The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 572 Reunion with the Living God

The crazy woman who returned from seclusion at least regained her former beauty, but in Lü Fang's eyes she was even more terrifying. After all, the evil technique of absorbing other people's life essence was no different from cannibalism in the eyes of a scholar.

Most importantly, from any perspective, he was powerless to resist his wife, who had gone mad. Who knew if she would suddenly devour him while calling out "husband"?

Even though Lü Fang now knew that his two beloved concubines had died, and even though he felt immense resentment, he was quickly overwhelmed by fear.

What could he say at this moment? Of course, he could only try to please her carefully: "In my heart, my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. How can those two compare to my wife? If she were to die, so be it. As long as my wife is happy, that's all that matters."

These words made the crazy woman beam with joy, and she couldn't help but beckon to Lü Fang. Lü Fang hesitated, but was still summoned like a puppy.

The crazy woman stretched out her hand, which was still withered like a reed, with patches of white and black skin, completely unlike a human hand. But Lu Fang still suppressed his disgust and obediently pressed his face against it.

"My husband, you are the most handsome man in the world. Otherwise, I would not have married you. The moment I first saw you, I was captivated. You know, my father went to great lengths to ensure your career advancement."

Look at your face, I can't get enough of it, it's so beautiful. I really want to keep you by my side like this, and never let you go anywhere.

What could Lü Fang do but feign ecstasy, the couple displaying tender affection? But this tenderness was as abrupt as the weather, and he was instantly slapped across the face.

Lu Fang covered his face and staggered back two steps, his face full of disbelief, but his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

The crazy woman was somewhat hysterical, her features contorted, and she shrieked, "How come you smell of women's rouge? It must be because some shameless woman approached you at the banquet tonight, and you didn't know how to be discreet and didn't refuse her at all."

"You belong to me alone. No one can have a share. Anyone who dares to touch you will die. Guards, go and find out which woman approached the young master tonight. I'll make sure she doesn't see the sun rise tomorrow."

She had just finished yelling when her expression changed again, turning into one of heartache. Her mood changed faster than flipping through a book: "Husband, does it hurt? I didn't mean to hit you, it would only make me feel more heartache. Come here and let me see."

Helpless, Lü Fang cautiously approached again, bringing his face close. The woman gently stroked Lü Fang's face, looking as if she deeply regretted her actions.

"It's all my fault. Whenever a woman touches you, I feel like killing her. Look, my husband's face is swollen. He doesn't look as good when he's swollen. It's all my fault."

Here, this is the ointment my father gave me. It's excellent at reducing swelling and relieving pain. Apply it to your face, and you'll be better tomorrow. My husband must always be this handsome.

You must protect your face; it belongs to me. If one day you suddenly become unattractive, I truly don't know what I will do.

Lu Fang nodded obsequiously, but his heart was filled with icy coldness. This woman was becoming increasingly unpredictable, and no one could tell when she would lose her temper. What terrified him most was that, just as she had said, if he really grew old and was no longer so handsome, this crazy woman might torture him in some way.

At this moment, Wu Chengyu, who was hiding outside the main hall and watching everything, felt a chill for Lü Fang. He had completely found a mentally ill person, one who practiced evil arts, was paranoid and perverted, liked to kill, and, crucially, had a powerful background.

This Lü Fang is truly pitiful. He is talented and handsome, but he is unlucky. He finally found a woman with a powerful background and made some progress in his official career with the help of his father-in-law's influence. However, at home, he is treated like a dog, a dog that is used as a decorative vase.

As the saying goes, you have to give something to get something, but what Lü Fang gave up was far too much. Being a dog is fine, there are many more people who are lickspittles, but this guy is a lickspittle who met a mad dog, and he's on the verge of losing his life at any moment.

However, for some reason, this woman seemed familiar. Wu Chengyu thought about it for a moment and felt that she was even more familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her before.

He shook his head, giving up on recalling the past. Seeing this much was enough. Regardless of how crazy that woman was or what evil skills she had cultivated, just the fact that she had designs on Huang Rong and Qu Yun was enough to lead to her death.

And this Lü Fang is definitely not a loyal minister like Wen Tianxiang. Apart from his good looks, he has too many character flaws. Being lustful is one thing, but to degrade himself like this for the sake of his future is another. Such a person would never have the thought of resisting the death warrant.

Later, I'll plant a life-or-death talisman on this guy, so he can continue to serve as the prefect of Pingjiang Prefecture, obeying orders. Then I'll physically destroy this crazy woman. Maybe Lü Fang will even thank me from the bottom of his heart.

Just as Wu Chengyu decided to take action, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"The night dew is heavy, I did not expect to have such an honored guest. I have failed to greet you properly."

"But where did you suddenly get such murderous intent? To harbor such thoughts of killing in someone else's residence is rather impolite."

