I Have the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye in the Storm Riders

The old, rough porcelain bowl fell to the ground with a jarring clang, which was especially startling in the quiet thatched hut.

Qin Shuang was struck dumb, his burly body trembling violently. His eyes were wide open, staring intently at the emaciated diner before him. The voice he managed to utter trembled and was almost incoherent:

"Feng... Junior Brother Feng?!"

Nie Feng, who was frantically shoveling rice into his mouth, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, his movements buried under his messy hair.

However, he only paused for such a tiny moment before lowering his head again, like a soulless walking corpse, mechanically and woodenly stuffing rice into his mouth.

It was as if the three words "Junior Brother Feng," which carried immense weight, were nothing more than fleeting clouds passing through his empty consciousness, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.

"Junior Brother Feng! Is it really you?!"

Qin Shuang's eyes instantly turned red, and hot tears welled up in her eyes.

Overwhelmed with excitement, he instinctively reached out to grab his old friend's shoulders tightly.

But with a slight twitch of his shoulders, he was suddenly struck by the realization that he was already a cripple, and could only let the two empty, tattered sleeves swing forlornly in mid-air.

He staggered forward, ignoring everything, and fired off a barrage of urgent questions, his eyes filled with heartbroken concern:

"How did you end up like this? Where's Junior Brother Yun? Where did he go?"

Inside the dimly lit earthen house, only deathly silence and the heart-wrenching sound of mechanical chewing answered him.

After swallowing the last bit of leftover rice, Nie Feng casually tossed the chipped, coarse porcelain bowl onto the table, and slowly stood up, his tall, spear-like body shattering with a crisp sound.

He slightly raised his eyes from his disheveled hair, his blood-red, deep, and unfathomable demonic eyes sweeping indifferently over the heartbroken Qin Shuang and the trembling Ding Ning before him.

Those eyes were empty and lifeless, like two dry wells that had been dry for a hundred years, without a trace of human emotion.

He had long since severed ties with the mortal world and did not recognize his fellow disciple, with whom he shared a deep bond, at all.

Having wandered here driven by wild animal instincts, we were only hungry. Now that we are full and satisfied, we should leave.

Nie Feng suddenly turned around, took stiff steps that exuded death, and walked straight out of the courtyard without looking back.

"Junior Brother Feng! Where are you going?!"

Qin Shuang was horrified at the sight. Disregarding her own safety, she lunged forward, her mangled body blocking the narrow wooden door, and screamed blood-curdling sobs with all her might.

"I'm the senior disciple!"

"Open your eyes and look at yourself! Don't you recognize me, Junior Brother Feng?"

Nie Feng's steps forward did not falter for a moment as he faced his former comrades who were desperately blocking his path.

A violent and ferocious light suddenly flashed deep within those blood-red demonic eyes, and a terrifying killing intent that could freeze several miles away and chill to the bone instantly engulfed the entire thatched hut like a tidal wave.

However, he never actually drew his sword and made a move.

Perhaps it was the last vestige of human instinct deep within his mind that had not yet been completely extinguished, which made him feel a slight pity for his crippled old friend who had lost both arms.

Or perhaps, in his current demonic realm where only slaughter exists, this ant before him, which he could easily destroy, is not worthy of him using even a fraction of his true power.

With a dull thud, a powerful and irresistible aura suddenly surged from Nie Feng's body, crashing straight into Qin Shuang's chest like a destructive force.

The force of the impact sent the burly man staggering back several steps before collapsing onto the cold, muddy ground.

Then, without even sparing a glance, Nie Feng's figure flickered like a ghost, instantly transforming into a piercing black shadow that cut through the spring breeze, leaping out of the dilapidated fence and completely disappearing into the depths of the blazing peach blossom forest covering the mountains outside the village.

"Junior Brother Feng—!"

Qin Shuang collapsed onto the dust in a disheveled state, staring intently at the direction where the demonic figure was swallowed by the vast forest, letting out a heart-wrenching, blood-soaked roar.

Two streams of tears could no longer be held back, winding down his weathered face and dripping onto the cold earth.

When old friends meet again, they should be drinking and chatting happily, but now they are like strangers, not recognizing each other. There is no cruelty in this world that can cut out one's heart.

Qin Shuang sat slumped on the ground for a long time, until the last trace of demonic energy completely dissipated in the depths of the falling peach blossoms.

He withdrew his dim gaze as if all his energy had been drained, his face filled with an overwhelming sense of desolation and dejection.

The rapid clatter of hooves, like a sudden downpour, abruptly shattered the secluded tranquility of the waterside fishing village.

More than ten elite imperial guards, clad in embroidered flying fish robes and with gleaming embroidered spring knives at their waists, galloped in on horseback, kicking up clouds of yellow dust.

The leader pulled hard on the reins outside the fenced yard, and his warhorse reared up with a loud neigh.

