The Martial Fool dashed out several miles, blood dripping from his nose, and blood seeping from his ears and eyes. He sought a cool shade under a tree to rest.

He let out hissing sobs, yet smiled at the corners of his mouth. His expression was bizarre, seeming mad and crazed, but eventually calmed down. He said, "Powerful, incredibly powerful! But after taking my 'Vajra Palm,' you wouldn't feel good either."

The duel was brief, yet the dangers within surpassed a dragon crossing water, with obstacles multiplied. The Martial Fool, with a compromised mind, pursued martial arts for enjoyment and surviving to this day, was a testament to his formidable strength.

The Vajra Palm Force was domineering and righteous, not to be practiced by anyone but the purest. The Martial Fool, wholeheartedly pursuing martial arts, had a pure mind. The Vajra Palm had already reached Perfection, its depth astonishing.

His intuition was sharp; the moment he saw Wen Caishang, he knew she was a formidable master. Only able to make one move, he naturally sought satisfaction. Therefore, he concentrated his entire Qi Force into that one palm.

Wen Caishang was forced to respond, with old injuries not yet healed, she exerted all her power. The Martial Fool was shaken to the point where his organs bled, life nearly halved.

"So powerful, so powerful."

The Martial Fool mumbled, his eyelids growing heavy. Wen Caishang was extremely vexed by him, her palm harboring killing power.

The Martial Fool gradually came to his senses, his breath weakening, and he closed his eyes to sleep. But from a young age, his life-force was strong, he would ultimately endure.

...

Elsewhere.

After the palm clash, Wen Caishang retreated four steps, flicking her sleeve to the right side, releasing the residual force of the Vajra Palm, "Bang bang bang," a few sounds echoed. A row of large trees toppled in unison.

Li Xian said, "Madam!" stepping forward to support her. Wen Caishang took a deep breath and said, "No problem."

An ominous thought flashed in her mind: "Had I been without illness or injury, if this Martial Fool dared seek me, I would certainly kill him. But with serious injuries, entangled by him, aggravating my condition, it was terribly annoying. Yet, I didn't expect his palm force to be so pure, and still couldn't avoid pulling the injury."

Her beautiful eyes filled with killing intent, things were going wrong, one after another. Wen Caishang felt the residual palm force linger in her body, persisting for long.

"I first responded with the Soft Wind Soft Palm, which uses softness to overcome hardness, it should have defused the attack. But who would have thought that in one move, that rascal infused his whole body's Qi Force. I immediately countered with the 'Silkworm Dream Killing Palm,' aiming to kill him in one move. Now he's already unconscious."

Wen Caishang sat cross-legged, the five internal organs, and the body's acupoints, had already been struck by thunder, with old injuries unhealed and new ones added. The Vajra Palm's leftover Thunder Power even faintly emitted a "Brahma Sound." Wen Caishang could hardly contain it; unable to suppress it, she spat out a mouthful of blood, her complexion suddenly turning pale.

Li Xian said, "Madam?" moving to support her. Wen Caishang self-mockingly said, "To think that I, Wen Caishang, would end up in such a state today."

Li Xian asked gravely, "Madam, what happened?"

"The Martial Fool's Vajra Palm comes from the 'Leiyin Temple.' His palm force merged well with the Thunder Power in my body, forming the Vajra Mantra, making my injuries worse!"

Wen Caishang said. Though the Vajra Palm Force was fierce, taking it directly was not pleasant. Wen Caishang, with her profound martial understanding, handled it properly, it would have just aggravated her injuries. But unexpectedly, with the combination of Vajra Palm Power and Thunder Power, resonating within her body, in an instant it erupted into lethal force.

It was as if Wen Caishang couldn't guard herself, struck by the Vajra Mantra Palm without defense.

Li Xian said, "Madam, we should find a place to stay, and recuperate properly. Then search for a way back!"

Wen Caishang nodded and said, "What you say is right." After the continuous dangers, her face was pallid, evoking tender feelings.

