Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 553 Losing the Watermelon to Pick Up Sesame Seeds (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

"The stars shift and the seasons change?"

The wealthy young man shouted, "How can you shift the stars?" His face was full of astonishment, and even his voice changed.

"Who are you?" Hongxiu shouted, hands on her hips. "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?"

Upon hearing this, the wealthy young man was stunned and speechless.

"Pfft!"

The woman next to the man smiled and said, "Young lady, it's precisely because you don't know that the young master is asking you?"

"Hmph!" Hongxiu raised her head, her arrogance erupting. "This heroine has no intention of speaking!"

"you!"

Enraged, the wealthy young man was about to draw his sword and charge forward.

Just then, Huang Shang's voice rang out: "Murong Fu, if I were you, I wouldn't have provoked this witch!"

Murong Fu froze with his hands in mid-air and turned to look.

Then the scholar in the green robe stood up, the bloodstains on his face having been wiped clean at some point. He was handsome and elegant, his clothes and hair flowing, serene and divine.

Murong Fu asked sternly, "Who are you?"

"I am Huang Shang, the Director of the Imperial Library," Huang Shang said with a smile. "Oh, and also the Inspector of Jiangnan."

Upon hearing this, Murong Fu's pupils contracted and his brows furrowed. Behind him, Abi also gasped softly, clearly intimidated by Huang Shang's official rank.

"Jian Diao" was merely an official position in the imperial palace responsible for compiling books, and was nothing to be afraid of.

The Jiangnan Inspector was directly appointed by the imperial court and was responsible for the livelihood and security of the people in the entire Jiangnan region, the performance of duties by officials, tax collection, and military defense. He wielded immense power.

Even a prestigious family like the Murong clan would not want to provoke them.

"Oh dear!" Hongxiu said with a grin, "Uncle, you have quite the airs of an official."

Huang Shang coughed, ignoring her, and looked at the man: "Are you Qiao Feng, Chief Qiao?"

These words not only shocked Murong Fu, but also deeply moved everyone present. Qiao Feng's name resounded throughout the land; "Qiao Feng in the North, Murong in the South," a name known to all in the martial arts world.

Upon hearing Huang Shang's words, Hongxiu thought to herself, "So he is Qiao Feng. No wonder I felt uneasy. This man truly lives up to his reputation!"

Qiao Feng gave a wry smile, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I am now just a wandering swordsman, no longer the leader of the Beggars' Sect. Please don't embarrass me, sir."

Huang Shang coughed again and laughed, "That's the Beggars' Sect's fault, not Master Qiao's problem."

Upon hearing this, Hongxiu exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle, you're quite sensible; you're a good person!"

Huang Shang glanced at her sideways and said, "Does being a good person mean you should bully people?"

Hongxiu scratched her head and smiled, "Sorry, sorry!"

Huang Shang ignored him and turned to look at the lama: "The Great Wheel King Kumārajīva?"

Kumārajīva smiled and suddenly said loudly, "This humble monk greets Huang Jiandiao!"

"The Ming King didn't enjoy a life of luxury in Tibet, but instead came to the Central Plains to suffer." Huang Chang sneered. "Especially after taking two blows at Shaolin, how unwise of him?"

Kumārajīva, furious, snorted and said, "No need for Huang Jiandiao to trouble himself!"

Suddenly, Hongxiu walked up and sniffed around with her little nose.

"Young lady, what are you smelling?" Kumārajīva asked, frowning.

Hongxiu chuckled and said, "Big monk, were you beaten by an iron-armed bald monk?"

Upon hearing this, Kumārajīva's eyes widened, and he asked, "You know that person?"

Hongxiu put her hands on her hips and said, "Of course, that's my brother!"

Kumārajīva's face immediately turned ashen, and he snorted, saying, "So, you and that Iron-Armed Monk are family. Do you know how much he has harmed me?"

Hongxiu chuckled and said, "I just gave you a 'Pat-Pat Fun' and then used the 'Southern Heavenly Fist' to make your inner demons rise and become full of malice!"

Everyone was astonished upon hearing this.

Qiao Feng looked at Hongxiu with surprise, thinking to himself, "Kumārajīva's martial arts are extremely high, yet he was beaten so badly by this woman's brother. He is truly formidable! I wonder who he is?"

Kumārajīva's face was grim as he stared intently at her: "What is your brother's name?"

Hongxiu said, "My elder brother's surname is Li, his given name is Ding'an, and his nickname in the martial arts world is 'Knife Emperor'!"

"The Sword Emperor?!"

Kumārajīva's eyes trembled, his face paling with shock. He thought to himself, "The Iron-Armed Monk beat me so badly with his bare hands that my seven orifices were blazing, and my heart felt like it was being ripped apart by a steel knife. What would it be like if he used a knife?" Thinking of this, he became completely insane.

Hongxiu's arrogant demeanor angered one person.

Then a very strange voice said, "No, no!"

Hongxiu glanced sideways and saw four people standing at the door, all in their forties or fifties. One was dressed in fine clothes, with a ruddy complexion, looking like a pampered and wealthy gentleman; the other was wearing a scholar's hat, looking like a schoolteacher.

Of the remaining two, the one who spoke was a short, fat man who sneered and looked like he deserved a beating.

The other man was a tall, thin fellow with a long sword at his waist, his beard bristling and eyes glaring. These four men stood casually, yet they were quite different from ordinary people. Each of them exuded an aura of transcendence, and although there were only a few of them, their imposing presence was in no way inferior to that of a thousand troops.

They were the four great retainers of the Murong family: Deng Baichuan, Gongzhiqian, Bao Butong, and Feng Bo'e.

