Are the Mongolians Playing Dirty?

At dusk, the main hall of Guo Mansion blazed with candlelight and was filled with the aroma of wine. A grand victory banquet was underway.

The officers and soldiers drank merrily, their laughter and chatter ringing through the hall and dispelling the lingering smell of smoke and blood.

Guo Jing sat at the head of the table. His face was still honest and guileless, but joy was hard to hide in his eyes. He raised his cup again and again, a broad smile on his face.

Huang Rong sat beside him. Today, she wore a simple, elegant, pale-pink silk dress. Delicate patterns were embroidered along its hem, and whenever she shifted slightly, the fabric rippled like flowing spring water, subtly outlining her graceful, curvaceous figure.

Her raven hair was gathered up with a single understated white jade hairpin, accentuating her slender neck and snow-white cheeks. Her beauty was so pure and clear it seemed untouched by the dust of the world. The simple outfit did nothing to diminish her peerless charm; instead, it added the gentle warmth and refinement unique to a mature woman.

In the candlelight, her features seemed softer than ever. Yet deep in her lovely eyes, a hint of complicated emotion remained.

Lin Xuan had been seated among the guests below Guo Jing and Huang Rong, beside Lu Youjiao and the other Beggar Sect elders. Without a doubt, he was the focus of the evening.

"Young Master Lin, allow this old man to toast you!" Lu Youjiao raised a bowl of wine first, his voice booming. "If not for your brilliant foresight, I doubt any of us would be able to enjoy this wine tonight!"

The officers, soldiers, and Beggar Sect disciples nearby also rose one after another and raised their cups to Lin Xuan.

"Thank you, Young Master Lin, for your tremendous service to Xiangyang!"

"Young Master Lin can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Today, you must drink your fill!"

Lin Xuan smiled and stood. Today, he wore a moon-white robe that emphasized his tall, straight figure and handsome, refined features. Amid the clinking cups, he remained composed and unhurried, naturally inspiring everyone's goodwill.

He raised his bowl to the crowd, his voice clear and touched with a hint of laughter. "Officers, soldiers, brothers—I thank you all for your kindness!"

He drained the wine everyone had offered him in a single gulp, his movements bold and decisive, without a trace of hesitation. The sight drew an even louder cheer from the crowd.

"Excellent! Young Master Lin can really hold his liquor!" Lu Youjiao was the first to slap the table and call out.

Lin Xuan refused no one. Bowl after bowl, he drank the wine offered to him. His capacity seemed bottomless; no matter how much he drank, there was not the slightest hint of intoxication on his face, and his gaze remained as clear as water. He chatted and laughed with everyone, his manner warm and steady. Neither arrogant nor lacking in heroic spirit, he put everyone at ease.

As the wine flowed and the atmosphere reached a fever pitch, Lin Xuan suddenly set down his bowl and looked around. In the candlelight, his deep, clear eyes seemed to hold tiny points of starlight.

He gestured for everyone to quiet down, then slowly rose and picked up a full bowl of wine. With respectful steps, he walked toward Guo Jing and Huang Rong.

Seeing him approach, Guo Jing assumed Lin Xuan was about to say something modest, so he waved a hand with a smile. "Xuan'er, there's no need for formalities. You're the greatest hero of the day. Just enjoy the wine!"

Huang Rong's gaze rested gently on Lin Xuan. As she looked at his face, which seemed even more handsome in the candlelight, a complicated feeling stirred in her heart. She noticed that despite having drunk so much, his expression remained calm, with not the slightest trace of drunkenness.

Lin Xuan did not raise his cup at once. Instead, he bowed deeply to Guo Jing, his voice sincere and earnest. "Master's Husband, there is something I must say. I cannot keep it to myself."

Then he turned and fixed his gaze on Huang Rong. His eyes were deep and sincere, as if they could see straight into a person's heart. There was also a fervor hidden within them that no one else could detect, but that Huang Rong alone could understand.

