Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

Gao Yuan spread out some dry grass, leaned against the wall, lay down diagonally, and closed his eyes to rest.

Murong Laobangzi was right beside him.

He sat motionless, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, his breathing was long and even, his breath barely perceptible, clearly indicating that he was practicing meditation and that there was an internal energy flowing within him.

A gentle night breeze rustled through Gao Yuan, who peeked out from his half-asleep state.

The people of Bilin Cave chatted idly across the campfire, while Sikong Xuan hung his head, presumably lost in thought.

Gao Yuan stole a glance, then slowly closed his eyes, his thoughts racing.

The two were only about a foot apart. If he suddenly sprang up and rushed out of the deserted courtyard, it was uncertain whether he could escape.

No, no, judging from his questioning about the I Ching just now...

Murong Laobangzi knows a part of the Lingbo Weibu footwork, although it is incomplete and his step position is slightly off. However, he has extremely high internal energy and is proficient in a variety of special skills. I may not be able to shake him off.

As for the question of how Murong Bo possessed some of the Lingbo Weibu technique.

Even with his eyes closed, Gao Yuan could guess that it was Li Qiushui who leaked it.

Furthermore, let's not even talk about whether they can escape.

He couldn't possibly abandon the women of Lingjiu Palace and Chang Ying and the others!

Old Murong came all this way, his words full of dissatisfaction with Hong Zhaoren; I guess he came to silence him.

However, the brief exchange between the two had given him the idea to recruit them, so he suppressed his murderous intent.

If we consider the fact that Lao Bangzi always used the alias Yan Longyuan, but only revealed his true identity to Hong Zhaoren...

Who knows what kind of shady deal they had!

His attitude is still relatively mild now. As long as he goes back to Dengzhou with me, he even promised to let me enter the Canhezhuang Water Pavilion to read the military register.

Ah!

It's best not to fall out with him for now; it's better to remain neutral. Otherwise, things will take a completely different turn once the relationship breaks down.

The worst outcome would be to return to Dengzhou with him to discuss the "grand plan for national restoration," and I should be able to save my life.

Gao Yuan's thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he was momentarily agitated.

In chaotic times, the human heart is treacherous.

All I want is to follow the big boss and get along well, instead of causing trouble all day.

Another day of missing Grandma, tears welling up!

Before I could finish my thoughts, a faint sound reached my ears.

At the foot of the mountain, the women of Lingjiu Palace placed the dogwood they carried into the hot water in the earthenware pot, while another woman took out a tin pot to brew it to dispel the cold.

Before long, two slender figures walked towards him. They were Chang Ying and Fu Minyi, each carrying a ceramic dish.

"Big brother!"

"Good brother!"

A clear, crisp sound wafted into his nostrils, accompanied by the bitter fragrance of dogwood infused in water. Gao Yuan pretended to wake up with a start.

"Little sisters, why are you out here?"

"Brother, the sisters have brewed some dogwood tea to ward off the cold. It's windy outside, you should drink some too."

Fu Minyi answered first, her round eyes fixed on her eldest brother, then glancing at Chang Ying with a smug look on her face.

Chang Ying, not wanting to be outdone, stood on tiptoe and held the plate even higher, her voice sweet and soft:

"Big brother, Sister Minyi's water is too hot. My dogwood water has just been cooled by blowing on it, and it's just the right temperature—neither too hot nor too cold!"

Two little girls surrounded Gao Yuan, one tugging at his sleeve and the other getting close to him, chattering away, making quite a scene.

Gao Yuan gave a wry smile, his eyes glancing sideways as he caught sight of the person beside him.

In the blink of an eye.

His mind raced. Gao Yuan picked up the ceramic dishes for the two men, drank the entire contents, and as he handed them back, his sleeves trembled slightly.

"Alright, everyone drink up, stop arguing. Ah Ying, go pour another bowl of dogwood water into the pot so Brother Yan can warm up too."

He made a gesture to chase people away.

"It's alright, the old man isn't cold."

Murong Bo, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them and smiled faintly as he refused.

When the little girl Chang Ying took the ceramic plate, she lowered her eyes slightly. The plate was dry, but a fine powder, like white frost, was spreading on the bowl's base.

In the back alleys and lanes of Jingzhao Prefecture, there hooligans and scoundrels mingled, and she had seen the most despicable tricks, so she understood them immediately.

Although Chang Ying was startled, she still put on an innocent and naive appearance: "Uncle is talking nonsense."

As he spoke, he took the empty plate from Fu Minyi and placed it inside the plate to press down the fine powder underneath.

She tilted her little face up:

"The night wind seeps into my clothes! Sister Ziqing once said, 'The frost chills to the bone, but dogwood warms the body.' If Uncle catches a cold, how will he have the energy to travel tomorrow?"

She's exactly the kind of girl who cares about her father-in-law.

Before the father-in-law could refuse, she grabbed Fu Minyi, who was about to speak, and ran away in a flash.

"Young Master Gao is so lucky! What a clever and quick-witted girl. She reminds me of my two little maids at home, who are just as well-behaved."

Murong Bo's eyes showed a look of reminiscence.

Gao Yuan knew that he was most likely referring to the two girls, A Zhu and A Bi.

