Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 240 The Great Perfection of the Soul Transfer Technique (Two Chapters Combined)

"Indeed—indeed—it truly resembles the swordsmanship of the heavens."

As the smoke cleared, everyone saw that Zhou Qiutang's invulnerable silkworm gloves had shattered, and her hands, cracked by the sword energy and covered in blood, were almost unrecognizable.

Moreover, the sword light seemed to pierce through layers of qi and his hands without diminishing its power, even creating a transparent hole through his chest.

"Beautiful, truly beautiful, so different from me, this freak born with deformities—like a shooting star streaking across the sky, breathtakingly beautiful—"

Zhou Qiutang spoke her last words very softly before she died.

There was an indescribable sorrow in her voice, a deep-seated self-pity and self-mockery. Many people in the audience felt a complex mix of emotions upon hearing it.

Li Fu's expression remained as cold and stern as ice.

"Being born intersex is indeed your misfortune, and your experiences can be described as tragic. You were regarded as a monster by your parents and family, and later you were forced to marry and be sexually abused by Kuang Zhenyue—"

"However, you really shouldn't take out your misfortune on other innocent people and harm so many women."

"Did he say these things before he died in an attempt to elicit sympathy?"

You deserve no sympathy whatsoever; you only deserved to die.

These words were spoken with absolute certainty, without the slightest hesitation.

"Li Fu, you—"

Zhou Qiutang opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something more, but he couldn't utter a single word. Blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, his eyes gradually became unfocused, his body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

A muffled thud was heard, especially clear in the quiet night.

The notorious bandit who had plagued the martial arts world of Jiangnan for so long finally met his end.

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Many people, still reeling from the fact that the notorious thief was dead, stared wide-eyed at Li Fu. The moonlight, like frost, shone upon him, and his blue robe fluttered slightly in the night breeze.

Although he held no sword, everyone seemed to still be able to see that stunning and dazzling sword light from just now.

Like the Milky Way cascading from the heavens, it is brilliantly magnificent to the extreme, ethereal and transcendent, unlike anything found in the human world.

After a long pause, someone finally murmured, "A celestial being descending from the heavens—ethereal and otherworldly, that's absolutely true—"

"Such an amazing and unparalleled swordsmanship exists in the world!"

Shen Cang gazed at Li Fu's figure for a long time and sighed, "This is the true pinnacle of swordsmanship, this is what a peerless sword technique should look like."

Someone exclaimed in shock, "When Constable Li suddenly said he would take his life within three moves, I was skeptical. But I never expected that he would kill this arrogant devil in just two moves, without even needing three."

Li Fu used the Shaoshang Sword to force Zhou Qiutang back with his first move, and the second move was the astonishing "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens".

"Officer Li's swordsmanship is truly divine; he can be called a god among swordsmen."

The way everyone looked at Li Fu was no longer just gratitude and admiration, but also deep awe.

Just then, the celestial script and ink-wash characters reappeared before Li Fu's eyes.

There was a notorious womanizer in the martial arts world, known as the "Body Washing Thief." He was lewd and evil, poisoning women and harming countless people.

First, a righteous man wielded his sword but was instead harmed, and his entire family suffered. Now, he disregards all the heroes of the martial world and has once again acted arrogantly, causing innocent women to be harmed.

Fortunately, a great hero intervened, discerning the truth and uncovering his bizarre identity. He then eliminated the wicked, avenged the innocent, and rewarded him with the complete mastery of the Soul Transfer Technique.

As these words appeared, a massive amount of information flooded into Li Fu's mind.

The profound essence of the wondrous spiritual martial art of Soul Transference—how to convey spirit through the eyes and capture the mind with the spirit; how to see through the weaknesses in others' hearts and control their minds invisibly; how to guard one's true nature and resist external evils—all these methods and insights flooded into my heart like a sudden enlightenment.

Li Fu closed his eyes, quietly processing this information. After a moment, he reopened his eyes, a subtle, profound glint flashing within them.

"Has the Soul Transfer Technique been mastered?"

Indeed, it was unlike any other martial art; it was truly extraordinary.

The survivors helped each other to sit up and checked their injuries.

"Although there were many dead and injured, we finally got rid of Zhou Qiutang, this great scourge, and avenged Madam Liu and those women who were harmed."

"We are still grateful to Constable Li today, otherwise we would probably still be being played by that freak. Who would have thought that the notorious womanizer who wreaked havoc on the martial arts world of Jiangnan is actually a woman?"

"Not bad, not bad."

"Officer Li, you saved our lives."

Zhu Tinggao walked up to Li Fu, and together with Zhu Kang and Zhu Tongzhou, the three of them solemnly clasped their hands in greeting.

"Nephew Li, if it weren't for you, we would all be dead here today. The Zhu family will never forget your life-saving grace."

Li Fu said, "Master Zhu, you flatter me. It is the duty of a constable to eradicate evil and eliminate wickedness."

As they spoke, others gathered around.

