Ascending the Crimson List, Husband a Thief, Wife a Fiend

[Your sword strike is breathtaking; the Second Layer of the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword Proficiency by +11.]

Streams converge to form rivers, and water droplets can wear away stone.

Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I leisurely gaze at the South Mountain. The rural paddy fields are lush and green, with flowers, grasses, and trees displaying their graceful beauty.

Seeing that life was stable, Li Xian roughly planned his journey back south. Before setting off, he needed to save money, so he caught fish, shrimp, crabs, and eels in the fields and went to the county to exchange them for money.

After several days of hard work, he had saved up a dozen or so copper coins, but this was far from enough to cover his travel expenses. He then turned his attention to the county government's "Crimson List," hoping to catch the culprit and collect the money.

Suddenly, Crimson List had been posted. Li Xian informed Wen Caishang and then hurried to the county seat, heading straight for the notice board in the bustling market. The crowd was dense, forming a wall. Li Xian Movement Method nimbly and arrived at the notice board.

His gaze swept over them, and he was suddenly taken aback. The two portraits were quite striking, bearing a seven-tenths resemblance to Li Xian and Wen Caishang, but with an added sinister air. The eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and facial features... the subtle details added to the wicked and bloodthirsty meaning. The painting skills were superb, and the work was meticulously done.

The painting is embellished with red ink: "Li Renshan, the Heart-Eating Gentleman" and "Wen Shexie, the Blood-Drinking Poisonous Woman".

The bailiff who posted the notice said, "Fellow villagers, come and take a look. See if these two people have appeared in this area."

An onlooker asked, "Your Majesty, what are these two doing?"

The constable said, "The husband and wife are thieves, committing countless evil deeds! Li Renshan rips out people's hearts and livers, Wen Shexie severs people's hands and feet. In the past two weeks, the two have traveled through several villages, committing numerous atrocities, which are truly outrageous and unbearable to witness!"

"Anyway... everyone be careful. If there's any news, report it immediately. These two are extremely dangerous; if anything goes wrong, it could be disastrous!"

The people condemned the adulterers with their words and writings, and were filled with fear.

turn out to be...

The flower field suffered a crushing defeat that day, and Su Qiuwu, Zhao Zhiyuan, and others felt deeply ashamed. After counting the dead and wounded, they were even more enraged. They searched frantically everywhere, but to little avail.

Several days passed, and their anger gradually subsided. Su Qiuwu, Li Quan, Zhao Zhiyuan, and the others discussed their plans, sitting around a table and talking by candlelight.

A night passed with little result. Li Xian was cunning and clever, far surpassing Su Qiuwu. Su Qiuwu was frustrated and depressed, and the others were also humiliated and resentful.

Li Quan slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "That bastard brat ruined my grand plan! I wish I could tear him apart and skin him alive!"

What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.

Su Qiuwu's eyes flashed, a wicked plan forming in his mind. He muttered, "Pulle his tendons, skin him alive?" Li Quan cursed, "What?" Su Qiuwu smiled, "I have a good plan, but... it's extremely ruthless. Would you all like to hear it?"

Zhao Zhiyuan said worriedly, "If you have any, please tell me quickly. Otherwise, given Wen Caishang's temperament, she will definitely come looking for you in the future!" Having learned a thing or two about Wen Caishang's methods, he found it hard to fall asleep.

Su Qiuwu said, "Our biggest problem is that we can't find that kid. After escaping the encirclement, he became extremely cunning and managed to disappear without a trace... If we can find him, and gather the brothers from Limitless Blade and Corpse Rakshasa Village, we can naturally capture him."

Zhao Zhiyuan asked, "How do we find them?" Su Qiuwu replied, "By skinning them alive!" He then explained, "We'll skin them alive, commit horrific crimes, and claim it was done by Wen Caishang and Li Xian. Then someone will help us find them, leaving them nowhere to escape."

Zhao Zhiyuan said, "The plan is indeed wicked and feasible. However, Lady Broken Sword's reputation is well-established. If word gets out, what if someone helps her?"

