Victory or Defeat

Chen Xian toppled forward like an insensible scarecrow, headfirst, his whole face buried in the dirt.

His entire body was limp, his breath faint and his mind muddled. He was clearly not unconscious, yet he couldn't move; his hands and feet could only twitch feebly.

"What..." Shi Gangwei stood frozen in place, his hands reaching to catch Chen Xian suspended in midair.

Jiang Shuo hadn't made any obvious attack. Shi Gangwei had never imagined Chen Xian could be so badly injured.

"Every meridian in his body is severed. Drag him away." Wenren Qiang tilted his head slightly and looked at Chen Xian sprawled on the ground. A trace of chill flashed across his face as he spoke slowly.

"What?" Not only Shi Gangwei, but the other Mad Saber Sect disciples all stared in utter shock at those words.

For a Martial Artist, having every meridian severed meant their Martial Arts were Crippled. Whether he could be healed was beside the point; even if he recovered, decades of cultivation would have gone up in smoke, never to return.

For a Martial Artist, this was almost worse than death.

For a moment, most of the onlookers turned their gazes toward Jiang Shuo.

Compared to his horrifying wounds, they actually felt more sympathy for Chen Xian.

"Jiang Shuo!" While the Mad Saber Sect disciples were still reeling, Li Zicheng broke through their blockade and rushed to Jiang Shuo's side.

By the time the Mad Saber Sect disciples came to their senses and tried to stop him, Feng En's booming voice rang out: "What, has the Mad Saber Sect already forgotten our agreement? Or do you think Chen Xian can still fight?"

Those two simple questions left the Mad Saber Sect disciples speechless. They stood there, stunned and exchanging glances, no longer daring to stop them.

Seizing the opportunity, Feng En led the Hundred Flowers Sect Disciples forward and surrounded Jiang Shuo.

"Don't move him yet. Someone, come help!" Seeing Jiang Shuo's condition, Feng En furrowed his brows, then gave his orders in a calm, orderly fashion.

They didn't immediately pull out the blade, leaving it inside Jiang Shuo for the time being to stem the bleeding. Their main goal was to get him out of there. They hadn't brought enough medicinal herbs, so their top priority was to take him back to the sect for treatment.

After giving Jiang Shuo's wounds some basic treatment, the Hundred Flowers Sect members prepared to carry him away.

On the other side, the Mad Saber Sect disciples had already carried Chen Xian off. Seeing what the Hundred Flowers Sect was doing, a cold glint flickered in Shi Gangwei's eyes, and his chest heaved with anger. "Uncle Wenren, are we really going to let them leave just like that?"

The Hundred Flowers Sect had ignored the rules of the Forbidden Ground and trampled on the Mad Saber Sect's dignity. On top of that, Jiang Shuo had Crippled Chen Xian's Martial Arts. Shi Gangwei was naturally furious.

"Bastard, haven't you caused us enough humiliation already?" Wenren Qiang tossed out the words coldly, then walked slowly up the Back Mountain with his hands behind his back. Before long, his figure disappeared among the trees and rocks, leaving Shi Gangwei to clean up the mess.

Shi Gangwei was seething, but Wenren Qiang was no less furious. Shi Gangwei had happened to walk straight into his line of fire, and Wenren Qiang had vented all his anger on him.

Shi Gangwei watched the Hundred Flowers Sect members gradually retreat. Though he gritted his teeth in hatred, Wenren Qiang had given his orders, and he couldn't stop them.

"Hundred Flowers Sect, I'll remember this grudge!" Shi Gangwei narrowed his eyes and silently swore to himself.

Feng En led the group back to the Hundred Flowers Sect and immediately summoned the best healer in the sect to treat Jiang Shuo.

Jiang Shuo's condition was dire. The long blade had pierced straight through his body, leaving a large wound and damaging his internal organs.

By the time they returned, Jiang Shuo could no longer stay conscious. His whole body was frighteningly hot.

Feng En and Liu Ruyan stood watch nearby. They were worried about Jiang Shuo's injuries, yet the memory of the fierce battle still left them unable to contain their excitement.

"Why does Jiang Shuo have such profound Inner Force, enough to shatter every one of Chen Xian's meridians?" Liu Ruyan seemed to be talking to herself, but she was actually asking Feng En.

After Jiang Shuo's so-called "consultation" with Feng En, he had become strangely different. Liu Ruyan guessed Feng En must know something about it.

Feng En narrowed his eyes but didn't answer.

At the time, when Jiang Shuo said he wanted to absorb Feng En's Inner Force to deal with Chen Xian, Feng En hadn't believed him at all. When Jiang Shuo actually pulled it off, Feng En had been no less shocked than everyone else. Jiang Shuo hadn't told him to keep it secret, but Feng En thought a technique so mysterious was better kept under wraps, just to be safe.

Liu Ruyan's brows lifted slightly as she sensed the odd tension in the air. She parted her red lips and spoke softly. "Jiang Shuo came into contact with you, and afterward he had enough Inner Force to send Chen Xian reeling with a single strike. During the fight, he came into contact with Chen Xian, and his Inner Force surged while Chen Xian's rapidly dwindled... Surely all of that wasn't just a coincidence?"

Feng En pondered for a moment, then said, "You really are clever."

As if she had figured something out, Liu Ruyan didn't press the matter. "Though he had no choice this time, Jiang Shuo was still far too reckless. As his master, you should remind him to be more careful from now on."

"Of course," Feng En replied. Then, as if they had agreed beforehand, the two fell silent and said no more about any details of the matter.

Before long, the healer responsible for Jiang Shuo's treatment turned around, drenched in sweat. Feng En hurriedly asked, "How is Jiang Shuo?"