Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

The sight of Duan Yanqing flying backwards caused Murong Fu and the old woman's expressions to change again.

Deep down, they actually hoped that Duan Yanqing could take the opportunity to escape.

His departure would not only relieve him of his immediate predicament of being threatened, but also prevent him from breaking the alliance that was crucial to the restoration of the nation.

However, Chen Zhan's terrifying ability to catch the One-Finger Divine Skill with his bare hands completely shattered this hope. Not to mention keeping Duan Yanqing alive, it is still unknown whether he can even protect himself today.

Even with the three of them working together, they couldn't subdue Kumārajīva. With the addition of Chen Zhan and Gu Yu, two unfathomable figures, continuing the standoff would only lead to certain death.

The great cause of restoring the nation has not yet begun; it must not be thwarted at this point.

A resolute glint flashed in the old woman's eyes. Decisive as she was, she suddenly intensified her palm strike, the true energy of Bai Hong's palm force condensing into a concentrated burst of energy, aiming straight for Duan Yanqing's vital point. Using this momentum, she directly killed Duan Yanqing with her palm.

However, Chen Zhan had held back when he made his move; the finger strike that pierced Duan Yanqing's abdomen looked dangerous, but it did not fundamentally damage him.

While he was in mid-air, he sensed the fierce palm wind coming towards him. His ugly face contorted with rage, and his hoarse ventriloquism cut through the wind: "Very well! The Murong family is indeed fickle. No wonder their country was destroyed and their family perished. After a hundred years of silence, they have accomplished nothing!"

Amidst his angry curses, he suddenly pointed his meteorite iron staff, using the reaction force of the old woman's palm strike to abruptly change direction. He then used the staff to deliver three concentrated bursts of One-Finger Strike energy straight towards Murong Fu's face.

This finger strike was swift and ruthless, forcing the old woman to retreat and defend, and her originally certain strike had to be hastily withdrawn.

Murong Fu dared not be negligent. He drew his longsword, channeled his inner energy into the blade, and parried the attack horizontally.

However, he had just been injured and his internal energy was already disordered. With a crisp "clang," the longsword was shaken by the force of the One-Finger Divine Skill and almost slipped from his hand.

His face was pale, but he still forced himself to maintain the demeanor of a righteous sect and shouted sternly: "The Four Evils are notorious and everyone has the right to kill them. Our cooperation with you before was just a pretense, and it was all for the purpose of wiping out you, the public enemy of the martial arts world, in one fell swoop today!"

These high-sounding words thoroughly enraged Duan Yanqing.

His ventriloquism became sharp and piercing, and the surging internal energy around him disrupted the surrounding airflow: "You're courting death! You're courting death!"

At this moment, Duan Yanqing had already gone all out, completely ignoring the old woman's attack from behind. His meteorite iron staff danced like a black shadow, tightly entangling Murong Fu.

The old woman's white palm strikes landed repeatedly on his back, each strike causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. However, he seemed to feel no pain. Instead, he pushed the power of his One-Finger Divine Skill to its limit, and the finger force began to transform into true qi, making it several times more powerful than before.

"Crack!"

With another crisp sound, the longsword in Murong Fu's hand could no longer withstand the impact and broke in two.

He was terrified and could no longer maintain his composure, screaming, "Help me! Help me!"

Seeing this, the old woman hurriedly turned around to help, unleashing both palms and attacking Duan Yanqing with a surge of true energy.

A fierce glint flashed in Duan Yanqing's eyes. He neither dodged nor avoided the blow, and took it head-on.

With a muffled thud, half of his body seemed to be shattered, the sound of bones breaking was clearly audible, and blood mixed with bone fragments splattered out.

However, using the recoil from that palm strike, he suddenly moved closer to Murong Fu, and his meteorite iron staff pierced straight towards Murong Fu's heart.

There was a loud "bang!"

The steel staff struck precisely, sending Murong Fu flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He crashed heavily into a camellia bush several feet away, his blood instantly staining large petals red.

Duan Yanqing staggered to his feet, half of his body limp, but he threw his head back and let out a shrill laugh:

"Hahahaha... Murong Fu, today I'll drag you down with me to the death! On the road to the Yellow Springs, having a young master from a noble family like you as my companion won't be so lonely!"

"Fu'er, young master!"

The old woman exclaimed in surprise that another small boat was approaching, carrying two beautiful young girls, even younger than Gu Yu. Before they even reached the shore, they saw Murong Fu being sent flying by a single blow.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Kumārajīva stood to the side, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before he regained his composure.

Unexpectedly, Duan Yanqing was so ruthless that he was willing to die together with Murong Fu.

Duan Yanqing was on the verge of death. He turned to look at Chen Zhan, his eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness.

Duan Yanqing collapsed to the ground, the resentment in his ventriloquism still lingering, but his breath was already growing weaker. Half of his body had been blasted apart, and no matter how high his martial arts skills were, he couldn't survive.

He died without ever figuring out Chen Zhan and Gu Yu's identities, nor did he understand why he had attracted their deadly attack.

Chen Zhan never intended to let him rest in peace, and didn't care about his identity or whether Duan Yu's background would be buried.

