Chapter 19

The Strange Kidnapper and the Hostage

It was the fifth day since Mokhyang had set out on the road. In the small village, there was only one large restaurant. When Mokhyang entered the restaurant, there were about forty martial artists dining, and a few empty seats were scattered around. He avoided the fierce-looking men and took a seat next to where four beautiful young ladies were dining. Two of them seemed to be the mistresses, and the other two appeared to be maids. However, strangely, they all looked at him as soon as he entered. At this moment, a waiter hurried over.

"Sir, this place is all reserved. Please use another restaurant."

The waiter's face was pale, but Mokhyang's response was indifferent.

"I'm just going to have a simple meal and leave. There are plenty of empty seats, so why are you making such a fuss? Just bring me a plate of dumplings and a bottle of sorghum wine."

Then, a tall man who looked about six feet tall and was sitting next to him approached and started a quarrel.

"Hey, didn't you hear us tell you to get out?"

"Why should I leave when there are seats available? I'll leave after I finish my meal..."

"This guy seems to be a martial artist who's proud of his sword, but if you don't want to crawl out with broken bones, you should leave now."

"What if I can't leave?"

"I'll grant your wish."

Then, the man threw a punch at Mokhyang. Mokhyang deflected the punch with his palm and returned it to the man's dantian. The man, who received a tremendous shock to his dantian, fell to the ground, clutching his dantian and foaming at the mouth, unconscious.

"My wish is this: to eat my meal in peace."

At this, a woman with a veil over her face spoke coldly.

"Drag him out!"

The martial artists sitting around them all stood up and drew their swords. At the same time, Mokhyang approached the woman with lightning speed and struck her pressure points. He then took out a dagger and pressed it to her neck, speaking softly.

"Everyone, sit down. Otherwise..."

Everyone knew that the dagger, which had a black luster, was an extremely fine sword and obediently listened to Mokhyang. Mokhyang, holding the dagger, said cheerfully,

"This is quite useful. I had it made to cut deer meat, but it works well for intimidation too."

Then, a voice filled with suppressed anger came from the woman.

"You don't recognize me. Your lightness technique is truly remarkable, and your point-striking technique is also impressive... It seems like the Tanji Shentong technique. Are you from Shaolin? Do you think it's comfortable to be so rude to me?"

"Who started the trouble? Why blame me?"

Mokhyang spoke sarcastically and felt the woman's body. The woman trembled with boiling anger but had no choice. Mokhyang examined what he found in her possession. There were a few interesting-looking throwing weapons, a small dagger, and a nameplate intricately carved with a phoenix made of jade, which read "武 (Wu)." There were also a blue and a red jade vial. Mokhyang smelled them and found that one contained a deadly poison and the other its antidote. He put these items in his pocket and searched for a wallet, finding seven five-tael silver notes and five ten-tael silver notes, along with about twenty silver coins.

"Hehe, I'm having good luck today..."

Mokhyang put everything in his pocket. Then, he switched the dagger to his left hand, pressed it to the woman's neck, and started eating the food on the table with his right hand.

"Mmm, it's quite good. What's this dish called?"

"I'll grind your bones and drink the broth, or I'll change my name."

"Mmm... I doubt that. How many people have said that, but none have succeeded. Mmm, this is also quite good. When I leave, don't bother trying to unblock your pressure points. Just wait, and they'll be unblocked by morning. Then, you can come after me... Mmm."

"Hmph, did you think you'd live until morning?"

"Mmm, I think I will. When I leave, you'll have many subordinates. Some will guard you, and the rest will come after me."

"You know well."

"But things in the world don't always go as easily as you think."

Mokhyang rummaged through his pocket and took out a small white bottle. He took out a red pill and, with a feigned look of ecstasy, smelled it once.

"Do you know what this is?"

"What do I know?"

"This is called the Joyful Heavenly Bliss Pill. It's very effective. After taking this fragrant pill, your stomach will feel cool, and after about half an hour, a fiery heat will rise from your stomach. There's almost no antidote, and even if there is, it's too much trouble. Just close your eyes and enjoy the pleasure with the handsome men around you, and everything will be resolved. While you're enjoying the pleasure, I'll be far away..."

Mokhyang spoke mockingly, and the woman's body trembled with anger. Mokhyang continued to eat while speaking.

"You might be thinking that the world isn't always easy and comfortable..."

Then, Mokhyang pinched her nose. The woman tried to keep her mouth closed and hold her breath, but with her pressure points blocked, she couldn't hold it for long. Following the unchanging truth that one must breathe to live, she finally opened her mouth. Mokhyang took the opportunity to put the pill in her mouth and pushed it down with his inner energy. He tapped her forehead, and the pill entered her stomach against her will. The woman, who had swallowed the pill, was so shocked that she almost fainted.

