This day onwards, Gou'er felt Lin Chaoying was possessed. Every day, she ate less and worked more, rising early and resting late, climbing mountains and traversing ridges, searching crevices along the way. Then came the cycle of "five days of harshness, two days of respite, half a day of pause, then harshness again." The wind and snow battered her, damaging even the Dragon-Splitting Rope forged from fine steel. How could flesh and blood withstand it! Gou'er lamented his clumsy speech; his repeated pleas had gone unheeded. He feared that if she continued like this, she might meet her end before he even saw her... Oh, Yu Nü! Oh, Supreme Lord Lao Tzu! Oh, all the gods and buddhas! What should be done? Gazing into the distance at the snow-capped peaks of Mount Li, they resembled white horses galloping across the sky, with patches of cypress forests below. Each tree stood in a unique posture, its leaves a dense, dark green, creating a scene of singular grandeur. However, Gou'er was in no mood to admire the scenery. He was busy following the hidden markings and his own intuition, rushing into the westernmost forest.
Winding through the cypress grove towards the foot of the mountain, Gou'er scanned his surroundings. Finally, he spotted Lin Chaoying, like a hawk fallen from its perch. After several struggles on the mountainside in the wind and snow, she collapsed. Gou'er stared as he desperately rushed forward to rescue her. He saw that she was still conscious as she plummeted, trying to grasp at the rocks. Alas, the accumulated snow and her lack of strength led to failure, though it did slow her fall and lessen her injuries. Gou'er reached her side to find her already unconscious, lying in the thick snow. Gou'er quickly stuffed the "obtained" Spirit-Nourishing Pill into her mouth, then channeled his inner energy to aid her circulation.
Finding a sheltered spot in a rock crevice to avoid the cold, Gou'er moved her there to treat her. Seeing her covered in wounds and bruises from head to toe, lying like splintered wood and torn cloth, Gou'er felt immense grief and anger. He held her hand, praying to all the immortals and reciting all the scriptures in his heart. After several attempts at rescue, he saw her purplish-black lips let out a heavy sigh. After an unknown amount of time, her eyes finally opened a sliver. "Stop looking! Stop looking! Don't look anymore! It's not worth it, don't look anymore!" Gou'er could no longer contain himself and spoke his mind. Lin Chaoying closed her eyes, her cheekbones subtly protruding, indicating she was clenching her jaw. Gou'er sighed, his tone apologetic yet pleading, "Find a place to stay nearby. Let's wait until the weather warms up before we set off again, alright?" He glanced at her face, which remained tense and unmoving. Gou'er lowered his head, secretly wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye, and said, "I will arrange it immediately. As soon as dawn breaks, we will ascend the mountain and set off." A moment later, he heard her breathing subtly shift, as if she had fallen asleep.
Lin Chaoying slept for three nights and three days. Each time Gou'er looked at her, she was sleeping soundly and comfortably. He felt as if she were replenishing all that she had previously expended, and his heart was filled with joy. Although her breathing was still faint, it had become smooth and even. Gou'er poked the fire with dry branches, wondering whether he should wake her in the morning.
"Don't move!" the voice, though distant, suddenly cut through the quiet night. Gou'er couldn't help but start. "Halt!" "Leave the bundle, or we'll really not be polite!" two more voices shouted. "Haha, five fools, even if you chase for dozens of days, you won't catch me." The response to this garbled dialect of Guanzhong was... A gust of wind brushed past his ear. Gou'er blinked, only then realizing he had to pursue. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Surrounded by five Taoist priests wielding long swords, Zhou Botong dodged with the agility of a rabbit, darting towards the northeast. Suddenly, a dark cloud descended upon him. Zhou Botong cried out, "It's no use you always bothering me!" Lin Chaoying unfurled the "Jiang Liu Ba Zhen" from her "Brewing Wine Fist Theory," blocking his escape in all directions. Zhou Botong was forced to charge upwards, shouting, and unleashing "Da Nao Tian Di" from his "Yi Yun Shou," his punches and claws striking downwards, his feet kicking upwards. The attack was strong but ineffectual. Seeing an opportunity, Lin Chaoying pressed her hips down in mid-air, kicking directly at Zhou's right arm with her left leg. Then, flicking her foot, she swiftly hooked the blue bundle that had fallen into his armpit and snatched it away. Her right leg followed with a kick, using his counter-force to land some distance away. Before Zhou Botong could utter a curse, Lin Chaoying spoke first, "If you don't retrieve this bundle within three days, I will publicize that Zhou Botong was beaten to his knees, begging for mercy and offering tribute, pleading with the young lady to let him go." Zhou Botong wanted to charge forward to fight again, but then he considered his lack of victory. Refusing to suffer immediate loss, he stamped his foot and angrily stalked off to devise a future plan. At this moment, Gou'er arrived and called out to him twice. Then, he noticed Lin Chaoying watching him leave, assuming she had a plan, so he stopped speaking.
