Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 204 Loyal Jiang Mingzhe
Seeing that Zhong Ling had disappeared, Li Qiushui's eyebrows furrowed, her anger rising, and she coldly said, "Boy, do you think I really can't do anything to you?"

In an instant, her moves changed: claw against claw, fist against fist, finger against finger, palm against palm, leg against leg... In short, she changed her moves in response to Jiang Mingzhe's changes.

She started learning martial arts at a young age and has honed her skills for eighty years. Her kung fu is now deeply ingrained in her, and her eyesight is exceptionally sharp.

Although Jiang Mingzhe's kung fu was ingenious in its variations, its foundation was still the Centipede Claw, Thousand Spider Hand, Toad Fist, Crimson Palm, and Spirit Scorpion Finger. Li Qiushui quickly saw through the variations and countered them with a pragmatic approach.

In this way, regardless of the moves or power, how could the Centipede Claw and other techniques possibly withstand the top-tier skills like the Netherworld Claw, White Rainbow Palm, Cold Sleeve Skill, and Soul Searching with Sound Transmission? Jiang Mingzhe was immediately at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, Li Qiushui was also somewhat wary of his multicolored poisonous gas, so she secretly held her breath and tightened her pores, which inevitably caused her internal energy to stagnate slightly. Jiang Mingzhe, however, went all out without any scruples and, taking advantage of the narrow space at the doorway, still guarded the area tightly.

After fighting for more than ten rounds, Li Qiushui saw that he was defeated but not broken, and her face became more and more ugly. Suddenly, she unleashed more than ten palms in succession. The left palm went out and the right palm followed, the right palm went out and the left palm followed. The invisible palm forces were twisting and agile, like giant snakes that could not be seen, striking from all directions.

Jiang Mingzhe was surrounded by colorful mist. Wherever his palm force passed, traces appeared. Li Qiushui's heart stirred. She thought: His skill is just right to restrain invisible palm force and finger force. It has great potential!

However, Jiang Mingzhe was caught in the middle of the situation. Although he saw the palm strike coming from nowhere, he was still caught off guard. With a "poof," he was hit on the back and fell forward. He was hit on the ribs twice in quick succession. Then, his throat tightened as Li Qiushui grabbed him.

Jiang Mingzhe immediately absorbed her power. Li Qiushui roared angrily, withdrew her hand and drew her sword. The cold, crystal blade pressed against her throat, the tip of the sword piercing her flesh, and drops of blood slowly flowed down the almost transparent blade.

Jiang Mingzhe immediately froze, begging for mercy, when Wang Yuyan cried out repeatedly, "Grandma, please, Grandma, have mercy!"

Li Qiushui said coldly, "He has learned my skills, but he refuses to show his loyalty. What use is he?"

When she got angry, her already bulging eyes became even more prominent, and the corners of her mouth turned down even more noticeably.

Jiang Mingzhe smiled wryly and said, "Senior, please allow me to finish what I have to say. What I really mean is, what kind of loyalty is killing a little girl? I have an incomparably profound loyalty that I am about to offer."

Li Qiushui sneered continuously, the tip of her sword slicing down Jiang Mingzhe's throat, all the way to his heart, tearing his clothes and leaving a long line of blood. She said with a playful tone, "Oh? Is this the heart of loyalty? Then I'll cut it out and see if it's loyal enough!"

Jiang Mingzhe's skin was covered in goosebumps, but his expression remained unchanged. His wry smile turned into a bright one: "Senior, please forgive me. My loyalty is to restore the world's greatest beauty to the mortal realm and to restore the beauty of the fairy maiden to her former glory!"

Li Qiushui was slightly taken aback. Jiang Mingzhe didn't even look at the dagger piercing his muscle. He raised his hand and, under Wang Yuyan's increasingly terrified gaze, slowly stroked Li Qiushui's cheek, murmuring almost obsessively, "Senior's face is a masterpiece of creation, yet it has been damaged by evil people. If it cannot be restored to its former appearance, wouldn't that be cruel to heaven and earth?"

Li Qiushui was surprised by his audacity, but she didn't flinch, letting Jiang Mingzhe touch her face. She just glared at him and said, "Do you know how many famous doctors have died because of my face? Do you know that if you dare to deceive me about this, I will tear you to pieces?"

Jiang Mingzhe gently touched the centipede-like scars with his fingers and whispered, "First, give him some kind of anesthetic to put him into a deep sleep. Then, have a renowned doctor with high martial arts skills use acupuncture to stop the bleeding from his face..."

"Boiling water is used to open the golden knife and jade hook, cutting along the old wound anew, carefully removing the contracted scar tissue, and restoring the displaced muscles, corners of the eyes, and corners of the mouth to their original positions..."

"Then, using silkworm silk as thread, soaking it in a tissue-regenerating elixir, and using a jade hook to guide it, first sew up the severed blood vessels, then the subcutaneous muscles, and finally the skin. After suturing layer by layer, apply the Cold Jade Toad Ointment externally, and administer internal medicine to replenish qi and blood. Every day, the senior would also use his true qi to gently massage the meridians on his face..."

"Once it heals, only a very faint red mark should remain. A little makeup can cover it up, and your beautiful eyebrows and eyes can be completely restored."

Jiang Mingzhe finished speaking in one breath, with a hint of lingering satisfaction. He then withdrew his hand, sniffed it lightly, and smiled brightly, "What does Senior think of my loyalty?"

