Chapter 1412: This Thing Is Lü Wushuang?

Yun Ji immediately realized that Yuan Gang had mistaken her for an enemy and called out, “Monkey, it’s me!”

Yuan Gang froze briefly. Recognizing Yun Ji’s voice, he was overjoyed. He immediately gave a “hoh” command, and the racing sand scorpion began to slow before finally stopping.

Yuan Gang waved toward the sky. “Yun Ji, she’s not going to make it. Come save her!”

That was no exaggeration. Lü Wushuang’s injuries were severe, and throughout the journey there had been neither water nor outside help. The fact that she had survived until now seemed miraculous even to Yuan Gang. He had to admire the sheer vitality of her body.

Yun Ji flashed down and landed on the sand scorpion’s back, leaving the flying mount circling overhead.

Looking at the charcoal-like figure before her, so badly burned that she could not even tell whether it was male or female, Yun Ji said in astonishment, “Who is this? How did they end up in such a ghastly state?”

Yuan Gang answered, “Lü Wushuang.”

“What? Say that again. Who?” Yun Ji thought she had misheard. How could Lü Wushuang possibly have become like this?

Yet according to Niu Youdao’s earlier judgment, Monkey really might have been together with Lü Wushuang. It was simply impossible for her to reconcile the figure in front of her with Lü Wushuang. Was this really Sacred Venerable Wushuang, who had once stood above everyone beneath Heaven?

Monkey had been the one abducted by Lü Wushuang, yet he was fine while Lü Wushuang had been reduced to this state. Yun Ji found it almost inconceivable.

Yuan Gang gave a hurried explanation. “She was critically injured by the contingency Master Dao left behind in the Fifth Domain.”

Yun Ji’s eyes shifted. “A contingency in the Fifth Domain?”

“Master Dao...?” Lü Wushuang suddenly murmured. “Do you mean Niu Youdao? I’ve heard you people call Niu Youdao Master Dao.”

Both of them looked down.

Lü Wushuang had actually opened her eyes. Her gaze had become unusually clear, showing the signs of a final burst of lucidity. She had evidently heard the exchange between them.

Yuan Gang immediately looked up. “There’s no time to explain everything now. We can talk about it later. Save her first. She can’t hold on much longer.”

Yun Ji hesitated. Their conversation just now also seemed to have exposed Niu Youdao, which made her ask, “If this really is Lü Wushuang, Master Dao would probably want her dead as quickly as possible. Why save her?”

“She knows a great deal about the Sacred Realm and understands the other six Sacred Venerables extremely well. Now she’s fallen into our hands and can no longer resist. Handing her over to Master Dao may give him something immensely valuable to use. If Master Dao decides there’s no reason to keep her alive, we can kill her then.”

Hearing that, Yun Ji agreed with the reasoning. She immediately crouched beside Lü Wushuang and pressed a hand to her chest.

After examining her injuries, Yun Ji found that she truly was on the verge of death. She quickly used spiritual power to protect the vital channels around Lü Wushuang’s heart. At the same time, she took out a medicinal pill, placed it in Lü Wushuang’s mouth, helped her swallow it, and circulated spiritual power to accelerate the medicine’s effects.

With her other hand she removed the waterskin at her waist and flicked the stopper free with spiritual power. She held its mouth to Lü Wushuang’s barely recognizable lips and slowly poured a thin stream of water in.

Only after quite some time did Yun Ji remove her hand and withdraw her spiritual power. Exhaling, she said, “Her life should be safe for now. But with injuries like these, recovery won’t be easy.”

Yuan Gang held out a hand for the waterskin, tilted his head back, and gulped greedily. He was badly dehydrated himself.

“Who are you?” Lü Wushuang asked Yun Ji.

How was Yun Ji supposed to answer that? No one responded.

After quenching his thirst, Yuan Gang suddenly pointed at Lü Wushuang. “Check her with your spiritual power. She says her cultivation has been crippled. See whether it’s true.”

He was still worried that he had been deceived. Lü Wushuang’s cultivation was simply too frightening to take lightly. That was the greatest reason he had ignored his own injuries and rushed to leave the Fifth Domain.

