I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 16

“Your meridians are withered and damaged, and your dantian is shattered, this is clearly the result of a deviation in your cultivation!”

In the medical clinic, the old woman tremblingly withdrew her hand from taking the pulse, her eyes filled with pity that seemed to say, “Your days are numbered.”

“What do you mean?” Li Baiying frowned. “I only took the Scarlet Spirit Elixir and broke through the bottleneck without any hindrance. Everything was fine, how could I have suffered a cultivation deviation?”

“Were you previously afflicted with a rare poison?”

Instead of directly answering her question, the old woman lightly posed another one.

Seeing Li Baiying’s expression that asked, “How did you know?” the old woman sighed softly and shook her head. “Although the Scarlet Spirit Elixir is a miraculous medicine, it conflicts with an ingredient called Blazing Fire Jade. When both accumulate in the body, they cause severe damage to a martial artist’s meridians. In mild cases, it results in a cultivation deviation like yours; in severe cases, it can be life-threatening.”

“Before taking the Scarlet Spirit Elixir, I was poisoned with something called Five Toxins Powder. Could it be?”

“That’s it, then,” the old woman confirmed. “The most crucial ingredient in Five Toxins Powder is Blazing Fire Jade. But it’s understandable that you didn’t know, this information is known only to apothecaries and is extremely obscure. Under normal circumstances, it’s rare for someone to come into contact with Blazing Fire Jade and then take the Scarlet Spirit Elixir. You are the only case I’ve encountered in over a hundred years.”

“Then how can it be treated?” Li Baiying interrupted anxiously. “I cannot lose my cultivation. If there’s any way to restore my internal energy as soon as possible, money is not an issue.”

Hearing this, the old woman pondered for a long time before writing down a series of medicinal ingredients. “I do have a method to suppress it, but you must use it with caution. If you forcibly stimulate your internal energy and shatter your meridians completely, not even the gods in heaven can save you.”

“Alright, I understand. Thank you, physician.”

Li Baiying agreed readily and, clutching the prescription, hurried to the backyard to have the medicine prepared.

After she left, the old woman shook her head and muttered, “The martial world is treacherous indeed. This poison doesn’t seem to have entered her body through an arrow, it’s more like an apothecary applied it to her.”

…

Three days later, at the foot of Taichu Mountain, a figure was swiftly making her way.

Li Baiying swallowed the last two Lightness Pills from the vial, and her entire body became as agile as a swallow, transforming into a blur as she raced straight toward the mountain peak.

The forest was quiet, with no patrolling disciples in sight. But the higher she climbed, the more doubts arose in her heart.

Could it be that some major event was taking place today, and all the patrols had been summoned there?

With this thought, she couldn’t suppress her anxiety, wishing she could double her speed and immediately reach the summit to see what was happening.

From afar, a foul stench mixed with the smell of burning wafted toward her on the wind.

“What is this…”

The once-prosperous pavilions had all turned to charcoal. Hundreds of corpses were haphazardly piled on the ground, surrounded by the blackened remnants of burnt firewood, as if there were too many bodies to burn completely and they had been set ablaze indiscriminately.

Crackle. The last ember died out, and a wisp of smoke slowly rose, carrying with it the heavy scent of blood.

Li Baiying stood frozen in place, feeling as though she were in a dream. This couldn’t be real, could it? Mechanically, she lifted her foot and walked past the lifeless bodies of her clansmen, heading toward the main family hall.

Why… had it come to this?

In a daze, she pushed open the partially carved wooden door and saw three people standing with their backs to her in the distance. Unaware of her presence due to the blind spot, they were still brazenly boasting about their achievements.

“The Li family’s archives are truly extensive. This operation went so smoothly thanks to Young Heroine Ruoruo coordinating with us from inside and out.”

“Hah, I didn’t contribute much, it was merely a matter of mutual benefit. You needed this territory, while I needed resources and status.”

“No, no, bringing back the Li family head’s corpse will surely count as a great merit. With enough contribution points, you’ll be able to exchange for any magical treasures or elixirs you want.”

“Hmph! Speaking of contribution points, there’s still one fish that slipped through the net in the Li family!” Li Ruoruo’s tone suddenly sharpened, a shadow of gloom flashing in her eyes.

“Our scouts reported that she’s been poisoned with the Five Toxins Powder, her meridians completely destroyed. She’s practically a cripple now. Leave dealing with her to us,” the masked man in black declared confidently.

However, at that moment, a blazing crimson gust of wind slammed into his back. He didn’t even have time to cry out in pain before his entire body melted into a pool of blood, dead beyond doubt.

Li Baiying didn’t pause for even a second, immediately striking out with another fierce palm strike aimed directly at Li Ruoruo’s face.

