Miao Shui coldly observed from a distance beneath the jade throne, watching as Xue Zi Ye delicately lifted the golden needles and inserted them into the acupoints on the Sect Leader’s back. Her hand instinctively tightened within her sleeve.
“Ugh.” The first needle pierced the Tian Tu acupoint in the center of the spine, and the Sect Leader let out a low groan, his brow furrowing slightly—Miao Feng’s face grew tense, and for a moment, he almost couldn’t resist placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. However, Xue Zi Ye moved with lightning speed. After the first needle, five more followed instantly, puncturing the Xuan Ji, Hua Gai, Zi Gong, Yu Tang, and Tan Zhong acupoints.
The pain was fleeting, but then the energy in the meridians began to flow freely!
As the golden needles sank into place, the once-rigid meridians slowly came to life, and the chaotic internal energy that had been rampaging through his body gradually returned to its rightful channels. The excruciating pain that had plagued the Sect Leader for days faded away. His clenched hand relaxed, his eyes closed, and he let out a sigh of relief.
Miao Feng, too, exhaled softly, glancing with newfound respect at the woman who was so focused on her task.
At last, the acupoints along the spine were cleared, and seventy-two golden needles were arranged in place. Xue Zi Ye gently twisted the ends of the needles, adjusting their depth and position within the acupoints, sweat beading on her forehead. The Golden Needle Meridian-Opening technique required immense concentration and precision, and for someone like her, who had long been physically weak, unblocking all the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in one session was an exhausting endeavor.
A towel was gently placed on her forehead to wipe away the sweat.
She looked up and met Miao Feng’s gaze, her expression complicated. Suddenly, she smiled softly and whispered, “It’s done.”
“Already?” Miao Feng was surprised, but before he could process it, Xue Zi Ye abruptly raised her hand and slapped the Sect Leader’s back, directly over his heart!
Though she didn’t possess any martial skills and her slap was without force, miraculously, at that moment, the seventy-two silver needles embedded in the Sect Leader’s acupoints seemed to come alive, simultaneously burrowing deeper into his body!
“Ah—!” The Sect Leader’s body convulsed, and he let out a scream of agony.
“This strike is for the Mo Jia clan you slaughtered eight years ago!” Xue Zi Ye stood up tall, her eyes gleaming with a fierce light, as she grabbed her medical kit and hurled it at the demon before her with all her might, disregarding everything.
But how could the ruler of the Grand Light Palace be so easily attacked? The moment the surprise assault landed, he activated the Heaven and Earth Shift technique, shifting his acupoints just enough to deflect the needles by half an inch. However, his internal energy instantly fell into chaos again, and the pain that erupted was even more excruciating than before.
This woman... this woman intends to kill me!
The Sect Leader’s face turned ashen, and he whipped his head around, his eyes now resembling those of a beast. With a swift motion, he struck back at Xue Zi Ye with his palm!
“Sect Leader!” Miao Feng, shocked, leapt forward, trying to intervene. He aimed to pull Xue Zi Ye away, but she simply stood there, a faint smile on her lips, not even attempting to dodge. It was as if, after delivering her blow, she was prepared to face death calmly.
The Sect Leader’s palm was mere inches from Xue Zi Ye, its fierce wind whipping her clothes violently. Without thinking, Miao Feng swiftly changed his move mid-stride, yanking her aside and intercepting the Sect Leader’s blow head-on!
A thunderous crash echoed through the hall as Miao Feng staggered back three steps, his chest churning with blood and energy. Yet, despite the powerful exchange, the Sect Leader himself was forced back a full zhang (3.3 meters) and collapsed onto the jade throne, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
“Feng!” The old man stared in disbelief at his subordinate, who had defied him at the last moment. “Even you… even you…”
“I…” Miao Feng, having directly faced the blow, was at a loss. He looked down at his trembling hands, unsure of what to do next—he hadn’t intended to betray the Sect Leader. In that split second, he had only known one thing: he couldn’t let this woman die in front of him.
As his grip loosened, Xue Zi Ye stumbled and collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest as she coughed violently, blood spilling from her mouth. Even though Miao Feng had pulled her away in the final moment, the Sect Leader’s terrifying strike had still affected her, severely injuring her internal organs.
Blood pooled on the floor beneath her, blooming into crimson flowers.
Miao Feng stood there, stunned, his thoughts in turmoil. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees before the jade throne and pleaded in a low voice, “I only ask the Sect Leader not to kill her!”
“Then, do you prefer that she kills me?” The Sect Leader’s voice was cold as he laughed, coughing harshly.
Miao Feng flinched. “No!”
In that moment, he didn’t know what to do.
“You’re wrong. The one who will kill you is me.” Suddenly, a voice rang out, cold and ominous, echoing through the hall.
Who was it? The voice was so chilling and filled with murderous intent that Miao Feng instantly felt a sense of foreboding. He tried to draw his sword, but as he moved, his internal energy stalled in his chest, leaving him unable to gather any strength. His limbs went limp, and he couldn’t stand.
