After chasing for about a quarter of an hour, she finally spotted the tiny black silhouette, and her heart settled. Her Qinggong had improved considerably, and fearing she might lose sight of it if too much time passed, Wang Chongyang had a flash of inspiration and called out loudly, "Ha, seen my newly created divine skill, have you surrendered?" It worked. In the dim light, the black silhouette, flickering through the bushes, turned back, its movements like a snake through flowers, its posture graceful and elegant. Had she understood the "Four Steps of Following the Bend" from the notes and incorporated dance into her Qinggong? The silhouette swung its palms and legs in a whirl like dancing wind, soaring like mist. Though its punches and kicks were from the Dark Swordsman's style, they were transformed with the new footwork, as if reborn, its shifts and dodges like those of an immortal. It was likely she intended to test if this method could break free from the restraint of the "Golden Boy Swordplay." Wang Chongyang, however, was determined to defeat her again with his new martial art. Her attacks were unpredictable, swift, and agile, yet they were still inferior when faced with Wang Chongyang's new skill, which emphasized "using emptiness to control reality like a blazing fire, generating power from nothingness like gathering clouds." After twenty exchanges, Wang Chongyang calmed his mind, discerned the true body of the fluttering black shadow, and, with a circle and a catch, seized her wrist.
"Let go!" she shouted angrily. Wang Chongyang, with a mix of reluctance and frustration, said, "I won't. After we part this time, you know how much I suffer." She smiled coldly and replied, "How would I know your affairs?" Wang Chongyang asked, "Aren't you watching me in secret, like that time in Dengzhou?" She turned her face away and said, "I've only been here for two days." Wang Chongyang asked solicitously, "Where did you go?" She answered, "That day, a boatman rescued me and Gou'er."
The boatman who rescued Lin Chaoying and Gou'er was none other than Sun Bole's subordinate in disguise. Sun Bole, obeying Lin Chaoying's request, did not reveal that they had been rescued to Wang Chongyang. Instead, he found Meng Han Guang to accompany him on errands, distracting him from his longing for her. Sun Bole also used this as a condition for Lin Chaoying to inform him of her plan to return to Cuihua Mountain to recuperate and agreed to have Cong Yan escort her to the mountain border.
Gou'er returned to the Illusory Light Cave and saw that the arrangements from the beginning of the year had not been disturbed, clearly indicating no one else had visited. Lin Chaoying focused on recuperating and also delved into Li Jin Cuo's notes, searching for a way to counter the "Golden Boy Swordplay." This continued for nearly half a year until this particular day.
Lin Chaoying calculated by the water clock that Gou'er had not returned for a day and a night. Even if a child, driven by curiosity, lingered to admire the New Year's agricultural scenery, it was unlike her to be so reckless. Besides, she was short of someone to spar with, and her mind had been buzzing with the continuity of moves she had been contemplating. It was a good time to go out for some fresh air while looking for her.
As Lin Chaoying approached the cave entrance, she caught a faint smell of musk. Following the glowing liquid dots by the grass nest, she observed about three or four viper-headed adders, each two fingers wide, hidden within. "I'll use you to practice my new moves," Lin Chaoying declared, drawing her sword and executing the new move, "Sandy Belt Cold Cage." The hidden snakes, as if trained, attacked from different directions, allowing her to practice thrusting in different directions with a single sword, like continuous embroidery. "Still not smooth enough," she muttered, dissatisfied, but with another plan in mind. With a flick of her wrist, the snake corpses pinned to her sword flew out of the cave. Instantly, two palm-sized, golden-skinned flying squirrels swooped down to attack; these squirrels had skin flaps connecting their front and hind limbs, and if they encountered any object or limb to drive them away, they would quickly climb onto and attack the aggressor. As Lin Chaoying leaped out of the cave with the snake corpses, she managed to twist her body sideways in mid-air and shoot two "Silver Thread of Snowfall" to kill the squirrels. She had long suspected that the snakes hidden at the cave entrance were not accidental and that other poisonous creatures lurked outside.
As Lin Chaoying descended, she heard a sigh of admiration and intermittent flute music. Following suit, she cupped her fingers to her lips and whistled, summoning wild bees to attack the source of the sound. From the woods, a short, thin man with deep-set eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a large, protruding, furrowed nose emerged. He spat a liquid resembling medicinal wine, causing the wild bees to fall. As Lin Chaoying stabbed at him with her sword, she silently shot two "Silver Threads of Snowfall" towards his back, forcing the flautist to reveal himself. Indeed, a scream echoed from the woods. The thin man tried to turn back to see what had happened but was pulled by Lin Chaoying's sword as if attached by a string. Suddenly, with a roar, a tall man leaped from the woods and kicked at Lin Chaoying in mid-air, but he too was controlled by her sword moves, which resembled pulling and picking pearls and threads. Lin Chaoying observed that the tall man's build differed greatly from the thin man's, but their appearances were similar, especially their nose shapes, indicating they were likely brothers.
The thinner one was skilled in palm and claw techniques, while the taller one's leg techniques were fierce and fast, but she was confident she could control them. She decided to use them as targets. With her toes pointed, her arches set, she whirled and danced, unleashing the "Four Steps of Following the Bend" and the "Void Roaming Cave Swordplay." Suddenly, amidst the bizarre and enchanting shadows, celestial maidens of various postures emerged, floating among the ethereal clouds. Her original intention was for fairy maidens to dance gracefully, captivating the Golden Boy.
