Flying Thieves Steal the Golden Buddha

Hong Yun knew her cousin was burdened by a blood feud and didn't dare discuss killing with her any further, so she hurriedly changed the subject. "Cousin, we have all the materials for the prosthetic hand design you came up with, but the forging technique is very difficult. We can't find a blacksmith like that in Milu City."

Bai Bingxue thought for a moment before replying, "Have you asked whether Southern Expedition Country has such a blacksmith?"

Hong Yun shook her head. "I haven't asked about that. I'll find someone to ask tomorrow."

As the two chatted, Chen Xi lay sprawled across the table, one hand rubbing his belly. He had eaten too much at dinner and said lazily, "Commandery Princess Hong Yun, with these five thousand taels of gold, we can open the biggest medicine shop in Milu City. Senior Sister Bai can keep busy treating people, and I'll learn medicine alongside her. In three or four years, I'll be a physician respected by everyone."

Hong Yun teased him with a smile. "You little monk, you just abandoned Buddhism to study medicine, and already you're making outrageous claims. How could you think of becoming independent after only three or four years of studying medicine?"

Bai Bingxue also said with a smile, "Chen Xi, studying medicine is arduous, and it offers neither an official career nor riches as a reward. You need to prepare yourself mentally. Brother Changqing studied under Master for three years before giving up, then followed Senior Uncle to learn cultivation."

"Hey, Cousin, look! Chen Xi actually fell asleep." Hong Yun looked at Chen Xi, who was snoring faintly, and spoke helplessly.

"Chen Xi is still just a child." Bai Bingxue shook her head.

Suddenly, a deafening crash came from the house behind them, followed by one scream after another.

Hong Yun turned and rushed into the house. The furnace had collapsed inside, and waves of heat and steam filled the room. She looked up and saw a large hole in the roof. Two men in white stood at its edge, tossing down a wet strip of cloth wrapped around the Buddha's head.

Commandery Princess Hong Yun shouted, "You audacious thieves!"

The thieves heaved together, and the Buddha's head flew out through the hole.

Hong Yun unleashed her family's supreme lightness skill, White Fox Thirty-Seven Steps, and sprinted toward the opening. Just before reaching it, she drew her Bundling Garment Sword from her waist and thrust it at the men in white with White Fox Leaping to the Moon. The two men didn't entangle themselves with her. They turned and fled. Hong Yun was not intimidated either and chased after them with a burst of qi.

Bai Bingxue watched Hong Yun give chase and sighed at her own poor lightness skill.

She and Chen Xi brought over two buckets of cold water and splashed them inside, extinguishing one passageway before dragging out the four burly men who were moaning on the ground. The guards outside also hurried in with water to put out the flames. Only after more than a dozen buckets had been thrown inside did the fire finally go out.

The clothes on the four burly men had burned into their flesh. Chen Xi shook his head and said, "Senior Sister, can these four survive? Ah, this fire..."

Bai Bingxue was horrified and couldn't bear to see it. She shouted, "Save them first!"

Bai Bingxue took out four Returning Yang Rescue Reversal Heart Protecting Pills and gave them to the men to keep them alive. She then ordered the guards to carry them inside, out of the wind.

She hurried to a nearby medicine shop and bought a large barrel of badger oil. The guard captain also found scissors and cut away the four burly men's charred clothes. They spread the cool badger oil over the men's entire bodies to stop their skin from blistering.

Bai Bingxue wrote out a prescription for treating burns, along with instructions for preparing it, and arranged for Chen Xi to hurry to the pharmacy to buy the ingredients and brew the medicine.

With time pressing, Bai Bingxue circulated the Wood Spirit Art and sent a stream of true qi into each of the four men, repairing their damaged meridians.

Half an hour later, Chen Xi returned with the brewed medicine. He coated the four burly men from head to toe with a black, sticky ointment, then wrapped them in white gauze under Bai Bingxue's guidance.

Once they had finished, the guard captain asked, "Can these four survive?"

Bai Bingxue replied, "After seven days, they'll break free of their shells and be reborn. They'll be fully recovered in a month."

Penglai Immortal Island, the garden of the White Jade Palace.

"Four mortals saved. Karma Value increased by forty."

White Deer Immortal complained, "Saving mortals only increases the Karma Value by this little?"