The five Taoist priests surrounded them in a semi-circle, bowing thankfully to Lin Chaoying. One, considerably older and taller and sturdier, said, "This humble one is Li Xiangcheng from the Saint Descension Temple of Mount Li. I thank the chivalrous lady for her righteous intervention." Saying this, he extended his hand towards Lin Chaoying, only to find her motionless. He couldn't help but be startled. Another, slightly shorter and with delicate features, whose long dimples were clearly visible when he smiled or spoke, Yuan Xiangji, said, "The lady's noble sentiments and kindness are deeply appreciated. Please tell us your whereabouts so that we may report to our elders and pay our respects at your residence another day to thank you for your assistance and for returning the item to its rightful owner." As he spoke, he stepped forward and reached out with both hands to take the item. However, Lin Chaoying gave him a cold glance, causing him to stop. She turned and looked at the shortest of the five Taoist priests. Seeing that priest step forward, Yuan stepped back to rejoin the group. The priest approached Lin, bowed deeply again, and said, "This humble one, Guo Xianghe, thanks the chivalrous lady again for her righteous act of punishing evil. We ought to invite both of you back to the temple for formal salutations, but as you are female guests, we must first consult our elders. How about this: please temporarily reside at the Old Mother's Shrine. Once we have made proper arrangements, we will escort you to our temple. As for the bundle, we would trouble the lady to keep it safe and deliver it directly to our elder. What do you say?"
The Old Mother's Shrine was located atop the third peak of Mount Li's West Xiu Ridge. After Yuan Xiangji and Guo Xianghe settled Lin Chaoying and Gou'er in a secluded side room here, they immediately sat down to meditate. In her sleep, Lin Chaoying heard Zhou Botong's voice and awoke abruptly, chasing after him as if in a dream. Everything that followed was a matter of adapting to the situation. Now was the perfect time to seize the opportunity to circulate her energy, regulate her breathing, and organize her thoughts.
Yuan and Guo headed east back to the Saint Descension Temple. Emperor Gaozu of Tang had posthumously conferred the title of "Sage Ancestor" upon Tai Shang Lao Jun and renamed the Lao Jun Hall the Chaoyuan Pavilion. In December of the seventh year of Tianbao, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dreamt that Tai Shang Lao Jun descended to the Chaoyuan Pavilion, hence it was renamed the Saint Descension Temple. They did not enter through the main gate but instead circumvented and slipped in through the west gate, heading towards a dilapidated scripture hall in the left corner. The other three who had intercepted Zhou Botong earlier were there. Li Xiangcheng stood with his hands clasped at his side, while the other two Taoist priests sat cross-legged together. Yuan and Guo respectfully bowed to the two Taoists. Guo Xianghe reported, "Reporting to Fifth Senior Brother and Brother Hu, we have settled the two women at Little Daoist Nun Xianyu's place. She is Brother Yuan's confidante, so you can rest assured." Fifth Xianghui appeared extremely impatient and muttered to himself, "Still so slow and never-ending!" Hu Xiangshu continued, "Hurry up! Deal with that damned shrew! If Master and Senior Uncles find out the green jade bull is missing from beside Lao Jun's white jade statue, it will be big trouble! We won't have a peaceful New Year." Yuan Xiangji became flustered and quickly said, "Brother Guo and I discussed a plan on the way back. If Senior Brothers agree, we can start immediately."