The "Four Steps of Following the Bend" was actually a general term compiled by Li Yu when he collected materials and rearranged the "Dance of the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Coat." He had gathered fragmented dance music from the Wu and Yue regions. As the nation's affairs declined, he entrusted the restoration to Li Jin Cuo amidst his troubles. Later, Li Jin Cuo was too busy with restoring the country to attend to this matter. It was only when he was old and organizing his martial arts notes that he categorized this unfinished task under Qinggong, hoping his successor would preserve it well. Little did he know that Lin Chaoying would project the cave's illusory light onto her dance movements, string together the fragmented dance steps, and even incorporate them into her martial arts.
Seeing how agile their punches and kicks were, Lin Chaoying intended to spar with them for a while longer. Suddenly, she glimpsed the figures of Lu Enshu and Li Yunxian through the gaps in the trees, instantly understanding why the two men were attacking. She decided to end the fight quickly to avoid being surrounded. The two men, originally coveting her beauty and engaged in leisurely combat as she weaved and circled around them, were now intent on preserving their lives as she abruptly changed her swordplay, inflicting several wounds on herself. Lin Chaoying was surprised to see the tall man repeatedly kicking towards another direction, while the thin man lunged from under his bent legs, nearly scratching her face and chest.
From then on, the thin man would either follow the tall man's kicks, leaping and attacking the lower and middle sections, or dart from under his bent legs, bouncing and clawing at the upper and middle sections, much like wild wolves ambushing at the roots and trunks of trees. Although their attacks appeared clumsy, they were hard to defend against. Lin Chaoying, nearly falling victim to their strange moves, became even more determined to eliminate them quickly. She stopped trying new moves and instead switched to the "Void Roaming Cave," "Nanxi River," and "Lou Chun" sword techniques in quick succession. With a sweep of the "One Gull Crossing the Water" sword style from the Nanxi River, the thin man stumbled forward. Lin Chaoying followed up with a sword thrust from behind. His left hand suddenly elongated by half a foot, and without looking back, he accurately grabbed her wrist. The tall man skillfully attacked simultaneously, kicking towards her left forehead. Lin Chaoying struggled desperately to twist her body and evade.
"Bold pervert!" Li Yunxian reprimanded, throwing "Cloud-Gathering Jade Shuttle" at the thin man. The shuttle, the size of a finger, would decompose into twenty fine needles upon contact with flesh and blood, injecting them into the bloodstream. This was a hidden weapon from a privately passed-down notebook. Lin Chaoying had improved it into "Silver Thread of Snowfall" because it was simpler to make and she preferred its stealth. Three "Louse Scratchers" were also shot at the back of the tall man's neck at the same time, but he managed to dodge them by tumbling.
Gou'er continued, "'Bei Lang Hills,' Brother Gu is looking for you." From the tall man's frightened expression, she was certain her guess was correct.
The thin man rolled on the ground, kicking wildly and appearing to be in great pain. Lin Chaoying knew he hadn't been hit by the shuttle and suspected a trick. At that moment, the tall man leaped up, stepped on the palm kicked out by the thin man, and used the leverage to float far away. The thin man stood on his head, forcefully pushed the ground with both hands, and, in mid-air, sprinkled powder with his crossed hands. Lin Chaoying and the other two covered their faces with their sleeves to avoid it, and he seized the opportunity to escape.
Lin Chaoying wanted to pursue him, but a silk ribbon blocked her path. She recognized it as the "First Touched by Evening Makeup" move from the Lou Chun sword style. She couldn't understand her intentions; she had acted to punish the two men for trying to harm her, yet she let them escape through trickery and even attacked her. The "First Touched by Evening Makeup," which appeared to be a straight thrust, actually concealed horizontal attacks within a circular range. Now, Li Yunxian had replaced her sword with a ribbon, further enhancing its effectiveness. Lin Chaoying reinstated the "Sandy Belt Cold Cage," blocking the ribbon's scattered attacks but losing control of its pulling force.
As Li Yunxian spun her ribbon, Lin Chaoying was within the range of "Water Cloud Thorough Penetration's" circular horizontal attacks. Lin Chaoying used the "One Tree Crossing the River" sword style from the Nanxi River, fiercely thrusting at her major acupoints and joints. Although she didn't succeed, she forced Li Yunxian to wrap her ribbon around herself for defense. Lin Chaoying switched from defense to offense, unleashing her improved "Sad Gazing Silhouette Swordplay." With the move "Dew's Radiance Invades the Quilt," the sword shadows intertwined, as dense as a night curtain, their shifts between reality and illusion causing confusion and making them impossible to defend against. The opponent indeed used "Heavy Pressing Rainbow Skirt!" A massive surge of internal energy suppressed her attack, and using the force of the counter-attack, she ascended into the air, conjuring several illusory forms to attack. Lin Chaoying looked at her movements and felt ashamed, admitting that this was what could truly be called a fairy maiden's dance! Unable to seize the initiative, Lin Chaoying desperately spun her sword to repel the enemy.
After Li Yunxian floated away, she touched the ground and rose again, spinning her ribbon rapidly and executing "Phoenix Flute Broken," a direct卷 (juǎn - roll/coil) attack. Lin Chaoying, annoyed, decided to unleash the same move to clash with her. The strong sword energy dispersed the ribbon's attack. Just as her long sword was about to pierce Li Yunxian's brow, Lin Chaoying remembered that she had once helped her, and after all, she was her grandmother's younger sister. Reluctantly, she diverted the sword's edge, bypassing her. The opponent's defeated attack quickly scattered like tattered cloth and debris, showering down upon Lin Chaoying. Only then did Lin Chaoying realize that this move had a follow-up for seeking victory amidst defeat, but it was too late! Li Yunxian struck her on the crown of her head with her palm.