Chapter 11: The Sect Leader's Wife

Ye Jingtang focused his entire being on every movement. After practicing just twice, he sensed something mysterious.

Previously, the restless internal energy within him had nowhere to go; now, guided by these techniques, a flow of "Qi" seemed to converge in his right hand. Though the motion appeared no different from a standard wave of the hand, the shift in force application felt as transformative as suddenly learning to walk after a lifetime of crawling. He had entered an entirely new realm. Simply put, he had been practicing the "form" before; now, he was practicing the "spirit."

By the third repetition, without deep contemplation, he grasped the intent behind the movements. As the feeling took hold, he struck a palm against the nearby wall.

*Boom.*

A low, muffled sound echoed through the room—faint yet exceptionally heavy, like a thousand-pound iron hammer wrapped in cotton striking the wall; silent, yet laden with power.

The old house shuddered slightly, dislodging a few broken tiles; otherwise, nothing changed. Ye Jingtang withdrew his hand. The earthen wall appeared unscathed, not even a flake of surface dust disturbed, but when he poked it with a finger, it felt as if he were sinking into soft, loose silt.

*Sssss...*

Sand trickled down, revealing a clear palm print on the wall, over two inches deep.

"What a technique..."

Ye Jingtang stared at his own palm, his eyes filled with astonishment. This was the first time he had realized his martial prowess was so formidable. If he, having just learned a single technique from Luo Ning, could be this powerful, what could he achieve if he unearthed the supreme secret manual hidden in the imperial palace, the *Dragon’s Resonance Chart*? Would he not rise to great heights?

At this thought, Ye Jingtang instinctively looked toward the imperial city outside the window, a flash of eagerness in his eyes.

Across from him, Luo Ning’s red lips parted slightly, her charming peach-blossom eyes wide with disbelief. She stared blankly at Ye Jingtang, taking a long moment to recover. "You... how do you know the Fourteen Hands of Cloud-Clinging?"

"Hmm?" Ye Jingtang pulled his thoughts back and looked at her, looking puzzled. "Didn't you just teach me?"

"You know you just learned it! You mastered it the moment I taught you?"

Ye Jingtang waved his hand. "Such a simple technique—if one couldn't learn it after being taught, wouldn't that be stupidity?"

*Simple... Stupidity...*

Luo Ning’s eyes widened, clearly shocked by his words. It took an ordinary person at least three years to master the basics of the Fourteen Hands of Cloud-Clinging. Although this young man already possessed a foundation of powerful internal energy, to fully grasp the method of circulating Qi and make it his own in three tries was simply inconceivable. And to say so righteously that "not learning it is stupidity"—by that logic, everyone except the "One Immortal, Two Sages, and Eight Great Masters" were fools!

Luo Ning opened her mouth to challenge him, but the technique was one she had just taught him herself—a secret never before shared. How could this young man have learned it ahead of time? Was his talent truly this extraordinary?

Seeing the young woman's shock, Ye Jingtang realized he might have learned a bit too quickly. He lowered his hand and smiled. "I learn fast because you teach well and thoroughly. Hmm... how about you try again, Lady Luo? I don't believe I can master such an advanced technique after just one look."

Luo Ning didn't believe it either and raised her hand, but she immediately realized—this young man was trying to take advantage of her!

She quickly pulled her hand back, clasped it behind her back, and assumed the posture of an icy beauty. "If you want to learn martial arts, you should know the rules. You must serve as a disciple for three years, and only if your master finds your heart sincere and your character and aptitude worthy will they consider teaching you true martial arts. Do you have a master?"

Ye Jingtang understood the woman's intent—she wanted to take him as a disciple. He said nothing, his gaze drifting toward Lady Luo’s impressive assets.

"..."

Luo Ning suddenly remembered being pinned down and touched earlier; perhaps apprenticeship wasn't appropriate. She gave a light cough. "I have connections in the pugilistic world; aside from those three old immortals on the mountain, I have friendships with everyone else. Your talent is good; if you are willing, I can act as your guide and introduce you to a master. The prerequisite is that you must be truly devoted to me and treat me as... as..."

Somehow, nothing seemed appropriate.

Ye Jingtang recognized the weight of her words and asked with surprise, "You know the Eight Great Masters?"

"I do. They all give me some measure of respect."

Ye Jingtang looked at her with skepticism. "Then why were you beaten and forced to flee in the capital, relying on me to provide cover?"

