Fu Yunmo’s mind was racing. She desperately tried to recall the original novel: How exactly did Nan Kunlun save Ning Min’er?
“Sister Mo… how about we ‘fight poison with poison’?”
Nan Kunlun raised an eyebrow, and Fu Yunmo followed suit. She remembered that in the original plot, Nan Kunlun had saved the girl by pretending to be a disciple of the Cangyun Sect, shouting that Ning Buqu was on his way with reinforcements. While the Black and White Twin Demons were momentarily distracted, he had charged in, thrown sand into their eyes, and whisked Ning Min’er away. However, he was supposed to be struck by a poisoned projectile during the escape, only to be saved later by Ning Buqu.
But… why does the plot feel slightly off now?
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You pretend to be that notorious female devil, Ye Xihan, and I’ll take the chance to rush in and get her out.”
At least the core strategy was the same, even if the roles had shifted.
“Alright. Be careful,” Fu Yunmo replied.
Leaning against the wall, she exchanged a firm nod with Nan Kunlun. She took a deep breath, and when she spoke, her voice was flat, carrying a chilling edge of ruthlessness. Even Nan Kunlun couldn’t help but stare—she sounded like a completely different person.
Back in film school, Fu Yunmo had trained in vocal projection and breath control. As a professional actress, mastering the nuance of a line was second nature to her. Besides, she had heard the real Ye Xihan speak; she knew exactly how to mimic that aura.
“Who goes there?!”
The two figures in the alley panicked. Though they were seasoned criminals, a single sentence wasn’t enough to truly terrify them.
“I have no desire to interfere,” Fu Yunmo continued, pausing for effect. “But as a woman myself, I cannot let this stand. Come out and face me, Ye Xihan, in battle.”
Her tone remained eerily calm, perfectly matching the character of the Ye Xihan she knew—a woman who remained unfazed and confident even in the face of death.
“Ye Xihan…?” Black Death-Dealer sounded skeptical, but White Soul-Snatcher barked, “Go check it out! I’ll stay here and watch the girl!”
“Why should I be the one to face that devil?”
As the two began to bicker, Fu Yunmo and Nan Kunlun both grabbed handfuls of sand.
“Still haven’t come out to meet your death?” Fu Yunmo taunted.
“Go on!” “No, you go!”
“Now!” Fu Yunmo signaled.
Nan Kunlun charged. Having trained in martial arts, he was much faster than her. By the time the Twin Demons realized they’d been tricked, a face full of sand had already blinded them.
“Gah!” “My eyes! It burns!”
Nan Kunlun scooped up Ning Min’er and bolted. Fu Yunmo peeked around the corner. Despite their blindness, the Twin Demons could track by sound. A green light flashed from White Soul-Snatcher’s hand.
“Watch out! Projectiles!” Fu Yunmo screamed.
Nan Kunlun looked back, seeing the incoming weapon. He tried to dodge, but with a person in his arms, he was too slow.
“Dammit!”
Fu Yunmo lunged forward. She didn’t know what came over her; her mind went blank, driven by the sole instinct to cover Nan Kunlun’s escape.
“Brat! Wretched girl! Die!”
The Twin Demons were infamous villains; being outsmarted by two children was an insult they couldn’t endure. They struck with lethal intent. Fortunately, being blinded, their aim was off.
Fu Yunmo saw the projectile flying toward her at incredible speed. She instinctively moved her arm to block, but it was too late. The weapon buried itself deep into her right shoulder.
“…Aaagh!”
The pain was delayed for a split second, but when it hit, it surged through her entire body. She had broken her arm as a child and thought that was the peak of human agony, but compared to this, a fracture was nothing.
Seeing her stumble, Nan Kunlun shouted, “Sister Mo, leave me! Run!”
The pain in her shoulder made her legs feel like jelly. “Kill them! Kill them now!” Black Death-Dealer shrieked.
“I dropped my projectile pouch!” White Soul-Snatcher yelled back.
Fu Yunmo almost wanted to laugh at their incompetence, even through the pain.
“Sister Mo, stay in front of me!” Nan Kunlun commanded. Shielding her, they rounded a corner and finally escaped the alley, returning to the main street.
Their bloodied, disheveled appearance immediately drew a crowd. In the presence of witnesses, the Twin Demons wouldn’t dare follow.
