Chapter 167: The Self-Inflicted Tactic.

Over a dozen bodies lay strewn across the road. Many bore only a single wound, yet the wounds were deep and fatal. It was clear that many had been fatally struck by a

single blow. Even those whose wounds weren't fatal were often deeply wounded and severe.

This showed that the attacker had been incredibly ruthless, or perhaps possessed a kung fu similar to the Thirteen Deadly Swords, which specialized in lethality.

Ye Xiu, after surveying the bodies, formed this conclusion.

Dongfang Bubai, upon noticing the wounds, raised a slight eyebrow.

While Ye Xiu and the others examined the bodies, Qu Feiyan skipped about, examining each one and even taking a considerable amount of silver from some. She suspected that perhaps her savings were too low, and the brothel she had invited Ye Xiu to wasn't high-end enough. So, she planned to gather more silver and invite Ye Xiu to a more upscale establishment.

"This person isn't dead, this person is still alive." Qu Feiyan, who was looting the dead, suddenly noticed a female corpse—no, not a female corpse, this woman was still alive—and shouted.

Hearing Qu Feiyan's words, everyone stepped forward.

"Huh? It's her?" Ye Xiu exclaimed in surprise at the woman lying on the ground, eyes closed, unconscious, perhaps even seriously injured and dying.

"Do you know her?" Dongfang Bubai asked with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"I saw her once before in Nanjing. She was poisoned, but she fought back and killed the enemy. Her martial arts skills were quite impressive, so I had a deep impression of her," Ye Xiu explained.

The woman lying on the ground, seriously injured and dying, was the woman Ye Xiu had encountered in Nanjing who had been drugged but fought back, Liu Sheng Piaoxu.

Hearing Ye Xiu mention this woman, Dongfang Bubai's lips curled with a sneer. Even Yao Yue and the others looked at this woman with a slightly strange expression.

Huang Rong checked on Liu Sheng Piao Xu and discovered that her injuries were truly severe.

Two or three wounds each on her arms and legs were so deep they had severed blood vessels. She had lost a significant amount of blood, and was practically on the verge of death from the excessive blood loss.

In addition to the wounds on her arms and legs, she had also suffered a slash on her left chest, a deeper wound that revealed her ribs and faintly visible internal organs.

A dark red handprint, faintly emitting a fishy odor, was left on her back. This was clearly the result of a poisonous sand palm attack, a technique known for its use of poison.

The wounds were numerous, deep, and some were fatal. Furthermore, she had been struck by the poisonous sand palm, suffering not only severe internal injuries but also the poison.

With injuries of this magnitude, if she had waited even three to five minutes longer, she might have died.

Huang Rong had originally assumed that Liu Sheng Piaoxu was also the owner of the diary, and had resorted to this tactic to get close to Ye Xiu.

However, upon seeing Liu Sheng Piaoxu's injuries, she reconsidered her assumption.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu's injuries were so severe that she doubted anyone would resort to such a life-threatening situation to get close to Ye Xiu.

"Brother Xiu, do you want to save her? Her condition is very serious. Even under normal circumstances, she's beyond saving, unless you use the Divine Illumination Sutra. If you don't, she'll be dead in a few cups of tea," Huang Rong asked Ye Xiu.

"A few cups of tea? Save her. We've met her, so we can't just stand by and watch her die." Ye Xiu stared in surprise at the woman lying on the ground, her face almost pale and her breathing even weaker.

Upon hearing Ye Xiu's words, Huang Rong immediately pulled out a jade bottle and poured out a vermilion pill. The moment the pill was poured out, a delicate fragrance filled the air, the mere whiff of which invigorated him. Huang Rong took out the Nine Flowers Jade Dew Pill, a healing elixir unique to Peach Blossom Island.

After administering one pill, Huang Rong quickly tapped Liu Sheng Piaoxu's skin several times. The wound, which had been slowly bleeding, immediately stopped bleeding after Huang Rong tapped the blood vessels.

