bookbashuk Chapter 18 Mu Nianci
Chapter 18 Mu Nianci
"What? Jing'er and the other two are trapped, their lives are in danger!"
Ke Zhen'e suddenly stood up, his ashen face instantly changing color.
However, before they could ask any more questions, the nun's body went limp and she fainted completely in Han Xiaoying's arms.
"Seventh Sister, quickly check how badly she's injured!"
Ke Zhen'e suppressed his anxiety, slammed his iron staff down, and gave a deep order.
Han Xiaoying nodded and gently examined the nun's body. She first checked her breathing, then took her pulse, and after a moment, her brows furrowed slightly.
"Brother, although her breathing is weak, her pulse is still relatively stable, but..." She paused, her gaze falling on a faintly visible tear on the nun's shoulder, "She seems to have an injury on her shoulder, and there is bloodstain on her clothes, but it was covered by her outer robe, so I didn't see it clearly just now."
Upon hearing this, Ke Zhen'e frowned even more deeply: "How badly are you injured?"
Han Xiaoying carefully lifted a corner of the nun's clothes from her shoulder, and saw a patch of bluish-purple color that was faintly tinged with black.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said, "You're injured, and it seems quite serious. But thankfully, your life isn't in danger for now."
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the doubts in their hearts grew even stronger.
Ke Zhen'e pondered for a moment and said, "Jing'er has only been in the Central Plains for a short time. When did she become acquainted with monks?"
Zhu Cong shook his folding fan, seemingly lost in thought: "Brother, judging from what she just said, she seems to recognize you and me."
Ke Zhen'e was taken aback, then fell into deep thought. The six siblings racked their brains, but they couldn't recall ever seeing such a young Taoist nun before.
Ouyang Ke sat to one side, his gaze casually sweeping over the unconscious woman. He had no intention of meddling, but the figure seemed strangely familiar to him. Although the woman had covered her mouth and nose with a cloth, revealing only her eyes, those eyes—
Those eyes seemed strangely familiar to him.
He frowned slightly, but for a moment he couldn't recall where he had seen it before.
Seeing that everyone was racking their brains without success, Han Xiaoying hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently lifted the cloth covering the nun's face.
The cloth fell down, revealing a pale face.
She was a girl of seventeen or eighteen, graceful and elegant. Though her face was covered in dust, it did not conceal her bright eyes, white teeth, and beautiful features. Even in her unconscious state, her brows were deeply furrowed, and her face showed a look of sorrow, as if she were hiding endless sadness in her heart.
"Big brother, it's Miss Mu!" Han Xiaoying exclaimed in surprise.
"Miss Mu?" Ke Zhen'e's expression changed, then he realized, "That's right, she's Yang Tiexin's adopted daughter!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's doubts vanished instantly.
To be honest, the six siblings only met this Miss Mu once. It was in a dilapidated temple outside the capital city. They met Guo Jing and also this Miss Mu Nianci. Only then did they learn that this girl was Yang Tiexin's adopted daughter, and that she was betrothed to Guo Jing by their parents.
After the matter between the Guo and Yang families was settled, they and Qiu Chuji intended to arrange the marriage between Guo Jing and Mu Nianci, but unexpectedly, both children resolutely refused. Guo Jing only had Huang Rong in his heart, while Mu Nianci also seemed to have someone else in her heart.
After that, they went their separate ways and never crossed paths again. Who would have thought that they would meet again today at the Zuixianlou Restaurant in Jiaxing?
Remembering Mu Nianci's earlier words, "Guo Jing is trapped and his life is in danger," Ke Zhen'e's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said, "Seventh Sister, quickly wake her up!"
Han Xiaoying responded and placed her hand on Mu Nianci's back, using her internal energy to massage her uterus and improve blood circulation. Although her internal energy was not very profound, her massage technique was extremely skillful. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Mu Nianci's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Miss Mu!" Han Xiaoying called softly, her tone gentle, "You're awake?"
Mu Nianci's gaze gradually focused, and she saw that the person in front of her was Han Xiaoying. Seeing Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong and others surrounding her, her eyes immediately reddened, and she struggled to get up.