Wu Chengyu was startled. Someone had actually appeared behind him without him noticing. If the other party hadn't spoken first, Wu Chengyu probably still wouldn't have been able to detect their presence.

But how could this possibly happen? The most skilled martial artist in the prefectural government was that old man in Taoist robes. His top-notch skills meant he was no match for Wu Chengyu even after three rounds, let alone the fact that he had already been injured by Guo Jing's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms during the day.

Wu Chengyu had already reached the pinnacle of the ultimate realm, his skill in subtlety and divine intervention was beyond compare, and he was only one step away from the innate realm. In addition, his lightness skill was superb. At this moment, the three-dimensional stereoscopic image was still active, so how could anyone in the world suddenly appear behind Wu Chengyu?

The last person to escape his senses and detect his presence was the old eunuch Guihua, the founder of the Sunflower Manual. But at that time, Wu Chengyu had not yet reached the level of subtlety, while the old monster possessed unparalleled skills and his lightness skill was no less than Wu Chengyu's at that time, so it was understandable.

But now, even if Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, and others wanted to avoid Wu Chengyu's attention, they would have to be at least a hundred meters away, even if they were prepared to catch him off guard.

What sent chills down his spine was that even now, the person was nowhere to be found in his three-dimensional image, like a ghost, formless and intangible, not even in this world.

If Wu Chengyu hadn't traveled through time for several years and firmly believed that this was a feudal society with low martial arts and no supernatural forces, he would have even thought he had encountered a ghost.

He forced himself to calm down. Despite his shock, his years of experience allowed him to regain his composure. He turned around naturally and looked at the person behind him.

Before them stood an old Taoist priest dressed in a blue robe and wearing a tall crown. He was slender, with a face like jade, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a long white beard. He was quite old, but there wasn't a single wrinkle on his face. He was truly a Taoist master with an otherworldly aura, like a god descended to earth.

Upon seeing this person, Wu Chengyu's pupils contracted slightly, and he subconsciously took a deep breath. The hairs on his body stood on end; he had already recognized who it was.

Bai Yuchan, who encountered a shrewish woman causing trouble after leaving Gushan, was the one who stepped in to resolve the matter. He was the patriarch of the Southern School of Taoism, a legendary figure who attained immortality. Many folk tales tell of people who became immortals, but only a few are told with concrete details, and Bai Yuchan was one of them.

Of course, most of these legends are fabrications or embellishments, or a way for Taoists to elevate their own status. This is a common trick used by both Buddhism and Taoism, just like how Buddhism occasionally creates a few living bodhisattvas.

Bai Yuchan was indeed a rare patriarch-level figure in the history of Taoism, leaving an indelible mark on the development of Taoism, especially in the south.

In this era, in a low-level feudal society, the so-called Taoist immortals are likely to be innate level figures, just like Wu Chengyu's cheap ancestor, Zhen Xiang.

However, Zhenxiang came from the Quanxing Taoist sect, which had been suppressed for thousands of years, so Zhenxiang's reputation was far less than that of the living immortal in front of him.

Back in Zhongnan Mountain, Wu Chengyu also inquired about the secrets of the Innate Realm from Zhenxiang, mentioning Bai Yuchan. The old Taoist priest didn't say much about this person, but he confirmed that Bai Yuchan was indeed an Innate Realm immortal, a rare find in the world.

Zhen Xiang, Bai Yuchan, and Meng Gu, the pseudo-innate old monster who used the Beiming Divine Art to murder her husband and forcibly improve her cultivation level—this was the third innate expert Wu Chengyu encountered.

It is likely that only those at the Innate Realm can deceive Wu Chengyu's three-dimensional dynamic diagram and the Subtle Realm, appearing and disappearing unpredictably and elusive.

Thinking of this, Wu Chengyu suddenly understood why he felt a sense of déjà vu with that crazy woman. Wasn't this the same Bai Xian'er from back then, who was willful and capricious, acted without considering the consequences, and was even more ruthless when she took revenge for the smallest misunderstanding?

Years have passed, and Wu Chengyu has only met her a few times, so his memory of her has become hazy. Bai Xian'er's appearance is even more beautiful than before, but her temperament is completely different, so it's no wonder that Wu Chengyu didn't recognize her.

Bai Xian'er is Bai Yuchan's daughter. Wu Chengyu was also tempted to kill her for what she did back then, but Bai Yuchan was too powerful and had too much martial arts skill. He had done a favor for Yue Family Army back then.

At that time, Wu Chengyu had no room to resist Bai Yuchan and could only give in. Bai Yuchan stepped in on behalf of Bai Xian'er, and Wu Chengyu had no choice but to give up.

After that, he had no further contact with Bai Xian'er and gradually put her out of his mind. Who could have imagined that many years later, this woman, who had gone from being willful to being crazy and vicious, would be reunited with him in Suzhou?

