Jianghu Qimen Lu

Bai Shandian grabbed the prisoner's hair, yanking his head up, and roared viciously, "Your name is Xuehen? You're the second of the Seven Heroes of the Shi Clan, right?" The prisoner was indeed Xuehen. Suddenly, his feet flashed, unleashing three unexpected kicks with a deadly groin strike! Each kick was ruthless, each kick meant to kill. Taking advantage of Xuehen's unpreparedness, he used all his strength in each kick, aiming for Bai Shandian's groin! This was an extremely insidious and vile move; if it landed, it would undoubtedly shatter his body! Unexpectedly, Bai Shandian's martial arts had reached a state of perfection. Although he couldn't see in all directions, his internal energy was already circulating throughout his body, ready to strike. Seeing the thief's sudden attack, he reacted instinctively, his right hand transforming into a claw, swooping down like a hungry eagle! A scream rang out as Xuehen's right calf was instantly pierced through five finger-widths by the Eagle Claw technique! Blood gushed out, and he staggered, nearly falling to the ground!

Suddenly, Bai Shandian swept his leg, knocking him to the ground in an instant. He stomped heavily on Bai Shandian's chest, making him feel as if a boulder was pressing down on him. Waves of suffocation and despair washed over him! Bai Shandian demanded sharply, "Speak! What poison did you give Xiang Quan? Where is the antidote?!" Xue Hen, feeling guilty and flustered, panicked at the sight of Bai Shandian, and was now even more panicked. He thought to himself, "If I don't tell him, he'll find a way to torture me. Not only will I suffer a fate worse than death, but I'm afraid my blood will drain out of those five finger holes! The warden and the guards are deliberately hiding away right now. I'm helpless! I have no choice but to agree." He immediately pleaded, "Lord Bai, please release me! I will tell you everything I know!" Bai Shandian suddenly raised his foot, squatted down, and with lightning speed, pressed several acupoints around Xue Hen's calf wounds, sealing the surrounding pressure points and temporarily stopping the gushing blood! He then tore a piece of clothing from Xue Hen's body and bandaged it.

Seeing his unexpected kindness, Xuehen felt a glimmer of hope for survival and quickly had Bai Shandian whisper a shocking secret in his ear! It turned out that Xuehen, having roamed the underworld for many years, knew the treacherous nature of officialdom. Before betraying Xiangquan, he had privately hesitated: if he handed over the legendary martial arts manual, the *Complete Book of Martial Arts*, to the government, would they kill him to claim the credit for themselves? Throughout Chinese history, in every dynasty, which emperor, once he had secured his rule, didn't begin to slaughter loyal ministers and generals, fearing they would become arrogant and try to take a share of the spoils? As the saying goes, "When the birds and beasts are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked!" Therefore, he had a backup plan: he had someone secretly alter a copy of the *Complete Book of Martial Arts*. The titles and chapters were basically the same, but the content was a haphazard copy of a scripture, verbose, long, and difficult to understand—this was the main reason Zhang Kuang hadn't been able to tell the difference! Then, relying on his exceptional lightness skill, he secretly placed the genuine copy of the *Complete Works of the Martial World* on the plaque inscribed "A Clear Mirror Hangs High" in the main hall of the Yangzhou County government office under the cover of darkness. He had ulterior motives; he planned that once Xiang Quan reported him, the Yangzhou County government would send men to arrest him. He could then accompany the escorts to the county office, and if everything went smoothly, he could quietly retrieve the *Complete Works of the Martial World* and leave safely. If things took a turn for the worse, he could use the genuine copy of the *Complete Works of the Martial World* to blackmail the government into releasing him! However, plans didn't go as expected. When he went to the Yangzhou County government office to report him, he found that the county magistrate, Gui Nan Na, had been stripped of his official position by Bai Shan Dian and imprisoned. At this time, the county affairs were temporarily managed by the clerk. After hearing the report, he told Xue Heng to go back and await news. Unexpectedly, after waiting for several days, the arrogant Governor of Zhejiang arrived and, on the spot, found a pretext to throw him into the Hangzhou prison! This is why it has been delayed until now. But I wonder if the original copy of "Complete Book of Jianghu" is still on the plaque in the main hall of the Yangzhou County Government?