As he spoke, the coldness on Li Qiushui's face gradually faded, and hope slowly began to shine in her eyes. By this time, her breathing became rapid.

The disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect were skilled in various arts. Li Qiushui dared not say she was an expert in medicine, but she knew a little about it. When Jiang Mingzhe talked about cutting off the proliferating tissue, she nodded in agreement. When he talked about the concept of "layer-by-layer suturing," she understood even better.

As for the items used, such as golden knives and jade needles, they were naturally no match for her. She immediately asked, "There's no need to talk about the hemorrhoid soup. I have my own methods and don't need these things. What is the Cold Jade Toad Ointment?" Jiang Mingzhe took a step back. By this time, his chest was already covered in blood. Although the wound that Li Qiushui had cut was shallow, it was not short.

Jiang Mingzhe took out the small white jade box that Azi had given him from his bosom, opened it, dipped his little finger in it, and applied it to the wound. The bleeding stopped immediately.

Li Qiushui's eyes lit up again.

Jiang Mingzhe held up the small bottle and presented it respectfully, saying, "This was carefully prepared by Master Tan and Granny Tan of Chongxiao Cave in Taihang Mountain. Master Tan traveled to the far north to find two rare treasures, the Far North Frost Jade and the Mysterious Ice Toad, as the main ingredients, and added many other rare medicines. He put a lot of effort into refining it, and it is extremely effective in stopping bleeding and removing blood stasis."

Li Qiushui took the medicine, smelled it, and nodded, saying, "The jade promotes blood circulation and removes scars, while the toad skin reduces swelling and relieves pain. He also specially sought out the cold jade and ice toad, making it ten times more effective than ordinary medicines. It is indeed a top-quality medicine! It's a pity that this small bottle may not be enough."

Jiang Mingzhe patted his chest and said loudly, "Senior, rest assured, I will find a few more bottles, whether it's going up mountains or down to the sea, through water or fire."

Li Qiushui looked up and laughed, her previous murderous aura vanishing instantly. She reached out and touched Jiang Mingzhe's face, smiling as she said, "Good child, you have such filial piety, why didn't you say so sooner? As for that little clown girl, I didn't originally intend to kill her. Keeping her to wash your feet is nothing."

Jiang Mingzhe quickly replied, "Reporting to senior, I have my own master. My master has treated me very well. Loyalty and righteousness are the foundation of a man's character. Please forgive me for not daring to seek another master."

Li Qiushui said with a charming smile, "Your master doesn't have your loyalty and courage. You don't need to say more about this matter. I will take care of it. If you are uneasy, you don't need to call me master now. Later, I will have Xiao Ding tell you himself. I need to find him to get the silkworm silk, so I will tell him about it at the same time."

Jiang Mingzhe said gratefully, "Thank you for your understanding, senior. But please don't put my master in a difficult position."

Li Qiushui said with delight, "With this statement, it's clear that your loyalty is genuine. However, even if it is genuine, it may be limited. Otherwise, why didn't you tell him about the Northern Darkness Divine Art?"

Jiang Mingzhe hurriedly tried to explain, but Li Qiushui pressed a finger to his lips: "You don't need to be surprised. I know Xiao Ding's character best. If he knew you had this opportunity, you would already be a skeleton. Would you still want to roam the martial world? Don't worry, I won't tell him. I won't take his disciple for nothing. I have a few skills that he has coveted for many years. I'll exchange one with him..."

Then he suddenly said with a sigh, "These are not important matters. What's truly important is finding someone to perform the surgery on me. Can you do it?"

Jiang Mingzhe shook his head and said, "This junior only knows the theory, but not the practice. However, if we talk about famous doctors today, the most famous one is 'Enemy of the King of Hell' Doctor Xue."

Li Qiushui's eyes lit up, and she nodded, saying, "I know this person. If it's him... well, he loves to join in the fun. He'll most likely be here when the heroes gather at Shaolin Temple. You capture him for me and wait for me in Dengfeng. I'll go find your master to get the Heavenly Silkworm Silk and redeem you from your servitude, then I'll come and meet you."

After saying this, seeing that Jiang Mingzhe seemed to want to say something but hesitated, he asked in surprise, "Oh dear, my good disciple, do you not want to do anything for me?"

Jiang Mingzhe said with a bitter face, "Senior, I came to Shaolin with a very heavy burden. Do you know that so many people have gathered at Shaolin to make things difficult for my sworn brother Xiao Feng? I have arranged to ask Young Master Murong to help him. I am afraid that when the battle breaks out, we will be outnumbered and unable to even take care of ourselves, so we will not have a chance to go to see Doctor Xue."

Li Qiushui was stunned and said, "You and Xiao Feng are actually sworn brothers? Young Master Murong, could you be Murong Fu from Gusu? How did he get involved in this matter?"

Jiang Mingzhe seized the opportunity and said, "To be honest, senior, this is a long story. It's like this, and like this..."

He told Li Qiushui in great detail how he befriended Xiao Feng and how he persuaded Murong Fu to participate.

Upon hearing this, Li Qiushui's eyes gleamed with admiration, and she exclaimed softly, "Good disciple, I never expected you to be such a rare talent! Now that I have accepted you as my disciple, there is a very important matter that you may be able to help me with in the future."

Without saying anything, she rolled her eyes a few times, then put her veil back on and said, "Just focus on doing what I've asked you to do. If I'm in a good mood, what does Xiao Feng matter? I'll find a way to take care of you."

(End of this chapter)