He looked down at the one-armed villager who had fallen to the ground, pointed his whip, and shouted sternly:

"Hey! You up ahead! Did you just see a disheveled, bloodshot-eyed lunatic run past here?"

Qin Shuang's heart skipped a beat. His instincts from years of wandering the martial world made him instantly suppress all his grief, and he subtly wiped away the remaining tear stains from the corners of his eyes as he got up.

He slightly hunched his once upright back, adopting the dull and bewildered expression unique to a country bumpkin, and tremblingly met the whip with a question:

"Is the official you're referring to... a starving beggar?"

"beggar?"

The guard captain's thick eyebrows shot up, and he lashed out with his riding whip in a sharp, explosive motion, letting out a cold, murderous snort.

"Bullshit beggar!"

"That's the imperial court's number one wanted criminal, for whom a million taels of silver have been offered for capture!"

"He's Nie Feng, a ruthless and invincible demon who kills without blinking an eye!"

"If you, you country bumpkin, dare to keep quiet about what you know, you'll lose your head!"

"Nie Feng..."

Qin Shuang lowered her head, feigning terror as she murmured the name, then mustered her courage, slightly raised her head, and tentatively asked, "What do you mean?"

"This humble citizen dares to ask Your Honor, what heinous crime has this man named Nie Feng committed?"

"How could this have provoked such a large-scale mobilization from the imperial court?"

"Hmph, enough with the nonsense!" The guard captain waved his blood-stained whip impatiently.

"That demon has completely fallen into the demonic path and lost his mind. Recently, he has been causing a bloodbath and indiscriminately killing innocent people in the martial arts world."

"His Majesty himself drafted this ironclad edict: I demand to see him alive or dead!"

"I'll ask you one last time, did you see that demon or not?!"

Upon hearing that her fellow disciples had become bloodthirsty demons whom even the imperial court would fight to the death, Qin Shuang felt as if her heart was being torn apart by a thousand steel knives.

It turns out that the usually gentle and refined Junior Brother Feng has reached such a miserable state due to his desperate situation.

He suppressed the surging grief and anger in his chest, took a deep breath of the cool spring breeze, and looked fearful.

Instead, he raised his chin precisely, pointing towards the deep mountain valley in the exact opposite direction from where Nie Feng had fled, and said in a trembling voice:

"This humble citizen... has truly never seen any murderous monster."

"However, just now, there was indeed a mute beggar who couldn't get food and was acting crazy, fleeing into that deep mountain."

"Chase!"

The guard commander, seeing the one-armed villager trembling like a leaf, had no suspicions whatsoever and immediately whipped his horse and swung his hand.

Leading more than ten elite imperial guards, he yanked the reins, turned his horse around, and galloped wildly toward the direction Qin Shuang had randomly pointed out, kicking up clouds of yellow sand.

Only when the suffocating sound of hooves faded away completely, disappearing beyond the layers of spring water and peach blossoms, did Qin Shuang's last breath, which she had been desperately holding on, finally collapse.

His imposing figure swayed violently in the wind like a flickering candle, almost collapsing again.

"Brother Shuang..."

Ding Ning, who had been hiding behind the door, was shocked to see this. She quickly ran forward and used her weak shoulders to firmly support her husband's swaying body. Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, were filled with unbearable heartache and worry.

Just as the couple were huddled together, panting for breath, a chilling, bone-chilling cold suddenly descended upon the world.

With a long whoosh, the once clear sky above the fishing village suddenly became stormy, and the ground was covered with fallen petals.

A solitary figure, like a low-hanging dark cloud tearing through the void from the Netherworld, descended heavily outside the crumbling fence and dilapidated courtyard with the force of a thunderbolt.

The newcomer stood tall and straight like a sword, his body bearing the marks of a traveler who had traversed countless mountains and rivers.

However, on that cold and stern face, which was as sculpted as marble, the extreme, sinister, and unruly demeanor that was once unparalleled in the world had long since faded away. In its place was a deep and calm demeanor and a steadfast and resolute spirit, which had been gained through life and death and through all the vicissitudes of life.

Bu Jingyun had been tirelessly following the faint trace of demonic energy left in the air since the Leshan Giant Buddha, but the trail ended abruptly outside this remote fishing village.

He intended to use his inner energy to carefully investigate any clues, but his cold gaze pierced through the flying catkins and instead fixed unpreparedly on the middle-aged man with both arms severed in the center of the dilapidated courtyard.

That face, though etched with the marks of time and hardship, remained an unforgettable and deeply familiar presence to Bu Jingyun.

"Senior Brother?!"

Bu Jingyun's usually deep and calm voice, which was usually as cold as ice, was now unusually tinged with a violent tremor that seemed almost shattering.

