Chapter 648: Chapter 350: Shijie Loses an Arm, Nianjun Shocked and Suspicious, Li Xian Exposed—Or Is He the Fair-Faced One?
Zhou Shijie had an idea: "That Li Xian is a flower thief. We just need to capture some flower thieves and question them about Li Xian’s evil deeds. This will surely make Nianjun dislike him and we can use the capture of flower thieves to lead Nianjun away from Flying Dragon City."
So he invited Gu Nianjun to capture the flower thief. However, Gu Nianjun said, "Flower thieves are endless in this world. Capturing them is necessary, but there’s no rush at this moment." She was still focused on Bixiang Waterside Pavilion, hoping to meet him again.
Zhou Shijie knew Gu Nianjun’s heart was on the White-faced Red Bow and also knew this person was Li Xian. He probed, "Nianjun, many Jianghu heroes have already joined in capturing the flower thief. Do you remember the Divine Archer we’ve met before?"
Gu Nianjun was intrigued, so she said, "Oh? Please tell me quickly." Zhou Shijie felt deeply disappointed but suppressed his frustration, saying, "He is also involved. But he’s ahead of us, and the flower thieves have scattered in all directions. If we capture a flower thief and coincidentally meet him, we might even cooperate to punish the wicked!"
Gu Nianjun’s thoughts were stirred, remembering the past archery style, as if still floating in front of her. Her eyes glittered with admiration, thinking, "If I can collaborate with him again, that would be wonderful. I haven’t seen his archery in a long time, such style... is hard to find elsewhere." She changed her tone and said, "Alright! Let’s capture the flower thief!"
She gathered Jianghu guests in the city and approached An Weicheng. They planned to capture the scattered flower thieves. The flower thieves scattered everywhere, committing numerous misdeeds. Her efforts quickly bore fruit.
Along the way, she heard of the notorious "Flower Thief Li Xian," and wondered to herself, "Could it be someone with the same name?" Zhou Shijie added fuel to the fire, embellishing Flying Dragon City’s affairs before telling her.
Gu Nianjun indeed grew to dislike him. Later, she devised a trap to lure the flower thief in, but unexpectedly encountered Li Xian, rendering any distinction impossible, her prejudice deepening.
Zhou Shijie, upon seeing Li Xian again, was filled with jealousy and resentment, losing his rationality. Using the name of justice, he actually sought to vent his private anger. However, Li Xian had grown strong, with one palm shattering his body and mind.
A few words revealed his true feelings. Zhou Shijie was hit hard, his spirit suffering heavy blows for months. His heart pulses were nearly shattered.
Gu Nianjun, seeing Zhou Shijie’s pitiful state, along with Li Xian’s harsh words, scolded on the spot, "You flower thief, how dare you speak such nonsense. Truly incorrigible, even if Zhou Shijie can’t resist, he’s still a thousand times better than you."
She was utterly disgusted, swung the red whip in her hand. She aimed at the boat Li Xian was on, her anger blazing, she made no reservations in her strike. Li Xian knowing the importance of the boat, pressed down with both feet. The boat flipped like a "somersault," dodging the whip strike.
Gu Nianjun snorted coldly. As the whip missed in that instant, the whip body quivered, employing "Coalescing Water Immortal sound." She transmitted the Immortal sound into the whip. This sound could blend with water, making it sticky. She struck the water with her whip, causing the water to adhere to the whip, creating an extended water whip which was unexpected, launching another strike.
The water whip swept upward. This move was hard to detect, but Li Xian with Heavy Pupils and Strange Eyes had already sensed it. His feet pressed against the boat’s edge, rocking the boat side to side, his chest drum subtly rumbling Thunder Sound, not resonating but conveying through the rocking to the lake water below.
With a few shakes, the lake water began to boil and churn!
There was a profound mystery within this move. It concealed a killer move from "Thunderbolt Finger" called "Thunder Shock Finger," along with "Setting Sun Bloodsword" of "Playing the Sun’s Immortal sound."
The Thunder Shock Finger aimed to drum Thunder Sound silently, channeling the shock through the finger, which when aimed, significantly increased in power! Li Xian cleverly used this without extending the finger but transmitted the vibrations through the boat into the lake, coupled with the clever usage of "Playing the Sun’s Immortal sound."