"Brother Xiu, I'm not very good at practicing the Divine Illumination Sutra. If you want to save someone, you should do it," Huang Rong said to Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu nodded. Although Ye Xiu had only recently acquired the Divine Illumination Sutra, thanks to the diary, he had already mastered it to great perfection, even approaching perfection.

Ye Xiu had Huang Rong straighten Liu Sheng Piaoxu and sit cross-legged. Then, he sat cross-legged behind her, placing his hands on her back. He then activated the Divine Illumination Sutra, and its pure energy began to flow into her body, repairing her most severe internal injuries while also forcing out the poison.

Under the influence of the Divine Illumination Sutra's true energy, the Dushen Palm print on Liu Sheng Piaoxu's back began to emit a faint, fishy smell, and the dark palm print began to fade.

Huang Rong, observing this, placed her hand on Liu Sheng Piaoxu's pulse again and breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, Brother Xiu, her injuries have stabilized."

Upon hearing Huang Rong's words, Ye Xiu slowly began to wrap up his work, a smile spreading across his face.

Honestly, there's something very special about successfully saving someone—a sense of accomplishment, a sense of satisfaction.

And the Divine Illumination Sutra, worthy of its name, is truly powerful in healing.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu was on the verge of death, yet Ye Xiu, using it, forcibly pulled her back.

"Let's get her into the carriage. Since we've saved someone, we can't just save them halfway," Ye Xiu said, clapping his hands.

And so, Liu Sheng Piaoxu was carried into the carriage.

"Speaking of which, this woman's luck is truly incredible. If she hadn't met us, she would have definitely died here," Huang Rong couldn't help but sigh.

"Indeed. Her injuries are truly horrific." Ye Xiu nodded.

"Lucky? Not necessarily," Dongfang Bubai chuckled. Despite Liu Sheng Piaoxu's severe injuries, she still felt something was amiss.

The bodies left on the ground showed they had all perished at the hands of the same individual. Of the many people at the scene, only Liu Sheng Piaoxu's injuries were different.

This meant that Liu Sheng Piaoxu and the dead were likely rivals, or perhaps they had all died at Liu Sheng Piaoxu's hands.

While the wounds looked like sword wounds, the depth, size, and placement of the wounds seemed off.

Dongfang Bubai had seen some Japanese before. Their weapons differed from those of the Central Plains, and even their martial arts were completely different.

The wounds on the bodies reminded Dongfang Bubai of the Japanese she had met before.

Therefore, Dongfang Bubai suspected that the unconscious woman was a Japanese.

And if that woman was a Japanese, then Dongfang Bubai would suspect that her dying condition was a self-torture tactic.

Because Dongfang Bubai knew that most Japanese people were extremely extreme. The environment they lived in and the martial arts they practiced were relatively extreme, so naturally, their attitudes and methods of doing things would also become extremely extreme.

In Dongfang Bubai's opinion, using one's life as a gamble to get close to Ye Xiu was indeed very possible.

As for who Liu Sheng Piaoxu was and what her identity was, Dongfang Bubai had a guess. It was Liu Sheng Piaoxu, whom Ye Xiu had mentioned in his diary, and she was also the only Japanese woman Ye Xiu had mentioned in his diary.

Dongfang Bubai felt that if this woman was really Liu Sheng Piaoxu, and all this was truly a trap she had set up, a self-torture tactic, then Dongfang Bubai would also give Liu Sheng Piaoxu a thumbs up, because she was truly ruthless, even to herself. After all, gamble one's life, not everyone could do it, especially to such an extent just to get close to Ye Xiu.

After all, in Dongfang Bubai's opinion, while Ye Xiu wasn't easy to approach due to their presence, there was still a way out. It would just be a little more troublesome, with the possibility of failure, but there was no need to go to such extremes.

After the incident with Liu Sheng Piao Xu, Ye Xiu and his companions encountered no accidents for the rest of the day, and their journey was uneventful. As for Liu Sheng Piao Xu, she was still in a coma, and it was unknown when she would wake up.

...