Chen Renfeng said with a smile, "Mortals are lowly. That's simply how the rules work. These four suffered misfortune because Bai Bingxue melted the golden Buddha, then encountered her miraculous medical skills and survived. The cycle of cause and effect continues. Great Immortal, keep watching."

On a rooftop near Alu Restaurant, Hong Yun caught up with a flying thief and unleashed Dian Cang Swordplay.

Hong Yun leaped into the air and thrust her sword downward at the thief's right shoulder's Jianyu acupoint. It was the Cloud Piercing Plank Road technique from the Dian Cang Sect's Malong Peak Thirteen Styles. The thief used an upward flicking sword strike, hitting the seventh inch of Hong Yun's long sword.

Hong Yun used the force to vault over the thief's head, then turned and thrust her long sword at his Lingtai acupoint. It was the Xiakexiang's Homecoming technique from the Dian Cang Sect's Malong Peak Thirteen Styles. Because Hong Yun changed moves too quickly and with such unusual angles, the thief used Su Qin Carrying His Sword on His Back to evade the attack.

Hong Yun continued using Dian Cang Swordplay: Mist-Shrouded Stone Gate, Blessing Country Evening Bell, Clear Void Valley, Orchid in the Cliff, Xiakexiang's Homecoming, Jade Splashing in the Green Pool, Ten Thousand Scrolls of Heavenly Book, Cloud Piercing Plank Road. Thrusts, chops, jabs, and sweeping cuts—every move was a powerful offensive technique.

The flying thief could break every move. The more Hong Yun fought, the more alarmed she became. It was as if her enemy could see what move she was about to use next.

The other flying thief returned, but did not interfere. After watching for a while, he said with a laugh, "Junior Brother Chang Hu, this girl only knows eight of Ma Long Peak's sword techniques. Hurry and capture her."

"Senior Brother Chang He, don't call me by my name," the flying thief fighting her replied angrily.

"Hahaha, this tiny Milu City—what are you afraid of?" Chang He said arrogantly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman's furious shout came from the street below the building. "You petty thieves, how dare you run wild in Milu City!" Chang He looked down and saw a cavalry unit rushing over. As soon as they reached the building, they raised their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at the rooftop.

The one leading them was Commandery Princess Hong Lian.

Hong Lian let go of the reins. With a light tap of her foot on the saddle, she leaped three zhang into the air. When she reached the eaves, she borrowed the momentum to rise another two zhang. Drawing the Bundling Garment Sword from her waist, she took the Jade Splashing in the Green Pool stance and dove forward, thrusting at the Tiantu acupoint between Chang He's collarbones as he watched from the side.

Chang He held the Buddha's head in his left hand and countered with his long sword in his right, using a flicking strike aimed directly at Hong Lian's wrist. His sword was one inch longer than Hong Lian's. As the saying went, an inch longer meant an inch stronger, which was why he dared risk deflecting her sword.

Hong Lian changed her move on the spot. The tip of her sword touched the ridge of her opponent's blade, carrying her over his head. She turned and swept upward from behind, stabbing again at his Lingtai acupoint. It was the Xiakexiang's Homecoming technique from the Dian Cang Sect's Malong Peak Thirteen Styles.

Like Chang Hu, Chang He used Su Qin Carrying His Sword on His Back. When Hong Lian's flexible Bundling Garment Sword struck the ridge of his long sword, Chang He remained completely unmoved. The soft sword bent, and Hong Lian used its springlike force to lunge forward at full speed. Gripping the sword with both hands, she thrust it levelly at Chang Hu, who was battling Hong Yun.

Hong Lian's rapid and unpredictable changes, combined with the attack from front and back, left Chang Hu unsure how to defend. He simply dropped and rolled across the roof. The posture was ugly, but it let him evade the sword strike.

Hong Yun and Hong Lian stood back-to-back on the rooftop. Beneath the moonlight, one wore blue like a lotus leaf while the other wore red like a lotus flower. Together, they resembled a red lotus blooming in the night.

"Junior Brother, these two girls are quite pretty. Let's kidnap them both and take them back to offer to Senior Uncle Gao. That should count as making amends for our failure." Chang He laughed contemptuously, completely disregarding the two women before him.

Hong Lian was so furious that she was about to charge forward, but Hong Yun grabbed her arm. The thieves were formidable, so she signaled for Hong Lian to stay calm. The longer they delayed, the more advantageous it would be for them.

"You audacious scoundrels! How dare you show disrespect to the commandery princess!"