The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

The sound of the whip piercing the air was sharp and shrill, carrying Li Xiao's powerful true energy, seemingly possessing the force of metal and stone, aiming straight for the tall, thin man's knees.

The man was running for his life, his mind focused on the pursuers behind him, when he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind hit his body. It was too late to change his move and dodge.

With a muffled thud, the riding whip struck his right knee precisely, followed by a clear and terrifying cracking sound that shattered the tranquility of the countryside.

"ah--!"

The man let out a heart-wrenching scream, his voice hoarse like a broken gong, and his body convulsed violently as he lost his balance.

With a "thud," he fell heavily to his knees, then lurched forward with the momentum, leaving two bloody marks on the ground from his elbows and knees.

The large cloth bag he was carrying on his shoulder rolled off and landed with a dull thud on the soft grass. The bag swayed slightly, and a blurry human figure could be vaguely seen inside.

Seeing this, Wang Yuyan quickly dismounted, her skirt brushing lightly against the grass, and hurried after her, her brows filled with surprise and concern.

Li Xiao moved nimbly, dismounted, and rushed to the man in a few steps. With a light touch of his toe, he kicked the man to the ground, preventing him from making any further moves.

He bent down and grabbed the knot at the top of the bag, pulling hard to untie it. A faint scent of sleeping potion wafted out, and inside lay a pale-faced girl with her eyes closed, her breath weak, clearly having been drugged and rendered unconscious.

Upon seeing this, Wang Yuyan immediately bent down and reached out, carefully helping the girl out of the bag and gently laying her flat on the grass.

She moved gently, afraid of disturbing the unconscious girl. She raised her hand to check the girl's breathing and, after confirming that the breathing was weak but still steady, she breathed a sigh of relief.

On the other side, Li Xiao had already walked quickly to the side of the man who was curled up on the ground, clutching his broken knee and howling in pain. He stood straight, exuding a chilling aura.

"Who are you?" Li Xiao asked, his voice low and cold, like the sound of ice shattering in the deepest hell, carrying a chilling aura.

His gaze was fixed on the man like a hawk's, his eyes filled with disgust—he already had a vague suspicion that the man was sleazy and despicable, and now he only needed the man to confirm it himself.

The icy voice was like a bucket of cold water, instantly waking the tall, thin man from his intense pain.

He forced himself to lift his head, staring intently at Li Xiao with his sinister, triangular eyes. The excruciating pain from his wounds and the resentment of being outmaneuvered churned within his eyes.

"You...do you know who I am? If you dare stop me, you will suffer the most devastating revenge from my companions!"

His voice trembled, but he still forced himself to utter harsh words, trying to scare Li Xiao away with threats.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes, confirming his suspicions. He took a step forward, his tone becoming even colder: "You are Yun Zhonghe, one of the Four Evils?"

Upon hearing the name "Yun Zhonghe," the man's eyes showed no fear, but rather a hint of arrogance and pride. Even in dire straits, his lewd and ruthless nature remained unchanged.

"That's right! It's your grandpa Yun Zhonghe! Kid, you dare to ruin my plans? You've really gotten yourself into big trouble today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, ignoring the excruciating pain in his knees, he let out a triumphant and cruel laugh that echoed through the desolate woods, sending chills down one's spine.

Ignoring his arrogant laughter, Li Xiao's gaze swept over the unconscious girl on the grass, his tone growing increasingly cold: "Where did you kidnap this woman from?"

Yun Zhonghe gritted his teeth, still wearing that resentful and venomous expression, his triangular eyes fixed on Li Xiao without revealing a single word of the truth, clearly intending to fight to the bitter end.

Seeing this, Li Xiao was not angry at all. Instead, a faint, cold smile flashed in his eyes. He moved his fingertips slightly and struck several major acupoints on Yun Zhonghe's body with lightning speed.

Yun Zhonghe felt a numbness all over his body. His body, which had been convulsing, suddenly froze. He couldn't even let out a howl of pain. Only his eyes could move in vain, and there was a hint of panic in them.

Immediately afterwards, Li Xiao raised his hand and took out a palm-sized ebony acupuncture kit from his waist bag. With a flick of his fingertips, the lid opened by itself, revealing dozens of gold needles of varying lengths, gleaming with a lustrous sheen, arranged neatly, exuding a sense of solemnity.

This acupuncture technique was something he learned from a renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor when he was a special agent in his previous life. He had even used this method to inflict this cruel punishment on a Japanese soldier in the courtyard world.

Li Xiao picked up a golden needle, channeled his energy through his fingertips, and quietly infused it with a wisp of pure true energy. The golden needle instantly emitted a faint glow.

He bent down, his movements swift as lightning, and the golden needles precisely pierced several painful acupoints on Yun Zhonghe's shoulder and elbow. His movements were crisp and clean, without the slightest hesitation.

At first, Yun Zhonghe could grit his teeth and bear it, but cold sweat kept pouring from his forehead, and his face turned from sallow to pale.

But in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he could no longer hold on. His whole body began to tremble violently uncontrollably, and he let out muffled sobs. His originally fearful and uneasy eyes had long been replaced by extreme pain.

Because his pressure points had been sealed, he was completely unable to move and could only endure the extreme pain and torment.

According to Li Xiao's observation, the acupuncture technique with golden needles, which he had infused with a trace of true energy, could actually amplify the pain.

Yun Zhonghe was, after all, a martial arts master, and his pain tolerance was certainly higher than that of ordinary people. Yet, he only used three needles, and the other party could no longer bear it.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Yun Zhonghe finally broke down, his voice hoarse and almost incoherent, only begging for an end to this torture.

Li Xiao flicked his finger, retracting all the golden needles, but did not release his acupoints.

"speak!"

Yun Zhonghe was panting heavily. It took him a long time to calm down before he could barely speak. He said in a broken voice, "I...I don't know where this woman came from. I was passing through Shouchun Prefecture today when I saw her with her maid going to Yongen Temple outside the city to burn incense. I saw that she was extremely beautiful, so I attacked her on her way back and kidnapped her."

Wang Yuyan, standing to the side, heard Yun Zhonghe's confession clearly. Her brows instantly hardened with frost, and her eyes held a deep sense of disgust.

As a woman herself, she could best understand the devastating impact of such circumstances on women.

If this young lady were to be defiled by the lecherous Yun Zhonghe, from a worldly perspective, even if she were to survive by sheer luck, she would be destined to live a life of humiliation and suffering for the rest of her life, and she would very likely take her own life because of it.

Wang Yuyan clenched her sleeves, her voice filled with a resolute determination tinged with gritted teeth: "Brother Li, we absolutely cannot let this lecherous scoundrel get away with this today! If he continues to roam free, who knows how many more innocent women will fall victim to his cruelty!"