Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 427 A Painful Tale! A Joyful Tale! (11,000 words)

The moon and stars are rare.

The cloud that had obscured the crescent moon had quietly vanished, leaving the dark night sky cloudless, clear and bright.

The night breeze blows from time to time.

He lifted Hua Lianyue's long hair, which swayed gently, revealing a section of her snow-white neck, as white as a lotus root.

The slightly chilly environment made Hua Lianyue, who was originally sexy and charming, seem to have acquired a cold and aloof temperament.

Her husband had important matters to attend to, and although Luo Tianyi was with him, it still felt insufficient. Since she herself had nothing to do, she followed from behind and unexpectedly caught a big fish.

Withered and flourishing old ghost.

In the Central Plains, he was a rather famous evil martial artist. It is said that he usually looked like an old man, but when he practiced his skills, his face was like that of an infant. He moved back and forth between decay and prosperity, hence the name "Old Ghost of Decay and Prosperity".

Of course, this reputation only spread within a small circle. Song Yan, Luo Tianyi, Bu Yu, Zi Yu, and most of these people didn't know about it. Even if they heard the name, their biggest reaction would probably be a blank look and then ask: Who?
However, among grandmaster-level martial artists, Old Ghost Kurong is also quite famous.

This person practices a heretical method that allows him to rapidly increase his power by absorbing the internal energy of women. The more outstanding, physically stronger, and more powerful the woman, the greater the boost to his power. A woman whose internal energy is drained not only has her entire cultivation destroyed, but her body also becomes like a dried-up corpse, dying a miserable death.

Over the years, countless women have been harmed by the withered and flourishing old ghost.

However, the Old Ghost of Withered Glory was incredibly powerful and extremely skilled in light-footed techniques. Although many righteous heroes tried to eliminate him, he always managed to escape. Gradually, the Old Ghost of Withered Glory grew bolder, and the identities of the women he harmed became increasingly outrageous. Outstanding female disciples from various sects, daughters of sect leaders, and even princesses from the imperial palace all fell victim to his cruelty.

This has certainly provoked public outrage.

Thirty years ago, the leaders of Buddhism and Taoism jointly issued a kill order in the martial arts world.

They gathered top experts from various sects and, with the help of the imperial guards, set up an ambush to completely annihilate the Old Ghost of Withered Glory. Who would have thought that this guy was truly skilled? Perhaps sensing the danger, he fought with fearlessness, acting as if he wanted to drag his opponent down to hell with him. This, in turn, made many of the experts involved in the siege feel intimidated.

The ambush had a flaw, and the old ghost Ku Rong seized the opportunity to escape once again.

However, this time, the Old Ghost of Withered Glory also fared poorly. It is said that he was seriously injured and disappeared from the martial arts world of the Central Plains ever since.

Some say that the withered old ghost escaped to the northern desert, but whether that's true or not is unknown.

Thirty years ago, when Hua Lian Yue was just a nobody, this Old Ghost Kurong was already a renowned expert in the martial arts world. Thirty years later, it's unimaginable what level Old Ghost Kurong's strength has reached. Even Hua Lian Yue wasn't absolutely confident she could suppress Old Ghost Kurong, but of course, she wasn't afraid either.

Information about the Old Ghost Kurong flashed through his mind, but he didn't know why the Old Ghost Kurong, who was staying in the Northern Desert, would return to the Central Plains. Could it be related to what the Prime Minister was doing?
Judging from the direction the withered old ghost was heading, it was clearly heading straight for the master.

Thinking this, Hua Lianyue lightly touched the roof with her toes, and in the next instant, she gracefully blocked the path directly in front of the withered old ghost.

Old Ghost Ku Rong was clearly surprised that a grandmaster-level expert would appear in the small city of Pingyang. His youthful face turned serious, and his eyes darkened. Even though he had been famous for a long time, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent when facing a grandmaster of the same level.

His body slowly arched upwards.

Despite his gray hair, at this moment, the withered old ghost was like a wild wolf waiting to hunt on the grassland. His aura instantly became crazy and ferocious. The pressure that came over him made Hua Lianyue's relaxed smile gradually disappear. His inner strength surged through every pore of his body.

At first glance, under the moonlight, Hua Lianyue seemed to be enveloped in a layer of mist-like haze.

The next moment...

boom!
Withering Old Ghost's inner force exploded instantly, causing the room beneath him to tremble violently, as if an earth dragon were turning over. Wherever his inner force reached, the roof tiles seemed to have experienced hundreds or thousands of years of wind and frost in an instant, turning into fine dust. His body was like a whirlwind, sweeping towards Hua Lian Yue.