"Mmm, there is a way to detoxify this pill."

Mokhyang took out a brush and paper from his pocket and wrote something quickly.

"Take this and chew it thoroughly before the pill takes effect. It's even better if you take it with bear bile. The important thing is that the amount must be precise. If you chew it well, 80% of the detoxification will be effective, and to completely detoxify it, you need to take it twice a day. If you run around trying to find these things in this rural area, you shouldn't even think about chasing me..."

"Oh, the pressure points I struck might interfere with your enjoyment, so I forgot about that."

Mokhyang struck a few more pressure points on the woman.

"The effects of the pill will wear off around the time your pressure points are unblocked, so enjoy it. And you're so cold, you won't be a good conversation partner..."

At the same time, Mokhyang grabbed the woman sitting next to her and quickly struck her pressure points. Everyone was amazed by the speed and accuracy of his technique.

"This girl seems suitable, so I'll take her as a hostage. If you chase me and cause trouble, I'll cripple her martial arts and sell her to a brothel, so think about it."

Mokhyang held the woman with his left hand and pressed the dagger to her neck, then stood up and left the restaurant.

"Thanks for the meal. It was delicious. See you later, hahaha."

Mokhyang mounted his horse and fled at breakneck speed.

After riding about thirty miles, Mokhyang slowed down to rest his tired horse. He also released the pressure points of the woman he had carried, allowing her to speak, and hummed a tune as he walked. When he released her pressure points, the woman said,

"You really have a lot of nerve. Do you know who we are?"

"Who, just some swordsmen who rob passersby. You're no different from bandits... By the way, what's your name?"

"..."

"If you don't tell me your name, I'll make you take the pill too."

The woman quickly replied,

"I'm Yuling Ren."

"Ren, that's an interesting name. You were probably born on a rainy day?"

"Yes, that's why they added the character '零 (ling)'."

After walking about three miles, Yuling Ren asked, unable to bear it any longer,

"Is your sister okay?"

"Your sister?"

"You gave her the pill. Is the antidote reliable?"

Mokhyang looked at her face, which was contorted with curiosity, and couldn't hold back a burst of laughter.

"Hahaha, an antidote? That pill isn't an aphrodisiac. It's just a pill I had to heal my internal injuries. I gave it to her just for fun, and she seemed to believe it. As you know, she has a very bad temper, doesn't she?"

"No, my sister is very skilled with the sword and looks down on men, but there's nothing to criticize. But is that pill really for internal injuries?"

"Hahaha, it's for internal injuries... I wrote down the names of some famous herbs to make it more difficult. If you chew them thoroughly, your soul will leave your body... By now, she's probably thinking that it's better to enjoy the pleasure while chewing the pill, hahaha."

Thinking about how her usually calm and composed sister would be frowning while chewing the bitter herbs, a smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"Such a prank isn't very nice. You have a bad temper."

"Sure, sure... I have a very bad temper. Everyone who knows me says so."

"No matter what, you shouldn't play such a despicable prank on a woman."

"I'm despicable by nature, so don't worry about it. By the way, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-five."

"You and your sister seem to have a big age gap?"

"You can't fool a master. My sister is thirty-eight."

"Then she must be married, but why isn't her husband here? Thanks to that, I had a fun time... If she had a husband, they could have enjoyed it together, so why would she chew it?"

"My sister isn't married yet. She only focuses on the sword and said she would only marry someone who could defeat her in a duel, as agreed by my father."

"But she doesn't seem to have very impressive martial arts?"

"I've never seen anyone treat my sister so lightly. Over sixty people have proposed to her, but they all left on stretchers."

"That's because they were of similar skill levels and didn't use lethal techniques, while my sister used deadly moves. It's obvious. Who can't handle one woman?"

"You have no right to say that. You used underhanded techniques to suppress her."

"I'm underhanded by nature... But it's not a good feeling to hear that."

"You deserve to hear it because of what you did."

"No, praise me with more refined words. Hahaha, underhanded or despicable... It sounds too lowbrow."

She smiled bitterly.

"You're really impossible."

"Hehe, now that I think about it, it's been a long time since I rode with a woman. It feels good..."

While saying this, Mokhyang boldly groped Yuling Ren's chest.

"Stop it."

Yuling Ren kept begging, and when Mokhyang didn't listen, she finally burst into tears. Only then did Mokhyang let go of her.

"Stop crying. If you keep crying even after I let go, I'll keep touching you while you cry."