“You—!” In disbelief, he turned to see Xue Zi Ye’s hand resting lightly on his waist.
It was her? Did she take advantage of the moment to strike against me?!
“I’m sorry.” Xue Zi Ye, lying on the ground, looked up at him, her eyes filled with an indescribable emotion. As if she could no longer hold on, she collapsed entirely, her hand slipping away, revealing a golden needle trembling slightly at Miao Feng’s Yangguan acupoint—this was her agreement with Miao Shui!
At the exact moment Miao Feng was immobilized, a sharp sound echoed through the hall—the jade throne was pierced!
A blood-red sword had stabbed through the back of the throne, emerging from the Sect Leader’s chest, pinning him to the high jade seat!
“Miao Shui!” The horrified cry rang out in the grand hall. “It’s you!”
Amid the fluttering drapes, a blue-robed woman’s fox-like eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she gazed at the old man, whose face twisted in rage. “Yes… it’s me! Xue Zi Ye was merely a distraction to draw your attention—how could a monster like you be killed just with a few golden needles? Only the Bloodletting Sword, coated with dragon’s blood poison, can pin you down!”
She released the bloodstained sword, her voice sultry and triumphant. “Did you know? I am the one who has come to kill you.”
“You… why…” The Sect Leader struggled to speak, his voice barely a whisper.
“Ha ha ha ha! You still ask why?” Miao Shui laughed, slapping the Sect Leader across the face. “How many monstrous things have you done?!—Do you not remember the massacre of the Loulan clan near Lop Nur twenty-one years ago, when they were wiped out in a single night?”
The Sect Leader’s head snapped up, staring in disbelief at the seductive woman he had brought back from the borderlands of Tibet. “You… you’re not Tibetan?”
“I am Loulan. Surprised?” Miao Shui laughed again, her once sultry voice now cold and brimming with deadly arrogance. “Sect Leader, you’ve killed so many people in your life, you’ve forgotten, haven’t you?”
"Ah! You—you are that—" The Sect Leader stared at the woman, gradually realizing, "Princess Shanmi?"
"You’ve finally remembered, Sect Leader." She let out a cold laugh, gripping the Bloodletting Sword tighter. "Thanks to you, my entire family was slaughtered, and I barely escaped alone, wandering into the Tibetan borderlands. At fifteen, I was lucky enough to encounter you again."
The once-seductive woman now seemed to transform into a vengeful spirit, laughing maniacally like someone possessed, twisting the sword handle viciously, stirring the blade that pierced through the Sect Leader's chest. She let out a fierce cackle, "For this day, I endured countless nights with you, suffered through unimaginable torment! ‘Dual cultivation,’ ‘joyous meditation’—you’re nothing but a filthy old lecher! Now, die!"
She vented all her pent-up rage, completely unaware of the pallor that had overtaken Miao Feng’s face as he stood by the jade steps.
Shanmi!
That familiar, distant name felt like a flash of lightning, tearing through the frozen darkness of his past.
The haunting sound of a bili (a traditional wind instrument) echoed in his memory once again, a mournful and mysterious melody, resonating along the desolate road of exile. The Uyghurs had invaded their homeland, and his father had led the clan westward under the cover of night, hoping to rebuild their home near Lop Nur. The young boy, huddled on horseback, buried his face in his sister’s arms, listening to her play the bili as they fled, recalling their lost homeland.
From the distant Sand Dunes came the faint sound of galloping hooves—everyone in the clan wore expressions of terror.
Bandits!
Death had come for them. Blood sprayed through the air, and the screams of his dying people filled his ears. Terrified, he buried himself deeper in his sister’s embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Yami, don’t cry!” In the final moments, her voice cut through his panic with sharp reprimand. "Be a man!"
She threw down the bili, drawing a small knife from her robes, and stood fearlessly before the bandits’ gleaming swords.
The bandits pulled their horses to a halt, startled for a moment, then burst into raucous laughter. It was a small decorative knife, no longer than a foot, intricately adorned, meant more for ornamentation than combat.
She tossed the knife in front of her little brother, shouting, "Yami, pick it up!"
But the five-year-old was paralyzed with fear. He couldn’t even stand, let alone pick up the knife.
She cast him a glance, her gaze filled with deadly resolve. “The son of the King of Loulan must die like a man, even in death!”
Tears streamed down his face, but he still couldn’t bring himself to take the knife.
“Ah… it’s too much for you,” she said with a sigh, seeing his terror. Then, suddenly kneeling on one knee, she kissed his forehead softly, murmuring gently, “I’ll help you… Yami, close your eyes! Don’t be afraid; it’ll be over soon.”
He looked up in shock, only to see a flash of silver racing toward his neck!
In that moment, all the boy’s thoughts turned to blank emptiness.
His sister—his sister was going to kill him!
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