Madam Wen Was Afflicted by a Gu, Her Inner Qi Completely Gone

The tiger, deer, python, and dog escaped and gathered in the forest, gasping in shock, still in shock.

Tiger said, "Fourteen years ago, I was no match for her Endless Clearwind Sword, and I racked my brains day and night for a way to break the deadlock. Unexpectedly... fourteen years later, even with all four of us attacking together, we still couldn't defeat this Swordsmanship."

"That Swordsmanship was clearly just a basic Swordsmanship. But in that woman's hands, it evolved into endless variations, with countless changes hidden in a single strike. I have many powerful martial arts techniques, but I found that I had no chance to use them at all. The sword's momentum was as continuous as sand, dragging people into it, and once they fell into it, they could never extricate themselves," the python said with lingering fear.

Every time he faced Wen Caishang, he felt endless frustration.

"Damn it!" the Hound exclaimed. "Back then, the four of us were considered among the most promising talents in our region. How come we were so easily defeated by Wen Caishang?"

The four men used their Blood Solidification and Aperture Closure and orifices to slow the progression of the injuries. However, the lingering qi energy from the wounds made them difficult to heal, leaving them looking like bloodied figures.

Suddenly, the Hound convulsed and his face became paralyzed. He hurriedly circulated his Inner Qi, circulating it throughout his body to suppress the strange phenomenon. The Endless Clearwind Sword, concealing a subtle evil wind, invaded his body, causing him to feel cold and feverish, and he fell seriously ill.

The Deer said, "If Wen Caishang wasn't so formidable, how could she have captivated us back then? Seeing her again today, despite our deep-seated hatred, I must admit... her charm surpasses even that of the past!"

The three hesitated, then fell silent. Tiger cursed, "Bah! A bunch of bastards from Sword Rain Tower! They say Wen Caishang was severely injured and her strength is less than ten percent. It's all a damn rumor!"

"Not necessarily!" The Deer, his arms gone and sleeves empty, said, "Wen Caishang is indeed injured. If she weren't, given her personality, wouldn't she have chased after the four of us? Besides, what was her temperament like more than ten years ago? Her current restraint must mean she has something to hold back!"

Everyone agreed that this made sense. More than a decade ago, Wen Caishang was a powerful and ruthless figure in the martial Jianghu. The four of them had already experienced her cruelty firsthand.

However, the four people had misunderstood Wen Caishang. She had been cultivating herself in peace, using the Silkworm Garment Jade-Interlocking Art to seal her acupoints and lock her body in place, and had regulated her temperament. She was no longer as flamboyant as before, but she was ruthless and had always kept her methods to herself.

The tiger said, "The four of us tried, but failed to even scratch him. If word gets out, it will surely damage our reputation."

The python said, "How about this? The four of us will announce to the outside world that we have injured Wen Caishang, making her injuries even worse."

The Hound said, "Yes, first spread the news of Wen Caishang, then proclaim our achievements in battle."

The four of them hit it off immediately.

In the mountain road.

Seeing that Wen Caishang was growing weaker and weaker, seemingly on the verge of collapse, Li Xian was somewhat worried and asked, "Madam, what should we do now?"

Wen Caishang said in a deep voice, "If we avoid them, they will only come looking for us more often. Since we failed to kill the four thieves, we might as well do the opposite."

Li Xian said, "Does Madam intend to act openly and honestly?"

"You're very clever; you understand my thoughts." Wen Caishang nodded and said casually, "The more critical the moment, the more we need to remain calm. If I'm acting openly and revealing my whereabouts, they'll definitely send someone to find me. I'll kill a few more groups of people, and they'll gradually decrease in number."

"If I try to avoid them, they spread rumors that I am seriously injured. Then people will harass me, and it becomes unbearable after a while."

"Hmph, even if I, Wen Caishang, am truly injured, do they dare to bully me?"