Ouyang Jin was being supported by others, her face as pale as paper.

Both of his wrists were broken. Although they had been simply bandaged, the pain still made him break out in a cold sweat. He looked at Li Fu, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything. He just bowed deeply.

Supported by his daughter, Shen Cang stepped forward and said, "Officer Li's swordsmanship is divine, ridding the martial arts world of Jiangnan of a great scourge. On behalf of all the martial arts practitioners in Jiangnan, I thank Officer Li."

"You're too kind, Senior Shen," Li Fu said.

"We are deeply grateful for Officer Li's life-saving grace."

Everyone expressed their gratitude in turn.

This scene lasted for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before Zhu Tinggao raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

"Gentlemen, we are all people of the martial arts world here, so there is no need to say more. Please remember the life-saving grace that Nephew Li saved for us. We will definitely repay him when we have the opportunity in the future."

"As for now, although the master thief has been brought to justice, there are still many matters to be dealt with regarding this competition."

"First, we must deal with Kuang Zhenyue. He protected the evil master and cannot escape blame—"

Zhu Tinggao ordered his men to bring back Kuang Zhenyue, whose acupoints had been sealed by the group of experts before they left, but they only brought back Kuang Zhenyue's corpse.

"Master Zhu, Kuang Zhenyue, he committed suicide by severing his own heart meridian."

The corpse was stiff, and Kuang Zhenyue remained in the position where he had been restrained by acupressure.

However, his face was bluish-purple, the veins on his forehead were bulging, his eyes were wide open, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He had obviously been dead for a long time, which was a sign of severing his own heart meridian.

Zhu Tinggao frowned, strode forward, reached out to check his breath, and then felt his pulse. He said in a deep voice, "He is indeed—dead."

A moment of silence fell over everyone.

Ouyang Jin sighed, "It seems that after revealing his homosexuality, he would rather die than live under the strange gaze of others."

Someone shook their head and said, "Actually, the evil deeds committed by the master thief had almost nothing to do with him—if he had told the truth earlier, perhaps—"

Another person said, "Such a thing would surely ruin his reputation if it were revealed. Kuang Zhenyue has always been upright and proud, so how could he do such a thing?"

Others said, "Hmph, Kuang Zhenyue isn't innocent either. Come to think of it, wasn't he the one who created the notorious thief who washed his clothes?"

Since death is a serious matter, it's best not to say more, and everyone couldn't help but sigh.

Kuang Zhenyue was a hero in the Jiangnan martial arts world, with considerable prestige and influence. Who would have thought that he had such a secret, and ultimately met such an end?

Li Fu looked at Kuang Zhenyue's corpse.

Perhaps this is why there's always something hateful about those who are pitiful?

Kuang Zhenyue has already committed suicide, so there's no need to deal with him anymore. Zhu Tinggao looked at Ouyang Jin, whose hands were severely injured, with a complicated expression.

"Brother Ouyang, it's your turn now."

Now that things have come to this, what do you have to say about your behind-the-scenes manipulation of the dock owners' competition results?

Ouyang Jin gave a bitter smile: "Things have come to this, I have nothing to say."

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Actually, it was also my doing to kidnap Young Master Zhu and Miss Gong."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. They had vaguely heard that before the competition, the young master of the Zhu family and his cousin Gong Xiaoshang, who had traveled with him, were almost kidnapped.

But who in the martial arts world doesn't have a couple of enemies? Especially for the leader of the outlaws, there are many friends, but also many enemies.

At first, no one really connected this matter with the showdown between the chief dock lords.

Zhu Tinggao's face darkened: "It really was you!"

Li Fu looked at Ouyang Jin. After discovering that Ouyang Jin had tried every means to manipulate the competition results and take the position of chief of the dock, he had long suspected that Ouyang Jin was the one who was instigated to kidnap Zhu Tongzhou and the other person.

"But I swear,"

Ouyang Jin hurriedly said, "At the time, I only wanted to kidnap Young Master Zhu so that Master Zhu would be distracted during the duel and unable to give his all."

There was absolutely no intention to harm Young Master Zhu and Miss Gong.

"Otherwise, why would I have been kidnapped?"

Wouldn't it be more effective to distract and distress Master Zhu by killing him on the spot?

After a moment of silence, everyone agreed that what he said was true.

If Ouyang Jin really wanted to kill them, with the manpower he arranged, Zhu Tongzhou and Gong Xiaoshang would probably be dead already.

Zhu Tinggao's expression softened slightly, but the anger in his eyes remained: "Even so, your scheming against your comrades and kidnapping my son is a grave mistake!"

'

"I admit it." Ouyang Jin lowered her head.

"This scheme has ruined my reputation. The Ouyang family—has no face left to contend for the position of Chief of the Fortress."

After saying this, he, whose hands were almost completely crippled, seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

Zhu Tinggao looked at him and sighed deeply.

