The setting sun burned like blood upon the horizon; mountain winds howled with a fierce, cutting chill. At that moment Nigemet shouted:
"The hour has come!Master Wu, please carry out the execution!"
Wu Tong's expression hardened.
"Proceed."
In the next instant, blades flashed—cold arcs of steel dancing in the dying light.The knives fell.Screams burst forth one after another.Heads flew.
Necks split open, blood gushed like fountains, spraying across the yellow desert sand. The bodies toppled only after a long moment, their severed heads rolling like stones down a slope. The six of the Western Sect—cruel by nature and steeped in wickedness—lay with shattered skulls, their crimson blood mixing with the ochre ground in a gruesome tableau.
A nest of snakes and rats, the Western Sect had finally brought about its own destruction.Today, they were wiped out to the last.
Ling Xian'er's cold voice cut through the wind:
"All of you who followed these so-called Saint Kings and Holy Lord in their depravity—your lives are spared, but your sins are not erased. Six corpses lie before you.You will bury them—with your bare hands!"
Terrified, the crowd kowtowed frantically.
"Thank you, young lady, for sparing our lives!"
Liu Yun barked:
"Move!"
The Western Sect followers scrambled to carry the six corpses away and began clawing at the sandy ground. But Liu Yun noticed they were digging only one grave.
"Lazy fools! One grave? Are you not afraid the Saint Kings and Holy Lord will come back as ghosts tonight to drag you under?Dig six!"
Soon six large pits were carved into the sand. Ling Xian'er commanded:
"Place the bodies properly and bury them."
Trembling, the followers lifted the corpses—each twisted in a ghastly death grimace, eyes wide open, refusing to close even in death. The sight nearly frightened the onlookers to death themselves. When all six were finally buried, though the sandy soil was soft, every man's fingertips were raw and bleeding.
Liu Yun sneered:
"Frightened now, are you? Today we spare your lives, but take this lesson to heart. If our Hall Master were not reluctant to slaughter indiscriminately, your crimes would warrant death a thousand times over.Go."
The Western Sect disciples collapsed to their knees again, crying:
"Thank you, great master, for sparing us!""Thank you, young lady, for your mercy!"
At last, they rose and fled eastward.
The Next Day — The Snow Ape
The following day, the group traveled along the slopes of the Tianshan range. Around midday, shouts echoed from the mountainside ahead. Liu Yun and Ling Xian'er urged their horses forward to investigate.
Reaching a rocky ledge, Liu Yun's eyes widened.
A snow-white ape was locked in combat with a group of men—men she recognized.
They were the Four Envoys of Heaven, Earth, Wind, and Thunder of the Jiuxiao Palace: Zhou Da, Xu Er, Sun San, Ma Si.
Liu Yun let out a startled cry:
"Yuan'er?"
Ling Xian'er blinked."You know that creature?"
At that moment, the snow ape took two heavy blows from its attackers. Liu Yun exclaimed:
"Know him? He's practically family!I'll help him first!"
She leapt forward, soaring into the fray.
The Four Envoys felt a sudden gust sweep over the treetops—a fierce wind rushing straight toward them. They froze for half a heartbeat. Liu Yun seized the moment, darting past them like a streak of lightning. A flurry of punches and kicks exploded forth, forcing all four to leap back.
Zhou Da gasped, bewildered:
"Liu Yun? What are you doing in the Tianshan?!"
Liu Yun snapped:
"What wickedness are you lot up to?"
Just then, a voice from afar called out:
"Did you get the item?"
Xu Er replied:
"Got it!"
Two figures appeared, riding the wind—the Kylin Elder Lin Ping, and the Black-Tortoise Elder Shen Er, the two senior elders of Jiuxiao Palace.
Shen Er barked:
"You four—take the item and go!We will cover the rear!Go!"
But Liu Yun had already launched herself forward. Lin Ping and Shen Er clashed with her in midair—the three exchanged a whirlwind flurry of moves before landing upon the ground.
Nearby, the snow ape muttered in anxious, garbled sounds, waving its hands frantically—it was clearly indicating that something precious had been stolen.
Liu Yun knelt beside it.
"Yuan'er—they took something from you, didn't they? Never mind.You're safe—that's what matters."
The snow ape, remarkably intelligent, calmed upon hearing her reassurance.
"Yuan'er," Liu Yun said, standing, "step aside.I'll teach these thieves a lesson."
Ling Xian'er also landed lightly beside her.
"What exactly did you people steal?"
Kylin Elder Lin Ping smirked.
"Oh, nothing much. This mountain holds many treasures. That snow ape harvested a Tianshan Snow Lotus—so we simply borrowed it."
Liu Yun said:
"A fine treasure indeed. I've eaten one before."
Shen Er laughed awkwardly.
"No wonder Miss Liu's inner strength is so profound."
Ling Xian'er scoffed:
"Is this the fashion nowadays? Stealing someone's treasure and calling it borrowing?The world truly declines.Have you people no shame?"
Indeed, Jiuxiao Palace had long discarded righteousness and honor; this was no sudden fall.
Kylin Elder Lin Ping explained smugly:
"A treasure like this cannot be bought even with mountains of gold. We've searched for months. Sent scouts. Followed clues. Today was the first chance!Your snow-ape friend finally plucked the Snow Lotus off a cliff, and we… took it."
After their leader Long Zhentian of Jiuxiao Palace had been defeated by the True God Palace's master, Tuoba Xingge, he had spent half a year healing and scouring information about the fabled Tianshan Snow Lotus. Jiuxiao Palace's organization was vast and disciplined; once the command went out, thousands moved.
They learned that the Snow Ape served the Tianshan White-Haired Hermit, gathering rare herbs for him. That Snow Lotus was one such priceless treasure. So the palace dispatched men to lie in wait. Today, when the Snow Ape gleefully plucked the lotus from a sheer cliff, the Four Envoys seized the moment, stole it, and tried to flee.
But the Snow Ape knew martial arts—and chased them down relentlessly, forcing the four to stop and fight.
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