It made the area beneath the boat seem as if thunder-fire was venting. The churning and boiling water caused Gu Nianjun’s water whip to dissipate, boiling it thoroughly, naturally reducing its power and losing form.
By then his ship had gone far, Li Xian laughed, "Hahaha, looks like none of you can do anything to me. Let’s part for now, we’ll meet again if fate allows!" The Sinking River Sword probed the water, stirring rapidly, accelerating the ship to an extreme speed. Though chasing was hard for a ship, using Lightweight Skill might even risk lives, making them hesitant. Despite growing anxious, there was indeed nothing they could do.
A Jianghu wanderer said, "This kid is so arrogant! Can we really let him escape like this?"
Gu Nianjun replied coldly, "Humph, let him be carried away by his triumph, he won’t escape." She retrieved a silver bow from the cabin. She caressed the bow lightly, saying gently, "Recently my archery skills have improved greatly. Once he travels a few more miles, thinking he’s safe, I’ll shoot him, surely capturing him alive."
The Jianghu guest praised her, "Great stratagem from Miss Gu." Gu Nianjun said, "It’s not my plan, this move is ’Returning the prey to the mountain,’ taught by a young master..." Her face showed a fleeting expression.
Zhou Shijie’s expression drastically changed upon hearing this, exclaiming, his eyes trembled, wanting to speak yet restrained.
Gu Nianjun was extremely confident; her archery was strong, being guided, was considered outstanding among her peers, she was confident of her archery victory. Seeing the time was ripe, she stomped her feet, using Lightweight Skill to leap in the air, drawing an arrow to shoot.
Li Xian sneered inwardly, "Daring to shoot me before mastering the skills." Kicking up an ordinary bow and arrows, taken during the earlier scuffle. Quickly drawing the bow and shot an arrow.
Pattering three shots, he easily shot down Gu Nianjun. Startled, Gu Nianjun vaguely sensed familiarity. She thought, "Indeed, this boy’s archery was decent, enough to shoot down these three arrows. It was my carelessness earlier."
Recalling Li Xian’s teachings, she re-drew and shot arrows in midair. Shooting three arrows in succession, each stronger than the last, the arrows roared with earth-shattering power, advancing relentlessly.
Li Xian casually shot back, each shot perfectly intercepting. Gu Nianjun was confused and uncertain, mustered more energy, and when drawing the bowstring, she suddenly felt the world slow down. The feeling was incredibly profound.
Struck by good fortune and serendipity, feeling her intention flowing through her fingers, rushing wildly into the arrow, converging at the arrowhead. The arrowhead seemed to emit a bright light, condensed spirit. Others couldn’t see the light, but could sense it. This arrow was imbued with abundant spirit.
Gu Nianjun thought to herself, "Ah! So this is the arrow of spirit and intention, so this is what archery feels like. How... powerful!" Feeling it herself, understanding the profound mystery. Recognizing such an arrow can’t be sought, requiring time, state of mind, and circumstances, each indispensable. It might be the strongest arrow she could shoot in her lifetime.
Even if her cultivation accumulated, her martial arts improved... without the chance of this moment, this state of mind, and circumstances, it would be nearly impossible to shoot such an arrow. She loosed the string, her spirit wrapped around the arrow, faster, stronger. Directly charging at the opponent, no place to hide!
Gu Nianjun lingeringly commented, "Such an arrow, how can the enemy thief defend! Too bad that arrow, will be hard to experience again..."
Her eyes suddenly focused. The spirit arrow unexpectedly suffered a great setback, the arrow body gently trembling. She looked far ahead, seeing Li Xian drawing again, yet to shoot, but spirit and sharpness radiating.
Her whole body tightened, observing intently. Seeing Li Xian loosed an arrow, it was also an arrow of spirit, with spirit even denser, sharpness even greater, faintly resembling something seen before.
Li Xian fired later but pierced through Gu Nianjun’s spirit arrow, shooting far beyond, landing beside Gu Nianjun’s feet, with a loud crash, piercing through the deck, causing water to splash several feet. Gu Nianjun was distraught, "How... is this possible? How is it possible? How... how can he also shoot this arrow?"
The image of the arrow lingered in her mind, her head suddenly empty. Her expression utterly bewildered.