"Brother Ouyang, we have known each other for over thirty years. Although you have made a grave mistake this time, out of consideration for our past friendship and for fighting alongside everyone to eliminate the demon, I am unwilling to exterminate you all."

"From this day forward, Ouyang Jin is no longer the head of the Ouyang family."

The Ouyang family needs to select another capable person and recommend a new head of the family.

Within ten years, the Ouyang family is prohibited from participating in the struggle for the position of chief of the main dock.

Are you convinced?

The punishment was neither too severe nor too lenient.

Stripping the family head of his position and barring him from vying for the throne for ten years was a major blow to the Ouyang family.

But it's better than being expelled from Seven Star Linked Fortress and being unable to gain a foothold in the martial arts world of Jiangnan.

Ouyang Jin closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly nodded: "I admit defeat."

The matter has now come to a temporary end.

The competition was originally scheduled to last three days and had not yet officially ended, but Ouyang Jin withdrew, so the final competition could not be carried out.

Kuang Zhenyue committed suicide and was executed. Bibo Jiansou also admitted that his martial arts skills were inferior to Zhu Tinggao's, and did not propose another match.

In the end, Zhu Tinggao successfully retained his position as the chief of the main dock.

The fierce battle that lasted all night finally came to an end.

As night faded, the east began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

The group began to clean up the mess.

The deceased were properly buried, and the injured were taken for medical treatment.

Although the Zhu family manor was in a mess, it had finally weathered the storm.

The next day, Li Fu bid farewell to everyone, saying that the matter was settled and he was leaving.

Zhu Tinggao led the crowd to see them off.

Outside the Zhu Family Manor, a large crowd stood, including members of the Zhu family, Shen Cang and his daughter Shen Zhiqing, and other experts who had survived their battle with Zhou Qiutang.

"Nephew Li, why are you in such a hurry if you can't stay a little longer?"

"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't bother you any longer."

"Fine."

To my shame, my position as the head of the main fortress is entirely thanks to my nephew, Li Xian.

Zhu Tinggao smiled bitterly.

Li Fu shook his head: "According to the normal competition results, it should have been Zhu Wuzhu who won."

"Nephew Li, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

"If you ever need the Zhu family's help, or the Seven Star Linked Docks, just let us know."

Shen Cang and Shen Zhiqing nodded in agreement.

"If it weren't for Officer Li, my sister Gong and I would have been in danger if we had fallen into the hands of that villain."

Shen Zhiqing stood beside her father, looking at Li Fu with gratitude.

Shen Cang said, "Officer Li, if you have the opportunity to come to Jiangnan in the future, you must visit the Shen family so that I can show you the hospitality of a local."

Li Fu said, "I appreciate your kind invitation."

"If I have the time in the future, I will definitely visit Jiangnan again."

Zhu Tinggao stepped forward last, took out a token from his pocket, and handed it to Li Fu.

"Nephew Li, this is a token given to me by Seven Star Linked Docks."

With this token, one can mobilize manpower and obtain information at all 72 branch strongholds of the Seven Stars Linked Docks in Jiangnan.

Although I know that my nephew Li is highly skilled in martial arts and holds a position in the government, having more connections is never a bad thing.

Li Fu hesitated for a moment, then accepted the token: "Thank you, Master Zhu."

"We are the ones who should thank him," Zhu Tinggao said solemnly. "Officer Li has rid Jiangnan of a scourge; his kindness and virtue will never be forgotten by the martial arts world of Jiangnan."

The crowd chorused, "Excellent! Let's see off Officer Li!"

Li Fu mounted his horse, bowed to the crowd, and then rode away.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance, and their figures disappeared into the morning mist.

Li's trip to Jiangnan was not only to attend the competition, but also primarily to find out Wu Bo's whereabouts. In between, he also had two other things to do: punish the notorious thief and master the Soul Transfer Technique.

Now that all three things have been accomplished, there is no reason to linger any longer.

Uncle Wu raised him, and it was fine before there were no clues about Uncle Wu's whereabouts, but now that there are, he naturally has to set off to find him immediately.

To be honest, it's still unknown whether the clues we've obtained are true or false. Why would Uncle Wu let the Prince of Nankang's men search for us?

The news spread faster than the wind.

The thrilling events of that night at Zhujiazhuang and the case of the notorious bandit who washed clothes in Jiangnan spread throughout the martial arts world in less than half a month.

First, in the various prefectures and counties of Jiangnan, everyone in teahouses, taverns, and streets was talking about this matter.

Then the news spread like wildfire, across the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, reaching the Northwest and Lingnan, shaking the entire martial arts world.

In teahouses and taverns, wherever martial arts figures gathered, people would talk about this strange incident.

Have you heard?

That notorious thief from Jiangnan, who was so arrogant and brazen, has finally fallen!

"Really?"

That villain roamed Jiangnan for two or three years, harming countless women and causing the deaths of many heroes and masters. The authorities were powerless against him. Has he finally been caught this time?

"Absolutely true."

"Do you know which great hero or master they were defeated by?"

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