Li Xian planned to choose a large city and settle in openly with Wen Caishang. However, there were already many spies in the city, and less than half an hour after they settled in, powerful figures surrounded them.

Wen Caishang, dressed in snow-white robes, sat serenely in the hall. Sipping tea, she glanced indifferently at the newcomers and said, "Good, very good, another batch."

That day and night.

The inn was littered with corpses. Wen Caishang, her clothes unstained by blood, took lives as easily as taking something out of a bag, with utmost grace. The innkeeper fainted from fright, and the waiter cowered under the counter.

Wen Caishang stood gracefully with her hands clasped in front of her abdomen, her long sleeves hanging down, and said calmly, "Xiao Xian, help me upstairs."

Her white dress fluttered as she took graceful, elegant steps. She passed by the corpse and peacefully fell asleep in the main room.

The next day.

"Witch, come and die!"

The corpses inside the hall were still warm, while outside, disciples from the Yellow Sand Sect and the Limitless Blade Sect surrounded the hall, forming a battle formation.

Wen Caishang descended the stairs slowly, her dignified and elegant demeanor starkly contrasting with the corpses scattered on the ground. She said softly, "Gentlemen, you have disturbed my daughter's peaceful sleep so early in the morning; how rude of you!"

She asked with a smile, "Xiao Xian, should we kill these people?" Her eyes held a sharp glint.

Li Xian thought to himself, "If I tell you not to kill, will you not kill?" He replied, "Of course I should kill."

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "My young master says they should be killed, so I'll kill them all." With a flick of her sleeve, she sent the wooden chopsticks off the table.

With several whooshing sounds, the eyes of the surroundrs burst open, chopsticks piercing their eyes. The formations of the Yellow Sand Sect and Limitless Blade Sect were not weak, and with their numerical advantage, they should have been difficult to deal with. However, their leader was extremely foolish. Once he was injured, he was terrified and unable to gather his formation, so he was like a pile of loose sand.

Wouldn't that leave Wen Caishang?

Sword shadows flashed frequently in the hall, and after a few breaths...

Li Xian, supporting Wen Caishang's right hand, slowly walked out of the inn. Wen Caishang suddenly stopped and said, "Xiao Xian, you forgot to pay."

Li Xian said, "Yes." He ran back to the main hall, woke up the shopkeeper, and stuffed one tael of silver into his hand. The shopkeeper was still dazed, the smell of blood was overwhelming, and he gradually came to his senses. When he saw dozens of corpses all over the ground, he was so frightened that his vision went black and he fainted again.

Li Xian used the remaining money to buy a decent carriage. He traveled on the official road, unafraid of attacks. But things were far from peaceful; several groups of people were all killed by his sword.

She remained unconcerned about the Stormy Seas Palm caused by the Sword-Hunting Alliance, her mind calm. After several days, the momentum of the ambushes along the way began to weaken.

Inside the carriage, Wen Caishang sat cross-legged, focusing her internal energy. Although she intimidated the powerful figures, her injuries actually worsened. This was within her expectations; she remained calm and composed, still in control.

That day...

Inside a stone pavilion in the mountains.

After several days of travel and defeating their enemies, Wen Caishang and Li Xian were exhausted. Seeing the stone pavilion by the roadside with its beautiful scenery, Wen Caishang decided to stop and rest.

After the carriage stopped, Li Xian surveyed the terrain and saw a stream a few miles away. He unscrewed the water bag, drew the River-Sinking Sword, and played with the stream water. Suddenly, he flicked it upwards, and a line of water leaped up and landed precisely in the water bag.

Wen Caishang sat in the pavilion, examining her own body. The injuries to her internal organs were still there. She relied on her internal energy to heal herself, and every time she showed signs of recovery, an enemy would disturb her, requiring her to circulate her Qi to fight back. This cycle repeated itself, and the injuries became more and more severe.

He thought to himself, "If it weren't for these trivial matters, I would have prepared the medicine and focused on recuperation; I should have recovered by now."