Among the Four Evils, Duan Yanqing's evil deeds were not as rampant as those of Ye Erniang and the other two, but his hands were still stained with blood.

Moreover, he secretly served the Western Xia's Yipintang, repeatedly venturing into Song territory and stirring up trouble.

Such behavior deserves death long ago.

As the two girls arrived and headed straight for Murong Fu, Duan Yanqing let out a final muffled "hoarse" sound, his head lolled to the side, and he fell silent completely.

As soon as Duan Yanqing died, two beautiful young women rushed to Murong Fu's side and squatted down with the old woman. The three of them used their fingers to seal several major acupoints on Murong Fu's body, and then took out a lustrous pill from their pockets, pried open his mouth and fed it to him.

A moment later, Murong Fu slowly woke up and began to cough violently.

Duan Yanqing struck in anger, with enough force to shatter refined iron, yet Murong Fu survived entirely thanks to something hidden in his chest.

Beneath the tattered fabric of his fine robe, a glint of purplish-gold metallic luster shone through.

It was a palm-sized purple-gold plaque, made of an unknown material. The plaque did not break, but it was forcefully pressed into the chest by more than an inch. The surrounding flesh was already bruised and swollen, demonstrating the terrifying power of that blow.

This treasure, resembling a purple-gold heart-protecting mirror, shielded him from a fatal blow.

"Sir, are you okay?"

The two girls had not yet grasped the situation and only dared to ask questions in hushed tones.

"Cough cough cough-"

Murong Fu coughed several times, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The tightness in his chest actually dissipated a bit. He gasped, "I'm fine... I almost died."

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes remained wary as she watched Chen Zhan and Gu Yu, reaching out to shield Murong Fu behind her.

With Duan Yanqing's influence gone, the situation changed once again.

With his broad eyebrows and large eyes, Kumārajīva quickly scanned the entire scene and instantly determined that Chen Zhan and Gu Yu were up to no good.

His intelligence allowed him to see that Chen Zhan and his companion showed no signs of cooperating with the Murong family. However, he also knew that it was impossible for him to win them over, and staying there would only increase the risks.

With a thought, Kumārajīva lightly stepped back, his figure as swift as a willow catkin, intending to slip away unnoticed.

His lightness skill was superb; his movements were so gentle that he made almost no sound.

But as soon as he retreated to the lakeside, a calm voice came from behind him: "Master, are you just going to give up on the secret manual of the Free and Unfettered Sect like this?"

"Huh?" Kumārajīva froze, turning his head sharply.

Chen Zhan was already standing behind him, still holding the sleeping baby in his arms, as if he had never moved.

Kumārajīva narrowed his eyes, his expression grave: "Does Your Excellency know about the Free and Unfettered Sect?"

Chen Zhan gently teased the baby's face with his fingertips and said with a smile: "Xiaoyaozi, Murong Longcheng, and Duan Siping, many years ago when the three of them roamed the world, the Great Song Dynasty had not yet been established."

"Although this history is not widely known, it is not difficult to verify. Later, the three of them established their own sects or returned to their families, relying on their unique skills to support the glory of their families and sects. In retrospect, among the three top masters of that time, the Murong family has developed the worst."

Kumārajīva was startled. He had seen the names of these three people in several ancient books and knew that they were all peerless masters who founded their own schools. However, he did not know that the three of them lived in the same era and that the Murong family had such a connection with the Xiaoyao Sect and the Dali Duan family.

He stared at Chen Zhan and pressed, "Is Mantuo Manor related to the Xiaoyao Sect?"

He had overheard Murong Fu mentioning Li Qiushui, the princess of Western Xia, and had some guesses in his mind, but he was unaware of Li Qiushui's connection with the Xiaoyao Sect.

Although I have seen the words "Xiaoyao Sect" in classical texts, no classical texts have recorded any successors of the Xiaoyao Sect.

He knew nothing about the internal entanglements, and the past of Li Qiushui, Wuyazi, and Wu Xingyun was even more deeply hidden.

Chen Zhan glanced at Kumārajīva and revealed the secret directly: "Li Qiushui of the Western Xia Palace was once a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect. Li Qingluo, the owner of Mantuo Manor, is her daughter with Wuyazi, the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect."

"Murong Fu coveted Mantuo Manor because, in the end, he wanted to steal the martial arts manuals of the Xiaoyao Sect."

These secrets from the depths of the martial world were nothing more than ordinary gossip to him, but to Murong Fu and the old woman, they were like a thunderclap.

Murong Fu was shocked. He had only recently learned about this matter; his aunt Li Qingluo, whom he had known since childhood, was a successor of the Xiaoyao Sect.

The wet nurse who had cared for her since childhood was arranged by her biological father, Murong Bo, to infiltrate Li Qingluo's side. The martial arts she learned from the Langhuan Jade Cave were actually derived from the classics of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Murong Fu's entire life was predetermined; otherwise, he wouldn't have been mentally fragile and ultimately went mad.

What he didn't know was that Murong Bo didn't want Mantuo Manor, but rather the martial arts techniques in Langhuan Jade Cave.