"I saved someone today, um, he was dying."

"To be honest, rescuing a dying person is quite fulfilling. It just feels really good, really great."

"No wonder some people become heroes and good people. Because the feeling of saving people is really good."

"It's a pity that even though it feels good to save people, I still can't be a good person or a hero who saves people all the time."

"It's like the sentence I often saw on the Internet before I traveled through time. On the first day of getting superhuman powers, you will carefully hide yourself and observe the surrounding situation to see if there are any people like you. After a week, you will be relieved to make sure that there are no people like you around and you are the only one who has superpowers. Then, when you meet someone in danger who needs saving, you will lend a helping hand. After another week, you will completely let go and directly transform into a fellow countryman. I will do whatever I want." "

So, saving people is okay occasionally. I will save people when I like them and when I am in a good mood. But that's all. Outside of this situation, saving people? Forget it." "

Well, let's talk about the person I rescued today. The person I rescued today was the one I met in Nanjing City before. She was the woman who had been drugged and whose walking posture was very strange."

"This woman left a very deep impression on me at the time. After all, she was so coquettish, and it was really the first time I met her. I even thought that I might never see her again, but I didn't expect that I would meet her again in just a few days."

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk, the last time I met her in Nanjing City, she was drugged and hunted by someone. This time when I met her, her condition was even more serious, and she was seriously injured and dying."

"She was just lucky to meet me. If she met anyone else, she would definitely be beyond saving."

"After all, her injuries were really too serious. Not to mention that there were so many deep and serious wounds on her body, but she also lost so much blood. With the amount of bleeding alone, an ordinary person would probably die. Not to mention that she was hit by a poisonous sand palm, suffered serious internal injuries, and was also poisoned by the poisonous sand palm."

"With such a serious injury, even a miracle doctor like Ping Yizhi and Hu Qingniu would have to shake his head after seeing it."

"That's why I said she was really lucky to have met me who knows the Shenzhaojing. Otherwise, she would definitely be dead."

"I don't know when she will wake up. After all, her injury is so serious. Even with the Shenzhaojing, she won't be healed in a short time." "

Tell me, how could such a beautiful woman encounter such a situation? They were able to kill her - well, it seems normal for them to be so cruel. After all, more than a dozen people died under her sword. It's normal for her to be cruel and want to die with her."

"Who could be this woman in the world who is not weak in martial arts and has a ruthless way of attacking?"

"It's a bit hard to guess!"

"After all, there doesn't seem to be any obvious characteristics in terms of her dress and weapons."

"Comparing her appearance and experience, it seems that no one can match her."

"Forget it, let's wait until she wakes up and ask her what her name is. After knowing her name, we will naturally know her situation." "

She's probably a character from a less popular work. Not as famous as Dongfang Yaoyue and Huang Rong." "

Forget her, let's not talk about her. The night before yesterday it was Dongfang, and last night it was Yaoyue. So who's it going to be tonight? Dongfang? Or Yaoyue again? Or Yuyan and the others?" "

Okay, I'm a bit presumptuous. It should be Dongfang. After all, they each get one day, taking turns."

"Both Dongfang and Yaoyue are great. They're both so beautiful. The only pity is that I'm still stuck passively on the bottom. Can't I be on top for once?" "

Alas, it's still my strength. It's just not enough! When I'm stronger, I'll definitely pin them both down, and we'll even share a bed!"

After Ye Xiu finished writing in his diary, he accepted the reward as usual. Not long after, his body stiffened as he was once again struck by a needle.

Dongfang Bubai, dressed in red, floated in.

...

"Dying?" Murong Qiudi frowned as she read today's diary.

To be honest, Murong Qiudi had originally planned to play a trick in the next two days, pretending she was being hunted, then being rescued by Ye Xiu and his men, and then naturally approaching Ye Xiu.

But after reading today's diary, Murong Qiudi felt a headache.

Before she could act out her own pursuit, Ye Xiu had already encountered a wounded and dying person. This feeling was strange, even subtle.