Su Qiuwu said, "Therefore... the names ' Lady Broken Sword ' and ' Wen Caishang ' cannot appear on the Crimson List of Wanted. We should just say she is a bloodthirsty viper, Wen Shexie. Wen Caishang has been out of the Jianghu for a long time. With such a wanted list, who but us would think she is Lady Broken Sword? We should just think of her as a bloodthirsty criminal. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we acted on behalf of Heaven?"

After careful consideration, everyone agreed that the plan was ruthless and efficient. They immediately took action under cover of night, using cruel methods to massacre several villages and create a horrifying crime scene.

Zhao Zhiyuan had an elder brother named Zhao Zhigao, who belonged to the Sky Patrol Bureau. He planned to write a letter to explain the situation.

Through a series of ingenious maneuvers, and by stepping forward to correct the situation, the two figures, "Li Renshan, the Heart-Eating Gentleman" and "Wen Shexie, the Blood-Drinking Poisonous Woman," were fabricated and spread far and wide, their influence continuously growing.

The news spread by word of mouth. The whole world was brewing with anticipation, and suddenly it was closing in. Li Xian, who had been hiding for so long, was indeed forced out by this scheme.

Li Xian thought to himself, "What a vicious plan! Even if the lady is ruthless, she wouldn't kill someone without a reason. They actually did such a terrible thing to kill us!" Taking advantage of the chaos, he left and used his lightness skill to rush back to the earthen house.

In the earthen-walled courtyard, Wen Caishang, graceful movements, her Swordsmanship remarkably high. Li Xian exclaimed with delight, "Madam, you can walk now?"

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "Last night I circulated my Blood Qi, which connected my bones and muscles, and I can already walk. Why are you in such a hurry? What's wrong?"

Li Xian recounted everything he had heard in the city. Wen Caishang's eyes flashed coldly, and after a brief discussion, the two decided to leave immediately. Li Xian packed his bags, while Wen Caishang folded her clothes.

Seeing the flowers and plants in the courtyard, and the paddy fields outside, so peaceful and harmonious, Wen Caishang felt a pang of reluctance. She thought, "Su Qiuwu, Li Quan... Hmph, I'll get them all back one by one, making them wish they were dead!" She drew her sword and carved on the earthen wall:

"Your life will be spared for now; we'll take it another day."

Li Xian held Wen Caishang's hand and channeled his Inner Qi to make her walk lightly. When circulating the energy, he avoided the Qi Lake and directed it directly through the acupoints on her hands and feet; otherwise, it would all be wasted if the Gu worm absorbed it.

His Qi was abundant and powerful, and even after a slow and steady flow, it remained plentiful. Wen Caishang tightened her grip, a smile on her face, her clothes fluttering, a truly pleasing sight. As they reached the village entrance, a loud shout suddenly rang out, "The villain is here! Shoot him!"

Dozens of arrows came flying. Li Xian pulled Wen Caishang behind him and held her sword to protect her. He knocked all the arrows down and saw that dozens of people had already surrounded the village entrance.

They were all dressed in armor and helmets, carrying spears and swords, and came in a menacing manner. It turned out that "Li Daqin" had entered the city today and was Panic and Confusion when he saw the "Crimson List of Wanted Persons," so he immediately went to the county government to report it.

The leading general said, "The wicked Li Renshan and the vile woman Wen Shexie, why don't you surrender and await your fate immediately?! Those who disobey will face our ruthlessness."

Knowing further words were useless, Li Xian said, "Hmph, so what if you're impolite?" He raised his palm and made a feint. His Inner Qi surged wildly, and the force of his palm was immense. The besiegers were pushed down in droves, and cries of alarm rose and fell.

This move is called "Wave-Pushing Palm." The Qi flows through acupoints such as Xia Bai and Chize, creating a surge of Qi with tremendous force.

Li Xian murmured, "Stormy Seas Palm!" He withdrew both palms, and the powerful Qi energy sent everyone staggering and losing their armor, all suffering a crushing defeat.

The palm Wave-Pushing Palm, one pushing the waves outwards, the other Stormy Seas Palm a torrent of energy inwards. These two moves, executed one after the other, are like two opposing waves colliding, instantly unleashing a powerful killing force. The opponent is attacked from both sides, attacked from both within and without.

The soldiers were thrown to the ground, screaming in agony, unable to get up.