"What do you mean, 'not so'?" Hongxiu looked at him with a stern face.

"No, no! You've completely misspoke!"

Bao Butong burst into laughter: "There are so many people in the world who practice swordsmanship. You practice it, I practice it, and there's no set rule. Why is it that your brother is called the 'Sword Emperor,' but I can't be?"

As he spoke, he suddenly drew Feng Bo'e's waist knife, leaped forward, and slashed the floor with it. Crack! A deep gash appeared in the floor.

Seeing this, everyone gave a thumbs up: "Excellent swordsmanship!"

Bao Butong returned the waist knife, smiling smugly: "How does it compare to your brother?"

"Where did this toad come from?" Hongxiu sneered, "You dare to boast with such meager skills?"

Bao Butong's gaze turned cold, and he said, "You little brat, how dare you insult me?"

Hongxiu put her hands on her hips and said, "You coward, so what if I insult you?"

"You!" Bao Butong stretched out both palms, about to rush forward.

"Brother Bao, wait a moment." Murong Fu stepped forward and said, "Let me ask you a few questions."

Bao Butong paused, his imposing manner vanishing, and bowed, saying, "Yes."

Murong Fu nodded and looked at Hongxiu: "Young lady, what brings you to my Yanziwu?"

Hongxiu smiled, held up the book in her hand, and said, "Reading."

All eyes were drawn to the book, where two large characters were written: "Zhuangzi," leaving everyone puzzled.

Huanshi Water Pavilion is a world-renowned martial arts holy land, possessing countless martial arts manuals that are coveted by all in the martial arts world. Unexpectedly, instead of reading and practicing them, she picked up a Taoist classic and started reading it.

This was truly unexpected.

Murong Fu said in a deep voice, "Miss, you've come uninvited. Isn't that going too far?"

Upon hearing this, all four retainers glared at her angrily.

Hongxiu chuckled, tucked the Zhuangzi into her sleeve, and said sweetly, "You all stare at martial arts manuals every day, seeking techniques but not the Way, suffering all kinds of hardships before realizing you are useless." She imitated the white-robed man, pacing back and forth with her hands behind her back, shaking her head and sighing, "Alas, to occupy a mountain of treasures and yet remain empty-handed, that is true human suffering!"

"Don't you know that the Tao is the most precious thing in the world? What is martial arts? If you don't separate yourself from it, it will ultimately just be a means of survival. What difference is there between it and playing the zither or the songs of prostitutes?"

"It's laughable that people don't understand this principle, don't know martial arts techniques, and can never reach the brilliance of the Great Way. You are all heroes, yet you don't work on the 'principle' but instead seek methods to kill and harm others. When you face death, won't you feel regret?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, and the scene immediately fell silent.

Huang Shang was greatly shocked, feeling as if a great path had opened up before him. He thought, "That's it. Martial arts, commerce, classics, and all kinds of skills are just appearances. As the saying goes, 'To understand life, it is better to rely on oneself than on gods.' Life is short, only a few decades, and it passes in the blink of an eye. If one can find the great path within, wouldn't life be without regrets?"

Thinking of this, countless Daoist scriptures and vast seas of pages flashed through his mind. In an instant, he felt an intense loathing for the mundane world before him, and only wanted to return to the palace to retreat into seclusion and study the Dao.

Qiao Feng, however, stood there stunned, muttering, "The Way of Separation, the Way of Separation."

Azhu looked at him worriedly and asked, "Brother Qiao, what's wrong?"

Qiao Feng suddenly sighed and said, "This girl in red is truly an extraordinary person. With just a few words, she made me feel as if the clouds had parted and the moon was shining. Once I have fully comprehended the 'Way of Separation,' even the greatest villains will be nothing more than withered bones in a tomb!"

A'Zhu exclaimed in surprise, "It's so miraculous!"

"Of course!" Qiao Feng laughed heartily: "By separating the 'form' of the moves from the 'spirit' of the essence, once I transform the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms into one palm, there will be no more than three people in the world who can defeat me!"

Qiao and Huang each had their own destiny and their own insights.

Murong Fu frowned, feeling utterly confused and bewildered. He simply snorted coldly.
"The master is right, you really are sharp-tongued!"

Bao Butong nodded and said, "Young master is right. What bullshit 'seeking the Dao'? I'll slap you a dozen times and see what kind of Dao you'll seek then!" With that, he leaped forward and struck with a palm.

Hongxiu shook her head and sighed, "A hopeless good-for-nothing." As soon as she finished speaking, her figure swayed.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out, and Bao Butong was suddenly sent flying into the air, like a kite with a broken string, heading straight for the Murong family.

Upon seeing this, Murong Fu shouted, "How dare you!" and stretched out his hands to catch Bao Butong.

But the moment she touched his clothes, she felt a force like thunder and fire strike her, her crown shattered with a crack, and her black hair stood on end.

Murong Fu felt his insides churning, as if a thousand insects were biting him, but he kept his lips tightly closed and used his arms to rotate Bao Butong more than ten times before he could barely dissipate the terrifying force.

As the force dissipated, he was about to speak when he felt a weight on his arm—the body in his hand felt limp and offered no support whatsoever!

Murong Fu's heart sank. He looked down and saw that Bao Butong's eyes were wide open, and he was already dead.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that all the bones in his body had been shattered, and he had died!

"Brother Bao!"

"Third brother!"

The remaining three all cried out in pain, rushing to the corpse and staring blankly at the head, seemingly unable to believe he was truly dead. Suddenly turning around, their eyes flashing with ferocity, they leaped towards Hongxiu, roaring in unison:

"Witch, give me back my third brother's life!"

(End of this chapter)