The withered old ghost's fingers were much longer than those of an average adult man, spread out like a fan, and he slammed them down on Hua Lian Yue's head from above. Below his palm, it was as if the air had been sucked out, and even Hua Lian Yue felt a little suffocated. As her skirt fluttered, she raised her right hand, and the extremely cold and extreme internal energy of the Xuan Yin Su Nu Jing instantly gathered in her palm.

Snapped.

Two hands, one large and one small, collided in mid-air.

Huh?
The imagined clash of internal energies did not occur. The internal energy surged forth without any obstruction, instantly shattering the old ghost's internal energy and flowing directly into his body. The next second, with a whoosh, thanks to the impact of Hua Lian Yue's internal energy, the old ghost's body was sent flying backward at an even faster speed than when he pounced, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye before Hua Lian Yue's eyes.

Only Hua Lianyue remained, bewildered in the night wind.

Has that old ghost Ku Rong... run away?
For a moment, Hua Lianyue's lips twitched involuntarily.

No, you were a top expert who was already famous in the martial arts world thirty years ago, and you were a grandmaster-level martial artist. How could you just run away like that?
Where is your masterful demeanor?
What about the dignity of top experts?

Don't want your face?
Judging from the commotion you made, I thought it was going to be a life-or-death battle between grandmasters. Hua Lian Yue was even ready to call Luo Tian Xuan over for help.

The result...is this?
He truly deserves to be called the master of escaping.

……

Fenglai Inn.

The young man's body was still writhing on the ground, screaming in agony. Between his legs, blood mixed with some meat paste clung to his trousers, presenting a disgusting dark red color.

He was probably in a lot of pain.

Even though it had been screaming for a long time, its screams were still full of energy.

Song Yan simply watched indifferently, a faint smile playing on his lips. He wouldn't kill him so easily; that would be too lenient.

In Pingyang alone, two girls have fallen victim to this bastard's cruelty; who knows how many more have been victimized in other places?
Scum like that should be left alive to suffer in despair.

He would probably be in pain for a long time, and Song Yan had no interest in staring at that painful and distorted face. Inadvertently, his gaze swept over the two figures huddled in the corner, and he slapped his forehead in exasperation, having forgotten about Zhang Yan.

The little girl seemed to know she was about to be saved, and her petite body began to wriggle instinctively, making whimpering sounds.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Zhang Ci planned to introduce Zhang Yan to him. Although Song Yan did not accept, they had met many times and were considered acquaintances. Song Yan always treated acquaintances well.

While comforting her, he pulled out a dagger and with a swift cut, severed the ropes binding Zhang Yan's wrists and ankles. He then untied the ropes binding the other girl as well. Just as he straightened up, preparing to tell Zhang Yan that her grandfather was still waiting for her downstairs, he saw the petite figure rushing towards him.

Thump, her little head bumped into my arms.

next second.

She burst into tears.

Two slender, fair arms wrapped tightly around Song Yan's waist, very tightly, as if afraid that the man in front of her would suddenly disappear again. Before long, Song Yan felt that the clothes on his chest were already soaked with tears.

Song Yan was startled, her body instantly stiffened, and as if by instinct, she raised both arms, still holding a dagger in her hand... This tiger girl, isn't she afraid of running headfirst into a knife?

Song Yan could understand Zhang Yan's reaction. Although Zhang Yan came from the Zhang family and received an excellent education from a young age, and was well-versed in various etiquette rules and regulations, and seemed very mature... in any case, she was still just a thirteen-year-old girl. It was easy to imagine how scared she must have been after suddenly experiencing something like this.

Now that she's finally been rescued, she instinctively wants to be near anyone who can bring her a sense of security. Things like the taboo between men and women are utterly meaningless in the face of this excruciating fear.

Song Yan looked completely innocent, raising his hands and subconsciously turning to look at Luo Tianyi. This sister-in-law was very jealous. Even when he was just her brother-in-law, getting close to other women would earn him a scolding glare from his sister-in-law, let alone now that he had thrown himself into her arms.

But I can't let my sister-in-law misunderstand.

Luo Tianyi stood quietly in place, and judging from her expression, she seemed no different from before... However, Song Yan felt that the bedroom was chilly and the temperature seemed to be much lower than before.

With her pearly white teeth gently biting her lower lip, Luo Tianyi finally sighed with a hint of helplessness, rubbing her forehead. Although she was annoyed, she understood that this matter really couldn't be blamed on Song Yan.

She is a bit jealous, but not to the point of being unreasonable.

She pursed her lips, then gently raised her hand and slashed Zhang Yan's neck with a palm strike, causing Zhang Yan to faint.

The crying stopped abruptly.

This little girl needs a good night's sleep. Of course, it's also okay for her to hug someone and cry her heart out to release her fears... but, on the condition that she doesn't hug her own man.

No, we're not married yet, so I can't hug my brother-in-law.