Feeling Lin Xuan's heated, unwavering gaze, Huang Rong's heart gave a sudden jolt, as if an invisible needle had gently pricked her. A faint blush rose uncontrollably in her cheeks, and her heartbeat quickened.

Lin Xuan's voice rang through the hall, each word clear and forceful, carrying a sincerity and conviction no one could doubt:

"Officers, soldiers, and ordinary people!" Lin Xuan's voice rose, carrying a force that stirred everyone who heard it. "Today, Xiangyang City won a great victory. We burned the Mongol army's provisions, broke the enemy's momentum, and relieved the urgent threat to Xiangyang! This tremendous achievement was by no means the work of Lin Xuan alone!"

He paused, then turned his eyes to Huang Rong once more. They blazed with admiration and gratitude.

"The true credit, the true wisdom, the true strategic planning—all belong to my master, Sect Leader Huang! Sect Leader Huang has been exceptionally clever since childhood, with knowledge that reaches to the heavens. She is an expert in Qi Men Dun Jia, understands military strategy, and knows the changes of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements."

Lin Xuan's words brimmed with affirmation and praise for Huang Rong. Each one struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

"For all these years in Xiangyang, whenever a crisis arose, it was her wisdom that helped us turn danger into safety!"

As he continued, his voice grew ever more impassioned. "I, Lin Xuan, was merely lucky enough to notice a few details others missed and offer a handful of simple suggestions. But putting those plans into action, turning the abstract into reality, and coordinating the efforts of all sides... Every bit of that was my master's work behind the scenes. She labored day and night and devoted herself heart and soul to planning everything!"

"My master's efforts, her sacrifices, everything she has done for Xiangyang—far surpass anything people can imagine!" Lin Xuan's voice was full of emotion, with a barely perceptible huskiness, as if he were speaking up for Huang Rong—or perhaps voicing a love he had kept hidden deep within.

He abruptly lifted his bowl. His gaze met Huang Rong's beautiful eyes, widened in shock, as if he meant to draw her into the depths of his soul.

"This bowl of wine is for you, Master! To honor your selfless dedication to Xiangyang! To honor your peerless wisdom!"

Lin Xuan's speech landed like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the hall.

Everyone was shaken by the heartfelt, impassioned words. They had long known Huang Rong was clever, but no one had ever so plainly listed all her contributions and raised her to such heights.

Everyone raised their cups and shouted in unison, "To Sect Leader Huang!" Their voices shook the hall.

Seated at the head of the table, Huang Rong's beautiful face was now flushed crimson. It was not only Lin Xuan's public praise that affected her; his words had also stirred memories buried deep within her.

She remembered the last time in the bamboo grove, when she had used Soul Shifting Great Law on Lin Xuan, trying to probe the secrets deep in his heart. In his "chaotic" state, he had made an "unconscious" confession—words that had seemed to come straight from the depths of his soul.

"Every day, I see Master laboring for the country and its people, and my heart aches for her. Every time Master sighs, it feels as if my heart is being cut with a knife. I only want... only want to help Master bear it all, and let Master... stay this beautiful and captivating forever!"

The words rang through her mind again, clear as a spell.

Now, in front of everyone, Lin Xuan had praised her so passionately and attributed all the credit to her. What he had just said was strikingly similar to what he had told her while under Soul Shifting Great Law.

Huang Rong's heart clenched, as if an invisible hand had gripped it tightly, leaving her unable to breathe. The flush spread from her cheeks down her snow-white neck, and even her delicate earlobes turned a vivid, enticing red, as though they might bleed.

Her fingertips trembled as she gripped the wine cup beside her, nearly spilling its contents.

Shame, shock, gratitude, confusion, and a strange feeling she could not name all surged through her heart, tangling into a knot.

How could a young male disciple feel such... such intense affection for her, his married master?

Huang Rong tried to steady herself and make her expression appear calm, but her chest rose and fell violently with her pounding heart and unsteady breathing.

