Inch Step

"Hold still, it might hurt a little."

Lu Wu-bing whispered words of comfort.

Not hearing a reply from Senior Sister, he made his own decision.

First, he took out his water skin, washed the wound, then held the wound in his mouth, forming a vacuum and sucking forcefully.

Being out in the wild, there wasn't a better method for detoxification.

This was the only way.

He continued to suck out the poisoned blood until bright red blood flowed, only then did Lu Wu-bing stop...

He rinsed his mouth with clean water, took out the spare wound medicine from his pack, and carefully applied it.

Then he tore off the lining of his own inner garment, ripping it into large strips of cloth, and wrapped the wound, passing it under Senior Sister Xiaolan's armpit.

"I can do it myself."

Ouyang Lan's voice was muffled, carrying seven parts embarrassment and three parts annoyance.

"You're so clumsy, why are you touching it randomly?"

"I couldn't see, could I? It's mainly because it's too dark," Lu Wu-bing said awkwardly.

Believe him, and you're a fool.

Ouyang Lan rolled her eyes beautifully.

She couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

With nimble hands, she tied a knot in the front.

After sucking out the poisoned blood and applying the wound medicine, she felt much better.

Turning her head to look, she frowned slightly, "I wonder if Third Senior Brother has escaped danger yet?"

Originally, among the three of them, Third Senior Brother Wu Yunchong was the strongest in martial arts and swordsmanship.

No matter who had a problem, he wouldn't.

But after a few incidents, Ouyang Lan realized that this Third Senior Brother wasn't as reliable as he used to be.

"The Eastern Sea Sword Sect's target was never you guys. They're mainly after me. As long as Third Senior Brother doesn't fight to the death, he'll be absolutely fine."

Lu Wu-bing was certain of this.

The Eastern Sea Sword Sect's ultimate desire was his Yuanling Swordplay Manual...

At that time, after he and Senior Sister Xiaolan had escaped first, Flying Feather Sword Tan Zhongjing immediately abandoned Wu Yunchong and pursued them madly.

Just dealing with Tiger's Den Stronghold's Tan Siwu alone, with Wu Yunchong's skill, escaping would be easy.

"That's true."

Ouyang Lan nodded upon hearing this.

She thought that as long as Sect Leader Gu himself didn't make a move, there was nothing to worry about.

With this thought, Ouyang Lan, holding Mao Mao who had run back, began to breathe more evenly and deeply.

Clearly, she was seizing the time to regulate her breathing.

Injured both internally and externally, her body was exhausted... Although she felt a bit sleepy, she still forced herself to cultivate.

Her father had once said that it was precisely at times like these that one must overcome difficulties and diligently practice internal energy.

Only then could one advance bravely.

Back when she was on the mountain, she certainly wouldn't have taken his words to heart.

Today, having narrowly escaped death and facing a powerful enemy she was powerless against, she could only flee.

In terms of actual combat ability, she wasn't even as good as their newly initiated Junior Brother. It was truly too embarrassing...

Her heart was touched.

For a moment, her father's teachings and her mother's reminders all surfaced in her mind.

Each word was like a solemn bell, thought-provoking.

The moon hid behind the dark clouds, and the sky grew darker.

The insects fell silent, and the birds and beasts returned to their nests.

Ouyang Lan circulated her internal energy, diverting a small portion of her attention to listen to the faint sound of sword blades cutting through the wind coming from not far beside her.

That was her Junior Brother diligently practicing his sword.

Even while on the run.

He hadn't stopped for a moment.

She didn't know where he got such strong willpower.

Thinking of how she used to slack off whenever she could, Ouyang Lan felt a slight pang of shame.

Without realizing it, she stopped her breathing technique, opened her eyes, and quietly watched the agile figure dancing in the night, momentarily mesmerized.

"I'll teach you [Inch Step]," Ouyang Lan suddenly said.

Lu Wu-bing stopped his sword form and turned his head in surprise. "Didn't Senior Sister say that the light-body technique would only be formally passed down after an assessment?"