The only constant is that Bai Xian'er always has Bai Yuchan backing her up. Even tonight, in the prefectural government, Wu Chengyu's murderous intent has alerted Bai Yuchan.

The case is solved now. No wonder that woman had Dao soldiers by her side who were not afraid of death, and no wonder she had top experts as her servants. It is not easy for Bai Yuchan, a true immortal of the Daoist sect, to cultivate a peerless expert, but it is not difficult for him to produce a few top-level experts.

The Southern Song imperial court was a devout follower of Taoism, and Bai Yuchan held an extremely high position, receiving numerous imperial titles. With his influence in officialdom, paving the way for his son-in-law was a piece of cake.

But this is a difficult situation. Although Wu Chengyu is only one step away from the Innate Realm, he has cultivated his spiritual power to its peak over the years by using the Turtle Sun Technique and the Cold Cicada's Lament Technique together, as well as the Complete Spirit Refining Method. However, he still cannot find the way to enter the Innate Realm. In the end, he is just missing the right opportunity.

The more this was the case, the more Wu Chengyu understood what the Innate Realm represented. In the world of low-level martial arts, the Innate Realm was already considered a human immortal. No matter how strong Wu Chengyu was, he was still just a human. The gap between the two was enormous, and Wu Chengyu was no match for Bai Yuchan.

Apart from the assassination attempt on Shi Miyuan that year, when he used banned drugs to force a breakthrough and fight against several top masters such as Guihua, he has never encountered a crisis like the one before him in the many years since.

Even the old monster Meng Gu, whom Wu Chengyu couldn't defeat, was still targeted by Wu Chengyu's repeated schemes to find her weaknesses, ultimately leading to her unjust death.

Furthermore, no matter who it was against, whether it was Fang Yu, the leader of the Ming Cult, Huang Yaoshi, or Ouyang Feng, all of whom were top-tier experts, Wu Chengyu would have been confident of victory. But now, suddenly encountering Bai Yuchan without any preparation, Wu Chengyu had no chance of winning whatsoever.

However, Wu Chengyu had experienced many life-and-death crises and lived two lives. Although he was wary when the time came, he was not afraid. He calmly cupped his hands and said.

"It is an honor to have the Venerable Master Ziqing Mingdao in person. This junior pays his respects."

Bai Yuchan's expression was quite amiable. He nodded slightly and smiled, "When you turned around and saw me just now, even someone with your cultivation level would have been slightly distracted. Now it seems that you do recognize me, but I don't know when we met before."

Young friend, you are truly remarkable! Your physique is as strong as a tiger, your blood and energy as powerful as a dragon, and your spirit and vitality are extremely abundant. This is something I have never seen before in my life, and I fear there is no one else in the world with such talent as you.

What's even more remarkable is your pure Taoist cultivation, young friend. Judging from your appearance, you're probably not even forty years old, yet you've already reached the pinnacle. Let alone me, even Wang Chongyang at your age would likely have been inferior."

As he spoke, Bai Yuchan glanced at Wu Chengyu again, shook his head and laughed, "No wonder I can't remember when I've seen you before, young friend. Your disguise is quite amazing. It turns out it's not your real face. You almost fooled me."

"I am increasingly curious. May I ask your esteemed name, young friend, or perhaps allow me to see your true face?"

This time, Wu Chengyu was shocked again. He could see his own bones and blood, and he could see that Bai Yuchan's top-level Taoist cultivation was not difficult for him.

However, his face was not a simple disguise, but rather the result of using internal energy to change his facial features. For many years, he had relied on this method to cause trouble everywhere, and it could be said that he was always successful and had never been seen through. Who would have thought that today he could only deceive Bai Yuchan for a few breaths.

"My name is not worth mentioning, and my original appearance is even less noteworthy. Since you have seen through my disguise, just change it."

Murong Xiu's face resembled that of Zhao Zilong from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." As soon as Wu Chengyu finished speaking, his features began to change, and this time he became a version of Francis Ng from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," exuding a three-pointed evil aura. His disdainful gaze hinted at a desire to confront Bai Yuchan.

From the moment he encountered Bai Yuchan, Wu Chengyu's attitude has become very clear, from initial disorientation and shock to his current composure and hostility.

Even if he encounters a powerful enemy now, he will not flee without a fight. If he is intimidated by Bai Yuchan now, it will be extremely difficult for him to break through to the Innate Realm in the future. He cannot retreat on the path of the Great Dao.

Bai Yuchan chuckled: "Young friend, you are quite mischievous. Although this art of disguise is wonderful, it is only a minor skill. However, your willpower is admirable."

Now that things have come to this, I, Bai, ask for nothing more. Although my daughter has acted recklessly, as her father, I have no choice but to protect her.

Wu Chengyu shook his head: "Evil spirits and heretics should be killed by everyone."

(End of this chapter)