Chapter 89

Even though Ren Woxing was furious, he could only watch helplessly as Nie Yun took advantage of his daughter.

The group left the dungeon and sat down in the hall.

Nie Yun leaned almost entirely on Ren Yingying the whole way, and Ren Yingying, thinking he was seriously injured, not only did not complain, but became even more careful in her movements.

The “Star Absorbing Technique” is infamous. After the battle just now, everyone believed that it was the one who absorbed a lot of Nie Yun’s internal energy.

Ren Yingying, who already secretly harbored feelings for Nie Yunfang, now wished she could carry him on her back. She no longer cared about her father’s thoughts.

Ren Woxing looked at the daughter who didn’t care about him at all, but was looking at Nie Yun with concern, and then looked at Xiang Wentian, who was supporting him, whose wrinkled face could trap flies. He felt a slight pain in his chest.

Seeing the devastated expressions on the faces of the Four Friends of Jiangnan, Nie Yun coughed lightly and said, “You don’t need to be so sad. This day was bound to come sooner or later. For the past ten years or so, you’ve claimed to be living a carefree life in seclusion, but in reality, you’ve been no different from prison guards. Now that he’s freed, you can also be free.”

After hearing Nie Yun’s words, the Four Friends of Jiangnan looked at each other in dismay. Instead of relief, their eyes showed even greater fear and despair.

Huang Zhonggong stepped forward and asked, “May I ask this young master’s honorable name?”

“I am Nie Yun from Mount Hua. Please forgive any deception I may have made,” Nie Yun said with a smile.

“It’s actually Master Nie of the Huashan Sect!” Huang Zhonggong exclaimed in surprise.

Nie Yun smiled and nodded.

“Master Nie’s martial arts, wisdom, and talents are all extraordinary. He also has a thorough understanding of people’s hearts. He seized our weaknesses and devised this clever plan to rescue Ren Woxing. I truly admire him.”

Huang Zhonggong gave a bitter smile, his face pale.

He turned to look at Ren Woxing and continued, “But if you rescue this person and the old master of the Eastern Sect finds out, I’m afraid the four of us brothers won’t live past this year!”

Ren Woxing was furious upon hearing this and sneered, “That traitor Dongfang is insubordinate, rebellious, ungrateful, and unforgivable! You bunch of opportunistic traitors, how dare you call him the leader!”

He tried to step forward and capture the four men, but as soon as he tried to circulate his qi, he felt as if his meridians were on fire. He had no choice but to sit down, but his eyes were still glaring fiercely at the men.

Huang Zhonggong turned to look at Ren Woxing and slowly said, “My four brothers and I joined the Sun Moon Sect with the intention of upholding justice and making a name for ourselves in the martial world. However, Leader Ren, you are hot-tempered and arrogant, so my four brothers and I had long wanted to quit. After Leader Dongfang took over, he favored treacherous officials and continued to kill our old brothers in the sect, which made us even more disheartened. Back then, we took this job to stay away from Blackwood Cliff and avoid the intrigues of others, and to live a quiet life by West Lake, enjoying music and books. We have enjoyed enough of this peaceful life for the past twelve years.”

His eyes grew brighter as he spoke, his right hand gradually moved to his chest, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.

“Life is full of sorrows and little joy, that’s just how it is…” Before he could finish speaking, Nie Yun grabbed his right hand.

It turned out that he had somehow acquired a dagger, which was now piercing through his clothes and almost plunged into his chest.

“Brother!” Bald-pen Weng and Dan Qingsheng were shocked and rushed forward to snatch the dagger and throw it on the ground. Hei Baizi’s eyes flickered, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Seeing that Huang Zhonggong would rather commit suicide than beg for mercy, Ren Woxing’s anger intensified. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, “Want to die? Not so easy!”