Feeling Ye Jingtang’s disdain, Luo Ning narrowed her eyes. "Who do you think dares to come to the capital and trouble the Black Yamen? I just didn't want to kill the innocent earlier. Otherwise, you and those two little constables wouldn't even have needed to alert the people on the street before being sent to your deaths. If you refuse to follow me, then you only get to learn that one move. We shall be even, and neither will owe the other."

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang didn't press the issue. He jumped up to patch the leaking roof and asked casually, "Lady Luo, are you really married?"

"Hmm?" Luo Ning was startled, staring at him with cold eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Your reaction earlier was very stiff; you didn't even know how to be intimate. You don't seem like a married woman..."

Luo Ning was instantly shamed and enraged, reaching for her sword immediately.

But at that moment, light footsteps appeared outside the courtyard.

*Tap, tap...*

Both were startled, assuming the officials had returned. Their reaction was strangely synchronized: the beautiful swordswoman threw herself down to pose as a wife, and Ye Jingtang lunged forward to strike a pose.

Before anyone could speak, a woman’s low cry came from outside:

"Mistress?"

*!!!*

A bolt from the blue!

Ye Jingtang, just preparing to flirt, nearly choked on his words. Luo Ning, who had been ready to cooperate, was shocked by the sound and kicked Ye Jingtang off the bed.

*Thump—*

A muffled sound echoed in the room.

At that same moment, the door was kicked open.

A figure wearing a bamboo hat and a rain cape rushed into the sparsely furnished room. The figure was not tall, reaching only to Ye Jingtang’s shoulder. A sword with a red tassel hung beneath the cape, and the face beneath the hat was exquisite—a young girl of only sixteen.

The girl was extremely agile; the moment she burst in, she saw the tall, broad-shouldered Ye Jingtang rolling off the floor. Beside her, her mistress leaned against the wall, face pale and terrified, looking as though she had suffered some terrible indignity!

"Thief!"

The girl was furious. She drew her sword and lunged at Ye Jingtang. "Die!"

Ye Jingtang was bewildered. He instinctively drew his blade to block, only to find the girl was quite fierce; her strike sent him staggering. As she attacked again, Ye Jingtang knew he couldn't fight back for real. Seeing Luo Ning stunned and failing to intervene, he urgently warned: "Lady, hold on! We’re on the same side!"

The girl paused, glancing at her mistress.

Luo Ning, huddled in the corner, was trembling. Having regained her senses, she hurriedly said, "Yunli, stop. This little thief... no, this young hero is a good person."

The girl remained suspicious, glaring at Ye Jingtang. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I..." Ye Jingtang started to explain but realized something was wrong. He spread his hands. "Miss Yun, this is my house! Why are you here?"

Zhe Yunli was stunned. "My surname is Zhe! Not Yun. I found this place first and have been staying here for half a month. How is it your house? You occupied the nest while I was away yesterday, and I haven't dealt with you yet..."

Ye Jingtang pulled the rental contract from his sleeve. "Have you paid the rent? Let me see the lease."

"..."

Zhe Yunli naturally hadn't paid. Feeling she was in the wrong, she changed the subject, scrutinizing his attire. "Aren't you a scholar?"

"Who told you I was a scholar?"

"My mistress said... well, never mind."

Zhe Yunli finally realized that they were the intruders in someone else’s home. She sheathed her blade and hurried to the bedside. "Mistress, are you alright?"

Having spoken, she removed her bamboo hat, revealing long hair tied up like a man’s. Her oval face was exquisite, her willow brows and red lips carrying a unique heroic air. In terms of beauty, she was not inferior to the woman before her, though she lacked the mellow, intoxicating allure of the older woman.

Hearing Zhe Yunli call Luo Ning "Mistress," and noticing no resemblance between them, Ye Jingtang breathed a secret sigh of relief.

Luo Ning, clearly feeling guilty, curled up in the quilt and feigned weakness. "I am unharmed. Do not worry."

"Mistress, why is your complexion turning from red to white?"

"It was the result of dispelling the poison just now. My internal power is deep; I am fine, just a little stagnant in my Qi."

"Oh... why is there a white chicken here?" Zhe Yunli looked at the bird, then at Ye Jingtang. "Did you raise it?"

"Cheep?" The bird looked quite displeased.

"It seems so. I will stew some chicken soup for Mistress." The girl moved to catch the bird.

