Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 64: Crisis Amidst Four Fronts

Fujibayashi Jonin scrambled to his feet and stealthily crept to Huang Miwu's side. With lightning speed, he aimed to seal Huang's vital points, but unexpectedly, another pebble flew towards him. This time, Fujibayashi nimbly dodged it! Not only did he dodge, but he also discovered the hiding place of the person who had launched the pebble—crouching atop an old pine tree! He soared into the sky like a crane, leaping to the treetop, his samurai sword flashing as he protected himself, forcing the person to jump down from the branch. Everyone looked and saw a woman dressed in red! They all recognized her. Who was she? It was none other than Red Moon, the master thief of the Rong family, known as the world's number one thief! It turned out she had followed Huang Miwu here and, seeing that although he was a foreigner, he was loyal and trustworthy, and a decent person, she didn't want the Japanese pirates to harm him, which was why she had twice come to his rescue!

"Are you alright?" Red Moon walked up to Huang Miwu, quickly took out Yunnan hemostatic powder from her pouch, applied it to his eyes to stop the bleeding, and tore off a piece of her clothing to bandage him. Finally, she gave him the antidote for the mad dog's saliva. Huang Miwu was deeply moved and said excitedly, "I haven't even presented the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' yet, why did Miss Red give me the antidote first?" Red Moon smiled slightly, glanced at the Four Fiends of the Underworld, and said, "Because I trust your character! You're not like some people who are opportunistic, treacherous, and do despicable things!" Huang Miwu clapped his hands and laughed, "Miss Red is right! Now I'm handing the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' to you! I feel at ease keeping it with you." He reached into his robes, took out the strange book, and carefully handed it to Red Moon.

Red Moon placed the book into her pouch at her waist, helped Yellow Mist to her feet, and said, "Let's go!" Musashi Ichiro beckoned, and the four of them surrounded the two. Musashi Ichiro said menacingly, "Leave the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' behind, and you can leave. Otherwise, neither of you will leave here alive!" Red Moon smiled coldly and retorted, "I'm afraid you don't have the ability!" Musashi Ichiro smiled coldly, "Sect Leader Red often speaks without thinking. Aren't you afraid of exaggerating?!" Red Moon said no more, suddenly pulled Yellow Mist into the air, and performed a Lotus Kick in mid-air, kicking Musashi Ichiro in the face! She intended to break through the barrier and strike with certainty. She thought that among the four evil spirits of the underworld, Musashi Ichiro was the weakest in martial arts. However, she did not expect that there was a deeper story behind the sudden appearance. Although Musashi Ichiro's martial arts were quite weak, there was a reason why he was chosen as the eldest brother. It was not because he was older, but because he was ruthless, cunning, and had a variety of ways of killing people. He was so unpredictable that people were afraid of him and would turn pale at the mention of his name!

Seeing the flying kick coming, Musashi Ichiro didn't dodge; instead, he met it with his right fist! A loud thud resounded, and while he staggered back two steps to regain his footing, Akane Moon was even more startled. The moment her fist made contact with his, she sensed something was wrong—the rascal had a ring with a needle on his finger! Her foot was suddenly pricked! A small cut was the problem; the real issue was the immediate tingling and itching sensation, as if countless ants were biting her right foot! Oh no, the ring needle must be highly poisonous!

Seeing that she was staggering and no longer as nimble as before, Musashi Ichiro laughed and said, "Brothers, Red Moon has been poisoned by my snake venom! We shouldn't rush into a strong attack; we just need to stall her slowly. I guarantee that in less than half an hour, she will faint and be at our mercy!" The other three were overjoyed and nodded happily in agreement. They stopped attacking and simply symbolically surrounded her.

Upon hearing that it was snake venom, Hong Yueliang was greatly alarmed. Snake venom, along with centipede venom, toad venom, and spider venom, is known as one of the four most potent poisons in the world. It is generally extremely toxic and can be fatal, and there is still no antidote! Being bitten or poisoned by it is tantamount to having cancer, leaving only death as a possibility!

Huang Miwu asked with concern, "How are you feeling, Miss Hong?" Hong Yueliang's heart sank, and she said breathlessly, "My entire right leg feels numb, and my chest is getting increasingly tight." Huang Miwu quickly helped her sit on the ground and, in the dark, pressed the Xuehai, Fengshi, and Weizhong acupoints on her thigh to prevent the poison from rising and attacking her heart. Once the poison reaches the heart, even a miracle would be difficult to save her!