It felt as if she had been suddenly outshone by the comparison.

As for the woman who had nearly died—

Murong Qiudi didn't know what to say, because she didn't know if she, like herself, was the owner of the diary and had deliberately approached Ye Xiu.

Logically, a beautiful woman, who was so coincidentally encountered by Ye Xiu and even heroically rescued by him, felt like this was a deliberate plot to approach Ye Xiu.

But Ye Xiu's diary clearly described her as severely wounded and near death, injuries that even a master doctor like Ping Yizhi or Hu Qingniu might not be able to save, except for Ye Xiu, who practiced the Divine Illumination Sutra. If it was just to get close to Ye Xiu, the cost would be too high. She didn't worry that if Ye Xiu and the others arrived a little late, or if Ye Xiu's Shenzhaojing was just a little bit off, she would be dead.

Shaking her head, Murong Qiudi felt that this woman might not be like her, deliberately using some method to get close to Ye Xiu.

However, even if this woman didn't do it on purpose, then wasn't it a bit wrong for her to play that trick of being hunted by someone and then asking Ye Xiu to save her?

You can't compare everything! Murong Qiudi really felt very embarrassed. Should she continue to proceed according to the plan? Or should she change the plan and adjust the strategy?

Murong Qiudi couldn't help but gnashing with hatred at the thought of the two Grandmasters, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue, who were by Ye Xiu's side. If it weren't for the two Grandmasters she was wary of, she wouldn't have to worry so much.

Meanwhile, Zhong Ling, perusing her diary, also frowned.

It wasn't because Ye Xiu had saved someone, nor even because of Liu Sheng Piaoxu's dying figure.

Zhong Ling was simply torn between whether or not to approach Ye Xiu.

Like Murong Qiudi, she was wary of them. Even though her inner Qi was exceptionally strong thanks to the Beiming Divine Art, she still wasn't sure she could escape their clutches.

While Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue hadn't forced her to stay the previous time, what about next time? What if Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue became interested in the Beiming Divine Art?

Last time, Ye Xiu hadn't written about the Beiming Divine Art in his diary.

But later, Ye Xiu wrote that the Beiming Divine Art, Xiao Wuxiang Art, and Bahuang Liuhe Weiwoduzhong Art could be combined to form an even more powerful Beiming Rebirth Method or Xiaoyao Yufeng.

Wouldn't they be tempted this time?

So, rationally speaking, Zhong Ling should leave this place, the farther the better, so that she would be safe enough.

However, if she left like this, she would not be able to get more rewards. Would she only have to take the minimum guarantee once a month? Would she have to maintain her cultivation level at the first level of Grandmaster forever?

She could have a more powerful cultivation level, could have reached a higher realm, but for the sake of so-called safety, she was stuck here?

It was extremely tangled and a headache. How should she choose?

"Northern Sea Divine Art, Northern Sea Divine Art. Tell me, what do you want? I'm having a terrible headache because of you. Why are you so attractive to others?" "

Well, wait? Since it's because of the Northern Sea Divine Art, how about I hand over the Northern Sea Divine Art? Anyway, the Northern Sea Divine Art can only allow people to cultivate to the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm. The current Northern Sea Divine Art is of no use to me anymore."

"Use the Northern Sea Divine Art to exchange for Ye Xiu's favor and get more rewards."

"Besides, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue may not care that much about the Northern Sea Divine Art."

"I just remembered that Dongfang Bubai has the Star-Absorbing Art in his hand, and Yaoyue also has the last level of the Wedding Dress Divine Art, the Flower-Transferring Art."

"The Star-Absorbing Art is a little worse, but the Wedding Dress Divine Art is not worse than the Northern Sea Divine Art at all!"

"Yaoyue hasn't practiced the Wedding Dress Divine Art either!"

"And the most important thing is that Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue are already Grandmasters, and the Northern Sea Divine Art will have even less effect on them." " Ah! It's really me. I've been having a headache for so long because of this. I'm really stupid." Zhong Ling knocked her head and smiled.