As dusk fell, Gou'er went to the small tea room opposite the side room, preparing to make some hot tea and food for Lin Chaoying. The moment she opened the door, a dark figure launched an attack at her. Gou'er lowered his head, sidestepped, and maneuvered behind the attacker, intending to strike his cervical vertebrae. The masked figure, covering his nose and mouth, spun around and delivered a series of back kicks, forcing her to retreat step by step and sweeping all the bowls and plates from the nearby table onto the floor. Lin Chaoying heard the commotion and quickly appeared, stealthily pointing her fingers at the attacker's Fengchi, Yamen, Mingmen, and Shenshu acupoints. Another masked figure swooped down from the eaves, lunging at her face with a sword. Lin Chaoying stepped back, flicking her left index finger against the sword's spine to deflect it, and with her right palm, struck upwards towards the opponent's throat. The original attacker turned and pulled her away to evade the blow, but was then fiercely kicked in the waist and hips by Gou'er. Lin Chaoying stopped and stood coldly, while Gou'er continued his attack. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, facing her pincer movements. Gou'er employed Lin Chaoying's modified "Brewing Wine Fist Theory." Though her power was reduced, her movements were more agile. The two masked figures, despite fighting two against one, gained no advantage, and with Lin Chaoying looming ominously, they felt an added sense of caution. At this moment, a shout came from the opposite side room. Lin Chaoying floated out of the room, and Gou'er swiftly withdrew, staying close to her. The two, bewildered, followed suit.
As Lin Chaoying emerged, she heard someone furiously curse the sky, "You damned fool! Don't run! Don't run! Where are you going?" Saying this, he leaped over the wall. She then saw two more masked figures in black clothes rush out of the side room and follow in pursuit. The two who had attacked earlier hurried past Lin Chaoying and sprinted towards them, and she heard one of them angrily scold, "It's that madman interfering again!"
These black-clad individuals were the disguised Taoist priests, including Fifth Xianghui. They were unaware that Lin Chaoying had set a trap to lure Zhou Botong out. Seeing that they had easily lured her away with a "lure the tiger from its mountain" ploy, they were overjoyed to retrieve the green jade bull, only for Zhou Botong to reappear and snatch it again.
Fifth Xianghui thrust his sword forward five times in mid-air, blocking Zhou Botong's path from above, below, left, and right. Zhou Botong countered with a move called "How Outrageous!" He curled his body and spun, his hands and feet flailing. His movements were peculiar and unusual, but he successfully escaped from the lower left. Hu Xiangshu and Li Xiangcheng moved in to fill the gap, attacking Zhou Botong from front and back. Zhou Botong turned the tables, circling Hu Xiangshu incessantly, then unexpectedly pushing him towards Li Xiangcheng with a palm strike from behind. Zhou Botong chuckled slyly, walked a few steps, then lowered his head and sighed, as he saw Lin Chaoying standing not far away. Before Lin Chaoying could make a move, Zhou Botong turned and fled. Lin Chaoying unleashed several palm strikes, but he dodged them with sudden high and low movements, and the distance between them continued to widen. Lin Chaoying stopped and called out to him loudly, "Zhou Botong, you have taken my things, and you will retrieve them from Wang Shixiong!" With that, she disappeared in the opposite direction.
Guo Xianghe said indignantly, "Pah, what are her things? Shameless! Who is this Wang Shixiong?" Yuan Xiangji shrugged with a smile, tinged with a hint of disdain, "Heaven knows. Judging by that madman's behavior, he's rather similar to Wang Haifeng from Zhongnan Mountain. Never mind that, hurry up and catch up! Otherwise, Senior Brother Fifth will blame us." Guo Xianghe grumbled, "He clearly lost it, yet he has to drag us into this." The two hastened their steps as they spoke, following those ahead.
Hiding in the shade of the trees to observe, Lin Chaoying noticed Gou'er seemed lost in thought about their conversation. She waited until Gou'er dared to ask, only then did she slowly turn her face and hear her softly say, "Zhou Botong once told me that Brother Shixiong is already dead, and 'even Wang Haifeng is dead.'" Gou'er could not discern whether her expression held joy or sorrow. He saw her straighten her body resolutely and walk towards the southwest.