"Do you still remember the [Paired Swallows] hidden weapons from before?" Ouyang Lan asked, not answering directly but recalling the ambush during their joint kill of Tan Zhongjing.

"I remember. That person was extremely insidious, hiding in the grass. He didn't even make a move when Tan Zhongjing was struck by the sword. He only attacked when we had succeeded and our guard was down. Moreover, the [Paired Swallows] hidden weapons were incredibly exquisite and strange, capable of separating and combining, circling and cutting, with formidable power."

"If I'm not mistaken, the attacker should be [Baicao Shusheng] Duanmu Tong," Ouyang Lan said, a hint of worry appearing on her face. She continued, "This person is well-read and proficient in all sorts of crafts, a rare scholar. In his youth, he was quite famous. However, due to his youthful arrogance, he lacked caution in his actions... When he was taking the imperial examinations in the capital, he was angered by Hundred Victory Marquis Dong Heihu over a cockfighting incident, who believed he had corrupted his two sons. Thus, he found an excuse to strip him of his examination qualification... From then on, he became destitute and wandered the jianghu."

"This person is actually being manipulated by the Eastern Sea Sect?" Hearing this, Lu Wu-bing finally understood why Senior Sister Xiaolan, despite knowing the sect rules, wanted to teach him the [Inch Step] light-body technique beforehand. This [Baicao Shusheng] Duanmu Tong might be quite troublesome. Known as 'Baicao' (Hundred Skills), this person should be nimble-minded and skilled, capable of crafting all sorts of mechanical hidden weapons, and possessing numerous tricks. If he were to catch up... and unleash some formidable hidden weapons...

"It's not necessarily that he's joined the Eastern Sea Sect. Although Duanmu Tong was stripped of his official title and will never serve in office again, he still possesses some of the arrogance of a scholar. The Eastern Sea Sect is merely a common jianghu force; no matter how famous, they couldn't recruit him. However, the Gong King Manor has always been recruiting retainers, willing to spend a fortune, and has gathered many extraordinary individuals under its banner. If I were Duanmu Tong, I would join the Gong King's faction."

"Could it be that the Eastern Sea Sword Sect is also..." The two exchanged glances, suddenly feeling as if they had stumbled upon a significant secret. If the Eastern Sea Sword Sect had also pledged allegiance to the Gong King Manor, then were all these people coming to the Jiangzhou area truly just to seize the Yuanling Swordplay Manual?

"We can't see clearly on this matter for now, so don't overthink it. Let's focus on how to avoid those two eyes in the sky after dawn," Ouyang Lan said, referring to the eagles in the sky. It was manageable at night; they could hide, and even the sharpest eagle eyes couldn't see clearly. But during the day, it would be difficult. Eagles flew high and fast, and the two had no countermeasures, only the prospect of being passively attacked, which gave them a headache just thinking about it.

Lu Wu-bing also felt a sense of helplessness. He turned to look at Mao Mao, who was nodding off, its head bobbing. The little creature was nestled soundly in Senior Sister Xiaolan's embrace. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "If we can't deal with the eagles, then let's deal with their master." It was just like his relationship with Mao Mao... Even if others interacted with the little cat, they couldn't get any useful information from its meows; there was no tacit understanding. Therefore, as long as they dealt with the eagle's master, the eyes in the sky would no longer be a threat.

"The eagle's master, we don't need to ask, it should be that Duanmu Tong. This person is said to learn everything: flying eagles and training dogs, cockfighting and raising insects, making poisons and brewing perfumes, picking locks, he can do it all. To kill him, one must first be able to evade his initial wave of attacks, so let's learn footwork first." Having said this, Ouyang Lan could no longer hold back and forced herself to stand up.

"Okay," Lu Wu-bing nodded heavily. In this moment of crisis, it was not the time for false politeness. Even if their master and mistress knew, they probably wouldn't object.

Xiao Yu writes Wuxia and fears it won't be engaging. Every day, she racks her brain to devise the plot, striving to make it exciting. Esteemed readers, if you are satisfied, please cast a monthly vote and give this book a push.