Chapter 122: Gushi Dayueer
Chapter 122: Gushi Dayueer
The man also hunched over as he kicked Li Zian away, covering the vital spot between his legs with both hands, a pained expression on his face.
It was said that getting hit there hurt more than a woman giving birth, and he now finally understood that feeling. Li Zian’s fist was no ordinary fist—it carried Zhenqi and wasn’t much different from an iron hammer. That punch was practically the same as slamming a hammer onto two eggs; the only difference was that no egg white or yolk burst out.
Just as he was in excruciating pain, Li Zian got up from the base of the wall. His mouth was crimson like he had drunk blood, his body covered in dust, looking very disheveled. He seemed nervous, even a little afraid, but he showed no pain at all.
A normal person would’ve probably lost their life after taking those hits, but he hardly felt any pain, so how could he suffer?
Li Zian raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Seeing the blood on the back of his hand, he felt a pang of regret. This was such a waste—with this much blood, he could’ve made so much phoenix claw soup, but now it was all spat out for nothing. Then he glanced out of the corner of his eyes to both sides and grew frustrated. He had clearly sent the signal, so why hadn’t the police who came with Liu Jun come to back him up?
Those police surely had guns. He refused to believe this man could dodge bullets.
Yet, those officers were completely silent; he had no idea what was going on.
Li Zian stopped hoping; relying on others wasn’t as good as relying on himself.
At that moment, the man also recovered from the intense pain between his legs, looking fiercely at Li Zian.
Both sides seemed to have a tacit understanding not to attack each other at that moment.
“Are you Huang Bo?” Li Zian broke the silence between them.
Huang Bo stayed quiet for a moment before saying, “Yes, but it doesn’t matter that you know. You’re going to die anyway.”
“Why did you kill Ma Fuquan?” Li Zian asked again.
Huang Bo replied, “And who are you?”
He wanted to trade a question for a question.
Li Zian announced clearly, “I am Yu Jiahao, the young master of Shanghai. Ever heard of me?”
If this guy couldn’t be kept here, he’d definitely seek revenge later. Sorry, brother-in-law, don’t blame me—this man looked like he would kill to silence witnesses anyway.
Better a dead brother-in-law than a dead husband.
Huang Bo shook his head: “Never heard of you. No matter who you are, you’re going to die.”
“Why did you kill Ma Fuquan?” Li Zian repeated.
“He discovered something he shouldn’t have,” Huang Bo said.
“What did he find out?”
“Are you a cop?”
Li Zian frowned. “You know the Kharosthi Language. What did you say in that phone call?”
Huang Bo said, “I know Ma Fuquan. A man like him couldn’t have a friend like you. You’re not here because of his death—you came for the secret of those Symbols, right?”
That wasn’t following the script at all.
“What secret do those Symbols hold?” Li Zian asked once more.
Huang Bo suddenly said, “You’re here. Let’s do this.”
But Li Zian didn’t even move. He was still in the Incense Burning State, aware of every sound within a hundred meters. If this guy really had backup coming, wouldn’t he have heard it?
Li Zian didn’t fall for it, but Huang Bo still lunged at him.
This time, no flying kick—just two fists.
Li Zian and Huang Bo became entangled in close combat, trading blow for blow. He wasn’t as experienced as his opponent, taking more hits than he landed, but with the Great Sluggish Cauldron in his body, he was like medicine all over—getting hit didn’t matter much.
Wham!
Li Zian took a punch to the face, and he instantly got angry: “Don’t hit my face!”
Wham!
Huang Bo punched Li Zian in the face again.
“You bastard!” Li Zian threw a punch right at Huang Bo’s chest.
Wham!
He landed the punch, but it felt like hitting solid rock.
Huang Bo suddenly lifted a leg and kicked Li Zian in the abdomen, sending him tumbling to the ground. This time, before Li Zian could recover, Huang Bo pounced again, his right hand reaching behind his back. When it returned to the front, he was holding a serrated Military Knife.
Instantly, Li Zian grew tense. Just moments ago, he had been concerned about his face; now he was worried about his life. He was scared. He also realized that Huang Bo had deliberately engaged him in close combat—concealing the knife behind his back, ready to ambush him at any moment and deliver the fatal blow!
He was still too green. This was his first life-or-death fight since leaving the mountains; his experience in this area was practically zero.
“Go die!” Huang Bo roared, pressing his whole body down as he stabbed the Military Knife toward Li Zian’s chest.
Li Zian raised his hands to grab the incoming knife, willing to let it pierce his palms just to catch it.
Huang Bo suddenly released his right hand and gave it a forceful push, transferring the Military Knife from his right to his left hand. The moment his left hand seized it, he aimed to plunge it into Li Zian’s abdomen.
Li Zian’s hands closed on empty air; his mind went blank instantly.
But at the critical moment, a streak of cold light shot through the air.