Looking around, Chang Ying was just coming out carrying a ceramic dish.

"The maid in Brother Yan's household must be clever, but..."

Gao Yuan changed the subject, drawing his attention.

"Kids, even if they're girls, can be just as unpredictable as boys. They need to be disciplined when necessary."

He had a very experienced look on his face.

"Uncle, here, have some dogwood water to warm yourself up. Ah Ying also blew on it to make it warm, it's just right now."

Chang Ying jogged over with the ceramic plate in her hand and came close to him.

As she spoke, she slightly raised her chin, her eyebrows showing a hint of anticipation for recognition.

Seeing that her husband's gaze was fixed on the plate, she quickly added:

"The dogwood was brought by the ladies from Lingjiu Palace. They said it's more effective than the ones you buy at the pharmacy down the mountain. Uncle, if you don't drink it, you might catch a cold, and we won't be able to take care of you!"

The little girl had such an innocent air about her that Murong Bo couldn't help but smile.

"Good boy!"

He downed his drink in one gulp, patted Chang Ying's head, and said, "Let's go back, it's cold outside."

The little girl responded with an "Mm," and left with a smile on her face after collecting the plates.

Even Gao Yuan couldn't help but admire the little girl's gaze and secretly praised her excellent acting skills.

In his previous life, he would have easily outshone all the young heartthrobs.

He turned to Yan Longyuan, his eyes clear and bright.

Old Man Sikong's Heartbreak Powder, let's see if you can withstand it, hehe!

"Brother Yan, it's late. I'll rest now. Ancient medical texts say that staying up late will make you feel tired and weak. Please take care of yourself."

After speaking, Gao Yuan covered himself with dry grass, lay down, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

Murong Bo had no doubts. He looked at Gao Yuan's reclining figure and closed his eyes again.

As night deepened, the desolate courtyard gradually fell silent again, save for the crackling of the campfire.

About a quarter of an hour later, he suddenly felt a strange numbness in his abdomen.

At first, I didn't pay attention and continued to concentrate on regulating my breathing.

But after only a dozen breaths, the numbness began to spread through the meridians, and the circulation of internal energy became somewhat sluggish.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

good boy!

Twist your fingers and extend your index finger.

Once this movement begins, the next move will be a finger strike from the void.

It is a profound martial art that is in no way inferior to the Duan family's Six Meridians Divine Sword, combined with finger techniques!

However...

The moment Murong Bo began to shape the scene with his fingers, the once silent and desolate courtyard suddenly awoke.

Several sharp beams of killing intent shot out from under the roof of the gable roof, all aimed at him.

But before going to sleep, Chang Ying lay on her side and wrote the character "danger" on Grandma Yu's palm as a warning.

If you make a move now, you will be surrounded and attacked!

Murong Bo's pupils contracted as he looked at Gao Yuan, who was still 'sound asleep' on the ground.

Hey!

So what if there's poisoning? So what if there are many people...?

My name is Murong, and I fear nothing!

He extended his fingers, which were moving in a series of hand gestures, and pointed directly at the target.

A chill instantly shot from Gao Yuan's spine to the top of his head!

He suddenly opened his eyes, and his inner energy flowed spontaneously as he immediately flipped over and leaped up.

With a hiss, it exploded with a bang.

Turning back, he was horrified to see the stone beside him suddenly explode, shattering into pieces.

Unexpectedly, even though the old man was poisoned, he was still able to unleash such domineering finger techniques!

Compared to the tiny hole Duan Yanqing ordered at the restaurant, it's not even in the same league!

"Trying to run away?"

Murong Bo snorted coldly, slammed one hand into the ground and soared into the air, his fingers forming a hand seal that condensed a cold light.

Upon hearing the sound, the women of Lingjiu Palace sprang into action, and Granny Yu thrust her staff directly into Yanlongyuan.

As the tip of the cane touched the fingertips, Granny Yu felt a tingling numbness and was startled, so she quickly jumped away.

"Hiss hiss hiss~!"

A sharp whistling sound pierced the air, and a cold glint reappeared in the sky.

One finger, two fingers, three fingers!

The internal force contained within is stronger than that of a finger!

Even more surprisingly, the third finger no longer made a "hissing" sound.

A soft "crack" suddenly burst through the air, like the sound of air being ripped apart.

The force was so fierce that even a first-rate expert would likely be severely injured if he tried to take it head-on.

"Get out of the way!"

Gao Yuanbeiming True Qi was pushed to an unprecedented limit, and a powerful force condensed in his palm, which he then pushed out to meet the force of the finger!

With a muffled "boom," the two energies collided in mid-air.

The shockwave spread out like ripples, sending dry grass flying everywhere, and sparks flew from the campfire.

......

(PS: For readers who haven't read the original novel, in the original work, Cui Baiquan saw a young Murong Bo and his wife discussing the Lingbo Weibu footwork, so he knew a part of Lingbo Weibu, but not the whole thing, and the next step was also off. Therefore, it wasn't something the author wrote himself. This story basically follows the character settings and most of the plot from the original work, with only a few things added by the author, such as the Tianjian Nineteen Styles Swordplay!)