Yun Ji paused, then pressed a hand to Lü Wushuang’s abdomen. After examining her, she withdrew her hand in surprise.

Yuan Gang asked, “Well?”

Yun Ji shook her head with a sigh. “Her dantian qi sea has been completely destroyed. All her cultivation is gone. Apart from having a body stronger than an ordinary person’s, she’s probably no different from a mortal now. How did this happen?”

A mighty Sacred Venerable Wushuang had been reduced to this and had even fallen into their hands. Yun Ji still found it hard to believe.

Humiliation appeared in Lü Wushuang’s eyes. She slowly closed them, as though even she herself was unwilling to face what had happened.

Yuan Gang said, “We can talk later. This isn’t a safe place to linger. Let’s go see Master Dao first.”

“Master Dao is waiting for you at the edge of the desert. He’s probably frantic by now. Come on.”

With that, Yun Ji grabbed one person in each hand and rose into the air, landing on the flying mount circling overhead. She took control of it and headed for Niu Youdao.

As for the sand scorpion on the ground, without Yuan Gang directing it, it naturally departed on its own.

Riding the wind, Yuan Gang was silent for a while before suddenly asking, “Master Dao knows I’m here? He’s waiting for me at the edge of the desert?”

“You know what kind of man he is. With his brain, a little trick like yours was never going to fool him. The moment he paid attention, he figured out where you’d gone after sneaking away from Demon Ridge. By the time we reached the Qi capital, someone had already taken you away. He immediately guessed that Lü Wushuang was the one who had abducted you, and that she would bring you to the Boundless Desert. So he rushed here too. He’s searched for you for a long time and has already been waiting here for days.”

Yun Ji sighed as she explained, then glanced back at him, lingering especially on the arm severed almost at the shoulder. She could not help shaking her head. “Monkey, you’re getting more and more outrageous. Something this serious, and you didn’t even think to report to Master Dao first. Look at the state you’re in now. I’d like to see how you explain yourself to him.”

There truly was no good explanation. Yuan Gang fell silent.

...

They were not far from Niu Youdao’s position, at least not by flying mount.

Under the blazing sun, Niu Youdao sat on a rock watching the horizon. When he saw a flying mount approaching and, once it drew near, made out the people riding it, he rose to his feet.

The flying mount landed on the mountain. Yun Ji jumped down carrying Lü Wushuang.

Yuan Gang descended after her. Seeing Niu Youdao standing with his hands behind his back, staring at him coldly, he knew that Niu Youdao had been guarding the direction toward Demon Ridge all this time. He was moved, but could not find the words to say it, nor did he know what he ought to say.

“You guessed right. He really was heading toward Nanzhou. I just found him,” Yun Ji explained.

There was no telling whether Niu Youdao even heard her. He did not ask who the charcoal-like person in Yun Ji’s arms was. He only kept staring coldly at Yuan Gang, especially at the arm missing almost from the shoulder. His cheek visibly twitched.

Yuan Gang slowly approached and said quietly, “Master Dao.”

“I can’t bear such respectful address from you!” Niu Youdao replied indifferently. His voice remained cold. “Aren’t you planning to give me an explanation?”

Yuan Gang had nothing to say. He did not know how to answer.

Slap!

Niu Youdao suddenly swung his hand and struck him across the face. The slap cracked loudly and sent Yuan Gang staggering several steps sideways.

A man was not supposed to be struck in the face, least of all slapped. Yet Niu Youdao did exactly that. Nor did he restrain himself. The force was considerable; otherwise he could never have knocked a man of Yuan Gang’s size off balance.

And he was not finished.

Niu Youdao stepped forward and kicked him.

Bang!

The kick sent Yuan Gang flying.

He hit the ground, rolled, and finally stopped when he crashed into a rock. After coughing several times, he spat up blood.

When Niu Youdao struck him, Yuan Gang had not braced his body to resist. Nor would he resist. Taking that heavy kick completely unguarded had injured him outright.