Li Xian glanced at "Li Daqin". Li Daqin fell to the ground with a "plop", his clothes and pants were soaked.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Now that this has happened, our tracks have been exposed. Those people will definitely track us down to this village. To further solidify our notoriety, they might even take the opportunity to massacre us and commit another horrific murder." He shook his head and sighed, "If you hadn't said anything, it could have been as if nothing had happened. But you insisted on telling them. You'd better run away quickly and pray for your own good fortune."

After leaving Peacemaker Village, they went straight north and came to a rushing river. It was a Benhua River Tributary. Li Xian waved his hand and shouted, and a boat came. They went along the river.

The two sat at the stern of the boat. Flowers bloomed on both banks, and bees and butterflies frolicked, creating a vibrant scene. Li Xian and Wen Caishang walked in a hurry, but without any panic. They enjoyed the scenery and cruised the river at their own leisure.

The river was calm, and the boat drifted swiftly. Several miles away, there was no sign of pursuers. Li Xian guessed that although Su Qiuwu and his men had devised a treacherous scheme to find his location, it would take them time to react. Moreover, he had already escaped the encirclement. The difference in time between them meant that he was in the upper hand.

"Flowerwater Prefecture is located in the northeast of Yunan Circuit. Although I am not familiar with its rivers, mountains, and cities, during my time recuperating, I have dealt with merchants and learned of a convenient route to this Qiongtian Prefecture, one that few people know about."

The boatman rowed with practiced skill, letting the waves pound against him as he steadily steered the boat. Li Xian recalled the Double Wafting Immortal Tone and the legend of "transformation upon touching water," and reached his hand into the river. The instant his fingers dipped into the water, they felt an immense weight, as if a massive boulder were pressing down on them.

Li Xian sighed, "So this is what it feels like for Clear Ascension, Turbid Sinking. In that case, even with my ' Jade-Water Pearl,' I dare not easily enter the water."

Wen Caishang pricked her fingertip, drawing out a drop of blood, and said, "Drink this blood, and let's try again."

Li Xian did as instructed. Touching the water with her fingers, the Turbid Sinking lessened considerably. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Madam, what's the reason for this?"

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "This concerns the Third Realm. You will understand when the time comes. There's no use in saying it now."

Half an hour later, the boat reached the shore, and they paid ten copper coins. The boatman shouted and rowed away. Li Xian knew that Wen Caishang could only walk and had very little strength, so she would not be able to endure a long journey. After traveling several more miles, they stopped to rest and drink water.

Wen Caishang lightly wiped away her sweat, which inevitably left her smudged with dust. A light sweat seeped from her forehead, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her demeanor was dignified, yet possessed a unique charm.

For several days in a row, they walked more than a hundred miles.

Li Xian digested the [Essence Treasure] every day, Double Wafting Immortal Tone became increasingly clear, faintly emitting three soft sounds.

That day.

Li Xian pointed to a river and said, "The river system of the Great Martial Dynasty is incredibly complex! It flows in all directions, east, west, north, and south, with tributaries and main streams branching off from each other."

"I've gathered information. If you go in this direction, another fifty li, you'll find the Weihu River. This great river leads directly to the Qiongtian Prefecture. But very few people know about it, Madam. Do you know it?"

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "I know you're showing off your talent. I don't know, tell me."

Li Xian said, "The Weihu River flows southwest, and its main channel passes through Linan Prefecture, which is far from Qiongtian Prefecture. Therefore, no one knows about it."

"In reality, after crossing the Weihu River, one turns into the tributary of the ' Curling Smoke River,' then into the tributary of the ' Drifting Sand River '... and so on, and so forth, and one can reach the Qiongtian Prefecture. The river network is so complex. It took the merchants decades of exploration to figure out this route."

The Great Wu territory is vast. But it is precisely because it is so vast, rich in resources, and diverse in terrain, with rivers flowing through it and mountains rising one after another, that it is completely unaware of the names of a single river. Although they are clearly connected from beginning to end, travelers with limited vision are completely unaware of them.

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "Are you asking me to praise you?" Li Xian replied, "Otherwise?" Wen Caishang said, "Alright, alright, you're great. Let's go, lest something unexpected happens."