“Isn’t that the girl from the inn? Her shoulder—she needs a doctor, fast!”
The people of Tianji City were used to martial artists fighting, but seeing a regular shop assistant injured was a shock. When they saw the black blood seeping from her wound, they knew immediately: Poison.
An older woman stepped forward to support her. Nan Kunlun, still holding the unconscious Ning Min’er, felt his face flush as he looked at her. Is it her? He shook the thought away. Now is not the time.
“Please, inform the Cangyun Sect that we rescued this lady from the Twin Demons,” Nan Kunlun told the crowd. He grabbed the jade identification tag from Ning Min’er’s waist and handed it to a bystander. “I’m counting on you.”
He handed Ning Min’er over to the woman and turned to Fu Yunmo. “Sister Mo, how are you?”
“If you keep… rambling… I’m going to die!” she wheezed.
They rushed her to the nearest clinic. Fu Yunmo felt her consciousness slipping. The pain faded into a floating sensation, and the world began to turn black. What was I thinking? she wondered before passing out. Why did I take a hit for the Protagonist? He was supposed to survive this anyway!
Back at the Martial Arts Assembly, the news reached Ning Buqu. “What? Is Min’er alright? Where are her rescuers?”
His outburst drew everyone’s attention, including Mo Lixi’s.
“I heard a blonde woman was struck by a poisoned projectile and is at the clinic now,” a messenger reported.
Mo Lixi’s heart tightened.
“A blonde woman? Senior Sister Mo, could it be that shop girl?” Zhuge Tian’er asked.
Mo Lixi stood up instantly. “Where is she? She is a friend of mine. Perhaps I can help treat her.”
The rest period of the assembly was indefinitely postponed as both the Cangyun and Tianyuan Sects rushed toward the clinic.
When Mo Lixi arrived, she ignored the crowd and found Nan Kunlun. “Where is Miss Fu?” she asked, her voice sharp with uncharacteristic urgency.
“Inside. The doctor is removing the projectile, but… it’s poisoned. The Twin Demons’ venom…”
Mo Lixi’s face went pale. She burst into the inner room, startling the elderly physician.
“Miss, you—”
“I am Mo Lixi of the Tianyuan Sect,” she interrupted, seeing the doctor drop his forceps in shock. “I have medical training. As this is a female patient, it may be more appropriate for me to handle this.”
Recognizing her fame, the doctor stepped aside. “Of course.”
Mo Lixi looked at Fu Yunmo, who lay pale and purple-lipped on the cot. Her robes were pulled back to reveal a ghastly wound on her white shoulder. Black blood continued to ooze out. Mo Lixi quickly pressed her fingers against Fu Yunmo’s acupoints to staunch the bleeding.
Stopping the blood was easy. The poison, however, was another matter.
Just then, a cool breeze drifted through the window, followed by a detached, feminine voice: “For the venom of the Twin Demons, use Dream-Mist Herb as an antidote.”
Mo Lixi jolted. “Who’s there?”
“Heh… you don’t need to know who I am.”
The voice vanished with the wind. To possess such speed and internal power… the speaker was clearly a master of the highest order.
“Thank you…” Mo Lixi whispered. She requested the herb from the doctor and applied it to the wound. It drew out the black toxins until Fu Yunmo’s pulse finally stabilized.
Outside, Ning Min’er had woken up and was clinging to her father, still terrified by her ordeal.
“Young man, thank you for saving my daughter,” Ning Buqu said, approaching Nan Kunlun.
“Don’t thank me,” Nan Kunlun replied. “It was all Sister Mo’s doing.” He still couldn’t fathom how Fu Yunmo knew exactly where to go, but he knew she was the true hero of the day.
Even the prideful Ning Min’er thanked him, her face turning red as she looked at him. Nan Kunlun shyly looked away, insisting again that the credit belonged to Fu Yunmo.
Watching from the side, Zhuge Tian’er whispered to Wen Ruoxian, “I’ve never seen Senior Sister Mo so worried about someone.”
“Address her as Sect Leader,” Wen Ruoxian reminded her, though her own brow was furrowed. It was true—Mo Lixi’s concern was extraordinary. Then again, there was something about Fu Yunmo… an inexplicable charm that made one want to uncover all her secrets.