Red Moon whispered to Huang Miwu, "This humble woman does not intend to leave this place tonight! Sect Leader Huang, I entrust you with the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' along with the treasure pouch. I hope you can leave here safely. When you reach the General's Mansion, please be sure to deliver the items to Lord Bai Shandian! This humble woman thanks you!" She then untied the treasure pouch hanging from her waist and personally handed it to Huang Miwu. Unexpectedly, he refused to accept it, stating that he was willing to follow Sect Leader Red Moon, to die together, to live together, and absolutely could not abandon her here while he fled for his own life!

Seeing his earnest and sincere words, Hong Yueliang cried with emotion, her voice trembling as she said, "Uncle Huang! You're about the same age as my father, so I'll call you Uncle Huang for now! Today's situation is special, you can't hesitate any longer! You can't be so wishy-washy! For the sake of preventing the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' from falling into the hands of bad people, and for the safety of the martial arts world in the future, you must take it!"

Huang Miwu also said emotionally, "At first, I heard that a book called 'The Complete Book of Jianghu' had appeared in the martial arts world, and I came to Hangzhou out of curiosity. But after being persuaded by the Four Fiends of the Underworld, who said that the Qing Dynasty was corrupt and incompetent, and that if they possessed the 'Complete Book of Jianghu,' the people would be plunged into misery, I joined the ranks of those vying for the book. After my contact with your government officials a couple of days ago, I suddenly discovered that Lord Bai, you, and some of the soldiers were all fighting bravely and fearlessly. I was shocked! Who says there are no capable generals and good ministers in the court? Who says the officialdom is corrupt? Who says there is no hope for the future? Today you captured me, and instead of killing me, you let me atone for my crimes." "You've done so much! Miss Hong, you've not only saved my life twice, but you even risked your life to protect me as I left this dangerous place! Even a heart of stone would be melted by your kindness! Miss Hong, I've made my decision. From this day forward, I will follow you closely, serving you faithfully and obeying your every command! You are my master, Huang Miwu's master, and the master of all of Jinmen! We will always listen to you!" Hong Yueliang's heart warmed. Seeing his resolute and sincere attitude, she could only say, "Since that's the case, I agree! But I also order you—to immediately take my treasure pouch and leave this place! This is the first order you've given me since you surrendered. Can you obey?"

"This..." Huang Miwu was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that this would give Hong Yueliang the upper hand. He had no choice but to bid farewell with a heavy heart, put the treasure pouch into his bosom, clasp his hands in a salute and said, "Sect Leader Hong, this humble servant will take his leave first!" He used the Eagle Claw Divine Skill, spreading his wings like an eagle, and suddenly soared more than two zhang away. With a wave of his arms in the air, he did another somersault and flew away, stepping on the treetops in the forest in a series of leaps, as if flying through the air.

"Stop him! Don't let him get away!" Fujibayashi Jonin and Yagyu Densei each let out a long roar, soaring into the air and transforming into two wisps of green smoke as they gave chase together! Both were from prestigious families in Japan, and Yagyu's swordsmanship and ninjutsu were renowned throughout the world. Their lightness skills were naturally formidable, and they soon caught up with him at the eaves and brackets of the Qing Palace. Seeing the two slowly approaching, Huang Miwu suddenly stood with one hand on each side, chanting incantations. A series of loud crashes were heard, and the green tiles on the roof of a side hall suddenly flew high into the air, like hail falling from the sky. Instantly, tiles rained down on Fujibayashi Jonin and Yagyu Densei!

The two men hastily drew their swords and daggers, wielding them with lightning speed. A series of loud cracking sounds followed, shattering countless tiles into pieces that scattered across the courtyard floor. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Huang Miwu's grappling hook struck, grabbing Liu Shengchuan's arm and twisting it forcefully. He disarmed him, seizing his pulse point and pulling hard, causing the longsword to slip from his grasp. Huang Miwu then caught it, holding it to Liu Shengchuan's neck, and sneered, "A swordsman from the Liu Sheng family, without even a sword? What kind of swordsman are you?!" Liu Shengchuan was indeed enraged, shouting, "Kill me!" Huang Miwu moved with lightning speed, striking three vital points on his body in quick succession. Liu Shengchuan immediately collapsed onto the roof, speechless for a long time.