It is said that there is not just one Qianqiu Palace. Wherever the Ronghua Cult exists, there is a Qianqiu Palace. Moreover, every Qianqiu Palace is the same, filled with all kinds of mechanisms. The only difference is whether the cult leader is there or not.
It seems that no one in the martial world knows the whereabouts of the Ronghua Cult Leader, just as no one knows why the once prosperous Ronghua Cult suddenly declined overnight twenty years ago.
...
Bai Xiaofeng had long been prepared for being captured and sentenced to death. But while letting out painful cries, he still didn't forget to bargain with the witch.
"You can do whatever you want to me. I was the one who let you down back then, but Shuang Hua is innocent. I beg you to let her go," Bai Xiaofeng gasped, enduring the excruciating pain.
"What a joke! Over the years, I've never seen you plead for anyone. How come... after a few trips to the Northern Cold Region, things are different..." The Ronghua Cult Leader, in her red dress, personally tortured Bai Xiaofeng. She made countless small cuts on his body and then let leeches burrow in.
"I've said... she has nothing to do with me. She's going to marry the emperor of Dayong. I was just entrusted to escort her here."
"Hahaha..." The Ronghua Cult Leader burst into laughter, but suddenly stopped, narrowing her eyes. "Entrusted? Don't make yourself sound so great. Don't think I don't know your relationship with that person. What do you think the martial artists in the world will think if they know that you, the great martial arts alliance leader of Dayong, are actually brothers with the King of the Northern Cold Region?"
Bai Xiaofeng was bitten by a leech and felt a sharp pain. Along with her words, he finally couldn't bear it anymore. "Zui Lianhua, what on earth do you want?"
Zui Lianhua sneered coldly, but suddenly reached for his lower body and said in a highly seductive voice, "I want you..."
Bai Xiaofeng let out a soft grunt and endured it forcefully. "You send her to the imperial city. I'll do anything."
Zui Lianhua smiled, but suddenly let him go. "Aren't you the one who hates to compromise the most? I've begged you so many times, but it didn't work. But this time, for her, you agreed so quickly. It seems she's really important to you."
Bai Xiaofeng was furious. "Zui Lianhua, that's enough! She's my brother's sister. I won't allow you to hurt her!"
"Fine. I won't hurt her, and I can send her to the imperial city. But... you have to exchange something for it."
"What do you want?"
"I want half of your martial arts skills." Zui Lianhua whispered those cruel words gently in his ear.
Bai Xiaofeng knew that Zui Lianhua needed to absorb people's internal energy to practice martial arts. He used to feel sorry for those who were captured by her to have their internal energy absorbed. He never thought it would be his turn so soon.
"Okay, I'll give it to you!" Bai Xiaofeng looked at the stunningly beautiful face in front of him and finally closed his eyes wearily. At this point, he had no other choice.
...
(6)
When Shuang Hua woke up, she felt weak all over. Then she found herself in a completely enclosed carriage.
"Where is this? Who are you? Let me out!" This was the first thing Shuang Hua said after sitting up. Then someone outside the carriage said, "Don't worry, miss. We're on the way to the imperial city. Leader Bai asked us to send you there. Although this carriage is enclosed, it can ensure your safety."
As soon as Shuang Hua heard it was Bai Xiaofeng, she immediately asked, "Where is he now? Is he injured?"
The person outside replied, "Leader Bai is fine. Our people arrived in time to rescue him. The Martial Arts Alliance has other matters for him, so they ordered me to send you."
"Oh..." Shuang Hua felt relieved. Then she rubbed her dizzy head and asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"
"Three days..."
...
Three days were enough for Zui Lianhua to collect half of Bai Xiaofeng's internal energy.
At this moment, the two were sitting cross-legged on the bed, palm to palm. Zui Lianhua's face became more and more flushed, while Bai Xiaofeng's face grew paler and paler.
After the final round of internal energy circulation, Bai Xiaofeng finally showed signs of exhaustion. His body went limp, and he fell onto Zui Lianhua. Zui Lianhua smiled gently, traced his eyebrows with her finger, and laid him flat on the bed.
— Bai Xiaofeng, you've lost half of your internal energy. How can you fight against me in the future?
She slightly curled her lips and walked out in her gorgeous red long dress.
Bai Xiaofeng had too many wounds on his body and no internal energy to protect himself, so he had a high fever.
That night, a corner of a robe fluttered in. The person came to his bedside, pulled him, and gently called, "Leader, Leader..."
Bai Xiaofeng tried hard to open his eyes and looked at the person dressed as an ordinary maid. He showed that he didn't recognize her.
"Leader, I'm here to rescue you. Take this Yuqing Pill first. We'll leave right away..."
"Who... are you?" Bai Xiaofeng half-closed his eyes, lying in bed. After being forced to take the pill by the woman, his mind became much clearer.
"I'm here to rescue you." The woman didn't say much more. She helped him up and left.
The two walked out all the way, avoiding countless patrols. It seemed that the woman was very familiar with the layout of the Qianqiu Palace.
Bai Xiaofeng was suspicious but didn't want to guess too much. Anyway, the woman didn't seem to want to harm him, so he just let her do as she pleased.
But they didn't walk far before they were discovered. The woman told Bai Xiaofeng the key points of the mechanisms and then turned around to block the pursuers. She told Bai Xiaofeng to enter the entrance of the mechanism quickly.
By this time, Bai Xiaofeng was completely awake. He paused for a moment and then headed towards the mechanism. The woman behind him fought bravely for him, regardless of her own life and death. He couldn't figure out when the Martial Arts Alliance had sent someone to infiltrate the Ronghua Cult.
He composed himself and tried hard to recall what the person had whispered in his ear. He walked carefully step by step. But then he heard Zui Lianhua's angry roar from behind. "Come on! Catch this traitor for me! I'll make her life a living hell!"
Bai Xiaofeng looked back and only saw that beautiful face glaring at him angrily. Suddenly, she moved, leaving the crowd behind and turning into a huge red shadow, chasing after him. Bai Xiaofeng sneered, dodged, and got out of the mechanism array. He slapped the surface of the Yaochi Pond, stirring up a thousand layers of waves.
Zui Lianhua waved her sleeve to block the waves, landed, and stood still. She looked in the direction where Bai Xiaofeng had left, her eyes deep.
— Bai Xiaofeng, can you escape once? Can you escape a second time?
...
After a long way of being chased and intercepted, Bai Xiaofeng finally arrived at Sang City smoothly. Once he entered the territory of the Martial Arts Alliance, the Ronghua Cult couldn't do anything to him. After he recovered from his injuries, he finally set off for the imperial city. But accidentally, he heard the news that the emperor had promised to marry her.
"I didn't expect it to be so soon... so soon..." Bai Xiaofeng murmured. He stopped in his tracks and rushed towards the palace.
(7)
After Shuang Hua was sent to the imperial city, she found that those who sent her were not from the Martial Arts Alliance at all. Because when she got off the carriage, she accidentally saw the mark on the carriage, and she was very familiar with that mark. It was exactly the same as the mark on the clothes of those masked women in the previous assassinations.
At that time, she didn't know how to describe her mood. She took the jade token to look for the people of the Martial Arts Alliance, but couldn't find out any information about Bai Xiaofeng. So she had to go to the emperor.