A man stands before the heavens, his sword emerges from the Emei Mountains.

Chapter 103 Frank Talk, Clash of Good and Evil

The setting sun sank below the mountain, and the moon and stars gradually brightened in the bluish-gray sky. A bonfire burned in the valley, where more than a dozen male and female disciples were below.

Chen Yu first held a small meeting with Ji Xiaofu, Shi Jinkui, Yang An, and Zhao Lingzhu, discussing the possibility that the encounter might be with disciples of the Thunder and Lightning Sect. He instructed them to arrange for more disciples to stand guard at night. Then, he briefly mentioned the incident where Grandpa Ji, Yu Lianzhou, Yin Liting, and Miejue fought against Wei Yixiao and Yang Xiao in Hengyang.

Based on their limited experience in the martial arts world, Shi Jinkui and Zhao Lingzhu were not yet capable of distinguishing between the Demonic Sect and the Five Poisons Sect. They suspected that the two sects, one demonic and one evil, might have long been in cahoots. Their expressions turned serious.

Chen Yu observed Ji Xiaofu's expression and noticed that when the topic turned to Old Master Ji and Yang Xiao, Ji Xiaofu's expression became tense. She seemed to have the urge to ask the name of the girl she had rescued in Hanyang several times, but each time she hesitated. From her tightly pursed lips and clenched fists, Chen Yu could tell that Ji Xiaofu was going through a lot of inner turmoil.

After the brief meeting, Shi Jinkui summoned the disciples of Yaowang Cave and gave them instructions on some anti-poisoning measures. Yang An began to arrange for more disciples to be on duty that night. Ji Xiaofu was lost in thought for a long time before getting up and going to Chen Yu's side.

"Junior brother, senior sister has something to say."

"OK."

Let's take a walk together.

"Um."

Weary birds return to the forest, their melodious songs filling the air, while the spring water babbles and flows gently.

The two walked side by side. Ji Xiaofu took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, "Junior Brother."

Chen Yu stopped and turned to look at the other person.

The moonlight illuminated the weeping willows by the river and fell on Ji Xiaofu's tall figure. Chen Yu was stunned. Since entering Emei, although he had long known about her unfortunate experience, Ji Xiaofu, who had been keeping the secret for many years, had always shown a kind and resilient nature. But at this moment, Chen Yu saw softness and fragility.

He felt like he couldn't keep up the act.

"What's wrong, Senior Sister?"

Ji Xiaofu bit her lower lip, her rationality and sensibility colliding like thunder and fire, causing her to become dazed. Chen Yu could feel her heart pounding from her violently heaving chest.

"Before my junior brother went up the mountain, one year after Master learned of the Eagle Sect's gathering at Wangpan Mountain, he ordered my senior sister and more than ten others to go down the mountain to inquire about Xie Xun. In Dashubao, Sichuan, my senior sister met a man who followed her wherever she went. He spoke incoherently. My senior sister fought with him but was no match for him. She tried every means to escape, but in the end, she was captured by him."

Chen Yu let out a soft breath.

Ji Xiaofu opened her clenched hand, grasped at the air for a moment, and then clenched it tightly again. "Later, my senior sister became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. She was sent to Luzhou to be raised. Not long after my junior brother went down the mountain this time, that mother went to Emei County and asked someone to look for me, telling me that her daughter had gone missing."

The evening breeze seemed to have stopped, and the leaves ceased to rustle. The trembling sound slowly reached Chen Yu's ears.

"Master—Junior Brother sent a message, saying he's rescuing some trafficked girls in Hanyang. Does anyone know of someone named Bu Hui?"

The words "no regrets" came from Ji Xiaofu's mouth in an almost unnatural tone. Then she closed her eyes, not daring to look at Chen Yu, as if she were waiting for a verdict.

call----

Ji Xiaofu first heard a sigh, followed by Chen Yu's deep reply, "Yes, around ten years old, with beautiful features, about four feet tall."