As he was deep in thought, he suddenly frowned and said softly, "Who is hiding? Come out."

In the distance, along the mountain path, an elderly man in blue robes appeared in sight, cupping his hands in greeting and smiling, "Madam Wen, I never imagined we would meet in this desolate wilderness."

This person was one of the passengers on the Dragon-Riding Ship.

He carried a simple bag on his back, held a wooden cane in his hand, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He looked like he had just embarked on a long journey.

Wen Caishang smiled and asked, "Where are you going, sir?" The old man in blue replied, "Haha, I've traveled a long way to participate in the Dragon-Appreciation Grand Banquet. Now that the banquet is over, I'm naturally heading home."

Wen Caishang said, "Cai Shang also wants to go home. I see that the old gentleman is dressed for a long journey, and his clothes are simple. I guess he is of noble character and frugal. But even if he is frugal, there is nothing wrong with taking a carriage. Why is he walking so laboriously?"

The old man in blue said, "It's not about being frugal, but rather that I've loved the beauty of nature since I was a child. While traveling by carriage is much more convenient, it inevitably means missing many sights. Besides, I'm old now, unlike Madam Wen is young. It would be best if I could see more of the world's magnificent scenery."

"Sir, what a refined taste you have," Wen Caishang said with a smile. "Please have a seat, sir."

The old man in blue laughed loudly, "Hahaha, it's fate that brings us together, madam. Since you've invited me, I'd be impolite to refuse." He graciously took his seat, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "It's truly a great honor to sit at the same table as you, madam."

Wen Caishang said, "Please forgive Cai Shang ignorance, I did not ask your name before."

The old man in blue said, "I suppose my name is not well-known and I'd rather not mention it, lest I become a laughingstock. My name is Ma Zhongguang, and I am from the Southern Border."

At this point, Ma Zhongguang asked, "If I remember correctly, there was always a young man by Madam Wen's side, named Li Xian. Where is he now?"

Wen Caishang frowned slightly, but smiled and said, "Xiao Xian, Senior Ma wants to see you. Wouldn't it be impolite not to come over and offer him tea?"

Li Xian ran back from the stream and recognized Ma Zhongguang. This man was taciturn and rarely showed his face while Dragon-Riding Ship. When others asked him questions, he would only reply with an "uh-huh". The only time he spoke to someone was when he and his wife decided who would stay last at the forty thousand li mark.

Li Xian said, "Senior Ma, what a coincidence to meet you here."

Ma Zhongguang said, "Haha, what a coincidence! You're heading south, and so am I. Although all roads lead in different directions, if we're all going in the same direction, we'll have a chance to meet, won't we?"

Wen Caishang said, "Xiao Xian, I have some tea leaves here. Why don't you brew some for Senior Ma?"

Li Xian took the tea leaves, ran back to the carriage, and retrieved a copper teapot. The teapot was exquisite and small, about the size of a palm, with delicate patterns. He poured in water, lit the charcoal fire, and boiled the water before sprinkling in the tea leaves.

Before long, a delicate fragrance filled the air. Wen Caishang took the kettle, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Li Xian, saying, "Please offer this to Senior Ma." Li Xian held the cup with both hands and offered it to him.

Ma Zhongguang stared at the tea, hesitating for a long time. Wen Caishang smiled and said, "What, Senior Ma, are you worried that Cai Shang might have poisoned it?"

Wen Caishang poured herself another cup and drank it while it was still hot. She smiled and looked at Ma Zhongguang. Ma Zhongguang laughed and said, "Hahaha, Madam Wen's tea is expensive. This old man is too rough to drink it. I don't want to waste Madam's kindness."

Wen Caishang said regretfully, "Cai Shang thought she had met someone she clicked with, but now it seems that he is nothing more than a skeleton."

Ma Zhongguang said, "Madam Wen, what do you mean?" He tensed up and tried to create distance, but felt weak all over, his body aching and numb, as if a poisonous substance had spread throughout his body.