"Heroine Han... Hero Ke..."
Her voice was hoarse, and her breath was still weak, but she didn't care about catching her breath. She grabbed Han Xiaoying's hand and said urgently, "Brother Guo... Brother Guo and Miss Huang are surrounded in Niujia Village and are in imminent danger! Please, please go and save them!"
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
Zhu Cong stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Miss Mu, please don't be hasty, speak slowly. Who exactly is attacking Jing'er and the others?"
Mu Nianci opened her mouth, but a trace of pain suddenly flashed across her face. She lowered her head, her lips trembling, as if she had some unspeakable secret, and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
"I...I..."
She uttered the word "I" several times, but her voice grew softer and softer, her expression becoming increasingly sorrowful, before an unusual blush appeared on her face.
Zhu Cong and Han Xiaoying exchanged a glance, feeling a surge of impatience, but they couldn't bring themselves to press for answers.
Just then, a calm voice came from the side.
"Miss Mu, if I'm not mistaken, the people who attacked Young Hero Guo back then must have been that young prince, right?"
Mu Nianci's body trembled violently, and she looked up in the direction of the voice. When she saw who was speaking, her already pale face instantly lost all color, and her eyes were filled with fear and wariness.
"It's you...!"
She instinctively tried to get up, but the sudden movement aggravated her injury, causing her to sway and nearly fall. Han Xiaoying quickly supported her, only to see her staring intently at Ouyang Ke, her eyes filled with fear and disgust that almost overflowed.
Upon seeing this, Ouyang Ke couldn't help but smile wryly.
He naturally knew why Mu Nianci reacted that way.
Those were the evil deeds committed by the original owner of this body before he transmigrated. At that time, Yang Kang was captured at Guiyun Manor, and Mu Nianci was entrusted by him to go to Suzhou to report to Mei Chaofeng. However, she was encountered by the original owner on the way. Seeing her beautiful appearance, the original owner was immediately aroused and intended to take advantage of her. Mu Nianci refused to submit, and he took her to the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall in Baoying and trapped her in a coffin. If Guo Jing and Huang Rong had not arrived in time to rescue her, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
All of this happened before the original owner went to Peach Blossom Island.
Ouyang Ke sighed, and meeting Mu Nianci's wary gaze, slowly stood up. He bowed respectfully, his expression sincere:
"Miss Mu, I was in the wrong back outside Suzhou. I was disrespectful and frivolous towards you, and almost caused a terrible disaster. Fortunately, Young Hero Guo and Miss Huang came to your rescue in time, preventing that sin from being committed. Today, in front of Hero Ke and the other six, I, Ouyang Ke, apologize to you."
After saying this, he bowed deeply and remained there for a long time.
Mu Nianci was stunned.
She looked at the white-robed young man before her, and for a moment she didn't know how to react.
The villain in my memory, with his lewd eyes and repulsive face, now possessed an elegant demeanor, his brows furrowed with openness and sincerity. His eyes were clear and bright, devoid of any unsettling intent.
Seeing this, Han Xiaoying said softly, "Miss Mu, Young Master Ouyang... he has already reformed."
Ke Zhen'e nodded and said in a deep voice, "That's right. We just fought with him, and he has indeed reformed and is very different from before. Miss Mu doesn't need to be too wary."
Upon hearing this, Mu Nianci's gaze lingered on Ouyang Ke for a long time.
She saw him sitting there quietly, dressed in white, handsome and refined. His legs seemed to have a problem, and a pair of crutches stood beside him. His gaze towards her was clear as water, open and honest, without a trace of the discomfort that had once made her feel so uncomfortable.
Her guard had unconsciously lowered a little.
But how can the fear and disgust etched into one's bones be eliminated in just a few words?
She lowered her head and stopped looking at him.
Seeing this, Zhu Cong knew that time was of the essence, so he continued to press, "Miss Mu, is it really Yang Kang? Just tell me."
Mu Nianci trembled again, her lowered eyelashes fluttering slightly. After a long while, she said in a very low voice, "It's...it's him."