On the other side, the maid who had just removed the ropes binding her and the rag from her mouth was startled by the sudden sight and rushed over: "Miss..."

"Don't worry, she's fine, she just fell asleep."

The maid noticed that Zhang Yan's shoulder was still twitching, and knowing that her mistress was truly alright, she felt a little relieved. This maid was clearly carefully trained by the Zhang family; even though she had just walked through the gates of hell herself, she quickly calmed down, twirled the hem of her skirt, and curtsied to Song Yan: "Thank you, Lord Marquis, for saving my mistress."

Such demeanor is no less impressive than that of a young lady from a less prestigious family.

His gaze fell on the female corpse, and a hint of sorrow inevitably appeared in his eyes.

Both of them were maids who had served the young lady since childhood, and their relationship had become very deep over the years. Although they were not sisters, they were closer than sisters.

In just a few hours, they have been separated forever.

A sense of sadness welled up inside me.

Song Yan shook his head: "You should get up."

"Heavenly Garment".

The younger sister-in-law raised her head, her slightly suspicious gaze falling on Song Yan, as if asking her meddlesome brother-in-law if he had any further instructions.

“Take Miss Zhang and this girl away from here first, and then…” Song Yan hesitated for a moment, walked to the window, made a gesture to the black-armored soldiers below, and saw the black-armored soldiers put down their crossbows for the time being before turning around: “Take them to the governor’s mansion first.”

"I'll have Grandpa Zhang pick them up later."

Some of my previous considerations were not thorough enough.

Ultimately, something extremely bad happened here.

Even though Zhang Yan was not harmed, if she were to go down the stairs like that, it would be a loss of her innocence in the eyes of others.

She will spend her whole life amidst gossip and rumors. Even after she finds a husband, her in-laws and husband will likely view this poor girl with prejudice for the rest of their lives.

Rumors and gossip can sometimes really kill.

However, as long as Zhang Yan doesn't leave the Fenglai Inn, there's still room for her to defend herself.

Since the goal is to save lives, let's make it as perfect as possible. Luo Tianyi nodded, then turned to look at the five guards whose wrists had been severed, and the middle-aged man at the end: "Is everything alright?"

Song Yan's forehead was covered in black lines. I may not be as strong as you, but you shouldn't be unable to deal with a few guys with broken hands and a weak scholar.

Does my sister-in-law think of me as a child? If I could beat her, I would really teach her a lesson and show her what a brother-in-law's authority is.

"Don't worry, I can handle these." With a strange thought swirling in his mind, Song Yan sighed and said.

Luo Tianyi was relieved. He grabbed one of them, and with a light tap of his toes, the three figures darted through the window and disappeared into the night in no time.

With three fewer people in the room, it suddenly felt much emptier.

Seemingly sensing that the terrifying woman was gone, leaving only Song Yan, their opportunity had arrived… The five guards with severed wrists exchanged glances, each seeing the madness in the other's eyes. Having worked together for so long, even without words, a single look was enough for them to understand each other.

The next instant, all five guards moved at the same time.

After all, they were martial artists, and their endurance was far stronger than that of ordinary people. Their bodies were still very agile, and almost instantly the person at the forefront had reached the place where the scimitar had fallen. With a light touch of the toe on the blade, the scimitar, which had been lying quietly on the floor, instantly bounced up.

With his remaining left hand gripping the hilt, he roared and the blade swept horizontally towards where Song Yan was:

"Go to hell, you bastard."

The voice was filled with hatred and resentment.

The knife held in his left hand was still incredibly powerful, tearing through the air with a sharp, piercing sound.

In the blink of an eye, the blade was already in front of Song Yan. Just as it was about to tear Song Yan's neck apart, Song Yan suddenly raised his right hand.

A buzzing sound.

The blade froze in mid-air, trembling violently.

Two fingers easily gripped the blade of the scimitar.

The guard was clearly not expected to have such an outcome. His pupils contracted sharply, and he was about to retract his scimitar when Song Yan suddenly twitched his wrist.

bang.

With a crisp sound, the blade snapped in two instantly.

The guard was caught off guard and staggered backward. At that moment, Song Yan suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between them instantly, and kicked up with his left leg.

Crotch kick!
boom!
Click.

It was the sound of something breaking again.

Some of these moves are unethical and lack martial arts principles.

Unfortunately, Song Yan simply didn't have any talent when it came to martial arts moves. Zhang Long and Zhao Hu had personally instructed Song Yan in martial arts moves for dozens of days, but in the end, the two of them begged Song Yan not to reveal their master-disciple relationship.

Crotch kick.

Black Tiger Gouges Out the Heart.

Two fingers pierce the eye.

Aside from these three moves, they couldn't learn anything else. If someone else had taught Song Yan, what would have happened to their reputations?
However, it must be admitted that the effect of this move was surprisingly good.