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "You, you, what did you come all this way for?"

"You!" Ma Zhongguang was furious. "You didn't know my purpose, yet you used such a vicious attack?" He Martial Dao and Gu techniques to try to cure the poison, but all his resistance was completely useless.

Wen Caishang said softly, "It's not a good thing in the end. I'll kill you and skin you alive, but I won't wrong you."

"Don't struggle. You're from the Southern Border; you must possess some kind of Gu poison. But you absolutely cannot cure this poison."

"Little White, show yourself."

Then a white silkworm crawled out from Ma Zhongguang's body. Wen Caishang reached out and took it, gently teasing the silkworm.

This is the "Ancestor Silkworm." It is the key item in the Silkworm Garment Jade-Interlocking Art.

Wen Caishang's "Silkworm Silk" fabric and her mulberry Mulberry Garden farm are all related to this silkworm, as they are bred from this silkworm. Therefore, the Silkworm Silk is tough and very popular, and she is the only one of its kind in the world.

This is one of her trump cards.

Her old wounds hadn't healed, and she was unwilling to fight. Sensing Ma Zhongguang's approach, she had already arranged for the Ancestor Silkworm to attach itself to him, bite him, and inject a strange poison.

"You poisonous woman! You poisonous woman!" Ma Zhongguang's face turned bluish-purple, and all the Gu worms in his body had died.

Wen Caishang, exuding charm, said, "Why have you followed me here? Speak quickly."

"If I tell you, will you cure me?" Ma Zhongguang was no longer able to fight.

Wen Caishang smiled without speaking. Ma Zhongguang said, "I... I know you are plotting to seize Earthly Radiance. This trip... is to discuss exchanging Earthly Radiance with you. I have no hostility, Madam... please... please spare my life."

Wen Caishang narrowed her eyes slightly. "How do you know I'm plotting to seize Earthly Radiance?"

"It's because..." Ma Zhongguang took out a Gu worm from his ear and said, "This is Dragon Gu, which needs to be nourished by the Heartblood of a dragon beast to transform. I helped it travel through the water, which is to use the Heartblood of the old dragon."

"But when I asked for blood at the Old Dragon Pool, the old dragon elder said that his Heartblood had already been given to someone else. Although he didn't name anyone, I guessed it was you. At the time, I was puzzled. The Python Flood Dragon successfully traversed the water, and the heavens bestowed blessings upon them, which is why their scales transformed into their Dragon Shedding. The Heartblood was far less useful."

"I recall an ancient text about a method of stealing the Earthly Radiance, vaguely related to dragons moving through water. This leads to some speculation... Madam, spare my life."

"It was my insatiable greed that led me to this; please spare my life."

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "So that's how it is. You're quite clever." She sipped her tea and watched Ma Zhongguang struggle with great interest.

"You wicked woman!" Ma Zhongguang's vision blurred, knowing there was no hope, his breath fading, he uttered his last words. "You... you... you will regret this. You... did you think I dared to come to you... that I had no means? Look... look at your Qi Lake, hahahaha..."

Having said that, he shook his heart and breathed his last.

Wen Caishang frowned, suddenly feeling her Inner Qi dwindling. Concentrating her mind and looking inward, she discovered that a Gu worm had somehow attached itself to her Qi Lake.

He was sucking her Inner Qi, and the speed was getting faster and faster.

"When? When did it happen? Ever since Ma Zhongguang appeared, I've been on guard, wary of his Gu techniques. When did it happen? My Inner Qi is dwindling, what should I do? Now I'm surrounded by powerful enemies, and my injuries are already quite severe. I need to use my Inner Qi to suppress my injuries and recuperate. If this Gu continues to drain my Inner Qi, I... I... I'm truly in grave danger!"

Wen Caishang immediately checked Ma Zhongguang's pulse; he was already dead. Her vital energy dwindled, her strength waned, her delicate body trembled, and for the first time, her beautiful face lost all composure.

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