Huang Zhonggong’s attempt to die was thwarted. Thinking of Ren Woxing’s methods, his face grew even more miserable. He said to Nie Yun, “Sect Leader Nie, we just exchanged pleasantries through music. Although you had ulterior motives, I treated you with sincerity. Now that you have achieved your goal, why do you still need to save me?”

Nie Yun shook his head and said, “Your temperament suits my taste. You should come with me.” After saying that, he didn’t say anything more, but his lips moved slightly.

Huang Zhonggong stared wide-eyed at Nie Yun in utter shock, his body trembling with excitement.

“Don’t worry, I mean what I say, I won’t make things difficult for you!” Nie Yun smiled and patted his shoulder, then casually released his pressure points.

Huang Zhonggong felt his internal energy return to normal and quickly bowed to Nie Yun, saying, “In that case, thank you very much, Young Master Nie.”

The people around them were puzzled, not knowing what kind of riddle the two were playing. Only Ren Yingying, who had witnessed Nie Yun’s secret telepathic communication, guessed a few things.

She turned to look at her father, but said nothing.

At this moment, Hei Baizi suddenly knelt down in front of Ren Woxing and said loudly, “Master Ren, from this day forward, I, Hei Baizi, will be wholeheartedly loyal to you.”

Ren Woxing said coldly, “You swore allegiance to me back then, why do you go back on your word now?”

Hei Baizi said, “That Dongfang Bubai is a highly skilled martial artist whom I could not defeat by force. Moreover, I was controlled by his Three Corpse Brain God Pill, so I had no choice but to submit. After he usurped the position of leader, he acted perversely, allowing Yang Lianting to hold power, causing the sect to fall into disarray. This great foundation is about to be destroyed. I saw this and was extremely anxious. I had long regretted my actions and wanted to find an opportunity to rescue the leader so that I could atone for my sins. I never expected that the leader would be blessed by heaven and have a master to help him, allowing him to see the light of day again. From now on, I am willing to serve the leader wholeheartedly and even die for him.”

“Second brother, second brother!” Huang Zhonggong, Tu Biweng and Dan Qingsheng shouted in unison. They never expected that Hei Baizi would change sides so quickly.

“Second brother, have you forgotten the oath we four brothers made that day?” Huang Zhonggong said with a heavy heart.

Hei Baizi turned to look at him, his eyes filled with hatred. He then turned back to Ren Woxing and said, “Reporting to the Master, you could have suffered less. If it weren’t for Huang Zhonggong’s obstruction, I would have already made a copy of the key. Now that you’ve returned to the martial world, it’s the perfect time to use this man as a sacrifice!”

Cold! Huang Zhonggong had never felt his heart so cold as he did at this moment. His lips trembled incessantly, and he staggered backward.

“Big Brother!” Bald Pen Weng and Dan Qingsheng helped him up from behind, but their complexions were no better.

Decades of brotherhood ultimately became a stepping stone for Hei Baizi to rise to power, and the three felt that the person in front of them was so unfamiliar.

“Hahaha…” Ren Woxing knew, of course, that Hei Baizi was using someone else to do his dirty work. He grabbed Hei Baizi’s right hand, his eyes gleaming. “In that case, I won’t hold back!”

They said they were waiting for the ‘Star Absorbing Technique’ to be activated.

Hei Baizi suddenly felt his internal energy leaking out of the “Neiguan” and “Waiguan” acupoints on his right wrist. He was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He hurriedly begged in a pitiful voice, “Master… Master, please… you…” As soon as he spoke, the speed at which his internal energy leaked out increased, so he had no choice but to shut his mouth.

Hei Baizi’s acupoints were sealed by Nie Yun and had not been released. At this moment, he was no different from an ordinary old man who did not know martial arts.

Now he felt Ren Woxing’s five fingers gripping his wrist tightly, like an iron hoop, making it impossible for him to break free.

His internal energy surged forth like a river bursting its banks, and in no time, Ren Woxing absorbed it all, reducing his decades of cultivation to nothing.

Knowing that he was now a cripple, Hei Baizi was overcome with grief. He felt a ringing in his ears and collapsed to the ground.