Ji Xiaofu suddenly opened her eyes, reached out and grabbed Chen Yu, "Really?"

"Yes, Junior Brother is quite familiar with the little girl named Bu Hui. Bu Hui and more than ten other girls are being escorted by the escort agency and are currently on their way home."

Ji Xiaofu felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, as if all her energy had been drained, and she swayed slightly.

Chen Yu quickly helped him up.

"Senior sister is alright, thank you junior brother."

"I have no regrets about being clever and quick-witted."

Ji Xiaofu's expression softened. "Yes, she's sensible and lovely, and she's also suffered a lot."

"Who is that person?" Chen Yu changed the subject.

"Yang Xiao." Ji Xiaofu's emotions, which had just calmed down, were once again thrown into turmoil.

As night fell, Chen Yu, standing in the shadow of the willow tree, no longer needed to feign an expression. "It's Yang Xiao."

"Yes, Yang Xiao, who harmed my master."

"Then what about the name 'No Regrets'?"

Ji Xiaofu hurriedly said, "The child is innocent. Senior Sister just wants the child to have no regrets in the next life."

"Don't be nervous, senior sister."

"Um.

""

"What does Senior Sister plan to do now?"

Ji Xiaofu spoke with difficulty: "Junior Brother is kind, courageous, and insightful. He is a man of deep feelings. Ever since Master established his mantle, I have felt guilty towards Emei and Master. Only by dying for our sect can I atone for my sins. I will entrust Bu Hui to Junior Brother so that one day he can join the Emei sect. But now things have changed suddenly, and I don't know what to do. However, as long as Bu Hui is safe, I will accept Master's punishment."

Chen Yu did not mention Yin Liting. After a long silence, he said, "Sister Bu Hui will definitely arrive in Luzhou safely. Senior Sister, you don't need to worry. Keep this a secret for now. After the Five Poisons Sect war is over, I will plead with Master for her."

Ji Xiaofu grasped at a straw like a drowning person, "Junior brother, your kindness is immense, I will never forget it."

"Senior Sister, please don't be so polite. We're fellow disciples, it's only natural." Chen Yu then asked, "But if Master were to ask about the origin of Bu Hui's name, what is her surname?"

"My surname is Ji, and 'No Regrets' is just my childhood name. Junior brother, you are very talented and learned. Why don't you give your senior sister a name?"

Chen Yu's voice was soft, but to Ji Xiaofu it sounded resounding: "Let's call him No Regrets, for he has no regrets about coming into this world."

""

Ji Xiaofu's vision gradually blurred, and a white mist seemed to rise in her field of vision. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks like broken beads. She cried silently in the quiet night, and it was only after more than ten breaths that she gradually stopped. "Thank you, junior brother."

"Senior sister, calm down, let's go back."

"Um.".

Ji Xiaofu looked back at her junior brothers and sisters who were already preparing dinner. Things had not escalated to the worst possible outcome. She tried her best to control her emotions and said, "After this battle is over, I will explain the situation to Master and Father and cancel the engagement with Yin Liuxia. As long as I am safe and sound, you can kill me or do whatever you want."

Chen Yu didn't need to ask what would happen if he encountered Yang Xiao. The three words "Ji Bu Hui" were clearly spoken, indicating that this Ji Xiao Fu was not the same Ji Xiao Fu as before.

The two walked slowly to the campfire. Chen Yu asked Ji Xiaofu to wait a moment while he went over and asked his junior sister from the outer sect for two bowls of noodles. He returned and handed one bowl to Ji Xiaofu.

Ji Xiaofu knew that Chen Yu was worried that her eyes would turn red from crying, and that her junior brothers and sisters might see it and become suspicious. She thought to herself that her junior brother was thoughtful, and that she could entrust Bu Hui to him without any worries. She would rather die in battle in Changchun Valley of Wuling Mountain to save her junior brother some trouble.

Thinking this through, Ji Xiaofu picked up her bowl of noodles, sat on a rock by the river, and slowly ate her noodles, bite by bite.

