Reinforcements

As soon as the words fell, the blood on the ground began to writhe again, and several of the words changed:

"Qi Xia rescued Ding Changsheng from the Sea of Suffering under the Heart-Seizing Pill's control, completing one of the side quests. Reward: ten Merit Points."

Huh? Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were stunned again. They had not expected the results of others completing side quests to appear before the two of them.

"Whew, Sister Qi really is more alert than I am." Jiang Zhiwei let out a breath, speaking with delight mixed with a touch of self-mockery.

After saying that, her smile bloomed as she said joyfully, "Senior Brother Zhang, Qing Jing, and the others can probably see the notification that we completed the quest too. We needn't worry about Ma the Hero and Tan the Hero ambushing them."

"Not necessarily. Perhaps only those who have already completed one of these side quests can see the notification. Otherwise, there would be no difficulty in completing this side quest for everyone else." Meng Qi frowned. He did not believe the Lord of Six Paths Samsara would be so kindhearted. Although great heroes like Cheng Yong and the others possessed formidable martial arts, from his still rather shallow perspective, they should have been far inferior to Jiang Zhiwei, Zhang Yuanshan, and the others. Even Qi Xia could kill Ding Changsheng.

Therefore, if Zhang Yuanshan and Qing Jing had known beforehand that they were under the Heart-Seizing Pill's control, then even if they had split up, nothing should have gone wrong.

After thinking it over, Jiang Zhiwei also felt they could not treat the Lord of Six Paths Samsara as a good person. She nodded. "Let's meet up with Sister Qi first, then head for the central area. Keep watch for notifications of quests being completed along the way."

"Eh." As she spoke, she suddenly made a sound of surprise. "Since the four great heroes, including Cheng Yong, were already controlled by the Heart-Seizing Pill, why did the Hidden Emperor Fortress Lord still keep them 'locked' in secret chambers? Surely he didn't foresee our coming to complete the quest and set a trap in advance?"

Prompted by Jiang Zhiwei, Meng Qi also noticed what was amiss and blurted out, "Unless the trap wasn't meant for us!"

Jiang Zhiwei pressed together her pale lips, whitened by her injuries. "That should be it."

She paused before continuing, "When we first accepted the quest, I was already somewhat puzzled. Why would the four men, including Ma the Hero, force their way into Hidden Emperor Fortress while isolated and without support, instead of finding more helpers to act with them? The principle that strength lies in numbers cannot be something only we understand."

"The time must have been pressing. They had to stop some plan of the Hidden Emperor Fortress Lord before it could happen—perhaps the strange events currently occurring in the Central Hall. So they rushed here first, while leaving letters to inform their friends and await reinforcements. There may be a large group of experts arriving soon, and they are the true targets of the trap." Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei took turns guessing at the truth of the matter.

"No matter what, we still must complete the quest." Jiang Zhiwei shook her head and struggled to her feet with the support of the stone door.

"Miss Jiang, how are your injuries?" Meng Qi asked with concern. Though he had just killed the expert Cheng Yong, he possessed enough self-awareness not to become arrogant. He understood perfectly well that without Jiang Zhiwei looking after him, any two Black Clothed Men could have killed him. Of course, this concern also arose from the bond they had forged fighting side by side and sharing life-and-death trials.

Jiang Zhiwei seemed to have given up objecting to "Miss Jiang." She circulated her qi, then said with half annoyance and half a bitter smile, "My upper body is not seriously injured. Drawing on my qi and wielding my sword are only slightly weakened. But my lower body is weak and limp. Not to mention leaping and sprinting or running across eaves and walls, even normal walking is difficult. I'll need to take medicine and rest quietly for a time before I recover."

In the split-second flash of Cheng Yong's sneak attack, she had displayed a resolute and decisive side. Rather than defend passively, she answered palm with sword, casting life and death aside and forcing Cheng Yong to withdraw most of his palm force to avoid a sword through the chest. Thus, her injuries were far lighter than Meng Qi had expected. She still had the strength to fight with her sword, but her lower abdomen was injured, making it difficult for her to walk.

"Miss Jiang, how about I carry you on my back and serve as your legs for now?" With survival foremost in his mind, Meng Qi gave the suggestion after a brief thought.

Jiang Zhiwei gave a soft cry, then bit her neat, pearly teeth against her lip. "Little Monk, I'll accept this favor from you."

Her words carried the broad-minded, cheerful bearing of a hero whose loyalty soared to the clouds, yet two suspicious blushes appeared on her cheeks.

Meng Qi came from modern society, so his notions were naturally not overly conservative. With a grin, he teased, "Miss Jiang, we are children of the martial world. We needn't fuss over trifles."