"If Lord Bai releases me, I am willing to hand over the 'Complete Book of Jianghu'! Of course, it also includes the antidote to cure your wife!" Xue Hen's bloodlust had stopped, and he was much calmer. At this moment, he became composed and steady.

"The Complete Book of Jianghu has a real and a fake version? Where did you hide the real one?" Bai Shandian was taken aback. He couldn't help but admire Xue Ruan's cunning and shrewdness!

"I said, as long as Lord Bai agrees to release me, I'll speak immediately! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude, I'll have to refrain from speaking!" Xue Hen's tone was defiant! Bai Shandian flew into a rage, his body flashing as he pressed his right claw against Xue Hen's shoulder blade, secretly channeling his inner force through his five fingers, forcefully plunging it into Xue Hen's left scapula. With a sharp squeeze, a cracking sound of bones breaking was heard, and Xue Hen screamed in agony, nearly fainting! In the dead of winter, large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead!

White Lightning ignored him, strolled to the window, and gently pushed it open. Outside, the north wind howled, and in the dark, deep sky, snow began to fall lightly! A wave of anxiety washed over him: "How is Quan'er doing now? As her rival, is Red Moon making things difficult for her with her words? And Hong Chen, is she going to throw her into the water dungeon again? That place is pitch black; it could really kill Quan'er! Alas, all of this is thanks to that ruthless man! Damn it, if it weren't for saving Quan'er, I would have killed him with one blow long ago. I don't want to get entangled with him anymore!"

Just then, a faint voice drifted to his ear: "Lord Bai, please don't torture me anymore! I'll confess, I'll confess everything! Please, just let me go!" Bai Shandian was overjoyed and rushed over to see what was happening. He saw that Xue Heng's face was ashen, his eyes unfocused, and he was on the verge of death... The blood on the ground had pooled together! Bai Shandian stared intently into his eyes and said solemnly, "Tell me, where is the antidote? Where is the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World'?!" Xue Heng's lips trembled as he said with difficulty, "The antidote to cure Master Xiang is in my room at Dream Wanderer Manor, in a brocade pouch hanging above the headboard of the large bed. Actually, that pouch belongs to Master Xiang!" Bai Shandian was shocked upon hearing this and blurted out, "How did her personal brocade pouch end up on your bed?!"

Xuehen gave a bitter smile and revealed the truth: "To be honest, Lord Bai, I have long admired Master Xiang, the leader of the Southern Fist School in the Jiangnan martial arts world! But I have been unable to meet her, and that has been delayed until now! It wasn't until after the battle at Plum Blossom Ridge that my Shi brothers rescued Master Xiang and brought her back to Shi Family Village, arranging for her to hide in my mansion. Only then did I have the opportunity..." Bai Shandian flew into a rage, pointing his halberd at his nose. He really wanted to slap him, but he was afraid of killing him, so he could only swallow his anger and ask, "So you two slept together?! Was she willing? Tell me!" Seeing his intense jealousy, a sly smile flashed in Xuehen's eyes, and a sense of vengeful pleasure welled up in his heart! He ignored Bai Shandian's words and continued speaking with difficulty, "Actually, it's all my fault for having a physical ailment. I've suffered from a strange illness since childhood. The more I like a woman, the more I want to hear her pitiful pleas and painful groans. Once I hear them, waves of pleasure and satisfaction surge through me, and I can't stop! Lord Bai, please don't be angry with me for beating Master Xiang. Actually, I regretted it afterwards, but I couldn't control myself. I had no choice! It's all my fault for this strange illness!"

Only now did Bai Shandian truly understand Xiang Quan's past suffering! No wonder she resented him so much for being with Hong Yue Liang; it turns out that being jealous of someone is truly unbearable! He felt an urge to rush up and kill, and a heart-wrenching pain that left him speechless with grief! It was as if the sky had fallen, everything had become lifeless, everything was irritating, and everyone he looked at was infuriating. It was as if everything in the world had become an enemy, a stranger!