Ren Woxing casually flung him away, and with a ‘bang,’ his head slammed heavily against the wall.

Black and white pieces were seen with their brains splattered and blood gushing out; it was clear they couldn’t survive.

“Second brother, second brother!” Although Huang Zhonggong, Tu Biweng and Dan Qingsheng were heartbroken by Hei Baizi’s words, they couldn’t help but want to rush forward to help him when they saw his miserable state.

Nie Yun raised his hand to stop the three of them, shaking his head and saying, “Heaven’s sins can be forgiven, but man’s sins cannot be tolerated. He was so eager to surrender just now, and now he has gotten what he wanted.”

“This…” Huang Zhonggong looked at Hei Baizi’s still slightly twitching body, sighed deeply, and murmured, “Second brother, you are really foolish!”

Bald-Brush Weng and Danqing Sheng recalled their usual harmonious and joyful times, and tears welled up in their eyes.

Ren Woxing absorbed the internal energy of Hei Baizi, circulated his energy for a moment to regulate his breathing, opened his eyes and looked at Huang Zhonggong and the other two, then said coldly to Nie Yun, “You must protect the lives of these three today?”

Nie Yun appeared calm and collected, but his eyes were filled with unwavering determination.

The two looked at each other for a moment, then Ren Woxing turned to Ren Yingying and said, “Yingying, let’s go!” He then got up and walked outside. Xiang Wentian smiled at Nie Yun and quickly got up to follow.

Ren Yingying subconsciously looked at Nie Yun. Seeing her reluctant expression, Nie Yun smiled and said, “Since you and your father are reunited, I won’t follow. My father-in-law is eager for revenge and will probably soon storm Blackwood Cliff. I promised you that I would save him first and then help him regain his throne, and I will not go back on my word. When the time comes, just go to the inn in Huayin City and let me send a disciple to deliver a message to me.”

Ren Yingying’s heart skipped a beat, and she whispered, “It was just a game back then, why did you have to…”

“If you never leave me, I will stay with you through life and death!” Nie Yun stood up and came to the girl’s side, saying softly, “Don’t you understand my feelings?”

“Brother Yun…” Ren Yingying felt a bittersweet feeling in her heart, and her beautiful eyes were already red.

“Yingying, aren’t you leaving yet!” Ren Woxing’s voice came from outside.

Nie Yun reached out and stroked Ren Yingying’s cheek, saying softly, “Alright, go on now, don’t keep him waiting!”

Ren Yingying reached out and grasped Nie Yun’s hand, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she wanted to remember this moment of warmth.

“Brother Yun…” She looked at Nie Yun deeply, “I won’t make things difficult for you!” After saying that, she turned and left.

“This girl!” Nie Yun rubbed his fingers together; a slightly slippery feeling still lingered there.

********************

“Brother Yun, this doesn’t seem to be the way back to Mount Hua.” Blue Phoenix lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out. “It looks to me like we’re heading towards Shanxi.”

Nie Yun lazily rested his head on Lan Fenghuang’s lap, enjoying the soft touch of the beauty’s lap pillow, and said with a smile, “That’s right, it’s time to go to Mount Heng in the North to pick up my other wife and take her home.”

After Ren Woxing and the other two left, Nie Yun helped Huang Zhonggong and the others detoxify from the ‘Three Corpse Brain God Pill’ at Meizhuang, and told them to go to Xiong’er Mountain in Henan to take care of something first. He and Lan Fenghuang then leisurely headed towards Hengshan Mountain in the north.

“The Hengshan Sect is full of nuns! Well, you lecherous scoundrel, you dare to blaspheme even the Buddha’s disciples!”

Lan Fenghuang was startled at first, then laughed and pinched Nie Yun’s cheeks and rubbed them, “Aren’t you afraid that Buddha will punish you and send you to the eighteenth level of hell?”