But just as the attack was about to land, the young woman feinted and unexpectedly teleported ten feet away.

“Cousin, long time no see.”

She smiled, her eyes like venomous snakes, brimming with malice. “You’re the only one left in the entire Li family now.”

“You traitorous snake! I was wrong about you!”

“Hehe, cousin, don’t be so hasty in your judgment. Actually, the family’s downfall is partly your fault.”

“What?!”

“After that bottle of residual poison reached the clan leader, out of concern for her daughter, she gathered the entire clan to study it together. She even summoned distant relatives from other regions, conveniently allowing us to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.”

“What have you done to my mother?!” Li Baiying’s eyes blazed with fury as she suppressed the discomfort in her meridians, demanding sharply.

“She’s right here in this coffin. Care to take a look?”

Li Ruoruo flashed her a mocking smile, teleporting again to narrowly evade her attack.

“You stole the clan’s teleportation technique!” Li Baiying recognized this move as a forbidden secret manual from the archives, even she wasn’t permitted to learn it at her current level and had to accumulate enough contribution points to borrow it.

“Yes, so what? All these things belong to me now!”

The young woman laughed wildly. “I’ve had enough! No matter how hard I worked, I could only ever be beneath you. Why?! Hah, what use is talent in the end? You’ve become a cripple anyway!”

“You!”

Li Baiying was so enraged that a sweet taste rose in her throat, a sign of reversed qi and blood. Just as she was about to draw her blade and fight to the death, a slight stinging pain suddenly pierced her back.

She froze, noticing another black-clad man still holding a drawn bow. Several black arrows whistled through the air, trailing dark energy as they shot toward her.

“Not good!” She rolled aside, catching sight of more black-clad figures emerging like ghosts from the corners of the room, clearly a premeditated ambush.

“Trapping a turtle in a jar, this is almost too easy.”

Li Ruoruo’s light laughter echoed in her ears. Looking up, Li Baiying saw the young woman slowly drawing her sword, the cold gleam of the blade closing in rapidly. “I’ve waited a long time for this day, cousin. Ever since you looked down on me at the Bone Testing Ceremony, I’ve wanted to do this.”

“That depends on whether you have the skill!”

Li Baiying tilted her head back and swallowed the last pill prescribed by the clinic. A fiery red energy surged upward, swirling around her and forming a vortex that repelled all incoming arrows.

She raised her hand and struck out with a palm toward Li Ruoruo, then pushed off with her toes, using the momentum to shatter the window and leap out.

“Capture her! Don’t let her escape! She still has the last key to the Li family treasury!”

In an instant, the sound of arrows cutting through the air followed one after another. Countless black-clad figures, like relentless ghosts, cast a series of shadows.

Li Baiying had no time to worry about what was behind her. She concentrated all her energy into her feet, accelerating to a speed barely visible to the naked eye.

Escape! She had to escape! Only by getting away would she have a chance to seek revenge.

“Ugh…” Suddenly, she felt a piercing pain in her dantian. The fiery golden core, which had been glowing brightly, now showed signs of dissipating.

“No, not now!”

Her eyes reddened, fueled by a vengeful resolve. She forcibly scattered her chaotic inner energy, compelling it to circulate through her body according to her cultivation technique.

Wave after wave of pain made her stagger, slowing her pace slightly.

“Whoosh!” A sharp arrow grazed her scalp.

“Cousin, don’t waste your energy. Even if you manage to escape by some miracle, you’ll be nothing but a cripple. Why not leave your proud Crimson Flame talent to me? That way, it can continue to bring glory to our family.”

The bell-like laughter from Li Ruoruo’s lips was nothing short of a heavily mocking challenge.

“Huff… huff…” Li Baiying panted, her face drenched in cold sweat, but she refused to stop. She stumbled forward through the thick undergrowth.

The black-clad pursuers seemed intent on capturing her alive, sending one cold arrow after another, as if playing a cat-and-mouse game.

Finally, she reached the edge of Taichu Mountain, where a steep cliff separated the mountain’s interior from the outside world.

Pure white clouds drifted lightly beneath her feet. From such a height, everything below looked as small as sesame seeds.

“Still running, cousin? If you kneel and beg me now, I might be in a good mood and spare your life, letting you live out your days peacefully in a prison cell.”

“In your dreams!”

Li Baiying coldly spat out these three words and, without hesitation, leaped lightly into the air, her body swallowed by the turbulent winds swirling around the cliff.

“Should we pursue?” one of the masked men asked.

“No need. Jumping from here means certain death.” Li Ruoruo gave a scornful smile, a flicker of regret in her eyes. “What a pity. I had hoped to end her with my own hands.”