Chapter 5

Li Zhichang grabbed the young girl in yellow, fearing she might cause more trouble. He sent a stream of true energy into her body, sealing her acupoints. In this world, unless one could control their true energy at will and had a deep understanding of the human body, it would be impossible to immobilize someone with just a stream of energy without touching the acupoints. For this technique, he had even given it a name: "Spring Breeze Touching the Acupoints," meaning it was as silent and imperceptible as a spring breeze. The young girl in yellow only felt a warm current flow from the smelly Taoist's hand, and immediately her whole body went limp, unable to muster any strength.

The young girl in yellow thought to herself, "Master was right; we women indeed cannot let men get too close. This bad man only had to grab my hand to make me completely powerless. It's truly terrifying." For a moment, the young girl's heart raced, her thoughts swirling, her face flushed like a peach blossom, looking extremely beautiful. However, Li Zhichang had no time to appreciate this beauty.

Suddenly, he heard a stern voice: "That Taoist from the Quanzhen Sect, quickly release Mochou." The voice seemed distant yet close, clearly indicating considerable skill, making it difficult to deal with.

Li Zhichang suddenly realized, "So she is Li Mochou, and I've chased her all the way to this ancient tomb."

He knew that the legacy of Chongyang was inside, but he didn't know where the hidden passage leading to it was, so he didn't bother to search. After all, all martial arts in the world ultimately converge, with yin and yang transforming at will. The martial arts of the Quanzhen Sect were not necessarily inferior to the Nine Yin Manual. Of course, if he had the chance to obtain the Nine Yin Manual, Li Zhichang would not refuse it.

Lost in these thoughts, he forgot to respond. Li Mochou's master was already a few dozen feet away, a middle-aged woman. She hadn't expected Li Zhichang to ignore her and decided to give him a lesson. After all, even though the people in the ancient tomb were all women, they could not be bullied, especially by the smelly Taoists from Chongyang Palace. She immediately decided to teach Li Zhichang a lesson.

Li Zhichang saw her palm strike gracefully and fluidly, with endless variations behind it. He didn't dare to be careless. Transforming his fingers into a sword, he used a move called "Wandering the Ends of the Earth," thrusting diagonally toward her palm. This move was truly exquisite, a superior martial art that "breaks the void with the real." The middle-aged woman couldn't help but secretly admire it, thinking, "Even the grandsons of Wang Chongyang can produce such a figure."

The middle-aged woman immediately changed her move, transforming her palm into a slash, waving it straight down. This move was perilous, deeply in line with the military strategy of catching the enemy off guard, barely breaking Li Zhichang's sword move. Li Zhichang remained calm, his sword finger striking from top to bottom, creating countless illusions, like the moon shining across the sky, the clear light covering the ground, disorienting the opponent. This was transforming the real into the void, making the opponent's clever move fall short.

The middle-aged woman thought, "Well done." Her palms trembled, like flowers swaying in the wind, slashing back and forth, her attacks like autumn leaves swept by the wind, making it difficult for Li Zhichang to avoid. Li Zhichang's eyes narrowed; this move was indeed hard to deal with. With one hand holding Li Mochou, he couldn't fully exert his skills, only managing about seventy percent. However, he was extremely confident, his skills high, and his courage great. He reversed his sword finger, pointing it at himself, raising his elbow as if drinking from a cup, using a technique of breaking the clever with the clumsy.

After dozens of exchanges, neither could gain the upper hand. Of course, Li Zhichang didn't use his full strength, and the other party didn't use lethal moves. In comparison, her movements were too exquisite, allowing her to withdraw at any time, something Li Zhichang couldn't match.

Li Zhichang was very indifferent to the outcome and decided to stop. He said, "Senior, this is all a misunderstanding." The middle-aged woman ignored him, as Li Zhichang, a grandson of Wang Chongyang, could match her, which naturally made her somewhat annoyed, and she was not about to stop easily.

Li Zhichang wasn't in a hurry. While they were exchanging moves, he calmly narrated his encounter with Li Mochou. Despite the rapid exchanges, his voice remained calm, his words clear, his breathing steady, and he explained the situation in detail. The middle-aged woman, hearing his defense, realized she had wronged him and was surprised by his deep inner strength, which allowed him to remain composed and clear-headed under her attacks. She couldn't help but admire his talent.

Although the middle-aged woman wouldn't easily bow to Wang Chongyang's disciple, she wasn't one to persist in a fight. Her attacks had already weakened by a third. Li Zhichang, understanding her intentions, received her palm, released Li Mochou, pretended to be overpowered, and retreated five or six steps, then turned and disappeared into the forest behind him.

The middle-aged woman took Li Mochou, casually unblocked her acupoints, and saw Li Zhichang become a black dot, disappearing into the distance. She couldn't help but sigh deeply, "Miss, you day and night want to surpass Wang Chongyang's Quanzhen Sect, but now even I might not be able to defeat Wang Chongyang's grandson."

Li Mochou patted her chest, somewhat frightened, "Master, that smelly Taoist is so powerful, even you couldn't catch him."

The middle-aged woman regretfully said, "Unfortunately, I haven't mastered our sect's most powerful martial art, **. You are too impulsive and unsuitable for this martial art. I can only hope your younger sister will master it in the future."

Li Mochou, puzzled, said, "Master, since we can't leave the mountain, whether we master it or not doesn't matter much." The middle-aged woman, hearing this, was somewhat moved, "I have lived to this age and have no thoughts about the outside world, but Mochou and Long'er are still so young. Should they spend the next few decades in this ancient tomb, living a lonely life?"

Li Mochou pulled the middle-aged woman's hand, "Master, what are you thinking? Grandma Sun is calling us to come in." The middle-aged woman said, "Nothing, you must stay away from that little Taoist. Mochou, remember, the more capable a man is, the more you should avoid him, or it will bring you a lifetime of suffering."

Li Mochou tightly held the middle-aged woman's hand, smiling, "Your disciple doesn't want to get close to those smelly men at all." However, she recalled the feeling of being immobilized by Li Zhichang, a sensation she had never experienced before. At that moment, Li Zhichang held her hand, calmly and unhurriedly engaging in a match with her master, who seemed invincible in her eyes. In that moment, she didn't wish for her master to win quickly, which made her a bit anxious and a bit hopeful.

As the sun set, casting a cold light on the ancient tomb, Li Mochou suddenly felt the tomb was like a nine-layered demon beast about to devour someone, making her body tremble with fear. Her master was still lost in thought and didn't notice her unusual state.

Entering the ancient tomb, Li Mochou remained dazed. She came to the room, saw the sleeping Xiaolongnü, and gently picked her up, saying tenderly, "Little sister, we truly have a hard life." Xiaolongnü seemed to be woken by her, opening her star-like eyes and giggling, reaching out her white, tender little hand, like freshly picked lotus roots, to touch Li Mochou's face.

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