With a loud howl, the guard jumped up. In that instant, an indescribable pain spread throughout his body, as if all his strength had been drained away, and every nerve in his body was twitching with pain.

Only now did he finally understand what his little prince was going through.

Before the body could even hit the ground, while still in mid-air, Song Yan let out another cold laugh and swept his right leg across in an instant.

Click, click.

The knee slammed heavily into the guard's legs from the side, instantly twisting them into a bizarre position. Beneath the ripped trousers, a large bulge jutted out at the knee, the bone inside clearly broken. The shattered bone fragments embedded themselves in the flesh, the excruciating pain mingling with the agony of a broken egg, even bringing tears to the guard's eyes.

Its body spun around in mid-air like a windmill until it finally came to a stop with a thud, crashing headfirst onto the floor.

Take a draw.

Take a draw.

Without even glancing at the man, he suddenly shifted his body to the side, and a curved blade slashed straight down from behind him.

With a snap, the blade struck the floor.

Song Yan raised his right foot and stomped heavily on the wrist holding the knife with a bang.

With a creaking sound, the wrist bone shattered instantly.

Song Yan acted ruthlessly and mercilessly, without any hesitation or delay.

Although the two women were not harmed by these guards, they were accomplices and would naturally show no mercy. Song Yan would make them pay back double for the torment the two women suffered before their deaths.

Ignoring the screams behind him, two curved blades were tearing towards his chest and abdomen, one above the other. Song Yan grinned, flicked his toes, and one of the curved blades instantly bounced up, standing upright in front of him.

Click, click.

stab.

The three curved blades clashed together, and the gleaming sparks were exceptionally dazzling.

A suppressed growl escaped his throat. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and swung it forcefully, forcing the two guards back with Song Yan's brute strength. His gleaming curved sword flashed up and down as he swung it at the two men in front of him.

These two men, having lost too much blood from their broken wrists, were no longer the same as before. Gradually, they could no longer withstand the force of Song Yan's blade. Just then, Song Yan shouted and slashed down with his curved blade. One of the guards desperately raised his curved blade to try to block it.

Click.

puff.

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the skin as easily as cutting tofu, and with a swift movement of the wrist, Song Yan could even feel the stagnation as the blade cut through the bone.

A stream of scalding hot blood shot into the sky.

Half of his shoulder and his entire arm were severed by Song Yan. The gushing blood quickly drained the man's strength, and he collapsed to the ground with a bloodcurdling scream.

Song Yan was also sprayed with blood all over his head and face, but he didn't care at all, only feeling a sense of exhilaration in his chest.

The resentment and hatred that had been building up for too long finally found some release in the bloodshed.

He looked down at the knife in his hand, and then perished along with the opponent's knife.

broken.

He didn't care, casually tossed it aside, and charged forward empty-handed.

Seeing Song Yan running wildly covered in blood, the remaining two guards were obviously stunned by Song Yan's fierceness. In a moment of hesitation, Song Yan had already rushed in front of one of them and grabbed the man's head.

boom!
There was another loud noise.

The wind shook the inn three times.

The guard's head had been slammed heavily onto the floor by Song Yan.

Face down, most of his teeth were broken instantly, and even his nasal bone was comminuted.

Blood gushed from his nostrils and mouth.

Boom...boom...boom...

One, two, three...

Song Yan didn't know how many times he grabbed the man's head and smashed it until the man's body was limp and muddy before he released his scarlet claws.

The remaining person was clearly terrified by Song Yan.

At this moment, Song Yan, covered in crimson blood, was no longer seen as a weak man from the Central Plains by these two; he was simply a demon walking among men.

Although he was still holding the knife in his hand, his whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

Song Yan didn't care about any of that. His face was filled with an excited and slightly crazy smile. He spread his arms and lunged at the man, shouting, "Die!"

The guard screamed and wildly brandished his knife.

Despite being a sixth-rank martial artist, Song Yan's swordplay was completely chaotic and weak. He simply grinned and slashed the curved sword away. Then he lunged forward and grabbed the last guard's only remaining intact arm.

The next instant, he exerted force with his arm.

puff.

Song Yan ripped the entire arm off the guard's shoulder.

Blood spurted out, the crimson on his body almost turning dark red. Song Yan gasped for breath, a slit appearing on his crimson face, revealing a mouthful of large white teeth, as he roared fiercely:
"happy!"

How painful, how exhilarating!
A blood-curdling scream rang in his ears. The pain of his arm being torn apart seemed to finally penetrate the guard's mind at this moment, and his body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Two lines of clear tears slowly rolled down her blood-stained face.

His lips moved slightly, as if a faint sound could be heard:
"Mulan's family..."

"It hurts."

(End of this chapter)