Before Ye Jingtang could act, Luo Ning hurriedly shielded the bird—which had just "spoken" for her—behind her back. "This bird is not for eating. Hmm... all living things have spirits, and I have grown quite fond of it."

Seeing this, Zhe Yunli let the bird be and tried to check on Luo Ning’s condition. As she pulled back the quilt, she turned to Ye Jingtang. "Do you have any dry rations? Mistress hasn't eaten since noon, and I forgot to bring any when I returned because the situation was tense."

Ye Jingtang looked at the two women who showed no signs of leaving. After a moment of silence, he finally summoned the bird and walked out the door...

The night was deep.

The doors and windows of the main room were tightly shut, yet could not stop the breeze from seeping through the cracks. The rain cape covering the hole in the roof occasionally dripped a crystalline bead of water, making a crisp "drip-drop" sound.

An oil lamp sat at the head of the bed, casting two shadows on the wall. Luo Ning lay on the bed clutching a pillow, her tea-green dress pulled down to her hips. Her back, white as suet jade, was exposed in the candlelight, like a flawless treasure.

Zhe Yunli massaged her back, clearing her Qi and blood. She sighed, "It’s all Master’s fault. Our 'Ping Tian Sect' has so many experts, yet he wouldn't send a single one to help me. If any one of the Four Great Guardians had come, we wouldn't have been chased and forced to flee..."

Luo Ning, feeling restless, said softly, "Your master is not heartless. The capital is full of hidden dangers; there are a hundred thousand imperial guards outside, and countless experts within the palace. Even your master would not be certain of rescuing someone himself, so how could he let his disciples take the risk? We owe Hero Chou a debt of gratitude; coming here privately is already a disregard for the bigger picture..."

The Ping Tian Sect was one of the top powers in the martial arts world today, and its leader was the first of the Eight Great Masters, as well as the most powerful "rebel leader" on the surface of the Great Liang Dynasty. But even so, compared to the rulers of the entire world, the Ping Tian Sect still had a long way to go.

Zhe Yunli knew her mistress was right, but she remained sullen. "Hero Chou was captured by the government to cover my escape and could be executed at any moment. How can I sit by and do nothing? It’s her fault; not only does she refuse to save him, but she also won't teach me her true skills, nor will she teach you..."

"Cultivating martial arts depends on talent. Your master is a genius rarely seen in a century. Even the people in the capital say that if he were to pass away, your master might inherit the title of 'Martial Immortal.' How much of the skills possessed by such a figure could you or I learn even if he taught us? I once wanted to learn; your master taught me the 'Peacock Sword,' claiming it was just a casual, ordinary sword technique. I couldn't even master the basics after half a month. You don't know the look of disdain your master gave me, alas..."

As Luo Ning said this, she turned her head to look at the rain outside the window, lost in thought, likely recalling Ye Jingtang’s expression earlier—*unbelievable, that a fool couldn't learn it.*

Zhe Yunli laughed secretly. Seeing her mistress unresponsive, she blinked and looked back at the window. "Mistress, why do you keep looking at the window?"

*I'm afraid that boy is peeking...*

Luo Ning withdrew her gaze and said softly, "The room is drafty; I must be careful while changing clothes."

Zhe Yunli smiled sweetly. "Mistress, don't worry. That boy has mediocre martial arts; I repelled him in one move. He wouldn't have the guts to peek."

Luo Ning had been touched for a quarter of an hour just before; she didn't think the boy lacked lecherous intent, but it was not something she could discuss. She just smiled. "Don't underestimate that boy. I tested him today; his talent is truly extraordinary. Perhaps he will achieve great things in the future."

Zhe Yunli was startled. "Really? How does he compare to me?"

"The gap is quite large."

"Heehee~ Of course, Master said that if I practice diligently, I will become a Grandmaster before I’m twenty-five..."

"..."

Luo Ning opened her mouth but decided not to crush the girl's spirit, remaining silent.

Zhe Yunli finished applying the medicinal ointment and carefully checked her mistress for other injuries. But as she pulled back the quilt to touch her leg, she suddenly paused.

"Mistress..."

"Hmm?"

Zhe Yunli looked strange, touching Luo Ning’s leg. "Why are your trousers wet?"

Luo Ning’s face turned bright red instantly. She hurriedly pulled up the quilt. "I dispelled the poison just now and broke into a sweat. How could I be dry?"

"I thought Mistress had wet the bed... ouch~"

Before Zhe Yunli could finish laughing, she was tapped on the head.