Chen Yu quickly ate his fill, took the bowl of noodles, returned to the camp and put it down. He then gave instructions to Yang An and Shi Jinkui before heading alone towards the valley entrance.

As the stars began to shift and the night deepened, Chen Yu appeared, and Zhou Zhiruo greeted him with a willow basket in her hand.

"Senior brother is eating wild berries; they're very sweet."

As autumn arrived, wild fruits covered the mountains and fields, and Zhou Zhiruo picked a full basket of them.

"If there are wild fruits, do we not need to go back?"

"There are quite a few cultivation techniques I need to learn from my senior brother," Zhou Zhiruo said with a mischievous smile.

Compared to the world of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," her personality is much more lively. Chen Yu thought to himself and sighed inwardly. Picking fruit is enough to fill one's stomach without having to rush back to the camp. At her age, perhaps only Xiao Zhao and Zhao Min can compare to her in terms of temperament.

"Junior Brother Yang said that in the sect's test, your skills were unmatched."

"Please sit down, senior brother."

"it is good."

Chen Yu sat on the grass, and Zhou Zhiruo placed the fruit basket beside him, sitting down at a distance. Then she gestured and said with a smile, "Junior Sister's martial arts are only two feet high, still a long way from being a tree."

Chen Yu laughed. Back when he met Zhou Zhiruo on the Han River, she asked about the level of her martial arts skills, and he replied that they were as tall as a towering tree. He never expected her to respond in this way.

"Senior brother, eat a peach."

Zhou Zhiruo handed a washed peach to Chen Yu, who thanked her and accepted it. "Tell me, what obstacles did you encounter?"

"When I am refining the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin, I often feel palpitations. I don't know what's wrong. Do you have this symptom, senior brother?"

""

Chen Yu laughed and said, "I haven't refined this Heart Sutra yet."

"Oh, that's impossible."

"The first meridians I trained were the Yang Qiao Meridian and the Yin Qiao Meridian."

"Why is that?" Zhou Zhiruo asked, puzzled. "According to the sect's progressive training requirements, it is necessary to temper the Pericardium Meridian of Hand Jueyin and the Triple Energizer Meridian of Hand Sanyang, etc."

"Most of the martial arts techniques in our sect require the flow of Qi through these meridians, so the earlier you temper and unblock them, the better it will be for improving your cultivation level."

"Then why did you do the opposite, Senior Brother?" Zhou Zhiruo turned her head curiously, the moonlight falling on her delicate, flawless face, full of curiosity.

"Runs fast."

Zhou Zhiruo exclaimed "Ah!" and chuckled, "I'll also temper my Qiao Meridians, so I won't fall behind my senior brother, encounter formidable opponents, or become a burden to you."

Chen Yu was stunned for a moment, feeling as if she were talking to an elf.

"However, I do know why my junior sister felt palpitations when she was refining the Heart Sutra."

"Please enlighten me, senior brother."

"Humans have seven emotions and six desires, so when we cultivate ourselves, we must suppress our inner fire to prevent ourselves from going astray and becoming possessed by demons. This is especially true when tempering the internal organs and meridians. We must divide our minds to fight against it." Chen Yu said this with emotion, realizing that his cultivation progress was different from ordinary people and even surpassed his master's, all thanks to the jade ruyi.

Zhou Zhiruo said, "But humans are not plants or trees; how can they be without feelings?"

"That's right. Logically speaking, being distracted by inner demons shouldn't affect your progress in cultivation. When you were with your master, you were probably too eager to achieve results, which led to your mind wandering."

Zhou Zhiruo hugged her knees, pondered for a few breaths, and said, "I understand now. It must be because I want to improve my skills as soon as possible and go down the mountain to punish evil for my sect."

"That's the principle. Haste makes waste. Let me tell you a method to concentrate your mind."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Zhou Zhiruo was overjoyed.