As he spoke, he walked to Jiang Zhiwei's side and reversed his longsword before handing it to her.

"Do you think I don't understand that?" Jiang Zhiwei raised her chin and looked up at the stone ceiling. Her slender, fair neck seemed to have been dyed with a faint flush.

Meng Qi turned around and crouched down. He heard the rustle of clothing, then felt a body considerably lighter than he had expected lean against him.

He supported Jiang Zhiwei behind the knees and slowly rose amid the silence. Then he suddenly chuckled. "You're much lighter than the buckets of water I used to carry."

"Pfft." Jiang Zhiwei burst into laughter. "Were the buckets you carried made of iron?"

With Meng Qi's teasing, the awkward atmosphere vanished without a trace.

"Wooden buckets, but carrying them and carrying someone on your back aren't the same." Meng Qi answered honestly.

Jiang Zhiwei drew out the sound of an "Oh." "That's true... To be honest, I feel rather bad making a child like you carry me."

As she spoke, she waved her longsword about, adjusting to their current situation.

The longsword traced flowers through the air, light and shadows flowing. Meng Qi watched without blinking, wanting to discern its mysteries. Jiang Zhiwei did not stop him, generously allowing him to observe. Without the cultivation method, he could only obtain the form.

Otherwise, the sword arts of Sword Washing Pavilion would have long since been stolen clean by others in battle.

"Mm, I can probably bring out fifty or sixty percent of my strength. That is enough for a fight." Once Jiang Zhiwei had adapted, she made an assessment.

Suddenly, she patted Meng Qi on the shoulder and lowered her voice. "Careful, someone is coming."

Meng Qi was rather startled. Only after several breaths did he hear footsteps and voices. "Three to the left, four to the right. Don't get it wrong."

It seems that even without opening the Ear Aperture, cultivating a method and entering the Qi Accumulation Realm can greatly improve one's hearing... Meng Qi secretly guessed.

"Block the doorway," Jiang Zhiwei said quietly.

Meng Qi did not hesitate. He stepped forward and stood beside the stone door, immediately blocking that group of people inside the poisonous qi passage, leaving them unable to advance or retreat.

There were seven or eight of them, all dressed lightly. The leader was a middle-aged scholar, his left hand holding concealed weapons. "Why are you two young friends blocking the way? Have you seen Brother Cheng Yong?"

At this moment, a man with a sharp mouth and monkey-like cheeks spotted Cheng Yong's corpse through the gap and cried out, "Master Ge, they killed Great Hero Cheng! I recognize those boots!"

Jiang Zhiwei spoke in a clear voice, slightly low and subdued. "Seniors, this junior is Jiang Zhiwei. My master and the others came to assist Ma the Hero."

Her appearance matched her age. She was only just over sixteen, and before a group of martial artists whose youngest members were past thirty, she had no trouble calling them seniors.

Master Ge, who led the group, did not seem to be a rash man. He raised his hand to stop those behind him from throwing their concealed weapons, signaling for Jiang Zhiwei to continue her explanation.

"After entering Hidden Emperor Fortress, we captured a prisoner and learned that Ma the Hero and the others were separately trapped throughout the fortress. Therefore, my master had us split up to rescue them, while he himself rushed ahead to where the Hidden Emperor Fortress Lord was."

"When I arrived here, I opened the stone door and found Great Hero Cheng. Who could have known that Great Hero Cheng had been controlled by the Heart-Seizing Pill? He ambushed me in secret and seriously injured me. Great Hero Cheng was also severely wounded by my counterattack, and when he made one final desperate attack before dying, Junior Brother Zhending killed him."

Jiang Zhiwei gave an account of what had happened and of their origins, half truth and half lie.

"How is that possible?" The sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked man said in disbelief. "Little girl, you are so young. Even if you began practicing martial arts in your mother's womb, you could not defeat Great Hero Cheng!"

He secretly lamented that such a lovely young girl would actually be so skilled at lying.

Jiang Zhiwei did not say a word. She straightened her back, her longsword shooting forth like electric light before inexplicably withdrawing again.

"What are you doing?" the sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked man shouted in alarm and fury.

Master Ge pressed down with his right hand, signaling for him to be quiet. Then he cupped his hands and said, "Heroes emerge from youth. Miss Jiang, your swordsmanship can indeed be called masterful. Ah, the waves behind drive on the waves before. Seeing young friends as gifted as you makes me feel especially old. May I ask how to address your master?"