Ke Zhen'e frowned deeply and said in a deep voice, "Didn't Yang Kang become sworn brothers with Jing'er at Guiyun Manor and vow to kill Wanyan Honglie to avenge his family? Why would he turn around and attack Jing'er?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Nianci's expression grew even more somber. She remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, her voice as soft as a breeze, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
"I... the seniors all know about my affair with Yang Kang. Later, when I was escorting my adoptive parents' coffins south, I passed through Niujia Village in Lin'an, and by sheer coincidence, I ran into him again."
As she spoke, her voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that the memory was a source of immense pain for her.
Upon hearing this, Ke Zhen'e and the others frowned. Having spent their lives upholding justice and never experienced the taste of love, they naturally could not comprehend the complex emotions in Mu Nianci's heart.
Only Zhu Cong seemed to be deep in thought, vaguely guessing what was going on.
As a woman, Han Xiaoying was perceptive and, seeing Mu Nianci's expression, she understood most of the situation. She gently held Mu Nianci's hand, offering silent comfort.
Mu Nianci took a deep breath and continued, "Back in Guiyun Manor, after he... after he left, I..." She paused, her gaze unconsciously glancing at Ouyang Ke, and bit her lip, "I was captured by this man and witnessed him helping Wanyan Honglie escape danger. At that time, I knew that he... he had never truly repented."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ke could only smile wryly and remain silent.
Mu Nianci continued, "Later, I met him again at the entrance of Niujia Village. At that time, he was surrounded by experts from the Jinwang Mansion, including Peng Lianhu and Sha Tongtian, who were chasing Brother Guo and Miss Huang. Brother Guo and the others were injured and were barely holding on when they were chased all the way to an abandoned inn. Those people seemed to be afraid that Brother Guo and the others would fight to the death, so they dared not launch a full-scale attack and instead guarded the outside, hoping to starve them to death."
"I...I then sneaked into the inn under the cover of night and met Brother Guo and Miss Huang. Brother Guo said that they were injured and that even with me, they were no match for those people, so he told me to leave quietly and come to Jiaxing to ask some seniors for help."
As she spoke, her breathing became unsteady again, and an unusual flush rose to her face.
Suddenly, her body trembled, and she clutched her chest, spitting out a mouthful of blood!
"Miss Mu!"
Han Xiaoying was shocked and quickly helped her up. This time, upon closer inspection, she discovered a clear and delicate handprint beneath Mu Nianci's left shoulder. The skin around the handprint was dark, faintly exuding an eerie aura.
Han Xiaoying gently lifted a corner of her clothes and saw that the palm print was deep in her skin, with long, slender fingers, clearly left by a woman.
"This is..." She couldn't help but gasp.
Zhu Cong stepped forward for a closer look, his expression also grave. They had traveled the martial world for many years and had seen all kinds of martial arts, but they had never seen such a vicious palm strike.
"Miss Mu, who injured you?" Zhu Cong asked in a deep voice.
Mu Nianci clenched her teeth, her eyes brimming with tears that stubbornly refused to fall. She remained silent for a long time before speaking in an extremely soft voice, "A woman in green has appeared beside Yang Kang... I don't know when. That person's martial arts are incredibly high; she and Yang Kang discovered me when I left Niujia Village..."
She paused, her voice growing lower: "When she... when she caught up with me, I couldn't dodge in time, and she slapped me on the shoulder."
Han Xiaoying couldn't help but ask, "Yang Kang... he just watched?"
Mu Nianci remained silent.
She simply lowered her head, and tears finally streamed down her face silently.
That silence speaks volumes more than any words.
Ke Zhen'e slammed his iron staff down and roared, "What a despicable little beast who recognizes a thief as his father and forgets his ancestors!"
Han Baoju slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "We shouldn't have let him go back at Guiyun Manor because of a moment of weakness! This heartless bastard should have been killed with a single blow long ago!"
Zhu Cong, however, was much calmer. He looked at Ouyang Ke, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Ouyang is knowledgeable and experienced; could you possibly tell who injured Miss Mu?"
Ouyang Ke pondered for a moment, then asked, "Miss Mu, when that woman in green made her move, was there a faint trace of black energy in her palm?"
