Standing with his hands behind his back, Ci Qing charged forward. Having never witnessed such a bizarre move, he was caught off guard as Mao Ya swiftly closed in, his right palm striking out. With no choice but to abandon his long whip, he unleashed the "Jiedimiduo Palm" for self-defense. Their palms met, and Ci Qing was astonished to find his strength neutralized. Exploiting the enemy's fear and weakness, Mao Ya spotted Ci Qing's vulnerability and thrust his left fingers into his ribs. Ci Fang flew in diagonally to rescue him, parrying Mao Ya's palm strike, only to have his strength also frozen. Lin Chaoying burst in, attacking Ci Jing and Ci Xin with Wu Nanying, preventing them from regrouping. Mao Ya, taking advantage of his opponents' panic as their old strength was halted and new strength had not yet arrived, forcefully pushed back Ci Fang with his arms, then prepared to leap up and strike Ci Qing on the crown of his head with his palm.
Chong Yuwu, who had been engaging Xiao Ziru in a duel amidst the winding forest, suddenly emerged, drew the long sword Mao Ya had planted in the ground, and attacked Mao Ya with the "Little Cong Scattered Butterflies" from the Youxu Swordplay.
Lin Chaoying glanced at Wang Chongyang as he swung his sword, employing the "Golden Boy Swordplay" to intercept... unfortunately, the move was halted midway...
Chong Yuwu's long sword pierced Mao Ya's heart from behind.
Wu Nanying hastily turned to rush to his aid, undeterred even after being whipped twice by Ci Jing. Fortunately, Lin Chaoying intervened to neutralize the subsequent attacks, and Ci Xin immediately ceased his advance. However, Xiao Ziru launched an assault, channeling his full "Lingping Divine Skill" and delivering a powerful punch to her back. Chong Yuwu, stunned after his successful strike, stepped forward to shield Wu Nanying from behind, taking the blow, and simultaneously pushed out his palms with his last burst of strength, sending Xiao Ziru flying into the distance.
Sun Bole roared and ran over, picking up the wounded Mao Ya and fleeing. Wu Nanying, Le Fu, and Gou Er followed closely, with Lin Chaoying covering their rear.
Lying on the ground, the dying Chong Yuwu, glaring at Wu Nanying as she safely retreated, slowly closed his eyes, sighing, "I calculated everything, but failed to predict what was in my heart."
Shi Weigeng whistled and charged forward in pursuit, only to be blocked by Ci Xin. Ci Xin said, "Since the demon is eliminated, Recording Officer should first destroy the Jin people's warehouse to boost morale." Shi Weigeng sensed Ci Xin's leniency towards the demon but found his reasoning sound, so he changed course and led his men towards the warehouse.
Ci Qing, ashamed of being blinded by pride and hatred, which had ruined their plans, knelt before Ci Xin and said, "My cultivation is not yet pure, I wish to receive your teachings." Ci Jing was puzzled and asked, "Senior Brother, why do you suddenly call yourself a disciple?" Ci Xin smiled and said, "If one cannot let go of disciples and junior brothers, how can emptiness arise?" Ci Qing understood and said, "Subduing demons is me, subduing myself is my demon." Ci Xin nodded, helped Ci Qing up, and led his fellow disciples back to the Zen temple.
Sun Bole broke his long sword and sealed the major acupoints near Mao Ya's heart. Tears he could no longer hold back streamed down, mingling with the bloodstains on his cheeks, dripping onto his crimson-stained clothes. Gou Er sprinkled the precious hemostatic powder from the Sheng Guan Temple, "Come Here." Le Fu fed Mao Ya the healing elixir of her cousin, shaking her head as she took his pulse. Wu Nanying, dazed, tightly held Mao Ya's left hand, her soul lost, like a puppet. Lin Chaoying stood silently in the distance, head bowed.
Mao Ya let out a long sigh and slightly opened his eyelids, his gaze hollowly drifting towards Wu Nanying. He made a strenuous effort to move his right hand towards his belt as if to retrieve something. Wu Nanying understood and took it out for him – a jade pendant carved with a pattern of dragons, tigers, and swirling clouds. Sun Bole guessed his intention and said indignantly, "Wanyan Yongliang is ungrateful and stingy, what use is this trinket? Moreover, those in the Magic Peaks have all become dogs of the Jin regime, why bother with them?" Wu Nanying gently patted Mao Ya's hand and said affectionately, "What you worry about will surely be useful someday."
Mao Ya offered a grateful smile. What he had wanted to say or do vanished in an instant. He felt Nan and his grandson beside him, as well as others... He even caught the faint scent of Ying, and suddenly realized how much he had received in his life, with no regrets! Although he could not take these things with him, he was fortunate to enjoy them before leaving. His mind was gradually blanked by a strong light...
Behind a tree on the岗野 cliff edge, Wang Chongyang finally found her. She was leisurely gazing up at the clear, cloudless sky. Where were the others? How was that demon... He slowly approached her, his steps involuntarily stopping before the tree, unable to cross.
"If I had intervened just now, my already fragile will to fight north would have been shaken," Wang Chongyang admitted frankly.
Lin Chaoying said, "I understand. Talk when you're done."
At this moment, Wang Chongyang heard voices in the distant woods. He nodded gratefully, turned to leave, and said, "I will still write to you every month." Not daring to see her reply, he rushed off into the distance.
Wang Chongyang entered the woods, saw Fang Liancheng looking around, and asked, "Looking for that half-monkey spirit?" Fang Liancheng said indignantly, "If we catch him, we can recover the lost Sanzang." Wang Chongyang comforted him, "Keep an eye on that couple surnamed Shi. He won't forgive them." Fang Liancheng agreed and nodded, saying, "Are you scouting for Jin troop ambushes? Just now, in the woods, I knew you were wary of a sudden Jin attack."
Wang Chongyang's eyes opened, his gaze shifting as he asked, "Are you sure that's how I think?" Fang Liancheng said seriously, "I once trusted your word, how could I doubt you?" Wang Chongyang was filled with guilt, his suppressed emotions wanting to pour out but having no outlet. Fang Liancheng patted his shoulder and said, "For now, we can only rely on Brother Shixiong to maintain morale across all sectors. If you have any instructions, I will be there immediately."
Wang Chongyang smiled faintly, raised his hand in a gesture, and the two turned back the way they came.