Beneath her pale-pink silk dress, her already full curves heaved with her rapid heartbeat, nearly bursting free of their confinement. Every breath stirred that softness and tugged at the heart.

Her gaze drifted toward Lin Xuan again, but she immediately looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.

Everyone else was absorbed in praising Huang Rong and celebrating the victory. No one noticed her subtle change.

Only Lin Xuan's gaze had never left Huang Rong. The blush she tried to conceal, the barely perceptible tremor of her fingertips, even the alluring pink at the roots of her ears—all of it was plain to him.

Mongols Playing Dirty?

Recently, several strange things had happened in Xiangyang.

At first, only one or two ordinary patrol soldiers had been found dead in secluded alleys. Their bodies bore no external wounds, but their faces were bluish-purple, their pupils dilated, and their limbs stiff as iron, as if they had been frozen in extreme cold for days.

At first, people thought it was the bitter winter or some kind of strange illness. But as time passed, the death toll began to rise. The victims were no longer limited to ordinary soldiers; several respected junior officers and army captains had also been killed.

The most chilling thing was that all the victims had died in the same manner. Their bodies showed no visible wounds, yet after careful examination, the coroner found that their hearts, lungs, and other internal organs were covered in a strange frost, as if an invisible force of extreme cold had frozen them in an instant.

An experienced old coroner reported in a trembling voice that this was clearly the work of an extremely sinister and vicious martial art, not a natural death.

When Guo Jing heard the news, he was deeply shaken. Such a martial art was beyond the abilities of ordinary Mongol soldiers. It was clearly a rare, cold-based internal martial art from the world of martial arts.

He immediately ordered the news suppressed, demanded a thorough investigation, and strengthened patrols and guard posts throughout the city.

Lin Xuan keenly sensed the change in the soldiers' mood. He had repeatedly warned Guo Jing and Huang Rong to be wary of the Mongols' infiltration and subversion tactics.

Now, hearing about these strange deaths, his heart tightened. He realized they were no coincidence or strange illness, but an organized, targeted assassination campaign. He immediately volunteered to join the investigation.

"Master, Master's Husband, the extreme cold lingering in the victims' bodies is beyond what ordinary martial arts could produce." In the Council Hall, Lin Xuan pointed to a coroner's report, his expression unusually grave.

"I examined their bodies. Those traces of freezing appear to have been caused by the renowned Xuanming Divine Palm. The technique is... extremely skillful and extremely vicious. Clearly, the killer intends to undermine our army's morale through these bizarre murders."

Guo Jing furrowed his brows and said gravely, "I also sensed a faint trace of cold internal energy, but the killer is extremely cautious. Every time he strikes, he immediately flees without leaving a trace. Now that even several captains have fallen victim, the army's morale will collapse if this continues."

Huang Rong also looked grave as she analyzed the situation. "The killer always chooses secluded places, and most of the targets are junior and mid-level officers. He isn't attacking indiscriminately. This means he is not only highly skilled but also exceptionally good at concealing his movements. He knows Xiangyang City's patrol routes and the officers' daily routines inside and out."

Lin Xuan was struck by a thought. His Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique not only improved his physique and ability to learn, but also gave him extraordinary perception, especially when it came to the flow of Yin and Yang Qi between heaven and earth.

Even the fluctuations of ordinary Internal Energy had become remarkably clear to him.

"Master, Master's Husband, please let me examine the soldiers' bodies myself. Perhaps I can find clues you missed," Lin Xuan asked earnestly.

Guo Jing knew how meticulous Lin Xuan was, and many of the strategies he had proposed had earned great merit. He nodded in agreement. "Very well. Be careful."

Lin Xuan led several guards back to the camp where the dead soldiers' bodies were being kept. The barracks were cold and damp, permeated by a revolting stench of blood and the decay of death.

Though it was the depths of winter, this chill felt especially unnatural.