Li Xian supported Wen Caishang as they retreated to the main road. The carriage was overturned, the horse dead, all useless. The remaining journey could only be walked.

Wen Caishang, severely injured, was naturally weak, but her strength still remained at sixty percent, beyond that of ordinary people. Li Xian remained calm, with plans in mind: "Madam and I have made many enemies. For safety's sake, we must act cautiously."

Walking on the road. Wen Caishang's Qi-Blood gradually returned, "If there are more formidable enemies, I avoid taking action, if possible. Fortunately, Li Xian is beside me to help handle matters."

Illness brings many thoughts.

Wen Caishang, suffering repeatedly, opposed Heaven and Earth. Seeing Li Xian taking care of her, she felt quite comforted.

As they walked along the path. About a day's journey, without encountering a soul. It was early spring, with lush vegetation and a warm climate.

Li Xian lit a bonfire and roasted two wild rabbits. He said, "Madam, having suffered serious wounds, you need to eat something."

Wen Caishang hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright." She ate the wild rabbit, then sat in meditation to regulate her breath. Though her condition was poor, her strength was significant enough to self-regulate.

The next day.

At the first light of dawn, mist spread through the mountains, the air heavily damp. Li Xian rose early to practice boxing, the force of his punches was quite impressive.

[You digest the essence within, Food Essence Realm, Skill Level +1]

The essence of the Golden Scale in the pool was still half remaining. Li Xian gradually digested it as the sunlight slanted upon him, his body seemingly enveloped in a faint glow of white.

The body pure and flawless.

Wen Caishang rested briefly, supported by Li Xian as they traveled. By midday, they reached a bustling marketplace. Li Xian said, "Madam, let's stay here long-term, and I'll find some herbs for your recovery."

Wen Caishang, feeling relieved and cheerful, said, "Alright."

They found an inn and rented two upper rooms for a long stay, supporting Wen Caishang to move in. Wen Caishang, proficient in pharmacology, wrote down a prescription and handed it to Li Xian for preparation.

This prescription had the effect of "Solid Cultivation." It was ineffective against "Thunder Injury" and "Palm Injury," but for general ailments and injuries, it was beneficial. Moreover, the herbs were easy to find, ensuring gradual recovery.

Li Xian went straight to the pharmacy, gathering herbs according to the prescription. The pharmacy clerk glanced at the prescription, took a look, then impatiently waved his hand and said, "We're out, we're out, go to another shop!"

Li Xian frowned and said, "Why are you out? The herbs on this prescription aren't uncommon. Your pharmacy seems decent in scale, how can you be out?"

The assistant glared, "I said there are none, so there are none. What's the point of asking so much?"

"Call your shopkeeper here," Li Xian said calmly.

"Oh, you little brat..." The pharmacy assistant was unfazed, "You look like you're from out of town, right? I suggest you get lost quickly, if you're really looking for trouble, you'll be in for a hard time!"

Li Xian was a humble person, not inclined to stir up trouble. If the medicinal herbs were sold out, it would be quite normal to look for another pharmacy to purchase them. However, his mind was keen, and he had already noticed something fishy. This pharmacy had intentionally refused to sell, and other pharmacies were the same.

This matter had to be resolved on the spot, quick and neat. He said, "Is that so?" Just as he spoke, he suddenly struck, lifting the pharmacy assistant forcefully.

The assistant was so frightened he trembled, his haughty demeanor completely vanished, and he repeatedly begged for mercy. Li Xian threw him to the ground, saying, "Why won't you sell me the medicinal herbs? Quickly explain, or with one punch from me, you won't survive."

"Sir, oh sir..." The pharmacy assistant cried bitterly, "I'm just an ordinary assistant, how could I have the ability to refuse selling you herbs? But... our shopkeeper said, if you want to buy herbs, you need to recognize the prescription."

"Recognize the prescription?" Li Xian asked.

"That's right, that's right," the pharmacy assistant said. "Your prescription looks reasonable in terms of herbal compatibility. But the notation is not right."

"Only prescriptions written by physicians in our city can be used to buy herbs in-store. Even if you beat me to death, it wouldn't make a difference!"