They wanted to follow the clues to find the true location of the Free and Unfettered Sect's treasure.

When Li Qiushui left Langhuan Paradise, she only left a small portion of the Xiaoyao Sect's unique skills and miscellaneous martial arts in the Langhuan Jade Cave of Mantuo Manor, and entrusted them to her stepfather Ding Chunqiu for care.

Upon hearing Chen Zhan's words, Murong Fu and the old woman turned pale, their hearts filled with shock and unable to calm down.

Kumārajīva frowned, his mind filled with doubt. There was no need for Chen Zhan to reveal such a secret to him.

He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Does Your Excellency mean... that you wish to join forces with this old monk?"

That question was asked without any confidence.

The situation on the field was clear: Murong Fu was seriously injured and unable to get up, while the old woman had just entered the Tongxuan Realm and was no match for Chen Zhan and Gu Yu.

Given their abilities, there's absolutely no need for them to rely on his help.

"Yes."

Gu Yu stepped forward, her tone light and cheerful: "Great monk, if you want the secret manual of the Free and Unfettered Sect, go ahead and get it. But you have to do us a favor."

Kumārajīva asked, "What is it?"

"Have your disciples and descendants uproot the forces behind the Murong family. What we want is to annihilate the entire Murong family."

Chen Zhan's forces are short-handed, and Zhao Qingtan's reinforcements will not arrive for several days.

Kumārajīva traveled extensively and had many disciples, so we could use his strength to wipe out the remaining forces of the Murong family.

These words, spoken lightly by Gu Yu, struck Murong Fu like a chilling icebox, making his blood seem to freeze.

He simply couldn't understand what his Murong family had done to offend these two people, that they were to be driven to extermination.

While Kumārajīva was still weighing the pros and cons, the two girls guarding Murong Fu could no longer contain themselves.

The girl in yellow stepped forward and said loudly, "What exactly did the Murong family do wrong that you want to exterminate them like this?"

The girl in green followed closely behind, her tone equally assertive: "That's right, the Murong family has been based in Jiangnan for generations, protecting the peace of the martial arts world and enjoying a good reputation in the Jiangnan area. You two don't seem to be from any wicked sect, so why are you targeting my Murong family for no reason?"

The two spoke in clear, bright voices, their words filled with defense of the Murong family.

Chen Zhan was not annoyed at all; instead, he smiled and nodded to Gu Yu.

Gu Yu chuckled at their naiveté: "Protecting peace in the martial arts world? Well-regarded? Heh..."

The laughter subsided, her eyes suddenly turned cold, and she said sharply:
"Does your Murong family think the Song Dynasty court is stupid? How many years have you been chanting the slogans of 'restoring the country' and 'restoring the Great Yan'? How many years have you been raising the banner of the Great Yan royal family? Do you really think the court knows nothing about it?"

"If it were just empty slogans, that would be one thing. But you two are secretly recruiting soldiers, stockpiling grain, and colluding with foreign enemies to stir up trouble. You don't know about these things, so you can ask Young Master Murong behind you."

Gu Yu's gaze swept over the pale-faced Murong Fu and the old woman.

Upon hearing this, Murong Fu and the old woman turned completely ashen-faced.

Gu Yu's meaning couldn't be clearer: the imperial court had long been aware of the Murong family's ambition to overthrow the government.

Even if they manage to survive today, the prosperous land of Jiangnan, which the Murong family has cultivated for a century, will be completely wiped out by the imperial court, and all the power and wealth they have painstakingly built up over the years will be lost.

The two girls were stunned.

Deep down, they had heard the young master say things like "restoring the kingdom" and "Great Yan" quite often.

But I always took it as a joke.

Having lived in a secluded place like Canhezhuang for a long time, no one from the government had ever come to warn them or bothered with this matter.

They overlooked the fact that the Great Yan Dynasty was located on the border of the Great Song Dynasty and bordered the Great Liao Dynasty.

To truly restore the kingdom, one must seize the territory of the Song Dynasty.
Kumārajīva understood and finally realized why Chen Zhan wanted to destroy the Murong family.

He looked at Chen Zhan and said in a deep voice, "Are you a member of the imperial court?"

"That's it."

Chen Zhan remained noncommittal, saying calmly, "Master, you only need to answer whether you are willing to cooperate and help me wipe out the Murong family's forces. You can take the Xiaoyao Sect's secret manual from Mantuo Manor."

Kumārajīva quickly calculated in his mind.

Destroying the Murong family would not be a loss for him. On the contrary, he could use the power of the imperial court to eliminate a rival and obtain the secret manual of the Xiaoyao Sect. This deal was a sure win.

But he suddenly paused, a smile spreading across his face, and said, "This old monk and Mr. Murong Bo are old acquaintances. Let's forget about kicking someone when they're down."

After he finished speaking, he moved swiftly, and a flaming blade materialized in his hand, launching a series of attacks at Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan happened to block his way.

Not far from Gu Yu, a deeply hidden force swept across her shoulder, breaking a strand of her hair.

"Old man, you've finally deigned to show yourself. Did you think you were going to watch your son die?"

Gu Yu smiled. (End of Chapter)