Lin Xuan sent away everyone who was not needed and entered the mortuary alone. He took a deep breath and activated the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique.

In an instant, the world seemed to change before his eyes. Tiny fluctuations in the air that ordinary people could not perceive, the lingering traces of death, and even an unusual field of energy tinged with a bone-chilling cold all became clear to his senses.

He carefully examined each body. Their faces were twisted, their eyes filled with fear and resentment.

Lin Xuan placed his hand on one soldier's chest and sensed a faint but remarkably pure cold internal energy, entrenched deep in the soldiers' organs like a bone-deep parasite. This energy was purer and deadlier than any other cold-based martial art he knew.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and slowly extended his Internal Energy, sensing the cold still clinging to the corpses. He found that it was not completely inert. Instead, it pulsed at a distinctive frequency, like some kind of mark. Following that mark, he began to search.

He even lay down on the floor to inspect it beneath the bodies. Sure enough, around several of them, he found tiny flecks of ice, nearly invisible to the naked eye. They should have melted quickly in the surrounding conditions, yet they had miraculously remained, radiating a faint chill. These were not ordinary traces of snow or ice, but condensed matter formed from Internal Energy.

Following the nearly imperceptible ice crystals and the distinctive fluctuations of cold Internal Energy, Lin Xuan tracked the trail step by step. First, he retraced the soldiers' final movements to the places where they had been attacked.

In the secluded alleys and blind spots along patrol routes, he found similar traces of ice and stronger remnants of the cold energy in the air.

Like a keen hound, he tracked every clue through the cold wind, drawing on all his senses. The Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique seemed to let him see the invisible currents of energy and follow that unique chill.

This perception was beyond the reach of ordinary people and even first-rate experts. He knew such a powerful force could not leave absolutely no trace.

Lin Xuan tracked the trail through the city for half a day, from the northern patrol road to a secluded alley in the south, then to an abandoned temple in the city. The fluctuations of cold energy came and went, faint but persistent, yet they all pointed in the same direction: an abandoned mansion in an uninhabited part of the city.

The mansion stood at the edge of a bustling district, but rumors that it was haunted had kept people away. It bordered an underground river and had a concealed tunnel beneath it, making it easy to enter and leave unnoticed.

When Lin Xuan reached the outskirts of the mansion, the peculiar chill and fluctuations of Internal Energy finally became clear. He lowered his stance and approached with caution.

Through a broken window, he glimpsed two figures meditating in the depths of the mansion, their bodies radiating pure, icy Internal Energy. They seemed to be regulating their breathing, preparing for their next move.

Lin Xuan knew he had found the killers.

The power of that energy was so great that even with the aid of the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique, he felt a strong sense of oppression. There was not just one killer, but two, and both had reached a high level of skill and worked in perfect coordination. No wonder they had unleashed a wave of slaughter in Xiangyang City, a place teeming with experts, without anyone noticing.

He did not act rashly. Instead, he immediately returned to the city's defense camp and quickly reported what he had found to Guo Jing.

Guo Jing's eyes sharpened. He said in a deep voice, "Good work, Xuan'er! Those villains are a serious threat, hiding in the city. I'll go with you at once and capture them all!"

Without alerting anyone else, the two took only a few trusted elite guards and quietly approached the abandoned mansion under cover of night.

Lin Xuan pointed out the location, and he and Guo Jing silently advanced from opposite sides toward the room.

Inside, the two figures were still meditating, surrounded by a swirling chill that shrouded the entire room in a deadly cold.

One was tall and thin, the other short and stocky. Their faces were indistinct in the darkness, but the coldness they exuded made Lin Xuan's heart skip. He could clearly sense that the icy Internal Energy within them had reached a level of mastery at which a single gesture could freeze everything around them.

Guo Jing's eyes turned cold. He did not hesitate. His figure flashed forward, and he burst through the door, shouting, "Evil scum, prepare to die!"