Upon hearing the sound, Qin Shuang abruptly looked up, gazing at the peerless master outside the fence, whose aura was as deep as the ocean and whose sharpness far surpassed that of the past. A bitter, heart-wrenching smile slowly spread across her lips:

"Junior Brother Yun...we are brothers, how have you been?"

Unable to contain his excitement, Bu Jingyun strode forward, a thousand words about to burst from his throat, but his sharp gaze inadvertently swept over the village woman with the thorn hairpin clinging tightly to Qin Shuang's side.

In that instant, Bu Jingyun was struck as if by lightning, his pupils contracting violently to the size of pinpoints.

Those gentle, watery eyes, that timid, frightened expression like a startled fawn…

"Kong Ci?!"

Those painful memories that he had forcibly buried deep beneath the mausoleum and sealed away for many years suddenly flooded into his mind like a burst dam.

The name that had once driven him mad and caused him unbearable pain was uncontrollably uttered.

Ding Ning had never seen such a menacing and fierce god before. He was pierced by Qin Shuang's intense and terrifying gaze, and his face turned pale with fright. Like a fledgling bird seeking shelter, he instinctively shrank behind Qin Shuang's broad but crippled back.

Upon seeing this, Bu Jingyun's tall and straight body trembled uncontrollably.

But in the blink of an eye, he took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turbulent emotions surging in his eyes, returning to a calm and still state.

Having weathered many storms, he was no longer the impulsive and infatuated Bu Jingyun who would trample the world underfoot for the sake of his love for his children.

The person is gone, and although this gentle village woman looks strikingly similar to her, she is ultimately just a similar flower in this mortal world.

Qin Shuang, with her keen insight, immediately noticed her second junior brother's rapidly changing emotional struggles.

He turned slightly to shield Ding Ning more tightly, and spoke softly to break the stagnant silence, his tone carrying a hint of apology and relief:

"Her name is Ding Ning."

"Now... she is my lawfully wedded wife, Qin Shuang."

"I see. Miss Ding Ning, I was being presumptuous just now."

Bu Jingyun nodded slightly, a gesture that was extremely rare for him, to express his apology.

Looking at his disabled brother and frail sister-in-law supporting each other, a genuine warmth welled up in his eyes, which had seen through life and death. His tone was as steady as a rock.

"My eldest brother has spent half his life in loneliness and hardship. Now he has found a good man to accompany him in this paradise. He will retire to the countryside and leave behind the troubles of the martial world."

"From the bottom of my heart... I am truly overjoyed for you."

These words, spoken by the cold-faced Grim Reaper, were every single one of heartfelt sincerity.

"Junior Brother Yun, there's no need for formalities between us brothers."

Qin Shuang didn't want to dwell on Kong Ci, this old thorn, and cause further heartache, so she abruptly cut off the conversation and went straight to the heart of the matter.

"You've chased him all this way alone, surely you've come for Junior Brother Xunfeng, haven't you?"

Bu Jingyun's cold, hard face instantly turned ashen, and he nodded heavily, saying in a deep voice:

"good."

"Junior Brother Feng is now suffering from the backlash of demonic blood, his demonic nature has been unleashed, and he has completely lost his mind."

"No matter what dangers lie ahead, I must bring him back by my own hands before he commits an irreparable and heinous crime!"

"When we parted years ago, Junior Brother Feng was still full of vigor and high spirits."

Recalling Nie Feng's cold, bloodthirsty, and ruthless eyes, Qin Shuang felt a pang of heartache and gritted her teeth, asking in a hoarse voice, "..."

"Junior Brother Feng is by nature the most gentle and kind-hearted, unable to bear even stepping on an ant. What kind of fate has befallen him to have fallen into this pathetic state of demonic possession, where he no longer recognizes his own family?"

Bu Jingyun fell into a long, stagnant silence, and after a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice against the cold wind, recounting that blood-and-tears past:

"In the past, there were no divine cavalry that could trample mountains and rivers, and the land of China was about to sink."

"In order to slay the gods, save the world, and salvage the last glimmer of hope for the martial arts world in the Central Plains, Junior Brother Feng did not hesitate to feed the demon with his own body, willingly abandoning everything and sacrificing himself, resolutely stepping into the gate of life and death, and forcibly cultivating the supreme martial art of the First Evil Emperor, which is a matter of life and death - 'Demon Blade'."

"Although the power of the Demon Blade can cut through the Nine Netherworlds and is invincible, it is also the most backlash against people's hearts. In the end, it will strip away the cultivator's nature as if skinning them alive, turning them into a world-destroying demon who only knows how to kill insanely and has no feelings."

"So... Junior Brother Feng actually succumbed to demonic possession for the sake of all living beings..."

Qin Shuang was struck dumb, and two streams of hot tears once again uncontrollably rolled down her tiger-like eyes.

He gazed desperately at the hazy sky over the Jiangnan water towns, letting out a long, heart-wrenching howl.