Yuling Ren quickly stopped crying.

"You listen well. Now, let's change the topic and chat while we travel. It's going to be a long journey. If you promise not to run away, I'll release your pressure points."

"I promise."

As soon as Mokhyang released her pressure points, Yuling Ren gathered all her inner energy and hit Mokhyang's solar plexus with her elbow, then tried to run away. However, Mokhyang's solar plexus was as hard as a rock, and Yuling Ren screamed in pain as if her arm was breaking.

"Aah!"

"You were thinking of running away as soon as I released you. Since it's your first time, I'll give you a simple punishment. I don't know if you've heard of it."

"What?"

"Powder Tendon and Bone Drilling..."

As he said this, Mokhyang struck a few of Yuling Ren's pressure points. A cracking sound came from inside her body, and she involuntarily screamed. Mokhyang released the Powder Tendon and Bone Drilling after a while.

"Each time you try to escape, the time will double. Think about it."

Mokhyang said with a smirk, and Yuling Ren, filled with anger, shouted,

"Despicable scum!"

"Hahaha, to me, it's the best compliment. I'm naturally like that... Praise me more!"

"..."

The kidnapper and the hostage gradually became more familiar over a few days and eventually started joking with each other. Mokhyang bought her a horse at the first town they stayed at, and the next morning, she tried to escape again but ended up in a mess and gave up on escaping. Mokhyang wasn't particularly mean to her, and she wasn't overly sensitive either. As Mokhyang often joked and treated her casually, she gradually forgot her situation and naturally adapted to it.

Within a day, Yuling Ren learned that Mokhyang was skilled in swimming, playing the flute, and had a high level of martial arts. He had only teased her by touching her chest at first and hadn't been rude to her afterward. When they slept at an inn, he would strike her pressure points to prevent her from escaping and then practice qigong all night. Surprisingly, he didn't sleep at all, and she realized he was a great master when she saw the energy above his head form a complete lotus shape.

As they chatted and laughed while traveling, Mokhyang learned that Yuling Ren was very intelligent and had read many books on various subjects, including formations. As a result, the ignorant Mokhyang was inevitably at a disadvantage in conversation.

On the seventh day of their journey, while they were chatting, Yuling Ren suddenly asked Mokhyang,

"Where are we going?"

"To a friend's house."

"You're taking me, a kidnapped person, to your friend's house?"

After thinking for a moment, Mokhyang replied,

"I'm going for a very troublesome matter. I need some advice, and since you seem smart, I'm asking you."

"What is it?"

"My friend is a wealthy man with many servants. In his neighborhood, there's another wealthy family. These two families have never gotten along, and eventually, a fight broke out. It started with a fight between the servants of both families, but it escalated to the point where the masters led their servants in a melee with shovels."

"Really impressive. With your skills, you could end the fight in an instant. What are you asking for?"

"It's not that simple. They fought and realized that neither could completely defeat the other with their own strength, so they sought help from outside."

"So you're the one going?"

"No, others went first. They asked local landlords and martial arts schools for help, and they are fighting fiercely. I'm going to mediate."

"If you take sides, you could use your skills to subdue the other side immediately."

"But the person who sent me wants the matter to be resolved amicably, maintaining both sides' dignity."

"That would be quite difficult. What do you plan to do?"

"I heard that the other family has a precious granddaughter. If I kidnap her and use her as leverage to negotiate..."

"That would only worsen the situation."

"That's the problem... They should have proposed a truce after so many of their servants were injured, but they don't seem to want to."

"What will you do if there's no good solution?"

"I plan to secretly enter the houses of the landlord and those who are helping him and kill them all. That should end the fight, right?"

"Your skills might make it easy, but killing everyone is a bit extreme, isn't it? If they are suddenly all killed, their sons won't just sit still. If they report it to the authorities..."

"That's a problem. I'm in a difficult situation."

"What about going to them and negotiating? Show them your skills. They might change their minds when they see your martial arts."

"The other side also has many skilled martial artists. If they attack me together, I might end up losing my head."

"But there's no other way. A mediator should step in. If you send a servant to the landlord you're helping to suggest a truce, he might think his dignity is being compromised."

"Should I go? I thought you could go. A pretty lady mediating would be appreciated by both sides..."

"I have no stake in this. There's no reason for me to intervene."

"Your name doesn't matter. You're a good speaker, so you can use my name to calm them down. I'll follow and protect you, so don't worry..."

As Mokhyang turned onto a mountain path, Yuling Ren asked curiously,

"There's no landlord's house on this road. Is the landlord also a bandit?"

"No, I'm going to a temple. The innkeeper in the morning