Chapter 92: Benevolent Melody of Restoration
Silence.
A prolonged silence.
After a prolonged pause, Chu Liang spoke in a feeble voice, "When he had a head, he was called the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess."
"Mountain[1]? That's a weird name..." Di Nufeng exclaimed.
"Have you ever thought of the possibility that...this is a title?" Chu Liang said with a smile.
When Chu Liang was by the river and found out that Lord Xia had intended to kill someone, he immediately crushed the jade talisman with the tracking spell, summoning his teacher.
Knowing Lord Xia wouldn't foolishly orchestrate a trap without having someone who was strong enough to kill him, Chu Liang, who had been uncertain of the enemy's attack formation, very quickly sent out a distress signal.
Nonetheless, this was not a teleportation talisman. Even if Di Nufeng had promptly received and acted on the message, reaching the location would still demand a considerable amount of time.
Chu Liang initially intended to create a delay, but unfortunately, Lord Xia did not give him this opportunity and promptly ordered Master Lu to initiate an attack.
Fortunately, the Crimson Executioner was powerful enough, Master Lu managed to avoid a punch from Di Nufeng. Considering things from this perspective, Master Lu should even express his gratitude to Chu Liang.
The ensuing sequence of events unfolded rapidly: Lord Xia fled, Chu Liang pursued, and the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess laid siege. It was a long story. In the critical moment when the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess poised to strike the fatal blow, Di Nufeng arrived.
The reason why Chu Liang had discarded his sword was because he saw his teacher's arrival. Otherwise, he would have devised alternative strategies to delay things even further. Lin Bei's presence played a pivotal role in the attempt to stall. Without Lin Bei's emergence, achieving the delay until his teacher's arrival might have proven impossible.
Every second of Chu Liang's conversation with the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess was, in fact, a decrement to his life points. However, the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess remained entirely oblivious at that moment.
As Chu Liang observed the standing corpse, a wave of emotion washed over him.
I have been waiting for my teacher's arrival, but what are you waiting for?
Regardless, the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess was a member of the imperial family, inheriting the noble marquess title and cultivating at the sixth realm.
Yet, Di Nufeng killed him without any inquiry, defying the expectations of everyone present.
"Oh, a noble marquess." Di Nufeng waved her hand, maintaining a carefree demeanor.
Even upon learning the individual's identity, she showed no concern.
Can she talk about the noble marquess with a bit more seriousness?
Why would she mention it as though she was talking about inconsequential matters?
Countless people couldn't help but feel the urge to complain.
Appearing oblivious to the attention she garnered among the crowd and paying no attention to the gazes around her, she walked towards Chu Liang with ease. The guards from the Marquess's residence automatically made their way, reluctant to intervene—or perhaps, terrified to act as they stood still in their places.
Meanwhile, Lin Bei, who had nearly been crushed by the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess just moments ago, now bounced back with enthusiasm. He leaped onto the stage, shook his head lightly at the lifeless body, saying, "See? This is the consequence of not showing me respect."
Immediately, he turned around and followed Di Nufeng, displaying a fawning smile. "Senior Aunt Di Nufeng, you're truly amazing. My admiration for you is like the endless flow of a great river..."
Di Nufeng, examining Chu Liang's injuries, caught sight of him approaching and asked, "Are you also from Mount Shu? Which peak?"
"I..." Lin Bei paused as the words reached his lips, then chuckled, "The specific peak doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm the best friend of Silver Sword Peak. I've always considered Senior Aunt Di Nufeng the strongest among the thirty-six peak masters!"
"Alright. Make sure to spread the word for me when you go back," Di Nufeng chuckled as she responded.
"An obligation that cannot be shirked!" Lin Bei puffed his chest, expressing some concerns, "But, Senior Aunt, is it really fine to just kill a Marquess without asking any questions?"
"I saw him trying to kill my disciple the moment I arrived, what else is there to ask?" Di Nufeng justified herself confidently.
...
Hearing his teacher's words, Chu Liang couldn't help but feel moved. Such a pure act of protecting one's disciple; anyone who was the protected disciple would have felt moved by such an action.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Liang said, "Rest assured! The Mountain-Subjugating Marquess is involved in human trafficking and all sorts of wrongdoing, causing many loss of lives. Esteemed Teacher, your action is undoubtedly justifiable. Even if this matter was brought up to the imperial court, we have justice on our side."
