him flying.

Li Ruozhou flew into the air, and A Mo leaped forward, already flashing to his side. This time, A Mo struck him on the back with a palm. Because at this moment, Li Ruozhou's back was no longer protected by vital energy, and if A Mo used her fist again, she could break his spine with one punch!
If that's the case, Li Ruozhou will surely die on the spot!

Amo controlled the flow of vital energy in his palm and gently patted Li Ruozhou's back!

"boom!"

Li Ruozhou landed again, and not far from the original large character, he smashed out another large character!

He was lifted up by Amo again. Amo asked, "I'll ask you one more time, are you still going to marry my young lady?"

"Marry me!..." Li Ruozhou cried out in a panic.

Amo punched him again, sending him flying up into the air once more!

Li Ruozhou was sent flying into the air when A Mo appeared in a flash. He called out from mid-air, "Big brother, should I marry him or not?"

"Guess!" Amo slapped Li Ruozhou on the back in mid-air!

With a bang, and a cloud of dust and fallen leaves, Li Ruozhou sank into the ground once more.

Amo landed and, as if picking up a chick, lifted Li Ruozhou, who had sunk to the ground, up.

Li Ruozhou was terrified. He turned his head and glanced at the three deep characters he had smashed into the ground. He looked at A Mo with fear in his eyes and cried out in a trembling voice, "Big brother, that's enough! If you keep hitting him, someone will die!"

Amo looked at Lü Qingzhu not far away and nodded to her.

At this moment, Li Ruozhou's aura had been completely shattered, but his dantian meridians were not damaged. This was an extremely delicate control of force, just like slapping tofu with the force of a palm. The inside of the tofu was already rotten, but the surface was intact.

Lu Qingzhu walked slowly, carrying a lantern, and picked up the knife that had fallen to the ground not far away!

That was Li Ruozhou's weapon!

After all, it was the weapon of the young sect master of the Tianyan Sect, its cold light was sharp and it was certainly extraordinary!

At this moment, Li Ruozhou was being held by A Mo, his clothes were tattered and his face was covered in bruises. He looked at Lü Qingzhu, who was holding a lantern in one hand and a knife in the other, as she approached him.

Li Ruozhou said, "Miss Qingzhu, whether our marriage is called off or continues, I will listen to whatever you say. Just don't let Amo hit me again!"

Lu Qingzhu flashed the gleaming blade across Li Ruozhou's crotch!
Li Ruozhou broke out in a cold sweat and shrank back!

Lu Qingzhu suddenly slammed the knife against Li Ruozhou's neck and said in a low voice, "I told you, if you want to marry me, you have to beat A-Mo first. I'm saying this for your own good. Otherwise, once I get to the Tianyan Sect, I'll have A-Mo beat you up every day!"

Ah Mo laughed in a hoarse, broken voice. Her fierce and menacing appearance made her seem like a demon when she laughed like that.

Li Ruozhou shivered several times and said in a trembling voice, "Miss Qingzhu is a celestial being. I, Li, dare not accept such a gift!"

Lu Qingzhu glanced at A Mo, who then struck Li Ruozhou on the back of the head with a palm strike, instantly knocking him unconscious.

Duan Rong threw the unconscious Li Ruozhou to the ground, reached out and tore off his face, revealing his true appearance.

Although he was wearing a maid's hairstyle and a skirt, which looked rather strange, Lü Qingzhu still looked at him with tender eyes.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the depths of the dense forest, landing not far from them in the darkness like a large bird!
(End of this chapter)