"Junior Brother Feng! How recklessly brave you are, and how foolishly foolish you are!"

"Senior Brother, since you live here, did you see which way he went just now?"

Bu Jingyun was extremely anxious and took a step forward, pressing him urgently for answers.

Qin Shuang closed her eyes without uttering a word, but turned half of her body slumpedly and weakly pointed with her chin to the distant peach blossom forest shrouded in spring mist.

"Thank you for showing me the way, Senior Brother!"

Having obtained the clue, Bu Jingyun hesitated no longer. He suddenly rolled like a cloud, his tall and imposing figure rising from the ground in an instant, transforming into a desolate cloud that tore through the sky. He and his sword recklessly ripped through layers of shadowy flowers, chasing after the perilous direction with madness.

"Junior Brother Yun!"

As Qin Shuang watched the resolute black figure disappear into the distance, she suddenly found a surge of strength and staggered forward half a step, shouting hoarsely through her broken throat.

Bu Jingyun abruptly stopped his lightning-fast movement mid-air, hovering on a delicate peach blossom branch, and suddenly turned around to stare intently at his former senior brother.

"You absolutely must...you absolutely must bring Junior Brother Feng back alive! You have to save him!"

Qin Shuang's voice, weathered by time, now carried a pleading, choked sob.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother, I, Bu Jingyun, swear that even if it costs me my life, I will bring Junior Brother Feng back safe and sound!"

Bu Jingyun slammed his head down, which was as proud as iron, leaving behind a resounding vow.

In a flash, a gust of wind swept up countless petals, and the Uncrying Death God had completely disappeared into the falling blossoms, leaving no trace.

The desolate farmhouse courtyard, as the wind and clouds dispersed, returned to a secluded tranquility.

Qin Shuang stood like a weathered stone statue that had stood for a thousand years, staring intently in the empty direction where the two peerless geniuses had left as if by fate, her stiff feet remaining motionless for a long time.

"Brother Shuang..."

Ding Ning walked to his side, her eyes filled with heartache, and gently grasped her husband's empty, coarse cloth sleeves that fluttered helplessly in the wind, softly comforting him:

"If you are truly worried and anxious about them in this small courtyard... then go down the mountain and go see them."

"I'll take care of everything at home, so you don't need to worry about anything or feel any burden."

Although she was just a weak woman who knew nothing about martial arts, how could her clever mind not see through the pain and torment her husband was suffering in the mud?

Those two who disappeared into the ends of the martial world were, in the end, brothers who had sworn a blood oath with Qin Shuang and shared life and death.

Qin Shuang's towering, mountain-like body trembled violently for a moment, and deep within his withered, gray eyes, a cluster of remnants called "Jianghu" suddenly leaped up.

However, when his turbid eyes, filled with resentment, drooped down onto his empty, crippled shoulders, which he could not even grasp a rusty iron sword.

When he turned his head and bumped into the flower beside him, a delicate flower that could only rely on him for survival and was vulnerable to wind and rain, he realized that she was a true friend to him.

That nascent spark of hope ultimately transformed into a profound sense of desolation and helplessness, like snowflakes falling from the sky.

Now, with both arms severed at the root, what good would it do for this broken body to shamelessly follow the path of no return to the martial world?

Not only will it not save Junior Brother Feng, it will only add another burden to Junior Brother Yun.

"Never mind..."

Qin Shuang closed her eyes in despair, her chest heaving violently, and forced out a long and heavy sigh of despair from deep within her teeth.

This breath of turbid air seemed to be a way of vomiting back all the overwhelming resentment and the bone-deep helplessness he had accumulated over half a lifetime of military service, returning it all to this damned heaven.

When he slowly opened his eyes again, those eyes that had once terrified the heroes of the World Alliance were now filled with a calm and serene emptiness.

"The road of the martial world is too long and the waters too deep; the ever-changing winds and clouds are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

"Since I have sworn to retire from the world of martial arts and withdraw from the conflicts, I am no longer a person in this mortal world."

He resolutely turned his back, refusing to look at the turbulent martial arts world again.

He then lowered his proud head, and like an ordinary farmer, gently rubbed his rough forehead against his wife's smooth and soft forehead, his voice warm and deep.

"It's chilly outside, let's... go back inside."

Ding Ning gazed intently at her husband's desolate yet resolute back, which, for her sake, had forged a new, rock-solid stability, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She obediently and gently hummed in agreement, like a dodder vine clinging to a giant tree, carefully supporting this once-powerful and peerless man as they walked side by side into the simple house, which, though bare, provided shelter from the wind and rain.

The wooden door made a few old, dry creaking sounds as a rough bolt fell and closed it completely.

That thin wooden door, as thin as a cicada's wing, shut out the bloody and turbulent world of martial arts outside the courtyard, and all the entanglements of love and hate that could not be severed.