Among the teachings left by Guo Xiang at the foot of Buddha's Palm Rock on Mount Emei is the Quanzhen School's method of cultivating spirit and refining immortality, which is the "Golden Gate Jade Lock Technique" passed down to Guo Jing by Ma Yu.

In less than the time it takes to eat a meal, Zhou Zhiruo had memorized the entire technique word for word.

"Alright, let's head back to camp."

"Okay." Zhou Zhiruo obediently got up, took a few steps, then turned back, "Goodbye, Senior Brother!"

She waved her hand, with moonlight falling on her fingertips.

Chen Yu also waved.

Zhou Zhiruo turned around, her movements light and graceful, disappearing into the depths of the moonlight.

Chen Yu plucked a blade of grass, put it in his mouth, and lay down on the ground, pondering what methods the Five Poisons Sect would use to retaliate since they already knew that the Emei Sect was going to attack the mountain.

No!

As the white-clad, cold-faced man snatched Bu Hui and quickly left, Ji Xiaofu screamed and sat up abruptly. The darkness of her dream receded, and moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the tent curtains.

Ji Xiaofu broke out in a cold sweat.

"Senior sister, what's wrong?"

Perhaps because she knew that Bu Hui was safe and sound, the immense pressure on her heart was relieved, and Ji Xiaofu fell into a deep sleep as soon as she returned to her tent, only to have such a nightmare.

"Senior sister?"

Ji Xiaofu let out a heavy breath and said, "I dreamt of some bad things. Junior sister, rest assured and I'll go outside to take a look."

Zhao Lingzhu thought that Ji Xiaofu had dreamt of the villains from the Five Poisons Sect and was worried that they would launch a night attack. She lifted the blanket and said, "I'll stay with my senior sister."

"Get some rest. Junior Brother Chen is still at the valley entrance."

"That's fine too."

Ji Xiaofu got up, took her longsword, left the tent, and followed the stream. When she reached the valley entrance, she entered the dense forest where Chen Yu was on guard duty.

It was already late at night. The chirping of insects that had been rustling through the forest suddenly disappeared. The moon shone through the lush canopy of trees, casting dappled light on the ground covered with decaying leaves. The sound of footsteps rustling softly echoed through the forest.

Once they reached a slightly wider area, the faint light illuminated dozens of figures: a short, stout man, a Taoist priest, and...

A burly man dressed in a black robe, with his unsheathed sword concealed behind him.

"Pass through this forest, and the valley ahead leads to the camp of the Emei disciples."

"What do you think would happen if the old nun Miejue arrived alive and saw a field of corpses?"

"It's definitely not going to be very festive," someone said, as if making a lame joke.

A low, arrogant laugh rang out, and the Taoist priest said, "Pay attention, be careful of the hidden sentries."

The short, stout man said, "Don't be nervous. This dense forest is pitch black, but for the people of Bilin Cave, it's like daytime. No number of sentries can overpower us."

"Then we'll see how Boss Shen performs."

"No problem." The dwarf strode forward.

-

In the woods more than ten feet away, Ji Xiaofu stopped warily and listened intently.

"Senior sister." A soft voice came from behind, followed by chilling words: "Someone's coming."

Ji Xiaofu was taken aback.

Chen Yu had already appeared beside her, his feet barely touching the ground.

"Senior Sister returned to camp and informed Junior Brother Yang that the enemy was attacking."

"Junior brother, be careful."

"Peace of mind."

"Hmm." Ji Xiaofu turned around, lowered her pace as much as possible, and left quickly.

Chen Yu looked at the pitch-black forest in front of him and chuckled softly. He had been practicing his listening skills in Hengyang, and this group of people was a perfect opportunity for him to hone his skills.

With a swift movement, he leaped high like an owl and landed on the branch of an old tree. He crouched down, guided by his mind, and channeled the Nine Yang Internal Force along his meridians into acupoints such as Ermen, Yifeng, Tinghui, Tinggong, Xiaguan, and Dicang.

In that instant of heightened awareness, the distant sound of footsteps seemed to reverberate like the thunder of drums.