Mu Nianci paused slightly, thought for a moment, and then slowly nodded.
Ouyang Ke sighed: "If I'm not mistaken, what injured Miss Mu should be the Iron Palm Clan's skill—Iron Palm Kung Fu."
"Iron Palm Kung Fu?" Han Baoju was taken aback. "Isn't that the martial art of that fraudulent old man Qiu?"
The Iron Palm Clan had been a powerful force in Southwest China for decades, and its reputation was extremely high.
The siblings had heard of him before, when they went to the desert. However, when they returned earlier, they had seen an old man named Qiu who called himself "Iron Palm Water-Walking" on Taihu Lake. That man was tricked by Huang Rong in front of them at Guiyun Manor. His martial arts were flashy but ineffective, and he was a joke.
But little did they know that an Iron Palm technique would suddenly appear?
Ouyang Ke said calmly, "You may not know this, but the Qiu family has three siblings. The eldest and second eldest are twins who look very alike. The one who made a fool of himself at Guiyun Manor back then was the eldest, Qiu Qianzhang, a fraudulent imposter. The real leader of the Iron Palm Clan, Qiu Qianren, has unfathomable martial arts skills, and it is said that his skills are comparable to those of my five uncles."
Zhu Cong suddenly realized, "Could that woman in green be...?"
Ouyang Ke nodded: "If I'm not mistaken, that woman should be Qiu Qianren's younger sister, one of the disciples of the Iron Palm Clan. Aside from Qiu Qianren himself, only his sister possesses such mastery of the Iron Palm technique."
But he was thinking about something else.
The woman in green was none other than Qiu Qianchi, who was later pushed into the Valley of Heartbreak by Gongsun Zhi.
This woman possessed extremely high martial arts skills, but was also extremely jealous. It was quite unexpected that Yang Kang could end up with her.
Given Yang Kang's character, once he discovered that Wanyan Honglie's forces were missing two powerful allies, himself and his uncle, he naturally began to make plans in advance. When he encountered a young and beautiful woman like Qiu Qianchi, who possessed exceptional skills, how could he not be tempted?
As for Mu Nianci's palm strike...
Ouyang Ke glanced at Mu Nianci's sorrowful expression and had already guessed most of what was going on. Given Qiu Qianchi's personality, how could she not feel jealous upon discovering that Yang Kang and Mu Nianci seemed to have a past relationship?
That palm strike was probably more than just a simple pursuit.
Yang Kang's ability to stand idly by further confirms his cold-hearted and ungrateful nature.
It seems that he has made his choice between Qiu Qianchi and Mu Nianci.
Seeing that Mu Nianci's breathing was becoming increasingly unstable, Han Xiaoying quickly said, "Second Brother, Miss Mu's injuries are quite serious. We must think of a solution immediately."
Ke Zhen and the others stepped forward to try, but to little avail. Seeing that Mu Nianci's breath was growing weaker and weaker, Zhu Cong made a decisive move and cupped his hands to Ouyang Ke, saying, "Young Master Ouyang, please lend a hand. Since you are familiar with this skill, you must also have a way to save her."
Ouyang Ke glanced at Mu Nianci and saw that her face was pale and her breath was weak, yet she was still stubbornly refusing to collapse. He sighed inwardly and nodded.
"Miss Mu, please forgive me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he moved swiftly and landed gracefully beside Mu Nianci.
With two fingers joined together, quickly press several major acupoints on Mu Nianci's shoulder.
Zhu Cong and the others only felt a blur before their eyes; the speed of the attack and the accuracy of the acupoint selection were simply unbelievable.
What amazed them even more was that each of Ouyang Ke's finger strikes was different, sometimes flicking, sometimes tapping, sometimes pressing, sometimes rubbing, all of which were elegant and graceful yet contained hidden rules, clearly demonstrating extremely skillful healing techniques.
The Six Heroes of Jiangnan, having traveled the martial world for many years and seen much, were now dumbfounded – such martial arts were truly unheard of and unseen by them!