“Yingying is the Holy Maiden, Feifei is a demoness, and then there’s you, this poisonous phoenix. Do you think marrying any of you won’t cause trouble? Not to mention my beautiful teacher’s wife and charming adoptive mother… My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens. No one can stop me from marrying the woman I want!”

Nie Yun reached out and wrapped his arms around Lan Fenghuang’s neck, looking into her soft, alluring eyes. “Fenghuang, you must remember, you will always be mine, and no one can take you away. Even a hundred years from now, I will keep you by my side, for all eternity, never to be separated. If I can’t find you, I will turn even the eighteen levels of hell under Yama, the King of Hell, upside down!”

Lan Fenghuang stared blankly at her reflection in Nie Yun’s eyes, feeling not only moved but also utterly conquered.

“Don’t worry, your phoenix will stay with you for all eternity, never to be separated!” She gently stroked Nie Yun’s hair, lowered her head, and pressed her red lips to Nie Yun’s big mouth.

The two engaged in a heated exchange, and soon, the sounds of heavy breathing and sucking could be heard from inside the carriage.

********************

Mount Heng, the Northern Peak, Baiyun Temple.

A slender figure knelt before the Buddha statue, chanting softly. She was dressed in a black robe, her hair completely shaved, and was a pretty young nun.

“Buddha above, please bless Brother Nie with a peaceful life and all things going well. This disciple in this life…” Halfway through her sentence, a trace of sadness flashed in her clear eyes, “This disciple in this life will be devoted to Buddha and have no other thoughts. I will bear all sins alone.”

“Lin’er, Lin’er, Daddy’s here to see you!” A loud voice broke the silence. “Come out quickly, Daddy brought you lots of good things!”

“Father is really…” A faint smile appeared on the little nun’s face, adding to her beautiful features.

She walked out of the Buddhist hall and came to the gate of Baiyun Nunnery, where she saw a fat monk carrying a large package, looking at her with a grin.

Standing beside him was an old nun, none other than Abbess Dingyi from the Three Dings of Hengshan. At this moment, she was looking at the monk with a depressed expression.

“Father, how many times have I told you? This is a sacred Buddhist site, and we must not make loud noises here.”

The young nun first gave a reproachful look, then came to Master Dingyi’s side and said shyly, “Master, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

Although Master Dingyi had a fiery temper, she was not one to take her anger out on others.

She sighed and said to the young nun, “Alright, alright, it’s not the first time. You two have a good talk, I’m going in.”

With that, he turned and walked into Baiyun Temple.

“Lin’er, look, this is something I bought especially for you.” The monk saw that Abbess Dingyi had left, so he quickly stepped forward and untied the package in his hand. Inside were rouge, face powder, snacks, and toys.

The young nun looked helpless and said softly, “Father, why did you buy so many things again? I am a nun, I cannot wear makeup, and I must be pure and abstinent…”

“Hey, what’s there to be afraid of?”

The monk waved his hand to interrupt her, chuckling, “You eat nothing but vegetables and tofu all day, and kneel before the Buddha statue every day. If you don’t dress up a bit, that little rascal Nie Yun will…”

“Oh dear! Father, what nonsense are you talking about! Brother Nie… Brother Nie and I have absolutely no relation!”

The young nun blushed deeply, saying, “You always speak so recklessly, even at your age, you have no manners whatsoever.”

The monk chuckled, then frowned and said, “Lin’er, you’ve lost a lot of weight. You must be thinking about that little rascal every day! Don’t worry, I’ll go to Mount Hua right now and bring him here to marry you! If he dares to say a word against it, I’ll break his legs!”

This father and daughter were none other than Yilin, the pretty nun of Hengshan Sect, and her unreliable father, the monk Bujie. After Yilin returned to the mountain, she missed Nie Yun day and night. When Bujie got the information out of her, he captured the Six Immortals of Peach Valley and sent them to Mount Hua to find Nie Yun.