"My master is Su Wuming. He has lived in seclusion for many years, so Master Ge may not have heard of him. Mm, my master once had a nickname: the Divine Sword Beyond the Heavens. Has Master Ge heard of it?" Meng Qi could clearly hear the amusement concealed in Jiang Zhiwei's voice and immediately understood that she had named her real master. This group simply would not have heard of him.

Though Jiang Zhiwei was behind him, Meng Qi could seemingly imagine the mischievous smile on her face.

Su Wuming... Eh, it seems Martial Uncle Xuan Xin mentioned him before? Meng Qi's heart moved.

"I truly am ignorant and poorly informed. I have never had the honor of seeing this senior's heroic bearing. Later, I hope Miss Jiang will introduce us." Seeing Jiang Zhiwei speak as if it were all perfectly true, Master Ge temporarily set aside his doubts and decided to test her further later. Then he introduced himself. "I am Ge Chongshan, master of Wild Goose Mountain Manor. Having received letters from my friends Ma Lianghan, Cheng Yong, and the others, I invited experts far and wide and came to offer aid. Alas, we arrived a day too late and failed to meet them. I ask that you two young friends make way and allow us to see our friend one last time."

Jiang Zhiwei whispered beside Meng Qi's ear, "Let them come in, but only one at a time."

Meng Qi shifted aside and opened the way, watching the other party warily. Only when Ge Chongshan and the others entered the secret chamber and began examining Cheng Yong's body did he lower his voice and say to Jiang Zhiwei, "I understand now. The side quests were meant to delay us. Only then would reinforcements arrive. If we had gone straight to the Central Hall, we would probably already have fought the Fortress Lord by now, isolated and without support."

"The trap should have been aimed at them," Jiang Zhiwei answered just as quietly.

After examining the corpse and confirming that the wounds matched Jiang Zhiwei's account, Ge Chongshan sighed. "If not for you two young friends opening this stone door first, perhaps I would have been the one seriously injured—or even dead."

As soon as he finished speaking, he and Jiang Zhiwei turned their heads toward outside the stone chamber at the same time. At another hidden door, Qi Xia emerged with a group dressed like wandering heroes.

"Sister Qi, are you all right?" Jiang Zhiwei called out happily.

"Brother Liu, where is your elder brother?" Ge Chongshan asked the man walking alongside Qi Xia.

The man had dark skin and was dressed like a fisherman. He said mournfully, "My elder brother was killed by Ding Changsheng!"

"What?" Ge Chongshan and the others cried out in shock.

Qi Xia said with lingering fear, "Sister Zhi Wei, I never expected Great Hero Ding to have already been controlled by the Heart-Seizing Pill. If not for Great Hero Liu entering first, I fear I would have found it difficult to escape disaster. I was just worried about you all..."

Seeing Jiang Zhiwei's pale face but normal breathing, she quietly let out a breath of relief.

After joining up, the group hurried toward the Central Hall. Along the way, only scattered Black Clothed Men tried to stop them, and they were easily dealt with.

During this process, Jiang Zhiwei continually practiced coordinating with Meng Qi. By the end, whenever she said things like "three left, four diagonally right, two back," Meng Qi could quickly complete the corresponding steps—these instructions were kept as simple and vague as possible, understandable only to each other, to prevent enemies from changing in advance as Cheng Yong had done.

"Pity you do not understand the positions of the Eight Trigrams. Our coordination can only be this simple..." Jiang Zhiwei said to Meng Qi with some regret.

Earlier, she had suggested using the Eight Trigrams to indicate directions, so they would not be limited to moving straight forward, straight back, or diagonally in and out. Unfortunately, Meng Qi did not know much about the Eight Trigrams and could not learn them in a short time.

"It's still better than nothing," Meng Qi consoled her.

Jiang Zhiwei looked up at the stone chamber, then at Ge Chongshan and the others scouting ahead. Somewhat worried, she said, "This is the place we agreed to meet. Why have Senior Brother Zhang and the others not arrived yet? Nor have we seen any notification of a quest being completed along the way."

From Qi Xia, she and Meng Qi had confirmed that only those who had completed a side quest once could see the corresponding notifications.

"Don't worry. Senior Brother Zhang's martial arts are formidable. Nothing will happen to him." Qi Xia comforted her, though she herself was deeply worried.

Smack!

An object flew in from outside the chamber. Jiang Zhiwei extended her longsword and knocked it to the ground.

"Ah!" The instant Jiang Zhiwei and Qi Xia saw the object clearly, they cried out uncontrollably. Meng Qi was likewise shocked and uneasy.

On the dusty gray stone floor, Qing Jing glared at them with bristling brows and eyes wide open—but only his head remained!

PS: I'm back home. Starting today, updates will return to the usual schedule: 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Please click and recommend!