Huang Bo’s pupils contracted instantly, his left hand instinctively lifting to block with the Military Knife.
Clang!
A burst of sparks flew.
Li Zian finally saw clearly what that flying streak of cold light was—it was a sword. He could even see his own bloodstained face reflected in the shiny blade.
Huang Bo pushed off the ground with his legs, springing up like a coiled spring. While still in the air, he threw the Military Knife straight at Li Zian’s chest.
Whoosh!
The flying knife was as fast as a bullet!
The sword hovering over Li Zian flicked upward—another clang rang out as the Military Knife was knocked away.
Huang Bo took that chance to turn and flee into the darkness, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Li Zian lay on the ground, unmoving, all his nerves tightly wound because he didn’t know if the sword hanging above his head would suddenly stab down.
The sword abruptly withdrew, sliding into its scabbard with a sharp clang.
Li Zian tilted his neck back slightly, looking upward, and then he saw a pair of pure white boots and a snow-white dress.
His heart skipped a beat—it was her, the White-clad Woman.
The White-clad Woman stood right behind Li Zian. She didn’t chase Huang Bo, merely looking down at Li Zian lying on the ground.
“I…want to get up,” Li Zian said.
This wasn’t a request for her to help him up, but rather his worry that if he moved, she might run away. Or his movement might cause misunderstanding—sword unsheathing with a clang and stabbing right through him.
The White-clad Woman gave no response.
Li Zian propped himself up with his hands, slowly rising, then turned around.
The White-clad Woman wore flat cloth boots, but she was as tall as he was. On her head was a small Straw Hat, surrounded by a white veil, and she also wore a white face veil, so her face couldn’t be seen. But even in the dim light of night, her pair of blue eyes were clearly visible, faintly glowing like two brilliant sapphires.
Somehow, looking at her at such a close distance, Li Zian felt as if he were in a dream—she wasn’t real, she and he were separated by time and space, or perhaps by a Boundary Wall between dimensions.
Their eyes met. Silence lasted for dozens of seconds.
“Who…are you?” Li Zian broke the silence between them, tentatively asking.
The White-clad Woman just looked at him, saying nothing.
“You knew Huang Bo killed Ma Fuquan. You went to Ma Fuquan’s house that night. You could have stopped Huang Bo from committing the murder. Why didn’t you stop him?”
The White-clad Woman still watched him without a word.
If it were someone else, asking three questions with no answers, Li Zian might have lost patience long ago. But now he felt not a hint of urgency; instead, he was cautious, afraid of scaring her away. His voice remained gentle: “You led me to Hong Baohui’s home, helped me find the killer. But you know, my goal wasn’t just to catch the murderer—I wanted to figure out what those Symbols mean. I think you must know. Can you talk with me?”
The White-clad Woman remained silent.
Li Zian gave a bitter smile and shrugged. “Can’t you say something to me? If you don’t want to answer these questions, then could you at least tell me your name?”
From beneath her veil, the White-clad Woman let out a sound: “Gushi Dayueer.”
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, with an indescribable penetrating quality, like the sound from an ancient, unknown musical instrument, carrying a sense of mystery, easily touching one’s soul and evoking resonance.
“Gushi Dayueer—what kind of ethnic name is that? It’s really beautiful,” Li Zian said, trying to probe her identity indirectly.
Gushi Dayueer only said her name and fell silent again.
Li Zian felt somewhat awkward, but he quickly thought of another topic: “My name is Li Zian. Someone told me you’re my junior sister. My Master is Ji Da—is your Master him as well?”
Gushi Dayueer silently watched Li Zian.
Even the best patience wears thin. Li Zian grew a bit frustrated. “I think we’d have plenty to talk about. We could have a good chat. How about you ask me questions instead? I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Gushi Dayueer shook her head.
“What do you mean by shaking your head?”
Gushi Dayueer finally spoke: “You are too weak. The more you know, the faster you will die.”
“Am I weak? Compared to you, I’m definitely weak, but not as hopeless as you say, right? Besides, I just want to talk with you, not fight you. Does it really matter if I’m weak or not?” Li Zian said.
“Yes, you will die,” Gushi Dayueer said.
Li Zian: “…”
He suddenly felt that talking with this Gushi Dayueer was even more exhausting than talking with Yu Meilin. At least Yu Meilin would say a few words to him; if he angered her, she’d show emotion. But this Gushi Dayueer was like a woman carved from ice—no trace of emotion, always equally cold.
“If one day you can defeat me, I will talk with you. I must go now,” Gushi Dayueer said.
Li Zian grew anxious: “Please, let’s talk a bit more.”
Gushi Dayueer turned to leave.
Li Zian shamelessly followed her: “How can I contact you later? Leave me your phone number. Adding WeChat would work too.”
Gushi Dayueer suddenly leaped into the air, vanishing after a few bounds, gone in an instant.
Li Zian stood there foolishly, not moving for a long while.