"I knew it..." His teacher proudly smiled and said, "I, Di Nufeng, am someone who has upheld justice and righteousness throughout my life. How could I randomly kill someone?"
Lin Bei grinned but dared not speak.
"I think what we need to worry about now is another issue," Chu Liang said again in a feeble voice.
"What?" Both of them looked at him.
Chu Liang continued, "My injuries have not been healing. If this continues, I'm afraid I will die."
For cultivators, with sufficient internal energy and robust vitality, as long as their external injuries were not immediately fatal, they would heal rapidly. If they used their foundational qi for recovery, the process would be even quicker.
However, Chu Liang's attempts to use his foundational qi for healing since the recent events yielded far-from-optimistic results.
The seemingly ordinary slash from Master Lu carried a devastating force, hindering Chu Liang's wounds from healing, and the bleeding from stopping completely. If this were to persist, even a cultivator would find it challenging to survive.
"I am not proficient in the art of healing..." Di Nufeng pondered for a while and said, "But don't you worry! If you are really dying, I am quite skilled at doing cremation."
This was the way of life for cultivators. Even if they had high cultivation levels, without relevant divine skills, they might find themselves helpless in specific situations.
"..." Chu Liang gazed at his teacher with tearful eyes.
Seeing his pitiful expression, Di Nufeng said, "I should take you back to Mount Shu to treat your wounds as soon as possible."
"Senior Aunt, with your flying speed, he might have passed away by the time you reach Mount Shu," Lin Bei whispered on the side, recalling the hellish experience of flying with Di Nufeng. "I suggest finding a skilled healer nearby."
As they were discussing, a soft voice came from behind, "Um... I can try to help Young Noble Chu with his injuries."
They turned around and saw an elegant-looking young woman standing gracefully on the stage while holding a qin case. It was Xue Lingxue.
Upon seeing her, Di Nufeng's eyes lit up as she remarked, "What a beautiful young lady! What's your name, and where do you live?"
"Senior Aunt, I know all the answers to your questions. I will tell you..." Lin Bei quickly pulled Di Nufeng aside, "Let Miss Xue try to heal Chu Liang first."
Well, it turns out that Di Nufeng is a hidden female rogue...
Today wasn't the luckiest day for Xue Lingxue. It marked her first-ever tour, and this was the inaugural stop. Filled with ambitious thoughts of making a stellar debut, she had envisioned delivering an outstanding performance.
But then, even before she had gotten on stage, such an accident had occurred.
The disciple of Mount Shu lewdly bound the Lord of the Marquessate, and a red-clad lady killed the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess with an explosive attack...
After such a splendid "performance," the audience below almost forgot why they had come today, and all the limelight was completely stolen.
Seeing Chu Liang in such a predicament, Xue Lingxue finally found a chance to step onto the stage. Although the disciples from Southern Melody Conservatory were not professional healers, most of them indeed possessed effective healing techniques.
Xue Lingxue unfolded her qin case and began to play.
Zing—
The melodious sound of the qin filled the air.
"This piece is called Benevolent Melody of Restoration..." the musician behind them explained to the two from Mount Shu, "It's the healing masterpiece of our Southern Melody Conservatory and also Senior Sister Xue's signature piece. Rest assured."
"Rest assured. I am not worried at all." Di Nufeng praised Xue Lingxue, clicking her tongue in admiration. "I have to say that girls in the field of art look absolutely stunning."
"Indeed..." Lin Bei nodded in agreement, "Miss Xue's figure, appearance, inner qualities, and temperament... she's flawless in every aspect."
"...Truly tasty..."
"...I'd gladly live ten fewer years..."
The musician behind them, listening to the intermittent discussions between the two, was bewildered, and one black question mark after another involuntarily appeared on her forehead.
Nice...
Are there any good people in the Mount Shu Sect?
1. There's a joke here that we can't translate. Mountain-Subjugating is 定山 (Dingshan) in Chinese. And the word 腚 (Ding) means buttocks. So Di Nufeng thought this person's surname was buttocks. ☜