At the same time, a warm and mellow internal force slowly flowed from Ouyang Ke's palm into Mu Nianci's body. The internal force was long and profound, and wherever it passed, Mu Nianci felt her originally suffocating and painful chest gradually ease, and her whole body felt warm and comfortable, an indescribable pleasure.
What surprised her most was that Ouyang Ke tried his best to avoid physical contact with her when he made his move, always performing his skills through her clothes and never touching her skin at all, clearly intentionally avoiding any suspicion.
She forced herself to look up at Ouyang Ke and saw that he was focused and clear-eyed, his eyes as clear as water, without a trace of his former wickedness. Unbeknownst to her, a crack had appeared in the thick wall of ice in her heart.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ouyang Ke finished his practice, exhaled, and slowly opened his eyes.
He had a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and looked somewhat tired.
Zhu Cong hurriedly asked, "Young Master Ouyang, how is Miss Mu's injury?"
Ouyang Ke said, "Fortunately, the person who injured her did not intend to kill her. Although the palm strike was fierce, it left room for maneuver. I have now neutralized most of the palm strike force accumulated in her body, and her life is not in immediate danger. However..."
He paused, then looked at Mu Nianci, "Miss Mu needs to rest for at least half a month to fully recover. During this period, you must not use force or overexert yourself."
But he was thinking about something else entirely.
He had truly experienced the ruthlessness of the Iron Palm Technique today. In later generations, when Huang Rong was struck by Qiu Qianren's palm, even Emperor Duan Zhixing of the Southern Dynasty went to great lengths to heal her. Mu Nianci was able to survive because Qiu Qianchi showed mercy, because she was young and had a strong foundation, and because she had already mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill. For anyone else, that palm strike would likely have been fatal.
As for why Qiu Qianchi showed mercy...
Ouyang Ke glanced at Mu Nianci and understood.
Given that woman's jealous nature, she certainly wouldn't want to kill someone in front of Yang Kang. She was confident in her Iron Palm technique, believing ordinary doctors couldn't cure her; she thought that if she just delayed a few days, Mu Nianci's internal injuries would flare up and she would die. At that point, Yang Kang wouldn't be able to blame her.
Such a deep scheme.
Mu Nianci's complexion had turned from pale to rosy, and her breathing had become much more stable. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Ouyang Ke standing beside her, instinctively shrinking back slightly. But then, she felt a warm sensation on her shoulder and remembered his restraint and avoidance when he attacked earlier, and the tension in her heart eased a little.
She lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you...Young Master Ouyang."
The voice was soft, but it carried a greater sincerity than before.
Ouyang Ke waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned, then took a few steps back and sat back down in his chair.
The firebird poked its head out from his shoulder, looked at Mu Nianci curiously, then shrank back and continued to doze off.
Ke Zhen'e said in a deep voice, "Miss Mu, where is Yang Kang now? We must set off immediately to rescue Jing'er!"
Mu Nianci roused herself and described the locations she knew in detail.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Cong turned to Ouyang Ke, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Ouyang, thank you for today's matter. If there is any need in the future, the Six Heroes of Jiangnan will certainly serve you."
Ouyang Ke smiled slightly, picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and slowly said, "That young prince has many experts by his side, so I'll accompany you all on this trip!"
Now that he has mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and feeling restless and eager to move, he naturally wants to see the "Iron Palm Skill" that is famous throughout the southwest.
Moreover, if we can establish a good relationship with Guo Jing and his companion, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask them for the "Nine Yin Manual" in the future!
Seeing Ouyang Ke speak up, Zhu Cong exclaimed with delight, "That's great! With Young Master Ouyang by our side, we have a much better chance of success on this trip!"
It should be noted that the Jin Prince's Mansion has many experts. Not to mention Peng Lianhu, Sha Tongtian and others, there is also Qiu Qianchi, whose martial arts skills are unknown. Naturally, the brothers would not have much chance of winning if they went there.
Before leaving, Ke Zhen'e and the others arranged for Mu Nianci to recuperate at Zuixianlou, while the six siblings and Ouyang Ke traveled from Jiaxing to Niujia Village in Lin'an.