The tall, thin man and the short, stocky man had not expected their hiding place to be discovered. Caught off guard while meditating, they reacted with lightning speed, opening their eyes almost simultaneously. Two flashes of cold light shot out, and a surge of freezing energy burst from their bodies.

The tall, thin man leaped up and thrust both palms forward. A frigid wind howled as he aimed for Guo Jing's face. The short, stocky man rolled swiftly aside, drew a short knife from his waist, and slashed at Guo Jing's legs in a flash of cold steel.

How formidable was Guo Jing's skill? The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms were strong, forceful, and overwhelmingly powerful. With a shout of rage, he thrust out both palms—Regretful Dragon!

His pure Yang energy smashed through the obstacle of the doorway and surged toward the two men like an avalanche.

"Boom!"

The palm wind collided with the icy force, unleashing a deafening crash. Under Guo Jing's fierce palm strike, even their pure, freezing Internal Energy was scattered like ice melting in the snow.

The tall, thin man was struck head-on by Guo Jing's palm. He groaned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and flew backward through the wall into the courtyard. The short, stocky man avoided the full force of the blow but was still shaken by the shockwave, his blood and energy surging. The knife flew from his hand, and he staggered back several steps.

Yet the two men's martial arts were truly bizarre. After landing, the tall, thin man twisted strangely in midair, shedding most of the force. His toes touched the ground, and he suffered no serious injury.

His body shuddered. With a strange shriek, he pulled two black pellets from his clothes and hurled them to the ground.

"Pfft!" Two clouds of dark green smoke burst open, filling the courtyard with a sharp, pungent stench.

"Master's Husband, be careful! It may be poisonous!" Lin Xuan called from outside the doorway.

Guo Jing was one of the world's foremost experts. At Lin Xuan's warning, he immediately held his breath.

He charged through the smoke at astonishing speed, chasing the tall, thin man and striking with both palms in quick succession, determined to keep him from escaping.

The tall, thin man and the short, stocky man exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with ruthless determination. They knew they could not stay. Guo Jing's martial arts were far beyond what they had expected.

The tall, thin man moved through the smoke like a ghost, his steps landing in places no one could anticipate and making Guo Jing's pursuit exceptionally difficult.

Under cover of the smoke, the short, stocky man broke through from the flank, his palms once again wreathed in cold energy. He struck repeatedly, forcing back several guards who had tried to surround him.

"Go!" the short, stocky man barked.

The tall, thin man moved with uncanny skill, as if he had merged with the smoke itself. Each step fell where no ordinary person would expect, making it extremely difficult for Guo Jing to pursue him.

Under the cover of the smoke, the short, stocky man suddenly charged toward an artificial hill. Behind it was a hidden opening. Clearly, they had planned ahead and prepared an escape route.

Guo Jing was powerful, but with his sight obstructed and his opponents so cunning, he could not pin them down at once. He felt gusts of wind strike his face as the two figures appeared and vanished in the smoke, their chilling energy bearing down on him.

He gave it everything he had. At the very moment the short, stocky man was about to slip into the opening, Guo Jing turned and struck him in the back.

"Pfft!" The short, stocky man spat out another mouthful of blood and staggered a few steps. Yet, relying on his powerful icy Internal Energy, he managed to endure the blow and plunged into the opening, disappearing from sight.

Immediately afterward, the tall, thin man took advantage of the smoke and of his companion having blocked Guo Jing's strike. His figure flashed, and he too slipped into the opening.

As the smoke slowly dispersed, only a scene of wreckage remained in the courtyard. Guo Jing stood where he was, his robes fluttering. His face was dark with anger and frustration.

He did not pursue them, knowing the underground river passage was long and ran beneath the water. Though he was highly skilled in Lightness Skill, chasing them under such conditions could easily play into their hands.

Lin Xuan entered the courtyard and looked at the ruins and the blood on the ground, his brows furrowing. "They got away."