Unexpectedly, they ran into Blue Phoenix coming up the mountain. Instead of finding her, they were scared half to death by the poisonous insects.

After that, Nie Yun went out several more times, and they never met again.

Seeing his daughter suffering from lovesickness every day, the monk Bujie was naturally very dissatisfied with Nie Yun.

Upon hearing her father’s words, Yilin felt extremely ashamed and anxious. She quickly said, “Father, how many times do I have to say it before you understand? Brother Nie has long… long had someone he loves. How could he possibly care about anyone else? You… you… never mention this again. It’s just making us a laughingstock.”

Although she said that, her small hands were clenched tightly, and her palms were painfully pricked by her nails.

“Hmph! That kid made you heartbroken day and night, and he just pats his ass and acts like nothing happened. Dream on!”

Looking at his daughter’s frail body, which seemed as if a gust of wind could blow her away, the monk Bujie felt even more resentful.

“Father-in-law is right. It’s all my fault for not being able to visit Junior Sister Yilin in time. Please forgive me.” A voice full of apology suddenly rang out behind the two of them.

Boom! The sound wasn’t very loud, almost like a hum compared to the monk Bujie’s booming voice, but to Yilin it was like a thunderclap in a clear sky.

She turned her head and saw Nie Yun standing not far away, watching her.

Nie Yun’s face was full of tenderness and affection. He stepped forward and said, “Yilin, I’m sorry I’m late.”

This is truly a nemesis!

The beautiful young girl covered her mouth tightly with her small hands, tears welling up in her eyes.

She was heartbroken by his broken promise, she had sworn before Buddha to bury that memory deep in her heart, and she had made up her mind to sever all ties of affection…

How can I forgive?!

He personally promised that he would visit me in Hengshan soon, but after more than half a year, he still hadn’t shown up.

That warm and romantic journey together appeared in her dreams almost every night, but each time she woke up from a dream, she could only see her pillow soaked with tears; the story he told that night kept echoing in her ears, but as her disappointment grew day by day, the voice seemed to turn into a mockery of herself.

If he had never been attracted to her, why would he have fabricated such a story to stir her heartstrings?

But when the man she had longed for, felt resentment about, experienced joy and sadness in suddenly appeared before her, Yilin felt an overwhelming joy welling up from the depths of her heart.

“Brother Nie…” The little nun stared at Nie Yun with eyes full of surprise. She wanted to go forward, but she was too timid to take a step.

Only then did the monk realize that the man in front of him was the culprit who had caused his daughter to spend her days in tears.

Any man with a daughter would be furious to see a brat eyeing his precious daughter, let alone Nie Yun who flirted with him and then ran away, which made Monk Bujie even more dissatisfied with him.

“So, you’re Nie Yun? You dare to come here! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!”

As the monk Bujie spoke, he lunged viciously at Nie Yun, his right arm reaching out to grab Nie Yun’s chest with a large, fan-like hand.

Nie Yun stepped back and said with a wry smile, “Father-in-law, please calm down. It’s all my fault!”

“Pah! Who’s your father-in-law? You bastard, you’ve ruined my precious Lin’er!”

Although Monk Bujie was tall and strong, he was also incredibly skilled in light-body techniques. In the original story, he was even able to catch up with Tian Boguang.

At this moment, he attacked in anger, wanting only to teach Nie Yun, this brat, a lesson, so his speed was extremely fast.

Nie Yun knew that he was avenging his daughter, and that he was indeed in the wrong, so he did not fight back, but simply dodged.

The two figures moved constantly, and it seemed as if there were shadowy figures everywhere in the arena.

At this moment, Yilin also realized what was happening and shouted, “Father, stop it! Don’t hurt Brother Nie!” As she spoke, she was about to step forward to stop him, but before she could move, someone grabbed her wrist.

She turned her head and saw an old woman standing beside her. She had a hairpin stuck in her hair and wore a light gray cloth shirt. She was the mute old woman who usually cleaned the Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain.