No…no he did not just say he would FEED MY DAUGHTER TO WOLVES! Susu thought sourly.

She surged Qi from her Core Dantian into her meridians, enhancing her senses, strength and power instantly.

Zhu Zixin tapped Susu on the hand, then he tried to push her. “Take your daughter and go! This has nothing to do with you!” He said, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Susu shook her head, then turned to face Dai Li and his men. As she stood there, child in hand and Qi roiling within her body.

Dai Li and his men began to circle her and Zhu Zixin. The creaks of the boards beneath their feet, imitated a mokugo, but Susu believed it was the sound of the upcoming death. “Dai Li!” Susu hissed. “I never liked you. So let me say this once. Let this end here or I can help you seek the death you crave this instance!”

Dai Li stepped forward, smiling ruefully, his rusted sword scraping against the wooden floor. He tilted his head to a side, then raised his sword above his head, only to drop it across his shoulder.

“Old Man, You plan to bring this wench into our affairs!?” He spat, looking past Susu eyes fixated on Zhu Zixin, that they began to turn red.

“There’s no affairs to be had, Dai Li.”

Susu eyes drifted to the Old Man. The moment her eyes met his own, he smiled brightly. Then, his eyes went cold the moment he turned them on Dai Li.

He dabbed the blood from the side of his mouth, then slide into fighting stance. He raised his hands, then extended his fingers. A Claw Fighting Stance, Susu thought, Just like brother Xing.

“BROTHER LI, I WANT HER FOR MYSELF. HER PESKY HUSBAND ISN’T WITH HER!” Someone shouted from behind Dai Li.

Susu turned as well, facing the men who were ready to pounce at Zhu Zixin from the back.

“Wench, Let me repeat myself. Leave. Or not only will I feed your daughter to the wolves, but I’ll feed you to my men.”

Embers of Qi pulsed within Susu’s Mind Dantian. She surged the Qi from her Mind Dantian, and watched as the room grew brighter from the sudden surge of Qi.

“Dai Li…” Zhu Zixin croaked from behind Susu. His voice emanating nails scratching against chords of a zither. “I would’ve gladly given you the manual, but you just needed to be patient.”

“Fuck your patience, I’m of the Core Awakening Real—“

“You need to be of the Mind Awakening Realm to be able to handle the sudden change in cultivation technique.”

“You never planned to truly train us! The techniques you display are VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE KNOW!”

“You fool!” Zixin coughing whilst laughing. “I thought you the foundation for the Unrelenting Lion Style! IF YOU HAVEN’T MASTERED THEM, HOW ARE YOU EXPECTED TO PRACTICE THE UNRELENTING LION STYLE WITHOUT DAMAGING YOUR MERIDIANS!”

“LIAR HAND OVER THE MANUAL!” He hissed.

“Over my cold dead corpse.” Zhu Zixin said coldly, spitting up a mouthful of blood.

Beads of sweat trickled down his face, then he grabbed his chest, his breath slowing.

The baby released a sombre cry, drawing Susu’s attention. She turned to step back and felt a surge of Qi blossoming behind her. She spun, kicking in the direction of the Qi. Only for Dai Li to shoot right past her, heading for Zhu Zixin. “Kill the wench.” He growled.

Zixin shot past Susu like a gust of wind, hitting Dai Li in the chest with the back of his hand. A roar followed next, which sounded like a lion’s roar emanated.

The punch sent Dai Li flying backwards, crashing into an already shattered wall. He hit the wall with a loud boom, then dropped to the ground, pain laced in his eyes.

Footsteps pattered behind Susu as she tried to figure out what was going on, but before she could even think. Her Qi flooded throughout her body like a flooding river.

Susu sailed up the Bodhidharma statute and landed on its head. Dai Li’s men hissed their annoyance, then broke off their attack, turning to Chief Zixin, as they knew they were at a disadvantage.

As Chief Zixin watch them break off their attack, heading towards him he stepped forward lethargically, raising his hands. “I TAUGHT YOU ALL THE LION PRIDE FORMATION, DO YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN TOUCH ME? He howled.

“WE DON’T NEED TO TOUCH YOU OLD MAN! WE JUST NEED TO TIRE YOU OUT!”

“GET AWAY FROM HERE GIRL. YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER TO LIVE FOR, DON’T MIND ME. I HAVE THIS HANDLED!” Zixin barked.

Susu stomped the head of the statute sending a wave of Qi through it. The latches that kept statute up, snapped free.

As Susu stood above, she watched as Old Man Zixin defended himself masterfully against his former protege.

Another loud snap groaned out and the statute began to tilt forward. Susu, still didn’t move. The final latch snapped free and the statute slowly began to fall. “ELDER ZIXIN…RUN!”

Susu kicked off the statute head, and floated backwards, child in hand. The statute crashed into the middle of the hall, sending a shockwave of dust and debris throughout the hall.

The sound of strained wood bellowed free whilst splintered boards exploded in all directions, leaving Dai Li’s men to scamper in different directions.

Zhu Zixin appeared on the far left of the hall, which was to Susu’s left.

Three of Dai Li’s lackeys were left hurdling on the ground, holding their chest, and knees wallowing in pain as they weren’t able to escape the falling statute.

As Susu floated back down to the ground, she kicked off the nearest wall. She shot across the room and landed right next to Chief Zixin with a tap of her feet.

Dai Li growled venomously as his eyes rested on her. The yellow teeth he flashed, matched the decaying look of his rusted sword, which made Susu wrinkle her nose.

“He not only lacks in decorum but also cleanliness, is this the best you could do for a protege Elder Zixin?”

“Forgive me, I’m not the smartest at selecting people.” Zhu Zixin he said with laugh, then dropped to one knee, holding his chest as it began reverberating back and forth. “Thank You Fei’er,” He said grinding his teeth. “Bbt that’s enough, You’re endangering your daughter. I’ll take it from here.”

Zhu Zixin shot past Susu, entering the foray once more. He spun, kicking three of his former men. They dressed back, barely dodging the attack and countered with upward slashes, that barely missed him.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

, spinning and kicking three more, as they tried to charge at them both.

Susu stepped forward, but skipped back, seeing an ember of Qi swirling towards her. Dai Li appeared out of thin air, thrusting his rusted sword at the child

Susu began to pivot right but stopped herself realising that if she did so, the baby would’ve died.

As the rusted sword grazed Susu’s left side, she winced instantly, dropping to her knees as her body went numb.

Dai Li danced back, using the moment of his Qi. Then, he spun, bringing his sword down in a whip-like motion aiming his blade directly at her chest.

In that moment of crystalised time, Susu felt alone. Yes, she’d made friends despite being from Parson. She had Martial Brothers that cared for her like a real sister. She’d even had a Master who treated her like his own daughter.

The thoughts of Susu’s long-dead parents began to resonate within her mind. She watched as her mother pushed her out of a window whilst her father pleaded for her to be left alive. Is this what it’s like to be a parent? Susu thought, feeling the tears within her eyes swell.

A whimper of cry rang out, flowing into Susu’s ears. It woke her from that nightmare of a second, then flooded her with the energy she never knew she had.

Susu cradled the child in her arms and allowed her eyes to look at it for a half-second. No Susu thought I can’t die here…neither can you my dear.

A surge of Qi exploded from Susu Soul Dantian, flooding right into her Core and Soul Dantian, making her meridians steam from her rage.

Susu pivoted to her left, then spun out of the way, barely escaping Dai Li’s fatal attack!

Susu then skipped, then surged Qi into her right leg. She shot forward then kicked Dai Li in his chin. She watched as he floated about ten feet into the air helpless.

Zhu Zixin swept across the room like a force of nature, striking men and women with fiery fists and anger.

Susu glanced to her left, watching the Chief dismantle his apprentices with ease. It was like a Lion eating its cub because it rejected the litter.

Gruesome and completely brutal, just like most things within the Jianghu.

“NOW RUN!” Zixin growled.

Susu took her eyes off the battle and charged towards the opening at the far end of the hall, skipping across the shattered chest of the Bodhidharma statute.

A loud crack bellowed behind her, forcing her to jump left. A broken piece of statute shot right pass her, aimed at Zhu Zixin.

The Lion Escort Chief raised his hand, and a colourless mist began to enshroud his index finger, Qi.

The statute slab crashed into his index finger and shattered into pebbles and dust, spraying across the main hall as though it was nothing more but the wind!

Susu turned and tried to run, her knees faltered, strength leaving them as if the wind was punched out of her. She swirled her Qi, but that only drained her strength even more, a intense throbbing sensation jolted to her left side forcing her to wince. “Finally, the poison kicks in,” Dai Li huffed, whipping blood from the corner of his mouth.

A large thud groaned out behind her, drawing her eyes. Susu kicked off the ground, trying to use what remaining Qi she had left.

Zhu Zixin had dropped to his knees, Susu saw pain flash across his face. He held his chest again and beads of sweat poured off his face like a waterfall.

“…Finally” Dai Li howled enigmatically. “That shitty poisoned I’ve been feeding you for days has finally set in!”

Dai Li pushed himself off the ground and snatched his rusted sword. He dusted himself off and began walking towards Zhu Zixin.

The Old Escort Chief, positioned himself on top of the shattered Bodhidharma statute, and sat in the lotus position.

Susu Qi extinguished tiself from her Soul, Core and Mind Dantians, forcing her back to the ground.

As she hit the ground, she winced in pain as her knees couldn’t handle being Qi-less.

The poison had entered her dantians and had used it to flow through her meridians, effectively incapacitating her.

The baby tugged at her veil, wailing as if she wanted to be soothed. She tried to swirl the Qi within her body, but the poison churned with it, forcing her to drop down to her knees.

I should’ve known his blades were poisoned, he’s of the Core Awakening Realm…there’s no way he could fight Elder Zixin without poison!

Susu tried to swirl the Qi within her Soul Dantian, but all it did was roil the posion on her left side.

The cries of the child grew louder and louder the closer Dai Li approached Zhu Zixin. He turned to Susu, face painted in fury. “WILL YOU SHUT THAT THING UP!” Dai Li hissed.

Susu bit her bottom lip, forcing herself to shut up. She knew if she irritated Dai Li any further, the bastard would kill her and the child instantly. I just need a minute to neutralise the poison. Then I could expunge it from my body!

“Dai Li, you demon. A child is meant to cry! Were you any better as one!?” Zixin shouted.”

“SHUT UP OLD MAN!” Dai Li hissed, waving his widely. “You treated all of us like children, errand boys. Promising us that we’d become fine martial artists in time. We followed you for three years. THREE YEARS! And not one of us has EVER broken through to Mind Awakening Realm!”

“Patience, Perseverance and Passion…that’s why you can’t break through,” Zixin said coldly. “You think you can just wake up and be strong. You must fight, you must train, but you also me patient!”

“Patience. Patience. Patience, THATS ALL YOU EVER SAY. I’m tired of it. Lets end this once and for all!

Twelve of the remaining twenty men began encroaching on Zhu Zixin. The little killing aura that exhumed them began to swirl around Chief Zixin.

He didn’t waver.

Zhu Zixin‘s eyes still had that glimmer of life within them., It would take more than these curs to extinguish.

“Did you kill Cao Song?” Zhu Zixin asked.

A wry smile flashed across Dai Li’s face. He licked his lips and shook his head. “Is that what you’re concerned with, RIGHT NOW!?”

“Yes!” Zhu Zixin growled.

“Fine old man, I’ll give you what you want. I slit her throat right before we left Anqing. I had Ren Shou forge her handwriting, saying she left to visit her family.

“YOU DEVIL!”

“Devil? No one could be more devil than you. You teased us. You taunted us. All for for nothing…WHERE IS THE UNRELENTING LION STYLE MANUAL?”

“Cao Song has it you fool,” Zixin said dryly. “So where ever you buried her…it’s there, with her.”

“I told you not to burn the body!” One of Dai Li’s men shouted.

“SHUT UP!” Dai Li snarled. “You think the old man gave that manual to her? She’s been with him for over eight years YET, she never displayed any techniques the old man showed us!”

“That’s because she damaged her meridians!” Zixin snapped. “She practiced the style before entering the Mind Awakening Realm.”

“LIAR!” Dai Li hissed, “I’m not as foolish as you think Old Man, but fine…you can lie here all you want. The fact is…she’s dead. You didn’t even blink an eye when I told you she left for a family emergency.”

“I’m not one to hold onto anyone, everyone has their own life to live. Living on the road is hard, it’s not suited for everyone. Especially a woman like Cao Song, if she were my daughter, I’d celebrate that she lived a peacefull ife…that’s why I didn’t look for her. But you see, the mere fact that you killed her…is my GREATEST SHAME DAI LI!”

“YOUR GREATEST SHAME IS YOU NOT GIVING THE MANUAL BEFORE I TAKE YOUR LIFE!”

The ember of Qi that pulsed within Dai Li turned into a small flame, spooling within Dai Li Core Dantian. It sent goosebumps through Susu’s skin. Is he breaking through NOW OF ALL TIMES?

Susu tried to calm herself and force the posion from her body, through her Meridians, but with her draining by the second, she felt as though it was hopeless.

“You know.” Dai Li said calmly, tone cold as ice. “I’m not one to enjoy slaughter, I’m a simple man. I like copper, bronze, silver and gold coins. That’s what I live for. Learning techniques and accumulating wealth. That’s why I joined your little Escort company. You’re getting down in age, you have no children. I figured that joining would be good for me. It would allow me to be a pillar within the Jianghu. But you lied to me. Just as I know you’re lying about Cao Song having the manual. Tell me where it is or you’ll watch me gut that bitch and her daughter before we cut your fingernails from your HANDS!”

A loud boom exploded from the entrance of the main hall. The doors and flacking boards flew in all directions from a force that could only be described as the wind.

Two of Dai Li’s men’s arms spun in the air as if they were sliced cleanly. Three men turned to their right, seeing what could only be described as a monster.

Their heads tumbled to the ground rolling right next to the Bodhidharma statute’s head.

Five of Dai Li’s men were dead in an instant, and the man that did it stood above their corpses flashing a menacing gaze.

Zhao Xing was the last person Susu expected to see, but the dramatics matched him right down to his annoying smile.

“Manuals, Blood and Tears. This is what the Jianghu is made of and I hate it. Fine. If you want silver and gold stones, work for it. If you want to get better at Martial arts, train. But the mere fact you did this to Su’er, truly boils me down to my core.”

Xing made one step that reverberated through the shrine like an earthquake. The boards beneath his feet crumbled into powder as a subtle glow of Qi swarmed around him like a tempest unleashed, filling the room with his aura, leaving everyone within the shrine breathless, even Susu.

Dai Li’s men gawked as they stumbled back, scared as as the Qi that thrummed from him began to ripple around him. It was as if Xing himself was reborn, soaked in power Susu had never seen from him this anger before, and she was scared.

“Su’er, don’t worry, I’ll take care of the rest.” Xing said coldly. He then raised his hand to point at Dai Li, who stood there speechless as he scrambled to pick up his rusted sword. “But you, I’ll deal with you last.”