Still holding Lü Wushuang, Yun Ji shook her head helplessly. She did not intervene or say anything. She had personally watched how frantic Niu Youdao had been these past few days and had known all along that Yuan Gang would be dealt with when he came back.

Of course, she also knew Niu Youdao would never kill Yuan Gang. If he meant to, why would he have been so desperate to save him?

It seemed the closer someone was to Niu Youdao, the more easily that person drew out his true emotions and the easier it was to make him genuinely angry. If he regarded someone as an outsider, it was probably very difficult for them to provoke much emotion from him at all.

Lying in Yun Ji’s arms, Lü Wushuang watched the scene. A faint flicker passed through her dulled eyes, as though she too found it unexpected.

It was not as though she had never dealt with Yuan Gang. She had once tortured and humiliated him in every possible way and knew perfectly well just how hard-boned he was. That someone could make a hard man like Yuan Gang, a man unafraid even of death, submit so meekly truly surprised her.

Supporting himself on the Three-Roars Saber with his one remaining arm, Yuan Gang slowly climbed to his feet. Head lowered, he walked back to Niu Youdao and said quietly, “If I’d told you, you wouldn’t have let me go.”

“And what if I hadn’t?” Niu Youdao pointed a finger at his nose and suddenly roared, fury exploding from him. “What exactly were you trying to do? Why did I tell you to stay in Demon Ridge? Why are you staying in Demon Ridge in the first place? Have you ever thought about that? You bastard, you just keep doing this again and again. Have you lost your damned mind? Didn’t you know Lü Wushuang had her eyes fixed on you?”

Lü Wushuang’s breathing changed slightly at the words. Yun Ji glanced down at her.

Yuan Gang lowered his head and said nothing. He had his own reasons, but he knew there was no point trying to explain them now.

Yun Ji cleared her throat. There was no need for this to go on endlessly out here, and she also wanted to help Yuan Gang out of the predicament. “Lü Wushuang is here.”

“Shut up! This isn’t your place to speak!” Niu Youdao snapped, turning and pointing angrily at her.

But the instant the words left his mouth, he froze. His gaze finally fell on the person in Yun Ji’s arms. “What did you say?”

What did I do to deserve that? Why are you taking your temper out on me? Yun Ji complained inwardly, feeling thoroughly helpless. She gestured with both arms toward the person she was carrying. “Her. Lü Wushuang. Monkey captured her and brought her back. I don’t know whether that counts as making up for his mistake.”

Niu Youdao was struck speechless. He looked at Yuan Gang, then back at the figure in Yun Ji’s arms. Half believing and half doubting, he said, “This thing is Lü Wushuang?”

This thing? Lü Wushuang secretly clenched her teeth and said weakly, “Who are you? Master Dao? Are you Niu Youdao?”

Yun Ji gave a bitter smile. Her own reaction when she first heard it had been almost identical. “Monkey said so. It should really be her.”

Niu Youdao immediately stepped closer and stared carefully at Lü Wushuang. “I’ve seen Lü Wushuang before. How could this possibly be Lü Wushuang?”

He genuinely could not see a single feature of this ghastly figure that resembled Lü Wushuang. Even the eyes and the look in them seemed wrong.

Of course, she scarcely looked human anymore. The contours around her eyes had been altered, and her gaze was weak and powerless. It was understandable that even her eyes no longer looked the same.

More importantly, Niu Youdao simply found it hard to believe. He turned back to Yuan Gang. “This really is Lü Wushuang? You can beat Lü Wushuang? Don’t tell me you lost an arm and still managed to take her down.”

Yuan Gang stepped closer. “It’s her. I can’t say I took her down. You should be the one who gets the credit.”

“Me?” Niu Youdao was baffled. “What the hell do you mean, you bastard? Explain yourself.”

“She was caught by the ‘Treasure Tomb’ contingency you left behind at that tower in the Fifth Domain. Rolling heavenly thunder struck her until she ended up like this. After she abducted me from the Qi capital, she took me straight to the Boundless Desert...”

Yuan Gang then gave him a detailed account of everything that had happened.

[End of Chapter 1412]