At that time, the court was in chaos, and the situation was unclear. Some local landlords had grown powerful, colluding with business forces in the city to amass wealth by savage means.

Medical and pharmacy shops colluded, raising prices arbitrarily, making it difficult for the common people to seek medical treatment or buy medicine, causing endless suffering. Qingning County showed similar trends, but hadn't reached such extremes yet.

Li Xian understood that beating the assistant was useless and would only cause trouble, which was undesirable. He let go and left, looking for herbs in the city's black market.

He had not read medical books, but having been exposed to it and his wife mentioning things offhandedly, he remembered them well. He could recognize about seven or eight out of ten common herbs.

Purchasing the herbs one by one, after half an hour, he had gathered all of them. He spent a few taels of silver, feeling quite distressed. Just as he was about to return, he suddenly heard two Jianghu guests whispering at the corner of the street, mentioning the words "Lady Zhe Jian."

Li Xian's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he became alert. He knew his wife had many enemies, so he quietly approached, smudging his face with ash to eavesdrop nearby.

The two were saying:

"What a mess, this Lady Zhe Jian, who is she that makes our two major sects come such a long distance to kill her."

"Indeed, I heard she participated in some Dragon Appreciation Banquet. Some time ago, wasn't it reported, oh my, that the Benhua River was surging continuously, rushing for thousands of miles, I heard it's because a dragon was stirring the water!"

"Do you think there could really be dragons in this world?"

"Whether there are dragons or not doesn't concern us. But I heard that Lady Zhe Jian was supposed to appear at a place forty thousand miles from Benhua River. Our Taixin Sect and Yellow Sand Sect went to besiege her but found nothing."

"I'm curious, who is this Lady Zhe Jian to draw the hunt of so many heroes? Truly a great skill."

"Indeed, it's her great skill that makes this a fight to the death. Lady Zhe Jian had disappeared for a long time and appeared again today. Many sects have longstanding grudges against her. So they've united now, determined to kill her. They say strike while the iron is hot, then decline and exhaust."

"Brother Wang, you're absolutely right. This Lady Zhe Jian must be formidable, and although we gather strength to kill her, if we fail, we'll scatter like sand. If she comes seeking revenge in the future, won't we be miserable?"

"Exactly. That's why even though the Dragon Appreciation Banquet is long over, all sects are still searching for Lady Zhe Jian's whereabouts. They refuse to let it go!"

Li Xian heard it all, feeling ominous. These forces acting like thunder wouldn't spare Wen Caishang, and naturally wouldn't spare him either.

He continued to listen:

"Don't mention it, Lady Zhe Jian should be nearby."

"Some days ago, someone saw dragons and jiao flying, carrying Lady Zhe Jian, landing nearby on the river path."

"Although we haven't seen Lady Zhe Jian, many experts along the coast have. This time when Lady Zhe Jian resurfaced in the Jianghu, it seems she has a dandy by her side?"

"Indeed, I heard that too. It's said that Lady Zhe Jian keeps that dandy as a lover. Pah, what a licentious witch, no wonder she's so vicious."

"Our elder ordered that this dandy won't survive this time either."

Li Xian was silent, having already anticipated this, and felt calm inside: "These sects have irreconcilable enmities. Now that my wife is seriously injured, it's unknown how much of her strength remains. I should go back and tell my wife so she can respond carefully."

He took a step back, about to leave.

At this moment, he saw a man in blue clothes rushing over, shouting, "Are the two of you heroes from Taixin Sect and Yellow Sand Sect?"

The two cupped their hands and said, "Yes! Brother, are you from the Sword Rain Tower?"

The man in blue nodded and asked, "Are the two of you here for any specific purpose?"

"We two are guarding the black market, looking for any clues about the wicked woman," the two said.

"No need to look anymore," the man in blue said solemnly.

"Why?" the two asked.

The man in blue said,

"Lady Zhe Jian's whereabouts have been discovered, follow me quickly! Let us join forces to kill this witch!"

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